Texas football opens as a four-score favorite over Houston

No. 9 Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian return to the gridiron for action next weekend against the Houston Cougars on the road at TDECU Stadium on Oct. 21. This will be the first and only battle between Texas and Houston as Big 12 foes.

The matchup between the Longhorns and Cougars will be the first for Texas since the tough last-minute loss to the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game on Oct. 7. Oklahoma handed Texas its first loss of the season by a score of 34-30, thanks to a late game-winning drive from senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Texas heads into the matchup against Houston next weekend with a record of 5-1 (2-1 Big 12).

Houston could be righting the ship amid Big 12 play after head coach Dana Holgorsen’s biggest win of the season over head coach Neal Brown and the West Virginia Mountaineers on Oct. 12. The win over West Virginia moved Houston’s record on the season to 3-3 (1-2 Big 12).

Holgorsen is no stranger to playing in the Big 12, though. He was West Virginia’s head coach for eight years in the 2010s, seven of which saw the Mountaineers competing in the Big 12.

Here’s a look at the opening betting odds as No. 9 Texas hits the road to travel to Houston to face the Cougars at TDECU Stadium on Oct. 21, with the kickoff time set for 3 p.m. CT.

Texas football vs. Houston: Opening odds for Week 8

Texas opens as a 22.5-point favorite over Houston in Week 8 (per FanDuel). The over/under opens up at 58.5 points.

According to the ESPN matchup predictor, Texas has a 93.6 percent chance of beating Houston.

Texas is 3-3-0 against the spread this season. On the road, the Longhorns are a perfect 2-0-0 against the spread. The Longhorns failed to cover the -4.0 spread pre-game against Oklahoma last weekend.

Houston, meanwhile, is also 3-3-0 against the spread this season. The Cougars are 3-1-0 against the spread at home. Houston covered the +3.0 spread pre-game against West Virginia on Oct. 12.