Tennessee vs Houston Prediction & Picks - NCAA Basketball

Prediction published on 3/29/25, 12:58 PM  by Travis Pulver | Modified on 3/29/25 at 1:02 PM in NCAA Basketball Picks

The Tennessee Volunteers will need to defeat the Houston Cougars if they are going to make the Final Four for the first time in school history.  Tipoff for this Elite Eight battle is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. EST at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN, on Sunday, March 30. Fans can watch the action unfold on CBS.

Houston has been one of those teams with high expectations in recent years, but has fallen short every time. While they were in control of much of their Sweet 16 matchup with Purdue, they nearly fell victim to another premature exit again. Purdue erased Houston’s slight lead in the final minutes of the game to tie the score at 60 with 35 seconds to go, but Milos Uzan hit a layup with one second left to secure the win. The Tennessee women’s basketball program has a history of excellence, but the men’s program does not. They’ve never made it to the Final Four, and this is just the third time they have been in the Elite Eight (2010, 2024; they lost to Purdue last season, 72-66). They earned their spot in the Elite Eight this season after a dominant win over Kentucky, 78-65.