AAC Tournament: Cincinnati vs. Houston odds, picks and predictions
The No. 8 seed Cincinnati Bearcats (18-14) will take on the top-seeded Houston Cougars (26-5) Friday in an AAC Tournament quarterfinal at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we look at the Cincinnati vs. Houston odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Cincinnati, which was 7-11 in conference play, took down the ninth-seeded East Carolina Pirates 74-63 in Thursday's opening round to snap a five-game losing streak. The Bearcats covered the spread as 5.5-point favorites but are still just 11-17-3 against the spread (ATS) overall.
Cincinnati lost by 22 at home against the Cougars and by 18 on the road at Houston, failing to cover as 7-point and 15-point underdogs.
Houston, the AAC's regular-season champion after going 15-3, received a bye and will play its tourney opener Friday. The Cougars beat the Bearcats twice during the season, by 22 as 7-point road favorites Feb. 6 and by 18 as 15-point home favorites March 1.
The Cougars, 19-12 ATS, finished with the nation's best opponents' field-goal percentage, holding teams to just 37.2% from the field. They own non-conference wins over Butler, Oregon and Virginia with a 2-point loss to now-No. 12 Wisconsin and a 1-point loss to Alabama on its resume.
Houston, which is 10-8 ATS in AAC matchups - Cincy is 7-11-1 - is ranked No. 18 in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by Paste BN Sports.
Cincinnati vs. Houston odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11:48 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Cincinnati +520 (bet $100 to win $520) | Houston -850 (bet $850 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Cincinnati +11.5 (-107) | Houston -11.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 133.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)