Houston and Arizona don't have much history against each other, but that will change now that the Wildcats have moved to the Big 12. The teams haven't been performing well in the conference this season, with the Cougars sitting in 11th and the Wildcats in 14th. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Houston-Arizona prediction and pick.
Houston-Arizona Last Game – Matchup History
Houston and Arizona have faced each other twice recently in their programs' history. They had a home-and-home series in 2017 and 2018, with the Cougars winning both games. Houston won the first game 19-16 but then dominated them the following year, 45-18. The programs also played two other times over 30 years ago.
Overall Series: Houston 3-1
Here are the Houston-Arizona College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Houston-Arizona Odds
Houston: +2 (-110)
Moneyline: +105
Arizona: -2 (-110)
Moneyline: -125
Over: 44.5 (-110)
Under: 44.5 (-110)
How to Watch Houston vs. Arizona
Time: 10:15 PM ET/7:15 PM PT
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Houston Could Cover The Spread/Win
Houston's offense was in the wrong spot at the start of the season. They lost four of their first five games, scoring just 19 points in the losses. This included back-to-back games against Cincinnati and Iowa State, where they were shut out. The Cougars figured out some of their issues over the past four games, winning three outright as underdogs. It started when they beat TCU 30-19 on the road as 16-point underdogs before losing to Kansas in their next road game. However, Houston won two straight at home against Utah and Kansas State. Their offense still hasn't broken out, but the defense is performing well.
Houston's defense should own Arizona in this game. They rank 25th in the nation in yards allowed per game. Arizona will lean on their passing game, where Houston excels at defending, ranking 27th in passing yards allowed per game. Arizona's rushing defense is abysmal, which is where Houston is vulnerable.
Why Arizona Could Cover The Spread/Win
Arizona's season is going in the opposite direction of Houston, which is raising plenty of concerns in Tucson. The Wildcats won three of their first four games, including an upset victory over Utah on the road. However, a demanding road schedule for Arizona has made that the last bright spot. They've lost five consecutive games, scoring more than 22 points once and allowing nearly 40 points per game.
With these two offenses, it'll be a low-scoring game, so the odds reflect a one-score game that comes down to the wire. A two-point spread allows Arizona to keep it close enough to steal an against-the-spread victory, which could scare people off the Cougars.
Final Houston-Arizona Prediction & Pick
Arizona's 3-6 record has some help from its two easier wins at the start of the season. However, its against-the-spread record tells us more about how it's been competing. It failed to cover massive spreads in both wins and has covered just one game: the outright victory over Utah. The oddsmakers refuse to believe that Arizona is a bad team and continue making it slight underdogs or favorites before it gets blown out.
The Wildcats have lost by an average margin of victory of 20.8 points over their five-game losing streak but have never been more than a six-point underdog. The oddsmakers returned to the well and made them two-point favorites in this game, which makes no sense against a Cougars team starting to roll. We could be walking into a massive trap by taking Houston, but there isn't much reason to take Arizona in this matchup.
Final Houston-Arizona Prediction & Pick: Houston +2 (-110)
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