Cincinnati vs Houston
Houston Vs Cincinnati (AAC) Preview
Houston is looking to get to the top of the polls on Sunday. It's only a matter of time before they get there. But first, they'll have to beat Cincinnati in this American Athletic Conference clash. Cincinnati vs Houston
The Bearcats have a decent offensive unit. They rank fourth in the league in 3-point percentage, and they've got an effective defense. However, they aren't consistently making threes. So they'll need to be a little more aggressive to keep this game close.
If Houston can score enough on Cincinnati, they'll have a solid chance to win. The Cougars have won six straight games in the series, and they should have plenty of momentum going into the game. After all, they've beaten both UC and East Carolina this season. Including their victory over SMU, they've racked up eight wins in nine meetings against Cincinnati.
On the other hand, Houston has won nine of their last 11 games, and they've gone over the total in five of their last seven. They've also covered the spread in all but two of their last seven games against the Bearcats. Aside from the fact that they're a much better team, they also have a good chance of covering the spread on the road.
Earlier this season, the Cougars pounded out an 87-53 victory over SMU. Jarace Walker led the way with 23 points and 10 boards. He was able to pick up a double-double despite not playing that much. Viktor Lakhin scored 16 points, and he also had 6 rebounds.
The Cougars' defense is one of the best in college basketball, and they haven't been held under 40 yards in a game this season. Houston's offense is also very balanced, as they can take advantage of turnovers. For example, the Bearcats are averaging a little more than 400 yards of offense per game, but their red-zone defense has a definite weakness.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati is an efficient offense, and they are averaging 6.81 yards of offense per play. This is one of the reasons they're a top-10 team in PPG. In addition to this, they're averaging over 400 yards of total offense in every game this season.
The game between these two teams should be a battle for the American Athletic Conference title, and this could very well be the game to determine which team is the conference's best. Despite the fact that both are nationally ranked, there's no question that Houston has more experience, and they've won their past seven meetings. That said, the Bearcats have had a great home record against the spread this season.
Houston has a chance to take the lead in the rankings after a loss to Purdue. However, the Bearcats have a decent shot of taking the win on Sunday, as they've won six of their last seven games against the Texans.
Regardless of who wins this matchup, it's important for the Bearcats to make a statement on the defensive end. The Cougars are a top-20 team in both turnovers and offensive rebounds, and they've been able to steal plenty of balls from Wes Miller's team.