Arizona vs. Houston odds, prediction: 2026 Big 12 Conference men's college basketball picks from proven model

First place is on the line in the Big 12 Conference when the fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats battle the second-ranked Houston Cougars in a key matchup on Saturday afternoon. Arizona is coming off a 75-68 win over BYU on Wednesday, while Houston dropped a 70-67 decision at Iowa State on Monday. The Wildcats (24-2, 11-2 Big 12), who are 7-2 against ranked opponents this season, are 6-1 on the road in 2025-26. The Cougars (23-3, 11-2 Big 12), who are 4-3 against ranked foes, are 13-0 on their home court. Koa Peat (lower leg) is out for Arizona, while Houston will be without Kordel Jefferson (knee).

Tip-off from Fertitta Center in Houston is set for 3 p.m. ET. Houston leads the all-time series 8-6, including wins in each of the last three games. Houston is a 5.5-point favorite in the latest Arizona vs. Houston odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 141.5. 

Before making any Arizona vs. Houston picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times and entered Week 16 on a sizzling 11-1 run on top-ranked over/under picks dating back to last year, and is on an 13-7 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following could have seen HUGE returns!

The model has simulated Arizona vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time!

So who wins Arizona vs. Houston, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times!