The Houston Cougars take on the Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan, KS. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Houston is favored by 11 points on the spread with a moneyline of -750. The total is set at 128.5 points.
Here are my Houston vs. Kansas State predictions and college basketball picks for January 11, 2025.
Houston vs Kansas State Prediction
My Pick: Houston -11.5 (Play to -12.5)
My Houston vs Kansas State best bet is on the Cougars spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Houston vs Kansas State Odds, Lines, Pick
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11 -110 | 128.5 -108 / -112 | -750 |
| Kansas State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11 -110 | 128.5 -108 / -112 | +525 |
- Houston vs Kansas State spread: Houston -11
- Houston vs Kansas State over/under: 128.5 points
- Houston vs Kansas State moneyline: Houston -750, Kansas State +525
- Houston vs Kansas State best bet: Houston -11.5 (Play to -12.5)
My Houston vs Kansas State College Basketball Betting Preview
A juggernaut walks into a magical arena where anything is possible. This is college basketball at its finest.
Houston is a few points away from being the unanimous No. 1 team in the country. The Cougars blew a second half lead against Auburn and suffered two tight overtime losses to tourney squads.
In Big 12 play, Houston has quickly reminded the doubters why it’s considered a bona fide title contender. Houston is 3-0 in conference play, beating foes by an average of 21 points per game.
Kansas State has had a tough season, but the Octagon of Doom is a magical place. The Wildcats can beat anybody in Bramlage Coliseum, no matter the team, no matter the year.
They proved that against Cincinnati already in league play, but can they hold up against a Houston team that outclasses them in every facet? A better Wildcat squad didn’t get to host the Cougars last season, losing the only matchup of the year by 22 in Houston.
Kansas State has an uphill battle on offense, as Houston’s defense looms large. The Wildcats tend to stagnate offensively, relying on off-ball cutting that can result in a lot of ball-holding and delayed decision making.
This won't work against Houston. The Cougars rank second nationally in KenPom’s overall defensive metrics and lead the country in effective field goal percentage allowed. They force turnovers at the nation’s 12th-highest rate, which is bad news for a Kansas State squad that ranks 227th in ball security.
Point guard Dug McDaniel could get swallowed whole by Houston’s bigger, stronger guards. Coleman Hawkins has been careless with the ball this year and is likely to get overwhelmed physically. Jerome Tang’s other ball handlers haven't been reliable up to this point in the season.
Scoring points in the paint isn’t an option, so the Wildcats will need to hit outside shots, which is no easy task against the Cougars' perimeter shell.
Kansas State has a couple of true shooting threats in Brendan Hausen and the Joneses (C.J. and Max), but otherwise, marksmanship is limited.
Houston should have this team in hell on this end of the floor.
Meanwhile, on the other end, Houston’s offense has been all about the long ball. The Cougars rank third nationally in 3-point percentage and have some legitimate shot-makers.
Emanuel Sharp has been unreal to start the year, and Milos Uzan, LJ Cryer and Terrance Arceneaux can all fill it up from deep.
Taking away the 3 is only step one in the battle against Houston, though. The other is the offensive glass. Houston dominates the boards against everybody, and it should again against the 219th-ranked defensive rebounding team.
Ownership of the boards leads to easy put-backs and kick-outs to in-rhythm shooters who rain triples from above. This makes Houston a different animal.
The sheer strength and physicality mismatch in this game is stark. It’s going to take all the magic in every crevice of Bramlage to pull off the colossal upset.
