Houston Christian Huskies vs Lamar Cardinals Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Houston Christian vs Lamar NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Beaumont.

Houston Christian vs Lamar Prediction

The Huskies and Cardinals are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Cardinals will host the game at Montagne Center in Beaumont, TX. This Southland conference matchup has an over/under of 136.5 points, and Lamar is favored to win by -10.5 at home vs. Houston Christian.

Houston Christian vs. Lamar Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Houston Christian Huskies at Lamar Cardinals
Where: Beaumont at Montagne Center
Date: Saturday, January 4th
Betting Odds LAMAR -10.5, HOUBAP +422 | LAMAR -592 O/U 136.5

Huskies Preview: Do the Huskies Have a Shot at a Win at Beaumont?

Houston Christian fell to 2-9 on the season after a 62-46 road loss to North Texas on Sunday. The Huskies were +22.5 point underdogs going into the game but managed to keep it closer than expected.

They trailed 30-23 at halftime and scored 23 points in the 2nd half while allowing 32. The total points for the game were 108, falling well short of the O/U line of 128.5.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Houston Christian struggled offensively, putting up just 46 points with a field goal percentage of 34.1% (15/44). Their effective field goal percentage was 38.6%, and they hit only 18.2% of their three-point attempts (4/22), while making 50% of their two-point shots (11/22).

Johnathan Massie and Julian Mackey each scored 14 points, with Massie shooting 62.5% overall and hitting both of his three-point attempts. Mackey went 2/7 from deep. The Huskies connected on 80% of their free throws (12/15) and recorded 8 assists and 6 offensive rebounds.

Huskies Team Defense

Despite giving up 62 points, the Huskies allowed their opponents to shoot 47% from the field, with 18 of those baskets coming from two-point range, where they shot 54%.

From beyond the arc, the Huskies' defense allowed 6 threes on 18 attempts, a 33% shooting rate. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 11 times, where they made 8, shooting 72%.

Cardinals Preview: Can Lamar Deliver Being Favored at Home?

Lamar Cardinals Recent Game/Games

Lamar fell to 4-6 on the season after a 101-57 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday. The Cardinals were +25 underdogs going into the game and didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 158, exceeding the O/U line of 141.5.

Lamar trailed 49-22 at halftime and allowed 52 points in the 2nd half while scoring 35. The Cardinals will look to regroup after this tough loss.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Lamar struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 57 points while shooting 32.9% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 37.1%, and they hit only 55.6% of their free throws, going 5 for 9 from the line.

Despite their shooting woes, the Cardinals grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and dished out 10 assists. Darrion Williams led the way with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, hitting 4 of 6 threes. Christian Anderson added 20 points on 8 of 10 shooting, and Chance McMillian contributed 19 points, connecting on 3 of 6 from deep.

Cardinals Team Defense

Despite Lamar's efforts, their defense couldn't hold up, allowing 101 points on 55% shooting. The Cardinals struggled to contain shots inside, with opponents hitting 63% of their two-point attempts, going 23/36.

From beyond the arc, Lamar's defense gave up 13 threes on 29 attempts, a 44% clip. They also sent the other team to the line 18 times, where they converted 16 free throws, shooting 88%. The Cardinals allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Huskies vs Cardinals Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Huskies have a straight up record of 1-9 while going 7-2-1 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 61 points per game in these contests.
Across their last five home contests, Lamar has been good against the spread posting a mark of 4-1. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 69 points per game.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Huskies have gone 3-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-4.
The Cardinals have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread.