Houston vs. Arizona Prediction
Thursday night’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchups will conclude with a 1-5 matchup at 9:59 p.m. ET when Arizona battles Houston at 9:59 p.m. ET on TBS. With the Wildcats laying 1.5 points as a favorite and the total sitting at 145.5, what’s the best bet when it comes to this matchup?
Game Snapshot
623 Houston Cougars (+1.5) vs. 624 Arizona Wildcats (-1.5); o/u 145.5
9:59 p.m. ET, AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
TV: TBS
Houston Cougars DFS Snapshot
Kyler Edwards logged 15 points (5-16 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, four assists and two steals across 38 minutes during Sunday’s 68-53 victory over Illinois. Edwards made plays all over the floor in Sunday’s round of 32 win over Illinois. The senior guard averages a team leading 13.9 points per game this season. This season, Edwards has played the role as the main offensive option, though on Sunday, he was able to tally stats all over the floor, making hustle plays for his squad. Edwards and the Cougars play their Sweet 16 game on Thursday.
Arizona Wildcats DFS Snapshot
Bennedict Mathurin recorded 30 points (8-19 FG, 3-11 3Pt, 11-13 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in 41 minutes during Sunday’s 85-80 OT victory over TCU. Mathurin not only led all scorers in the game, but a clutch, game-tying three-pointer helped force overtime in this contest and kept the Wildcats’ championship dreams alive. While point guard Kerr Kriisa (ankle) did suit up for this contest after being limited in the opening round, he shot a brutal 1-for-10 from the field. Instead, it was Mathurin who carried the offense and even did some fo the facilitating, as was the case in the Round of 64. Look for more involvement from Kriisa and the supporting cast Thursday against Houston, but it’s clear Mathurin is the man to go to when the ‘Cats need a bucket most.
March Madness Betting Prediction
Houston has covered in five straight games, is 12-3 against the number in its last 15 games as an underdog and is 36-17 against the spread in its last 53 games coming off a win. The Cougars are also 25-9 against the spread in their last 34 neutral site games, while the Wildcats are just 4-11 ATS in their last 15 neutral site contests. Arizona has also failed to cover in four straight NCAA Tournament games, all as a favorite.
MARCH MADNESS BETTING PREDICTION: HOUSTON COUGARS +1.5