The Texas A&M Aggies (7-3) and the fourth-ranked Houston Cougars (10-0) will battle in The Halal Guys Showcase on Saturday, December 16 at 2:00 PM ET at the Toyota Center in Texas. The Cougars are favored with a point spread at -7.5 (-110).

 

The Aggies have gone 2-3 in their last five matchups, which does not bode well for their momentum heading into this one. Their previous game was a 81-75 defeat against the Memphis Tigers.

 

Wade Taylor IV has been taking over on offense, with 17.1 points per game, but shoots 37.3 from the floor. He also leads them in assists at 4.5 per game, but has 3.5 turnovers as well.

 

The Aggies produce 76.6 points per game and give up 69.0. They are shooting 43.2 percent per game, which is on par with the Cougars to keep it competitive, as well as moving the ball around with 12.6 assists per contest.

 

Their defense also contributes 2.8 blocks and 7.4 steals each game. While both of these are lower in comparison to the Cougars, they must aim for morn intensity here.

 

The Cougars are undefeated through 10 games and are aiming to continue their streak. Their last performance was a 89-55 outing over the Jackson State Tigers.

 

They have defeated teams that were respectable, but have yet to face a ranked opponent. This is arguably another tough matchup for them to see what they are capable of. L.J. Cryer has answered the call offensively with 17.8 points per game.

 

The Cougars have an impressive differential between their points scored and allowed. They are averaging 76.4 points per game and are holding teams to 49.7 each game, all while shooting 43.6 percent from the field.

 

They have 14.2 assists per game, 4.7 blocks, and 11.6 steals each matchup. While these are great numbers, they still must prove they can win against slightly tougher teams in comparison to who they have faced.

 

MyBookie has provided the odds for this showdown, which shows the Houston Cougars as a moderate favorite for success. Currently, market analysis has their chances of winning at 78.9 percent.

 

The Cougars have arguably the best defense in all of college basketball. This allows them to move about their offense freely knowing they can make stops on the other end. With that being said, they still have to take care of business one game at a time but look for the Cougars to win and cover the spread here.