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This Friday at the Alumni Hall in Annapolis, St. Joseph's Hawks and the Houston Cougars will compete in the Veterans' Classic, which will be broadcast on CBSS. The two programs will meet for the first time at this event.
Houston won its season opener against Northern Colorado. In the first half, the Cougars dominated the Bears with their traditional tough style before pouring it on to win by 47 points. In their victory over Northern Colorado, Kelvin Sampson's team shot 44% from the field, made 11/29 three-pointers, and created 23 turnovers.
Houston vs St.Joseph's Betting Odds
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Houston vs St. Joseph's Match Details
Fixture: Houston at St. Joseph's
Date and Time: Friday, November 11 at 6:00 PM ET
Venue: Alumni Hall, Annapolis, MD
Houston vs St. Joseph's Key Stats
Jarace Walker played a significant part in his inaugural contest as a Cougar. In the victory versus NoCo, the rookie forward had 12 rebounds and shared the team lead in shot attempts with Sasser. J'Wan Roberts, a 6'7 forward, joined him up front and scored 12 points on a successful 6-8 percent.
The Cougars are unbeaten at home and on the road and are currently leading the Big 12 league. The Cougars' offense averages 74.8 points, 39 rebounds, and 21 assists per game. The Cougars' defense is giving up 58.7 points while forcing 14 errors and 5.9 steals per game.
Three of Saint Joseph's top performers from the previous campaign are back. Ejike Obinna will be at the center of it all, to begin with. The 6'10" big man really developed after moving from Vandy, and over the course of the final eight games, he recorded four double-doubles. Obinna should be the center of attention in this attack because Hall and Funk are no longer teammates.
In the Atlantic Ten Conference, the St. Joseph's Hawks are 0-0 overall and 0-0 at home, good for first place. The Hawks' offensive stats include 67.6 points, 37 rebounds, and 13.5 assists per game. The Hawks' 69 points allowed total includes 9.43 turnovers and 6.9 steals per game on defense.
Houston vs St. Joseph's Best Picks and Prediction
The Hawks will need to work out some first-game wrinkles naturally, and this tough Houston team won't make it simple. Early on, living without Hall and Funk might prove challenging for St. Joe's, and if Obinna detects any foul play, they'll be in real danger.
The Cougars ought to rule on both sides of the field and continue their recent success in covering the spread by winning this game. Consider Houston's spread for Friday night; they may very easily limit this group to fewer than 50 points, so keep an eye on the under as well.
Pick: Houston -21.5 (-110)
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