Houston Cougars vs Toledo Rockets Matchup

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

Toledo vs Houston Prediction

Looking to win big? The Rockets and Cougars face off at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The Cougars are hosting the game at Fertitta Center in Houston, TX. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 142.5 points, and Houston is favored by -29.5 at home against Toledo.

Toledo vs. Houston Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Toledo Rockets at Houston Cougars
Where: Houston at Fertitta Center
Date: Wednesday, December 18th
Betting Odds HOU -29.5, TOLEDO +4000 | HOU -50000 O/U 142.5

Rockets Preview: Does Toledo Have What it Takes on the Road?

Toledo Rockets Recent Game/Games

Toledo fell to 5-4 on the season after a 93-87 road loss to Youngstown State on Saturday. The Rockets entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 180, surpassing the over/under line of 148.5.

Toledo trailed 44-39 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, where they scored 48 points but allowed 49.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

Toledo put up 87 points in their last game, shooting 46.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. They connected on 27 of 37 free throws, good for 73%, and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds.

Sam Lewis led the way with 21 points and 8 rebounds, while EJ Farmer added 20 points. Nico Galette contributed 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Rockets Team Defense

Toledo's defense struggled, giving up 93 points on 49% shooting. They allowed 17 two-point baskets on 27 attempts, a 63% success rate for their opponent.

From beyond the arc, Toledo's opponent hit 12 threes on 32 attempts, shooting 37%. They also sent them to the line 28 times, where they made 23 free throws, an 82% rate.

Cougars Preview: Does Houston Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

Houston improved to 6-3 on the season with a 62-42 win over Troy on Tuesday. The Cougars were heavy favorites at -28 and while they got the win, they didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 104 fell well short of the 132.5 O/U line.

Houston’s defense was dominant in the first half, holding Troy to just 11 points while scoring 33. However, they allowed 31 points in the second half while scoring 29, showing some vulnerability after halftime.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Houston's offense put up 62 points in their last game, shooting 43.1% from the field. They connected on 47.4% of their threes, hitting 9 of 19 attempts, while their two-point shooting was just 40.6% (13/32). Their effective field goal percentage was 51%.

L.J. Cryer was a standout, hitting 6 of 7 threes and finishing with 22 points on 72.7% shooting overall. Emanuel Sharp added 14 points and 4 assists, making 2 of 5 from deep. The Cougars also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and dished out 17 assists as a team.

Cougars Team Defense

Even though Houston allowed 42 points, they gave up a 43% shooting performance, with the opponent hitting 22 of 51 shots. Inside the arc, the Cougars held the other team to 40% shooting, with 13 makes on 32 attempts.

From three-point range, Houston's defense allowed 9 threes on 19 attempts, a 47% rate. The opponent also went 9/14 from the free-throw line, shooting 64%. Houston gave up 13 offensive rebounds.

Rockets vs Cougars Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road games, Toledo has an ATS record of just 4-6. However, their overall record was 5-5 while averaging 84 points per game.
Through their last ten home contests, the Cougars offense has averaged 71 points per game while allowing an average of 71. Houston posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 2-7-1 ATS.
As the betting underdog, the Rockets have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Toledo posted a straight up mark of 0-3 in these matchups.
Through their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Cougars have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 1-2.