Stephen F. Austin (0-0) vs Houston (0-0)
August 28, 2025 at 08:00 PM EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Houston -22.5 — Over/Under: 55.5
In this article we will formulate a Stephen F. Austin vs Houston prediction for this College Football game on Thursday, August 28th at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this week 1 matchup.
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks Betting Preview
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks went 7-5 (4-3) last year and they finished tied for third in the Southland standings with Lamar. Stephen F. Austin started the 2024 season with a 77-0 win over North American University, but they followed that up with a 35-20 loss to North Texas. The Lumberjacks picked up wins against North American University, Northern Colorado, Northwestern State, Lamar, Houston Christian, Nicholls, and Abilene Christian, while they lost to North Texas, McNeese, SE Louisiana, East Texas A&M, and Incarnate Word. SFA ended the season by winning three of their last five games, so they will look to keep that momentum here.
This year, Stephen F. Austin returns Sam Vidlak at quarterback, who is one of the best QBs in the FCS. The Lumberjacks have a ton of talent at wide receiver and running back, and the offensive line returns just about all of their starters. On defense, SFA brings back about 50% of their top 14 tacklers and even though they do lose some solid production, this should be one of the better units in the country.
Houston Cougars Betting Preview
The Houston Cougars were 4-8 (3-6) last season, which was tied for 11th in the Big 12 standings with Cincinnati. Houston opened the season with a 27-7 loss against UNLV and they lost four of their first five games. The Cougars did beat Rice, TCU, Utah, and Kansas State, but they lost to UNLV, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Arizona, Baylor, and BYU. Houston finished the 2024 season by getting outscored 77-31 in their last three games, so they will look to turn the page here. The Houston offense scored 14.0 points per game, which was 133rd in the country, while they allowed 22.9 points against per game, which was ranked 40th.
This season, Houston will look to build upon that strong offensive unit from 2024, while making big gains on the offensive side of the ball. The Cougars did lose a couple of playmakers from the defense, but they do have plenty of production coming back. The Houston offense will look to model the success of past Tulane teams and they will have Weigman at quarterback. The Cougars will have plenty of new faces on offense, but they should be improved, as it would be very difficult to be any worse than last season.
Why Houston will beat Stephen F. Austin
- Houston has won 16 of its last 20 games against non-conference opponents at TDECU Stadium.
- Houston has covered the spread in three of its last four games against non-conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Houston’s last six games at TDECU Stadium have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Houston ranked 134th among FBS teams for red zone percentage last season (57.7).
- Houston ranked 133rd among FBS teams for points per game last season (14.0).
Stephen F. Austin vs Houston Prediction
Houston comes into the 2025 season with much higher expectations than they had last year and they should have a better record this year. The Cougars should be a top 50 defense once again and I think their offense will take a huge step forward. Stephen F. Austin did play North Texas tight last season, but they really don’t have much of a chance against a Big 12 opponent. Houston has two games to get ready for conference play and I think we will see a strong start from them here. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the starters sit in the second half with Rice next week, but I still think this Houston defense will lead them to a blowout win. Take the Cougars here.