Week 7 College Football Tulsa At Houston Favorites

The 13th-raanked Houston Cougars will look to rebound from their stunning Week 6 loss when they host the streaking Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday in an intriguing Week 7 AAC clash that I believe is offering a ton of value. Now, let’s find out where that value lies as well as the latest betting lines.

In Depth Analysis On The Week 7 College Football Golden Hurricane At Cougars Favorites

When: Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 7:00 PM ET Where: TDECU Stadium TV: ESPN 2 NCAAF Odds: Houston Cougars -23.5 / Over/Under: 69.5    

Bet The Tulsa Golden Hurricane at +23.5 Because…

They’re too explosive offensively to lose by 24 points. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane (4-1) have won three straight games including their narrow 43-40 overtime win over lowly SMU last weekend as running back D’Angelo Brewer rushed for 182 yards and one score on 38 carries. Tulsa is averaging a stellar 39.4 points per game even though quarterback Dane Evans has completed just 58.6 percent of his passes for nine TD and seven costly interceptions. Running back D’Angelo Brewer is averaging a jaw-dropping 143.2 rushing yards per game with four scores while fellow back James Flanders is adding another 78 rushing yards per contest with four touchdowns. Defensively, Tulsa is allowing their opponents to put up a whopping 32.0 points per game but has committed 11 turnovers on the season.

Bet The Houston Cougars at -23.5 Because…

They lost last weekend and have renewed motivation. The Cougars (5-1) are coming off a heartbreaking 46-40 loss against Navy last weekend as they simply couldn’t stop the Midshipmen’s triple-option rushing attack. Houston outgained Navy by 484-382 yards, but lost the turnover battle 3-0 as quarterback Greg Ward Jr. completed 32 of 50 passes for 359 yards with three touchdowns but also tossed two costly interceptions. Houston is averaging a stellar 43.5 points per game as the dual-threat Greg Ward Jr. has completed a blistering 68.9 percent of his passes for 11 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Ward Jr. has also added six rushing scores on the season and averages 54.4 rushing yards per contest. Defensively, Houston is limiting the opposition to just 17.0 points per game.

Expert Prediction and Pick

While the Houston Cougars were one of my preseason picks to reach the four-team CFB Playoff and have the better team in this Week 7 showdown, the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes are the pick to cover the insanely high point spread in this Week 7 matchup. Tulsa is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games and 4-2 ATS in their last six matchups against Houston. The Cougars are 4-1 TS in their last five home games and they’re my pick to get the straight-up (SU) win in this contest, but it won’t come by three touchdowns against a Tulsa team that averages an impressive 39.4 points per game despite allowing a whopping 32.0 points per game defensively. Tulsa has been outscored by an average margin of just over three points per game over their last 10 meetings against the Cougars and that just tells me this Week 7 clash will be a lot closer than the point spread indicates.

My Pick: Houston 42 Tulsa 31