Auburn vs. Houston prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Auburn-Houston prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Auburn-Houston.

There aren’t a ton of true blockbuster matchups in college basketball this weekend, but there have been a few select featured attractions, and this is certainly one of them. Auburn and Houston are both highly ranked and are ready to rumble. In Auburn’s case, the Tigers might be a little too ready to rumble.

There was an incident on an Auburn team plane on Friday. In a scene which has been referred to as “horseplay,” some Auburn players were reportedly involved in a contentious interaction. It might not have descended into an all-out fight, but the episode was enough to make headlines and cause quite a lot of speculation about the level of harmony and cohesion in the Auburn camp. A lot has been written about this story, and to be sure, it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing a top team — or any team — wants to be dealing with heading into a big game against a Final Four contender such as Houston. However, with all of that having been said, we should not assume that just because this incident happened, Auburn is not going to play well.

Every athlete, every person, has a different temperament and way of being. Some athletes do not play well when angry, but other athletes do. John McEnroe fed off anger as a tennis player. He got better when angered. Do we know what makes this Auburn team tick? It’s so early in the season that it’s hard to say. It could be that this incident — however you want to characterize or interpret it — merely represents the point that the Auburn players are passionate and care about winning, so much that they would get caught up in a very public disagreement. This might mean that Auburn is really jazzed up to play this game and will come to the court with a ton of energy. It could also mean that Auburn will be emotionally exhausted and won’t be ready for a 40-minute battle with a Houston team which always requires total concentration and dedication to defeat. Taking even five or six minutes off against Houston is fatal; the Cougars will punish such a lull with a 15-3 run and put a game away.

We ultimately don’t know how Auburn will respond to its current situation. That’s part of what makes this game so interesting and intriguing.

Here are the Auburn-Houston College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Auburn-Houston Odds

Auburn: +4.5 (-102)

Moneyline: +176

Houston: -4.5 (-120)

Moneyline: -215

Over: 142.5 (-110)

Under: 142.5 (-110)

How to Watch Auburn vs Houston

Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT

TV: ESPNU

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why Auburn Will Cover The Spread/Win

Auburn will rally as a team and will be very excited to play. The incident on the team plane will only galvanize this team early in the season. Head coach Bruce Pearl will use the story as a teachable moment and get the most out of his players in what is a showcase college basketball game. Auburn will be stronger, not weaker, as a result of this experience.

Why Houston Will Cover The Spread/Win

Forget about Auburn. Houston is really good. The Cougars were a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year and have a lot of people coming back this season under coach Kelvin Sampson. Houston will put Auburn’s offense in jail and play this game on its terms.

Final Auburn-Houston Prediction & Pick

We simply think Houston is a better team, and that over 40 minutes, the Cougars will cover the small spread. Take Houston.

Final Auburn-Houston Prediction & Pick: Houston -4.5

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