Houston vs. TCU prediction, odds, pick for College Football Week 6

Two Big 12 Texas teams face off as Houston visits TCU. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Houston-TCU prediction and pick.

Houston enters the game sitting at 1-4 on the year. They opened with back-to-back losses, first to UNLV, but then by just four to Oklahoma. They would then defeat Rice 33-7, but it has been a struggle since. First, they would lose on the road to Cincinnati, 34-0. Then, they would lose to Iowa State 20-0.

Meanwhile, TCU is 3-2 on the year. They opened with wins over Stanford and Long Island. They would then face UCF. TCU had the 21-7 lead at the half but would lead just 34-28 in the fourth quarter. With 36 seconds left, UCF would score to take the one-point lead and the 35-34 victory. TCU would then fall 66-42 to SMU, but they would rebound with a 38-28 win over Kansas.

Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Houston-TCU Odds

Houston: +15.5 (-105)

Moneyline: +550

TCU: -15.5 (-115)

Moneyline: -820

Over: 50.5 (-110)

Under: 50.5 (-110)

How to Watch Houston vs. TCU

Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why Houston Could Cover The Spread/Win

Houston has been led by Donovan Smith this year. He has completed 70 of 107 passes this year for 681 yards with two touchdowns. Still, he has five interceptions on the year. He has run well though, running for 72 yards on 18 carries this year.  He has also scored twice on the ground this year.

In the receiving game, Stephon Johnson has led the way. He has 15 receptions this year for 174 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Joseph Manjack IV has ten receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Rounding out the top receivers is Mekhi Mews, who has 13 receptions for 112 yards. In the running game, Stacy Sneed has led the way. He has 36 carries for 217 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Re’Shaun Stanford II has 34 carries for 170 yards.

Houston is 35th in the nation on opponent points per game this year, while sitting 21st in opponent yards per game. They are 64th against the rush while sitting tenth against the pass. Michael Batton has led the way. He leads the team with 36 tackles, while also having two sacks and a forced fumble. Meanwhile, AJ Haulcy is second on the team in tackles, while also having four pass breakups and an interception. Finally, Keith Cooper Jr. has been solid, with two sacks this year.

Why TCU Could Cover The Spread/Win

TCU has been led by Josh Hoover this year. He has completed 139 passes out of 199 attempts. He has 1,774 yards passing with 14 touchdowns. Further, he has four interceptions and has been sacked just three times this year. Hoover has also scored twice on the ground this year.

His top target has been Jack Bech. Bech has 35 receptions this year already with 647 yards. Further, he has scored six times this year. Eric McAlister has also been solid this year. He had 16 receptions this year for 322 yards and three touchdowns. Finally, Savion Williams has 27 receptions for 288 yards and three touchdowns. In the running game, Cam Cook has 73 carries to lead the way. He has just 259 yards but has scored six times. Further, Jeremy Payne has been solid. He has run 23 times for 117 yards this year.

TCU is 123rd in the nation in opponent points per game this year. They are 70th in opponent yards this year while sitting 109th against the run and 29th against the pass. Jamel Johnson has led the way this year. He has 40 tackles to lead the team, while also having two pass breakups and a forced fumble. Meanwhile, Namdi Obiazor is third on the team in tackles, while sitting with 1.5 sacks. Further, he has an interception. Cooper McDonald has also been solid, with 1.5 sacks and a pass defended this year. TCU has seven sacks this year while also having four takeaways.

Final Houston-TCU Prediction & Pick

While Houston has been solid this year on defense, they have not faced an offense as good as TCU yet. TCU is 18th in points per game while sitting 15th in yards per game. Further, they are second in the nation in passing yards per game. TCU will move the ball against the strong Houston pass defense, but TCU will also be solid in the run in this one. They will score plenty of points in this one. Still, Houston should score some against a bad TCU defense. TCU should be able to win comfortably, but the best lay in this one is on the total. Take the over in this one.

Final Houston-TCU Prediction & Pick: Over 50.5 (-110)