Miami (Florida) vs. Houston prediction and odds for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

Not many people talked about Miami being a legitimate contender in the March Madness tournament, but yet here it is in the Sweet 16 after two dominant wins against Drake and Indiana.

Now, the Hurricanes have to face a team that everyone expected to make a run, the Houston Cougars. Houston is one of only two No. 1 seeds who survived the first weekend, and now the Cougars are just one win away from returning to the Final Four for the second time in three years.

Let’s dive into the odds for the game and then I’ll breakdown my best bet.

Miami vs. Houston odds, spread, and total

Miami vs. Houston prediction and pick

I thought Indiana was going to give Miami a ton of issues in the perimeter, but the Hurricanes overcame that with hot shooting. The bad news is, they now have to take on a Houston team that’s like Indiana times ten.

The Cougars are a nightmare matchup for the Hurricanes. Their size and length down low is going to hurt them on both sides of the court.

Miami ranks inside the top 100 in the country in two-point shot rate, with 65.5% of their shots coming from down low. Now, they take on a Houston team that’s third in the country in opponent two-point shot rate, keeping teams to shooting just 42.9% from two-point range.

Not only that, but Houston should be able to offensively pound the rock on the interior against Miami. The Hurricanes rank 246th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 51.6% against them down low.

Also, keep an eye on Houston dominating the boards. The Cougars are fourth in the country in offensive rebounding, while Miami ranks 157th in defensive rebounding. I expect Houston to create plenty of second chance scoring opportunities.

Give me Houston to win and cover and advance to the Elite Eight.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.