A ranked Big 12 showdown highlights Friday night’s college football action as the No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) host the No. 22 Houston Cougars (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) in a Week 3 matchup at Galaxy Stadium.
After finishing last year ranked No. 22 with a 10-3 record and concluding the season with a 38-35 Texas Bowl win over LSU, Houston has gotten off to a nice start this season with a 33-20 win against Oregon State in Week 1 followed by a 77-6 rout of Southern in Week 2.
Quarterbacks Conner Weigman and Keisean Henderson combined to throw for five touchdowns against Southern, while the rushing attack totaled 388 yards and six touchdowns, including one by Henderson. The Cougars’ defense held Southern to only four first downs and 121 total yards of offense, including -6 rushing yards, while recovering two fumbles and forcing an interception.
Texas Tech had a dominant 2025 season, finishing the regular season 12-1 and earning a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. However, the Red Raiders’ season came to a quick end in the quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl with a 23-0 shutout loss to Oregon.
Texas Tech is on a mission to get back to the playoffs this year and is on the right track, starting 2-0 with a 33-10 win over Abilene Christian to open the season followed by a 35-24 victory against Oregon State last week. Quarterback Will Hammond didn’t light up the box score through the air, throwing for 189 yards and one touchdown, and while he didn’t throw an interception, he did lose a fumble. Luckily for the Red Raiders, running back J’Koby Williams rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown in the win, with Cameron Dickey and Thomas Castellanos also each rushing for a score.
Perhaps more concerning was Texas Tech’s defensive performance against Oregon State, particularly against the pass. The Red Raiders allowed 472 total yards of offense, with Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson throwing for 413 yards and two touchdowns and wide receiver Jesse Legree notably recording 240 receiving yards. That came one week after Texas Tech allowed some offensive success to a far lesser Abilene Christian team.
Find our Houston vs. Texas Tech predictions, picks, and odds below ahead of Friday night’s Big 12 matchup.
Houston vs. Texas Tech Odds
Texas Tech is listed as a sizable home favorite at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook for Friday night’s Big 12 showdown:
Houston vs. Texas Tech Predictions
Houston +7.5 (-105): Houston is coming off a massive 71-point win, and while it was against a far weaker opponent, the Cougars are bringing momentum into their first Big 12 matchup of the year. That’s not to say Texas Tech doesn’t have momentum on its side because it does, having started the season 2-0 as well, but this could turn into a far closer game than what the moneyline and spread suggest.
The key factor here is that Houston and Texas Tech have already played one common opponent, Oregon State. The Cougars secured a 13-point win over Oregon State in Week 1, while the Red Raiders earned an 11-point victory against the Beavers last week. Houston put up more total yards of offense against Oregon State than Texas Tech did, particularly in the passing game, but neither team had its best defensive performance against the Beavers.
The Cougars allowed 402 yards of offense to Oregon State, with the majority of that coming from the Beavers’ passing attack between Atkinson and Legree. The same was true for the Red Raiders, who allowed 472 total yards of offense to Oregon State, including 417 passing yards, with Legree absolutely torching the defense.
That could point toward both Houston and Texas Tech potentially finding a lot of offensive success Friday night, which would benefit the Over, but it could also mean that the Cougars and Red Raiders are a lot more evenly matched than the spread suggests and could even result in an upset win for Houston.
- Texas Tech vs. Houston Spread Pick for Sept. 18: Houston +7.5 (-105)
Houston vs. Texas Tech Betting Splits
Here’s how the action is trending at Hard Rock Bet for Friday night’s ranked matchup between Houston and Texas Tech:
- Texas Tech is receiving more moneyline support, with 83.1% of bets and 76% of the handle.
- Houston, however, is attracting more action on the spread, with 59.8% of bets and 64.9% of the handle.
- The Over is generating the majority of action on the total, with 83% of bets and 62.2% of the handle.
Houston vs. Texas Tech Game Info
- đź“Ť Where: Galaxy Stadium, Lubbock, TX
- đź“… Date: Friday, Sept. 18
- ⏰ Kickoff: 8:00 PM ET
- đź“şđź’» TV/Streaming: FOX
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Referenced odds are subject to change.
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