Our West Virginia-Houston prediction is based on the best college football odds, and we project a solid night on the ground for the Mountaineers on Thursday.
West Virginia (4-1) has leaned on its run game and solid defense for a strong start to the season. It will likely once again rely on that punishing combo when it heads to Houston (2-3) for a Big 12 showdown.
Given the defensive limitations of the Courgars, West Virginia's game plan could prove fruitful.
To help round out our college football predictions for Week 7, here is our best West Virginia vs. Houston prediction and our college football picks (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
West Virginia vs. Houston prediction
West Virginia QB Garrett Greene returned to action in the Mountaineers' Week 5 win over TCU after missing the Texas Tech contest due to injury. Greene ran for two touchdown scores, doing just enough to get WVU over the hump on the road in Fort Worth.
With the bye in Week 6 to further rest up, Greene should be ready to lead the WVU offense against a Houston defense that ranks 105th in FBS in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Cougars have surrendered 163.6 rushing yards per game to their opponents (90th in FBS), a stat which includes allowing 239 rushing yards in a Sept. 30 loss to Texas Tech.
West Virginia's offense ranks 66th in the nation in adjusted efficiency, but is geared around a rushing attack that ranks inside the FBS top 50 in yards per game. The Mountaineers should match up effectively against the weak spots in the Houston defense.
The Mountaineers boast a 4-1 ATS record on the season, which compares favorably to Houston's mark of 2-3 ATS. West Virginia has allowed just 19.5 points per game on the season and could conceivably shut down the Houston offense the way TCU did in Houston, 36-13, on Sept. 16.
In handling that same Horned Frogs group on the road in its previous game, West Virginia show the tenacity it should take to run past Houston and thrive in Thursday's road environment.
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West Virginia vs. Houston best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia -3 | West Virginia -3.5 | West Virginia -3 | West Virginia -3 | West Virginia -3 |
| -110 | -102 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
FanDuel offers a solid boost to the odds from -110 to -102, but it's not worth the hook you'd have to pay to -3.5 to take those odds. DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, and bet365 are all in alignment on listing the Mountaineers at -3 with standard -110 odds, which is our preference for this wager.
West Virginia opened as a much heavier favorite, and we would be happy to stick with the Mountaineers if the line moved back toward the opening mark. West Virginia's spread is a three-star wager up to -5.5.
West Virginia vs. Houston odds
West Virginia vs. Houston odds analysis
West Virginia opened as a 6.5-point road favorite and has seen that number dip to between -3 and -3.5 across our best sports betting apps. The majority of wagers have come in on WVU.
The total opened at 52.5 and has dropped down to 51.5 ac ross our best sports betting sites. At this time, 57% of wagers placed have come in on the Over.
West Virginia vs. Houston game info
- When: Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: TDECU Stadium, Houston, TX
- How to watch: FS1
- Weather: 79 degrees, 8 mph winds, 6% precipitation
West Virginia-Houston prediction made 10/10/2023 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
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