The Houston Cougars (16-3) travel to face off against the Kansas Jayhawks (14-4) on Saturday, January 25th. This game will be played at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 6:30 ET.
Houston Cougars vs Kansas Jayhawks
The Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
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 were -17.5 point favorites and covered the spread, while the game’s total points of 106 fell well below the O/U line of 133.5.
Houston took control early, leading 41-17 at halftime, and continued their strong play in the second half, outscoring Utah 29-19.
The Jayhawks Are Coming Off A Win
Kansas Jayhawks Recent Game/Games
Kansas improved to 14-4 on the season with a 74-61 road win over TCU on Wednesday. The Jayhawks, who were -7 favorites, covered the spread in the victory.
After trailing 35-33 at halftime, Kansas turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring TCU 41-26. The game’s total points of 135 fell just short of the 135.5 O/U line.
Cougars Offense Breakdown
Houston put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 43.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 46.7%. They connected on 50% of their two-point attempts (21/42) but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 27.8% (5/18) of their threes. At the free-throw line, they made 68.4% of their attempts, going 13/19.
The Cougars grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and dished out 15 assists. Milos Uzan led the way with 14 points and 5 assists, shooting 66.7% overall and 50% from three (2/4). L.J. Cryer added 13 points, hitting 3 of 4 from deep, while J’Wan Roberts contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds.
Jayhawks Offense Breakdown
Kansas put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 55.6% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 61.1%. They were particularly strong inside, hitting 64.9% of their two-point attempts, while going 6-for-17 (35.3%) from beyond the arc. At the free-throw line, they connected on 8 of 10 attempts, good for 80%.
The Jayhawks dished out 21 assists, with Hunter Dickinson contributing 4 assists to go along with his 16 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 7-for-10 from the field. Zeke Mayo also shot efficiently, hitting 6 of 9 shots for 13 points, while Shakeel Moore knocked down 3 of 4 threes, finishing with 11 points.
Cougars Team Defense
Houston’s defense held their opponent to just 36 points, even though they allowed a 43% shooting performance from the field. The Cougars gave up 21 two-point field goals on 42 attempts, a 50% success rate.
From beyond the arc, Houston limited their opponent to 5 made threes on 18 attempts, a 27% shooting percentage. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 19 times, where they converted 13 of those attempts, shooting 68%.
Jayhawks Team Defense
Despite Houston’s defense allowing 36 points, their opponent shot 43% from the field, connecting on 26 of 60 attempts. Inside the arc, they hit 50% of their two-point shots, going 21 for 42.
From three-point range, Houston’s defense held their opponent to 5 made threes on 18 attempts, a 27% shooting performance. At the free-throw line, the opposing team went 13 for 19, shooting 68%. Houston also gave up 15 offensive rebounds.
Cougars vs Jayhawks Trends
- In their last ten games away from home, the Cougars have a straight up record of 8-2 while going 3-6-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 74 points per game in this stretch.
- Across the Jayhawks last ten home games, the team averaged 68 points per game while allowing 67. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 5-5 straight-up.
- Through their last three games as the betting underdog, the Cougars have a strong record vs the spread going 2-1. Their straight up mark in these contests is 1-2.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Jayhawks have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 7-3.
Cougars vs Jayhawks Prediction
We’re putting our money on the Jayhawks to win, and have the projected score sitting at 76-70. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Jayhawks at -1.5.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 128.5 and our model has the Cougars and Jayhawks finishing with a combined 146 points. Our pick is to take the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 25, 2025 Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks