Houston vs. Towson odds, picks and predictions
The Houston Cougars (3-0) and Towson Tigers (2-1) meet in a neutral site game in Charleston, S.C., Thursday. Opening tip at TD Arena is at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Cougars vs. Tigers odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Houston, the No. 6 team in the Paste BN Sports Coaches Poll, is 3-0 straight up and 1-2 against the number; they have been 30-point favorites in all 3 games. UH is a slow-tempo unit that has been highly efficient at both ends of the floor. The Cougars have hauled down 17.3 offensive rebounds per game (14th NCAA-I) and are a plus-11.7 in average turnover margin.
Towson lost its 1st game of the season, but has won twice since. The Tigers defeated Robert Morris 66-62 (as a -8.5 favorite) in their last game on Sunday. They've held opposing shooters to a 37.1% mark from the field in their last 2 games.
Thursday's contest is a 1st-round game in the 8-team Charleston Classic, which runs through Sunday.
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Houston vs. Towson odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:39 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Off the board
- Against the spread (ATS): Houston -21.5 (-110) | Towson +21.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 127.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Houston vs. Towson picks and predictions
Prediction
Houston 77, Towson 58
Moneyline
PASS. No value to be found between these prices.
Against the spread
Towson acquitted itself well in a couple top-quartile games last season. Those were against top-75 teams (Clemson, Charleston), not a top-10 unit like the Cougars. But the point spread here figures as a sizable hurdle.
Go in with a partial-unit play on TOWSON +21.5 (-110).
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Over/Under
These are 2 slow-tempo teams. That and the neutral site have this total pretty low.
But both sides have some attributes that can pile up points at any pace: Houston figures to get plenty of looks at or near the rim and in transition. Both teams get after offensive rebounds.
The market is not too unified on the action surrounding this game. FanDuel Sportsbook offers the best leverage play here: BACK THE OVER 125.5 (-114).
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