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The No. 2 seed Houston Cougars have not been to the Elite Eight since the glory days of Phi Slama Jama and can end the lengthy drought when they face the 11th-seeded Syracuse Orange in the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region on Saturday in Indianapolis. The surging Cougars (26-3), winners of the American Athletic Conference Tournament, are vying for their 10th consecutive victory in their bid to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1984. Syracuse (18-9) is in the Sweet 16 for the third time since 2016 and it has not been seeded any better than No. 10 in those three appearances.

Tip-off is at 9:55 p.m. ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The winner advances to play Oregon State. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Cougars as 6.5-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 140.5 in the latest Houston vs. Syracuse odds. Before making any Syracuse vs. Houston picks, check out the March Madness college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection 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 $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Syracuse vs. Houston in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Houston vs. Syracuse:

  • Houston vs. Syracuse spread: Houston -6.5
  • Houston vs. Syracuse over-under: 140.5 points
  • Houston vs. Syracuse money line: Houston -270, Syracuse +220
  • HOU: The Cougars are 12-0 when Quentin Grimes scores 20 points
  • SYR: The Orange are on a 6-0 streak against the spread

Why Houston can cover 

Syracuse's zone defense will be tested by Grimes, who has been lighting it up from long distance. The Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, Grimes scored 22 points while hitting 5 of 9 from behind the arc in the second round vs. Rutgers, the seventh time in eight games he has made at least four 3-pointers. The junior guard is averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 over the last four games while shooting 19 of 34 from long range.

Point guard DeJon Jarreau played less than one minute in the NCAA opener before suffering a hip injury but he hobbled through it and finished with 17 points vs. Rutgers. Named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, Jarreau estimated he was at "70 to 75" percent and did not expect the injury to be a factor vs. Syracuse. The Cougars also can lean on a defense that led the nation in field goal percentage (37.3) and was No. 2 in points against at 57.9 per game.

Why Syracuse can cover

Leading scorer Buddy Boeheim has been spectacular since the start of the ACC Tournament, averaging 28.3 points and shooting 60 percent overall (39 of 65). He has been just as proficient from behind the arc, knocking down 24 of 43 3-point attempts and becoming the first player since Stephen Curry in 2008 to hit at least five treys in four straight conference games. Boeheim also is the first player with at least six 3-pointers in his first two NCAA Tournament games since 2008.

Alan Griffin was second on the team during the regular season with an average of 15.3 points but he has scored a total of six in the last three games. Griffin's woes have paved the way for added playing time for reserve Robert Braswell, who is averaging 9.3 points on 14-of-22 shooting over the last four games. Forward Quincy Guerrier bounced back from a dud in the opening round with 12 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots vs. West Virginia. 

How to make Houston vs. Syracuse picks

The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 145 points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Houston vs. Syracuse? And which side of the spread hits 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.