Friday CFB Predictions and Picks for Sam Houston vs Louisiana Tech

• Sam Houston looks for its first win of the season in Friday CFB action
• After a 4-1 start, Louisiana Tech is struggling
• Read below for my Sam Houston vs Louisiana Tech prediction and Friday college football picks

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Two C-USA foes duel on Halloween with the Sam Houston Bearkats (0-7, 0-4 in C-USA) heading east to face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (4-3, 2-2 in C-USA). Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston plays host to an 8 PM ET kickoff on Friday, Oct. 31. CBS Sports Network has the broadcast.

I have locked in my Sam Houston vs Louisiana Tech prediction and Friday CFB picks. I have also provided the latest college football betting lines for this C-USA showdown.

Sam Houston vs Louisiana Tech Prediction

• Friday CFB Prediction: Louisiana Tech 31, Sam Houston 17

After a 10-win season last year, the Bearkats have yet to record a win through seven games in 2025. Six of their seven losses have come by 17 or more points. Their closest game was a two-point loss to Jacksonville State. In their most recent game, they were competitive into the fourth quarter with their third-string quarterback before UTEP broke the dam to win by 18.

Starter Hunter Watson looks to be back this week. He has not quite been Patrick Mahomes, but he does have modest production with seven total touchdowns and three interceptions. Excluding sacks, Watson is also the Bearkats’ leading rusher.

Sam Houston has a solid backfield duo of Alton McCaskill and Landan Brown. Brown has played in all seven games, rushing for 5.9 yards per carry and a pair of touchdowns. McCaskill missed three games with injury, but he has been effective with 5.2 yards per rush and a touchdown. McCaskill has a 75.2 PFF rushing grade.

Alton McCaskill breaks free for a 52-yard run!#EatEmUpKats pic.twitter.com/AIs6rtTLjT

— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) August 24, 2025

No individual Bearkat is averaging 30 receiving yards per game. Brown leads the team with 29 catches and 160 yards. Receiver Chris Reed leads the team with two touchdowns, but he is averaging a shade under 22 yards per game. Six different pass catchers are between 125 and 160 receiving yards on the season.

Emon Allen is the Bearkats’ premier defensive playmaker. He leads C-USA with three interceptions, taking one back for a touchdown. He also has 3.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Louisiana Tech has sputtered after a 4-1 start. They opened C-USA play 2-0, but they have dropped to Kennesaw State and Western Kentucky in their last two games.

Quarterback Blake Baker has been a solid option for the Bulldogs. In six games, he has six total touchdowns and two interceptions. He has completed just shy of 64% of his passes, averaging 7.8 yards per pass. He has also been a solid rushing option, averaging 5.0 yards per non-sack run.

That's a dot…

Blake Baker finds Marlion Jackson on a beautiful throw and route 😮‍💨 @LATechFB pic.twitter.com/xB6MrGb9mv

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 21, 2025

The Bulldogs’ duo of Clay Thevenin and Omiri Wiggins has been unspectacular this season, but a lot of their struggles can be pinned to the offensive line. Louisiana Tech has an 82.4 team PFF rushing grade but a subpar 50.3 run-blocking grade.

Louisiana Tech has a trio of effective pass catchers. Tight end Eli Finley leads the team with 288 yards on 22 catches, but he has yet to score a touchdown. Devin Gandy is second on the team in both catches and yards. Gandy also leads the conference in kick return average, and he has a kick return touchdown. Marlion Jackson has been the big-play threat, averaging north of 18 yards per catch.

The name to watch on the defense is Mekhi Mason. He leads C-USA with 9.5 tackles for a loss. The linebacker has 40 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three pass deflections. Louisiana Tech has cashed in five defensive touchdowns.

Friday CFB Picks: Sam Houston vs Louisiana Tech

• Sam Houston +17 (-113 BetRivers)

Here is my reasoning for backing the Bearkats to cover +17 in our Friday college football predictions:

• Since October began, Sam Houston has been much more competitive while Louisiana Tech has collapsed. Louisiana Tech is 0-2 against the spread, losing as a favorite twice. Sam Houston is only 1-2 against the spread, but their loss to UTEP involved the Bearkats being forced to their third quarterback.
• After having one of the best defenses in the country through five games, Louisiana Tech has allowed 31.5 points per game over its last two games. These are the highest-scoring games the Bulldogs have allowed in 2025.
• In Hunter Watson’s last full game, he threw three touchdowns against Jacksonville State, by far his best performance of the season. In his last – abbreviated – game, he had the Bearkats within striking distance before leaving with injury.

Sam Houston vs Louisiana Tech Betting Lines

The books have Louisiana Tech as sizable home favorites for this Friday night college football matchup, with the total set between 48 and 49.5 points. Over bettors can bet over 48 for -110 odds at bet365. Under bettors can bet under 49.5 for -122 odds on BetRivers.

Louisiana Tech bettors should take the Bulldogs at -16.5 on bet365 (-110 odds) or -770 on the moneyline at FanDuel. Sam Houston bettors should take the Bearkats at +17 on BetRivers (-113 odds) or +580 on the moneyline at Fanatics.

CFB lines as of Oct 30 at our consensus top-rated college football betting apps.

Sam Houston vs Louisiana Tech Series History

Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech have split their five lifetime matchups 2-2-1. However, since Sam Houston elevated to the FBS level they have a 2-0 record over the Bulldogs.

Last season, Sam Houston prevailed in a sloppy 9-3 win. There were six total turnovers, a safety, and six sacks. The Bearkats were bottled up for essentially the entire game outside of a Jevyon Ducker 40-yard touchdown run. Louisiana Tech did not score after a first-quarter field goal.

For more Friday CFB picks and predictions, see below:

• Memphis vs Rice Prediction, Pick & Line for Friday’s AAC Battle
• North Carolina vs Syracuse Prediction, Spread & Best Bets