The Jayhawks and Cougars are set to face off at 4:00 ET on ESPN. The Cougars will host the game at Fertitta Center in Houston, TX. This Big 12 conference matchup has an over/under of 137.5 points, and Houston is favored to win by -7.5 at home vs. Kansas.

KANSAS JAYHAWKS VS HOUSTON COUGARS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Cougars -7.5

This game will be played at Fertitta Center at 4:00 ET on Saturday, March 9th.

WHY BET THE HOUSTON COUGARS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-67 in favor of the Cougars.
  • Not only will Houston pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -7.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 137.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.

Can Kansas Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?

As the underdog, Kansas is 0-3 this season. They have an average scoring margin of +1.4 points per game on the road compared to +14.2 points per game at home. So far, the Jayhawks have gone 6-7 on the road.

Coming into this game, Kansas has gone 1-2 in their last three road games. Over their last 10 games on the road, they have gone 4-6. Most recently, they beat Kansas State by a score of 90-68.

Against the spread, Kansas has gone 13-17 this season. On the road, their ATS record is 4-9. As the underdog, the Jayhawks are 1-2 vs. the spread this year and over their last 10 games as the underdog, they are 4-6. On the road, their ATS mark over their last 10 games is also 4-6.

This season, the over/under record for Kansas games is 14-16 and today’s line of 137.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this year (145.2). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 152 points and the OU record in those games is 2-1.

Kansas’ offense had a good outing, putting up 90 points against Kansas State. They achieved a 45.2% field goal percentage and went 28/31 from the free-throw line. The team’s top scorer is Hunter Dickinson, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 18.2, while Kevin McCullar Jr. also carries a PPG average of 19.1 into the game.

Currently, the Jayhawks’ defense holds the 80th rank in the nation, allowing 68.3 points per game. So far, the Kansas defense is giving up an average of 8.3 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 11.1 times per game (523rd).

Can the Cougars Grab a Win at Home?

Entering this matchup with Kansas, Houston has been dominant at home, going a perfect 17-0 this season. Over their last 10 games at home, the Cougars are a perfect 10-0. For the season, Houston has gone 25-2 when favored, and they are favored by 7.5 points in this one.

Overall, the Cougars have gone 27-3 this season, and they are currently riding a seven-game win streak. In their last game, Houston took down UCF by a score of 67-59. So far, they have gone 14-0 in non-conference games, and their record in the Big 12 is 13-3.

As the favorite, Houston has gone just 3-5-2 against the spread in their last 10 games. Overall, their ATS mark this year sits at 12-14-2. However, when playing at home, the Cougars have been more successful vs. the spread with a record of 10-6-1. Their last three home games have resulted in a 1-1-1 ATS mark.

Today’s over/under line of 137.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Houston’s games this season (132.8). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total is 140 points.

Against UCF, the Houston had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 74.1 points per game. They scored 67 points and posted a field goal percentage of 43.1% in the game. The team’s top scorer is LJ Cryer, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 15.8, while Jamal Shead also carries a PPG average of 13.2 into the game.

So far this season, the Houston defense has been performing well, ranking 1st in the country at 57.3 points allowed per contest. Houston’s three-point defense is currently 67th in the country at 6.2 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 38.4% of their shots vs. Houston.