Big 12 Showdown Sparks Controversy: Can Arizona Defy the Overwhelming Spread Against Houston?

When two top-5 college basketball powerhouses collide, it’s tough not to get giddy. I mean, really — when Arizona squares off against Houston at 3:00 ET today, it’s like the universe is just daring us to look away. Both teams have tasted defeat recently, but each loss came with a side of grit and close calls, making this matchup anything but predictable. Will Arizona rediscover their flawless form after stumbling out of the gate? Or will Houston, sitting pretty at number two, keep their momentum alive and prove they belong at the summit? The spread’s creeping, the total’s sky-high, and you can bet we’re in for a fast-paced thriller. As someone who lives for these moments, I’m all in — because honestly, what’s better than a battle where neither side wants to blink first? LEARN MORE

Arizona vs. Houston, 3:00 ET

It really doesn’t get much better than this. Today’s basketball slate is full of amazing matchups and games that are simply can’t miss. I probably say this every weekend, but when you get two teams ranked in the top-5 of the nation taking each other on, how else can you describe it? What more could you want out of College Basketball? Personally, I am happy to watch just about any game. However, this matchup between Arizona and Houston is one that I really can’t wait to check out.

Arizona had been the #1 ranked team in the nation, and then they stumbled. It wasn’t just that they lost a game. That usually can be overlooked a bit, especially this one because they lost to a rival on the road. That first loss was to Kansas in Kansas. It wasn’t a bad game from them. In fact, I’d argue that they looked like the better team for much of the game. However, Kansas also didn’t have their best player in the game, so who knows, maybe it wasn’t a great performance from Arizona. The expectation was that they would follow up that loss with a rebound against Texas Tech. Unfortunately for them, that game didn’t go as planned either. They lost in overtime, by three points, at home, to Texas Tech. Now, the Red Raiders are a good team, but you can’t lose to rivals at home. This is even more true after a loss. They did get a win, against BYU, in their most recent game. BYU is a talented club, but they’ve been slipping quite a bit as well.

Houston is one of the best teams in the nation, and is currently ranked #2. I don’t think they’ve been ranked #1 at any point this season, so this is the highest they have been ranked. It is well earned as the team is 23-3 overall. They are 11-2 overall in Big 12 games, just like Arizona. They are coming off of a loss where they fell to Iowa State on the road. They lost that game by three, and it also cost me a unit as I had the under, and it snuck over the total. In any case, that was just the third loss of the year, and you’d, of course, mark that down as a good loss. Their other lose this season were against Texas Tech – also a road game – and against Tennessee in a neutral site game. Just like Arizona, all of these games were close. They don’t really ever get blown out.

This will be a tight game, but the question is if Houston can pull away late. Arizona has been good, but it feels like they are entering a stretch where they are just trying to figure out how to navigate tough games. With a total at almost 140, you have to assume that this game is going to be fairly fast past and the books expect Arizona to at least get some offense going. The spread has been pushed from an opening of -3.5 to -5.5 and I’m willing to take Arizona at this point. Houston is really good, but so is Arizona. I think part of the thought is that Houston won’t lose two in a row, but I thought that about Arizona as well. Winning by two possessions is a bit to ask, so I’m willing to take almost six points here.

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