Houston Cougars vs Kansas Jayhawks Matchup

Check out our free Houston Cougars vs Kansas Jayhawks pick and preview for this CFB week 8 game in Kansas City. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 8 CFB matchup.

ESPN+ is handling the television broadcast as the Houston Cougars and Kansas Jayhawks face off at 3:30 ET on Saturday, October 19th. The game is being played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The Jayhawks are the -6.5 point favorite in this week eight college football matchup. The over/under line is currently set at 46.5 points. Both teams are looking to bounce back from slow starts, with Houston sitting at 2-4 and Kansas at 1-5 for the season.

Cougars vs. Jayhawks Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Houston Cougars at Kansas Jayhawks
Where: Kansas City at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 19th
Betting Odds KAN -6.5, HOU +203 | KAN -252 O/U 46.5

Cougars Preview:

With a 2-4 record this season, Houston is ranked 78th in our CFB power rankings. They have just a 6.2% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. The Cougars are 1-2 at home and 1-2 on the road as they prepare to face Kansas in Week 8.

Houston’s ATS record stands at 3-3, with a 2-1 mark on the road and 1-2 at home. They’ve been favored in two games this season, going 1-1 against the spread as favorites and 2-2 as underdogs.

The Cougars’ over/under record is 0-6, with their games averaging 34.2 points. This week’s line is 46.5 points, lower than their average line of 48.7 points this season.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Houston’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 13.7 points per game, which ranks them 98th nationally. They are 115th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 8. Donovan Smith, their quarterback, has thrown for 694 yards and has a passer rating of 70. He has two touchdowns and five interceptions.

Houston ranks 119th in passing yards per game, averaging 154.8 yards. They are converting only 27.8% of their third-down attempts. On the ground, they average 142.5 rushing yards per game. Stacy Sneed leads the rushing attack with 235 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry.

Cougars Team Defense

Houston's defense has been solid this season, ranking 31st nationally by allowing just 20.5 points per game. In their recent game against TCU, they gave up 19 points but also forced two interceptions. Houston held TCU to 66 rushing yards on 22 attempts, while allowing 233 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 135.3 rushing yards per game against Houston and 161.7 passing yards, the 17th-lowest mark in the country. Quarterbacks have completed 61.8% of their passes against Houston, with a passer rating of 88.3.

Jayhawks Preview:

Houston’s ATS record stands at 3-3, with a 2-1 mark on the road and 1-2 at home. They’ve been favored in two games this season, going 1-1 against the spread as favorites and 2-2 as underdogs.

The Cougars’ over/under record is 0-6, with their games averaging 34.2 points. This week’s line is 46.5 points, lower than their average line of 48.7 points this season.

Jayhawks Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 8, Kansas ranks 48th in points per game, averaging 28.5, and we have them 56th in our offensive power rankings. Their rushing attack is the strength of the offense, ranking 23rd nationally with 214 yards per game on 37.2 attempts per game.

Devin Neal leads the ground game with 584 rushing yards, five touchdowns, and an average of 5 yards per carry. On third downs, Kansas has been efficient, converting 50% of their attempts, which ranks 12th in the nation.

Jayhawks Team Defense

Kansas' defense has allowed an average of 25.7 points per game this season, ranking 53rd nationally. In their recent game against Arizona State, they gave up 35 points, including three rushing touchdowns, while allowing 205 rushing yards and 167 passing yards. They also forced one interception in the game.

Opponents have averaged 158.5 rushing yards per game against Kansas, and quarterbacks have completed 57.8% of their passes, averaging 204.7 passing yards per game. Kansas ranks 46th in the nation in completion percentage allowed and 37th in fewest passing attempts faced.

Cougars vs Jayhawks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last three road contests, Houston has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-2, while averaging 14 points per game.
When looking at their past five home matchups, Kansas has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 34 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Houston Cougars have a straight up record of 1-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.
As the betting favorite, the Kansas Jayhawks have an ATS mark of just 3-7 in their last ten games. Kansas posted a straight up mark of 5-5 in these matchups.