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#1 Florida vs #1 Houston: NCAA Basketball National Championship Best Bets

Written by: Nate Hornung

Last Updated:

Read Time: 6 minutes

ncaab

Monday, Apr 78:50pm ET

Florida Gators Odds

Spread

Total

Moneyline

-1.0

-105

140

-110o

Houston Cougars Odds

Spread

Total

Moneyline

+1.0

-110

140

-110u

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It all comes down to this one shining moment. The College Basketball season feels like we just kicked off Feast Week, but somehow the very last game of the year is tonight, as the Florida Gators and Houston Cougars go head to head in the National Championship. These teams have a combined 70-8 record this season (both 35-4), and are on incredible winning streaks as they both won their conference tournament.

Florida finished 3rd in the SEC, but have now won 11 straight to make their way to the National Championship. The Gators have lost just twice since February, but haven’t showed any signs of slowing down. This team is very deep, has plenty of players who can take over when needed, and of course, they have Walter Clayton Jr.

Houston will need to slow him down, as he has put up 30+ in consecutive games, scoring 24.6 points per game this tournament. But if anyone is equipped to slow him down, it’s the Cougars. They are one of the slowest offenses in the league, but are the best defense to make up for it. Houston allows just 58.5 points per game, and have lost once in the past four calendar months. You read that right.

The Cougars started the season 4-3, and have since won 31 of their last 32 contests to reach the National Championship. Kelvin Sampson’s team has won 18 straight, and one more win would crown them champions.

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#1 Florida Gators vs #1 Houston Cougars: National Championship

Can Houston take down Florida in the National Championship?

Kelvin Sampson and Houston have the chance to win their first ever National Championship tonight

Matchup Information – Florida vs Houston

Venue & Location: Alamodome (San Antonio, TX)
Date: Monday, April 7th, 2025
Tip Off: 8:50pm Eastern
Broadcast: CBS

Betting Odds

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Spread

Florida -1 (-104)
Houston +1 (-116)

Money Line

Florida -111
Houston -109

Total

Over 140.5 (-110)
Under 140.5 (-110)

#1 Florida Gators vs #1 Houston Cougars Best Bets

Walter Clayton Jr. (pictured dribbling a basketball) and the Florida Gators will meet Maryland in 2025 Sweet Sixteen action

Clayton Jr. is scoring nearly 25 points per game in the NCAA Tournament

Both Up Your Units lads have their take on this game tonight, so let’s take a look.

Colby Marchio: As someone holding a Florida national championship ticket, I just want to have fun with this game—and the only fun prop that has consistently delivered for me this tournament has been the race-to props. This will be my quick-hit play for the national championship: Florida Race to 20. Essentially, it is my double down on the Gators to win it all.

Florida’s pace of play ranks over 280 spots faster than Houston’s slow, deliberate style. To get past the Cougars, the Gators will need to push the tempo. If they settle into Houston’s meticulous rhythm, they will not be able to crawl out of it. The Gators’ offense has more than enough firepower to jump out to an early lead—that should be the game plan.

Since March 1, Florida has had the number one offense in the country. Houston, meanwhile, owns the second-best defense. I said before that Houston did not have the offense to keep up with Duke, and yet they made it through the Final Four in cinematic fashion. Still, I do not see them taking down back-to-back one seeds.

I will most likely wait until the last minute to place this prop—there will be a wave of money coming in on Houston after that insane comeback over Duke. I get it. But I am rooting for the better overall team: Florida.

Start fast. End fast. Get in, get out.

Best Bet: Florida Race to 20 BetOnline

Nate Hornung: We’ve got a classic unstoppable force meeting an immovable object tonight as the Florida Gators’ high flying offense faces off against the Houston Cougars’ stellar defense. However the Gator’s defense can hold their own. Houston should know, like against Duke, defense is going to be their friend. They do not want to get into a shootout with this Gator’s team, even though Florida will look to push the pace.

I said in the Final Four that Duke only needed 70 points to win the game, and they only got to 67. Florida won’t need more than 75 points to win this game, but I trust their offense a little bit more. For the Cougars, they don’t shoot well inside the arc (290th), they can’t get to the free throw line (327th), and although they contest threes well, they give up plenty of them (313th).

Duke was not a team that preferred to run. The Blue Devils would’ve rather ran their half court sets, whereas the Gators turn defense into offense, and are not afraid to speed things up. I see Florida giving themselves enough possessions to find their offensive groove and get by Houston. While it won’t be the best offensive night for the Gators, they have tons of options who can step up and score when needed.

The Gators have five players who average double figures, seven who play 20+ minutes, and have had six different leading scorers this year. Florida is deep, they are complete on both sides of the ball, and they’ve been my pick to win the whole thing since the bracket dropped. No reason to stray away now.

Best Bets: Florida -1 (-104) BetOnline

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Nate Hornung

Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.

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#1 Florida vs #1 Houston: NCAA Basketball National Championship Best Bets