Houston Cougars vs Auburn Tigers Prediction, 12/28/2021 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Cougars vs Auburn Tigers

Date: Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Location: Protective Stadium in Birmingham, AL

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Tigers (-3)

Total/Over-Under: 52

Protective Stadium is the location where the Auburn Tigers (6-6) will attempt to beat the Houston Cougars (11-2) on Tuesday in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. Houston opens as 3-point underdogs from oddsmakers. The betting total comes in at 52.

The Houston Cougars step onto the field holding a record of 11-2 for this season. In their last matchup, the Cougars faced off with the Cincinnati Bearcats and took a loss by a final of 35-20. Clayton Tune went 17/26 with 250 yds passing and 2 touchdowns. He had a QB rating of 163.8 and ended the game with 1 interception. Clayton Tune led the offense in rushing for the Cougars with 23 carries for 21 yards (0.9 yds per attempt). At the end of the game, they ran 73 plays which converted into 336 yards. The Houston Cougars ended up running the ball 47 different times and accumulated 86 yards, which came out to an average of 1.8 yds per carry. On the ground, the Cougars conceded 210 yards on 28 attempts, which calculates to 7.5 yds per rush allowed. Houston gave up 11 pass completions on 17 tries for 190 yards, and a completion rate of 64.7%.

In terms of putting the ball in the endzone, the Houston Cougars are averaging 37.3 points per game. As a team they're averaging 144.5 yards via the ground game ranking them 85th in D-1. The Cougars have racked up 5,398 total yards over the course of this year. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, Houston has amassed 30 touchdowns via the pass and 27 rushing touchdowns. Houston has compiled 285 first downs, and they have committed 85 infractions for 822 yds. They have turned the ball over 12 times.

Concerning passing yardage, the Cougars have given up 2,493 yds which puts them in 30th in the country. They have yielded 191.8 yards per game through the air as well as conceding a completion percentage of 55.7%. Over the course of this season, they have relinquished 298.8 yards per contest which ranks them 6th in D-1. They have surrendered 17 touchdowns through the air as well as 13 touchdowns on the ground. The opposition is running for 3.3 yards per rush on the ground and 106.9 rushing yards per contest this season. Overall, they have allowed 1,390 rushing yards through 13 outings. The Cougars rank 27th in the nation when it comes to their opponents scoring, allowing 21.0 points per game.

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The Tigers head into this matchup 6-6 for this year. In their last game, the Tigers went home defeated by a final of 24-22 when they played the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tank Bigsby ran the ball 29 times for 63 yards, walking away from the game with 2.2 yds per carry for Auburn. TJ Finley (2 touchdowns) ended the contest with 137 yards on 17/26 through the air while his quarterback rate was 127.3. He threw 1 pick and his average yards per attempt was 5.3. Auburn surrendered 36 running attempts for 64 yards (1.8 yards per carry). The Tigers pass defense conceded a completion rate of 48.1%, surrendering 317 yards on 25 out of 52 passing. The Tigers finished the game with a total of 159 yards while running 66 plays (2.4 yards per play). Auburn ended up running for 0.6 yards per tote, finishing with a total of 22 yds on 40 carries.

When looking at this team's ability to score points, the Tigers currently rank 58th in D-1 with 29.6 PPG. During the season to this point, the Tigers have compiled 2,894 yards via the pass as well as holding an average of 241.2 throwing yards per contest, which is ranked 58th in D-1. The Auburn Tigers maintain an average of 405.6 yards per outing, which has them sitting 63rd in college football. The Auburn offense has 568 yds of penalties on 71 violations, which ranks them 73rd in the country in terms of giving up free yards.

Auburn has yielded a total of 1,553 yards rushing (129.4 yards/game) and 8 touchdowns by way of the ground game on the campaign. They have given up 22 touchdowns through the air as well as 242.7 yards per game, which has them in 91st in the country. The Tigers defense has taken the field for 847 plays, which ranks them 90th in Division 1. The Tigers are giving up 22.2 PPG, which has them 33rd in the nation. In total, they have surrendered 266 points in total.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Tigers -3

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