SIU Edwardsville Cougars vs Houston Cougars Prediction, 3/20/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: SIU Edwardsville Cougars vs Houston Cougars

Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025

Location: INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, KS

TV: TBS

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-28)

INTRUST Bank Arena is the location where the Houston Cougars (30-4) will play the SIU Edwardsville Cougars (22-11) on Thursday in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament. Houston opens this contest as 28-point favorites. The over/under has been set at 125.

The SIU Edwardsville Cougars stepped onto the hardwood against SE Missouri State and walked away with a win by a score of 69-48 in their last game. SIU Edwardsville finished the contest having earned a 44.4% field goal percentage (24 out of 54) and converted 3 out of their 11 shots from distance. From the charity stripe, the Cougars buried 18 of 28 tries for a rate of 64.3%. In reference to hauling in rebounds, they earned 46 with 11 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 10 assists in this game while forcing the other team into 7 turnovers and getting 4 steals. With regard to defense, SIU Edwardsville allowed their opponent to shoot 28.3% from the field on 17 out of 60 shooting. SE Missouri State distributed 8 assists and had 8 steals in the game. Additionally, SE Missouri State collected 26 rebounds (4 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. SE Missouri State finished the game shooting 84.6% when shooting free throws by knocking down 11 of their 13 tries. They also converted 3 of their 24 attempts from downtown. Regarding personal fouls, the Cougars ended up with 17 and SE Missouri State racked up 20 personal fouls.

Ray'Sean Taylor is someone who was a major contributor for the matchup. He finished the contest at 33.3% from the field and distributed 4 assists. He played 33 minutes and also pulled down 7 rebounds. He ended up with 20 points on 3 out of 9 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Parlay Picks

SIU Edwardsville comes into this game with a record of 22-11 for the year. They turn the ball over 11.4 times per contest and as a team they are committing 16.5 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, SIU Edwardsville is collecting 38.5 boards per game and has accounted for 451 dimes for the season, which is 157th in the nation in terms of passing the ball. The Cougars are shooting 34.1% on shots beyond the perimeter (247 of 724) and 67.6% from the free throw line. They average 72.6 points per contest (216th in Division 1) while going 43.4% from the field.

On defense, the Cougars are able to force 12.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 16.8 personal fouls. They give up 32.7% from 3-point land and they are 36th in the country in opponents PPG (66.1). The Cougars are giving up a shooting percentage of 40.2% (759 of 1,888) and they concede 35.5 boards per game as a team. They are ranked 49th in college in giving up assists with 375 conceded this year.

When they last stepped on the court, the Houston Cougars took home the win by a final score of 72-64 when they faced Arizona. With respect to how they rebounded, Houston allowed Arizona to grab 34 overall (7 offensive). They went 27.8% from distance via 5 of 18 and finished the contest at 9 of 12 from the free throw line (75.0%). The Cougars permitted Arizona to convert 25 of their 57 attempts from the field which gave them a rate of 43.9% for the matchup. When the final whistle blew, the Cougars went 26 out of 61 from the field which had them at 42.6%. In terms of shooting from 3-point land, Houston converted 9 of their 23 tries (39.1%). They were able to make 11 of the free throw tries for a rate of 91.7%. Arizona was called for 15 personal fouls for this contest which got the Cougars to the charity stripe for a total of 12 attempts. They coughed it up 8 times, while earning 4 steals for the matchup. The Cougars were able to pull down 22 defensive boards and 9 offensive boards for a total of 31 in the game.

Milos Uzan ended up being a factor for the Cougars for this contest. He earned 25 points in his 37 minutes on the court and totaled 4 dimes for the game. He buried 8 of 16 for the game for a rate of 50.0%, and totaled 4 rebounds.

Houston has a win-loss mark of 30-4 so far this year. When it comes to executing on offense, the Cougars are shooting 45.8% from the floor, which ranks them 115th in the nation. Houston has totaled 2,523 points this year (74.2 per contest) and they grab 36.2 boards per game. They are assisting teammates 12.0 times per contest (294th in Division 1) and they turn the ball over 9.3 times per contest. The Cougars commit 16.4 personal fouls every game and they shoot 74.1% from the free throw line.

The Cougars on the defensive end are ranked 2nd in college in PPG allowed with 58.5. They have forced 13.8 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 38.3% from the field (4th in college). The Houston defense concedes 30.9% on shots from beyond the arc (232 of 751) and their opponents are knocking down 70.9% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have given up 10.8 assists and 31.6 boards per game, which is 28th and 33rd in college hoops.

So what is Tonights Parlay prediction?

Parlay's Pundit's Pick: Take Houston (-28)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here