No. 4 Houston will host Cincinnati on Saturday in a Big 12 battle with conference title and NCAA Tournament implications. The Cougars are freshly minted as a projected No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology and will win the Big 12 outright with a victory.

Cincinnati (17-11, 7-10 Big 12) has won five of its past seven games, rising to “Next 4 Out” territory in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology. Taking down a top-five team on the road would do wonders for the Bearcats, who are clawing for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.

But few teams are playing better than Houston (24-4, 16-1), which boasts a suffocating defense and a host of 3-point bombers. The Cougars rank No. 2 nationally in 3-point percentage at 40.2% and No. 1 nationally in scoring defense by holding opponents to just 57.8 points per game. 

If Cincinnati is going to pull the upset, it will likely require another big performance from Jizzle James. The sophomore guard is averaging 19.7 points over the Bearcats’ past seven games, shooting 40% from 3-point range over that span while helping will his team into the bubble conversation.

With a Monday showdown against Kansas looming, this could be viewed as a trap spot for Houston. But with an outright conference tittle on the line and the program vying for its third straight No. 1 seed, there is plenty to keep the Cougars focused.

How to watch Houston vs. Cincinnati live

Date: Saturday, March 1 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Fertitta Center — Houston
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)

Houston vs. Cincinnati prediction, picks

All odds via SportsLine consensus

Houston should be plenty motivated as it seeks to claim an outright Big 12 title and stay in the hunt for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars’ stingy defense will make life difficult on a Cincinnati offense that ranks 13th in the Big 12 in scoring at 66.5 points per game. The Bearcats also rank 14th in the Big 12 in 3-point defense, which will be a problem against a Houston team that shoots better than 40% from beyond the arc. Houston may have reason to pull off the gas late since it hosts Kansas on a short turnaround Monday, but on principle, the Cougars can handle this spread. Pick: Houston -15.5

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