The No. 5 seed Miami Hurricanes (27-7) face the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (33-3) in the Sweet Sixteen. Action tips off at 7:15 p.m. ET. Below we continue our March Madness odds series with a Miami-Houston prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Miami squeaked out a win over Drake before demolishing Indiana in the first two rounds. For the season, the Hurricanes covered 59% of their games while 55% went under the projected point total. Houston survived a scare against Northern Kentucky before dismantling Auburn in the first two rounds. The Cougars covered 53% of their games while 53% went under. This will be the first meeting of the last 25 years between the two schools. As far as common opponents are concerned, Miami beat both Central Florida and Virginia by two. Houston beat Central Florida by 11 and six before beating Virginian by eight.
Here are the Miami-Houston March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Miami-Houston Odds
Miami: +7.5 (-110)
Houston: -7.5 (-110)
Over: 138.5 (-105)
Under: 138.5 (-115)
How To Watch Miami vs. Houston
TV: CBS
Stream: Paramount+
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET/ 4:15 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Miami Could Cover The Spread
Miami is an offensive-minded team who ranks 19th nationally with 79.1 PPG. Their electric offense is supported by the advanced metrics as KenPom has them as their 11th-most efficient offense. The Hurricanes are highly efficient from all levels of the floor, ranking 14th in overall field goal percentage and 39th in three-point percentage. They are a solid passing team who averages 14.6 APG – a top-50 mark in the country. The Hurricanes feature a sneaky offensive-rebounding group that ranks 65th in offensive rebound rate. While the Miami defense is nothing to write home about, they do a good job getting into passing lanes thanks to their 69th-ranked steal rate.
Miami's offensive revolves around their talented guards. ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong leads the way with 16.1 PPG in addition to 4.4 RPG and 3.3 APG. Second-Team All-ACC member Jordan Miller is right there with him, chipping in 15.1 PPG and 6.2 RPG. That being said, Kansas State sophomore Nijel Pack has been arguably the most impressive of the bunch this postseason. After averaging 13.4 PPG during the regular season, Pack has scored 33 points across his first two tournament games. All three guards are Uber-talented and will give Houston's elite defense all it can handle.
The X-factor for the Hurricanes is big man Norched Omier. The 6'7″, 240 lbs. sophomore serves as their defensive backbone. The Third-Team All-ACC member averages 13.4 PPG and 10.1 RPG in addition to 2.1 STOCKS (steals plus blocks) per game.
Why Houston Could Cover The Spread
Houston features an incredibly well-rounded team that makes its mark on the defensive end. The Cougars allow just 56.5 PPG – the second-lowest mark in Division-1. Houston excels at making plays on the defensive end thanks to their fourth-ranked block rate and 17th-ranked steal rate. KenPom projects them as one of the best all-around teams in the country as they rank first overall, fourth in defensive efficiency, and eighth in offensive efficiency. While Houston plays at one of the slowest paces in the country, they remain solidly efficient thanks to a 46% team field goal percentage. That ranks 66th nationally while Houston also averages the 47th-most assists per game. Houston's biggest X-factor is their rebounding as they hold the fifth-highest rebound rate in the country – compared to Miami's 59th ranking.
Houston offers the blueprint for an almost-perfect March Madness team. To begin with, the Cougars have a pair of talented, veteran guards via Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead. Both upperclassmen have been exceptional this season. Sasser averaged 16.9 PPG en route to earning AAC Player of the Year honors. As for Shead, he chipped in 10.4 PPG and 5.4 APG while swiping 1.8 steals per game. His defensive antics earned him the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award. Although both guards are banged up, they should be ready to go after they combine for 32 points in the win over Auburn.
In addition to their stellar guards, the Cougars roster a plethora of long, bulky forwards. Freshman Jerome Walker averages 11.1 PPG and 6.7 RPG. Consequently, the 6'8″, 240 lbs. forward projects as a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Junior J'wan Roberts serves as the glue guy for Houston thanks to averaging 10.3 PPG and 7.9 RPG. At 6'7″ and 230 lbs, Roberts is a versatile defender and fearsome rebounding. Both forwards were named to the All-AAC Second-Team for their efforts. Additionally, Walker won the AAC Freshman of the Year and Roberts won the AAC Most Improved Player of the Year.
Final Miami-Houston Prediction & Pick
Houston is one of the most well-rounded teams in the country but Miami's stellar offense should at least keep this game within seven.
Final Miami-Houston Prediction & Pick: Miami +7.5 (-110)
Follow Us
Subscribe