The South Florida Bulls (7-9, 0-3 American) meet the No. 1 Houston Cougars (16-1, 4-0) Wednesday at Fertitta Center in Houston. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the South Florida vs. Houston odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Bulls are on a 3-game skid, all conference losses against Memphis, Temple and Wichita State. The past 2 games were non-covers as a slight favorite. The Over has cashed in 4 of the past 5 games overall and is 10-2 in the past 12 outings.
The top-ranked Cougars are coming off a 72-59 road win against Cincinnati as a 9.5-point favorite Sunday. Houston has won 7 in a row since its only setback against Alabama on Dec. 10, and the Cougars are 5-1 ATS across the past 6 games overall.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
South Florida at Houston odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:43 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Off the board (OTB)
- Against the spread (ATS): South Florida +22.5 (-115) | Houston -22.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 128.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Catch the excitement and bet with Tipico
Double Down, Ohio! Deposit $200, Get $250. Bet now!
In Colorado and New Jersey, claim your 100% Deposit Match up to $250 now. Bet now! 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions.
South Florida at Houston picks and predictions
Prediction
Houston 79, South Florida 53
Moneyline
The money line is OTB at the time of publishing.
However, Houston would be way too heavy of a favorite to provide any value.
PASS.
Against the spread
HOUSTON -22.5 (-105) is the lean in this AAC battle against struggling South Florida.
The Cougars have posted a 5-1 ATS mark over their last 6, and it isn’t so much the offense driving the cover train lately but it’s their tremendous defense. The Cougars rank No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense, yielding just 51.5 PPG, and they are also No. 1 with a 33.2% field-goal percentage and No. 2 with a 23.9% defensive 3-point percentage.
Over/Under
OVER 128.5 (-115) is worth playing but go with a half-unit only.
While the Cougars have a great defense, the Bulls do not. The Over is 10-2 in the past 12 games overall for South Florida and is 4-0 in its last 4 games against teams with a winning overall record.
The Over is 4-1-1 in the past 6 games overall for Houston, although the Under is 20-8-1 in its last 29 home games. Be careful.
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]