AAC Tournament: Cincinnati vs. Houston odds, picks and predictions
The Cincinnati Bearcats (21-11) square off with the No. 1 Houston Cougars (30-2) Saturday in the AAC Tournament semifinals. Tip from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, is at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook's lines around the Cincinnati vs. Houston odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Rankings courtesy of theUSA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Cincinnati crushed Temple 84-54 as a 5-point favorite in the quarterfinals Friday. Temple may be one of the two teams to topple Houston this season, but it is not nearly the same caliber as the Cougars and the Bearcats will find Saturday's semifinal a much greater challenge.
Houston has been dominant all season and continued that dominance Friday with a 60-46 win over East Carolina. It has relied on a smothering defense to routinely hold opponents to fewer than 60 points.
Houston is one of the top contenders for the National Championship this season. A loss here will not diminish this, but a win and a win in the AAC championship game Sunday would solidify the Cougars as the team to beat heading into March Madness where it will be a top seed.
THE BRACKETS ARE BACK! The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back! $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket, $25,000 prize for top bracket. Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!