Sunday’s college basketball slate is headlined by an elite matchup between No. 1 Houston and No. 22 Auburn. This is the second game with Houston and Auburn, with the Tigers beating the Cougars 74-69 last season. Both programs have started the year 3-0, but this is their first big-time matchup of the season.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Houston is a -6.5-point favorite while Auburn is a +235 underdog. This game has an over/under of 138.5. Here is my best bet for Sunday’s matchup between Houston vs. Auburn.
Houston vs. Auburn (3:00 p.m. ET)
Kelvin Sampson led Houston to a National Championship appearance last year and returns another talented roster for the 2025-26 season. Senior guards Emmanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan lead the way for the Cougars alongside third-year forward Joseph Tugler. Houston brought in the third-best recruiting class in the country, featuring five-star forward Chris Cenac Jr. and four-star prospects Isiah Harwell and Kingston Flemings.
Auburn’s previous Head Coach, Bruce Pearl, retired in the offseason, so his son, Steven Pearl, took over the program. After losing their top two scorers from last season’s team, Auburn added six freshmen and four transfers in the offseason. So far, the Tigers have a balanced attack with six players averaging double-digit points per contest.
Houston’s defense is elite, as it allows only 88.5 points per 100 possessions according to KenPom. After losing to Auburn last year, the Cougars will likely be hungrier for a different outcome in this contest. Last season, Houston won 16 of their 19 home games by at least seven points.
