The SIU Edwardsville Cougars take on the Houston Cougars in the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on TBS.
Houston is favored by 28.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -20000. The total is set at 126.5 points.
Here are my SIU Edwardsville vs. Houston predictions and college basketball picks for March 20, 2025.
SIU Edwardsville vs Houston Prediction
My Pick: SIU Edwardsville Under 49.5 Total Points (-120)
My SIU Edwardsville vs Houston best bet is on the Cougars team total under, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
SIUE vs Houston Odds, Spread, Pick
| SI -Edwardsville Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+28.5 -110 | 126.5 -110o / -110u | +2800 |
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-28.5 -110 | 126.5 -110o / -110u | -20000 |
- SIU Edwardsville vs Houston spread: Houston -28.5
- SIU Edwardsville vs Houston over/under: 126.5 points
- SIU Edwardsville vs Houston moneyline: Houston -20000, SIU Edwardsville +2800
- SIU Edwardsville vs Houston best bet: SIU Edwardsville Under 49.5 Total Points (-120)
My SIU Edwardsville vs Houston NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
SIU Edwardsville Basketball
Brian Barone is now in his sixth season as head coach at SIU Edwardsville. His predecessors didn't enjoy a ton of success after the program moved up to Division I for the 2009-10 season.
Barone didn't get off to a great start either, going 8-23 in his first season, but his teams have steadily improved.
That culmination has come this season, as the Cougars have won 20 games for the first time in 19 years. SIU Edwardsville defeated SE Missouri 69-48 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship game to earn its first NCAA Tournament bid in school history.
In the championship game, Ray'Sean Taylor scored 20 points to become the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,952 points. He's averaging 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this season.
SIUE had the fourth-best offense in the OVC, but it wouldn't be considered a strength on a national level. The Cougars rank 255th in Division I in adjusted offense efficiency, 271st in effective field goal percentage and 296th in 2-point field goal percentage.
The Cougars will likely have a hard time scoring against a Houston defense that ranks in the top five in all three categories.
However, SIUE may be able to hold its own at the other end. It ranks 38th in effective field goal percentage defense and 23rd in 2-point field goal percentage defense.
Additionally, every other significant contributor other than Taylor is 6-foot-4 or taller, so it won't be undersized against the top-seeded Cougars.
