Memphis vs Houston Odds and Picks

• The Memphis Tigers (15-6, 11-3 AAC) get it on with the Houston Cougars (20-3, 13-3 AAC) on Sunday
• The winner of this game will be the two seed in the ACC Tournament
• See the odds, spread, analysis, and best bet, below

All eyes will be on the Fertitta Center in Houston Texas when the Memphis Tigers take on the Houston Cougars Sunday at 12:00 pm ET.

The Cougars have had the upper hand in this series taking four of the last six meeting including a 64-57 beating last March. Houston is a 9.5-point favorite in this matchup.

Memphis vs Houston Odds

Odds as of March 6th at FanDuel

Memphis is one of the hottest teams in the country at the moment winners of their last six games. Their most recent win was a 73-52 smackdown of South Florida on Tuesday.

The Tigers aren’t the only hot team coming into this one as Houston has won their last three games. The three wins have been by an average of 36 points each after the Cougars obliterated South Florida 98-52 last Sunday.

Memphis is on Fire

Only one team in the entire nation is more efficient on defense (adjusted for opponent) than the Memphis Tigers. That defense has propelled the Tigers to six straight wins as their last loss was in January. In two of the last three games, they’ve held their opponent to 52 or fewer points. The last instance was in Tuesday’s 72-52 win over South Florida.

📹 WIN Highlights vs USF#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/rr2MtTxkds

— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 4, 2021

The Tigers are averaging 36 points in the first half of games this season which is exactly what they got against the Bulls. They built a 13 point lead in the first half and never came close to losing that lead in the second half. South Florida was dreadful from the field shooting 32% on the night which included only 17% from three-point land. Boogie Ellis led the way for the winners with 18 points in the game.

Houston is Hot Too

While the Cougars are not quite as hot as the Tigers, they are definitely well on their way. They have won three straight games at the moment but it’s not just the wins that are impressive. Houston’s average margin of victory in their last three games has been 36 points, beating South Florida by 46 points in their last game.

Win #️⃣2️⃣0️⃣#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/9QQkjTkoAI

— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 2, 2021

If this game was a boxing match, the referees would have stopped the fight in the first half. The Cougars absolutely throttled the Bulls outscoring them 56-21 in the opening half. Everything worked for Houston as they shot 60% from the field including 46% from beyond the arc.

This was never a game and is a reminder that the Cougars are for real this season.

Best Betting Angle

As good as Memphis has been recently, Cincinnati, Tulsa and SMU are the toughest teams the Tigers have faced on the road this season. Memphis lost two of those road games and only beat Cincinnati by six points in that matchup. Those programs are nowhere near the level of the Houston team they will play on Sunday.

As if they needed more motivation, it’s Senior Day for the Cougars as well.

"The Cougars haven't been this good since Phi Slama Jama"

by Santul Nerkar @SantulN for @FiveThirtyEight #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/QylxBV8QSc

— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 2, 2021

The Tigers defense may be ranked number two in the country in efficiency but the Cougars have the tenth best offense in the nation. They couple that offense with the nation’s fifth best defense in terms of efficiency (adjusted for opponent) according to KenPom.

Together with Illinois and Michigan, Houston is one of only three teams in the country to be in the top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency. Look for this to be a close game early and for the Cougars to pull away in the second half and cover this large number.

The pick: Houston -9.5 (-110)