The Houston Cougars take on the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, KS. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Houston is favored by 1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -135. The total is set at 137.5 points.
Here’s my Houston vs. Kansas predictions and college basketball picks for February 23, 2026.
Houston vs Kansas Prediction
My Pick: Houston ML -135
My Houston vs Kansas best bet is on the Cougars to win outright. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Houston vs. Kansas Odds
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -115 | 137.5 -115 / -105 | -135 |
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -105 | 137.5 -115 / -105 | +115 |
- Houston vs Kansas spread: Houston -1.5
- Houston vs Kansas over/under: 137.5 points
- Houston vs Kansas moneyline: Houston -135, Kansas +115
Houston vs Kansas College Basketball Betting Preview
Houston Basketball
Seeking a fourth consecutive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Houston has a lot at stake ahead of this ranked Big 12 matchup, and adding a conference victory on the road in Lawrence would do wonders for the Coogs’ resume.
Regardless of their seed, the Cougars are well on their way to earning an eighth NCAA Tournament berth under Kelvin Sampson.
After losing its primary scorer from last season in LJ Cryer, Sampson had quite the offseason, reeling in three five-star prospects in Chris Cenac Jr., Isiah Harwell and Kingston Flemings.
While Cenac and Harwell may have been ranked higher, it’s the class' 22nd-ranked player — Flemings — who's had by far the greatest impact for Houston.
The 6-foot-4 guard is posting an impressive 17 points per game, while also tallying five assists and over three rebounds a night.
Alongside Flemings in the Cougars' backcourt, Emanuel Sharp has sharp shooting prowess, with the senior recording a career-high 16 points per game after never previously having exceeded 12.5 points on average.
Per KenPom, Houston ranks inside the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season.
Joseph Tugler is also having a fantastic junior campaign while headlining an elite defensive frontcourt.
Kansas Basketball
Kansas looks to improve on its 20-7 overall record, having just fallen to Cincinnati at home as a 10-point favorite. That marked its second defeat of the season on its home floor.
It's been a whirlwind of a season for Bill Self’s Jayhawks, with its star freshman guard Darryn Peterson seemingly picking and choosing which games he elects to suit up for.
The 6-foot-6 guard is almost certainly going to be taken No. 1 overall in the upcoming NBA draft, with many speculating that Peterson is preserving his draft stock in games the Jayhawks are large favorites to prevail in.
When active, the Kansas freshman has been unbelievably dominant, scoring 20 points and grabbing four rebounds per game. The Jayhawks are one of the best teams in college basketball with Peterson on the floor.
Tre White rounds out an excellent Kansas backcourt, as he's quietly having himself an exceptional senior season, scoring over 14 points and grabbing nearly seven rebounds a night.
For a Kansas team that's been short-handed for several games, Flory Bidunga has been by far the most valuable Jayhawk on both ends of the floor. Bidunga is converting on an insane 68% clip from the field, which ranks seventh nationally.
While the forward is having a remarkable season offensively, his value to the Jayhawks’ success has actually been far greater on the defensive end of the floor. He's blocking a remarkable 2.8 shots per game, which ranks third in the country.
Self’s defense is allowing just 66 points per game, an incredible feat in a conference that features some of the most explosive offenses in all of college basketball.
The Jayhawks have the ninth most efficient defense in the country this season, according to KenPom.
Houston vs. Kansas Betting Analysis
Kansas has definitely lost some momentum prior to Monday night’s conference battle, having just fallen at home to a mediocre Cincinnati team. That was a shocking defeat for a Jayhawk bunch that's taken down the likes of Iowa State, BYU and Arizona at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks will look to capitalize in transition and feed directly into their motion offense, getting post touches to Bidunga early in the shot clock.
The Kansas offense thrives on its ability to generate efficient shot-taking opportunities from 2-point range, with its perimeter guards prepared to launch from beyond the arc as a second look.
Like Kansas, Houston’s offense also relies on perimeter spacing, but the Cougars use far more off-ball screens in the half-court to create mismatches in the paint.
Sampson has built a coaching philosophy on a high level of physicality and the importance of out-rebounding its opponents on the offensive glass to generate second-chance points.
The Coogs’ offense has also been far more efficient in transition this season than in years past, shooting at a higher volume and with quicker possessions, as opposed to solely relying on its methodical, slow-paced possessions in the half-court.
While fading the Jayhawks in Lawrence has been a terrible approach historically, Kansas seems to be spiraling with further media attention being forced onto its freshman phenom.
I don't mind backing the Coogs on the moneyline as a short road favorite in this spot, as they're desperate for a victory off consecutive defeats.
My Pick: Houston ML -135
