Kansas vs. Houston Expert Pick and Prediction – March 3, 2025

KANSAS VS. HOUSTON EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – March 3, 2025 — At least Kansas showed up to compete last time out. Given what happened against BYU, that was far from a sure thing. The Jayhawks gave a credible effort in losing to Texas Tech, showing that this is still a team with talent.

But given where Kansas usually is, that’s a rather backhanded compliment. And it says a lot about where this team is in 2025. The Jayhawks are nowhere near first place in the league and nowhere near a high seed in the NCAA tournament. Kansas isn’t in danger of missing the tournament, but the Jayhawks are sitting around the No. 8 line.

Related: The Return of Rich Rodriguez

And now they’re off to Houston, where the Cougars have mostly run over the Big 12. Houston is in prime position to claim a No. 1 seed and make a run at the Final Four, and the Cougars really need to make sure they do it. There’s no way around it: Houston is going to find itself 1-2 with an SEC team. There are just too many strong SEC teams to avoid one in the Elite Eight, assuming the seeds hold.

But there’s a real difference between facing Auburn or Tennessee and facing Alabama or Florida. The Cougars really don’t want to face a team that can adjust to anything like Auburn or one that loves to grind like Tennessee. And the only way they get the matchup they want is by handling business over the next two weeks.

The Odds

Tipoff

When: Monday, March 1 at 9 p.m.

Where: Fertitta Center, Houston

TV: ESPN

Public Bets: Unavailable

Public Money: Unavailable

Kansas vs. Houston In-Season Trends

At just 2-5 ATS in its past seven games, Kansas has been sliding badly. The Jayhawks were ranked No. 1 in preseason, but they look more like a team that will not shock anyone if they lose in round 1 of either the Big 12 tournament or the NCAA tournament.

Related: March Madness Predictions

Houston continues to roll, having won eight straight since the loss to Texas Tech. That’s one of three overtime defeats for the Cougars this year; Auburn remains the only team to beat Houston in regulation.

The Difference-Makers

KJ Adams did give Hunter Dickinson some help in the Texas Tech game, scoring 21 points to lead the Jayhawks. The problem was that he and Dickinson made up over half of the team’s scoring output. Houston is likely to try to force someone else to step up in this game.

Related: Problems With College Sports Travel

LJ Cryer comes off a 20-point game and has his eyes set on getting back to where he was as a freshman. That year, he was part of Baylor’s national championship team, coming off the bench. This year, he’s a team leader on a squad every bit as good as that one.

The Pick

Kansas getting almost 10 points qualifies as crazy, except for the fact that the Jayhawks have been sinking for a while. A team that’s capable of getting blown out by BYU is certainly capable of losing by double digits at Houston. The Cougars are likely to suffocate the Kansas attack, which isn’t a promising picture.