The men’s Midwest Regional semifinal sees No. 1 seed Houston try and keep its path to the Final Four alive against 5-seed Miami. Sweet 16 odds make the Cougars a spread favorite and on the moneyline to win the game. The total is .
This game tips off Friday at 7:15 p.m. EDT. We’ll breakdown this March Madness matchup below and help you find the best odds in your state to help make the best bet possible. Click on any of the odds below to bet now.
Houston vs. Miami Odds
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Houston vs. Miami Props
College basketball player props are only available in CT, DC, IA, IL, IN LA, MD, NJ, OH, WA, WV, and WY; however, CT IA, IL, and NJ do not allow you to bet player props for players on in-state teams. This table will fully populate when sportsbooks release props for this game.
Houston March Madness Futures
Miami March Madness Futures
Jay Bilas Analysis On The Outside Shots Podcast
Houston vs. Miami Betting Insights
Offense vs. Defense Stats
For a look at the numbers when each team possesses the ball, plus more betting insights and key player notes, head to our March Madness stats post for this game.
Reasons Houston Can Cover
The hope has to be that Houston star Guard Marcus Sasser is healthier after six days of rest than he was in the Round of 32 game against Auburn, which would massively help the Cougars. Without him at full strength, Houston cannot reach its peak; although, the Cougars outscored Auburn 50-23 in the second half, largely without Sasser.
The other reason for optimism is Miami’s defense. Ranked 108th in the country, it’s the only one of the four units in this game not inside the top 11 per KenPom, and will be the weakness in the Hurricanes’ game. If Houston, especially with Sasser healthier, can exploit the Miami defense, then Houston should cover.
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Reasons Miami Can Cover
The key to Miami’s success in the second round was their rebounding edge, rebounding 51% of their own misses. This was key to keeping Indiana from being able to run on them, and helped Miami manage their mediocre defense. The Hurricanes will need to keep up the rebounding edge to keep Houston’s offense from getting too many chances to score.
On the other side, their offense needs to keep up their good efficiency from the Indiana game. They shot a miserable 30% from the field in the first round against Drake, and managed to find some fix against the Hoosiers. If they’re going to contend against Houston, they’ll need to tap into whatever sent their field goal percentage jumping from 30% to 48% again.
Final Thoughts
If Houston plays like it did in the second half against Auburn, then it’s not just covering this spread but winning the tournament. But they haven’t played like the No. 1 seed for extended stretches in recent games, and have conceded two 40+ point halves in their last three games. Houston fans have to hope Sasser is feeling better after six days off. Otherwise, this may be a nail-biter of a game.
Best available price: Houston
Best of luck betting Sweet 16 odds.
