Houston Cougars vs Syracuse Orange Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 11/24/25

The controversial Player’s Era Tournament starts on Monday. If you need a refresher, this 18-team field purports to pay each team $1 million for participating, and the top 4 teams split some extra on top of that. This tournament will completely change how college basketball works, and we might as well make peace with it. Among the Day 1 matchups is Houston vs Syracuse. Both teams enter the game undefeated, but do not be fooled — these teams are not on the same level. Houston has already scored a road victory over Auburn, while the Orange have yet to leave home…or, for that matter, play anyone of consequence. There is money on the line here, and Houston can and will try to win big. Oh, and if you are wondering what the tiebreaker is in a weird semi-tournament like this, it is point differential. Give me Houston -13.5.

Houston lost the national title game by a single basket last spring. The Cougars lost some key players from that team, but they also brought back a bunch of that runner-up roster, plus they also added 3 more 5-star freshmen. This team is loaded. They are already once again the top defensive team in the country, and this year they might have a higher offensive ceiling. Syracuse should be entirely overmatched in this one. The Orange are hoping to be a tournament team this season, and their strength is a pair of guards that form a respectable backcourt tandem. They lack depth, though, and I expect those guards to have a devil of a time against the Houston defense. Again, point differential is the tiebreaker — so Houston won’t be taking the foot off the gas late, nor will it be trying to grind out a 60-58 game like it does most times. The context matters; I look for a blowout.

Houston vs Syracuse prediction: Houston -13.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Bet like a Caesar with this AMAZING new customer offer from Caesars Sportsbook. If you bet just $1, you’ll receive DOUBLE YOUR WINNINGS on your next 20 bets! Become a Caesars member 👥 using the Caesars promo code PWCONTENT20X, where you can bet on our Houston vs Syracuse picks.