Houston Cougars vs Utah Utes Prediction, 10/24/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Cougars vs Utah Utes

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Utes (-6.5)

Total/Over-Under: 56.5

Rice-Eccles Stadium is the location where the Utah Utes (6-0) will compete against the Houston Cougars (6-1) on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Utah opens as 6.5-point favorites from oddsmakers. The over/under is 56.5.

The Houston Cougars come into this game with a record of 6-1 for this year. The last time they took the field, the Cougars played against the Oklahoma State Cowboys and took home the win by a score of 35-32. On the ground, the Cougars conceded 134 yards on 25 attempts, which is an average of 5.4 yds per run surrendered. Houston gave up 22 pass completions on 34 attempts for a total of 365 yds, and a completion rate of 64.7%. When all was said and done, they had 73 plays which totaled 505 yards. The Houston Cougars ran the ball 40 times and compiled 162 yards, earning them an average of 4.1 yards per tote.

The Cougars have attained 3,396 total yards over the course of this year. When it comes to getting in the endzone, Houston has compiled 22 touchdowns via the pass and 15 rushing touchdowns. They have turned the football over 5 times. Houston has tallied 188 1st downs as a team, and they have committed 46 infractions for 409 yds. As a team they're averaging 220.3 yards on the ground which ranks them 17th in the country. Regarding putting the ball in the endzone, the Houston Cougars are sitting at 39.3 PPG.

In terms of yards through the air, the Cougars have conceded 1,855 yards which puts them in 132nd in college football. They have surrendered 265.0 yards per game through the air as well as allowing a completion percentage of 61.7%. For the year, they are conceding 347.6 yards/outing ranking them 60th in the country. They have allowed 12 touchdowns via the pass and 8 touchdowns via the ground game. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.2 yards per run and 82.6 rushing yards per game so far this season. During this campaign, they have given up 578 rushing yards through 7 outings. The Cougars rank 45th in the country when it comes to team defense, conceding 21.0 points per game.

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The Utes head into this matchup 6-0 this season. The last time they took the field, the Utes took home the win by a final score of 27-24 when they played the Colorado Buffaloes. Utah rushed for 3.4 yds per carry, finishing the contest with 131 yards on 39 attempts. The Utes finished with 409 yards on 80 plays (5.1 yds per play). The Utes passing defense conceded a completion rate of 58.1%, relinquishing 256 yds on 18 for 31 through the air. Utah relinquished 24 run attempts for 138 yds (5.8 yds per rush).

The Utah Utes hold an average of 486.5 yards per game, which ranks them 9th in Division 1. The Utah offense has accrued 327 yds of penalties on 38 infractions, which ranks them 90th in D-1 in terms of hurting your team. They are averaging 220.2 yards per game on the ground and have rushed for 1,321 yards for this year. They have given away 4 picks while surrendering 2 fumbles and they have been able to obtain 158 1st downs. In terms of the points being put on the board, the Utes currently rank 8th in Division 1 maintaining an average of 40.2 PPG. During the season to this point, the Utes have earned 1,598 passing yards as well as holding an average of 266.3 passing yards per contest, which has them ranked 34th in the nation.

The Utes are relinquishing 14.8 PPG, ranking them 12th in D-1. Utah has allowed a total of 532 rushing yards (88.7 yards per outing) in addition to 5 touchdowns by way of the ground game on the year. They have surrendered 6 touchdowns through the air in addition to 214.5 yards/outing, which has them ranked 75th in college football. The Utes defense has taken part in 377 plays, which ranks 23rd in D-1. Their defense has compiled 2 fumbles and 8 picks on the season. This year, they have allowed 89 total points.

Who will win tonight's Cougars/Utes college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Cougars +6.5

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