Houston vs Miami NCAA Sweet 16 Prediction & Odds

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Houston Cougars vs Miami Hurricanes Preview

Introduction

The NCAA Tournament is in full swing, and the Sweet 16 is finally here. One of the most highly anticipated matchups of the round is between the Houston Cougars and the Miami Hurricanes. The Cougars are the top seed in the Midwest Region, while the Hurricanes are the fifth seed. The winner of this game will advance to the Elite Eight, and both teams will be looking to secure a win and keep their title hopes alive.

In this article, we will take an in-depth look at both teams and provide our prediction for the game. We will also be incorporating various keywords such as March Madness predictions brackets, March Madness odds for winning, March Madness picks experts, NCAA basketball picks and parlays, March Madness odds Vegas, NCAA basketball picks free, and March Madness best picks.

Houston Cougars

The Houston Cougars have been one of the most dominant teams in the country this season. They finished the regular season with a 31-3 record, and they won the American Athletic Conference Tournament to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars have one of the best defenses in the country, allowing just 58 points per game, which is the fourth-lowest mark in Division I basketball.

Offensively, the Cougars are led by Marcus Sasser, who averages 16.9 points per game. He is also shooting 44.1% from the field and 84.4% from the free-throw line. Quentin Grimes is another key player for the Cougars, averaging 14.5 points per game and shooting 40.3% from beyond the arc. The Cougars are a well-balanced team, and they will be a tough matchup for any team in the NCAA Tournament.

Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 25-8 record, and they secured their spot in the NCAA Tournament by earning an at-large bid. The Hurricanes had a strong showing in the first two rounds of the tournament, defeating Indiana and Drake by a combined 23 points.

The Hurricanes have a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging double-digit points. Isaiah Wong leads the way, averaging 16.1 points per game and shooting 44.7% from the field. Nysier Brooks is a force in the paint, averaging 8.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The Hurricanes will need to continue to play well on both ends of the court if they hope to advance to the Elite Eight.

Prediction: Houston to Win and Cover the Spread

Based on the analysis of both teams, the March Madness predictions brackets, March Madness odds for winning, March Madness picks experts, NCAA basketball picks and parlays, March Madness odds Vegas, NCAA basketball picks free, and March Madness best picks, we predict that the Houston Cougars will win this game and cover the spread.

The Cougars have been one of the best teams in the country this season, and they have the advantage of playing with the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. They have an elite defense that will make it difficult for the Hurricanes to score, and they have a well-balanced offense that can score in a variety of ways.

The Hurricanes will put up a fight, but we believe that the Cougars will ultimately come out on top. Houston has been one of the most dominant teams in college basketball this season, boasting a record of 33-3 and finishing atop the American Athletic Conference. They have also been very profitable for bettors this season, going 19-17 against the spread.

The Cougars have a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging double-digit points per game. Marcus Sasser leads the team with 16.9 points per game, while Quentin Grimes isn't far behind with 15.7 points per game. The team also boasts a suffocating defense, allowing just 58 points per game on 38.9% shooting from the field.

As per the March Madness odds for winning, Houston is one of the favorites to win the tournament, currently sitting at +600 to win it all. They have been playing some of their best basketball of the season, winning their last 11 games in a row. The Cougars are coming off a convincing 81-64 victory over Auburn in the Round of 32, where they shot 47.5% from the field and held Auburn to just 36.7% shooting.

On the other hand, the Miami Hurricanes are no slouches themselves. They finished with a record of 27-7 and finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They are also coming off a convincing win in the Round of 32, where they defeated Indiana by a score of 85-69.

The Hurricanes are led by Isaiah Wong, who is averaging 16.1 points per game this season. He is also shooting an impressive 44.7% from the field and 83.9% from the free-throw line. Miami also has a strong rebounding presence in the form of Nysier Brooks, who is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game.

As per the March Madness picks experts, the Hurricanes will need to play their best basketball if they hope to upset the Cougars. They are currently 7.5-point underdogs, which is a sizable spread in a Sweet 16 matchup. However, Miami has been playing some of their best basketball of the season, winning their last six games in a row.

Despite Miami's recent success, we believe that Houston will ultimately come out on top in this matchup. The Cougars are simply too talented and well-coached to let this game slip away. They have been playing some of their best basketball of the season, and we expect them to continue their winning ways.

Pick: Houston -7.5