Georgia State Panthers vs. Houston Cougars 3/22/19, Prediction & Odds

Panthers vs. Cougars Prediction

The third-seeded Houston Cougars have had an impressive season with only three losses on their resume. Will they cruise to a win today as double-digit favorites versus the 14th-seeded Georgia State Panthers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

Game Snapshot

815 Georgia State Panthers vs. 816 Houston Cougars

Friday, March 22, 2019

Bank of Oklahoma Center at 7:20PM ET

TV: TBS

Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our College Basketball Odds & Betting Page.

 

Public Betting Information

According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Cougars are a 12-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 141.5 points. As of Friday morning, 71 percent of public bets are pouring in on Houston. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for up-to-date info.

Panthers win Sun Belt Tourney

Georgia State took the Sun Belt Tournament title for a second straight season Sunday afternoon with a 73-64 win over UT-Arlington. The Panthers (24-9) led 36-31 at halftime and pulled away in the second half. Georgia State shot 20-of-50 from the field, 8-of-22 from 3-point distance plus 25-of-34 at the free throw line. Malik Benlevi led the Panthers with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting, all on 3-point attempts, plus 4-of-4 at the free throw line. He also grabbed 11 rebounds. Damon Wilson contribued 13 points and three boards. Kane Williams accounted for 12 points along with five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Jeff Thomas tallied 11 points and four caroms. D'Marcus Simonds added 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.

Cougars fall to Bearcats

Houston lost by a score of 69-57 Sunday afternoon versus Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference Tournament championship game. The Cougars (31-3) were outscored 36-27 in the second half of the defeat. Houston shot 19-of-62 from the floor, 8-of-33 from 3-point range plus 11-of-18 at the free throw line. Armoni Brooks paced the Cougars with 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting including 3-of-12 from 3-point range. He also ripped down five rebounds. Corey Davis Jr. added 12 points in 34 minutes of action.

College Basketball Betting Trends

Georgia State

The Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall. Georgia State is 4-1 ATS in its last five neutral site games.

Houston

The Cougars are 6-0 ATS in their last six games versus the Sun Belt. Houston is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 neutral site games.

Prediction:

The Cougars don't have a bad loss on their resume with all three coming against NCAA Tournament teams. They should be able to handle a Georgia State squad that whose best wins come against East Tennessee State and Alabama. Georgia State can be prone to defensive struggles and I don't think it can contain a deep Houston squad that is efficient on offense and even better on the defensive end.

 

NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON COUGARS -12