The No. 1 Houston Cougars will wrap up the home portion of their schedule when they face the Wichita State Shockers on Thursday night. Houston is riding a nine-game winning streak and has already clinched the AAC regular-season title. Wichita State has won three of its last four games, but it lost to Houston in a 70-61 final on Feb. 2.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Cougars are favored by 17.5 points in the latest Houston vs. Wichita State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 131.5. Before entering any Wichita State vs. Houston picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 17 of the season 76-46 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,600 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Houston vs. Wichita State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Wichita State vs. Houston:
- Houston vs. Wichita State spread: Houston -17.5
- Houston vs. Wichita State over/under: 132 points
- Houston vs. Wichita State money line: Houston -2000, Wichita State +1050
- Houston vs. Wichita State picks: See picks here
Why Houston can cover
Houston clinched the AAC regular-season title with a 76-57 win at East Carolina on Saturday, reaching the 15-win mark in league play for the second straight campaign. The Cougars have rattled off nine straight wins and have covered the spread in six of their last seven games in March. They lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 55.9 points per game and a field goal percentage of 35.8.
Thursday will mark senior night for veteran guard Marcus Sasser, who leads Houston with 17.0 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. Freshman forward Jarace Walker (11.1), junior forward J'Wan Roberts (10.9) and sophomore guard Tramon Mark (10.0) are each scoring in double figures as well. They have won nine of the last 10 meetings between these teams, including five straight at home.
Why Wichita State can cover
Wichita State already pushed Houston to the wire once this season, staying within single digits in that Feb. 2 meeting. The Shockers have won three of their last four games, picking up road wins at Temple and Tulane during that stretch. They rank third in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 68.4 points per game.
Craig Porter Jr. notched the sixth triple-double in school history with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in an 83-76 win at Tulane on Sunday, while Jaron Pierre Jr. and James Rojas each scored 20-plus points. The Shockers have turned the ball over just twice in the final 10 minutes of their last two games. They have been the team to back in this series, covering the spread in five straight games against Houston.
How to make Houston vs. Wichita State picks
The model has simulated Wichita State vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Houston vs. Wichita State? And which side of the spread is hitting almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 76-46 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
