Houston looks to begin their March Madness run as they face SIUE. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an SIUE-Houston prediction and pick.
SIUE was 22-11 this year while going 13-7 in conference play. That gave them the two seed in the OVC tournament, and a bye into the semi-finals. They would face Tennessee State in their first game, winning 71-69. They would then face Southeast Missouri State in the finals. SIUE would have the 11-point lead at the end of the first half, ten minutes into the second half, it would be just a one-point game. Still, SIUE would pull away from there, winning the game 69-48.
Meanwhile, Houston was 30-4 this year, and 19-1 in conference play, earning the top spot in the Big 12 tournament. They opened the tournament with wins over Colorado and BYU before facing Arizona in the finals. Arizona would have a five-point lead at the end of the first half, but Houston would make the comeback. Arizona would still have a one-point lead with just over five minutes left to play, but Houston would go on to win the game 72-64. Now, Houston has a one seed and will look to make a March Madness run to a title.
Here are the SIUE-Houston College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
Men’s March Madness Odds: SIUE-Houston Odds
SIUE: +28.5 (-104)
Moneyline: +6500
Houston: -28.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -100000
Over: 125.5 (-115)
Under: 125.5 (-105)
How to Watch SIUE vs. Houston
Time: 2:00 PM ET/ 11:00 AM PT
TV: TBS
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why SIUE Will Cover The Spread/Win
SIUE is ranked 217th in KenPom’s rankings this year. They are 255th in adjusted offensive efficiency this year while sitting 160th in adjusted defensive efficiency this year. SIUE has been much better on defense this year. They are 51st in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 32nd in the nation in opponent shooting efficiency. Further, they have guarded well inside, sitting 23rd in the nation against the two this year. Finally, they do not allow much ball movement, sitting 44th in the nation in opponent assists per game.
Ray’Sean Taylor leads the way for SIUE this year. He is leading the team in both scoring and assists. Taylor comes into the game with 19.3 points per game while adding 3.8 assists per game. He also has 4.5 rebounds and two steals per game this year. Meanwhile, Brian Taylor joins Ray’Sean Taylor in the backcourt. Brian Taylor comes in with 12 points per game while adding 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this year.
In the frontcourt, Ring Malith leads the team in rebounding this year. He comes in with 7.2 rbeounds per game while adding 11.5 points and 1.4 assists per game. He is joined by Kyle Thomas. Thomas is scoring six points per game while adding 3.3 rebounds per game this year.
Why Houston Will Cover The Spread/Win
Houston is ranked third in KenPom’s rankings this year. They are tenth in adjusted offensive efficiency this year while sitting second in adjusted defensive efficiency this year. Houston is number one in the nation in opponent points per game this year. Further, they are fourth in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage. They limit opponent shots very well, sitting sevneth in the nation in opponent field goal attempts per game this year.
LJ Cryer leads the way this year for Houston. He comes into the game with 15.2 points per game while also adding 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He is joined in the backcourt by Emanuel Sharp. Sharp is scoring 12.6 points per game while adding 3.1 rebounds, one assist, and 1.4 steals per game this year. Finally, Milos Uzan leads the team in assists. He has 4.3 assists per game with 11.5 points, three rebounds, and one steal per game.
In the frontcourt, J’Wan Roberts leads the way. He leads the team in rebounding with 6.3 rebounds per game. He also is scoring 10.8 points per game while adding 1.7 assists and one steal per game.
Final SIUE-Houston Prediction & Pick
Tempo in this game may be a key factor. Houston is 346th in the nation in adjusted tempo this year, while SIUE is 261st. Further, Houston is seventh in opponent field goal attempts per game while sitting 131st in their field goal attempts per game this year. Meanwhile, SIUE is 136th in the nation in field goal attempts per game. Further, they are not an efficient offense. SIEU is 287th in the nation in shooting efficiency this year. Houston is 119th. This total is very low, and there is every chance Houston covers the big spread, but to do so, they will most likely rely on their strong defense, and play at a slow pace. That makes the best play in this one on the under.
Final SIUE-Houston Prediction & Pick: Under 125.5 (-105)
The post SIUE vs. Houston prediction, odds, pick for Men’s March Madness 2025 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
