The No. 3 Houston Cougars (12-1, 0-0 AAC) and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (4-7, 0-0) meet Wednesday at Donald W. Reynolds Center in Tulsa. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (ESPNU). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Houston vs. Tulsa odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Cougars have rebounded from their loss at the Fertitta Center against Alabama by rattling off 3 straight wins. Houston has also covered the past 2 games at Virginia and vs. McNeese. The Under is 4-1-1 in its last 6 games and 8-2-1 in its previous 11.
The Golden Hurricane are in freefall lately, winning just 2 of their last 8 games. Tulsa has failed to cover each of the past 8 outings while cashing the Under in 7 straight contests.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Houston at Tulsa odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Off the board (OTB)
- Against the spread (ATS): Houston -20.5 (-105) | Tulsa +20.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 133.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Houston at Tulsa picks and predictions
Prediction
Houston 78, Tulsa 54
Moneyline
PASS.
There was no money line available at the time of publishing, but it wouldn’t be worth pursuing anyway.
Against the spread
HOUSTON -20.5 (-105) should be able to take advantage of an awful Tulsa defense to run away with this game. And the Golden Hurricane will have difficulty solving the nation’s top-scoring defense.
The Cougars are 7-1 ATS as a favorite of 20 or more points, and the Golden Hurricane are 0-2 ATS in 2 games this season as an underdog of 8 or more points.
Over/Under
UNDER 133.5 (-110) is the play.
The Under has hit in 7 straight for the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa has struggled offensively, going for just 69.0 PPG. While the Golden Hurricane aren’t terribly great defensively, they have held the opposition to just 26.2% from behind the 3-point line, ranking 6th in the country.
The Cougars are decent on offense, but not great. This team is ranked so highly due to its suffocating defense. Houston is 1st in the nation with just 49.8 PPG allowed, and it is limiting the opposition to 32.7% from the field, also the best in the nation.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want action on this basketball game or any other sports contest? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in OH, CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]