The No. 4 Houston Cougars will host the unranked Kansas Jayhawks, who have had a disappointing campaign thus far after beginning the season ranked No. 1 in the country.
They’re still expected to be in the NCAA Tournament field, but they haven’t even gotten their 20th win yet—something that seemed to be commonplace a few years ago. Could it come against the Cougars, who have won eight straight games?
Find out below as we predict this anticipated Big 12 rematch and break down the spread, total, and moneyline bets.
Kansas vs. Houston Betting Preview
All Kansas vs. Houston odds are from Fanduel Sportsbook and are correct as of Monday, March 3, 2025.
- Spread
Houston -9.5 - Moneyline
Houston -520, Kansas +385 - Over/Under
132.5 Points - Game Time
Monday, March 3, 9:00 p.m. ET - Location
Fertitta Center | Houston, TX - How To Watch
ESPN
Kansas enters with a below-average 13-16 record ATS, covering only seven of 18 conference matchups. Of their last 14 games, the Jayhawks have only covered four times.
The Cougars sport the opposite record, going 16-13 ATS, including 11-7 in Big 12 play. They’ve covered four of their last six outings.
With a disappointingly average offense, Kansas has gone under in an eye-popping 19 of its 29 games. However, it’s been better in conference play, with eight of its 18 Big 12 games going over.
Houston’s calling card is its defense, which makes the under a popular play for its games. Only 13 of its 29 games have gone over this season, with the under being a successful bet in three of its last five games. Highlighting its slow pace and defensive focus, the Cougars went over 80 points only twice in the month of February.
Kansas vs. Houston Preview
With a 25-4 overall and 17-1 Big 12 record, Houston has been one of the best teams in the country for a while now, settling into No. 4 in the AP Poll. They’ve won eight games in a row, with the lone loss in conference play coming at the hands of the Texas Tech Red Raiders by one point.
The Jayhawks just lost at home to the Red Raiders, dropping to 19-10 on the season and 10-8 in conference matchups. That slots them in sixth place in the Big 12 — a foreign spot for a blue-blood program.
It’s been a difficult weekend for the Jayhawks, as criticism reached a breaking point for Kansas fans. Guard Zeke Mayo received threats after the Texas Tech loss on Saturday, prompting head coach Bill Self to release a statement directing criticism towards him and not his players.
Whether that will prove as a rallying moment for the team is to be determined — but they do have the talent on hand to make a run in March.
The offense runs through senior center Hunter Dickinson, who produces 16.9 ppg and 9.8 rpg, both team-highs. He’s been a steady force in the middle all season, with only two games in single digits.
Mayo is the team’s scorer on the perimeter, averaging 14.0 ppg. However, he’s been on a cold streak of late with scoring outputs of 4, 5, and 6 points in three of his last four games on four of 21 shooting. In order for the Jayhawks to have a chance, he’ll have to be confident in himself and get back to doing what he does best: putting the ball in the hoop.
Fifth-year senior Dajuan Harris Jr. has been a consistent table-setter for Kansas for four seasons now, leading the team in assists with 5.8 apg while adding 9.3 ppg.
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They’ll be facing a balanced Houston offensive attack led by senior L.J. Cryer. As a combo guard, Cryer is one of the best shooters in the country. He averages a team-leading 14.8 ppg while shooting 41.3% from three-point range on 6.9 attempts per game. He’s known as one of the best guards in college basketball.
In the backcourt, junior guard Milos Uzan leads the team with 4.6 apg to go along with 10.9 ppg. He’s shown the ability to hit big shots for the Cougars down the stretch of games.
Down low, senior forward J’Wan Roberts will battle Dickinson. He’s improved greatly this season with averages of 11.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg.
Roberts was the star of the first meeting between these two teams, a thrilling 92-86 Cougars victory in double overtime. The 6’8″ forward posted a stat line of 24 points, nine rebounds, and five assists—easily his best game of the season.
With the Jayhawks trending down and the Cougars trending up, this game may turn out to be much different.
Best Bets and Final Score Prediction
For numerous seasons, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has molded his teams into terrific defensive units. Because of that, his offenses haven’t necessarily been prolific due to the Cougars’ slower-paced style.
Meanwhile, Kansas has been disappointing offensively this season, scoring at a rate that’s in the middle of the pack.
The first meeting between these teams totaled 178 points — but it went into double overtime and both teams were in completely different spots than they are now.
Houston looks better, while the Jayhawks have slipped.
For those reasons, I like the combo of under 132.5 points and the Cougars covering the posted line of -9.5. The better team often dictates the pace of play, and with Kansas already struggling on the offensive end of the floor, I predict this to fly under—but just barely.
It may be close for the first half, but Houston will ultimately suffocate Dickinson and Mayo and pull away in the second half.
Picks: Under 132.5 Points, Houston -9.5
Prediction: Houston 71, Kansas 60
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