The inaugural Players Era Festival will take place this week, with Houston vs. Alabama on Tuesday as one of the marquee matchups in this NIL-driven event. Both are ranked in the top 10 and are part of the Impact Tournament side of the Players Era Festival 2024. No. 6 Houston is 3-1, with each of its three victories coming by at least 36 points, and a loss to Auburn sprinkled in. No. 9 Alabama is 4-1 and coming off a win over a ranked Illinois squad, which followed a defeat to then-No. 13 Purdue.
This is the first of four games in the 2024 Players Era Festival Impact Tournament, and tipoff is at 8 p.m. ET from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The latest Alabama vs. Houston odds have the Cougars favored by 3.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 152.5. Before entering any Houston vs. Alabama picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 4 of the 2024-25 season on a 162-118 betting roll (+1952) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has dialed in on Houston vs. Alabama and just revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball betting lines and trends for Alabama vs. Houston:
- Houston vs. Alabama spread: Houston -4
- Houston vs. Alabama over/under: 150 points
- Houston vs. Alabama money line: Houston -180, Alabama +150
- Houston vs. Alabama picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Houston vs. Alabama streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Houston can cover
The Cougars ranked first in the country in both defensive rating and points allowed per game a year ago, and there’s been very little drop-off this season. They are in the top three in both categories and are one of the most active units, ranking 16th in the nation in steals per game. Seven different players are averaging at least one swipe per night, and Bama has offensive deficiencies that the Coogs can exploit. The Tide are converting just 30.8% of their 3-point attempts, so it may be an issue for them to put points on the scoreboard versus a swarming defense.
The 3-point shot certainly isn’t a concern for Houston on the offensive end of the floor, as it’s actually the team’s biggest strength. It tops all of college basketball with a 48.8% clip from downtown, which has enabled the Cougars to rank in the top 10 in Division I in offensive rating. With that type of potency, Houston has already reached the 90-point threshold twice through four games, after doing so just once all of last season. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Alabama can cover
After leading the country in points per game a year ago, Bama is averaging just half-a-point fewer this year, so the offense is still elite, but the defense has made substantial progress. The Crimson Tide are giving up seven fewer points per game, with Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi a big reason for the improvement. After leading the Big Ten in blocks in 2023-24, the 6-foot-11 center is averaging 2.0 swats per game this year and could make things tough in the lane for a Houston team with no rotation players taller than 6-foot-8.
As for that prolific Alabama offense, it features four players averaging at least 12.8 points, including Preseason All-American Mark Sears at 13.8 ppg. Forward Grant Nelson leads the team with 14.2 points and has converted 17 of 20 2-point attempts (85%). The Tide get up and down the floor, ranking seventh nationally in adjusted pace, but even with this style of play, they take care of the ball. They commit just 10.4 turnovers per night, with 298 teams in Division I committing more turnovers per game. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Alabama vs. Houston picks
SportsLine’s model has simulated Houston vs. Alabama 10,000 times and is leaning Over on the total, predicting the teams combine for 152 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in over 60% of simulations. You can see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Alabama vs. Houston, and which side of the spread hits over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Houston vs. Alabama spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out.
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