The Kansas Jayhawks will visit the Houston Cougars in a not-so-meaningful Big 12 matchup — the Cougars have already locked up at least a share of the Big 12 title. Without further ado, let’s dive into the Kansas-Houston odds as we look to identify a pick and make our predictions. Make sure to check out our other college basketball articles and our college basketball betting tools!
Kansas-Houston Odds, Pick & Prediction
Kansas-Houston Odds
Kansas: +275 | Houston: -345
Kansas +8: -112 | Houston -8: -108
Over 139: -118 | Under 139: -102
When: 4 p.m. ET
Odds via DraftKings
Kansas-Houston Pick & Preview
Houston clinched at least a share of the Big 12 title on Wednesday, and it has silenced any doubters as to how it would respond in its first season in the conference. However, the Cougars are now dealing with multiple injuries, including to key rotational players JoJo Tugler and Terrance Arceneaux.
With Houston’s depth being tested, they welcome Kansas to Fertitta Center on Saturday with an eye toward revenge.
Kansas beat Houston 78-65 earlier this season at Allen Fieldhouse in a game where their passing was put on full display as the Jayhawks finished with 20 assists on 31 made field goals. They also shot a staggering 68.9% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc, finding impressive success against what is seen by most as the best defense in the country.
Can Houston overcome its injury issues and exact revenge on their new Big 12 rival? Or can Kansas keep this game close and cover the 8-point spread? Let’s dive into the matchup.
When Kansas Has the Ball
The Kansas offense was firing on all cylinders on Tuesday as the Jayhawks made quick work of a hapless Kansas State team, finishing with 90 points in the game. Junior point guard DaJuan Harris has had an excellent season, ranking eighth in the country with 6.6 assists per game. Harris will be crucial in this environment as Houston feeds off its home crowd to force opponents into mistakes with elite on-ball pressure.
Hunter Dickinson will also need to have a big game for Kansas to pull off an upset here. Dickinson finished with 20 points on 9-15 shooting in the first game between these teams, and he’ll have to repeat that effort against an elite Houston rim defense that ranks 5th in near-proximity field goal attempt rate allowed, per Haslametrics.
When Houston Has the Ball
While Houston is known for its elite defense, its offense has lagged behind at times. Most frequently a pick-and-roll offense operating through guards L.J. Cryer, Jamal Shead and Emmanuel Sharp, the Cougars rank in just the 54th percentile in pick-and-roll efficiency, per Synergy. The return of Kevin McCullar for Kansas will help the Jayhawks defend those actions and provide elite on-ball defense against the Houston guards.
Cryer finished with an impressive 24 points on 9-20 shooting in the prior matchup between these teams, but the rest of the offense struggled, shooting just 25-69 (36.2%) from the field. Kansas’s defense has traveled well this season, and the Jayhawks rarely allow second-chance opportunities, ranking second in the country in second-chance conversion rate per Haslametrics.
The Verdict
I expect Houston to get the outright win at home today — they’ve gone 16-0 at home this season while Kansas has gone just 3-6 on the road. However, this spread is overinflated, particularly with Kevin McCullar back in the lineup. Kelvin Sampson will have some new defensive schemes to limit Kansas’s offensive production, and I don’t expect them to be as efficient here on the road, but I love their chances to keep this game close and will happily take them to cover this spread.
Kansas-Houston Pick: Kansas +8 (Play to +7)
