Although they’re not in the SEC, the Houston Cougars were one of the most dominant teams in all of college basketball. They lost just one game in arguably the second-best conference in the country (Big 12), earning both regular season and tournament titles.
The Cougars are a 1 seed and take on SIU-Edwardsville, who finished second in the OVC standings before defeating Tennessee State and SEMO to earn the autobid. However, as the 16 seed, the Cougars are fairly big underdogs heading into Thursday’s matchup.
How to watch Houston vs SIUE
Date: Thursday, March 20th
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Venue: INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas
How to Watch (TV): TSB
Streaming: fubo TV
Houston record: 30-4 (19-1 Big 12)
SIUE record: 22-11 (13-7 OVC)
Houston vs SIUE odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
Houston -50000
SIUE +5500
Spread
Houston -28.5 (-115)
SIUE +28.5 (-105)
Total
125.5 (over -115/under -105)
Houston injury report
J’Wan Roberts F: Probable (ankle)
SIUE injury report
None
Houston and SIUE have never met on the hardwood in the history of both programs
Houston vs SIUE prediction
If there’s any hope for SIUE to keep the game close, it's with its star guard Ray'Sean Taylor taking over. The 6’1 playmaker leads his team with 19.3 ppg and 3.8 apg, including a 33-point outing to beat Morehead State on the road. They’re a solid defensive unit as well and will be comfortable if the game is in a slugfest.
Still, Houston is the king of low-scoring games, and they’ve been able to hold mid-majors to fewer than 50 points in games. If they shut down Taylor of the Cougars, there’s a chance they struggle to reach that mark. It’ll have to be an awful offensive game by Houston to make this close and with LJ Cryer and Milos Uzan in the backcourt, it’s unlikely to occur.
Prediction: Houston 76, SIUE 51