No. 6 Houston vs. No. 9 Alabama basketball game time, TV channel, how to watch online
The No. 6 Houston Cougars get another shot at a top 10 SEC team on Tuesday night.
After losing to No. 4 Auburn 74-69 on Nov. 9, the Cougars will face No. 9 Alabama in their opening game of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Houston is favored by 4.5 points.
Houston (3-1) is coming off an 80-44 blowout of Hofstra where they held the Pride's leading scorer, Iona transfer Jean Aranguren, scoreless. It was yet another example of how good the Cougars are on the defensive end.
In KenPom's updated college basketball ratings, Houston is the top-rated team in country — largely because of its defensive rating. The Cougars have an adjusted defensive efficiency rating of 89.4, which correlates to how many points they allow per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponent.
Alabama (4-1) comes into the game No. 10 in KenPom's ratings — and it's largely because of its offense. The Crimson Tide are No. 3 in offensive rating, but No. 48 in defensive rating.
Alabama's All-America point guard, Mark Sears, struggled in the Crimson Tide's 87-78 loss to Purdue on Nov. 15. He shot just 5-of-15 from the field (1-of-6 from downtown) against the Boilermakers' pesky defense. The matchup to watch Tuesday night will be Sears vs. Houston point guard L.J. Cryer. Both are national player of the year candidates, and both will play at the next level.
Here are details on how to watch and follow Houston's matchup with Alabama on Tuesday night:
Houston vs. Alabama TV Channel, Live Stream, Betting Odds
Who: No. 6 Houston (3-1) vs. No. 9 Alabama (4-1) in the Players Era Festival
When: 7 p.m. CT | Tuesday, November 26
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada
Live Stream: Stream Houston-Alabama live on Max
TV Channel: TBS
Our Prediction: Houston 73, Alabama 69
Betting Odds: Houston is favored by 4.5 points per FanDuel Sportsbook
Live Updates, Highlights: Follow the game on Houston On SI for live updates and big-play highlights throughout Tuesday's matchup
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.