The quarterfinals of the 2023 AAC Tournament feature the No. 9 seed East Carolina Pirates (16-16) and the top-seeded Houston Cougars (29-2) battling it out on Friday afternoon. On Thursday, the Pirates beat South Florida 73-58 to advance to the next round. The Cougars ended the regular season red-hot, winners of 11 straight games. The winner moves on to play either No. 4 Cincinnati or No. 5 Temple on Saturday in the semifinals.
Tipoff from Dickies Arena in Texas is set for 1 p.m. ET. The Cougars are 23-point favorites in the latest East Carolina vs. Houston odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 133.5. Before making any Houston vs. East Carolina picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters conference tournament week 76-51 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now the model has zeroed in on Houston vs. ECU and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for ECU vs. Houston:
- Houston vs. East Carolina spread: Cougars -23
- Houston vs. East Carolina over/under: 133.5 points
- Houston vs. East Carolina money line: Cougars -7000, Pirates +1800
- ECU: Pirates are 5-0 ATS in their last five neutral site games
- HOU: Cougars are 7-0 ATS in their last seven Friday games
- Houston vs. East Carolina picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Houston Cougars vs. East Carolina Pirates
Why Houston can cover
Senior Marcus Sasser is an agile and skilled combo guard in the backcourt. Sasser has a quick release with a terrific range from beyond the arc. The Texas native is sixth in the AAC in scoring (17.1) with 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Sasser has finished with at least 20 points in six of the last seven games. On March 2, he amassed 22 points and four assists against Wichita State.
Junior forward J’Wan Roberts is a downhill scorer who has great strength in the paint. Roberts continues to battle down low and be an asset as a rebounder. He logs 10.5 points, 7.2 boards and shoots 65% from the floor. He’s grabbed at least 10 rebounds in four of his last seven games. In the Feb. 25 contest against East Carolina, Roberts had 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Why East Carolina can cover
Sophomore guard RJ Felton has a smooth offensive game that includes a reliable jumper. Felton owns good range from the perimeter with the ability to penetrate the lane. The South Carolina native leads the team in scoring (14 ppg) with 4.5 rebounds per game. He’s recorded 20-plus points in two of his last three games. On Mar. 9 against South Florida, Felton logged 21 points, seven rebounds and went 4-of-10 from downtown.
Sophomore Brandon Johnson is an athletic and strong finisher in the lane. Johnson has long arms and is relentless when fighting for the ball. The North Carolina native is third in the AAC in rebounds (8.2) with 12.5 points per contest. He’s recorded 10 double-doubles over the season. On March 3, Johnson tallied 11 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks against Tulane.
How to make East Carolina vs. Houston picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 138 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Houston vs. ECU? And which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
