Houston vs Tulane Odds, Lines and Prediction
By John Perrotto in College Football
Published:
- Houston is a six-point road favorite over Tulane on Thursday night
- The Cougars are on a four-game winning streak while Tulane has lost three in a row
- A look at the matchup and odds can be found below with a prediction
Two teams going in opposite directions meet when Houston visits Tulane at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday in an American Athletic Conference game at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.
Houston (4-1, 2-0) has won four games in a row since losing to Texas Tech in its opener. The Cougars have outscored their opponents 162-37 during their winning streak and are road favorites Thursday.
Tulane (1-4, 0-1) is on a three-game losing streak, having been outscored 141-71. The Green Wave opened the season by losing by just five points at Oklahoma then routed Morgan State before things went south.
The game will be televised by ESPN.
Houston vs Tulane Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | -220 | -6 (+100) | Over 59 (-115) |
| Tulane | +180 | -6 (-120) | Under 59 (-105) |
Odds as of October 5th at DraftKings
Houston opened as a 4.5-point favorite and the line has gone up. The game time temperature is forecast for 76 degrees with clear skies and no wind.
Freshman is Mr. TD
Freshman running back Alton McCaskill has scored eight touchdowns in Houston’s first five games with seven rushing and one receiving.
McCaskill scored three TDs, all in the first half, last week in a 45-10 win at Tulsa. He scored twice on 1-yard runs then added 27-yarder burst up the that included a pirouette when he broke through the final defenders.
The freshman. 😳#GoCoogs x @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/mlEA1hu0js
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) October 2, 2021
McCaskill finished with 77 yards on 17 carriers and has a season total of 310 yards on 68 carries. He previously scored two touchdowns each in wins over Rice and Grambling.
Clayton Tune added 241 yards passing as he went 17 of 24 and threw a pair of touchdowns passes. Tune led Houston to touchdowns on its first three drives while building a 21-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Tulsa managed just 27 rushing yards against Houston’s defense and had three turnovers. The Cougars’ Gervarrius Owens turned one of the takeaways into a touchdown when he returned an interception 45 yards.
PICK. SIX.
14:06 3Q: Houston 35, Tulsa 3#GoCoogs x @gervarrius_3
pic.twitter.com/CQ6nm7xm0X— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) October 2, 2021
Houston has allowed just four touchdowns during the win streak.
Tulane Rally Not Enough
Tulane lost at East Carolina 52-29 last week as Keaton Mitchell gashed the Green Wave defense for 222 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 14.8 yards per carry on his 15 attempts.
One of Mitchell’s TDs covered 68 yards.
We could watch this all day 😍 https://t.co/Q1PxRo9k8g pic.twitter.com/L1F028LUEL
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) October 2, 2021
In all, East Carolina gained 612 total yards and the distribution was almost evenly matched with 310 rushing and 312 passing.
Tulane rallied from a 24-0 deficit to get within 31-23 with 3:39 left in the third quarter. Cameron Carroll had a one-touchdown run then Michael Pratt had an impressive two-point conversion run on a quarterback keeper.
It's a one-score game folks! #RollWave pic.twitter.com/UJfxL8JG0w
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) October 2, 2021
However, East Carolina outscored Tulane 21-6 in the fourth quarter to win going away. Pratt was 22 of 36 for 268 yards and ran for two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions. Carroll had 80 yards rushing on nine carries.
Tulane has not had a lead at any point during its skid.
Looking Back at 2020
Houston opened its 2020 season with a 49-31 victory over Tulane. The Cougars came back from a 24-7 deficit in the second quarter to cover the 6.5-point spread.
Tune threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns while being intercepted twice. Pratt was just 11 of 25 for 141 yards with one TD.
The last time the teams met in New Orleans, Tulane won 38-31 in 2019 as four-point picks.
Houston is 5-2 against the spread in its last seven road games. However, Tulane is 36-17-1 ATS in its last 54 home games.
Defense the Difference
Houston coach Dana Holgerson made his bones as an offensive-minded coach while at West Virginia. However, the Cougars are fourth in the nation in total defense and 10th in scoring defense.
Tulane, meanwhile, is having a hard time stopping anyone. The Green Wave is 123rd in total defense and 126th in scoring defense.
Even though Houston is a touchdown road favorite, the Cougars will cover the number.
- The Pick: Houston -6 (-110)
Sports Writer
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
