The San Diego State Aztecs vie for a fourth straight opening-round victory at March Madness when they battle the Houston Cougars on Thursday night at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita. The Aztecs enter as Mountain West champions after topping New Mexico 82-75 as 4-point favorites on Saturday, while the Cougars look to rebound from a heartbreaking 56-55 loss to Cincinnati as 4.5-point underdogs in the AAC tournament final.
- Houston is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games.
- The total has gone OVER in five of Houston’s last six games in March.
- San Diego State is 5-0 ATS in its last five games.
The No. 11 Aztecs enter March Madness on a high, riding a nine-game straight-up win streak, and are unbeaten SU and against the spread in seven straight clashes with teams with winning records. Low scoring has been the hallmark of San Diego State’s recent tear, with the point total going UNDER in nine of its past 12.
No. 6 Houston’s loss to Cincinnati halted a five-game SU win streak. However, the Cougars remain a reliable bet, going 11-3-1 ATS over their past 15. Houston is also a perfect 7-0 SU in its past seven following a loss but is winless SU and ATS in two previous dates with the Aztecs.
San Diego State returns to March Madness after a one-year absence, and owns a 6-5 SU record in its past 11 tournament contests but is 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS in its past three tournament dates as a betting underdog. The Cougars return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010 and are winless in four appearances since 1984.
San Diego State Aztecs vs Houston Cougars Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
Houston Cougars battles the San Diego State Aztecs, currently sitting with a 22-10 mark (20-10 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals betting, are 13-16 for the Houston Cougars and 14-15-1 for the San Diego State Aztecs.
This college basketball game matches up the No. 31 (Houston) and the No. 48 (San Diego State) teams in the league, according to our current NCAA basketball power rankings.
Statistical Matchup
Rebounding is always a key handicapping betting consideration and San Diego State is ranked No. 57 in NCAA basketball at 37.59 per game. Contrast that with Houston's No. 26 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Houston is the No. 76-ranked team in the country at 8.64 per game, while San Diego State rates No. 157 at 7.34 per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Aztecs got 28 points from Trey Kell as San Diego State ran past New Mexico 82-75 on Saturday at Thomas & Mack Center.
The Cougars got 17 points from Rob Gray Jr., but it was Cincinnati that prevailed in a 56-55 final on Sunday at Amway Center.
