Kansas vs Houston Odds, Picks and Predictions: Cryer, Dickinson Show Out in Season Finale

The Houston Cougars have a chance to clinch the outright Big 12 regular season title in their first season in the conference as they host the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday afternoon as sizable favorites in the college basketball odds.

Houston (27-3) has won eight straight games and is a perfect 16-0 at home this season. Kansas (22-8) has struggled with injuries in conference play, going just 10-7 in the Big 12 this year.

The Cougars are the top defensive squad in the country, but the Jayhawks were able to put up 78 points against them in the first meeting. We’ll talk about whether the rematch will follow a similar script or not in our free college basketball picks and predictions for Kansas vs. Houston on Saturday, March 9.

Kansas vs Houston best odds

Kansas vs Houston picks and predictions

By any metric, the Houston Cougars’ first year in the Big 12 has been a resounding success. Even with a loss today, the Cougars would share the regular season title, quickly quieting any speculation that they might struggle in the move to a major conference schedule.

Houston has done this on the back of an extremely efficient defense. Not only do the Cougars hold opponents to just 57.3 points per game, they do so by limiting the opposition to just 38.5% shooting from the field.

Despite those numbers, Houston isn’t necessarily a team that plays to very low totals. The Cougars have hit the Over in seven of their last 10 games, often in part due to their own capable offense that sometimes gets underestimated due to the quality of their defense.

Among the games that hit the Over was the 78-65 loss at the Kansas Jayhawks early last month. That was the last time Houston lost this year, and it came in unusual circumstances, as Kansas was able to shoot a blistering 68.9% from the field.

It would be impossible to expect the Jayhawks to repeat that shooting performance on Saturday. However, it wasn’t purely a fluke. Kansas has one weapon that seems tailor-made to cause trouble for the Cougars: 7-foot-2 center Hunter Dickinson.

Houston’s one weakness is a relative lack of size, particularly when compared to other elite programs. Dickinson (18.2 ppg, 11.0 rebounds per game) is one of the biggest manifestations of that problem and he showed it in the first game, shooting 9-for-15 and scoring an easy 20 points.

I can’t predict whether Dickinson or the rest of the Jayhawks will be as successful on Saturday in Houston. In fact, it would be incredible if they came close to repeating that performance. But this is a team that can score against the Cougars, even if 78 points might be a stretch in the rematch.

Still, this should be a close game that could easily be played in the 70s. Houston has scored at least 73 points in five of its last eight games, while Kansas has done the same in three of its last four.

The first game between these teams easily went Over the total. This time around, books are once again setting the number low, owing to the defensive ability on both teams. But this underestimates just how much scoring punch both sides have, something that we’ve seen both overall this season and against each other in the first meeting. I’m backing the Over today.

My best bet: Over 137.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

Kansas vs Houston same-game parlay

Over 137.5

Houston moneyline

LJ Cryer Over 16.5 points

+280 at FanDuel

I expect Houston to take revenge for their loss at Kansas earlier this season. That’s why my same-game parlay includes a bet on the Cougars on the moneyline along with taking the Over. It’s not the most aggressive play, but this could be a closer game than recent performances suggest, especially if Kansas can repeat some of its offensive success from last month.

Since I’m expecting points, I’ll finish my SGP with a bet on a Houston player to fill up the stat sheet. My pick is LJ Cryer to hit the Over on his scoring prop of 16.5 points. Cryer is Houston’s leading scorer at 15.8 ppg, and has scored at least 22 in each of his last three contests. He also dropped 24 in the loss to Kansas last month.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Kansas vs Houston spread and Over/Under analysis

Houston opened today’s game as an 8-point favorite. That number has remained stable, with various books making the Cougars anywhere from a 7.5 to 8.5-point favorite. You can find some discounts on Houston on the higher spreads, such as -105 odds on Houston -8.5.

Despite a historically good season, Houston hasn’t been great for bettors, going just 13-15-2 against the spread. Kansas has similarly struggled, putting up just a 13-16 ATS mark on the year.

Houston is the better team and is paying far better than Kansas as of late. Considering that the Cougars are undefeated at home, it makes perfect sense that they would be a significant favorite today. However, I’m just not all that comfortable giving this many points to a team as talented as the Jayhawks, especially after what we saw in the first meeting between these teams. I’m staying off the spread in this one, though I do like Houston on the moneyline even at the very short odds we’re getting on that market.

The total on this game opened at 137.5 points. That remains the consensus Over/Under as of early Saturday, though some books have moved as low as 136.5. You’ll be able to get -110 on either side of this market at most sites.

Houston is the best defensive team in the nation, and its performance against the total shows it, with the Under holding a 17-13 advantage in its games. Kansas has been neutral against the total, with the Over going an even 14-14-1 in the Jayhawks’ games this year.

We saw in the first game that Kansas has at least a few answers for the normally suffocating Houston defense. Will the Jayhawks find as much success this afternoon? That’s extremely doubtful, but we can’t completely discount that first performance, either. Houston has been playing to the Over as of late, and based on the first matchup — and what these offenses are capable of — we can’t expect a very low-scoring game in this one.

Kansas vs Houston betting trend to know

The Over is 7-3 in Houston’s last 10 games overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for Kansas vs. Houston.

Kansas vs Houston game info

Kansas vs Houston key injuries

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