by Chuck Sommers
Wednesday, Nov 24, 2021
Game time: Noon ET, November 27, 2021
Venue: Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford, CT
Where to watch: CBS Sports Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Houston -32
BetMGM: Houston -32.5
Caesars: Houston -32
Season record
No. 19 Houston: 10-1 (7-0 AAC)
Connecticut: 1-10
Matt Fargo is on a 9-5 CFB Run the last two weeks while going 32-23 in CFB since October! The final week of the regular season is here and Fargo is unleashing his CFB Game of the Year! He is ready for a MASSIVE end to November and if you make one move Saturday, this is the one! Catch Matt’s and other plays available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Houston - UConn preview and analysis
Last week
Houston: won 31-13 vs. Memphis
UConn: lost 49-17 at UCF
We understand the idea of looking too far ahead, but I think the Houston Cougars are safe this week.
The 19th-ranked Cougars will close out their regular season on Saturday when they face the one-win Connecticut Huskies in Hartford for what should be a one-sided matchup.
We're not sure if the American Conference has tried to slip money to UConn to ensure the Huskies don't come close of winning this week, but it would be in the best interest for the conference to have the penultimate conference title game next week between Houston and the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The Cougars come in on a 10-game winning streak, their longest since 2015, and the fourth-longest run in the nation at this current time. Houston is coming off a 31-13 win against the Memphis Tigers where quarterback Clayton Tune had a bit of a struggle game on offense. He did throw a touchdown and ran for one, but the 264 yards were also accompanied with two interceptions.
But the work the Houston defense did in holding Memphis to just one touchdown (that didn't come until the third quarter) and only 322 total yards is a testament for how well-rounded of a team this Cougars group is compared to years past. Houston jumped out to a 21-3 halftime lead because its defense has not allowed a first quarter point in seven of 11 games this season.
Derek Parish had 1.5 sacks, and Marcus Jones had two interceptions on Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan. Houston held Henigan to just 21 of 45 passing.
Perhaps for all of our sakes, Houston will also put an end to UConn's abysmal season. A group that has scored 15.5 points per game and whose only win is against Yale, the Huskies are on a three-game losing streak having been outscored 137-37.
The Huskies are coming off a 49-17 loss to the Central Florida Knights (one week after getting blown out by Clemson) who jumped out to a 35-7 lead at one point before taking the foot off the gas. Quarterback Steven Krajewski went 18 of 42 for 174 yards and threw three interceptions, a microcosm to the kind of season that Connecticut has put forth to this point.
Prediction
Houston is 1-2 ATS against UConn in the past three meetings, but take those with a grain of salt. This year's Houston team would wipe the floor with any of those Huskie teams, much like what will happen on Saturday. The Cougars are laying about five touchdowns in this one and it would be a shock if they didn't cover. Houston by 40
Betting trends
Houston is 5-2 ATS off a conference game this season.
The over is 4-1 in Houston’s last five road games.
UConn is 1-4 ATS in its last five against AAC teams.
The under is 6-2-1 in UConn’s last nine following an ATS loss.
Statistical leaders
Houston:
Passing: Clayton Tune -- 2,712 yards, 22 TD, 8 INT
Rushing: Alton McCaskill -- 790 yards, 15 TD
Receiving: Nathaniel Dell -- 965 yards, 9 TD
UConn:
Passing: Steven Krajewski -- 1,138 yards, 6 TD, 10 INT
Rushing: Nathan Carter -- 565 yards, 2 TD
Receiving: Keelan Marion -- 434 yards, 5 TD
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Houston - UConn prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college football projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
