The beginning of Oregon State’s season has been far from easy.
The Beavers are 0-4, and only one of those games have been decided by single digits. OSU has lost to two ranked opponents, Oregon and Texas Tech, on the road by a collective margin of 86-21. Before that, OSU opened the season with a 34-15 home loss against Cal and a 36-27 defeat against future Pac-12 program Fresno State.
Will the Beavers earn their first win of the season this week? It’s tough to say considering they face another Big 12 opponent, Houston, though maybe home field advantage could provide a lift.
Houston vs. Oregon State Betting Odds
Oregon State is a +13.5 college football betting odds underdog against Houston, with the Over/Under being 47.5 as of this writing.
The moneyline for Houston is -550, while it’s +400 for Oregon State.
Houston vs. Oregon State On TV
The matchup between Houston and Oregon State will be televised on ESPN.
The game will kick off at 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 26. The contest is taking place at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.
Houston vs. Oregon State Prediction
I predict Houston will win and cover the 13.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 47.5 total points.
Houston has only played three games, but the Cougars have looked pretty solid so far. They opened the season by beating FCS Stephen F. Austin 27-0. Then they went on the road and won at Rice 35-9. That was before they decisively defeated Colorado 36-20 at home.
So, led by head coach Willie Fritz, the Cougars have given up just 29 points through three games. And Houston has also put up some points on offense.
Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman has thrown for 569 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions on a 64% completion rate. He’s also second on the team with 142 rushing yards and is tied for a team best with three touchdowns on the ground. Dean Connors leads the team with 271 yards and three touchdowns rushing.
Houston also has multiple offensive weapons to turn to in the passing game. At wide receiver, Stephon Johnson has a team-high 191 yards and one touchdown receiving on six catches. Tight end Tanner Koziol has caught a team-best 17 passes while recording 148 yards and a touchdown through the air. Wide receiver Amare Thomas has tallied 110 yards and one TD on eight receptions.
I think Houston’s offense has too much talent for Oregon State to keep up with, so I expect the Cougars will win by at least two touchdowns.
