NCAA Tournament Prediction & Preview: Midwest Region – Houston vs. SIUE – Thursday, March 20, 2025

The 16th-seed SIUE Cougars (22-11) will aim to be a part of history if they can take down the top-ranked Houston Cougars (30-4) in the first round of the Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday, March 20 at 2:00 PM ET at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The Cougars are heavy favorites with a point spread at -28.5 (-115) at MyBookie.

SIUE Cougars Betting Preview

The Cougars have won their last three games, which includes their recent 69-48 triumph over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks in the OVC Championship Final. Just three games back they faced SEMO and lost 83-68, so this was an excellent adjustment to pull off the title win.

SIUE had a 35-24 lead after the first half of action and was able to maintain that momentum into the second. Their production on both ends of the floor was led by Ray’Sean Taylor, who had 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

SEMO was held to 28.3 percent shooting from the field and just 12.5 percent from long range. As for the Cougars, they made 44.4 percent of their shots and 27.3 percent from deep. While their long range shooting was not that appealing, they at least had a good defensive performance to limit the Redhawks from staying in reach.

The Cougars are averaging 72.6 points each game and rank 215th in the nation. Their defense is allowing opponents to get 66.1 points a game, which ranks 36th. They play in a weaker conference and have a slower pace, which makes their defense look appealing on paper.

Houston Cougars Betting Preview

The Cougars have not lost a game since the first day of February, as they have won their last 13 games. Their recent success was in the Big 12 Tournament Final when they defeated the Arizona Wildcats 72-64.

Arizona had the lead at the half (33-28), and Houston looked a bit sluggish to start. However, they looked better in the second when they had a better flow offensively. Milos Uzan led with 25 points and four assists.

The Wildcats were held to 43.9 percent shooting and 27.8 percent accuracy from beyond the arc. For the Cougars, they made 42.6 percent of their shots and 39.1 percent from long range. The Cougars cannot afford a bad shooting day, as their defense can only do so much.

The Cougars are putting up 74.2 points a game and rank 165th. Their defense has been holding their opposition to 58.5 points each battle, ranking second. If they can find ways to be more productive on the offensive end, they have a great opportunity for a deep run in this tournament.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie offers the most appealing SIUE Cougars vs. Houston Cougars betting odds, showing Houston as 28.5-point favorites. According to market predictions, Houston has a 99.0 percent chance of winning. Houston has what it takes to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Houston Cougars -28.5 (-115)