Houston vs Memphis Odds, Picks and Prediction
- No. 24 Houston is a 9.5-point home favorite against Memphis
- Houston has won nine in a row, 6-3 ATS; Memphis is 5-0 straight up and ATS in the last five in the series
- See the odds, preview and best bet on the game by scrolling below
No. 24 Houston (9-1, 7-0) is a 9.5-point favorite over Memphis at 9 pm Friday on ESPN2 in its final home game of the season. The Cougars clinched a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship game with a victory over Temple last week.
Memphis (5-5, 2-4) has lost five of its last seven to fall out of contention in AAC and must win one of its final two games to become bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season. It finishes the regular season at home against Tulane.
Memphis vs Houston Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Tigers | +290 | +9.5 (-105) | Over 60.5 (-110) |
| Houston Cougars | -380 | -9.5 (-115) | Under 60.5 (-100) |
Odds from DraftKings on Nov. 16
Houston will play No. 5 Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0) in the AAC title game if the Bearcats win one of their final two, at home against SMU on Saturday and at East Carolina the following week.
Memphis has the most impressive victory between the two this season, a 31-29 road win Sept. 18 over a Mississippi State team that has beaten Texas A&M and Auburn. The Tigers are 2-5 since.
Houston Plays Both Sides
Houston shown up on both sides of the ball during its nine-game winning streak. The Cougars are sixth the FBS in total defense, giving up 290.5 yards per game, eighth in rushing defense (97.8 yards per) and sixth in fewest opponents’ first downs.
Offensively, they are ninth in the FBS scoring offense at 38.9 points per game, percentage points behind Cincinnati (39.2), and are second with a plus-1.2 turnover margin.
Quarterback Clayton Tune has completed 110 of 161 passes for 1,464 yards, 14 touchdowns and no interceptions in the last five games as the Cougars have outscored their opponents 206-133 . Tune enters with a career-long streak of 166 passes without an interception.
Running back Alton McCaskill has a school freshman-record 14 touchdowns and was one of two 100-yard rushers in a 54-42 victory over South Florida on Nov. 6, when the Cougars had two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers in the same game for the first time in the 851-game history of the program.
With only 1 sack allowed in 386 pass blocking snaps, @UHCougarFB center Kody Russey has a 78.9 pass blocking grade and a 75.2 offensive grade according to @pff_college. #rimingtonwatchlist pic.twitter.com/EWGR6Y7bYN
— Rimington Trophy (@rimingtontrophy) November 16, 2021
Corner of “Third” & “Sack”
The Cougars are playing so well on defense they have two nicknames, the “Third Ward” and “Sack Ave.” They are third in the FBS in third-down conversion percentage defense, holding opponents to 27.6 percent success rate, and are fifth with 3.4 sacks per game.
The Cougars had three sacks against an SMU offensive line that had given up only two sacks previously this season, and they had had eight sacks in a 40-22 victory over Tulane on Oct. 7. They Cougars have held opponents under 100 yards rushing six times, all in the last eight games, and have a takeaway in every game. They have five interceptions in the last two weeks.
Too Close for Comfort
Memphis is a few plays from another contending season in the AAC. The Tigers have lost games by three, three, six and one point in the last seven weeks, around victories over Navy and SMU and a one-sided loss at Central Florida.
True freshman quarterback Seth Henigan threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns and had a team-high 61 yards rushing in the most recent disappointment, a 30-29 overtime loss at home against East Carolina last week. Henigan’s two-point conversion attempt was batted down in the end zone to end the game.
Memphis has struggled on defense, ranking 87th in the 130-team FBS in points allowed (29.2 points per) and is 90th in total defense (410.5 yards per). They have given up at least 29 points six times.
Special on Special Teams
The Cougars do not need the ball to score, either. They have returned two kickoffs, two punts and two pass interceptions for touchdowns.
The most decisive was Marcus Jones’s 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 19 seconds remaining for a 44-37 victory over SMU on Oct. 30. The Mustangs, who had only one AAC loss entering the game, had tied the score on a field goal with 30 seconds left.
The Cougars have 38 non-offensive points, those six returns and a safety, and are tied for fourth in the FBS with four blocked kicks. Alabama is the only other FBS team with four kick return touchdowns.
Jones, a 5’8 senior cornerback, has nine career kick return touchdown, six on kickoffs, and is tied for first in NCAA history. He leads the team with three interceptions and is second in pass breakups.
The list of players who have at least 4️⃣ return touchdowns, 3️⃣ interceptions and 1️⃣ offensive touchdown.
That’s it. That’s the list. #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/I4Q4WqQt55
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) November 15, 2021
By the Numbers
Houston holds a 15-14 lead in the series including a 7-6 mark at home, but Memphis has won the last five in the series and covered the spread in the last six, Memphis covered as a 6.5-point underdog in a 30-27 victory last season, when the Cougars scored 21 straight points to tie the game before the Tigers won on a field goal as time expired.
Memphis is 0-4 ATS on the road this season, but needing one more win to become bowl eligible and facing a Houston team that already has clinched a berth in the AAC title game, the play is clear.
- The pick: Memphis +9.5 (-110)
Jack has covered college and professional sports for various Arizona media outlets since the 1980s and has written for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball America, among others. He staffed the 2015-17 World Series and has staffed four Super Bowls.
