Houston at Tulane NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 9/19/2019

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Yulman Stadium

Justin McMillan and the Tulane Green Wave play the Houston Cougars at Yulman Stadium on Thursday, September 19, 2019. Tulane opens this game as 2.5-point favorites. The total is set at 61. The Cougars are 2-1-0 ATS and 0-2-1 when betting on the total. The Green Wave are 1-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-1-0 against the spread.

Key Houston Cougars Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Tulane Green Wave Injuries

No key injuries to report

In the last game they played, the Houston Cougars took on the Washington State Cougars and took the defeat by a score of 31-24. D'Eriq King paced the team in rushing for that game. He broke a long run for 21 yards and he added 2 touchdowns for the contest. He rushed for 94 yards via 17 carries which gave him an average of 5.5 yards per run. Keith Corbin was the receiving yardage leader by earning 54 yards on 3 catches. He averaged 18.0 yards per reception for that game. Leading the way at QB for the Cougars was D'Eriq King who went 13/24 with 128 yards passing and tossed 1 TD. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Houston Cougars ran the ball a total of 39 times and earned a total of 239 yards which had them averaging 6.1 yards per rush. On the day, the Cougars racked up 22 first downs and they totaled 8 infractions for 77 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. In all, they ran 63 plays which added up to 367 yards. When discussing the defense, Houston allowed 36 catches on 48 attempts for a total of 440 yards, and a completion percentage of 75.0%. On the ground, the Cougars allowed 49 yards on 19 attempts allowing their opponent an average of 2.6 yards per carry allowed. Overall, they gave up a total of 489 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

The Cougars head into this game 1-2 for this year. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 30.7 points per game, ranking them 68th in the country. As a team, they have an average of 238.7 yards on the ground per contest which is 5th in the AAC. For total yardage, they currently sit at 5th in the AAC and 66th in the country with 1,155 yards. The Cougars have one of the worst defenses in the nation, giving up 32.3 points per contest ranking them 12th in the AAC. When it comes to yards through the air, the Cougars have allowed 439 yards. Teams are completing 64.5% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 9.3 yards per attempt. When it comes to rushing yards, Houston is allowing 157.7 yards per game putting them 9th in the AAC and 78th in the nation. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 5.3 yards per carry ranking them 12th in the American Athletic Conference and 118th in D-1 overall. Overall, they have allowed 473 rushing yards through 3 contests.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

In their last game, the Tulane Green Wave went up against the Missouri State Bears and earned the win by a score of 58-6. Running the show from under center for the Green Wave was Justin McMillan who went 13/16 with 122 yards passing but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He threw 1 pick during the game. Tyjae Spears paced the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 52 yards and he notched 1 TD for the contest. He ran for 89 yards by way of 8 carries which meant he was running for 11.1 yards per tote. Tyjae Spears led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 88 yards on 1 catch. He earned an average of 88.0 yards per catch for the game. The Tulane Green Wave ran the ball 52 times and earned a total of 298 yards which earned them an average of 5.7 yards per carry. In all, they finished with a total of 74 plays which added up to 540 yards. On the day, the Green Wave totaled 26 first downs and they had a total of 4 infractions for 40 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. In terms of defense, Tulane conceded 14 completions on 28 throws totaling 128 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. Against the run, the Green Wave conceded 54 yards on 23 tries which means they allowed 2.3 yards per rushing attempt allowed. For this contest, they gave up a total of 182 yards and forced 3 turnovers.

Related: Get college football tips & picks on all of today's games

The Green Wave come into this matchup with a record of 2-1. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Green Wave have one of the top tier offenses in the country. Tulane has made teams game plan around their running game by averaging 256 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 18th in the country. As a team, they have a total of 768 rushing yards through 3 contests, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Green Wave average 436 yards per game overall ranking them 49th in D-1 and 6th in the AAC. The Green Wave are giving up 14.7 points per contest ranking them 5th in the AAC and 24th in the country. Their passing defense is one of the elite units in the country. They are giving up 181 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Green Wave are currently ranked 6th in the AAC. In regard to points given up, they have given up 44 total points. When talking about rushing yards, they are giving up 95 yards per game ranking them 33rd in the nation and 4th in the conference. In 2019, they have given up 285 yards on the ground and 3 rushing TDs.

Who will win tonight's Cougars/Green Wave college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Cougars +2.5

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink