Free NCAA Football Prediction: Cougars vs. Roadrunners Odds
Looking for Houston Cougars vs. UTSA Roadrunners free picks? College football betting sees the Cougars taking on the Roadrunners on Saturday, September 3, 2022, at Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game predictions like this Houston UTSA free pick.
College Football Handicapping Analysis: Houston Cougars vs. UTSA Roadrunners
Houston Cougars (0-0) vs. UTSA Roadrunners (0-0)
Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022
Time: 3:30 pm EST
Venue: Alamodome
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: Houston -4.5 / UTSA +4.5 (Bet Now!)
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Cougars -195 / Roadrunners +175
NCAA Betting Total Odds: Total O/U 61.5
Week 1 college football sees the Cougars and Roadrunners meet at the Alamodome on Saturday afternoon.
The Cougars are favored by -4.5 points in this non-conference matchup, and we have a 61.5 showing on the total.
Houston Cougars
I imagine there are a whole lot of folks out there wondering why Houston is only favored by 4 points on the road against UTSA to open the 2022-23 season, right? The Cougars scratched and clawed their way to a 12 – 2 record in a season that ended with a bowl win over Auburn in Birmingham, Alabama.
Clayton Tune is back for his senior season at quarterback for the Cougs, and his 30 – 10 TD to INT ratio was impressive enough to earn him 2nd-Team All-AAC honors a season ago. Tune amassed over 3,500 passing yards last season, and he will have a lot of new faces in town to distribute the ball in 2022.
A wealth of receivers transferred to Houston to give Tune more options on offense and I expect him to be much closer to the 4K mark this year, if not more. Brandon Campbell is coming in from USC to help keep the Cougs back field, and the running game should be able to take advantage of a defense that will be expecting the ball to be in the air.
Houston will stay in Texas for a game against Texas Tech next weekend, a team that handed Houston a loss on last year’s opening day. It was the only loss Houston suffered until Cincinnati beat them in the AAC title game, so revenge will be on their minds. Houston will have 3 home games after the Tech affair in Lubbock, so they will essentially be playing their first 5 games in the Lone Star State before the trip to Memphis on October 7.
UTSA Roadrunners
UTSA isn’t scared of Houston, as they too were 12 – 2 a year ago in Jeff Traylor’s second campaign in San Antonio. The Roadrunners have now been to consecutive bowl games for the first time in program history, and a third showing is expected this year.
That is why the line setters are showing a little leniency in the spread, because Frank Harris is back for his senior campaign which gives us two quarterbacks in this game looking to prove something. First of all, make no mistake that the scouts will be in the building and all eyes will be on the two of them toward NFL expectations, and a big game could prove monstrous to a career ahead.
Harris was also a 2nd-Team All-Conference USA award winner, and the 27 – 6 ratio he maintained is obviously stellar! Having only thrown 6 picks in a season full of offense is outstanding, and his 566 rushing yards add that second dimension to his game. We all know that a dual-threat QB is likely getting the nod to move the chains and keep the offense on the field, and Harris does that.
Every wide out is back from last year, and this will be the best corps in the conference and there is no doubt about it as long as Harris stays healthy. It’s not only the pass-catching ability of this group that is a difference-maker but they all take pride in giving up their bodies to block and help everyone around them be better. It’s rare to have a core of players that work this well together and another year to hone their craft is going to be fun to watch all season long.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Roadrunners are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games.
- Over is 6-2 in Cougars last 8 road games.
- Over is 4-0 in Roadrunners last 4 games overall.
4* Free Houston Cougars vs. UTSA Roadrunners NCAA Betting Final Analysis:
That’s why Houston is only laying 4.5 points of chalk. This game is going to be such a high-scoring affair, that the line setters slapped 4 points on the Cougars to see what sticks. Yeah, stick this! UTSA is going to cover, and they might just win this game outright at home to open the campaign. Regardless, how many points? 75? 80? I see 61.5 or 62 as an insult to my intelligence!
4* Free Houston Cougars vs. UTSA Roadrunners NCAA Betting Pick: Over 61.5
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