The No. 7 Houston Cougars (16-2, 10-2 AAC) travel to meet the South Florida Bulls (7-5, 3-3) at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla., for a 7 p.m. ET tip Wednesday. Below, we analyze the Houston-South Florida college basketball odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Rankings courtesy of Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Houston at South Florida: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:05 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Houston -1000 (bet $1,000 to win $100) | South Florida +625 (bet $100 to win $625)
- Against the spread/ATS: Houston -12.5 (-105) | South Florida +12.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: 128.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Houston at South Florida: Three things to know
- USF will play its first game since Jan. 9. The Bulls had six games postponed after having the pause button pressed on its season due to COVID-19 protocols within the program.
- Houston’s last road game was an 82-73 loss at East Carolina as a 16.5-point favorite Feb 3. USF’s most recent game was also at ECU, and the Bulls came away with a 69-63 win on Jan. 9.
- The Cougars played Our Lady of the Lake last time out in a non-conference tilt, throttling the NAIA opponent by a 112-46 score. Houston has won nine of the past 10 games overall, while covering six of its past seven games. The Cougars are 12-5 ATS on the season, and they have not failed to cover in consecutive games.
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Houston at South Florida: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Houston 71, South Florida 55
Money line (ML)
Houston (-1000) should be able to bounce back from its lost last week at East Carolina. However, you cannot risk 10 times your potential return on a team which has lost two of its past five road games straight up. The Cougars are just a different team away from home, and much harder to predict. AVOID.
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Against the spread (ATS)
While HOUSTON -12.5 (-105) has been a bit erratic on the road, it’s still a top-tier team challenging for a two or three seed in the NCAA Tournament this spring.
South Florida returns from a monthlong pause, so it’s uncertain what we’re going to get. The Bulls will be fresh and excited to resume their season, but facing a top 10 team isn’t likely a recipe for success in their return.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 128.5 (-110) is the lean in this AAC battle. Houston isn’t a high-octane offense, averaging 76.2 PPG to rank 80th in the nation. The Cougars are just 252nd in field-goal percentage, too, hitting at a 42.4 percent clip. Defensively, the Cougs rank second with 56.9 PPG allowed, and they’re first in defensive field-goal percentage at 36.1%.
Look for USF to fire out of the chute, as its exuberance shows early. But the Bulls will struggle to score against the Cougars’ suffocating defense.
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