Birmingham Bowl: Houston vs. Auburn odds, picks and prediction
The No. 21 Houston Cougars (11-2) meet the Auburn Tigers (6-6) Tuesday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET. Below, we look at the Houston vs. Auburn odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
The Cougars suffered a 35-20 loss in the AAC Championship Game against College Football Playoff semifinalist Cincinnati Dec. 4. That snapped an 11-game win streak for the Cougars. Houston enters 1-5 ATS in the past six neutral-site games, and 0-4 ATS in the past four bowl games. Houston will be without All-American CB/KR Marcus Jones, who opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Auburn ended the season on a four-game losing streak but played rival Alabama tough in the regular-season finale. The Tigers lost 24-22 in overtime to the Crimson Tide but covered the spread (+20.5) for the first time in four games.
The Tigers have been hit hard with several players entering the transfer portal since the 'Bama loss. Junior QB Bo Nix, a three-year starter who missed the last two games of this season with a broken ankle, announced he's transferring to Oregon. RB Shaun Shivers and WR Elijah Canion, both backups, are also among a Tigers crew that entered the portal.
Meanwhile, All-American First-Team CB Roger McCreary opted out to get ready for the NFL Draft, while C Nick Brahms is sidelined after season-ending surgery. The team is also going to be working under new OC Austin Davis, after Mike Bobo was fired in November.
Rankings courtesy of the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Houston vs. Auburn odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 2:59 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Houston +102 (bet $100 to win $102) | Auburn -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Houston +1.5 (-108) | Auburn -1.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 51.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Houston vs. Auburn odds, lines, picks and predictions
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Prediction
Houston 31, Auburn 20
Money line
HOUSTON (+102) is a good value to play straight up, even though it will be playing deep behind enemy lines in the state of Alabama with a pro-Auburn crowd. The Tigers just have too much upheaval, with a new OC to a lack of depth. They're also on a four-game skid, going 1-3 ATS.
The Cougars have a potent offense, averaging 37.3 points per game (PPG), and their defense is legit, allowing just 298.8 total yards per game and only 191.8 passing yards per contest. The Tigers yielded 21.0 PPG to rank 28th in the nation.
Against the spread
Play HOUSTON +1.5 (-108) if you feel this is going to be a one-point game. If not, the Cougars are a much better play on the money line.
Over/Under
The lean is to the UNDER 51.5 (-110). The trends mostly point to the Over for both sides down this season. However, Auburn has cashed Under tickets in six of the past eight games against teams with a winning record, while going 7-3-2 O/U in the past 12 neutral-site affairs.
For the Cougars, their potent offense led to plenty of Over results this season. However, the Under has hit in five of the past seven neutral-site affairs for Houston.
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