Houston has emerged as a premier name in college basketball. While there were doubts about whether the Cougars could maintain their dominance in the Big 12 as they did in the American Athletic Conference, they have proven that it is not an issue.
The one thing holding Houston back from a higher accolade during March Madness is a national championship. This season, they have a real chance at the title, although they currently rank as the fifth most-bet team to win it at BetMGM, the lowest among the No. 1 seeds. At Yahoo’s Bracket Challenge, they are also the fourth most popular choice for the championship, trailing the other three No. 1 seeds. However, it’s clear that Houston has the capability to win it all this year.
Here are the matchups for the Midwest region, with all odds from BetMGM:
No. 13 High Point (+8.5) vs. No. 4 Purdue, 12:40 p.m. Thursday
High Point is likely to be a trendy upset pick among those seeking to showcase their mid-major predictions. Having achieved a 14-game winning streak, the second-best in college basketball, concerns arise regarding the level of competition it faced, as the team has played no Quad 1 games and only one Quad 2 game. Notably, the Big South has underperformed in the NCAA tournament, possessing a 5-9 record against the spread in the first round since 2009, according to Matt Eisenberg’s Tournament Guide. Purdue remains a formidable opponent, but they lack size compared to last year’s team. Thus, this matchup might offer High Point a fighting chance, albeit perhaps not enough to move forward in the tournament.
No. 1 Houston (-28.5) vs. No. 16 SIU Edwardsville, 2 p.m. Thursday
Under Kelvin Sampson’s leadership, Houston has become an incredibly efficient team. They excel in aggressively attacking the offensive rebounds and shooting a remarkable 39.8% from beyond the arc, which ranks fourth in college basketball. With just one loss since late November, they present a daunting challenge for SIU Edwardsville, who likely won’t be equipped to cover such a significant spread.
No. 12 McNeese (+7.5) vs. No. 5 Clemson, 3:15 p.m. Thursday
McNeese is expected to be a popular pick in the 12-over-5 upset category. While they didn’t secure any major upsets, they kept games competitive against teams like Alabama and Mississippi State. Dominating the Southland Conference with a record of 22-1 since mid-December, McNeese also gained valuable NCAA tournament experience last season, despite a tough loss to Gonzaga. Clemson’s record may seem impressive, but the competition in this year’s ACC hasn’t been strong, suggesting that McNeese could pull off a surprise.
No. 9 Georgia (+6.5) vs. No. 8 Gonzaga, 4:35 p.m. Thursday
Gonzaga has faced scrutiny this season, ranking ninth according to KenPom.com yet landing as a No. 8 seed. Despite their seeding, they are favored against Georgia, which holds substantial victories over St. John’s, Florida, and Kentucky. With Georgia accustomed to competing in a tough SEC, they won’t be intimidated, even if Gonzaga is expected to be better than their seeding suggests.
No. 2 Tennessee (-18.5) vs. No. 15 Wofford, 6:50 p.m. Thursday
Although Rick Barnes has brought success to Tennessee, he has historically struggled to cover spreads in NCAA tournaments. Nevertheless, Wofford does not come in as a particularly strong 15 seed, having only faced one top-100 KenPom team this season—an 86-35 defeat against Duke. Thus, Tennessee should confidently handle this matchup, despite Barnes’ past tournament performance.
No. 7 UCLA (-5.5) vs. No. 10 Utah State, 9:25 p.m. Thursday
Traveling to Lexington, UCLA’s coach Mick Cronin has a solid team with minimal weaknesses. In contrast, while Utah State started strong at 16-1, they faltered later with a 10-6 finish. Given their offensive strengths but weaker defense, UCLA has the upper hand in this matchup.
