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The Memphis Tigers will try to become bowl-eligible for the eighth straight year when they take on the No. 17 Houston Cougars on Friday night at TDECU Stadium in Houston. The Tigers (5-5, 2-4 in American Athletic Conference) need a victory in one of their final two games to extend their streak of seven consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance. They are coming off a 30-29 overtime loss to East Carolina. Meanwhile the Cougars (9-1, 7-0 in AAC) already have clinched a spot in the AAC Championship Game, likely against Cincinnati. They'll be making their first appearance in the title game since 2015.

Kickoff is 9 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Cougars as 8.5-point favorites in the latest Houston vs. Memphis odds. The over-under for total points is 60, down 2.5 points from the opening line. Before locking in any Memphis vs. Houston picks, be sure to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 12 of the 2021 season on a 36-23 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now the model has dialed in on Houston vs. Memphis and just revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of the model's college football picks. Now, here are the college football odds and betting lines for Memphis vs. Houston:  

  • Houston vs. Memphis spread: Cougars -8.5 
  • Houston vs. Memphis over-under: 60 points 
  • Houston vs. Memphis moneyline: Cougars -340, Tigers +270
  • HOU: The Cougars rank second in the country in turnover margin (+1.20 turnovers per game) 
  • MEM: LB JJ Russell ranks fourth in the country in solo tackles per game (6.4)

Why the Cougars can cover

Quarterback Clayton Tune has been playing efficient football. The 6-foot-3 junior from Carrollton, Texas, has gone a career-best 166 passes without an interception. Over his last five games, he is 110-of-161 with 1,464 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ranks 12th nationally in completion percentage (69.8) and 17th in passing efficiency (160.1) and passing touchdowns (21).

In addition, Houston has a dangerous kick and punt returner in Marcus Jones. The senior leads the nation in punt return touchdowns (two) and is second in kick return touchdowns (two). He ranks third in the nation in combined kick return yards (670) and fourth in punt return average (14.3). His nine career return touchdowns (six kickoff, three punt) are tied for first in NCAA history.

Why the Tigers can cover

Memphis has one of the country's top passing attacks. Led by quarterback Seth Henigan and receiver Calvin Austin III, the Tigers average 303.3 passing yards per game, which ranks second in the AAC and ranks 18th in the country. Henigan is the highest-ranked true freshman in the country in total offense (321.0 yards per game), passing yards per game (308.7) and passing touchdowns (21). Meanwhile Austin leads the AAC in receiving yards per game (102.6), receptions per game (6.7) and all-purpose yards per game (123.0).

In addition, the Tigers have dominated the recent series against Houston. Memphis has won five consecutive games in the series and has not lost to the Cougars since the 2015 season. The Tigers' average margin of victory during the winning streak is 10.0 points a game.

How to make Houston vs. Memphis picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 64 points. It also says one side of the spread hits more than 50 percent of the time. You can only see the model's Memphis vs. Houston pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Houston vs. Memphis? And which side of the spread hits more than 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Memphis vs. Houston spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is on a 36-23 run on top-rated side picks, and find out.