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Memphis Tigers at Houston Cougars: Betting Guide

The Houston Cougars, ranked No. 17 in the current AP Top 25 poll, look to win their 10th game in a row as they host the middling Memphis Tigers on Friday in a battle between two of the American Athletic Conference’s traditional powers.

It has been a down year for the young Tigers but they have been competitive and should give Houston a game, even if the college football odds peg the Cougars as big favorites.

memphis tigers vs houston cougars
Tim Warner / Getty Images via AFP
  • Game: Memphis Tigers (5-5) at Houston Cougars (9-1)
  • Location: TDECU Stadium
  • Day/Time: Friday, 9 p.m. ET
  • Television: ESPN2

Betting Lines

Team Point Spread Moneyline Over/Under
Memphis +9½ (-110) N/A o60½ (-110)
Houston -9½ (-110) N/A u60½ (-110)

Head-to-Head

This rivalry has been all Memphis lately, as the Tigers have won each of the last five meetings going back to 2016. However, Houston won the previous six meetings so the Cougars lead the overall historical series, 15-14.

Memphis won last year’s matchup 30-27, holding off a furious Houston comeback with a walk-off 47-yard field goal by Riley Patterson. Calvin Austin III caught seven passes for 74 yards with a touchdown in the victory.

Memphis Tigers

Next game: vs. Tulane

Last Game

The Tigers lost a tough one to East Carolina 30-29 on Saturday, kicking a field goal as time expired in regulation to force overtime, only to fall short in the extra period on a missed two-point conversion. Freshman quarterback Seth Henigan threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns (and ran for 61 yards), but it was all for naught when he couldn’t find an open receiver on the conversion attempt with the Tigers going for the win.

Memphis lost straight-up as four-point home favorites, allowing over 500 yards of total offense to the Pirates. The over (59 points) needed an overtime boost to hit.

Injury Report

Ryan Silverfield’s team is pretty healthy overall but could be without linebacker Cole Mashburn and defensive lineman John Cartwright. Both missed the East Carolina game and are questionable going forward.

Houston Cougars

Next game: at Connecticut

Last Game

Houston rolled over the Temple Owls last weekend, scoring the game’s first 24 points en route to an 37-8 win and covering as 25-point road favorites. Clayton Tune threw for 224 yards and two scores through the air while Alton McCaskill churned out 129 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Cougars picked off the Owls’ three times and held Temple to 218 yards of total offense and just 10 first downs. The under (53 points) easily came through behind Houston’s suffocating and playmaking defense.

Injury Report

Houston got some tough news before Saturday’s game when Dana Holgorsen announced that wide receiver KeSean Carter would miss the rest of the season with a foot injury. Defensive lineman Sedrick Williams (ankle) has been out since September and is questionable for Friday as he inches closer to a return.

Betting on the Game

Houston opened as 9½ point favorites on the BetUS Sportsbook and the line hasn’t moved since. While it’s still early in the week and there could be some movement as we get closer to kickoff, it should settle in around what the current college football spreads are (and maybe go up to 10 points or so in favor of the Cougars).

Houston is a really dynamic team on both ends of the ball and is 10th in the country in scoring offense and 26th in scoring defense. While that may be a factor of playing in a less-than-elite conference, the Cougars have shown they can take care of business by multiple scores against inferior competition.

Memphis isn’t bad by any means, but the Tigers have a lot of youth and just don’t have the firepower to stick around with Houston, especially on the road.

Tune, McCaskill and top receiver Nathaniel Dell have proven to be an unstoppable trio and there’s no reason to think Memphis — allowing nearly 30 points per game — will be able to keep them in check. If you’re betting online, look for Houston to put up a lot of points on Friday night.

The over/under is definitely on the high end of things, but the over might be the smart move. Houston has only been held under 31 points in one conference game — by Navy — and was gashed a bit by both SMU and South Florida’s offenses in recent weeks.

Memphis doesn’t exactly have an elite offense but Henigan and Austin III have great chemistry and can put together some big plays in a hurry to drive the point total up.

Final Score: Houston 38, Memphis 28

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