Baylor Bears vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Odds and Picks for Saturday, 11/23/24

A Big 12 game in the middle of the pack brings us to our Baylor Bears vs Houston Cougars prediction. These two schools both have top-10 caliber basketball teams, but football has been something of a disappointment this fall. The Cougars have been in a rebuilding year, but they had won 3 out of 4 before falling on the road at Arizona last week. The Bears started slow, but after making a change at quarterback, they have taken off, logging 4 straight wins. What can we expect on Saturday? I am backing the better and hotter team in Baylor, and with a line set at -7.5, the books are daring us to back Houston. I don’t want to take that bait.

Houston is a one-sided team. That is, they have a terrific defense that ranks #28 in total yards allowed, but their offense is abysmal. In fact, their offense is one of the worst in Division I, and they average less than 300 yards per game. For the Cougars to win, they have to hold down the opponent and turn a game into a grind. Since making a quarterback change, the Baylor offense has taken off. Over the past 4 weeks, they have scored 59, 37, 38, and 49. Their offense is quick and balanced, and they use all 4 downs from nearly anywhere on the field. Houston should keep the Bears below the gaudy point totals of the past month, but unless the Cougar offense can muster something they haven’t shown all year, they won’t keep this one close. Baylor, by the way, would be in the conversation for the Big 12 title game if not for a crazy Hail Mary from Shedeur Sanders, so there is a strong chance that this team is better than the market thinks. This can be a good spot to capitalize on that.

Baylor vs Houston Prediction: Baylor -7.5 (-110) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.