Houston Cougars

Only one Division I defense gave up fewer points than the Cougars’ 62.85 a game in 2025-26. That defense pushed 20 of 34 Houston games under the total, while the spread split exactly down the middle, 17 covers and 17 misses.

The under is the Houston bet

Twenty unders and 14 overs, 58.8%; only 60 teams went under more often. The pattern held in the Big 12 run of January and February, when Cincinnati, Baylor and BYU were all held under 67 points on the road and every one of those games stayed under.

Favored almost every night

Houston was an underdog twice all season; only seven Division I teams were underdogs less often. Both times it lost: 70-67 at Iowa State at +124, and 79-74 to Arizona in the conference tournament final at +110. As favorites they went 28-4 and covered 17 of 32; the four losses came against Tennessee, Texas Tech, Arizona and Kansas, the last three of them in conference play. One unit on them in the 27 priced favorite games made 0.65 units, which is the whole case against paying the chalk blind: Towson in November was a 65-48 win that missed a 26.5-point spread.

Home against neutral

At home the Cougars covered 10 of 16, 62.5%. On neutral floors, nine games at tournaments and early-season events, they covered three, and on the road 4 of 9. Arizona beat them in both meetings, and Houston missed the spread both times; the first was 73-66 at home, with the Cougars at -285.

What the moneyline paid

One unit on Houston in all 29 priced games lost 1.35 units in a 28-6 season. The record was 15-1 at home in 2025-26, and the longest win streak ran to 11.

In the NCAA tournament Houston beat Idaho 78-47 and Texas A&M 88-57, then lost 65-55 to Illinois in the Sweet 16.

Questions and answers