Houston looks to cover the Cougars-Owls pointspread on Wednesday and improve its overall 18-11 mark when they host Rice in college basketball wagering action.

The Conference USA Tournament battle is part of the annual season-ending league tournament. The Sportsbook gets an automatic berth in the Madness, while all teams are trying to prove they deserve a spot. This matchup is a neutral-site affair being played at BOK Center.

The Cougars bring a 18-11 record (11-8-1 ATS) to this tilt against the 5-25 Owls, who are 10-13 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have witnessed Houston go 15-5 so far and the Owls go 15-6.



View Rice vs Houston Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to go with the Cougars in this one found them listed as 9-point favorites earlier on the NCAA basketball betting menu for Monday's contest. Check for updates as money coming in on the Owls was expected to move the line.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Cougars at No. 139 and the Owls at No. 346 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 76-60 result in favor of the Cougars.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Houston's No. 7 nationally ranked offense (78.6 points per game) against a Owls defense that sits as the No. 276 at 70.9 PPG. The Cougars have been averaging 46.6% from the field, more than the Owls have managed so far this season (39.8% on average).

Defensively, Rice features the nation's No. 242-rated defense on the road, allowing 72.2 points per game. Houston, meanwhile, comes in at No. 10 nationally in scoring at home.

Rice lost its last outing, a 77-71 result against Tulsa on March 9. They failed to cover in that game as a 5.5-point underdog. Rice got 30 points from Tamir Jackson en route to a 77-71 loss at the hands of Rice on Saturday at Autry Court.

Houston won its last outing, a 96-94 result against Tulane on March 9. They covered in that game as a 6.5-point underdog. Joseph Young went off for 32 points and added 2 rebounds for good measure, leading Houston to a 96-94 win over Tulane on Saturday at Fogelman Arena.


Rice Owls Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 3-7
After playing Tulsa are 6-4
After a loss are 1-9

Houston Cougars Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
After playing Tulane are 4-6
After a win are 6-4

A few Owls at Cougars trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Houston's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing Rice
Houston is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Rice