A pair of college basketball national championship contenders will meet in an early-season showdown on Saturday night when the No. 4 Houston Cougars (1-0) host the No. 11 Auburn Tigers (1-0). Houston opened the season with a 97-40 win over Jackson State on Monday, covering the spread as a 36.5-point favorite. Auburn easily covered as a 17.5-point favorite in a 94-43 win over Vermont on Wednesday, but it dealt with some drama on Friday night when its original flight to Houston had to return home reportedly due to a fight between players on board the plane. This game is a rematch of Houston's 81-64 win over Auburn in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Toyota Center. Houston is favored by 5.5 points in the latest Houston vs. Auburn odds, while the over/under is 141.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Auburn vs. Houston picks, you'll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024-25 season on a 153-110 betting roll (+1891) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Houston vs. Auburn. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the Auburn vs. Houston game:
- Houston vs. Auburn spread: Houston -5.5
- Houston vs. Auburn over/under: 141.5 points
- Houston vs. Auburn money line: Houston -225, Auburn +185
- Houston vs. Auburn picks: See picks here
- Houston vs. Auburn streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Houston can cover
Houston has been basically untouchable early in the season in recent years under head coach Kelvin Sampson, winning 17 consecutive games in the month of November. The Cougars extended that streak with a dominant win over Jackson State on Monday, easily covering the large spread. Fifth-year senior guard L.J. Cryer led the way with 16 points on 4 of 8 shooting, while senior guard Mylik Wilson had 15 points off the bench.
They shot 60% from 3-point range as a team and had 47 points scored from backups while holding Jackson State to zero fast-break points. The Cougars continue to be an elite defensive team, entering the season ranked No. 1 by KenPom in defensive efficiency. They covered the spread in six of their final seven Saturday home games last season, and there will be another raucous crowd on hand for this showdown. See which team to pick here.
Why Auburn can cover
Auburn has national championship aspirations of its own this season, returning several stars from last year's team that was upset by Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers cruised to a 94-43 win over a quality Vermont team on Wednesday, despite entering that game as just 17.5-point favorites. Senior guard Miles Kelly, a Georgia Tech transfer, scored a team-high 21 points on 7 of 11 shooting off the bench, drilling seven 3-pointers.
Preseason All-American Johni Broome, who is considered by some to be the best player in the country, added 12 points and seven rebounds. Denver Jones (16), Chaney Johnson (13) and Chad Baker-Mazara (11) each finished in double figures as well. The Tigers rank second in KenPom's defensive efficiency ratings, so they can go toe-to-toe with Houston's style. See which team to pick here.
How to make Houston vs. Auburn picks
The model has simulated Auburn vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Houston vs. Auburn, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Auburn vs. Houston spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 153-110 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.