Florida vs Houston NCAAB Pick: A Clash of the South in the Finals (Apr 7)

• Florida held off Auburn in an exciting semifinal, defeating them 79-73.
• Houston surged back late to stun Duke, winning 70-67, and advancing.
• These teams last met on Dec. 8, 1973, in a game that Houston won 97-73.

Houston and Florida meet in the NCAA Championship Game, facing off for the first time in over 50 years. In our Florida vs Houston pick, we expect the Cougars to enter with momentum after stunning Duke. They will face another uphill battle against the SEC champion Gators.

Florida to Cap Off Impressive Season

Florida defeated Auburn for the 2nd time, fully establishing themselves as the best of the SEC, which sent a record 14 teams to the tourney. Their final test is against the nation’s #1 defense in the title game. The Gators boast an impressive offense to put to the test, led by Walter Clayton Jr., who has just been sensational. He scored 30 points in the Elite 8 and 34 in the Final Four.

Houston Pulled off the Unbelievable

Houston trailed Duke by double digits for most of their game. It appeared to be a lost cause for the Cougars as their chances of winning fell below 3% with just 2 minutes left. They didn’t give up, though, going on a 9-0 scoring run boosted by excellent defense and strong schemes by head coach Kelvin Sampson. They have one more test to prove defense wins championships.

Florida Gators vs Houston Cougars Pick

I had Florida over Duke in my original bracket, so I’m not going to shy away from picking the Gators to win it all. That being said, I expect this game to be tremendously close and could go either way down the stretch. Both teams boast top-10 rankings in offense and defense, and are capable of overtaking a game. Florida should have the edge in the end, but it will be very close.