3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Tennessee vs. Houston

You remember that Nickelodeon show Chalk Zone? That's been the Midwest region in this tournament.

The top-four seeds made the regional semifinals, and the region will be decided by the #1 Houston Cougars and #2 Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday. We all hypothesized what this defense-first battle would look like when the bracket was announced, and we'll find get to find out.

As of now, Houston is a slight favorite in a game with a predictably low total:

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Tennessee-Houston, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Tennessee vs. Houston

Tennessee +2.5 (-102)
Tennessee Moneyline (+126)

I'd be a bit of a fraud if I targeted the Vols to make the national title game before the Round of 16 and backed out now.

Tennessee and Houston are so eerily similar that we can only expect a close contest. They both hold top-three adjusted defensive ratings at KenPom and Bart Torvik, and they're both 345th or worse on both sites in adjusted tempo.

My buddy Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight calls low-scoring games where neither team gets into an offensive flow a "rock fight". This is a rock fight if one were ever to exist.

However, is there value in basically being here before? Against teams that made the Round of 16, Houston went just 2-3 this season including Friday's win over Purdue. Tennessee is 4-5 in such games -- namely due to three matchups with a Florida team that looks pretty darn unbeatable. The much-maligned SEC also put seven teams into the second weekend compared to three for the Big 12.

For believers in historical precedent, teams ranked outside the top 12 in the Week 6 AP Poll have never won the national title. Houston wasn't. Tennessee was No. 1 back on December 9th. Is it really crazy to think the Vols pull the upset?

Zakai Zeigler 2+ Threes Made (-118)

For all of Houston's strengths, they funnel a lot of shots to the outside.

The Cougars allow more three-point attempts per game than any team that made it to the Round of 16 (43.4). The quality of those looks can be in question, but Auburn and Alabama managed 9.0 makes on average from downtown in their meetings with Houston.

The low total has a lot of three-point props for both teams priced as if they're in a bad matchup. The Vols are actually in a great one for triples, and they shoot them at a 34.3% clip (151st in Division 1).

I'm surprised how palatable this line is for their best player. Zakai Zeigler has nailed multiple threes in all three tournament games so far and averages 1.8 makes per game from downtown for the season. He's cashed this prop in 9 of his last 15 games overall, yet these odds imply just a 54.1% chance.

On the biggest stage, I'm expecting the senior to rise to the occasion.

You can also click here to get our updated printable Men's College Basketball Tournament bracket for the Round of 16.

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Which bets stand out to you for the upcoming games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.