Baylor vs Houston Prediction College Football Picks 11/23/24

The Baylor Bears and the Houston Cougars meet Saturday in college football action from TDECU Stadium. Here’s a Baylor vs Houston prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Baylor vs Houston pick. We will examine:

The Baylor Bears’ recent form and player performance

The Houston Cougars’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Baylor Bears

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Houston Cougars

Recent betting trends in games played between Baylor and Houston

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Baylor vs Houston game

Baylor Bears Betting Preview

Baylor’s year kicked off with a rough 2-4 run. The losses in that time were to Utah, Colorado, BYU, and Iowa State. The Bears would win three straight in their next trio, however, taking out Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and TCU during that stretch.

Matched up against West Virginia last weekend, the Bears took a 35-28 edge into halftime. Baylor was able to keep the Mountaineers at bay from there in a 49-35 win. QB Sawyer Robertson threw for 329 yards and three scores, while Bryson Washington added 18 carries for 123 yards and three TDs.

Houston Cougars Betting Preview

Over on the Cougars’ side, they won just one of their first five (over Rice), otherwise falling to UNLV, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, and Iowa State. Houston has since gone 3-2 with wins over TCU, Utah, and Kansas State alongside losses to Kansas and Arizona.

In the Arizona game last Friday, the Cougars were down by seven at the break. Houston didn’t score in the second half during a 27-3 loss. Zeon Chriss posted 191 yards and an interception alongside 55 rush yards. Tops in receiving was Stephon Johnson with four grabs for 70 yards.

Why the Houston Cougars will win

• The home team has won seven of Houston’s last nine games.
• Baylor has lost three of its last four road games in November.
• The home team has covered the spread in six of Houston’s last eight games.

Why the Baylor Bears will win

• Baylor has won each of its last four games against non-AP-ranked teams.
• Houston has lost four of its last five November games against non-AP-ranked teams.
• Baylor has covered the spread in each of its last five games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
• Houston has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five November games at TDECU Stadium.

Total Points Facts

• Each of Baylor’s last seven games has gone OVER the total points line.
• Ten of Houston’s last 11 games have gone UNDER the total points line.

Baylor vs Houston Prediction

I’ll lean toward Baylor. The Bears had a nice offensive day versus West Virginia on Saturday, posting 512 yards (329 passing), 7.3 yards per play, 26 first downs, and 8-of-13 on third-down tries. The defense gave up 262 rush yards and 29 first downs but held up reasonably well on third-down conversions (5-of-13). Baylor has 37 or more points in four straight games now.

As for Houston, they were pretty ineffective against Arizona in their last outing. The defense wasn’t horrendous—outside of 10-of-17 allowed on third downs, that is. The Cougars O posted 326 yards (135 rushing) with just 14 first downs, three turnovers, and 2-of-17 on third- and fourth-down tries. Houston’s offense needs to get it together quickly before Saturday, and I don’t think they’ll be able to cover in the end.