Houston vs. Tennessee Prediction, Odds & Preview Today: Best Picks for NCAA Tournament Elite Eight

Houston and Tennessee will go at it later today in the Elite Eight of March Madness as we provide our prediction while offering the best prop pick.

Mike Spector

Last Updated: March 30, 2025 11:22 AM EDT • 6 minute read

Houston vs. Tennessee Prediction, Odds & Preview Today — Pictured: Tennessee Volunteers guard Jordan Gainey and guard Zakai Zeigler (5) celebrate. Photo by Grace Smith via Imagn Images.

The No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (33-4) and the No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers (30-7) meet today at 2:20 p.m. ET (CBS) from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in a highly anticipated Elite Eight showdown.

Our Houston vs. Tennessee prediction, odds, and preview expect the Cougars to cover the spread, advance to the Final Four, and continue rolling.

The Cougars are the 3.5-point betting favorites for this afternoon's tilt, which is part of our March Madness predictions.

🏀 Houston vs. Tennessee prediction & picks for Sunday

Here are my best Houston vs. Tennessee predictions for the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:

✅ Against the spread pick: Houston -3.5 (-105 via FanDuel) vs. Tennessee ⭐⭐
🔥 Best player prop bet: Zakai Zeigler Over 7.5 assists (-102 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Houston 65, Tennessee 60 (+16000 via DraftKings)

👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness Elite Eight predictions.

🔢 Houston vs. Tennessee updated betting action

Updated betting information via BetMGM.

53% of bets are on the Volunteers to cover (+3.5)
65% of bets are on the Over (124.5)
The Cougars are the 3.5-point betting favorites, the same as their opening spread.
Our Houston vs. Tennessee player props feature Chaz Lanier, Zakai Zeigler, and J’Wan Roberts

🏆 Best Houston vs. Tennessee pick, player prop bet & score prediction

Our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds for any March Madness market across legal sportsbooks in your area!

✅ Houston to cover the spread: -3.5 ⭐⭐

Houston needed a basket with less than a second to go to knock off a pesky Purdue team on Friday, while Tennessee coasted to a 13-point victory and avenged its two regular-season losses to Kentucky.

But I still walked away just as impressed with the Cougars, who essentially played a road game against the Boilermakers with their fans turning Lucas Oil Stadium into “Mackey South.”

Houston has lost just one game since the calendar turned to December and ironically is playing for a big geographic advantage at the Final Four with the games being in San Antonio.

Few teams would be comfortable playing Tennessee in a half-court rockfight, but this is right up Houston’s alley.

One could argue the Volunteers had the easier prep for this game, as they did not have to commit as much attention to a familiar Sweet 16 foe in Kentucky.

But Houston has covered 64.3% of its games off one day rest since last making the Final Four in 2021, and its D-I best 3-point shooting percentage should make the difference in this game.

📊 Best odds: -105 via FanDuel ($10 to win $9.52)

Exclusive: Up to $2,500 No Sweat First Bet

New customers only. Min. first deposit and wager of $500+. Standard offer (bet $5, win $150 in bonus bets) available. Can only claim 1 offer. T&Cs apply. Not valid in NY or IL.

Claim $2,500

Each product featured on our website has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission.

🔥 Zakai Zeigler Over 7.5 assists ⭐⭐⭐

Braden Smith was one of the lone bright spots offensively for Purdue against Houston on Thursday. He carved the Cougars defense up for 15 assists while the Boilermakers totaled just 21 made field goals.

I can't make this a more confident play than a three-star play as Tennessee’s team total is O/U 60.5. But I expect Zeigler will have the ball in his hands a lot, and Houston will trap ball screens and force the ball out of his hands, just like it did to Smith.

That should lead to an eight-plus assist game for Zeigler for the fourth time in the last five games.

📊 Best odds: -102 via FanDuel ($10 to win $9.80)

🎯 Score prediction: Houston 65, Tennessee 60

Tennessee has never been to a Final Four in program history, and it went 2-3 SU in games against teams that earned No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament this season. I also can’t go against the Cougars’ longest active winning streak (16 games), which is why I’m predicting a final score of Houston 65, Tennessee 60.

📊 Best odds: +16000 via DraftKings ($10 to win $1600)

Bet $5, Get $150 + $1K Deposit Bonus

21+ and present in most states. Eligibility restrictions apply. 1 per new customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Additional terms and conditions apply.

Claim $150

Each product featured on our website has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission.

🤖 Houston vs. Tennessee AI prediction

For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NCAA Tournament stats before predicting the winner and exact score for Houston vs. Tennessee. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Houston 76, Tennessee 71.

🖥️ AI score prediction: Houston 76, Tennessee 71

Houston’s offense has been potent this season while Tennessee leans on a defense-first approach. Houston’s scoring depth will likely wear down Tennessee’s defense.
Houston’s consistent tournament success over the past few years gives it a psychological edge. Tennessee, while tough, has faltered in high-pressure moments during past March Madness runs.
Houston is 3-1-1 ATS in its last five games in tournament settings (both in conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament).

🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Houston covering the spread (-3.5) and a total of Over 123.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that March Madness bettors might overlook.

📊 Live Houston vs. Tennessee odds

Follow the latest live March Madness college basketball odds and real-time NCAA Tournament scores for the Elite Eight.

Latest Houston vs. Tennessee odds

Here are the latest odds for Houston vs. Tennessee from BetMGM ahead of tipoff:

Spread

Houston is a 3.5-point betting favorite against Tennessee. The Tennessee side (+3.5) is juiced slightly to -115 odds.

Total

The Houston vs. Tennessee betting total sits at 124.5 ahead of tipoff. That Over/Under is up a point from the opening line.

Moneyline

Houston is a -155 moneyline favorite with an implied win probability of 60.78% against Tennessee.

🔢 Houston vs. Tennessee opening odds

Spread: Houston -3.5 (-110) | Tennessee +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Houston -185 | Tennessee +150
Over/Under: Over 123.5 (-105) | Under 123.5 (-115)

📺 How to watch Houston vs. Tennessee: NCAA Tournament Elite Eight

📅 Date: Sunday, March 30
🕗 Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
📺 TV: CBS
💻 Streaming: March Madness Live

🆚 Elite Eight game predictions

Houston vs. Tennessee prediction

Auburn vs. Michigan State prediction

💰 March Madness betting odds pages

March Madness odds	March Madness MVP odds
Women's March Madness odds	March Madness MVP predictions
Final Four odds	March Madness prop bets

👑 Best March Madness betting sites

Ready to place your March Madness bets? Check out the best March Madness betting promos from the best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review.

Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission

Written by:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”

The 10 Greatest Seats in Sports, Ranked by Legacy & Access