No. 2 Houston is a sizable betting favorite ahead of its Monday night duel with Syracuse basketball at the NIL-driven Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Here is how to watch the non-conference encounter.
At the time of this writing, FanDuel had the Orange as a 12.5-point betting underdog against the Cougars, with the over/under set at 138.5 points. Given that Houston (5-0) is a heavyweight program that reached last season's national championship game, it's understandable for oddsmakers to anoint the Cougars as a heavy favorite versus the 'Cuse on a neutral floor.
Monday evening's affair looks to be a defensive slugfest, as in the early part of the 2025-26 campaign, both Houston and Syracuse basketball (4-0) are among the best in the country in fewest points allowed per game.