AAC Tournament Predictions, Betting Odds & Favorites to Win 2022

• The AAC Tournament is back and at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
• The winners of the 2021 AAC Tournament were the Houston Cougars.
• Houston opens as the favorites to win the 2022 AAC tournament.

The AAC Tournament is a single-elimination basketball tournament that involves all eleven schools representing the conference. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, but the winners of the regular season are awarded the true conference championship.

AAC Tournament Betting Odds

The odds for the Winner of the AAC Tournament are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.

Houston Cougars

The Houston Cougars finished the season as the best AAC team and won the regular-season title with a 15-3 conference record. They are ranked 18th in the nation and the only ranked team in the AAC. Houston is the heavy favorite to win this tournament with -150 odds.

Houston suffered a huge loss early in the season. Guard Marcus Sasser went down with a season-ending toe injury in late December after playing only 12 games. He was having an excellent year and led the Cougars in scoring with 17.7 points per game. Even though Houston lost their best scorer early on, they still cruised to a regular-season title with the help of everyone else.

Guard Kyle Edwards, forward Fabian White Jr., and center Josh Carlton stepped up in Sasser’s absence and took on much of the offensive load. These three combined for 44.5 points per game and 18.4 rebounds per game. When Sasser got injured, Houston was without a star, so these players became the stars.

Houston put together a strong offense this season, but they had a much better defense. Not only did Houston have the best defense in the AAC, but they had the fourth-best defense in the nation. They only gave up 58.9 points per game.

I expect Houston to win this tournament because they have such a strong defense. If their offense cannot hit shots, they can always depend on their defense to help them win.

Memphis Tigers

The Memphis Tigers had high hopes at the beginning of the season. They started the season ranked but slipped into obscurity quickly. They won their first five non-conference games against easier opponents but went on a four-game losing streak when the competition got tougher. They ended their non-conference schedule with a 6-4 record.

Memphis did not start conference play well. They went 4-4 in their first eight games but went on to win eight of their last nine. They finished the season with a 13-5 conference record and third in the AAC. They have +300 odds to win the AAC Tournament.

A big reason Memphis was not very successful this year is because of freshman Emoni Bates. Bates was one of the highest-rated high school players in the high school class of 2021 and expected to make an immediate impact on this Tigers squad, but was underwhelming instead. He only scored 10.4 points per game and has been injured since late January. He will not play in this tournament as he recovers.

I have spoken pretty negatively about Memphis so far. In truth, they could win this tournament behind strong guard play and good team defense. The Tigers have a decent offense that scored 76.1 points per game. However, their defense was suspect and gave up 68.5 points per game. They will likely face Houston if they do well enough in this tournament and will need strong defense to beat them. Memphis needs to perform well in this tournament or they might not make March Madness.

SMU Mustangs

The SMU Mustangs had a surprisingly good season. They finished conference play in second place with a 13-4 record. They have +700 odds to win the AAC Tournament.

SMU owes much of their success to Kendric Davis. The 5’11” senior leads the AAC in scoring at 19.5 points per game. He is a great shooter and hits 45.2% of his shots from the field. In addition,  he is a solid passer and averages 4.6 assists per game, third in the AAC. Davis’ stats are impressive, but his overall impact cannot be seen on the score sheet; Davis runs an efficient SMU offense that scored 74.4 points per game this season.

SMU does not have a bad defense, but they have room for improvement. They allowed 67.4 points per game this year in a conference with only one ranked team. They need to play better team defense in this tournament. It is not likely they will make March Madness if they do not win this tournament, so it is critical they play lockdown defense.

AAC Tournament FAQ

When Is the 2022 American Athletic Conference Tournament?

The 2022 American Athletic Tournament is scheduled to begin on March 10th, 2022, and run through March 13th, 2022.

Where Is the 2022 American Athletic Conference Tournament Being Held?

The 2022 American Athletic Tournament is being held in Fort Worth, TX. Dickies Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena, will be the location where the tournament will be hosted.

The Panther City Lacrosse Club of the National Lacrosse League have played at the Dickies Arena since 2021.

The arena can fit almost 14,000 people and has hosted concerts, basketball, family shows, and rodeo.

Where Can I Watch/Stream the 2022 American Athletic Conference Tournament?

The American Athletic Conference Tournament is expected to be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU, as well as the American Digital Network.

The First Round will be on ESPNU, Quarterfinals will be on ESPN2 and ESPNU, Semifinals will be on ESPN2, and the Championship game will be on ESPN.

Live streaming will be available on affiliated ESPN and AAC Network apps, so long as you also have a cable or streaming service subscription.