Florida Gators vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 04/07/2025

Game Time: 8:50 pm ET, Monday, April 7, 2025

Venue:  Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

Where to Watch:  CBS

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Florida -1.5, Houston +1.5; Over/Under:  141.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Florida -1.5, Houston +1.5; Over/Under:  141.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Florida -1.5, Houston +1.5; Over/Under:  141.5 points

Florida Gators:  35-4 (14-4) (2nd place, SEC)

Houston Cougars:  35-4 (19-1) (1st place, Big 12)

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Florida Gators:  5-0  last 5

Houston Cougars:  5-0  last 5

Florida is entering this game with a 35-4 record overall, a 14-4 record in conference games, and they are 13-0 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Auburn Tigers in their last game. Walter Clayton Jr. led the team in points in that game with 34 while Alijah Martin was next on the team with 17. Alex Condon led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Rueben Chinyelu led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 47.4% from the field, 38.1% from 3-point range, and 38.1% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 85.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 69.8 PPG against them. Florida has an ATS record of 28-11 this season and their O/U record is 21-18.

Houston is entering this game with a 35-4 record overall, a 19-1 conference record, and they are 9-3 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Duke Blue Devils in their last game. LJ Cryer led the team in points in that game with 26 while Emanuel Sharp was next on the team with 16. J'wan Roberts led the team in assists with 5 in that game while J'wan Roberts led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 37.7% from the field, 45.5% from 3-point range, and 77.8% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 73.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 58.5 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 21-17-1 this season and their O/U record is 15-22-2.

The current betting odds have Florida listed as a 1.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Florida has looked really good in their games this season with their 35-4 record overall and their 14-4 conference record which had them right near the top of the SEC. They have also been great in these neutral site games this season with their 13-0 record in those. Meanwhile, Houston has looked really good in their games this season with their 35-4 record overall and their 19-1 conference record which had them right at the top of the Big 12. They have also been good in neutral site games as they are 9-3 in those games, but a majority of their losses this season have come in those games too. They are coming off a huge win over Duke in the Final Four and they fought really hard to erase a 14 point lead that Duke had late in the 2nd half. This is also a Florida team that has been fighting back when down all tournament and they continue to find ways to win these games. Florida beat Auburn in the last round and absolutely took over the 2nd half after being down 6 at halftime. This is a game between one of the best offenses in the nation and one of the best defenses in the nation, but the edge goes to the offense in this one. Florida has been putting up a ton of points all tournament and they have the tendency to go on very quick scoring runs that can turn games on their head. Houston defended very well to come back against Duke, but their defense might not be enough against this Florida offense, and Houston is also a very spotty team when it comes to shooting. The best way to place a bet here is on Florida to cover the spread in this game and win the National Championship.

Florida Houston Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Monday, April 7, 2025 (8:50 pm ET start time) is Florida 76 Houston 69.

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Florida Gators: 1-5 ATS against Big 12 conference opponents. 5-9 ATS on the road or at a neutral site when the total is 140 to 149.5. 21-9 OVER in all neutral court games. 25-15 OVER off a win against a conference rival. 25-15 OVER versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game.

Houston Cougars: 6-3 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 11-5 ATS when playing their 2nd game in 3 days. 27-19 ATS in non-conference games. 9-4 OVER after 3 or more consecutive unders. 3-0 OVER in a neutral court game where the total is 140 to 149.5.

Florida Gators:  O. Rioux (C) Out - Redshirt.

Houston Cougars:  R. Walker Jr. (G) Out - Hand. J. McFarland (C) Out - Leg.

“I’m just used to seeing him put the ball in the basket, I guess. But he’s done what he’s done all year for us. In big moments, stepped up, hit huge shots, settled our team down and made winning plays when we needed it the most.” - Todd Golden after his team’s win against Auburn in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

“Cooper was not going to beat us by himself. Even when we were down 14, these guys will tell you what I was talking about in the huddle was, ‘Just hang in there, hang in there.'" - Kelvin Sampson after his team’s win against Duke in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

R. Chinyelu 

W. Clayton 

A. Condon 

A. Martin 

W. Richard

L. Cryer 

J. Roberts 

E. Sharp 

J. Tugler 

M. Uzan

PPG: W. Clayton (17.5)

APG: W. Clayton (4.3)

Reb/G: A. Condon (7.9)

PPG: L. Cryer (15.6)

APG: M. Uzan (4.4)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (6.3)

Coaches:

Florida Gators: Todd Golden (3rd season)

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (11th season)