A couple of schools that prefer to run the football, Head Coach Dana Holgorsen and the Houston Cougars (+3) are gearing up to pay a visit to their conference foe Tulsa Golden Hurricane (-3) at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. The game is scheduled to get underway at 7:30 p.m. ET and fans can catch the action by tuning in to ESPNU.
Betting Preview: Houston Cougars at Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Houston is a live dog and is currently getting 3 points in this Saturday AAC game. The Cougars are also receiving +120 moneyline odds while the Golden Hurricane are -140. It appears that there will probably be some good live betting opportunities in this match, and oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 60 points.
The game’s opening line was -4. The total has yet to change after being initially set at 60.
The Cougars are 5-5 against the spread (ATS) and are down 2.5 units so far. The team has recorded an O/U mark of 4-5-1.
The Golden Hurricane are up 1.3 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 6-4 ATS and have an O/U record of 4-6.
The Cougars are 3-7 straight up (SU), including 1-5 SU against AAC opponents. The Golden Hurricane are 3-7 SU overall and 1-5 SU in conference play.
The Cougars came up short to Memphis 45-27 in a blowout where their defense allowed the Tigers to pass for 367 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 164 yards. Offensively, Clayton Tune completed 14 passes for only 157 yards and one touchdown. Kyle Porter (23 yards on 13 rush attempts) and the signal-caller Tune (65 yards on 10 carries, one TD) led the ground attack. Marquez Stevenson (five receptions, 89 yards, one TD) and Jeremy Singleton (three catches, 12 yards) handled the receiving duties in the defeat.
Tulsa just earned a 34-31 win over UCF two weeks ago. As a group, the team collectively completed 16-of-24 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Zach Smith went 10-for-14 for 127 yards and one touchdown while Seth Boomer was six-of-10 for 87 yards and one touchdown. Shamari Brooks (69 rushing yards on 24 attempts, one TD) and Corey Taylor II (44 yards on 17 carries) mounted the running game while Keenen Johnson (six receptions, 75 yards, one TD) and Sam Crawford Jr. (four catches, 51 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Houston has run the ball on 59.6 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Tulsa has an overall rush percentage of 54.2 percent. The Cougars have run for 199.3 yards per game (including 173.7 per game against American Athletic Conference opponents) and have 18 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Golden Hurricane are logging 132.3 rush yards per game (149.8 in conference) and have 15 total rushing TDs.
The Cougars offensive scheme has tallied 194.7 yards/game in the air overall (230.7 per game against conference opposition) and has 15 passing scores so far. The Golden Hurricane have produced 266.4 pass yards per contest (273 in the AAC) and have 14 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Houston has allowed 172.8 rush yards and 297.3 pass yards per game. The Tulsa defense has allowed 210.8 yards per game to opposing passers and 201.5 yards per game to opposing runners. The Golden Hurricane are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of 6.91 to opponents, while the Cougars have given up an 8.44 ANY/A.
Offensively, Tune is up to 872 passing yards this year, and has completed 56 percent of his 102 attempts with six passing scores and four interceptions. Tune’s got a 6.37 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 4.70 over the past two games.
We’re looking for Cougars to control tempo by feeding their running backs early and often. Along with Marquez Stevenson (745 yards, seven TDs), Mulbah Car (375 rush yards, three rush TDs) and Kyle Porter (502 rush yards, three rush TDs, one receiving TD) have been big focal points in the Houston offensive scheme.
For the home team, Zach Smith has managed to complete 179-of-321 passes for 2,297 yards, 12 TDs and six INTs. Smith’s ANY/A stands at 5.93 for the year and 7.90 over his last two games.
The Golden Hurricane should also look to control the clock by turning to their backfield. In addition to Keylon Stokes (742 receiving yards, four receiving TDs), Shamari Brooks (757 rush yards, six rush TDs) and Keenen Johnson (393 receiving yards and two TDs) have seen plenty of touches lately.
When these two programs met last year, Houston emerged victorious by a final score of 41-26.
Houston Cougars vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane Free Pick
SU Winner: Houston, ATS Winner: Houston, O/U: Over
Team Betting Notes
- Both teams have lost seven fumbles this season.
- The Houston D has sacked opposing QBs 15 times this season. Tulsa has registered 13 sacks.
- As a team, Houston has averaged 3.7 yards per rush attempt over its past three games and 4.3 over its last two.
- Tulsa has averaged 3.5 yards per carry over its last three outings and 2.9 over its last two.
- In its last three matchups, Tulsa is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- The O/U for Houston’s previous game was set at 71. The over cashed in the team’s 45-27 defeat to Memphis.
- In its last three matches, Houston is 2-1 ATS.
- The Over/Under for Tulsa’s last match going into it was 68.5. The under cashed in the 34-31 victory over UCF.
- Houston has lost five of its last six games SU, with a seven-point win over Connecticut on October 19th representing the only victory over that span.
