Tennessee vs Houston Prediction 3/30/25 College Basketball Picks

In this article, we will formulate a Tennessee Volunteers vs Houston Cougars prediction for this College Basketball game on Sunday, March 30, at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this game in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of this game will meet Duke in the Final Four.

Tennessee Volunteers Betting Preview

The Tennessee Volunteers (30-7, 19-17-1 ATS) won five of the final six regular-season games to secure the No. 4 seed for the SEC tournament. They defeated Texas in the quarterfinals and then upset No. 1 Auburn to reach the conference finals. The Florida Gators proved to be too strong for the Vols, who had to be satisfied with the runner-up spot. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee beat Wofford, UCLA, and Kentucky, and now, it is an underdog against Houston in the Elite 8.

Tennessee is averaging 74.7 PPG (157th) and is allowing 62.9 PPG (9th). The Volunteers are getting 36.4 RPG (139th) and dishing out 15.5 APG (72nd). Chaz Lanier is the team’s top performer with 18.0 PPG and 3.8 RPG. Zakai Zeigler has 13.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, a team-high 7.5 APG, and a team-high 1.9 SPG, while Jordan Gainey contributes 11.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.0 SPG.

Houston Cougars Betting Preview

The Houston Cougars (33-4, 19-16-2 ATS) are one of the hottest teams in basketball as they lost just one of the previous 30 games and are on a 16-game winning run. The Cougars easily clinched the No. 1 seed for the Big 12 tournament, where they defeated Colorado, BYU, and Arizona to secure the conference title. Houston didn’t have troubles with SIU Edwardsville in the first round of the NCAA tournament but went through nail-biting games against Gonzaga and Purdue to make it to the Elite 8.

Houston averages 74.2 PPG (175th) and allows 58.5 PPG (1st). The Cougars are 129th in rebounds (36.5) and 327th in assists (12.2). L.J. Cryer leads the team with 15.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 2.0 APG. Emanuel Sharp follows him with 12.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and a team-high 1.4 SPG, while Milos Uzan chips in 11.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and a team-high 4.4 APG. 

Why Houston will beat Tennessee

• Houston has won 29 of its last 30 games.
• Tennessee has lost four of its last five games against Top 5 AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.
• Tennessee has lost the first half in four of its last five day games played at neutral venues.

Total Points Facts

• Each of Tennessee’s last 11 day games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue have produced a total of 124+ points.
• Seventeen of Houston’s last 18 games against the Southeastern Conference have produced a total of 128+ points.

Matchup/League Facts

• Houston ranks 3rd among Division 1 teams for opponent steals per game this season (4.7).
• Houston ranks 3rd among Division 1 teams for net rating this season (+25.6).
• Tennessee ranks 7th among Division 1 teams for opponent points per game this season (61.9).
• Tennessee ranks 10th among Division 1 teams for opponent field goals made per game this season (21.5).

Tennessee vs Houston Prediction

It’s going to be the first meeting between these teams. Both have excellent defenses, and it will likely be a low-scoring affair, but I can’t bet on the total – it’s too low for the Under, and I am not brave enough to back the Over. Instead, I will back Houston; the Cougars have been a dominant force this season and have the best defense in basketball, and it would be surprising not seeing the Cougars in the Final Four. They did have some issues against Gonzaga and Purdue but managed to see them off, and I am backing the Cougars to do it again on Sunday.

Oliver Zivic's Pick: Houston ML