While the Houston Cougars are getting all the attention, the Miami Hurricanes are quietly succeeding. Miami is in its second consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance with the College Basketball lines. Last year The U made the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Now head coach Jim Larranaga is proving that the 2022 run was no fluke. At a time when many older coaches are retiring, the 73-year-old Larranaga is peaking. Miami will face the powerful Houston Cougars on Friday night. Houston was ranked #1 in the country for much of the season.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Houston Cougars Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Friday, March 24, 2023, 6:30 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, MO |
| TV Coverage: | TBS |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Florida | +6½ (-110) | 138 (-110) | +240 |  |
| Houston U | -6½ (-110) | -300 | ||
| ||||
Miami vs. Houston SBG Odds Overview
In this situation, Houston is an understandable sports betting favorite. At the onset of the season, the Cougars were picked for the Final Four. And they lived up to those expectations all season. Miami gets little in the way of national notoriety. And that has helped their wagering value.
Miami Hurricanes Team Overview
The Miami Hurricanes are 24-6 straight up, 18-12 against the spread, and 13-16 over/under the total. In sum, Miami has national metrics of 24th for scoring offense, 18th for field goal percentage, 42nd for 3-point field goal percentage, 12th for free throw percentage, and 154th for offensive rebounding. In turn, defensively, Miami is 233rd for scoring defense, 258th for field goal percentage permitted, 124th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 60th for defensive rebounding.
Miami has gotten the cash in its last two games. Also, the Hurricanes went under the total in three of their previous five outings. Isaiah Wong leads Miami with 16.1 points per game. Norchad Omier adds 10.1 rebounds per contest.
Following a near-upset loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Miami had a point to prove. Unfortunately for the Indiana Hoosiers, they were the victim. Namely, Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller led a decisive second-half spurt, and Miami stormed into the Sweet 16 with an 85-69 win over the Hoosiers.
Wong was the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year. But he was limited to five points in a first-round win over Drake. However, Wong recovered with 27 points and eight rebounds for the Hurricanes. Miller, who had seven points on Friday, scored 19. And then Indianapolis native Nijel Pack had 10 of his 12 points in the first half.
Houston Cougars Team Overview
The Houston Cougars are 29-2 straight up, 17-14 against the spread, and 14-16 over/under the total. In sum, Houston has national metrics of 77th for scoring offense, 45th for field goal percentage, 133rd for 3-point field goal percentage, 165th for free throw percentage, and 19th for offensive rebounding. While defensively, Houston is 2nd for scoring defense, 2nd for field goal percentage permitted, 2nd for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 10th for defensive rebounding.
Houston has covered the spread in only two of their previous eight games. Additionally, Houston went under the total in four of their last six outings. Marcus Sasser leads Houston with 16.9 points per game. J’Wan Roberts adds 7.9 rebounds per contest.
Miami vs. Houston SBG Free Picks
It is true that Miami has had an impressive run with the College basketball lines. However, Houston is the stronger team in this matchup.
Miami vs. Houston SBG Best Bet: Houston Cougars.