Houston heads to Boulder as a heavy favorite looking to build on its win streak against a Colorado team trying to snap out of a slide.
The Houston Cougars sit at 7-2 and carry a one-game winning streak into Friday night. The Colorado Buffaloes are 3-9 and have dropped their last game, looking to turn things around at home.
Game details
| When | Friday, November 13, 2026 at 10:15 PM ET |
| Where | Folsom Field |
| TV | ESPN |
| Line | Houston Cougars -9.5 | O/U 51.5 (market view) |
| Houston Cougars record | 7-2 |
| Colorado Buffaloes record | 3-6 |
The matchup
Houston has won four of its last five games, with the lone blemish a 13-21 road loss at Utah in Week 8. The Cougars bounced back with a 31-24 win over Cincinnati in Week 10 and also put up 35 points in back-to-back wins over Oklahoma State and Kansas State earlier in the stretch.
Colorado has struggled to find consistency, dropping four of its last five. The Buffaloes did pick up a 27-24 win over Kansas State in Week 9, but followed that with a 10-20 loss at Arizona State in Week 10. A 24-57 blowout loss to Oklahoma State in Week 8 stands out as their roughest outing in that span.
Key matchups
Houston's offense has been the story of its season, piling up 319 points for against 192 allowed. That kind of scoring margin gives the Cougars room to operate even on the road.
Colorado's defense has had a tough go, allowing 255 points against on the year while the offense has managed just 178 points for. If the Buffaloes want to keep this one competitive, they'll need their defense to slow down a Houston offense that's been clicking and find a way to move the ball against a Houston defense that's held up all season.
The pick
The betting market has Houston favored by 9.5 points with a total of 51.5, and the market score sits at Houston 31, Colorado 21.
Houston's scoring margin and recent form make it the clear choice here, especially with the Cougars carrying momentum into a road trip. Colorado's defense has been porous for most of the season, and that's the kind of matchup problem that tends to show up on the scoreboard.
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Houston Cougars | Wk10 W 31-24 vs Cincinnati Bearcats, Wk8 L 13-21 vs Utah Utes, Wk7 W 35-32 vs Oklahoma State Cowboys |
| Colorado Buffaloes | Wk10 L 10-20 vs Arizona State Sun Devils, Wk9 W 27-24 vs Kansas State Wildcats, Wk8 L 24-57 vs Oklahoma State Cowboys |
Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.