College basketball picks today: Houston-Tulane prediction, odds, spread for Jan. 17

The top-ranked Houston Cougars will hit the road for a matchup with the Tulane Green Wave on Tuesday night from Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse in New Oleans, Louisiana. The game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET and air on ESPN+. Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Houston vs. Tulane odds

Spread: Houston -10
Over/Under: 147.5
Moneyline: Houston -550, Tulane +400

Houston (17-1, 5-0 AAC) let the USF Bulls hang around in its last time out but pulled away for an 83-77 victory for an eighth straight win behind 31 points from Marcus Sasser, who leads the team with 16.6 rebounds per game. The Cougars biggest strength comes on the defensive end of the floor where they rate second in KenPom's adjusted efficiency, while the offense is 11th nationally. Second-leading scorer Jarace Walker missed the last game with an illness but is expected to return.

Tulane (12-5, 5-1 AAC) will bring a five-game winning streak into Tuesday's home contest, and the Green Wave beat the UCF Knights 77-69 at home Saturday with Jaylen Forbes leading the way with 27 points. Tulane is rated 80th overall in KenPom with a defense that checks in at 122nd in adjusted efficiency, while the offense is 59th.

The Pick: Houston -10

I love picking the Cougars as double-digit favorites because they don't stop scoring even when they have a big lead. The styles of play could not be more opposite in this matchup as Houston rates 335th in adjusted tempo, while Tulane is sixth. The Cougars should be able to control this pace and frustrate the speedy Green Wave and extend their lead past the number.

  
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