Big 12 Tournament Betting Odds, Predictions & Favorites to Win: Texas Tech as a Threat to Houston

• After a dominant regular season run, including securing a Big 12 regular season title in their first year in the conference, the Houston Cougars were upset by the Iowa State Cyclones in the Big 12 Tournament

• The Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes, and Utah Utes will join the Big 12 for the 2024-25 regular season, adding even more competition to the nation’s best conference

• Houston is the clear-cut favorite to win the Big 12 Conference Tournament after cruising through conference play with only one loss leading up to its final regular-season game.

The Big 12 has been among the most challenging conferences for college basketball programs to play in the past decade. 

Before several competitive basketball programs emerged, the Kansas Jayhawks were running through their opponents. 

However, that is no longer the case, with new powerhouses like Houston, Iowa State, and Baylor continuing to establish themselves.

With as deep as the Big 12 has become, there are a number of squads besides the aforementioned teams that can trudge through the gauntlet, but it will be far from simple.

Keep reading below to see our analysis of these favorites and our pick to win the Big 12 Conference Tournament in 2025!

Big 12 Tournament Betting Odds

Find the latest odds for the Big 12 NCAAM Tournament in the table below, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Head over to FanDuel to place your bets and get the following bonus: Bet $5, Get $250 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

Favorites to Win the 2025 Big 12 Tournament

Houston

Head coach Kelvin Sampson has built the Houston Cougars into a perennial powerhouse, but it has not necessarily been through attracting a ton of 5-star recruits or dominating the transfer portal with NIL deals.

Sampson has done it the old-fashioned way: working hard, developing chemistry, and out-coaching opposing coaches.

Like we have come to expect from Sampson-led squads, the Cougars are again one of the top offensive rebounding teams and have one of the most elite defenses in the country, which automatically propels them into the upper-echelon of college basketball.

There are a few major differences between the 2024-25 Houston Cougars and past teams. This year’s squad shoots the 3-ball at a high level, scarcely turns the ball over, and is deeper than previous teams.

L.J. Cryer, J’Wan Roberts, Terrance Arceneaux, Emanuel Sharp, and Ja’Vier Francis, five of the team’s top seven scorers from last year, returned for the Cougs; they also added Milos Uzan, a solid playmaking guard, to replace Jamal Shead.

Due to their pace of play, Houston could run into some problems in the half-court if its shots aren’t falling at the usual rate.

Because there will inevitably be fewer possessions in games that Houston is involved in, opponents will have a better shot at keeping games close.

Still, this team has championship contender written all over them.

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Arizona

It was a slow start to the 2024-25 season for the Arizona Wildcats, as they began with just a 4-5 record through their first nine games.

However, the Wildcats have turned things around, winning 13 of their next 14 games before losing to Kansas State on the road.

Now, as of the second week in February, the Wildcats sit in 14th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin and are one of only five teams nationally to rank in the top 17 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiencies.

Arizona is led by the electric backcourt trio of Caleb Love, Jaden Bradley, and KJ Lewis, who combine to score roughly 40 points per game. 

Meanwhile, the Cats’ frontcourt features three strong frontcourt players in Trey Townsend, Henri Veesaar, and Tobe Awaka.

Despite their talent and having one of the top coaches in the conference, it will take even more from the Wildcats to secure a conference tournament championship.

If Arizona wants to make a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament, it must continue to dominate the glass on both ends of the floor and shoot better from behind the arc, as 3-point shooting has oftentimes been an Achilles’ heel.

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Iowa State

To no one’s surprise, the Iowa State Cyclones are again one of the best teams in the country.

That happens when you bring back four key players, such as Milan Momcilovic, Curtis Jones, Tamin Lipsey, and Keshon Gilbert, and snag three substantial portal transfers, like Joshua Jefferson, Dishon Jackson, and Nate Heise.

The difference between last season’s Cyclones team and this year’s version is simple: offense.

Iowa State finished the 2023-24 season ranked 52nd in adjusted offensive efficiency; however, the Cyclones are in the top 20 in that same metric this year.

Through the middle of February, the Cyclones have had huge resume-building victories over Kansas, Baylor, Marquette, and Texas Tech.

However, they had a bit of a slide at the end of January and the beginning of February, dropping games to West Virginia, Kansas, Kansas State, and Arizona.

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Who Will Win the Big 12 Tournament - My Pick 

Houston

As usual, the Houston Cougars are one of the country’s top offensive rebounding and defensive teams. 

The Cougars have the fourth-ranked defense (KenPom) and the fourth-highest offensive rebounding percentage nationally through the first few weeks of February, cementing themselves again as one of the best in those areas.

However, Houston has made massive improvements on the offensive end of the floor, which can undoubtedly catapult it back into the conversation for title favorites for both the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament.

Since Houston’s resurgence as a program under Kelvin Sampson, it has never had this efficient of an offensive attack.

The Cougs are sixth (mid-February) in adjusted offensive efficiency (KenPom) and shoot (roughly) an eye-popping 40% from 3-point land in their 2024-25 campaign.

This Houston team has the makings of a title contender because they have improved substantially in turnovers and 3-point percentage.

Along with their substantial uptick in 3-point shooting percentage, they also rank in the top five nationally in turnovers per game.

Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech, and Arizona are all formidable opponents; however, they have not proven consistent enough to beat a team like Houston on a neutral court.

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Who Won the Big 12 Tournament in 2024

The Iowa State Cyclones unexpectedly upset the top-ranked Houston Cougars to secure their sixth Big 12 Tournament Championship. With the Cyclones bringing back a ton of talent from their 2023-24 team, they will again be one of the favorites to win the Big 12 Tournament in 2025; however, they will have formidable opponents in the conference, including the Kansas Jayhawks, Houston Cougars, and others.

Big 12 Tournament History

The Big 12 Tournament was birthed right after (1997) the forming of the Big 12 Conference in 1996. Since 1997, the Big 12 Tournament has been held every year, with the Kansas Jayhawks holding a massive number of tournament titles (12).

While Kansas has the most Big 12 Tournament championships, Iowa State has an incredulous 6-0 record in the championship game, including the Cyclones’ championship win last season over the top-ranked Houston Cougars.

The Big 12 Tournament has been held primarily in Kansas City, Missouri, and will continue to be held there until at least 2031.

Past 15 Big 12 Tournament Winners

Below, we have listed out the past 15 Big 12 Tournament winners, including the Iowa State Cyclones, who upset No. 1 Houston to win the conference tournament last season. 

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the Big 12 Tournament

Name brand matters in the sports betting space, and companies like FanDuel, Caesars, and BetMGM have leveraged their presence in the hospitality and entertainment industries to expand into the online sportsbook space.

Choosing a sportsbook is challenging, as numerous factors can alter your decision. This becomes especially true if you only want to create an account with one sportsbook. 

Here is a list of categories: welcome bonuses, user interface, navigability, odds, ongoing promotions, payment options, and withdrawal times. That is only the beginning, too.

Regardless, we have broken down a few of our favorite sportsbooks below, including their welcome bonuses, withdrawal times, and payment options. Take a look!

How to Read Big 12 Tournament Winner Odds

Once the Big 12 Tournament odds drop on sportsbooks, you can bet on the teams we have listed above as our favorites or any underdogs you believe can win. However, unless you can read the odds and understand them, they will not help you. Luckily, it is all fairly simple to understand. 

For example, if the Kansas Jayhawks are -120 to win the Big 12 Tournament, then that means they are a favorite, as any odds with a minus (-) sign in front of them imply that they have a greater than 50% chance of winning. In this case, you would have to bet $120 to win $100.

If a team like the Baylor Bears has +200 odds of winning the Big 12 Tournament, then a bettor would need only to bet $100 to win $200 for a total payout of $300. A plus (+) sign implies that a team has a less than 50% chance of winning, and the higher the number, the bigger of an underdog they are, as the payout obviously increases.