Houston vs SMU Odds, Preview and Picks
- No. 19 SMU visits Houston in an American Athletic Conference game at 7 pm ET Saturday on ESPN2
- Houston (6-1, 4-0) has a half-game lead over SMU and No. 2 Cincinnati in AAC play; SMU (7-0, 3-0) is sixth in the FBS in total offense at 525.4 yards per game
- Odds, preview and a best bet on the game can be found by scrolling below
Houston (6-1, 4-0) is 1-point home favorite against No. 19 SMU on Saturday at 7 pm ET on ESPN2 in what looms as an early elimination game in the American Athletic Conference.
SMU (7-0, 3-0) is tied with No. 2 Cincinnati (7-0, 3-0 in the AAC), one-half game behind Houston the win column. The top two teams in the 11-team conference will meet in championship game, with a potential CFP playoff berth and New Year’s Six bowl game also at stake.
SMU vs Houston Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMU Mustangs | -110 | +1 (-115) | Over 62.5 (+100) |
| Houston Cougars | -110 | -1 (-105) | Under 62.5 (-120) |
Odds from DraftKings on Oct. 26
Houston has won six straight games since losing its season opener 38-21 to Texas Tech at home. The Cougars have allowed as many as three touchdowns in a game only once since, that in a 31-24 overtime victory over East Carolina in a game that took eight hours to play last Saturday because of weather issues.
SMU ranks No. 6 in the FBS in both total offense scoring offense, averaging 525.4 yards and 42.7 points per game behind quarterback Tanner Mordecai. Houston is in the FBS top 15 in eight defensive categories.
Mordecai on a Roll
Fourth-year junior Tanner Mordecai, a transfer from Oklahoma, will face Houston following best game of his career, when he threw for 427 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score in a 55-26 victory over Tulane last Thursday.
Mordecai is tied with Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe for the FBS lead with 29 touchdown passes and also leads points responsible for, at 26.6 points per game. He ranks fifth in completion percentage (71.1) and sixth in passing yards per game (331.4). He has six 300-yard passing games.
https://youtu.be/xffb4ChiPAs
The Ponies rolled up 595 yards of total offense in a 42-34 victory Sept. 25 at TCU, the most prestigious team either has played this season, but Mordecai was not as his best. He threw for a season-low 245 yards with four touchdowns but also had three of his seven interceptions this season.
Up-tempo SMU averages 77.5 plays per game, 15th in the FBS and eight more than Houston. Lead running back Ulysses Bentley IV was limited by an ankle injury for the second straight game against Tulane. He had 403 yards in the first four games but two and zero the last two games.
Houston Clamps Down
Houston wins a different way, with defense. The Cougars are in the FBS top 15 in eight defensive categories, including ranking fourth in total defense (276.3 yards per game).
The Cougars are first in third-down defense, second in sacks and 12th in passing yards allowed. The have limited opponents to a 23.4 percent third-down conversion rate and have 29 sacks. They are giving up 173.4 passing yards per game, about what of Mordecai averages.
Houston quarterback Clayton Tune, a three-year starter, has completed 115 of 165 passes for 1,258 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
By the Numbers
SMU is 6-2 ATS and won its only game as an underdog, covering a 9.5-point number in the outright win over metroplex rival TCU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet. Houston is 4-3 against the number, 3-3 as a favorite. For what it is worth, SMU has had two more days of rest.
The #ThirdWardDefense ranks top-15 nationally in eight different categories 😤😤 pic.twitter.com/KLLN07XS7G
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) October 26, 2021
The Mustangs have won the last two meetings and three of the last four following a stretch in Houston won nine of 10. Houston is 6-1 straight up and 5-2 ATS in the last seven at Amon Carter Stadium. A victory would mean more to SMU because of the scheduling quirks inherent in an 11-team conference.
Houston does not play Cincinnati this season, and will be favored in their final three conference games against South Florida, Temple and Memphis. SMU plays at Cincinnati on Nov. 20. Houston would have a tiebreaker edge for the Dec. 4 AAC title game with a win here.
- The pick: SMU +1 (105)
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.
