This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Picks: Houston vs. Arizona Odds, Picks, and Predictions
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Late Friday night we have a Big 12 battle between two teams going in opposite directions. Both hired new head coaches in the offseason, and both have had ups and downs. At present, though, the Houston Cougars are on an upswing, while the Arizona Wildcats sorely need a positive day on the gridiron. Will that happen at home on Friday? Or will Arizona's slide continue?
Houston vs. Arizona Odds
Spread: Arizona -1 (DraftKings Sportsbook), Houston +2 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Total: Over 45.5 (BetMGM Sportsbook); Under 46.5 (Caesars Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Arizona -111 (FanDuel Sportsbook), Houston +102 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Nothing says "toss-up" like both teams ending up with money lines where a $20 bet nets you little more than $20 in profit. The Wildcats have the slimmest of margins on the spread front, and given the fact they are at home, that speaks to a sense that the Cougars are the slightly better team.
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Houston vs. Arizona Betting Picks
Arizona found itself in the middle of a head-coaching domino fallout. Alabama hired Kalen DeBoer, so Washington hired Jeff Fisch from Arizona, and so Arizona brought over Brent Brennan from San Jose State. By SJSU standards, Brennan was successful, and he was able to keep quarterback Noah Fifita and high-level wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan around. Unfortunately the same results from 2023 have not been there. The Wildcats are 3-6, but with wins over New Mexico, FCS school Northern Arizona, and Utah, which is also 1-5 in conference. Oh, Arizona is 1-5 in conference play, by the way. The Wildcats have lost five games in a row and fallen to 76th in SP+.
Houston hired Willie Fritz from Tulane, where he had found immense success. The Cougars are actually worse in terms of SP+, ranking 86th. While Arizona has been mediocre across the board, Houston has been bad offensively (105th in SP+) and on special teams (126th) but pretty good defensively (47th). In terms of recent play, though, the Cougars are 4-5, thanks to winning three of their last four games. The team has turned to Zeon Chriss under center, who brings a real threat with his legs. Twice in his last four outings, he's rushed for at least 75 yards and a touchdown.
I don't want to overreact to recent runs of play. That being said, Fritz has a track record of success, a new quarterback has been playing, and Houston has won three out of four. Arizona has lost five in a row and looked lifeless at times. That's a run of play that certainly gives me pause.
Houston vs. Arizona Best Bet: Houston +2 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Houston vs. Arizona Predictions
McMillan will get his, even with the Cougars having a good defense. Fifita has regressed in his sophomore season, though. Arizona is coming off a 56-12 loss to UCF. This will probably be a low-scoring game, but I think Houston can gut it out. The spiral continues in the desert, and hope blossoms for Houston.
