No. 3 seed and 11th-ranked Houston looks to stay red-hot on Sunday when it takes on 11-seed Ohio State. The Cougars (32-3) have won 17 of their last 19 and are looking for a school-record 33rd win, while the Buckeyes (20-14) would like nothing better than to play spoiler again after stunning 6-seed Iowa State on Friday. Tip-off from Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. ET. Kentucky, which defeated Wofford, awaits the winner on Friday. The Cougars are six-point favorites in the latest Ohio State vs. Houston odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 132.5. You'll want to see what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying about the game before entering any Ohio State vs. Houston picks of your own.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has raked in the winnings for those following its picks. Over the past two years, the SportsLine Projection Model has returned over $4,000 to $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks. It also entered the postseason on a strong 11-5 run on all top-rated college basketball plays. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now the model has dialed in on Ohio State vs. Houston. We can tell you it is leaning over, and it has also generated an extremely strong against-the-spread pick that cashes in over 60 percent of simulations. That one is only available at SportsLine.
The model knows this is the fourth year in a row that Houston has won over 20 games and the first time since reaching the national championship in 1984 that it has won 32. The Cougars, making their 21st NCAA Tournament appearance, have a 28-25 record in the tournament and have reached the Final Four five times. They are 2-1 on neutral courts and have a distinct edge over the Buckeyes in rebounding. In fact, Houston is third in the nation in rebounds at 41.2 per game, while Ohio State is 203rd at 34.9.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson became just the 14th coach in NCAA history to take four different schools to the NCAA Tournament. He has compiled a 615-321 career record and is 115-52 in his tenure with the Cougars. Among his weapons are senior guard Corey Davis Jr., who was on fire against Georgia State in the first round, scoring 26 points, including seven 3-pointers.
But just because Houston comes in hot doesn't guarantee it will cover the Ohio State vs. Houston spread and advance in the 2019 NCAA bracket.
That's because the Buckeyes are coming together at just the right time. Although they tied for eighth place in the Big Ten at 8-12, they did just enough during the regular season and Big Ten Tournament to impress the selection committee. Ohio State followed that up with an upset win over 6-seed Iowa State in the first round. Sophomore forward Kaleb Wesson was red-hot in that game, connecting for 21 points.
This is the Buckeyes' second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 11th in the last 14 years. Overall, it is their 29th appearance in the Big Dance, where they have compiled a 51-27 record.
So who wins Houston vs. Ohio State? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Houston vs. Ohio State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $4,000 on its college basketball picks, and find out.
