The Houston Cougars (3-3, 3-2 AAC) visit the Memphis Tigers (6-3, 4-3) Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. Below, we analyze the Houston-Memphis college football betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Houston at Memphis: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 10:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Houston -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Memphis +165 (bet $100 to win $165)
- Against the spread/ATS: Houston -4.5 (-110) | Memphis +4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 623.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Houston at Memphis: Three things to know
- The Cougars are coming off a 56-21 win over South Florida on Nov. 14, covering a 15-point number. They have been out of action for nearly a calendar month due to COVID-19 postponements. So far this season, the Cougs have not won consecutive games, nor have they covered the spread in back-to-back outings.
- The Tigers are getting no respect from the books, perhaps due to their 35-21 egg-laying at Tulane last Saturday as 3.5-point underdogs. Their powerful offense has rolled up 31.8 points per game this season to rank 39th in the country, although they have managed just 15.5 PPG over their past two outings.
- Memphis has one of the best pass-catch combinations in the nation in QB Brady White and WR Calvin Austin III. White has thrown for 2,850 yards, 26 touchdowns and 8 interceptions across nine games, and Austin has hauled in 53 receptions for 951 yards and 9 touchdowns with 17.9 yards per catch. WR Tahj Washington and TE Sean Dykes have combined for 12 receiving scores, too, so this pass attack is stacked, posting 317.4 yards per game to rank 15th in the nation.
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Houston at Memphis: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Memphis 41, Houston 38
Money line (ML)
MEMPHIS (+165) is a value play at the Liberty Bowl at plus-money. The Tigers are 5-0 at home, averaging 43.6 PPG in those outings. It will be bombs away for the Tigers’ pass attack against Houston (-200).
Against the spread (ATS)
The TIGERS +4.5 (-110) catching points at home makes them one of the more attractive dogs on the entire Saturday college football card. Plan to toss them in plenty of parlays and teasers.
Memphis can score with the best of them, and this game has the makings of another classic shootout which we have grown to love the past couple of seasons.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 62.5 (-110) shouldn’t be a problem with these two. Again, Memphis is averaging north of 40 in its five games at home, and Houston dropped 56 on South Florida last week. The Cougars have averaged 33.2 PPG in six outings overall.
Oh, and the Over has hit in each of the past four in this series, and all four of the previous meetings in the Liberty Bowl, too.
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