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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Toledo-Houston prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Toledo-Houston,
Oklahoma versus Michigan is the featured attraction on Wednesday night in college basketball. Meanwhile, Houston tries to get back into form with a game against Toledo.
It has been a bumpy ride for Kelvin Sampson and his Houston Cougars so far this season. They lost to Auburn. They lost to Alabama. They lost to San Diego State. Houston has lost most of the bigger games on its schedule. The Cougars have not been able to get as many crucial defensive stops as they usually expect to. It's true that Auburn and Alabama are two of the very best teams in the country, so there is no shame in losing those games. Yet, Houston was a No. 1 seed in last season's NCAA Tournament and has raised the bar for expectations of what the program should be, and what UH should achieve on the court. Coming close isn't what Sampson or his players expect.
The San Diego State loss really stung, given that the Aztecs — while having a solid team — do not seem to have the high-end potential of previous SDSU squads. Houston, having lost to Bama and Auburn, should have been able to take care of San Diego State on a neutral floor. SDSU was handled very easily by a Gonzaga team which, as we have seen, is not nearly as strong as previously thought. The Zags have been getting tagged by various opponents and no longer look like one of the nation's best teams. That GU team easily won on San Diego State's home floor. SDSU beating Houston came across as an eye-opening surprise, and an indication that Houston itself was not as good as first advertised this season. The Cougars have to recover and make sure they are ready for Big 12 play on the other side of Christmas Day.
Houston has LJ Cryer, an elite scorer who can be trusted with the rock in crunch time, but the Cougars have not been getting enough from their post players. Houston has to become a better, tougher frontcourt team in order for the Cougars to reach their potential this season. The Cougars have a few weeks to go before they get into the grind of Big 12 Conference competition. Sampson needs to make sure his players improve their habits and responses and that they're ready for the battles to come. The Cougars cannot continue to drift through their season with less-than-impressive results. The time for growth and evolution is now in H-Town.
Here are the Toledo-Houston College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Toledo-Houston Odds
Toledo: +29.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +4000
Houston: -29.5 (-104)
Moneyline: -50000
Over: 141.5 (-112)
Article Continues Below
Under: 141.5 (-108)
How to Watch Toledo vs Houston
Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN Plus
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Toledo Will Cover The Spread/Win
It's really very simple: Houston has not hit its stride as a team this season, and is giving almost 30 points. Toledo doesn't have to play a great game to cover; it just has to play a moderately competent game, anything other than a terrible game, to cover a number this large.
Why Houston Will Cover The Spread/Win
Houston has struggled — there is no question about that reality — but the Cougars often put the beatdown on bad teams and do not take plays off. They work, they hustle, they defend. The grind down bad teams and gain real separation. Houston by 35 would not be a shocker at all.
Final Toledo-Houston Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to Houston, but UH does not impress us right now. Pass.
Final Toledo-Houston Prediction & Pick: Houston -29.5
