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) square off on Thursday for a place in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The opening-round matchup tips off 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%)

Take a look at the betting trends and insights below before placing a bet on Thursday's Houston-Idaho spread (Houston -23.5) or over/under (137.5 points).

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Houston vs. Idaho: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Houston has compiled a 16-18-0 ATS record so far this year.
• Idaho has won 15 games against the spread this year, while failing to cover 16 times.
• In home games, the Cougars sport a better record against the spread (9-7-0) compared to their ATS record in road games (4-5-0).
• The Vandals' winning percentage against the spread at home is .400 (4-6-0). Away, it is .438 (7-9-0).

Houston vs. Idaho: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Houston has won in 24, or 85.7%, of the 28 contests it has been named as the moneyline favorite in this year.
• The Cougars have been a -10000 moneyline favorite on three occasions this season and won every game.
• Idaho has won three of the 10 games it was the underdog on the moneyline this season (30%).
• The Vandals have never played a game this season with moneyline odds of +3000 or longer.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Houston has a 99% chance of walking away with the win.

Houston vs. Idaho Head-to-Head Comparison

• Houston was 182nd in the country in points scored (73.7 per game) and best in points allowed (58.7) last season.
• On the boards, Houston was 96th in the nation in rebounds (33.3 per game) last season. It was 10th-best in rebounds allowed (26.9 per game).
• At 12 assists per game last year, Houston was 292nd in the nation.
• Houston was the third-best team in the country in turnovers per game (8.4) and 85th in turnovers forced (12.3) last season.
• With 73.6 points per game on offense, Idaho was 186th in the nation last season. Defensively, it surrendered 75.5 points per contest, which ranked 283rd in college basketball.
• Idaho was 300th in the country with 29.9 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, it ranked 147th with 30.7 rebounds allowed per game.
• Last season Idaho ranked 274th in college basketball in assists, dishing out 12.3 per game.
• Last season Idaho averaged 11.3 turnovers per game (201st-ranked in college basketball) and forced 10.4 turnovers per contest (265th-ranked).

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