Big 12 Tournament Betting Guide: Can Houston Be Halted?

Big 12 Tournament Best Bet: Houston (+100)

Nobody is stopping this Houston team. For our money, they are the best team in the country and require a nearly perfect 40-minute performance to beat. We often try to find value further down the board and hope we hit one or two across the conference tournament landscape, but it feels like a waste of money here. Back the Cougars to make their push for the #1 overall seed this week by throttling towards the Big 12 Tournament title.

Big 12 Tournament Favorite: Houston (+100)

It is baffling how little notoriety this Houston team has gotten due to falling into the shadow of both UConn and Purdue for the majority of the season. We are starting to see the Cougars get some well-deserved recognition as many bracketologists, including us, have put them as the second overall #1 seed ahead of the Huskies. They are led by senior Jamal Shead, who is the best two-way guard in the country. Shead will cover the opposing team's best player like a blanket for a full 30 seconds and then blow past them for an easy bucket on the other end. He is one-of-a-kind and for a head coach like Kelvin Sampson to sing his praises so often, we know he simply has to be an incredible leader within the locker room.

Houston boasts the top defense in the country, according to KenPom. They have held 15 opponents to 55 points or fewer this season and have only lost tight matchups on the road outside of a double-digit defeat to Kansas, who may be mailing this tournament in.

Big 12 Tournament Challenger: Iowa State (+430)

Iowa State proved back in early January that they are perhaps the only team that can out-ugly the Cougars. The Cyclones got down and dirty with Houston in Ames and left the scrap victorious, forcing Houston into a season-high 16 turnovers. The concern comes on the offensive end, as usual for head coach T.J. Otzelberger. They only rank ninth in offensive efficiency per KenPom and have often struggled to find consistent scoring outlets away from home. Their draw to the final does feel favorable, though. If they can get past Texas or Kansas State, they are more than capable of handling either Baylor or Kansas to earn a spot in the championship game.

Big 12 Tournament Dark Horse: BYU (+1100)

BYU has quietly stacked wins over all the top teams in this field outside of Houston. Most notably, the Cougars downed Kansas inside the Phog two weeks back, a statement win that put the league on notice and has pushed this team towards protected seeding ahead of the NCAA Tournament. This team loves to stretch their opponents out with rapid ball movement and loads of three-pointers. The Cougars rank second in the nation in percentage of points coming from triples and sixth in assist percentage. Everyone who steps on the court for BYU is capable of sinking a triple, making them a nightmare to guard.

Big 12 Tournament Best Bet: Houston (+100)

Nobody is stopping this Houston team. For our money, they are the best team in the country and require a nearly perfect 40-minute performance to beat. We often try to find value further down the board and hope we hit one or two across the conference tournament landscape, but it feels like a waste of money here. Back the Cougars to make their push for the #1 overall seed this week by throttling towards the Big 12 Tournament title.