The Auburn Tigers take on the Houston Cougars. Our March Madness odds series has our Auburn Houston prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Auburn Houston.
This game is full of rich storylines and question marks, and you will need to pay very close attention to this game and to the news reports you get in the hours before tipoff. There have been a lot of conflicting reports and statements about the actual health of Houston guard Marcus Sasser, the team's best and most reliable shooter, a key piece in a possible run to the Final Four. Sasser played a little bit against Northern Kentucky in the first round but left the game with what some outlets called an aggravated injury. Sasser and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson have since claimed that it was not an aggravated injury but merely a cautious decision to not push Sasser too hard because he didn't feel strong enough to continue playing. We can all have our opinions, but Sasser's game against Northern Kentucky was truncated. That's undeniable. Whether his health is in fact worse now than it was two days ago is the true question, and we might not get the answer until the game starts and we see how much Sasser can move and jump.
If Sasser is effective and fluid on the floor, that obviously makes a huge difference in how anyone views this game from a betting standpoint. When you look at the current spread, realize that Sasser's suspect physical condition — and all the questions surrounding it — is being factored into the equation.
The other detail which is being priced into the spread and the other numbers on this game is that Auburn is playing in Birmingham. It will be a pro-Auburn crowd for the most part, but there could be some Alabama fans who will root against Auburn. Alabama plays the other Birmingham game on Saturday against Maryland. There are some real questions about this game. Again, you will need to pay very close attention to how things develop once the game starts.
Here are the Auburn-Houston March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
March Madness Odds: Auburn-Houston Odds
Auburn Tigers: +5.5 (-106)
Houston Cougars: -5.5 (-114)
Over: 131.5 (-106)
Under: 131.5 (-114)
How To Watch Auburn vs. Houston
TV: TBS
Stream: CBSSports.com, March Madness app, FuboTV+
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET, 4:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Auburn-Houston LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Auburn Could Cover The Spread
Auburn playing in Birmingham is big for this team, which looked re-energized playing close to home. The Tigers didn't have to deal with a long plane flight. They seemed refreshed. They will have lots of fans cheering them on.
They're playing a Houston team which struggled to beat a 16 seed, Northern Kentucky, without Marcus Sasser for most of the game. If Sasser is ineffective — and his physical condition is probably not 100 percent right now — Houston becomes a far more vulnerable team. The formula is there for an Auburn team which has nothing to lose as a No. 9 seed in this tournament.
Why Houston Could Cover The Spread
Auburn is very inconsistent on offense. Houston can play good defense even if Marcus Sasser is ineffective. The spread being relatively low, Houston just has to win by six points to cover. Houston by six over a No. 9 seed? That seems pretty realistic as a scenario for this game.
Final Auburn-Houston Prediction & Pick
The home-court advantage and the partisan crowd will help Auburn, but the Tigers are just such a mess at times on offense that Houston can really get its teeth into the Tigers on defense. Houston's defense will lead to a Cougar win by 10 points.
Final Auburn-Houston Prediction & Pick: Houston -5.5
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