Houston vs. Auburn Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Second Round

The No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (32-3) will compete with the No. 9 seed Auburn Tigers (21-12) on Saturday with a spot in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament up for grabs. Houston is a 5-point favorite to take a step forward in the bracket, which begins at 7:10 PM on TBS. The matchup’s over/under is 132.

Houston vs. Auburn Odds

• Houston odds to win: -249
• Auburn odds to win: +202
• Spread: Houston (-5)
• Total: 132

Houston vs. Auburn Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Saturday, March 18, 2023
• Time: 7:10 PM ET
• TV: TBS
• Where: Birmingham, Alabama
• Venue: Legacy Arena at BJCC

Who Will Win Houston vs. Auburn?

Houston and Auburn Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

Houston has a 17-15-1 record against the spread in games it was favored by 5 points or more this season.

Auburn has a 2-1 record against the spread in games when it was an underdog by 5 points or more this year.

The Cougars and the Tigers combine to average 15.7 more points per game than the over/under of 132 set for this matchup.

Opponents of the two teams average a combined 8.3 fewer points per game (123.7) than this game’s total of 132 points.

Houston’s average point total in matchups this season is 131.1, 0.9 points below the total in this game.

The average point total for the Tigers this season is 8.3 points higher than this game’s over/under.

The Cougars’ ATS record is 18-16-1 this season.

The Tigers are 16-16-1 ATS this year.

Houston Stats & Insights

Houston’s +641 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 18.3 points per game) is a result of scoring 74.7 points per game (106th in college basketball) while giving up 56.4 per outing (second in college basketball).

Houston grabs 36 rebounds per game (13th in college basketball) while conceding 27.5 per outing to its opponents. It outrebounds opponents by 8.5 boards per game.

The Cougars connect on 7.7 three-pointers per game (134th in college basketball) at a 34.3% rate (173rd in college basketball), compared to the 6.2 per game their opponents make at a 27.3% rate.

Houston’s 100.7 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 22nd in college basketball, and the 76 points it allows per 100 possessions rank first in college basketball.

In home games, the Cougars are putting up 1.7 more points per game (77.3) than they are on the road (75.6).

Auburn Stats & Insights

Auburn puts up 73 points per game (144th in college basketball) while giving up 67.3 per outing (96th in college basketball). It has a +189 scoring differential and outscores opponents by 5.7 points per game.

The 32.9 rebounds per game Auburn accumulates rank 106th in the country. Their opponents collect 31.9.

Auburn knocks down 6.5 three-pointers per game (278th in college basketball) at a 31.5% rate (320th in college basketball), compared to the 5.6 its opponents make, shooting 28.7% from beyond the arc.

Auburn records 93.2 points per 100 possessions (198th in college basketball), while giving up 85.9 points per 100 possessions (47th in college basketball).

In 2022-23 the Tigers are scoring 4.2 more points per game at home (75.1) than away (70.9).

Houston Key Players to Watch

Marcus Sasser leads the Cougars in scoring, tallying 16.7 points per game to go with 2.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

Houston’s leading rebounder is J’wan Roberts averaging 7.9 boards per game and its best passer is Jamal Shead and his 5.4 assists per game.

Sasser makes more threes per game than any other member of the Cougars, knocking down shots from beyond the arc at a clip of 2.6 per contest.

Shead and Roberts lead Houston on the defensive end, with Shead leading the team in steals averaging 1.8 per game and Roberts in blocks averaging 1.3 per contest.

Auburn Key Players to Watch

Johni Broome records 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Tigers, enough to make him the leading scorer and rebounder on the team.

Wendell Green Jr. notches more assists than any other Auburn teammate with 4.1 per game. He also scores 13.9 points and pulls down 3.3 rebounds per game.

Green is the most prolific from the three-point line for the Tigers, hitting 1.3 threes per game.

Green (1.8 steals per game) is the steal leader for Auburn while Broome (2.4 blocks per game) is the block leader.

Houston vs. Auburn Prediction

• Pick ATS:

  Houston (-5)
  

• Pick OU:

  Over (132)
  

• Prediction:
  Houston 72, Auburn 64

How to Bet on Houston vs. Auburn

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