Houston's March Madness Hopes on the Line

0:00On March 9th, Fandole just dropped the betting odds for the Phillips 66 Big 12 men's basketball tournament, which tips off in less than 24 hours. Arizona leaves the pack as the top favorite at Plus 115, with number 7 Houston right behind at Plus 210. Iowa State sits at Plus 650, and Kansas at Plus 850, showing a clear drop off after the top two. Houston lost to Arizona earlier this season, but the odds treat them as neck and neck favorites, rather than a distant second. The Cougars hold a strong 14-4 conference record, earning them buys through the first two rounds. The Big 12 remains the toughest league top to bottom in college hoops, outpacing even the SEC, Big 10, and ACC in depth. A tournament title could vault Houston from a projected number two seed in the NCAA field to a number one overall. Houston opens Thursday at 6 p.m. Central Tom against the winner of an early playing game, facing possible tests from West Virginia, Kansas State, or BYU.

1:01A semi-final clash with Kansas looms if both advance, while Arizona and Texas Tech lurk on the other bracket side. With revenge on the line against regular season foes, and one of the nation's roughest paths ahead, Houston's running Kansas City could define there. Much man is hopes as the action unfolds.