The Cincinnati Bearcats take on the Houston Cougars. Check out our AAC Tournament odds series for our Cincinnati Houston prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Cincinnati Houston.
The college basketball season is approaching the 2023 NCAA Tournament. There are just a few big dramas left before the bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday. One of the main points of intrigue is whether the Houston Cougars can be the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament. The general line of thought heading into play on Saturday is that if Kansas wins the Big 12 Tournament by beating Texas in Saturday's final, Houston won't be able to get that No. 1 overall seed. However, if Texas beats Kansas, then Houston will have the chance to be the No. 1 overall seed, leading into the Final Four. This year, the host city for the Final Four is Houston. The Cougars have a chance to play in a home-city Final Four and give this program a first-ever national championship. The Cougars have lost just two games all season. They won the AAC championship. Now they hope to win the AAC Tournament on top of that and continue their March through the Madness.
The other big plot point connected to this game is Cincinnati's place as a possible surprise team in the NCAA Tournament. If either Cincinnati or Tulane (the Green Wave play Memphis later on Saturday in the other AAC Tournament semifinal) wins the AAC Tournament, that's an unexpected addition to the NCAA Tournament, reducing the size of the bubble by one team. Arizona State, Clemson, North Carolina State, and Mississippi State (plus a few other teams) would get very nervous if Cincinnati wins this game against Houston. The Bearcats, should they pull off the upset, would then be just one win away from clinching a berth in the NCAA Tournament. It's part of the anxiety coursing through Bubble Nation just before Selection Sunday.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Cincinnati-Houston AAC Tournament odds.
AAC Tournament Odds: Cincinnati-Houston Odds
Cincinnati Bearcats: +9.5 (-110)
Houston Cougars: -9.5 (-110)
Over: 135.5 (-110)
Under: 135.5 (-110)
How To Watch Cincinnati vs. Houston
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Cincinnati-Houston LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Cincinnati Could Cover the Spread
The Houston Cougars are undeniably a very good team, but they were shaky in their most recent game against Cincinnati. the Bearcats led for a good portion of the game and were in the hunt the whole way. Cincinnati looked really sharp on Friday in the AAC quarterfinals against Temple and was able to rest its starters in the second half. The Bearcats will be relatively fresh for this game, and they will empty the fuel tank since they know they must beat Houston to have any chance at making the NCAA Tournament. Houston played a ragged and not-very-good game against East Carolina in the AAC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday. Houston is not entering this game with full-tilt momentum, while Cincinnati shows signs of improving at the right time of the season: March.
Why Houston Could Cover the Spread
Houston is obviously far better team than Cincinnati. The point doesn't require a whole lot of explanation. The Cougars have lost just twice all season, and one of those two losses was to Alabama, a team which — like Houston — will be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Houston has had some choppy games this season, but only once has this team truly stumbled. That was in a home-court loss to Temple. Even when Houston is not playing at its very best, the Cougars still put forth great effort on defense. When they don't hit shots, their defense usually saves them. Cincinnati did play Houston very tough in Houston several weeks ago, but Houston had the answers down the stretch. Expect Houston to play better defense than it did in that game against Cincy. The Cougars are in March. They know the stakes are higher. They want that No. 1 overall seed in an NCAA Tournament they hope will conclude in Houston in early April at the Final Four.
Final Cincinnati-Houston Prediction & Pick
Houston did not play a crisp game on Friday against East Carolina in the AAC quarterfinals. Does that mean Houston will remain ragged in the semifinals, or does it mean the Cougars will clean up their act? It's hard to tell. Stay away from this game.
Final Cincinnati-Houston Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati +9.5
Follow Us
Subscribe