Big Monday features a monster showdown in Lawrence, Kansas when the No. 14 Jayhawks (20-7, 10-4) take the court against the fifth-ranked Houston Cougars (23-4, 11-3).
Following losses last week, no doubt each school will drop in the rankings this week which makes tonight’s game all the more important for each side. Kansas was smacked at home Saturday by the Bearcats of Cincinnati, 84-68. Freshman sensation Darryn Peterson scored 17 in the loss but was just 1-7 from three-point range in 32 minutes of action. Houston lost to Arizona on Saturday, 73-66, to drop a game behind the Wildcats in the Big 12. Cougars’ freshman phenom Kingston Flemings scored 17 points and pulled down eight boards in the loss.
The metrics suggest this game will be a closely contested, grind it out, rock fight. The Cougars rank No. 7 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (94.3), which measures the number of points surrendered per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponent. Houston also ranks No. 12 in opponent turnover percentage (21.4). Kansas is ranked ranked 14th in defensive efficiency by KenPom.
As mentioned earlier, Houston has lost two straight games. The Cougars will try to avoid losing three in a row for the first time since 2007, while Kansas will try to avoid losing two straight at home for the first time since the 1988-89 season.
The Jayhawks have a record of 7-6 in Q1 games and is 7-1 in Q2. Houston is 7-4 in Q1 and 8-0 in Quad 2 games. Kansas is ranked No. 19 in KenPom and No. 18 in the NET. Houston is ranked No. 6 in KenPom and 8th in the NET.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings 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 and How to Watch Live: No. 5 Houston at No. 14 Kansas
- Date: Monday, February 23, 2026
- Time: 9PM EST
- Site: Allen Fieldhouse
- City: Lawrence, KS
- Network/Streaming: ESPN
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Game Odds: No. 5 Houston at No. 14 Kansas
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Houston Cougars (-130), Kansas Jayhawks (+110)
- Spread: Houston -1.5
- Total: 138.5 points
This game opened Houston -2.5 with the Total set at 136.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NCAA Basketball schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: No. 5 Houston at No. 14 Kansas
Houston Cougars
- G Emanuel Sharp
- G Kingston Flemings
- G Milos Uzan
- F Joseph Tugler
- F Chris Cenac Jr.
Kansas Jayhawks
- G Darryn Peterson
- G Tre White
- G Melvin Council Jr.
- F Bryson Tiller
- F Flory Bidunga
Injury Report: Houston at Kansas
Houston Cougars
- Kordell Jefferson (knee) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
- Bryce Jackson (redshirt) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Kansas Jayhawks
- No Injuries to Report
Important stats, trends and insights: Houston at Kansas
- Kansas is 11-2 at home this season
- Houston is 5-2 on the road this season
- Houston is 14-13 ATS overall this season / 4-3 ATS on the road
- Kansas is 17-10 ATS overall this season / 8-5 ATS at home
- The OVER has cashed in just9 of Kansas’ 27 games this season (9-18)
- The OVER has cashed in 11 of Houston’s 27 games this season (11-16)
- Houston has won their last 3 games outright against Kansas
- Flory Bidunga has pulled down at least 10 rebounds in 5 straight games
- Kingston Flemings has picked up at least 4 assists in 16 straight games
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections 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 tonight’s game between Houston and Kansas:
- Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on Kansas on the Moneyline
- Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on Kansas +1.5 ATS
- Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 138.5.
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