Houston vs Utah Prediction, Pick, College Football Odds for Saturday, October 24

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The Houston Cougars take on the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is set for 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Utah is favored by -6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -245. Houston, meanwhile, enters as a +6.5 underdog and is +198 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 56.5 total points.

Here’s my Houston vs. Utah prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 24.

• Houston vs. Utah Pick: Utah -6.5 or Better

My Utah vs. Houston best bet is on the Utes to cover this blockbuster at home. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.

Houston vs Utah Odds

• Houston vs Utah Spread: Utah -6.5 (-110), Houston +6.5 (-110)
• Houston vs Utah Over/Under: 56.5 (-110o / -110u)
• Houston vs Utah Moneyline: Houston +198, Utah -245

Willie Fritz has fully arrived in Houston. The Cougars were a literal inch away from a possible upset on the road at Texas Tech and, as a result, 7-0.

But the fan support still isn’t there — Houston has been the butt of many attendance jokes — despite affordable tickets, parking and promotions to get fans to go.

The offense runs completely through quarterback Conner Weigman. Weigman is a phenomenal athlete and dual-threat who led QBs in designed rush attempts in 2025.

Thanks to an increased presence from running backs Makhi Hughes and Re’Shaun Sanford II, the load has been alleviated a bit off Weigman’s shoulders.

Houston’s offensive line has been outstanding, landing on the midseason Joe Moore Award Top 25.

We’ve seen the emergence of a handful of players like wide receiver Amare Thomas (now a coveted NFL prospect), tight end Patrick Overmyer and cornerback Jalen Mayo.

But losing multiple NFL players in the secondary in the offseason takes its toll.

Houston’s defense has fallen sharply over the last two years, now being more hurtful than it is helpful. The Cougars rely on their dynamic offense to overcome lapses on defense.

Critically, Houston’s secondary gives up way too many explosive plays through the air. Teams capable of exploiting that (Oregon State, Texas Tech Oklahoma State) have; teams that cannot (Kansas State, UCF) have struggled offensively.

Unfortunately for Houston, there’s some explosive offenses on the horizon, namely Utah this weekend.

The Cougars haven’t fielded much of a pass rush this year (91st in sack rate), which further hurts the pass defense.

Offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven has been handed keys to a Ferrari.

With limited resources in Logan, we now see just how valuable McGiven was, as Utah State dropped from 58th in Points Per Drive to 127th despite returning quarterback McCae Hillstead.

Now up the road at rival Utah, McGiven has the Utes firing on every cylinder possible.

In addition to rostering elite athletes like Devon Dampier, Byrd Ficklen and Wayshawn Parker, Utah utilizes simple schemes masked by unique formations, pre-snap motion and (of course) a two-QB system.

What you get is a well-balanced offense that has run over most opponents.

Last week cast some doubt on this offense, though. A pair of inopportune turnovers negated over 400 yards of offense, but Utah didn’t look like the better team against Colorado in most facets.

The Utes benefited from a short field themselves to secure the game as the Buffs tried to mount a furious comeback. Utah’s 28.1% post-game win expectancy, per SP+, really says it all.

Starting left guard Kelvin Obot will also miss this game after picking up an injury against the Buffaloes.

But was this just a bad spot on the road ahead of a ranked blockbuster in front of College GameDay? Or is there a real reason for trepidation for Utah?

Dampier isn’t a perfect passer. The scheme is largely one read and puts Dampier on offset platforms with misdirections and rollouts.

As a result, Dampier missed a touchdown opportunity to a wide-open tight end early in the game and missed on another downfield shot not long after. When Dampier doesn’t connect on those plays, Utah’s offense can stall.

McGiven also abandoned the QB run, instead opting to throw with Dampier 41 times (a season high by 10 pass attempts).

Nearly half of Utah’s rushing attempts were stuffed for less than two yards, but McGiven gave up on the run too quickly. As a result, the offense looked uncomfortable and off-schedule.

Utah has maintained its status as a -6.5 home favorite almost unchanged throughout the week. Any brief flashes of -5.5 or +7 were bought immediately. The over/under re-opened at 55.5 points (it was 50.5 this summer) and was bet up to as high as 57.5.

Houston must travel to one of the most daunting environments in college football.

Rice-Eccles Stadium is a seriously underrated home environment, especially after dark. Utah also set homecoming for this weekend, and with the presence of College GameDay, expect one of the best environments of the year.

Fortunately, Houston goes to battle with a veteran quarterback in Weigman and coach in Fritz — this isn’t either of their first rodeos. This is, however, Houston’s biggest road game in a very long time.

Per Action PRO, home teams ranked in the top 25 that are favored by at least a field goal over a visitor ranked in the top 25 cover 58% of the time.

Given Utah survived its stinker last week and returns home with a fully-loaded playbook, I’m looking for the Utes to win by a touchdown or more. Houston’s defense has been prone to giving up explosive plays, and that’s just where Utah thrives.

Weigman is a veteran, but he has also had lapses in judgment with turnovers. Utah doesn’t have to worry about the Holy War against BYU until Week 10 (hello, Cincinnati in Week 9).

For fans of good football, strong offensive line play and crafty run games, this is your Christmas. Utah notches its first program win over Houston on Saturday night after previously going 0-5.

Pick: Utah -6.5 or Better