Big 12 After Dark: #14 Houston vs. #10 Utah NCAA Football Picks & Predictions (10/24)
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Thu Oct 22, 2026, 4:53 pm ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
ncaaf
Spread
Total
Moneyline
+6.5
101
56.5
-110o
+210
Spread
Total
Moneyline
-6.5
-110
56.5
-110u
-245
The Big 12 closes out Week 8 of the NCAA Football season with a late night matchup in Salt Lake City on Saturday. The No. 14 Houston Cougars bring their four game winning streak into Utah to take on the No. 10 ranked Utes. Devon Dampier and the Utes are one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the Big 12, while Houston has one conference loss like three other schools. But can they find a way to keep their winning ways alive on the road and pull off this huge upset? Find out with our expert picks below.
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NCAA Football Expert Insights: #14 Houston Cougars vs. #10 Utah Utes
Devon Dampier and the Utah Utes host the Houston Cougars in this Top 15 matchup out west
Utah is sitting right where I would expect them to be. They are 6-0 halfway through the season, but things are going to get a whole lot tougher down the stretch. The Utes still have to host No. 2 BYU in the Holy War, and they follow that up with a ranked matchup on the road against the Arizona Wildcats. I'm not so confident in them lasting down the stretch.
As for the Cougars, they are a battle tested team. They started off the season with a gritty win over Oregon State, who has proven to be a solid squad. Plus Houston has wins over Kansas State on the road as an underdog, and last week against Oklahoma State after dominating the third down battle. Do they have another road win as a dog in them?
Matchup Information – Houston vs. Utah – October 24
- Venue & Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
- Kick Off: 10:15 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: ESPN
Cougars vs. Utes Betting Odds
Odds listed are from BetOnline as of Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 3:35 p.m. eastern.
Spread
- Houston +6.5 (+101)
- Utah -6.5 (-121)
Moneyline
- Houston +211
- Utah -255
Total
- Over 56.5 (-105)
- Under 56.5 (-115)
#14 Houston vs. #10 Utah: NCAA Football Expert Picks
Conner Weigman and the Houston Cougars are looking to prove they are legit, with a huge road win over Utah
Houston vs. Utah Prediction: Utah Wins, Houston Covers, Over 56.5
Best Bets: Houston +6.5 (+101) BetOnline
Please get a full touchdown. The seven is out there, go get it. I think these two teams are going to slug each other back and forth with plenty of scoring, resulting in the Utes winning a close shootout. The Cougars can keep it within a touchdown.
This is a "show it to me" game for the Utes in my eyes. They are 6-0, a top 10 team in the country. But of course we have to ask… who have you played? Utah's six wins are all over teams with losing records. Beating Idaho, Arkansas, Utah State, Kansas, Iowa State, and Colorado (barely) is not impressive. They have been cruising down easy street, even at home, Houston is going to come to play.
The Cougars only loss this season came on the road in Lubbock, over Texas Tech who is No. 8 in the country right now. Houston went 9/15 on third down against the Red Raiders, and had a shot to tie the game with a two point conversion that ultimately failed. That's how close they are to being undefeated. Add in the fact that they are catching a touchdown as the MUCH more battle tested team, I think they are capable of pulling off this win away from home.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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