Picks for 2/16/26
College Basketball
9:00 PM EST
Rotation # 882
Iowa State -2.5 over Houston (win)
We are in for a treat tonight, with two top-five programs facing off with elite-level offense and defense units. It could be a preview of a deep March Madness contest. More importantly, Houston is trying to win the BIG 12 in what could be a photo finish three weeks from now. The Cougars have done a remarkable job of staying relevant after blowing the National Title Game last year. A lot of times, you will see programs fade away after such a heartbreaker, which shows the true genius of head coach Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars have won six straight and have been great on the road this season. The problem is they run into a Cyclones team that is red-hot in their own building, sitting at a perfect 14-0. Iowa State is coming off an impressive win over the weekend against Kansas. Houston won this matchup on its home floor a year ago behind an epic performance from the now-graduated LJ Cryer. The Cyclones are looking for payback in their building. Milan Momcilovic is one of the best shooters in the game, with his three-point ability being a game-changer. Houston wasn’t dominant on the glass in their last game, nor did they protect the ball against a bad Kansas State team. Much of that could have stemmed from pure boredom, but it’s never a good sign heading into a hostile environment against a quality opponent. Home court means just about everything in a game like this. Take Iowa State.
9:00 PM EST
Rotation # 882
Iowa State -2.5 over Houston (win)
We are in for a treat tonight, with two top-five programs facing off with elite-level offense and defense units. It could be a preview of a deep March Madness contest. More importantly, Houston is trying to win the BIG 12 in what could be a photo finish three weeks from now. The Cougars have done a remarkable job of staying relevant after blowing the National Title Game last year. A lot of times, you will see programs fade away after such a heartbreaker, which shows the true genius of head coach Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars have won six straight and have been great on the road this season. The problem is they run into a Cyclones team that is red-hot in their own building, sitting at a perfect 14-0. Iowa State is coming off an impressive win over the weekend against Kansas. Houston won this matchup on its home floor a year ago behind an epic performance from the now-graduated LJ Cryer. The Cyclones are looking for payback in their building. Milan Momcilovic is one of the best shooters in the game, with his three-point ability being a game-changer. Houston wasn’t dominant on the glass in their last game, nor did they protect the ball against a bad Kansas State team. Much of that could have stemmed from pure boredom, but it’s never a good sign heading into a hostile environment against a quality opponent. Home court means just about everything in a game like this. Take Iowa State.