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No. 8 Texas (5-1) will return from its bye week when it travels to Houston (3-3) on Saturday afternoon. The Longhorns won their first five games of the season before losing to Oklahoma in a 34-30 thriller two weeks ago. Houston has won two of its last three games and is coming off a 41-39 upset win against West Virginia. This will be the only Big 12 meeting between these former rivals, who have not met since 2002. 

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET on Saturday at TDECU Stadium in Houston. Texas is favored by 23.5 points in the latest Houston vs. Texas odds, while the over/under is set at 61 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Texas vs. Houston picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.

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 huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Texas-Houston. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the game:

  • Houston vs. Texas spread: Houston +23.5
  • Houston vs. Texas over/under: 61 points
  • Houston vs. Texas money line: Houston: +1047, Texas: -2092
  • Houston vs. Texas picks: See picks here
  • Houston vs. Texas live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why Houston can cover

Houston has won two of its last three games, springing an upset against West Virginia as a 3-point underdog last Thursday. Quarterback Donovan Smith threw a 49-yard touchdown pass that was caught by Stephon Johnson as time expired, capping one of the most thrilling games of the season. Smith finished 21 of 27 for 253 yards and four touchdowns, completing his final 16 passes of the game. 

The Cougars have scored at least 28 points in four of their last five games, getting off to a solid start in their first season in the Big 12. Freshman running back Parker Jenkins and sophomore running back Stacy Sneed are both averaging more than five yards per carry, while Smith has racked up 1,600 passing yards and 17 total touchdowns. The Cougars are 12-4 in their last 16 home games, and Texas is winless against the spread in its last five games against AAC opponents. 

Why Texas can cover

Texas lost to Oklahoma in a thrilling rivalry game its last time out, but it had the week off last week. The Longhorns have scored at least 30 points in every game this season, which makes it much easier to cover a large spread. Sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers has thrown for 1,704 yards and 11 touchdowns, going over 300 passing yards in each of his last two games. 

Sophomore running back Jonathon Brooks has rushed for 726 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Houston lost to TCU by 23 points and to Texas Tech by 21 points, so the Cougars have had trouble keeping pace with quality opponents. Houston has only covered the spread twice in its last eight Saturday home games, and it is 5-12 against the spread in its last 17 Saturday games overall. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Houston vs. Texas picks

The model has simulated Texas vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Houston vs. Texas, and which side of the spread hits over 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texas 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.