It is always really interesting to watch the conferences play out over the course of the college basketball season. While you get some conferences where a single team takes control from the start, you have many more where the outcome is unsure all the way into the final weekend of the season. That is where we find ourselves now, with every team in the country now down to their final game or two before we dive into the conference championship tournaments next week. There will be some teams on the bubble who are going to need a great showing in those tournaments to sneak into the final March Madness bracket, and while some teams have already punched that ticket, it’s still important to finish strong. In terms of the AAC, the Houston Cougars appear to be the only team that can really be considered a lock to be in the tournament, although they still have some work to do if they are to win the AAC regular season title. That work begins on Thursday night with a trip to Storrs to face the Connecticut Huskies. Houston is a slender 2-point favorite, with the point total for this one set at 133. Let’s see how the College Basketball odds will be for the Houston vs Connecticut.
Houston vs Connecticut 2020 College Basketball Game Preview & Betting Odds
- When: Thursday, March 5 at 7 PM EST
- Where: Gampel Pavilion, StorrsTV: CBSSN
- NCAAB Odds: Houston Cougars -2 / Total 135
TUNE IN to TONIGHT’s 6 pm CST 🏀 game at UConn 📺 @CBSSportsNet | https://t.co/LxHTj82PDM 🎙️ – @tmacphils & Bob Wenzel 📻 @KPRCradio 950 AM | https://t.co/z1Jjzc1OxQ@tunein | https://t.co/x6ILEwUX3Z 🎙️ – @JeremyBranham #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/FDNI3soQ6g
— Houston Men’s Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 5, 2020
Why bet on the Houston Cougars
The Houston Cougars find themselves in the top 25 in the national rankings as we head into the final weekend of the season. They are down in the #21 spot, so they are realistically going to need to win out to ensure that they stay in that coveted spot. That is not fully guaranteed, though, as they have been a little wobbly of late, going 3-2 in their last 5 games. Overall, their season record now sits at 22-7, but that still leaves them a ½ game back of Tulsa in the race to win the AAC. The Cougars are 12-4 in conference play this season, which includes a 63-59 win over UConn when they met in Houston earlier this season. The Cougars are now 7-1 SU in their last 8 meetings with the Huskies and are 13-7 ATS in their last 20 games overall.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 72.62
- Field Goal %: 42.72
- Three Point %: 33.89
- Free Throw %: 72.85
- Total Rebounds: 41.38
Defense
- Total Score: 61.79
- Field Goal %: 37.97
- Three Point %: 28.92
- Free Throw %: 68.61
- Total Rebounds: 31.66
Why bet on the Connecticut Huskies
While certainly not a disastrous season by any stretch of the imagination, you can bet that the Connecticut Huskies are still not going to be pleased with their 17-12 record. Rather than simply playing out the season, though, the Huskies are doing a very nice job of finishing strong, winning 6 of their last 8 games, including each of their last 3. They have had 5 games against ranked opponents this season and have managed too win just once, with that one being a 62-59 win over Florida way back in the second week of the season. The Huskies are 13-3 at home this season and have won their last 5 games at home. They are, though, just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games played in the month of March.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 72.45
- Field Goal %: 41.73
- Three Point %: 32.86
- Free Throw %: 74.15
- Total Rebounds: 37.97
Defense
- Total Score: 66.59
- Field Goal %: 41.44
- Three Point %: 33.13
- Free Throw %: 73.14
- Total Rebounds: 35.1
Houston vs Connecticut Betting Trends
- Houston are 13-7 ATS in their last 20 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Houston’s last 14 games.
- Houston are 16-4 SU in their last 20 games.
- Houston are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against Connecticut.
- Houston are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games against Connecticut.
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Connecticut’s last 8 games.
- Connecticut are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games.
- Connecticut are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home.
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Connecticut’s last 11 games this season.
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Connecticut’s last 8 games against an opponent in the American Athletic Conference conference.
Houston vs Connecticut Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The previous meeting between these two earlier in the season was a close one and I believe that we might be in for more of the same here. I have the Cougars edging it and covering the spread by the slimmest of margins.
Houston Cougars 74 Connecticut Huskies 71
