Houston vs. Kansas Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Saturday, March 9 (Target total)
By Reed Wallach
Houston has secured the Big 12 regular season title in its first season in the league and is in line to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but its worst performance of the season came at Kansas in the midst of Big 12 play.
Kansas won with ease in the first meeting at home, 78-65, in a game that was rarely competitive as the Jayhawks blitzed the Cougars from the opening tip. However, with the setting changing to the Fertitta Center, can KU hold up as massive underdogs?
Here's our full betting preview for Kansas vs. Houston on Saturday afternoon, using odds from FanDuel Sportsbook!
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Kansas vs. Houston Odds, Spread and Total
Houston vs. Kansas Betting Trends
- Houston is 2-7-1 against the spread (ATS) over the last 10 games
- Kansas is 13-16-1 ATS this season
- Houston is 10-6-1 ATS at home this season
- Houston has gone UNDER in 11 of 17 home games this season
Kansas vs. Houston How to Watch
- Date: Saturday, March 9th
- Game Time: 4:00 PM EST
- Venue: Fertitta Center
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Kansas Record: 22-8
- Houston Record: 27-3
Kansas vs. Houston Key Players to Watch
Kansas
Johnny Furphy: Furphy had his breakout game against Houston back on February 3rd, scoring 17 points while making six of seven shots, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out two assists. The Jayhawks need a floor spacer to cash in on open shots when the ball moves side to side against the aggressive Houston defense, can Furphy do it again.
Houston
Jamal Shead: It wasn't Shead's finest game at Allen Fieldhouse, making only two of his nine shots, but with injuries mounting on the Cougars side, Shead has been playing at an insanely high level, including 16 points and eight assists on Wednesday against UCF.
Kansas vs. Houston Prediction and Pick
Kansas unpacked the Houston defense in the first meeting, the best defense in the entire nation, shooting 78% on two's and 46% on three-point attempts. Overall, Kansas scored a blistering 1.22 points per possession.
That won't hold suit on Saturday on the road, but I do believe that Kansas can continue to limit Houston's offensive firepower as the team is outside the top 200 in effective field goal percentage this season and Kansas' defense has been compact and disciplined all season, allowing the third highest three-point rate in Big 12 play and is the best defensive rebounding team in the league.
If the Jayhawks are able to turn this into a perimeter attack from Houston, the team can hang around in this game. However, with both teams ability to make teams execute in the half court, I'd prefer to take the under, expecting a significant drop in production from this Kansas offense.
One team has scored more than 70 points at the Fertitta Center this season, TCU on January 6th. I believe this game is played more in the mid-to-high 60's and this game stays under the total.
PICK: UNDER 139.5
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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