Houston Cougars Given Surprising Odds to Win Big 12 Tournament
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With less than 24 hours remaining until the start of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, FanDuel has officially released the betting odds for each Big 12 program.
The Arizona Wildcats have been given the highest odds of winning the conference tournament at +115, with the No. 7 Houston Cougars following right behind at +210. From there, however, the gap remains hard to ignore. Iowa State and Kansas are being given relatively similar odds at +650 and +850, respectively.
That clear separation between the top two teams and the rest of the field says a lot about how Houston is viewed heading into a tournament setting. While the Cougars aren't the favorite, Kelvin Sampson's team is still being treated like a contender.
Houston may have dropped a game to Arizona earlier in the season, but it's worth noting that the Cougars and Wildcats are being treated like 1A and 1B rather than a clear-cut No. 1 and No. 2.
A No. 1 Seed Still on the Table
The Big 12 basketball tournament gives Sampson and the Cougars a prime opportunity to play their way into a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Houston is currently projected to be a No. 2 seed in the South Region, but is also being labeled as a team to watch among the many conference tournaments.
Winning a Big 12 tournament title is easier said than done. After all, there's a reason that the Big 12 is considered the toughest league in college basketball. While there are some elite programs in the SEC, Big Ten, and ACC, they aren't as talented as the Big 12 top to bottom.
Because of their 14-4 conference record, the Cougars get the benefit of getting some time off before their first appearance in Kansas City. Houston is set to play Thursday at 6 p.m. CT against the winner of Game 7.
While Houston may have secured byes for the first two rounds of the tournament, that doesn't make their path any less challenging. The Cougars will still need to exorcise their demons from earlier this season. Arizona, Texas Tech, and Kansas will also play their first games of the week on Thursday.
That makes the road in Kansas City especially interesting for Sampson's team. Houston could open the tournament against West Virginia, Kansas State, or BYU, three teams capable of making things uncomfortable in a postseason setting. A potential rematch with Kansas could be waiting in the semifinals if both teams advance.
If Houston can get through their side of the bracket, the championship game may bring an even tougher challenge. Arizona and Texas Tech both sit on the other side, and both programs own wins over the Cougars this season.
For Coog Nation, winning the Big 12 tournament would likely require not only surviving one of the toughest brackets in the country, but also getting revenge against the teams that bested them during the regular season.
Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament Odds
- Arizona — +115
- Houston — +210
- Iowa State — +650
- Kansas — +850
- Texas Tech — +1700
- BYU — +5000
- TCU — +8000
- Cincinnati — +8000
- West Virginia — +25000
- UCF — +25000
- Utah — +30000
- Oklahoma State — +30000"
- Colorado — +30000
- Kansas State — +30000
- Arizona State — +30000
- Baylor — +30000
