Syracuse vs. Houston Picks and Prediction for Monday, November 24, 2025

Syracuse Orange (4-0) vs. Houston Cougars (5-0) 

The 2025-26 college basketball season goes on Monday, November 24, with the Players Era Festival at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, so we’ve prepared the Syracuse vs. Houston prediction to get you covered.

Syracuse meets Houston for the first time since 2021, when the Cougars beat the Orange 62-46 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Houston was a 6.5-point fave with a total of 141 points.

The Cougars open as 11.5-point favorites with a total of 138.5 points this time around, so let’s take a closer look at our Syracuse vs. Houston prediction, one of the NCAAB picks for Monday’s slate. The tip-off is set at 6:00 PM ET.

Syracuse is off to a strong start            

The Syracuse Orange (4-0; 3-1 ATS; 1-3 O/U) haven’t been properly tested yet. Nonetheless, it’s been a strong start to the season, and the Orange’s defense leads the country in effective field goal percentage (34.7%). Syracuse has recorded three home wins over Binghamton, 85-47, Delaware State, 83-43, and Monmouth, 78-73 to go with an 80-50 thrashing of Drexel at the neutral site.

Last Tuesday, the Orange outlasted Monmouth but failed to cover a huge 21.5-point spread. Syracuse shot 50.0% from the field (7-for-17 from deep). However, the Orange missed 14 of their 33 shots from the foul line. Sophomore forward Donnie Freeman led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Naithan George had 12 points, nine assists, and six boards.

Freeman tallies 17.8 points and 5.3 boards per game this season. George averages 11.5 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.0 boards, while freshman guard Kiyan Anthony adds 14.8 points a night. Syracuse scores 116.3 points per 100 possessions (51st in the nation) and surrenders 102.7 points in return (85th).

Houston continues to roll             

The Houston Cougars (5-0; 2-3 ATS; 2-3 O/U) entered Week 3 as the No. 2 in the AP Top 25 Poll. They’ve posted four home wins thus far, beating Lehigh 75-57, Towson 65-48, Oakland 78-45, and Rider 91-45. At the neutral site, the Cougars outlasted No. 22 Auburn 73-72 on November 16.

Last Thursday, the Cougars trounced Rider as 40.5-point favorites. They forced the Broncs into 23 turnovers and gave up just four 3-pointers. The Cougars made 56.1% of their field goals (10-for-26 from downtown), and freshman guard Kingston Flemings led the charge with 18 points and five assists.

Flemings has been terrific thus far, averaging 17.4 points and 5.2 assists. Senior guard Emanuel Sharp scores 16.0 points per game, while freshman center Chris Cenac posts 11.0 points and 7.4 rebounds a night. Houston tallies 118.4 points per 100 possessions (27th in the country) and allows 90.5 points in return (1st).

Syracuse vs. Houston Pick 

Spread Pick for Syracuse vs. Houston       

• Houston -11.5 (5 units) 

The Orange’s defense will be properly tested in this game. Syracuse’s D is third in the country in both 2-point percentage (34.9%) and 3-point percentage (23.0%). Now, the Orange have to deal with one of the best teams in the country.

Interestingly, the Orange’s rivals have been lethal from the foul line this season (75.7%). Houston is 363rd in the country in free-throw rate (.166), but the Cougars make 79.6% of their shots from the charity stripe (17th).

The Cougars are a tough defensive unit, too. Houston holds its opponents to 40.6% shooting from inside the arc (8th) and 24.7% from downtown (17th). The Cougars are arguably a deeper team than Syracuse, so I will lay 11.5 points with Houston.

Syracuse lacks height, and the Orange will struggle to contain the Cougars on the glass. Keep your eyes on Chris Cenac, who had 18 points and nine rebounds against Auburn.

Over/Under Pick for Syracuse vs. Houston         

• Under 138.5 (5 units) 

I’m a bit surprised by a 138.5-point line. Obviously, the bookies expect the Orange’s defense to slow down. Anyway, neither team leans on 3-pointers a lot. The Cougars register just 65.6 possessions per 40 minutes (355th in the nation), so give me the under.

The Orange are 38th in the country in turnover percentage (13.8%), but they don’t want to rush things a lot in this matchup. As I said, Houston’s defense is elite. The under is 6-2-1 in Houston’s last nine games overall, and it is 5-1 in Syracuse’s previous six.