Houston Cougars vs. Auburn Tigers Picks and Prediction for Sunday, November 16, 2025
Use Code WWWC It’s a contest on the hardwood between ranked power conference foes as the #1 Houston Cougars travel to the Yellowhammer State to battle the #22 Auburn Tigers Sunday afternoon, and we have you covered with our Houston vs. Auburn prediction. Houston dropped Oakland 78-45 at home in their previous contest Wednesday night, covering the line as a 30.5-point favorite. Auburn dropped Wofford 93-62 at home Tuesday night, covering the line as a 27.5-point favorite. In the all-time series between the programs, the Cougars own a 7-2 advantage but the Tigers earned a 74-69 victory in the Mattress Firm Battleground 2k24 at the Toyota Center in the most recent matchup on November 9, 2024. Read more about this Houston vs. Auburn prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Try our NCAAB Predictions!
Cougars Looking to Take Down Ranked Foe
Houston cruised to a one-sided victory over Oakland at home to maintain their perfect record on the year. The Cougars improved to 3-0 on the year and look to take down a ranked foe here to solidify their hold on their #1 ranking. Against Oakland, Houston scored the game’s first eight points and never looked back en route to the victory. The Cougars were up 39-17 at the half and led by as many as 40 in the game en route to the victory. Houston shot 45.1% from the field, including nine of 31 from three-point range, and controlled the boards by a 46-32 margin in the game. Emanuel Sharp and Kingston Flemings (five rebounds, nine assists) each had 19 points to led the Cougars in the win.
On the year, the Cougars are 278th in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 72.7 points per game. Houston collects an average of 41.3 rebounds (104th) per contest while they dish out an average of 16 assists a night. The Cougars are 2nd in the nation in scoring defense as they allow an average of 50 points per game. Emanuel Sharp leads the team with 17.3 points plus 4.7 rebounds a night this season. Kingston Flemings (15.7 points, 4.7 assists), Joseph Tugler (10 points, 4.3 boards) and Milos Uzan (8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists) are solid scoring options. Chris Cenac Jr., Chase McCarty, Isiah Harwell, Mercy Miller, Kalifa Sakho, Ramon Walker Jr., Kordel Jefferson and Cedric Lath are all key players for coach Kelvin Sampson. Houston shoots 43.3% from the floor as a team this season. The Cougars connect on eight three-pointers per contest while they are shooting 28.6% from beyond the arc as a team, which is 290th in Division I. Houston has been above average at the charity stripe, cashing in 74.3% of their attempts on the year, which is 102nd in the nation.
Auburn Seeking to Remain Unbeaten
Auburn rolled to a win over Wofford at home in their previous game Tuesday night to continue the Steven Pearl era unbeaten. The Tigers improved to 3-0 on the year and try to take down the #1 team in the land here. Against Wofford, Auburn trailed 6-4 early but went on a 13-2 run to take a 17-8 lead with 14:36 to play in the first half and rolled from that point. The Tigers were up 40-22 at the half and led by as many as 33 en route to the victory. Auburn shot 50.7% from the floor, including nine of 27 from three-point range, and controlled the boards by a 48-27 margin. Elyjah Freeman led the Tigers with 21 points and five rebounds in the win.
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The Tigers come into this contest 39th in the nation in scoring offense as they put up an average of 94.3 points per game on the year. Auburn pulls down an average of 48.7 rebounds per contest (14th) while they are 183rd by dishing out an average of 15 assists per game. The Tigers are above average defensively as they are 143rd in scoring defense by allowing an average of 69.7 points a night. Keyshawn Hall leads the Tigers offensively and is one of six players averaging in double figures as he puts up 24.3 points and 11 rebounds per game this season. KeShawn Murphy (17 points), Sebastian Williams-Adams (12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds), Elyjah Freeman (11.3 points, six boards) and Kevin Overton (10.7 points, 2.7 steals) are solid secondary scoring options. Tahaad Pettiford (11 points), Emeka Opurum, Filip Jovic, Kaden Magwood, Abdul Bashir and Blake Muschalek are all looked at to contribute for coach Steven Pearl. Auburn shoots 48.8% from the field as a team on the season, which is 94th in the nation. The Tigers knock down an average of seven three-pointers a night (245th) while shooting 28.4% from beyond the arc on the year, which is 299th in the nation. Auburn has been average at the charity stripe as they convert 71% of their attempts on the season, which is 177th in the country.
Houston vs. Auburn Pick
Houston vs. Auburn Spread Pick
- Houston (4 units)
Auburn has had Houston’s number of late but if there’s an advantage that Kelvin Sampson can lean on, it’s continuity. The Cougars are 36th in the nation in returning minutes at 44.1% while Auburn is 264th with just 11.7% in that category. Auburn hasn’t been tested much in their first three games and few teams in the nation defend as well or as aggressively as the Cougars. Houston isn’t intimidated playing in a hostile environment and while the Tigers have six players averaging in double figures, they’re dealing with a physical, stingy defensive squad. Look for experience to be the difference as the Cougars earn the win here.
Houston vs. Auburn Over/Under Pick
- Under (4 units)
Houston has seen the under post a 9-1-1 mark in their last 11 games dating back to last season, including all three this year. The Cougars are first in defensive efficiency, 8th in effective field goal percentage defense (39.1%) and 27th in forced turnover percentage (23.6%) on the young season. Houston is 359th in adjusted tempo with 66.9 possessions per game according to KenPom. Auburn has gone over the total in each of their three games on the year. The Tigers are 46th in defensive efficiency, 105th in effective field goal percentage defense (47.1%), 27th in block percentage (16.7%) and 61st in steal percentage (12.4%) this season. The Tigers are 189th in tempo with 70.9 possessions per game. With both teams sound defensively and Houston known to slow things to a crawl, this game falls under the total.
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