Houston looks to rebound from their first loss when they visit TCU on Saturday evening. The two schools last faced off in 2012, but with Houston's move to the Big 12, it's time to rekindle the in-state rivalry. It is time to continue our men's college basketball odds series with a Houston-TCU prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Houston learned that there are no easy games in the Big 12 when they went into Iowa State and suffered their first loss. They were 14-0 and pushing to be the No.1 team in the country when they faced Iowa State. With Purdue's loss on the same night, Houston needed a win to guarantee their ascent. Unfortunately for them, Iowa State pulled off the second upset of the night, putting an absolute shock into the college basketball world. Houston relies on their defense, as only three players average double-digits. LJ Cryer is their leading scorer, tallying 16.3 points per game.

TCU is another contender in the Big 12, boasting a 12-3 record. They are 7-3 over their last ten games, with losses coming from Clemson, Nevada, and Kansas. The losses to Clemson and Nevada were disappointing, but a two-point loss to Kansas gave them hope for their future. They were nine-point underdogs entering Allen Fieldhouse but nearly pulled off the upset. TCU covered six of their last seven games and has been the underdog only once in their past ten games. TCU lacks outstanding offensive performers, but as a unit, they boast one of the top-scoring teams in the nation. Emanuel Miller leads the team with 17 points per game. They have four players averaging double digits.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Houston-TCU Odds

Houston: -4.5 (-110)

Moneyline: (-192)

TCU: +4.5 (-110)

Moneyline: (+158)

Over: 138.5 (-110)

Under: 138.5 (-110)

How to Watch Houston vs. TCU 

Time: 6 PM ET/3 PM PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Houston Will Cover The Spread

When it comes to defensive basketball, there's Houston, and then there's everybody else. Houston ranks first in the nation, allowing only 50.3 points per game. They allow a whopping 22.3 points per game in the first half, which is difficult for any team to overcome. They rank ninth in forced turnovers, sixth in steals, and 14th in blocks. Houston also holds their opponents to the best field goal and second-best three-point percentage. It will take an elite defensive team at the other end of the floor to beat the Cougars, as it's near-impossible to beat Houston when scoring less than 60 points per game. Iowa State boasts the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation, which explains the Cougars' first loss.

TCU has an above-average defense, but it shouldn't be enough to beat the Cougars. They rank 99th in scoring defense but allow their opponents to shoot 42.5% from the field. That number won't blow you away, but it's well behind the Cougars defensive statistics. TCU is a good rebounding team, but Houston also holds the advantage in this category, as they have the third-best offensive rebounding team in the country. They grab 14.3 offensive rebounds per game, which will help them get tons of second-chance opportunities.

Why TCU Will Cover The Spread

We saw Houston couldn't beat a team with an impressive defensive unit. Houston's offense didn't get anything against Iowa State, and it didn't matter how good their defense played. Now, we will see how well their defense is against one of the best offensive teams in the nation. TCU will give Houston everything it can handle, and a loss here will show that Houston isn't ready to compete with the top teams in the country. Houston hasn't played an offensive juggernaut yet, so TCU may be able to take them by surprise in this game.

Final Houston-TCU Prediction & Pick

There are two formulas to beat the Houston Cougars and their overwhelming defense this season. You either have to be like Iowa State and boast a top-ten defense in the nation, or you need to hope Houston has an abnormally poor shooting night. TCU has the 99th-best defense in the country, which is above average, but they still allow 67.9 points per game. TCU also has the advantage of playing some easy games, which may help their defensive numbers. When trying to figure out the game script for TCU to cover in this game, you figure that they need to score at least 65-70 points.

TCU has an elite offense. They rank in the top 20 in tons of metrics, including scoring where they are 15th. They score an average of 85.1 points per game. However, they have yet to play a dominating defense like Houston's and have had a couple of offensive letdowns. TCU may show up on Saturday night and give Houston all they can handle, but it's hard to bet against Houston's top-rated defense.

Final Houston-TCU Prediction & Pick: Houston -4.5 (-110)