The Auburn Tigers (21-12) battle the Houston Cougars (32-3) Saturday in the second round of the Midwest Region. Tip from Legacy Arena is set for 7:10 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Auburn vs. Houston odds as we make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
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The Tigers beat the No. 8 Iowa Hawkeyes 83-75 Thursday, covering as a 2.5-point favorite. Auburn lost in their first SEC Tournament game to Arkansas 76-73, failing to cover as a 2.5-point underdog. Those were the Tigers’ 2 postseason battles as they enter the Round of the 32. The Tigers are just 4-6 against the spread (ATS) over their last 10 games.
The Cougars beat No. 16 Northern Kentucky 63-52 Thursday, failing to cover as a 19.5-point favorite. The top seed in the region is just 1-3 ATS in their 4 postseason games. G Marcus Sasser played just 14 minutes against NKU, having struggled with an injury sustained in the AAC semifinal, so Houston’s leading scorer may be limited against Auburn.
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Auburn vs. Houston odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:20 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Auburn +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Houston -240 (bet $240 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Auburn +5.5 (-110) | Houston -5.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 131.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Auburn vs. Houston picks and predictions
Prediction
Houston 66, Auburn 63
Moneyline
PASS.
While Sasser could play, at what level he’ll be at is unknown, and the Tigers looked solid against the Hawkeyes. The (+200) underdog has some value, but I would still pass here and play the spread instead.
Against the spread
LEAN AUBURN +5.5 (-110).
The Tigers put 6 players in double figures against Iowa, and that’s the diverse offense they’ll need to break down the Cougars. Auburn has covered 3 of its last 4 games as well, and 3 of its last 4 defeats have come by 6 or fewer points.
Houston is also just 1-3 ATS over its last 4 games and is just 2-8 ATS over its last 10. It hasn’t covered well as of late, and the unknown status of its best player is concerning. Considering both trends, back AUBURN +5.5 (-110).
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Over/Under
BET UNDER 131.5 (-110).
Houston has gone Under in 4 of its last 5 games. While typically it is the Cougars’ defense leading the way for the Under, their offense hasn’t scored over 70 points in 5 straight games.
Auburn is 5-4 O/U in its last 9 but will be competing against the 2nd-best defense in America, one that allows just 56.4 points per game. It may also struggle to have that go-to scorer as no player is averaging more than 14 points per game.
Ultimately, back the UNDER 131.5 (-110).
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