Tulane at Houston
Time: 7 PM CT (Thursday)
Spread: HOU -10
Total: 68

Odds c/o Bovada

The Houston Cougars are 7-3 and in first place in the American Athletic West division. It will host the Tulane Green Wave at 7 PM (CT) on Thursday night as 10-point favorites according to college football oddsmakers at Bovada.

The over/under is set at 68 points for the game, which will air on ESPN.

HOU

Houston has lost two straight following losses to SMU and Temple. It surrendered 45 points to SMU and gave up 59 to Temple, and Houston’s defense has been a problem all season. The Cougars rank No. 105 in surrendering 34.4 points per game, but its offense is so good it has largely been able to cover those shortcomings.

Houston ranks No. 4 in scoring at 47.8 points per game, possessing the nation’s No. 12 pass offense at 316.5 yards per game and the No. 21 rush offense at 229.6 yards per game. The over/under only seems high until considering all these facts, and Houston will push the ball down the field while largely allowing the same from its opponents.

Houston quarterback D’Eriq King has already thrown for 2,900 yards at a 63 percent completion clip. He has thrown 35 touchdown passes with six interceptions, and he averages 8.79 yards per-pass-attempt this season. King’s top target has been Marquez Stevenson. Stevenson has caught a team-best 56 passes for 854 yards and nine touchdowns.

Keith Corbin has added another 608 yards and eight touchdowns, while Courtney Lark is the No. 3 receiver with 509 yards and five touchdowns. Houston has three other players with 200 yards or more on the season, and it averages 13.9 yards per reception.

In the backfield, King nearly matches his top rusher. Patrick Carr has 594 yards on 113 rush attempts, but King has added 592 on 101 carries. King leads the team in TD Rushes too, with 13 of the team’s 25 rushing TDs. He is a talented dual-threat quarterback leading one of the nation’s top offenses, but with Houston’s defensive shortcomings it has hindered the team the past two weeks.

It should be able to better Tulane this week to strengthen its hold on the No. 1 spot in the AAC West.

TUL

Tulane is 5-5 this season, but it is riding a three-game win streak into this week after wins over Tulsa, South Florida, and East Carolina. The Green Wave rank No. 59 in team defense holding opponents to 25.8 points per game, but it scores just 27.3 per game (No. 86), good for a differential of +1.5 points. The Green Wave are a strong rushing team, averaging 215.8 yards per game on the ground, tied for No. 28 in the nation. It is not much of a passing offense though, averaging just 179.5 yards per game and ranking No. 110.

Jonathan Banks has thrown for 1,074 yards but he has just a 51.8 percent completion ratio and he has thrown just five TD passes (with two interceptions). Banks is No. 5 on the team in rushing yardage with 120 yards on 78 carries. Darius Bradwell carries the team largely with his 829 yards on 137 attempts, while Corey Dauphine ranks No. 2 in rushing yardage with 689 yards on 98 carries. The pair between them has 15 of Tulane’s 22 rushing TDs.

Tulane kicker Merek Glover has been strong. He is 33 of 34 on PATs and 7 of 9 on field goals, with both of his misses coming from beyond the 40-yard line.

ATS TRENDS