The Southern Methodist Mustangs will try to cover the spread at Moody Coliseum on Saturday when they get a visit from the Houston Cougars in NCAA basketball action.

The Mustangs currently sports a 12-10 record overall in NCAAB action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 11-10 ATS. The Cougars are 13-7 and 5-6 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Mustangs produce a 4-8-1 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Cougars have gone 7-4 against the number.



View Houston vs Southern Methodist Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Cougars were listed as 5.5-point underdogs at many online sportsbooks, including Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Mustangs - Cougars odds would favor the Cougars if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Southern Methodist is rated No. 165 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Houston is at No. 152. Mathematical models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 74-71 win for the Cougars.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Southern Methodist's No. 250-ranked offense, averaging 64.2 PPG, against a Cougars defense that ranks No. 265 at 70.4 PPG. The Mustangs field goal percentage has averaged 44.4% so far, less than the Cougars marksmen have achieved on the year, 45.4% per game.

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Houston owns the country's No. 271-rated mark, allowing 74.3 points per game on the highway. Southern Methodist, on the other hand, rates No. 264 in scoring at home.

In their last action, Houston was a 79-69 loser on the road against Rice. They failed to cover the 4.5-point spread as favorites. Houston suffered a 79-69 loss against Rice on Wednesday, getting 17 points from Joseph Young in a losing effort at Autry Court.

Southern Methodist won its last outing, a 68-57 result against Marshall on January 30. They covered in that game as a 5-point underdog. Southern Methodist got 19 points from Jalen Jones en route to a 68-57 victory over Marshall on Wednesday at Cam Henderson Center.


Houston Cougars Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Tulane are 5-5
After playing Rice are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6

Southern Methodist Mustangs Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 2-8
Before playing Memphis are 5-5
After playing Marshall are 3-4
After a win are 6-4

A few Cougars at Mustangs trends to consider:
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Southern Methodis
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Southern Methodist is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
Southern Methodist is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Southern Methodist is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Southern Methodist is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games


Next up:
Houston home to Tulane, Saturday, February 9
Southern Methodist home to Memphis, Wednesday, February 6