2026 Big 12 Tournament Preview, Odds & Expert Insights

The top teams in the Big 12 knocked each other around during the regular season setting up what should be an interesting conference tournament. The No. 1 team in the country for a good portion of the season, the Arizona Wildcats enter as the favorite on the college basketball spread.

The Big 12 is deep with several national championship contenders in Houston, Kansas, Iowa State, and, of course, Arizona. With four teams ranked among the top 10 and eight teams with at least 20 wins the conference tournament is a free for all.

Arizona’s first loss of the season didn’t come until its 24th game. Their only two setbacks were back to back to Kansas and Texas Tech by a combined 7 points. The Cats overcame that lapse and are scorching hot entering the tournament with 6 straight wins taming Houston and blowing out Kansas and Iowa State.

Big 12 Tournament Preview

The Big 12 men’s basketball tournament will be held from Tuesday, March 10-Saturday, March 14, 2026 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. Every tournament game will be televised on ESPN’s family of networks. The championship game will tip off on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET and be televised on ESPN.

Big 12 Tournament Favorites

Arizona Wildcats (29-2, 16-2)

In terms of balance the Wildcats have it all. Brayden Burries leads them in scoring at 16.0 per game and is part of a fascinating backcourt with Jaden Bradley. The frontcourt is perhaps the best in the game led by Koa Peat and Mo Krivas. They are so stacked that Tobe Awaka, who leads the team with 9.5 rebounds per game, comes off the bench.

Houston Cougars (26-5, 14-4)

There are a few things that make Houston an intriguing pick against the NCAA basketball spread. The Cougs are again ridiculously good led by their trademark lockdown defense. They ranked second in the nation in turnover rate and also valued the basketball on offense. Houston is more potent offensively than in years past as well.

Kansas Jayhawks (22-9, 12-6)

Before the most recent expansion this tournament was built for the Jayhawks. However, they haven’t won the title since 2022 and it's been 2 years since they played in the final. Four losses in their final 7 regular season games didn’t help their odds, but a healthy Darryn Peterson makes them a threat.

Big 12 Tournament Longshots

Texas Tech Red Raiders (22-9, 12-6)

The loss of JT Toppin hurt Tech’s chances, but the club proved it could win without their All-American taking 3 in a row after his injury. However, they closed with losses to TCU and BYU and depth will be an issue in a tournament environment.

Cincinnati Bearcats (17-14, 9-9)

Overall their record isn’t imposing but the Bearcats closed on a nice run winning 6 of 7 that included a 20-point win over UCF, a 16-point victory at Kansas and a 22-point win over BYU. They have a talented frontcourt with Baba Miller and Moustapha Thiam averaging 26 points and 16.8 boards between them.

Public Betting Odds Factors

Houston could very well win the tournament like it did last year, but it is a tougher road. The Cougs didn’t fare well against top competition losing consecutively to Iowa State, Arizona and Kansas just a few weeks with the offense struggling to score points.

A format similar to the ACC tournament has the bottom 8 teams playing in the first round with the top 4 clubs – Arizona, Houston, Kansas and Texas Tech – receiving a double bye to the quarterfinals. A team outside the top 4 hasn’t won since Iowa State in 2019.

Kansas will have the benefit of a pro-Jayhawks crowd with the campus about 45 miles away on I-70. It’s not the Phog but the crowd should boost the Jayhawks in their attempt to win a 13th tournament title.

Big 12 Tournament Predictions

Arizona is the best of the bunch, but several teams have a realistic chance of winning the tournament. Houston plays relentless defense but adds scoring punch to the lineup making them a threat to repeat. The Cougs also have payback after late season losses to Arizona, Kansas and ISU.

Darryn Peterson is a key for Kansas. A projected lottery pick, Peterson averages 20 points in 28 minutes, but he’s been limited with a variety of injuries. Melvin Council Jr. adds 13.4 points per game and Flory Bidunga is a top defender giving the Jayhawks a well-rounded rotation.

Big 12 Tournament Betting Tips

Kansas cashed the UNDER in 21 of 31 games this season showcasing a stifling defense. Toss in a healthy Peterson and the Jayhawks have a good shot at adding to their Big 12 tournament title collection.