Houston Cougars vs. SMU Mustangs Predictions, Picks, Odds, and NCAA Football Week Eight Betting Preview – October 22, 2016

Houston Cougars vs. SMU Mustangs Betting Preview

Where: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX

When: Saturday, October 22, 7:00 PM ET

Line: Houston Cougars (-21) at SMU Mustangs (+21); total: 63.0 – view all NCAA Football odds and lines

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Betting on the Houston Cougars (-21)

After the shocking defeat at the hands of the Navy Midshipmen, the No. 11 Houston Cougars got the crucial 38-31 win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane last Saturday. But that victory was not as convincing as what the team had shown the first few weeks of the season.

Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. had a rather subpar outing for his standards, throwing for only 254 yards and having been picked off once. However, he did rack up 142 rushing yards as well, continuing his prowess on the ground as much as he has done through the air for most of the year. Ward still has six rushing touchdowns in six games this season, making him a dual threat that’s tough to beat on a weekly basis.

What’s got to be of great concern is how Houston’s defense has not tightened up yet. But even though the team has surrendered over 30 points in each of the past couple of games, the D still ranks 20th in the country with just an average of 19 points allowed per contest.

Perhaps the Cougars, who are still decently priced at +7,500 to win the national title, can right their ship when they take on the struggling SMU Mustangs this Saturday night. Their offense, which is putting up 42.7 points per game (11th in FBS), will be too much to handle for the hobbling Mustangs.

Furthermore, Houston has won nine of its last 10 meetings with SMU (6-4 ATS), with its last loss coming from an uncharacteristic 72-point outing by the Mustangs in 2012.

Betting on the SMU Mustangs (+21)

Even coming off a much-needed bye, the SMU Mustangs must not like their chances against the revitalized Cougars this week. Prior to their week off, they had a heartbreaking 43-40 loss in overtime to the same Tulsa team that Houston just defeated this past weekend. Now they have an uphill battle against a seeded conference opponent in hopes of snapping their three-game skid.

Simply put, freshman QB Ben Hicks does not appear equipped to lead his team to a major upset this Saturday. Although Hicks went pick-free for 258 passing yards and a couple of touchdowns in the loss to Tulsa, he still has just six TDs to nine interceptions for the season.

Making matters worse is that SMU’s defense recently gave up 315 rushing yards to the Golden Hurricane. That stop unit must now try to contain a Cougars run game that averages an even 200 rushing yards per contest. No doubt that Houston’s Ward is already salivating about his matchup this Saturday to jack up his already impressive numbers for the season.

Capping Southern Methodist’s woes is the fact that the team has gone just 2-7 in its last nine home games (SU/ATS). Coupled with a miserable 0-3 record against ranked opponents this season, the Mustangs are in for another long afternoon indeed against an elite AAC rival that’s more experienced and driven to succeed this year.

Writer’s Prediction

The Cougars (-21) win in dominant fashion to get their season back on the right, blazing track, 43-19.

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