Houston vs. Colorado odds: Use Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS for $25 bonus on college football picks

The Houston Cougars might not be considered a mainstream College Football Playoff contender, but they'll be looking to maintain their position in the Big 12 race when they head to Boulder on Friday evening to face the Colorado Buffaloes. Houston is 7-2 on the season with both of its losses coming on the road, while Colorado is 3-6 and trying to get a signature win in an otherwise lost campaign.

Houston has a 5-0 record at home but is a .500 team on the road. This Cougars offense is potent, averaging 35.4 points per game behind one of the best rushing attacks in the nation. Makhi Hughes is averaging 4.7 yards per carry while Re'Shaun Sanford II is posting 5.6 yards per carry. The duo has combined for seven rushing scores, and quarterback Conner Weigman has seven rushing touchdowns on his own to add to this tally. Weigman has thrown just two interceptions on the season while tossing 22 touchdown passes. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has Houston winning in 75% of simulations.

It's been a tough year for Deion Sanders' crew, as Julian Lewis did not live up to his lofty recruiting status. Isaac Wilson has taken over at quarterback, but he's thrown eight interceptions to go along with his eight touchdowns. Colorado's offense is averaging just 19.8 points per game, while the defense gives up 28.3. However, the Buffs did nearly beat Utah in Boulder so it's possible they can spring an upset at home. The SportsLine model sees Colorado winning in 25% of simulations.

If we ignore the 77-6 result against Southern, Houston has won four games by more than 7.5 points this season. The Cougars have not had this margin of victory in their last two wins, but they're clearly one of the better teams in the Big 12. The Buffaloes have close wins over Georgia Tech and Kansas State on their resume, and they did give Utah everything it could handle and then some in a 27-24 result. Five of Colorado's seven losses have been by more than 7.5 points. The SportsLine model has Houston winning by more than 7.5 points in 60% of simulations.

As stated earlier, Houston is one of the top scoring teams in the country behind a dominant run game. The Buffs have not held up particularly well in that area defensively, and they aren't necessarily equipped to slow down Weigman either. The question here will be if Wilson and Co. can score on Houston's defense, which allows 21.3 points per game. The SportsLine model sees these teams combining for more than 51.5 points in 57.7% of simulations.

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