No. 9 Alabama will face No. 6 Houston on Tuesday night. The showdown is at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and is part of the Players Era Festival held across Thanksgiving week. We tell you who will win in our Alabama vs. Houston NCAAB betting picks.
- What: 2024/25 Men’s College Basketball
- Who: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Houston Cougars
- Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
- When: Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
- Tip-Off: 8 pm. ET
In the latest AP Rankings released on Monday, Alabama dropped another place from No.8 to No.9. The Crimson Tide dropped six places from No.2 to No.8 the previous week.
The Cougars moved up one place from No.8 to No.7 last week. On Monday they moved up one more position and are now No.6.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Houston Cougars Match Betting
The Crimson Tide bounced back from their defeat to Purdue with an emphatic win against the Fighting Illini.
To beat Illinois, Alabama was -350 to win. To beat the Houston Cougars, Alabama is the outsiders on the money line at +150. The Cougars are the -180 betting favorites.
Alabama successfully covered an 8.5-point spread against Illinois. They are receiving a 4-point advantage against the Cougars. To win with the spread, Alabama is -110. The Cougars are -110 to win and cover the spread.
The total line is set at 149.5. Over and under are both -110.
Check out the latest Crimson Tide vs. Cougars NCAAB betting lines on our college basketball betting table. Our NCAAB odds are from the best college basketball betting sites.
| Alabama vs. Houston |  |
 |
 |
| Alabama | +150 | +150 | +150 |
| Houston | -180 | -180 | -180 |
| Alabama (+4) | +180 | +180 | +180 |
| Houston (-4) | -220 | -220 | -220 |
| Over 149.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 149.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama is 4-1 this season. They started the campaign with three straight wins over non-power conference opponents. The wins over UNC Asheville (110-54), AR State (88-79), and McNeese State (72-64) were expected.
The first real challenge for head coach Nate Oats and his team was their road trip to Indiana to face Purdue. Alabama came up short, going down 87-78 to the Boilermakers.
The defeat made Alabama’s next match against the tricky Illinois Fighting Illini almost a must-win.
Alabama came through with flying colors. A blistering first half saw the Crimson Tide score 52 points to the Fighting Illini’s 38. The damage was already done, and the match finished 100-87 to Alabama.
In their five matches this season the Crimson Tide has scored 348 points at an average of 89.6 per game. Alabama has conceded 284 points at an average of 74.2.
In the betting to win the 2025 National Championship the Crimson Tide is the joint-fifth favorite at +1200.
Alabama is a +225 favorite to win the SEC regular-season. The win over Illinois has seen their odds trimmed from +250.
Houston Cougars
The Houston Cougars have a 3-1 record this season. It could be said the Cougars have, so far, had a similar term to the one the Crimson Tide are having.
Like Alabama, there have been routine wins. The wins were secured over Jackson State (97-40), Louisiana (91-45), and Hofstra (80-44). But in the one testing match the Cougars have had this season they came up short, going down 74-69 against the Auburn Tigers at the Houston Toyota Center.
Head coach Kelvin Sampson is in his 11th season in charge of the Cougars. He knows that the Auburn loss in the second match of the campaign isn’t season-defining. But he also knows he can’t let his team dwell on it and let it become an issue.
In fairness to Sampson and the Cougars, they have bounced back well. The loss came in the match after the win over Jackson State, and since then, the Cougars have completed two comprehensive wins.
The Cougars are still the second-favorites in the betting to win the Big 12. Kansas leads the way at +210, the Cougars are second at +225.
In the betting to win the 2025 National Championship match the Cougars are +1200, the same odds as the Crimson Tide.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Houston Cougars Betting Picks
The fact that these are two of the betting favorites to win the National Championship, along with both being beaten in their biggest tests to date this campaign, makes Tuesday’s showdown all the more intriguing.
Whoever loses this will find themselves under pressure.
Looking ahead to our pick, we feel Alabama has a bit of a conundrum. It feels like we are waiting for Mark Sears to come to the party for the Crimson Tide.
So far this season he hasn’t looked his usual self. Against a defensively well-organized Cougars, we might have to wait another match before we see the Guard really cut through.
If Sears can perform, then Alabama may well win. But the evidence suggests that it would be a risk wagering on this happening and the Crimson Tide to win on the money line.
A bet on Houston on the money line also looks too short. So we are looking at the handicap spread for our pick.
A spread of five in favor of Houston on a neutral court looks too one-sided to us. We don’t see the gap being that big and as a result, a win for the Crimson Tide on the handicap spread is our pick.
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