Houston vs. Longwood Odds, Picks, and Predictions

• Houston scored just 41 points in their Big 12 Tournament championship loss to Iowa State

• Longwood was a No. 5 seed in the Big South Tournament and won the championship

• Houston holds teams to 57 points per game and under 38% shooting from the floor. These are both the best marks in the country

On day two of the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64, we have two No. 1 vs. No. 16 matchups, including the Houston Cougars and the Longwood Lancers. 

Below, we’ll preview this matchup in detail and provide five exclusive welcome bonuses at the top online sports betting sites today.

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If you’re new to online betting or looking for even more bonus bets, explore our exclusive offers below.

Houston vs. Longwood Prediction and Odds 

Houston

The Cougars are second in the odds to win the NCAA Tournament for a reason, and they’ll look to establish their dominance in the opening round. According to KenPom, the Cougars are the No. 2 team overall. They went 30-4 this season in the Big 12, including a 15-3 mark in conference play. However, they did lose to No. 2 Iowa State by a wide margin of 69-41. 

That 41-point performance was their worst single-game mark since the 1950s. It was brutal. 

However, throughout this season, Houston has averaged 73 points per game and 118.9 points scored per 100 possessions. 

Where they typically excel is in defense. They hold teams to just 57 points per game, the lowest in all men’s college basketball.

So, scoring only 41 and allowing nearly 70 could be considered an anomaly. It’s not something to totally ignore, but there’s a large sample size for their dominance. 

Houston also holds teams to 30% shooting from beyond the arch (13th) and a baffling 37.9% from the floor (best in the country). 

Longwood

Coming out of the Big South, Longwood was a No. 5 seed in its conference tournament, but it slaughtered No. 2 UNC Asheville, scoring 85 and allowing 59. It went 21-13 this season and just 6-10 in conference play, but it came up clutch when it needed to and landed as a No. 16 seed in the tournament. 

KenPom ranks Longwood as the No. 157 team overall, scoring 105.7 points per 100 possessions and allowing nearly 105. 

They average 73.8 points per game, and they’ve been shooting the ball well recently, going for nearly 50% from the floor and 43.8% from three-point range over their last three games. 

Walyn Napper, a guard, is the team's leader. He scores 14.6 points per game while pulling down four rebounds and dishing out 4.6 assists.

There’s nothing they particularly excel at, but they’ve been red-hot recently. 

Houston vs. Longwood Pick

• PICK: Houston -23.5 (-110) at FanDuel Sportsbook

While Longwood has overcome the odds and made it to the NCAA Tournament, they drew a tough card with Houston.

Houston isn’t exactly a scoring powerhouse, but defensively, they simply lock teams down. Additionally, they don’t turn the ball over. They had a massive hiccup against Iowa State, but Longwood will struggle mightily to score here. 

Longwood is 11-7 against the spread coming off a win, while Houston is 1-2 when coming off a loss.

Houston is giving a ton of points here at 24.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook, but after their blowout loss, expect them to put their pedal to the metal here and dismantle Longwood. Houston wins this one, 79 to 47. 

At FanDuel Sportsbook, you’ll earn $200 in bonus bets if you wager $5 on this game and win. 

Houston vs. Longwood: How to Watch

• Teams: Houston vs. Longwood

• Location: FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee

• Date: Tuesday, March 19 at 9:20 PM ET

• TV: TNT

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