Final Four Betting: Biggest Betting Trends For Houston vs. Baylor

• Baylor is favored to beat Houston by five points in their Final Four matchup.
• The O/U for the Houston-Baylor Final Four matchup is set at 134.5.

INDIANAPOLIS – The 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament only has four remaining teams as there is just one more game until a new national champion is crowned.

One of the most intriguing matchups in the Final Four is the No. 2 seed Houston Cougars taking on the No. 1 seed Baylor Bears in a battle of two colleges based in Texas.

This Final Four matchup pits Baylor’s third-ranked offense averaging 84.4 points per game against Houston’s defense that is holding opponents to 57.6 points per contest which is the second-lowest mark in college basketball.

In the KenPom as well as the BPI rankings, Baylor and Houston are both the second and third-ranked teams. Two of the best teams in the country facing each other with a trip to the national championship game on the line gives March Madness betting fans something to look forward to this weekend.

Houston Cougars vs. Baylor Bears Odds @ 5:14 p.m. EST

• Spread: Baylor (-5)
• Moneyline: Houston (+185) vs. Baylor (-225)
• O/U: 134.5

Whether betting on the moneyline or alternate line we’ve got four betting trends to know for the matchup between Baylor and Houston.

Houston Betting Trends To Know For The Final Four

• Houston is 2-2 ATS in the NCAA Tournament.

The Cougars have failed to cover the spread in two of their last three games in the NCAA Tournament. This will be the first game in the tournament where the Cougars are underdogs and Baylor being slightly favored shouldn’t deter bettors from taking Houston to cover here since their 20-10-mark ATS is the best of the four remaining teams.

• The total has gone Under three straight games for the Cougars.

Houston’s defense has been the teams calling card all season and for the Cougars to advance to the national title game they’ll have to lean on their defense to stop Baylor’s potent offense. The O/U is set at 134.5 and is the lowest total of any game Baylor has played in the tournament thus far. The Cougars' defense is legit, and Baylor’s offense will be the ultimate test for Houston. Follow the trend here and take the Under as the Cougars' physical brand of defense will present problems for Baylor.

Baylor Bears Betting Trends To Know For The Final Four

• Baylor has a 3-0 record ATS in their last three NCAA Tournament Games

The Baylor Bears behind a balanced offensive and defensive attack have shown why they’ve been one of the top-ranked teams for most of this season. Since not covering a 25.5-point spread in the opening round of the tournament, Baylor has responded by covering three straight games all of which Baylor was favored by 6.5 or 7.5 points. Baylor is favored by five points in the Final Four and while Houston’s defense will be tough to score on, Baylor can find a way to win and cover en route to the national championship game.

• The total has gone Over in 13 of Baylor’s last 16 games.

Baylor’s offense has had no problems putting points on the board but as they’ve made it further into the tournament the over has been harder to reach. In the tournament, the Bears have split the O/U 2-2. Houston is one of the best defensive teams in the nation. Despite Baylor’s offensive firepower, the under remains the best bet for this matchup.

Alternate Line Of The Game:

If betting on a Cougars victory in the Final Four one alternate line to check out at Bovada is Houston (-3) at +260 odds. Outside of the Syracuse game in the Sweet 16, the Cougars have been involved in close games. Taking them to cover at -3 on the alternate line might be worth the risk as the odds provide a better return than the +185 moneyline odds.

The Final Four matchup between Baylor and Houston will take place at 5:14 p.m. EST and will be broadcasted by CBS.