Tulane-houston
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Spread: HOU -18
Total: 45
Betting odds courtesy of Bovada
Tulane has dropped two straight to UCF and Cincy over the past two weeks and this week the Green Wave find itself 18-point underdogs to a 5-3 Houston team. The total is set low at just 45 over/under in college football odds.
Tulane has averaged just 18.1 points per game this season, while allowing 29.4 per game. Last week Cincy racked up 479 total yards, including 265 on the ground. Tulane had a balanced, if not poor attack, converting just 3-of-13 on third down.
Green Wave QB Tanner Lee has thrown for 1,119 yards on the season, but has completed just 53.1 percent of his passes and has a low 6.32 yards per reception, while also throwing as many INTs (9) as TDs. His passer rating is just 112.8 on the season.
Sherman Badie is battling an ankle injury and is questionable for the game. If he’s unable to go, that’s a big blow to Tulane as he has been unarguably the best offensive tool for Tulane this season. He’s averaged 6.5 yards per carry on 92 carries this season, and Lazedrick Thompson is going to have a big load this week if Badie sits.
Thompson leads the team with four rushing TDs this season, and he also has a solid yards per carry of 4.7. The backfield for Tulane is pretty solid all things said, and Dontrell Hilliard will get some more carries this week, with 254 yards on the season and a 5.8 yard per carry average.
Houston has been strong defensively this season. The Cougars are allowing just 16 points per game, good for 5th in the NCAA. The offense has been just mediocre enough to keep the Cougars competitive, averaging 28 points per game. It’s Houston’s defense that has the total set so low by college football oddsmakers.
Over the past two weeks, Houston has held Temple and South Florida to a combined total of 13 points, holding USF to just three points last week. QB John O’Korn was benched in favor of Greg Ward, Jr. Ward threw just 19 attempts last week against USF, but completed 15 of those including one for a TD.
The week prior against Temple, he had a 176.1 passer rating with 268 yards on the game. It’s arguable as to whether he’s a better QB than O’Korn, but he is more versatile. He’s rushed for 217 yards already with two TDs, including one 64-yard run for a score. Combined with Kenneth Farrow and Ryan Jackson each averaging over five yards per carry, Houston should have a better run attack for the remainder of this season.
