Who’s Playing
Auburn @ Houston
Regular Season Records: Auburn 21-12; Houston 32-3
What to Know
The #2 Houston Cougars and the Auburn Tigers are set to clash at 7:10 p.m. ET March 18 at Legacy Arena in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Northern Kentucky Norse typically have all the answers at home, but on Thursday Houston proved too difficult a challenge. The Cougars strolled past the Norse with points to spare, taking the matchup 63-52. Forward J’Wan Roberts and forward Jarace Walker were among the main playmakers for Houston as the former posted a double-double on 12 rebounds and 11 points and the latter had 16 points along with six boards.
Meanwhile, the Iowa Hawkeyes typically have all the answers at home, but on Thursday the Tigers proved too difficult a challenge. Auburn netted an 83-75 win. They got double-digit scores from six players: forward Johni Broome (19), guard Wendell Green Jr. (15), guard K.D. Johnson (11), forward Jaylin Williams (11), guard Tre Donaldson (11), and guard Allen Flanigan (10).
Houston is expected to win this handily, but they should have beaten the Temple Owls Jan. 22 easily too and instead slipped up with a 56-55. In other words, don’t count Auburn out just yet.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET
- Where: Legacy Arena — Birmingham, Alabama
- TV: TBS
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $293.00
Odds
The Cougars are a solid 5.5-point favorite against the Tigers, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 5.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last eight years.
