Houston is better but this a great spot for a back door cover.

Houston holds opponents to under 56 ppg…the Cyclones struggle away from home and Houston does not shoot FTs well (could be huge for us late if the game is close). Under

The two-day turnaround from facing quality Big 12 foes on Saturday could leave the legs a little light here on Monday night, and it actually works in Houston's favor to try and slow the game down to prevent Iowa State from forcing more turnovers to create easy offense. Houston's defense at home has even exceeded the oddsmakers expectations, with the under going 9-5 in home games. The first meeting between these two teams had a total of 129.5 and finished at 110 (57-53), so with the short rest I think we see a similar score and another under.

This is certainly a lot of points, but it's justified for what may be the best team in the country. Iowa State has been great against the spread and they're coming off a nice win against Texas Tech, but Houston has too much to offer with their backcourt and frontcourt on offense and their defense, particularly at home, has been excellent. Houston has been blowing conference teams out at home, and while I do respect Iowa State, I think they lose by double digits tonight.

Two of the best defenses in the country (Houston allowing 55 ppg, ranks first; ISU allowing 62.5 ppg, ranks seventh) suggests a lower-scoring game at the Fertitta Pavilion between top ten sides. A low scoreline would mirror the first meeting at Ames on January 9 when the Cyclones won 57-53, dealing the Cougs their first loss. So, there's a revenge motive here tonight for UH, but ISU isn't tenth-ranked in the nation for nothing, as that defense keeps the Cyclones within striking distance every game. Another low-scoring affair would not surprise, but TJ Otzelberger's balanced lineup features four DD scorers, and UNLV transfer wing Keshon Gilbert has scored 24 points twice already this month. The 'clones keep it close. Play ISU

Iowa State has been extremely impressive, but this is a difficult spot. The Cougars lead the nation in NET ranking and are seeking revenge for a 57-53 loss in Ames, Iowa. In that loss, L.J. Cryer and Jamal Shead combined to shoot 2 of 14 from deep. Houston is 6-0 at home in Big 12 play, winning by an average of nearly 22 points. The atmosphere will be electric and the Cougars' defense should be suffocating.