Big 12 Tournament betting guide: Can Iowa State or KU beat Houston in Kansas City?
From a betting perspective, there are only two ways to attack the Big 12 Tournament this week at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
1. You believe in the Houston Cougars and think they will cruise to a championship the same way they did in the regular season, when they won a whopping 19 of 20 games against conference opponents.
2. You think Kelvin Sampson’s UH team can be beat in a single-elimination format that has given us unexpected winners in the past.
If you fall into the first category, go ahead and make the boring (but potentially profitable) decision to bet on Houston at even money before the Big 12 Tournament begins.
But if you think a long shot can make a run (and want to have some fun), then pick your favorite team and strap in for a wild week of action.
There is reason to believe Houston is susceptible to an upset. The No. 1 seed has only won the Big 12 Tournament a single time over the past seven years. The Cougars strolled into Kansas City last season with a record of 28-3 but lost to Iowa State 69-41 in the tournament final.
It could happen again.
With that in mind, let’s explore the best teams to back if the Cougars fall short.
Texas Tech (+350)
Here’s the easiest reason to like Texas Tech this week: It is the only team in the Big 12 that managed to beat Houston during the regular season.
The Red Raiders also own victories over all of the teams they will likely face on their side of the bracket (Arizona State, K-State, Baylor, Kansas and Arizona).
It would be fitting for Houston and Texas Tech to meet in the final game of a chalky tournament.
Iowa State (+600)
Betting on the Cyclones to win basketball games at the Big 12 Tournament is never a bad idea.
Iowa State commemorates all of its tournament championships inside Hilton Coliseum on a banner. These games mean a lot to the Cyclones, and they benefit from terrific fan support in Kansas City.
No team has won more Big 12 Tournaments (five) than Iowa State over the past decade.
You usually have to pay a premium for the Cyclones in this setting, so it is a refreshing change of pace to see them getting 6-to-1 odds this season.
But there is a reason they aren’t the favorite. Iowa State has to win four games in four days to win the Big 12 Tournament. No team has ever done that before. Only Baylor has been able to reach the championship game without earning a bye into the quarterfinals.
Of course, that’s not the only reason why Iowa State’s path to a championship is hard. It could potentially face four teams it lost to in the regular season this week. It will likely need to beat BYU and Houston in back-to-back games just to reach the final.
Arizona (+900)
If Caleb Love gets hot from 3-point range, anything is possible for this team.
Unfortunately, he has been cold for the past month.
BYU (+1,000)
No one, not even Houston, is playing better than BYU at the moment.
The Cougars enter the Big 12 Tournament on an eight-game winning streak that includes victories over Arizona, Iowa State and Kansas.
BYU is also built for tournament play, because coach Kevin Young will use 12 different players per game. This team won’t be tired if it reaches the final.
Problem is, the Cougars are on the wrong side of the bracket. Playing Iowa State and Houston right off the bat won’t be easy.
Kansas (+1,200)
The Jayhawks had a mediocre regular season, but they have shown signs of improvement over the past two weeks.
Kansas won three of its final five games, and the two losses were by single digits against Houston and Texas Tech. If Hunter Dickinson keeps playing well, it’s possible to envision this team making some noise. Much like Iowa State, the Jayhawks will benefit from a strong fan advantage inside T-Mobile.
But can they win four games in four days?
K-State (+25,000)
Hey, they won six straight conference games earlier this season. There’s no reason why the Wildcats can’t win five games in five days in Kansas City, right?
That actually seems very unlikely given that Coleman Hawkins is playing with a broken tibia. Still, at 250-to-1 odds, there are worse ways to spend your couch change.
My pick: Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders have three star players in JT Toppin, Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian. They are also battle-tested with wins at Houston and at Kansas.
Furthermore, they are on the bottom half of the Big 12 Tournament bracket. That means they’d avoid Houston until the championship game, and there is always a chance someone will beat the Coogs for them.
I think Texas Tech has a manageable path to the final with games against Arizona State/Baylor/K-State and then likely the Arizona/Kansas winner. If it gets there, it won’t be intimidated by any opponent, even Houston.
Big 12 Tournament odds
Houston - Even
Texas Tech - 3.5 to 1
Iowa State - 6 to 1
Arizona - 9 to 1
BYU - 10 to 1
Kansas - 12 to 1
Baylor - 40 to 1
West Virginia - 80 to 1
Cincinnati - 200 to 1
Kansas State - 250 to 1
TCU - 250 to 1
Utah - 250 to 1
UCF - 250 to 1
Oklahoma State - 300 to 1
Arizona State - 300 to 1
Colorado - 500 to 1
This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Big 12 Tournament betting guide: Can Iowa State or KU beat Houston in Kansas City?."