First Round March Madness: Longwood Lancers vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Odds, AI Picks and Betting Analysis
The Houston Cougars, the best team based on the AP Power-25 Rankings during this season, will start the road to Glendale facing the Longwood Lancers in the South Regional First round of the 2024 March Madness. The winner of this Houston vs Longwood game is going to take on the winner of the Nebraska vs Texas A&M matchup. Now, let’s see the Longwood vs Houston Prediction.
Longwood comes into this game as a +23.5 underdog. They have gone 3-7 this season when they are the underdog. According to the NCAAB standings, the Lancers have gone 21-13 overall, and they have won four games in a row.
On the road, Longwood has gone 8-10 this season, and they have a scoring margin of +2.6. Over their last three road games, they have gone 3-0, and in their last 10, they are 4-6.
As the underdog, Longwood has an ATS record of 6-4 this season. On the road, the Lancers have gone 10-8 vs. the spread this year. Over their last 3 road games, Longwood has a perfect ATS mark of 3-0.
Longwood’s over/under record for the season is 17-14 and today’s line of 127 is lower than the average over/under line in the team’s games (141.8). So far, 25 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 142 points.
Houston wants to confirm why they were the best in Regular Season
Coming into this game, Houston is 21-1 at home this season, with an average scoring margin of +23.6 points per game. They are 30-3 when favored this season, and they have been favored in 33 of their 31 games.
On the year, the Cougars are 28-3, and they have gone 18-4 in Big 12 play. Their last NCAAB score was a 69-41 loss to Iowa State, and over their last 10 games at home, they are 9-1.
As the favorite this season, Houston has an ATS record of 17-14-2. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cougars have gone 5-4-1 vs. the spread. At home, Houston has an ATS mark of 14-7-1 this year and they are 5-4-1 in their last 10 home games vs. the spread.
On the season, the over/under record for Houston games is 15-19, and today’s line of 127 is right in line with the average over/under line in their games this year of 132.9. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 118 points.
Game Information
| LONGWOOD LANCERS vs HOUSTON COUGARS |
| Location of the Game: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee |
| Date and Time: Friday, March 22nd 9:20 ET |
| Reason: 2024 March Madness First Round |
| How to watch: TNT |
Longwood vs Houston Prediction Odds
There are the NCAAB Odds for this matchup of today’s NCAAB Schedule:
AI Predictions and Sport Betting AI Picks
These are the NCAAB Computer Picks for this NCAAB Matchup:
| TEAM | AI PICKS | Sport Betting AI PICKS | |||
| LONGWOOD | 69 | 144 | Spread LONG +23.5 |
ML HOU -8662 |
Total OVER 127 |
| HOUSTON | 75 | ||||
- AI Picks: Houston Cougars 75 – Longwood Lancers 69
- Sport Betting AI Picks: ATS Lancers +23.5 | ML Cougars -8662 | OVER 127
Longwood Lancers Game Analysis
Longwood recently showcased a strong offensive performance, scoring 85 points against UNC Asheville. This output exceeded their season average of 75.6 points per game. The team’s top scorer is Walyn Napper, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 14.6, while Michael Christmas also carries a PPG average of 11.5 into the game, according to the NCAAB player stats.
Currently, the Lancers’ defense holds the 66th rank in the nation, allowing 67.8 points per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.9 threes per game vs. Houston. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 32.6%.
Houston Cougars Game Analysis
In contrast to their season average of 73 points per game, the Houston had a below average performance. They scored 41 points against Iowa State and had a field goal percentage of 26.8%. Offensively, the Cougars hold a season-long field goal percentage of 43%, placing them 281st in the national rankings. When it comes to three-pointers, they are ranked 145th in terms of percentage and 143rd in three-pointers made, according to the NCAAB team stats.
So far, the Cougars’ defense is ranked 1st in the country at 57.0 points per contest. Against Iowa State, the Cougars’ defense gave up 69 points and did a good job not fouling. For the game, Iowa State only made 7 free-throws.
Based on the latest NCAAB Injury Report, the following player are out for this matchup:
- Ramon Walker Jr. (Knee)
- Terrance Arceneaux (Achilles)
- Joseph Tugler (Foot)
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