Betsided

Houston vs. Tulane Prediction and Odds (Cougars to Continue History of Winning at Tulane)

By Matt De Saro

The Houston Cougars are in a good spot to continue dominating their conference rivals.
The Houston Cougars are in a good spot to continue dominating their conference rivals. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The Tulane Green Wave has been no match for the No. 14 Houston Cougars in recent years and hasn’t beaten their AAC rivals since Jan. 17, 2018. Tulane only covered twice against Houston during that span with the average spread being in the mid-to-high teens. This is actually the lowest the spread has been since 2018 for a game between these two teams with Tulane winning as seven-point road underdogs. I don’t expect that outcome again tonight. 

As far as recent results go, the Cougars are on a two-game winning streak after a brief stumble that saw them lose back-to-back games to SMU and Memphis. Before that, the Cougars were winners to 10 in a row including a 73-62 win over Tulane as 18 point favorites. 

Here are the odds for this AAC conference rivalry, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Houston vs. Tulane Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

  • Houston -9.5 (-110)
  • Tulane +9.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • Houston -450
  • Tulane +350

Total: 154 (Over -110/Under -110)

Houston vs. Tulane Prediction and Pick

Right off that bat, I am happy to see that the spread isn't as astronomically high, as it was last game for this matchup. Laying 9.5 points feels a lot more palatable than 18. Tulane does not fare well with single-digit spreads against Houston, covering just twice since 2013. However, as far as this season goes, Tulan has been very good against the spread with a 15-8 ATS overall record and a 7-4 ATS mark at home. Meanwhile, the Cougars are 3-4 ATS as a road favorite and 4-4 overall as a road team. 

Despite this, I still have faith in Houston to cover single digits against Tulane. They have the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation and are holding opposing teams to a league-best 36.6 overall shooting percentage. The Green Wave has the 229th ranked team when shooting from inside the arc and the 111th ranked team in effective field goal shooting percentage. Tulane is very good from behind the art, ranking 23rd in the nation. Predictably, the Cougars are in the top 15 of perimeter defenses. All signs point to a big Houston win as they continue their push towards March. 

Pick: Houston -9.5 (-110)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE

Home/College Basketball Predictions and Picks