Houston vs. Cincinnati, Picks and Prediction, Saturday, January 3, 2026
Houston (12-1, 0-0 Big 12) will be trying to pick up their first conference win of the season when they visit Fifth Third Arena on Saturday afternoon to face Cincinnati (8-5, 0-0 Big 12) at 2 PM. ET. Read on to find out which team picks up the win in this Cougars vs. Bearcats prediction. Struggling with handicapping? Try our NCAAB Predictions!
The Cougars are coming off a 69-60 win over Middle Tennessee State as 26-point favorites. The Bearcats are coming off a 89-62 win over Lipscomb as 14.5-point favorites.
Houston is 10-0 in its last 10 games against Cincinnati.
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Houston Going For Seventh Consecutive Win
The Cougars bounced back from their first loss of the season with six straight wins. They are hitting the road for their first conference game of the season and will try to keep the momentum going with a win on Saturday.
Houston averages 78.7 points per game. They’ve made 45.3 percent of their field goals and 34.8 percent of their three-pointers.
Emanuel Sharp leads Houston with 17 points and three rebounds per game. Kingston Flemings averages 15.3 points and 4.9 assists per game, while Milos Uzan averages 11.1 points and 4.6 assists per game.
Houston is giving up 60 points per game. Opponents have made 39 percent of their field goals and 29 percent of their three-pointers against them.
Cincinnati Going For Second Consecutive Win
The Bearcats bounced back from their loss to Clemson with a win over Lipscomb in their last game. They will try to keep the momentum going and pick up their second straight win when they play on Saturday.
Cincinnati averages 75.8 points per game. They’ve made 42.6 percent of their field goals and 31.7 percent of their three-pointers.
Jizzle James leads the Bearcats with 14 points and 3.3 assists per game. Baba Miller averages 13.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, while Day Day Thomas averages 12.8 points and 3.8 assists per game.
Cincinnati is giving up 65.5 points per game. Opponents have made 39 percent of their field goals and 30 percent of their three-pointers against them.
Houston vs. Cincinnati Picks
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Insiders Room | +1,793.00 |
| 2 |  Tony Karpinski | +1,731.00 |
| 3 |  Jesse Schule | +1,599.00 |
| 4 |  Rob Vinciletti | +1,284.00 |
| 5 |  David Delano | +1,232.00 |
Point Spread Pick for Houston vs. Cincinnati
- Houston Cougars to cover. (4 Units)
The Cougars have won six straight games, while the Bearcats split their last six games. Houston has the edge here because they’re playing well offensively, scoring more than 87 points per game in their last three games, while making 49 percent of their shots. They’ve also done a better job at the charity stripe, making over 79 percent of their free throws during that span, while the Bearcats made 70 percent of theirs. They rebound the ball well and grab more than 11 offensive rebounds per game, which will give them more scoring chances. They also turn the ball over less than 10 times per game, and won’t give up many easy-scoring chances. The Bearcats usually play well defensively, but they struggled in recent games, and will have a hard time slowing down the hot-shooting Cougars. Take Houston to cover the spread.
Over/Under Pick for Houston vs. Cincinnati
- Under (4 Units)
The Cougars average 78.7 points per game. They play at the 306th-fastest pace in the nation, averaging 68.7 possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that is giving up 60.7 points per game at home. The Bearcats average 75.8 points per game. They play at the 68th-fastest pace in the nation, averaging 74.5 possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that is giving up 60 points per game. Don’t expect these teams to score enough points to push the score over the total. The Bearcats and Cougars played under the total in three of their last four meetings.
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