Jan. 31, 2026, 10:23 a.m. ET
The Cincinnati Bearcats (11-10, 3-5 Big 12) and the No. 7 Houston Cougars (18-2, 6-1) meet Saturday. Tip-off from Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas, is scheduled for noon ET (FOX). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the Cincinnati vs. Houston odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.
Cincinnati stopped Baylor 67-57 in its most recent game on Wednesday, covering as a 3.5-point favorite as the Under (145.5) cashed. F Baba Miller rolled up 18 points with 17 rebounds and a block while G Jizzle James was good for 17 points with 5 made 3-pointers.
The Bearcats have won just 3 times in the past 8 games, however, going 4-4 against the spread (ATS) while the Under is 6-2 in the span. The total has gone low in 15 of Cincinnati’s past 20 games, too.
Houston won 79-70 at TCU as a 7.5-point favorite Wednesday as the Over (139.5) cashed. G Kingston Flemings rolled up 27 points, while F Chris Cenac ended up with 8 rebounds, a career-high 14 rebounds and 3 steals with a block. Flemings has 3 straight 20-point showings among his team-best 9 games with 20+ points.
The Cougars are 4-1 ATS in their past 5 games while the Over has cashed in 3 in a row. Houston is also 9-3 ATS across the past 12 games while the Under is 5-3 across the previous 8 outings.
Houston has won 13 straight meetings in this series, with Cincinnati’s last win coming at home on Feb. 1, 2020. The Bearcats lead the all-time series 33-18.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch NCAA basketball on Fubo!Cincinnati at Houston odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 7:15 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Cincinnati +875 (bet $100 to win $875) | Houston -1600 (bet $1,600 to win $100)Against the spread: Cincinnati +14.5 (-102) | Houston -14.5 (-118)Over/Under (O/U): 134.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)Cincinnati at Houston picks and predictionsPrediction
Houston 75, Cincinnati 63
Houston (-1600) will cost you 16 times your potential return, and there is never a reason to bet such a heavy favorite, even as part of a multi-leg parlay. There is just too much risk, and not enough reward. In fact, you would need to wager $100 for just $6.25 in profit.
PASS and look to the spread, instead.
CINCINNATI +14.5 (-102) is a decent play catching the double digits. While the Bearcats are just 1-4 ATS in 5 games this season as an underdog of 5.5 or more points, they’re the play.
Houston is 4-1 ATS in the past 5 games but is just 1-3 ATS in the past 4 meetings with the Bearcats and 1-3 ATS in the previous 4 battles at Fertitta Center against Cincinnati.
UNDER 134.5 (-115) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most.
The Under is 4-1 in the past 5 meetings and 7-2 across the previous 9 in the series. The Under is also 6-2 in the past 8 games for Cincinnati and 15-5 in the Bearcats’ past 20 contests.
While the Over is 3-0 in the past 3 games for Houston, the Under has a 7-2 edge in the past 9 in the series.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow @danieledobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose.  While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling.  We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site.  Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.