The upstart West Virginia Mountaineers will attempt to build on their breakout season Thursday when they visit the Houston Cougars for an important Big 12 showdown. The Mountaineers are already just one win shy of last season's five-win total. They have used a sterling defense and strong rushing attack to compile a four-game winning streak following a Week 1 loss to Penn State. The Cougars are still in search of their first Big 12 victory in their first season in the conference. They suffered blowout losses to TCU and Texas Tech in their first two Big 12 contests and are looking for a victory to help turn their season around.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from TDECU Stadium in Houston. The Mountaineers are 3-point favorites, and the over/under for total points scored is 49.5 in the latest West Virginia vs. Houston odds from the SportsLine consensus. Before locking in any Houston vs. West Virginia picks, make sure you see the college football betting advice and picks from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of more than $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has locked in on WVU vs. Houston and released its top picks. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Houston vs. WVU:
- West Virginia vs. Houston point spread: West Virginia -3
- West Virginia vs. Houston over/under total: 49.5 points
- West Virginia vs. Houston money line: West Virginia -153, Houston +129
- WVU: The Mountaineers are 2-1 against the spread in their last three games as a betting favorite
- UH: The Cougars are 2-1 in their past three conference games as a betting underdog
- West Virginia vs. Houston picks: See picks at SportsLine
- West Virginia vs. Houston live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why West Virginia can cover
Thus far, the Mountaineers have featured a run-heavy attack that has worn down opposing defensive units and allowed them to control the clock. Leading rusher CJ Donaldson is both a physical and explosive runner who can keep the chains moving. He has rushed for 348 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Garrett Greene is a shifty and opportunistic runner who is second on the team with 185 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
West Virginia coach Neal Brown, who was known for his high-powered offensive units while at Troy, told the media this week that the Mountaineers have been successful despite their lack of big plays in the passing game. He said the club plans to keep integrating more vertical pass plays and noted a game plan that has centered on the team's strength has paid off. See which team to pick here.
Why Houston can cover
The Cougars are known for their high-powered offense under coach Dana Holgorsen, a former WVU coach who is noted as a pioneer of the spread offense that is now popular across the college football landscape. The Cougars are averaging 414 yards of total offense, and their passing attack ranks No. 26 nationally with 281.2 yards per contest. Houston's crutch thus far has been a defense that is allowing nearly 30 points per game and yielded 470 yards of total offense to Rice in a 43-41 Week 2 upset loss.
However, in their two wins, against UTSA and Sam Houston, the Cougars have allowed just 21 total points. Their defensive stats can in part be attributed to facing high-powered opponents such as Texas Tech and TCU. Holgorsen told the media this week the team spent a good portion of its bye week working on tackling and assignment discipline, two of its major weaknesses thus far. Even so, an experienced defensive line has been the strength of the unit and is led by junior lineman Nelson Ceaser, who has a team-high 4.5 sacks. See which team to pick here.
How to make Houston vs. West Virginia picks
The model has simulated West Virginia vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over on the point total and has generated an against-the-spread pick that hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see that model's pick and analysis at SportsLine.
So who wins West Virginia vs. Houston, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the West Virginia vs. Houston spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up more than $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.
