Houston Cougars vs Cincinnati Bearcats Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 01/03/26

The Houston Cougars and the Cincinnati Bearcats will face off on Saturday for a Big 12 Conference game. Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller has been receiving heat after another slow start to the season in his fifth season in charge. The Bearcats are just 8-5 on the season and suffered a loss to Eastern Michigan at home. I do not think they are good enough to compete with Houston in this game, even in front of their home crowd. I like Houston to cover the seven-point spread here.

Houston is one of the best teams in the country again this season and should be able to flex their defense in this matchup. Houston’s defense is ranked #9 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and #5 in turnover percentage. The Bearcats are ranked #212 in turnover percentage and will likely turn the ball over at a high rate. Cincinnati has one of the worst offenses in power five and should struggle to get anything going against Houston. The Cougars have lost just one game this season and it was by three points to Tennessee in Las Vegas. They should have no issues taking care of business in this one. Take Houston -7.

*Houston -7 available at time of publishing. Playable at -10*