The second-seeded Houston Cougars (25-3) take on the 10th-seeded Rutgers Scarlet Knights (16-11) in a Midwest Region second-round game Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and will be aired on TBS. Below, we analyze the Houston-Rutgers odds and lines, with March Madness NCAA Tournament picks and predictions.
AAC Tournament champion Houston had no problem beating 15th-seeded Cleveland State 87-56 in the first round Friday. Junior G Quentin Grimes’ game-high 18 points led six Cougars in double figures as they won their eighth game in a row. The Cougars led 37-29 at the half and outscored the Vikings 50-27 in the second half to cover as 20.5-point favorites.
There is a concern regarding starting PG DeJon Jarreau, who played only 41 seconds after suffering a hip pointer. The senior averages 10.6 PPG, 4.2 APG and a team-high 1.4 SPG. Saturday, head coach Kelvin Sampson said that Jarreau is “gonna give it a go” for the second-round matchup.
Rutgers, in its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991, defeated No. 7 seed Clemson 60-56 Friday. With the game tied at 55, senior G Geo Baker drilled a 3 with 3:48 remaining and hit a layup with 10 seconds to go to seal the win. Baker finished with 13 points as did senior G Jacob Young and junior G Caleb McConnell for the Scarlet Knights, who covered as 2.5-point favorites. Rutgers outrebounded the Tigers 41-32 behind 10 apiece from McConnell and junior C Myles Johnson.
Houston is ranked No. 6 in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports. Rutgers, which finished sixth in the Big Ten, was ranked as high as 14th earlier in the season.
The winner advances to a Sweet 16 matchup against either No. 3 seed West Virginia or 11th-seeded Syracuse, who also play Sunday.
Houston vs. Rutgers: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:35 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Houston -400 (bet $400 to win $100) | Rutgers +310 (bet $100 to win $310)
- Against the spread/ATS: Houston -8 (-110) | Rutgers +8 (-110)
- Over/Under: 131.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Houston vs. Rutgers: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Houston 75, Rutgers 64
Money line (ML)
AVOID. Betting Houston (-400) will cost four times your potential profit, which is definitely not worth the risk.
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Against the spread (ATS)
HOUSTON -8 (-110) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager. The Cougars can not only score, averaging 78.0 PPG, they feature the country’s No. 1 defense in opponents’ field-goal percentage at 37.1%. They limited Cleveland State, the MAC tourney champion, to 17-for-44 shooting from the field in Friday’s win. Houston also ranks second in points allowed at 57.8 PPG and fourth in opponents’ 3-point percentage at 27.8%.
Don’t worry if Jarreau can’t play or isn’t 100%. Houston managed just fine without him against Cleveland State.
ATS records: Houston 14-12-1 | Rutgers 19-8
Over/Under (O/U)
Back the OVER 131.5 (-110). The Cougars are averaging 83.4 PPG over their current 8-game win streak, while yielding 57.6 PPG.
When the Scarlet Knights faced the top-three scoring teams in the Big Ten, they allowed 79 and 77 in two games vs. Iowa, 90 and 88 points to Illinois, and 80 and 79 points to Ohio State.
O/U records: Houston 12-14-1 | Rutgers 14-13
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| JOHNNY PARLAY’S RECORD | W-L | SP | ROI |
| College hoops since Jan. 1 | 71-63-1 | 32-35 | +1.9.25 |
| 2021 record (all sports) | 91-77-1 | 44-38 | +12.25 |
| *–SP: Strongest plays; ROI: Return on investment | |||
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