Houston vs Idaho College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament First Round

The No. 2 Houston Cougars (28-6) and the No. 15 Idaho Vandals (21-14) meet on Thursday for a spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The first-round matchup begins at 10:10 p.m. ET.

Before you place your bet on this matchup at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Houston vs. Idaho Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Thursday, March 19, 2026
• Game time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• TV channel: truTV
• Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Arena: Paycom Center

Houston vs. Idaho Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Houston win (87.4%)

Before making a bet on Thursday's Houston-Idaho spread (Houston -23.5) or over/under (137.5 points), see the betting insights and trends below.

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Houston vs. Idaho: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Houston is 16-18-0 ATS this season.
• Idaho has covered 15 times in 31 matchups with a spread this year.
• Against the spread, the Cougars have fared better at home, covering nine times in 16 home games, and four times in nine road games.
• The Vandals have performed better against the spread away (7-9-0) than at home (4-6-0) this year.

Houston vs. Idaho: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Houston has come away with 24 wins in the 28 contests it has been listed as the moneyline favorite in this season.
• The Cougars have not lost in three games this year when favored by -10000 or better on the moneyline.
• Idaho has been the moneyline underdog 10 total times this season. Idaho has gone 3-7 in those games.
• The Vandals have yet to play as a moneyline underdog of +3000 or longer.
• Houston has an implied victory probability of 99% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.

Houston vs. Idaho Head-to-Head Comparison

• On offense, Houston was the 182nd-ranked team in the nation (73.7 points per game) last year. Defensively, it was best (58.7 points conceded per game).
• Last year, Houston was 96th in the nation in rebounds (33.3 per game) and 10th-best in rebounds allowed (26.9).
• Last season Houston was ranked 292nd in the country in assists with 12.0 per game.
• In terms of turnovers, Houston was third-best in the country in committing them (8.4 per game) last year. It was 85th in forcing them (12.3 per game).
• On offense, Idaho averaged 73.6 points per game (186th-ranked in college basketball) last season. It allowed 75.5 points per contest on defense (283rd-ranked).
• With 29.9 rebounds per game, Idaho ranked 300th in the country. It ceded 30.7 rebounds per contest, which ranked 147th in college basketball.
• Last season Idaho ranked 274th in college basketball in assists, delivering 12.3 per game.
• With 11.3 turnovers per game, Idaho was 201st in college basketball. It forced 10.4 turnovers per contest, which ranked 265th in college basketball.

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