Sam Houston Bearkats vs Texas State Bobcats Matchup

Check out our free Texas State Bobcats vs Sam Houston Bearkats pick and preview for this CFB week 5 game in Houston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 5 CFB matchup.

ESPN+ will be covering the Texas State Bobcats vs. Sam Houston Bearkats matchup, set for 3:00 ET on Saturday, September 28th, at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Bobcats are the -8.5-point favorites, and the over/under line is at 56.5 points. Even though Sam Houston is technically the home team, this game is being played on a neutral site. The Bobcats come in with a 2-1 record, while the Bearkats are 3-1 on the season.

Bobcats vs. Bearkats Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Texas State Bobcats at Sam Houston Bearkats
Where: Houston at NRG Stadium
Date: Saturday, September 28th
Betting Odds TXST -8.5, TXST -320 | SMHO +247 O/U 56.5

Bobcats Preview:

After being favored by -3, Texas State ended up losing 31-28 to Arizona State, resulting in both a straight-up and ATS loss. The game's total score of 59 points surpassed the over/under line of 58.5 points. This was Texas State's first game as the betting favorite this season.

The Bobcats are now 2-1 for the season, with their two wins coming in non-conference play.

Bobcats Offense Breakdown

Quarterback Jordan McCloud led Texas State's offense in their 31-28 loss to Arizona State, throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns. McCloud completed 65.9% of his passes and ended the game with a passer rating of 103.22. Jaden Williams was a key target, catching four passes for 75 yards.

The Bobcats' offense totaled 402 yards, with 134 yards coming on the ground. Ismail Mahdi led the team in rushing with 68 yards on 14 carries. Texas State's passing attack was effective, accounting for four touchdowns, while the ground game was held without a score.

Bobcats Team Defense

Texas State's defense will be looking to tighten up after allowing 376 total yards in their most recent game. The Bobcats gave up 282 passing yards on 22 completions and 38 attempts. On the ground, they were more effective, holding Arizona State to just 94 yards rushing. However, Texas State's defense still allowed three rushing touchdowns in the game.

Bearkats Preview:

The Bobcats are now 2-1 for the season, with their two wins coming in non-conference play.

Bearkats Offense Breakdown

In their 31-11 win over New Mexico State, Sam Houston's offense was powered by their ground game, which produced 284 yards and three touchdowns. The Bearkats' offense moved the chains 24 times and finished with 386 total yards. However, their passing game was less effective, with Hunter Watson completing just 9 of 21 passes for 64 yards and two interceptions. Watson's passer rating for the game was just 10.91.

On the ground, Watson was the leading rusher for Sam Houston, gaining 116 yards on 12 carries and scoring two touchdowns. In the passing game, Noah Smith led the way with four receptions for 38 yards.

Bearkats Team Defense

Sam Houston's defense was dominant in their last game, holding New Mexico State to just 152 total yards. The Bearkats allowed only 78 rushing yards on 28 attempts and limited New Mexico State to 74 passing yards on 14 completions. Despite giving up one passing touchdown, Sam Houston's defense came away with two interceptions and held their opponent to just 12 first downs.

Bobcats vs Bearkats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road contests, the Texas State Bobcats offense has averaged 29 points per game while allowing an average of 33. Texas State posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 6-4 ATS.
Across their last three home contests, Sam Houston has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-2, while averaging 23 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Sam Houston Bearkats have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 2-1.
In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Texas State Bobcats have a straight up record of 7-3 and an ATS mark of 4-6.