Houston vs. Arizona Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Saturday, Feb. 15

Arizona had its six-game winning streak snapped at Kansas State on Tuesday and now quickly turns around to host Big 12-leading Houston.

The Cougars have been among the most complete teams in the country, and are a small favorite at Arizona, which has re-emerged as a contender after a shaky non-conference stretch. This game presents an interesting contrast of styles between Arizona’s up-tempo offense against the bruising and methodical Houston game plan.

Who will prevail and gain serious ground in the race for the Big 12 Championship? We have you covered below!

Houston vs. Arizona Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

Houston: -1.5 (-105)
Arizona: +1.5 (-115)

Moneyline

Houston: -114
Arizona: -105

Total: 136.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Houston vs. Arizona How to Watch

Date: Saturday, February 15
Game Time: 2:00 PM EST
Venue: McKale Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN
Houston Record: 20-4
Arizona Record: 17-7

Houston vs. Arizona Key Players to Watch

Houston

LJ Cryer: The veteran sharpshooter has been one of the most reliable threats for the Cougars' devastating perimeter offense. Cryer is shooting 41% from beyond the arc this season, pacing the Cougars top 10 3-point shooting unit. He has scored in double figures in six of the last seven and against a compact Arizona defense will surely need to do it again for the team to maintain first place in the conference.

Arizona

Henri Veesaar: To unlock the Houston defense, big men must be able to make the Cougars pay on the short role and score from the teeth of the defense. The sophomore big man is among the best candidates to do that, posting a 71% two-point field goal percentage and forming a nice combination with guard Caleb Love, among others. Veesaar has scored in double figures in four straight games while also providing some sound rim protection as he’ll likely need to do most of the heavy lifting against J’Wan Roberts of Houston.

Houston vs. Arizona Prediction and Pick

I’m going to side with Houston in this one due to some schematic advantages for the Cougars.

While Arizona is among the best teams in the country, it takes a lot to beat the Cougars. Houston has lost four games this season, one to Auburn by five on a neutral floor and three other games in overtime. The Wildcats have the talent, but I’m not sure the team has the matchup edges to get over the hump.

Houston ranks tops in the Big 12 in both adjusted offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. The team will be able to force Arizona into operating in the halfcourt, which is where we can see some of the team’s warts appear. The offense thrives on running off of misses, but that’s masked what’s a fairly average half-court offense. The group is 85th in effective field goal percentage and is struggling from the perimeter, shooting below 32% on the year (281st nationally).

Against Houston, there simply aren’t many ways to get inside. The Cougars allow the 48th-highest three-point rate while turning foes over at a top-10 rate. Arizona is going to be forced to shoot from distance and if it takes it inside, likely turn it over against the vaunted Cougs' defense as the Wildcats are 132nd in turnover rate.

Meanwhile, Arizona’s defense is similarly constructed, built to force teams to shoot from deep, but Houston is far better from beyond the arc, seventh nationally in 3-point percentage. Further, the offense is elite at protecting the rock, 16th in turnover rate.

In a game that can feature halfcourt execution, few do it better on both ends than Houston. I’m siding with the road favorite.

PICK: Houston -1.5 (-105, available at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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