#1 Houston vs. #22 Auburn Picks and Predictions: Big Cat Battle in Birmingham

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Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars are looking to get back to the National Championship - Houston Auburn Picks

The No. 1 team in the country heads to Birmingham, Alabama for a neutral site game against another top 25 team. The Auburn Tigers and Houston Cougars are both 3-0 coming into this game, but one must lose tonight. The top ranked Cougars are traveling for the first time this season, and this time the No. 22 ranked Tigers won’t have inter-squad fighting on the plane ride to get them fired up like last year. Can they pull off this upset? Find out with our favorite picks below.

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#1 Houston Cougars vs. #22 Auburn Tigers NCAA Basketball Insights

Tahaad Pettiford and the Tigers were almost upset at home in their first game of the season - Houston Auburn Picks

Tahaad Pettiford and the Tigers were almost upset at home in their first game of the season

Bruce Pearl shocked the College Hoops world by stepping down from his coaching position just a month before the season began, leaving his son, Steven, at the helm of the organization. The Tigers severely struggled in their first game, almost losing to Bethune-Cookman at home in overtime. But since then, they have rolled to a couple easy victories, scoring at least 93 points in every game. However, now they have a real test against the nation’s top squad.

The Houston Cougars are looking to get back to the National Championship which they lost last season, and they certainly have the fire power to do it. They have won all three games so far, holding two of their three foes under 50 total points, while keeping them all under 60. This defense is suffocating, and the offense is efficient enough to get the job done. But just like Auburn, this will be the Cougars’ first true opponent as well.

Matchup Information – Houston vs. Auburn – November 16

  • Venue & Location: Legacy Arena at BJCC (Birmingham, AL)
  • Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025
  • Kick Off: 3:00 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: ESPN

Houston vs. Auburn Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of November 16, 2025 at 10:56 a.m. eastern. Sign up today with Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus. BetOnline offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • Houston -8 (-115)
  • Auburn +8 (-105)

Moneyline

  • Houston -360
  • Auburn +289

Total

  • Over 139.5 (-115)
  • Under 139.5 (-105)

Coming into this season, we all knew Auburn wasn’t going to be as good as last year. That’s what happens when you lose Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and pretty much the rest of your roster. There is a lot of pressure on Tahaad Pettiford to lead this team as a sophomore, as it is certainly taking the new pieces time to get to know each other.

#1 Houston vs. #22 Auburn NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions

Milos Uzan returned to Houston after withdrawing from the NBA Draft, and has played 34 minutes a game for the Cougars - Houston Auburn Picks

Milos Uzan returned to Houston after withdrawing from the NBA Draft, and has played 34 minutes a game for the Cougars

Houston vs. Auburn Prediction: Houston Wins and Covers, Over 139.5

Best Bet: Houston -8 (-115) BetOnline

Here I go again admitting to all of you loyal readers that I booked the Cougars -6 (-110) on BetOnline when this number first came out last night. Obviously we are above the three possession mark as the line currently sits, but I still think Houston is the play. Yes, they tend to play slow, but I see Auburn speeding things up, giving Houston more opportunities for their incredibly efficient offense to put the ball in the hoop and cover this spread.

The Tigers really aren’t that good this year. Yes, transfer Keyshawn Hall is tearing up the scene, scoring over 24 points per game while adding 11 boards and three assists as well. But they’ve been missing KeShawn Murphy, a big forward from Mississippi State. He should be back on the court today, but I’m not sure he has the tenacity to hang with the Cougars’ front court.

Auburn has six guys averaging double digit points, but one of those is Murphy (who has played just one game) and it looks like it’s taking the new personnel a little bit longer to gel. Tahaad Pettiford has the entire team on his shoulders, Kevin Overton needs to play better, and JUCO transfer Abdul Bashir is not scoring like advertised. They may get shut down against Houston’s defense.

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