Houston vs. SIU-Edwardsville Prediction, Odds, Picks - NCAA Tournament First Round

Updated Mar. 20, 2025 10:27 a.m. ET

FOX Sports

The top-seeded Houston Cougars (30-4) face off against the No. 16 SIU-Edwardsville Cougars (22-11) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, starting at 2 p.m. ET.

The Houston Cougars enter their matchup against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars as huge favorites. The Houston Cougars are favored by 28.5 points. The matchup features an over/under of 126.5.

Continue reading to get all the information before betting on the Houston-SIU-Edwardsville contest.

Houston vs. SIU-Edwardsville Game Information & Odds

When: Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 2 p.m. ET
Where: INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas
How to watch on TV: TBS
Live boxscore on FOX Sports

Cougars vs Cougars Betting Information
Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Cougars	-28.5	-112	-108	126.5	-108	-112	-20000	+3500

Houston vs. SIU-Edwardsville Prediction

Pick ATS: SIU-Edwardsville (+28.5)
Pick OU: Over (126.5)
Prediction: Houston 80, SIU-Edwardsville 56

Learn more about the Houston Cougars vs. the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars game on FOX Sports!

Houston vs. SIU-Edwardsville Betting Insights

Betting Line Implied Predictions

Per the spread and over/under, the implied score for the game is Houston Cougars 78, SIU-Edwardsville Cougars 49.
The Houston Cougars have a 99.5% chance to win this matchup based on the moneyline's implied probability.
The SIU-Edwardsville Cougars have a 2.8% implied probability to come out on top.

Key Spread Facts

Houston has compiled an 18-15-0 ATS record so far this year.
SIU-Edwardsville is 17-12-1 ATS this season.
When playing as at least 28.5-point favorites this season, Houston has an ATS record of 4-1.

Key Total Facts

In 22 games this season, the Houston Cougars and their opponent have combined to score more than 126.5 points.
SIU-Edwardsville Cougars games have had over 126.5 points 23 times this year.
The total for this matchup is 126.5 points, 20.3 fewer than the combined scoring average of the two teams.

Key Moneyline Facts

Houston has been favored on the moneyline 30 times this season. They've gone 26-4 in those games.
SIU-Edwardsville has entered the game as underdogs 11 times this season and won five, or 45.5%, of those games.
Houston has not yet played as a moneyline favorite of -20000 or shorter.
SIU-Edwardsville has not entered a game this season with longer moneyline odds than +3500.

Houston vs. SIU-Edwardsville: 2024-25 Stats Comparison

	Houston	SIU-Edwardsville
Points Scored Per Game (Rank)	74.2 (164)	72.6 (213)
Points Allowed (Rank)	58.5 (2)	66.1 (34)
Rebounds (Rank)	10.7 (47)	10 (83)
3pt Made (Rank)	8.1 (135)	7.5 (196)
Assists (Rank)	11.9 (294)	13.7 (166)
Turnovers (Rank)	8.7 (7)	10.7 (135)

Houston 2024-25 Key Players

Houston Cougars Leaders
Name	GP	PTS	REB	ASST	STL	BLK	3PM
LJ Cryer	34	15.2	2.2	1.8	0.9	0.1	2.9
Emanuel Sharp	31	12.6	3.1	0.9	1.4	0	2.4
Milos Uzan	34	11.5	3	4.2	1	0.1	1.5
J'wan Roberts	31	10.8	6.3	1.7	1	0.7	0
Terrance Arceneaux	34	7.1	2.9	0.9	1	0.4	0.7

SIU-Edwardsville 2024-25 Key Players

SIU-Edwardsville Cougars Leaders
Name	GP	PTS	REB	ASST	STL	BLK	3PM
Ray'Sean Taylor	33	19.3	4.5	3.8	2	0.1	2.8
Brian Taylor II	33	12.1	4.1	2.9	0.8	0.2	1.2
Ring Malith	33	11.5	7.2	1.4	0.8	0.7	1.2
Jo Valrie	3	8	6.7	0.7	0.7	0.3	0
Myles Thompson	4	6.3	5.3	1.3	0.8	0	0.3