The second-seeded Houston Cougars have long been a shoo-in for an NCAA Tournament berth but they have some unfinished business against the fifth-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats in the AAC Tournament championship game on Sunday. Houston (23-3), ranked No. 7 nationally, squeezed out a 76-74 victory over Memphis on Saturday to advance to its third straight conference title game, having been denied by Cincinnati in the 2018 and 2019 final. The Bearcats (12-10) have won nine of their last 12 games en route to their fourth straight AAC Championship appearance.
Tip-off is at 3:15 p.m. ET at Dickies Arena. The Cougars are favored by 13.5-points in the latest Houston vs. Cincinnati odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 135. Before making any Cincinnati vs. Houston picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned over $400 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Houston vs. Cincinnati in the AAC Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Cincinnati vs. Houston:
- Houston vs. Cincinnati spread: Houston -13.5
- Houston vs. Cincinnati over-under: 135 points
- Houston vs. Cincinnati money line: Houston -1000, Cincinnati +650
- HOU: The Cougars rank in the top 10 nationally in offensive and defensive efficiency
- CIN: The Bearcats set an AAC record Saturday with their eighth straight tourney win
Why Houston can cover
Leading scorer Quentin Grimes is averaging 4.6 made 3-pointers over the past eight games and is 9-of-17 from behind the arc in the first two games of the tournament. Still, the conference Player of the Year receives ample offensive support from his teammates. Guard Marcus Sasser, the second-leading scorer behind Grimes (17.9) at 13.5 points, ended a two-game slump by scoring 14 in each of the last two contests.
Senior guard DeJon Jarreau was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He turned in a spectacular performance against Tulane on Friday with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the school's first triple-double in 28 years. Leading rebounder Justin Gorham has scored in double figures in four straight games after matching his season high with 15 points on Saturday.
Why Cincinnati can cover
Due to the uncertain status of Williams (undisclosed), who averages a team-best 14.9 points, the Bearcats may have to adopt a similar approach to Saturday's win, where eight players scored between five and 10 points. Guard Jeremiah Davenport collected eight points and nine rebounds vs. Wichita State but was huge for Cincinnati in the previous three games. He averaged 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds while hitting 11-of-22 3-pointers in that span.
Freshman forward Tari Eason barely missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds to go along with three steals and three blocked shots in the semifinal victory. He has been a presence on the defensive end down the stretch with 13 steals and 12 blocked shots over the past eight games. Guard David DeJulius, who had seven points Saturday in his second game since opting back in, scored in double figures six times this season.
How to make Cincinnati vs. Houston picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 140 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Houston vs. Cincinnati? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
