BYU Cougars vs Houston Cougars Matchup

Check out our free Houston Cougars vs BYU Cougars pick and preview for this CFB week 14 game in Provo. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 14 CFB matchup.

BYU is the heavy favorite in this week 14 matchup against Houston, with the point spread set at -12.5 in their favor. The game is scheduled for 10:15 ET at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo and will be broadcast on ESPN. The over/under line is currently 41 points. BYU comes in with a 9-2 record, while Houston is 4-7 on the season.

Cougars vs. Cougars Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Houston Cougars at BYU Cougars
Where: Provo at LaVell Edwards Stadium
Date: Saturday, November 30th
Betting Odds BYU -12.5, HOU +397 | BYU -553 O/U 41

Cougars Preview:

At 4-7, Houston is out of bowl contention as they face BYU in Week 14. They’ve gone 3-3 at home and 1-4 on the road this season. Ranked 84th in our power rankings, the Cougars have been favored in just two games this year.

Houston’s ATS record is 5-6, with an average scoring margin of -8.6 points per game. They are 2-3 against the spread on the road and 3-3 at home.

Their over/under record stands at 1-10, with their games averaging 35.9 points. This week’s line is set at 41 points, while their average over/under line has been 47.1 points.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 14, Houston's offense has struggled, averaging just 13.6 points per game, placing them 104th in the nation. They rank 119th in our offensive power rankings and have converted only 26.6% of their third downs. Their passing game has been particularly weak, with just 152.4 yards per game, ranking 122nd nationally, and their passer rating is 125th.

Quarterback Donovan Smith has thrown for 867 yards with a passer rating of 68, recording four touchdowns and eight interceptions. Houston ranks 51st in rushing attempts, averaging 139.4 yards per game. Re'Shaun Sanford II leads the ground game with 413 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry. Stephon Johnson has 348 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Cougars Team Defense

Houston's defense has been a bright spot this season, ranking 35th nationally by allowing just 22.3 points per game. In their recent game against Baylor, they gave up 20 points, allowing 352 total yards, including 148 rushing yards on 47 attempts and 204 passing yards, while forcing three interceptions.

Opponents have averaged 135.4 rushing yards per game on 33.5 attempts and 190.8 passing yards against Houston’s defense. Quarterbacks have completed 62% of their passes, with a passer rating of 89.4.

Cougars Preview:

Houston’s ATS record is 5-6, with an average scoring margin of -8.6 points per game. They are 2-3 against the spread on the road and 3-3 at home.

Their over/under record stands at 1-10, with their games averaging 35.9 points. This week’s line is set at 41 points, while their average over/under line has been 47.1 points.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

BYU’s offense is averaging 30.8 points per game heading into week 14, placing them 41st nationally. They are ranked 31st in our offensive power rankings. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff has thrown for 2,578 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and the team is averaging 239.8 passing yards per game.

Retzlaff’s passer rating is 90, matching the team’s overall rating, and BYU is converting just 34.9% of their third downs. On the ground, they are averaging 168.3 rushing yards per game. LJ Martin leads the rushing attack with 543 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry. Chase Roberts has 716 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Cougars Team Defense

BYU's defense is ranked 22nd nationally, allowing just 20.3 points per game. They’ve been strong against the pass, giving up only 182.5 yards per game, which ranks 29th in the country. Opposing quarterbacks have managed a passer rating of just 60.7 against BYU, the fifth-lowest in the nation, completing 54.5% of their throws.

In their recent game against Arizona State, BYU’s defense allowed 28 points, giving up 413 total yards. Arizona State ran the ball 42 times for 166 yards and threw for 247 yards. BYU’s defense also forced one interception in the game.

Cougars vs Cougars Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five games away from home, the Houston Cougars have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 11 points per game in this stretch.
In their last three home games, the BYU Cougars have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 27 points per game in these contests.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Houston Cougars have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the BYU Cougars have a straight up record of 9-1. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.