The Kansas Jayhawks (19-10, 10-8) are in Houston tonight for a Big 12 showdown with winners of the regular season title, the Houston Cougars 25-4, 17-1).
Bill Self’s squad has sputtered along since the start of February (4-5). They need a get right game. The Jayhawks have exceeded 73 points just once in their last nine games and are averaging 71.9 points per game and tonight that offense faces one of the top defenses in America.
The Houston Cougars have won eight in a row and 21 of their last 22 games. They are one of only four teams to rank in the Top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency on KenPom.com. As a result, they have run away from the rest of a strong Big 12.
Houston is 15-1 at home this season while Kansas is 4-7 on the road.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch Kansas at Houston
- Date: Monday, March 3, 2025
- Time: 9:00PM EST
- Site: Fertitta Center
- City: Houston, TX
- Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for Jayhawks at Cougars
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: Kansas Jayhawks (+375), Houston Cougars (-500)
- Spread: Cougars -9.5
- Total: 132.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for Kansas at Houston
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) expects the Houston defense to shine in the first half: Kansas 1H TT Under 28.5 (-110) and Houston 1H -4.5 (-115)
“The Jayhawks led 38-31 at the half at home against Houston in the first meeting but lost the game in double OT, 92-86. This time around, I expect a much more defensively focused effort at home for Houston. The Cougars are playing at the 361st overall tempo in the last 10 games since beating the Jayhawks and 347th in the past four games, so this will be a grind early that favors Houston.”
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Jayhawks & Cougars game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas Jayhawks +9.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 132.5.
Kansas at Houston: Top betting trends and recent stats
- Houston has won the last two games head-to-head against Kansas and has covered the spread in both
- Houston has been leading at halftime in 30 of their last 37 games
- Kansas Game Totals are 9-20 for the season (O/U)
- Kansas is 3-8 in its last 11 games against the spread
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
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Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
