Auburn Tigers (21-12) vs. Houston Cougars (31-3)
March 18, 2023 1:00 am EDT
The Line: Houston Cougars -7 / Auburn Tigers +7 ; Over/Under:
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The Auburn Tigers and the Houston Cougars meet Saturday in NCAA Tournament Second Round college basketball action from Legacy Arena. Auburn is currently 21-12 on the year. The Tigers beat Iowa in their tournament game on Thursday. As for Houston, they’re 32-3 on the season and coming off a win over Northern Kentucky. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
Auburn Tigers
Auburn posted a sketchy 3-4 run to finish off the regular season, falling to Alabama, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Alabama again along the way to a 20-11 record. The Tigers didn’t last long in the SEC Tournament, losing to Arkansas 76-73 last week.
The Tigers bounced back in a First Round matchup versus Iowa on Thursday. Auburn took a 31-26 edge into the second half, then went on a 52-49 run for an 83-75 victory. Both Johni Broome (19 points; 12 rebounds) and Allen Flanigan (10 points; 10 rebounds) doubled up.
Houston Cougars
Over on the Houston side, they went 29-2 in their regular-season campaign, finishing on an 11-game win streak. The Cougars then charged into the AAC Tournament, beating East Carolina 60-46 and Cincinnati 69-48. Houston ended up falling to Memphis 75-65, however.
In Thursday’s First Round tournament matchup versus Northern Kentucky, the Cougars were up 30-27 in the locker room. Houston hit a 33-25 stretch from there and took the win 63-52. Jarace Walker was the top scorer on 16 points and six rebounds.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll probably lean toward Auburn in this one. The Tigers limped into the postseason with some close losses down the stretch but the team has mostly been competitive. Auburn managed a nice victory over Iowa on Thursday to gain some momentum, shooting 46 percent from the floor with just seven turnovers. The Tigers were outmuscled 44-38 (14-8 offensive) on the boards, but the offense carried them through. As for Houston, they held the Norse to just 27.5 percent shooting in Thursday’s matchup and had a 42-33 rebounding edge. The Cougars had 17 turnovers and didn’t exactly play a dominant game, but they took care of business. Auburn will have their hands full, but I think the Tigers will cover.
