Louisiana vs. Houston prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
Yesterday at 08:31 PM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Louisiana-Houston prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Louisiana-Houston.
The college basketball season is one week old, and one can make the case that the Auburn-Houston game played last Saturday night was the best game of the season to date. Two talented teams went at each other and threw haymakers in a thrilling, compelling second half. That might be cold comfort for Houston, of course, because the Cougars came out on the short end versus Auburn. Houston’s defense could not get stops down the stretch. It’s true that Auburn made some big 3-point shots and played with great confidence. It’s not as though Houston played a bad game; it didn’t. However, Houston prides itself on making the game difficult for the opponent, and the undeniable truth is that Auburn had a relatively easy time creating good opportunities at the offensive end of the floor in the final 10 minutes. Houston had sequences in that game in which it locked down Auburn’s offense; for most of the first 25 to 30 minutes, Houston did what it needed to do on defense. However, Auburn broke free and stayed free in the last 10 minutes. That’s not what Kelvin Sampson expects from his team, and you know Houston is going to work harder on limiting opponents’ offensive production. The Cougars have to be able to count on their defense if their offense isn’t playing its best. Houston knows how to win ugly, and that has been a big part of the Cougars’ sustained success the past several seasons under Sampson.
Houston is not likely to be challenged at an especially robust level by Louisiana in this game, but the Cougars know that their own measuring stick is themselves more than the opponent, at least on most nights. Houston has to establish its own internal standard of excellence. Living up to that, if achieved, will give UH a very good season and a real shot at the Final Four. Houston has to focus on Houston more than the opponent right now, getting to the level this program is capable of in yet another season in which the Cougars have a high national ranking.
Here are the Louisiana-Houston College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Louisiana-Houston Odds
Louisiana: +27.5 (-106)
Moneyline: +4000
Houston: -27.5 (-114)
Moneyline: -30000
Over: 139.5 (-105)
Under: 139.5 (-115)
How to Watch Louisiana vs Houston
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN Plus
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Louisiana Will Cover The Spread/Win
The spread is enormous, and as we saw on Saturday, Houston’s defense — while still good and still likely to be formidable this season — had its lapses and lulls against Auburn. Houston’s defense needs to be absolutely airtight to cover a spread this big. If there is a 10-minute period in this 40-minute game in which Louisiana is making a lot of shots, that 10-minute period could be enough to make the difference between Houston winning by 40 and Houston winning by 20 to 25 points. Just one bad stretch from Houston’s defense will enable Louisiana to cover.
Why Houston Will Cover The Spread/Win
Houston will be mad and motivated after the loss to Auburn. That should fuel a strong defensive performance which enables Houston to cover even if it doesn’t go wild on offense. The Cougars might win this game 75-40.
Final Louisiana-Houston Prediction & Pick
We are leaning to Houston but think there’s a chance Houston might be a little depressed instead of motivated after the Auburn loss. Pass on this game but consider a live play if you see a trend.
Final Louisiana-Houston Prediction & Pick: Houston -27.5
The post Louisiana vs. Houston prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
