Who’s PlayingGeorge Washington @ Washington StateCurrent Records: George Washington 6-4; Washington State 4-6What to KnowThe George Washington Colonials and the Washington State Cougars will compete for holiday cheer at 9 p.m. ET Thursday at SimpliFI Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. George Washington should still be riding high after a win, while the Cougars will be looking to right the ship. The Colonials strolled past the Coppin State Eagles with points to spare last week, taking the game 83-71. George Washington got their victory on the backs of several key players, and it was guard Maximus Edwards out in front dropping a double-double on 16 points and 12 boards along with five dimes. Edwards had some trouble finding his footing against the American Eagles two weeks ago, so this was a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, Washington State was within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap on Sunday as they fell 65-59 to the Baylor Bears. One thing holding Washington State back was the mediocre play of guard TJ Bamba, who did not have his best game: he picked up four fouls and turned the ball over four times en route to a 5-for-15, 14-point finish. George Washington have to know they’ll be fighting an uphill battle given the 11.5-point spread they are up against. Those playing the odds have seen things go back and forth with the Colonials, who are 5-4 against the spread. George Washington’s win brought them up to 6-4 while the Cougars’ defeat pulled them down to a reciprocal 4-6. A couple numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: George Washington is stumbling into the matchup with the 10th fewest takeaways in college basketball, having accrued only 10.8 on average. Washington State has experienced some struggles of their own as they are 38th worst in college basketball in takeaways, with only 11.5 on average. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up. How To WatchWhen: Thursday at 9 p.m. ETWhere: SimpliFI Arena at Stan Sheriff Center — Honolulu, HawaiiTV: ESPN2Follow: CBS Sports AppOddsThe Cougars are a big 11.5-point favorite against the Colonials, according to the latest college basketball odds.The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as an 11.5-point spread, and stayed right there.Over/Under: -112See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series HistoryThis is the first time these teams have played each other within the last seven years.