Houston Cougars vs Kansas Jayhawks Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Houston vs Kansas NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Lawrence.

Houston vs Kansas Prediction

Planning on watching today's Cougars and Jayhawks game? Catch the action at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS, as the Jayhawks hosts this showdown at 6:30 ET on ESPN. The odds for this Big 12 conference game currently have Kansas as the -1.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 128.5 points.

Houston vs. Kansas Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Houston Cougars at Kansas Jayhawks
Where: Lawrence at Allen Fieldhouse
Date: Saturday, January 25th
Betting Odds KAN -1.5, HOU -106 | KAN -115 O/U 128.5

Cougars Preview: Will the Cougars Come Through as Road Underdogs?

Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games

Houston improved to 16-3 on the season with a dominant 70-36 win over Utah on Wednesday. The Cougars, who were -17.5 favorites, covered the spread comfortably. The game’s total points of 106 fell well short of the O/U line of 133.5.

Houston jumped out to a 41-17 lead by halftime and continued their strong defensive play in the second half, allowing just 19 points while scoring 29.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Houston put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 43.3% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.7%, with two-point shooting at 50% (21/42) and three-point shooting at 27.8% (5/18).

The Cougars grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and dished out 15 assists. Milos Uzan led the way with 14 points and 5 assists, hitting 2 of 4 from deep, while L.J. Cryer added 13 points, connecting on 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.

Cougars Team Defense

Despite Houston's defensive efforts, they gave up 36 points while allowing their opponents to shoot 43% from the field on 26 of 60 attempts. Inside the arc, the Cougars allowed 21 of 42 shooting, good for 50%.

From three-point range, Houston held their opponents to 5 of 18 shooting, or 27%. The Cougars also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 19 times, where they converted 13, shooting 68%. Houston gave up 15 offensive rebounds in the game.

Jayhawks Preview: Will Kansas Win at Home?

Kansas Jayhawks Recent Game/Games

Kansas improved to 14-4 on the season with a 74-61 win over TCU on Wednesday. The Jayhawks, who were -7 favorites, covered the spread in the victory.

After trailing 35-33 at halftime, Kansas clamped down defensively, allowing just 26 points in the 2nd half while scoring 41. The game’s total points of 135 narrowly missed the O/U line of 135.5.

Jayhawks Offense Breakdown

Kansas put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 55.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 61.1%. Their two-point shooting was particularly strong, hitting 64.9% (24/37), while they connected on 35.3% (6/17) from beyond the arc. At the free-throw line, they made 8 of 10 attempts, finishing at 80%.

Hunter Dickinson led the way with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, adding 9 rebounds and 4 assists. The Jayhawks dished out 21 assists as a team, with Shakeel Moore hitting 3 of 4 threes and finishing with 11 points. Zeke Mayo and AJ Storr also contributed efficiently, each shooting 60% or better from the field.

Jayhawks Team Defense

Kansas held their opponent to 61 points on 37% shooting from the field. The Jayhawks were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where they limited their opponent to just 5 made threes on 24 attempts, a 20% success rate.

From the free-throw line, Kansas sent their opponent to the stripe 12 times, where they converted 6 of their attempts, shooting 50%. The Jayhawks gave up 16 offensive rebounds in the game.

Cougars vs Jayhawks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Cougars last ten road games, the team averaged 74 points per game while allowing 68. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 3-6-1, while going 8-2 straight-up.
When looking at their past ten home matchups, Kansas has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 68 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Cougars have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 2-1.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Jayhawks have a straight up record of 7-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-4.