Houston Cougars vs Arizona Wildcats Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/15/2025

Game Time: 2:00 pm ET, Saturday, February 15, 2025

Venue:  McKale Memorial Center, Tucson, AZ 

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Houston -1.5, Arizona +1.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Houston -1.5, Arizona +1.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Houston -1.5, Arizona +1.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Houston Cougars:  20-4 (12-1) (1st place, Big 12)

Arizona Wildcats:  17-7 (11-2) (2nd place, Big 12)

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Houston Cougars:  4-1  last 5

Arizona Wildcats:  4-1  last 5

Houston is entering this game with a 20-4 record overall, a 12-1 record in conference games, and they are 6-0 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Baylor Bears in their last game. LJ Cryer led the team in points per game in that game with 14 while Milos Uzan was next on the team with 12. Milos Uzan led the team in assists with 6 in that game while Joseph Tugler led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 50.9% from the field, 41.7% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 75.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 57.3 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 13-11 this season and their O/U record is 11-12-1.

Arizona is entering this game with a 17-7 record overall, an 11-2 conference record, and they are 11-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Kansas State Wildcats in their last game. KJ Lewis led the team in points in that game with 15 while Jaden Bradley was next on the team with 13. Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley each led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Carter Bryant led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 41.3% from the field, 9.5% from 3-point range, and 84.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 82.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 69.8 PPG against them. Arizona has an ATS record of 14-10 this season and their O/U record is 14-10.

The current betting odds have Houston listed as a 1.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Houston has looked great in their games this season with their 20-4 record overall and their 12-1 conference record which has them right at the top of the Big 12. They have been a great road team too with their 6-0 road record this year. Meanwhile, Arizona has looked really good in their games this season with their 17-7 record overall and their 11-2 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home court this year with their 11-1 home record, but as good as Arizona has been, they have been vulnerable against the stronger teams they have faced this season. They are coming off a road loss to Kansas State in their last one, Kansas State being a middle of the pack team in the Big 12, and they also struggled a lot in their non-conference games as they do have 7 losses this year. Houston has a lot more impressive wins under their belt this season and they are not a team that loses often either. Both teams are 4-1 in their last 5 games since Houston did pick up their first conference loss of the year to Texas Tech over a week ago, but they have once again been gaining momentum with 3 wins in a row now and all of those being by 9 or more points. Arizona is going to bring their best effort for Houston who is one of the best teams in the nation and Arizona has played their best at home this season, but Houston has a lot more talent on their team and this is a chance for them to make a statement. This is also their only meeting this season and Arizona is the closest team to them in the Big 12 so look for Houston to assert their dominance in the conference here. The best way to place a bet here is on Houston to cover the spread in this game. 

Houston Arizona Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, February 15, 2025 (2:00 pm ET start time) is Houston 82 Arizona 75.

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Houston Cougars: 20-27 ATS on the road as a favorite. 5-11 ATS on the road versus excellent teams - shooting 45% or more with a defense of 42% or less. 5-2 OVER when the line is +3 to -3. 24-18 1H OVER vs. good free throw shooting teams - making 72% of their attempts or more.

Arizona Wildcats: 27-17 ATS in all home games. 9-4 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 25-16 ATS versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 27-17 1H OVER in all home games. 19-7 1H OVER after playing a road game.

Houston Cougars:  R. Walker (G) Out - Hand. J. McFarland (C) Out - Leg.

Arizona Wildcats:  T. Townsend (F) Questionable - Concussion. M. Krivas (C) Out - Lower Leg.

“They’re extremely well-coached; their plan is suited for that team, their speed is a factor, their transition offense is a factor. And they get their hands on a lot of loose balls and deflections with their athleticism and their speed.” - Kelvin Sampson on his team’s upcoming game against Arizona on Saturday.

“We just didn’t play good. We didn’t play smart. I thought we put ourselves in position (when) we got kind of a good break with a goaltending call they overturned. We’re at the free throw line next thing I know we’re up seven and we squandered it away. You just can’t do that on the road. I’m not saying you need to go up 13 at half, but it’d be nice to be in the game and not be down six at half. To our guys’ credit, they battled back. We took a lead and down the stretch of the game, and then I thought we were like in a good position to win it.” - Tommy Lloyd after his team’s loss against KSU in their last game. 

L. Cryer 

J. Roberts 

E. Sharp 

J. Tugler 

M. Uzan

T. Awaka 

J. Bradley 

A. Dell'Orso 

C. Love 

T. Townsend

PPG: L. Cryer (14.3)

APG: M. Uzan (4.9)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (6.5)

PPG: C. Love (15.8)

APG: J. Bradley (3.8)

Reb/G: T. Awaka (7.9)

Coaches:

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (11th season)

Arizona Wildcats: Tommy Lloyd (4th season)