Houston's Odds to Win March Madness Entering Sweet 16 (Can Cougars Avenge Last Year's National Championship Loss?)

The Houston Cougars let their first National Championship in school history slip through their grasp last year, allowing the Florida Gators to storm back late to win it all.

Now, Houston is trying to avenge that loss and make yet another deep NCAA Tournament run. The Cougars have made it to the Sweet 16 for the seventh-straight season. They've made it to the Final Four in two of those years.

Can they finally get over the hump this season? Let's dive into their odds to do exactly that.

Houston's Odds to Win March Madness Entering Sweet 16

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

+700 (4th best odds)

Houston is fourth on the odds list to win the National Championship, one step below the three No. 1 seeds. Arizona (+330), Michigan (+340), and Duke (+370) are the three teams with better odds. At +700, the Cougars have an implied probability of 12.5% of winning it all this year.

With Florida getting upset by Iowa in the Round of 32, Houston is now the team to beat out of the South Region, opening the door for the Cougars to at least return to the Final Four.

Houston strung together an impressive season in the Big 12, the most competitive conference in college basketball this year. The Cougars finished in second place at 14-4, two games behind the Wildcats. Throughout the season, they racked up wins against the likes of Arkansas, Texas Tech, Kansas, and two wins against BYU.

The Cougars are one of the best defensive teams in the nation, and their ability to rebound and not turn the ball over makes them a tough test for any team to face. With that being said, Houston has one glaring issue: its shooting. The Cougars rank just 142nd in the country in effective field goal percentage, leaving some doubts about whether or not they'll be able to beat the truly elite teams left in the tournament.

Houston is set as a 3.5-point favorite against Illinois in the Sweet 16. If the Cougars win, they'll face the winner between No. 9 Iowa and No. 4 Nebraska in the Elite Eight.

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