Houston vs. Colorado odds, picks, predictions: Smart betting angles for late-night Big 12 tilt

Deion Sanders insists he isn’t on the hot seat, but the losses are piling up for his Colorado Buffaloes.

Sitting at 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the Big 12, the Buffaloes seem a long way from the Travis Hunter/Shedeur Sanders team that went 9-4 in 2024.

And things are not likely to get any easier this weekend.

Colorado is a 9.5-point home underdog against No. 14 Houston (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) on Friday night.

Houston vs. Colorado odds, prediction

Willie Fritz’s Cougars are going to be convinced they’re still in the College Football Playoff chase.

Houston’s two losses will likely keep it out, but they were both one-possession defeats and came on the road against top-10 teams.

No. 10 Texas Tech edged Houston, 28-26, in September, while No. 2 Utah bested the Cougars, 21-13, in Salt Lake City.

There is a case to be made, but Houston will need to add to its resume by running the table and doing so in emphatic fashion.

The Cougars have the horses to do just that.

While quarterback Conner Weigman is receiving plenty of love for his Heisman-quality numbers, Houston’s ground game is what makes this offense tick.

The Cougars are averaging more than five yards per carry, which is putting them ahead of the sticks and easing the burden on Weigman when it comes time to come up with the goods in a big situation. Houston is No. 1 in FBS in third-down conversion rate.

As efficient as Houston’s offense has been this season, the defense does have some serious flaws.

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The Cougars are outside of the top 100 in yards per play, and they’ve struggled to generate pressure up front.

Colorado’s offense has been putrid for large chunks of the season, but this matchup should suit them, and they’ll likely need to keep the pedal to the metal to keep up with Houston’s attack.

The spread is just a touch wide for a play on Houston, but the Over 51.5 seems well within reach.

The Play: Over 51.5 points (-110, DraftKings)

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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.