Houston looks to continue playing in the BYE week, picking up its second double-digit upset of the season against Kansas State with an away game in Arizona.

The Cougars are two wins away from a bowl game appearance, and a win as a minor underdog against a tough Arizona team on Friday could go a long way for first-year head coach Willie Fritz, who has found great success at quarterback with Zeon Chriss.

Can that carry over into Friday night as the two teams seemingly trend in opposite directions?

Here’s our betting preview.

Radiate

money line

Total: 46.5 (Above -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Houston

Zeon Chriss: With Chriss on the court, this Houston team is a different group, winning all three games it has played. Chriss left due to injury in the team’s blowout loss to Kansas in the first quarter. He added 217 yards on the ground while passing for 305 yards in the start. A dual-threat quarterback added a different dimension to the Cougars’ offense, which was able to shorten the game and hold on late, relying on the Cougars’ defense.

Arizona

Tetairoa McMillan: In what appears to be a lost season for Arizona, with the team needing to win its final three games to make a bowl appearance, McMillan continues to produce at an incredibly high level. Arguably the best wide receiver in the country, he has 63 catches for 1,066 yards with six touchdowns.

Houston is better than Arizona, so I’m interested in taking the small-way underdog in this Friday night matchup.

The Cougars will be able to push the Arizona defensive line, which ranks outside the top 90 in both defensive line yards and EPA/Rush, meaning Houston can move the ball and stay on the field in its preferred method.

Meanwhile, Houston’s defense will force Arizona into a lot of mistakes. Quarterback Noah Fifita has regressed a ton this season amid a change of schemes under first-year head coach Brent Brennahn and his staff, and first-year Houston head coach Willie Fritz has that defensive buzz and is in the top 50 in turnover rate.

This matchup creates a nice environment for Chriss and Houston to make their cut and continue to move up the Big 12 standings.

Arizona has been a nightmare for bettors all season long; 1-8 against the spread and 0-4 as a favorite.

Let’s take the team that started to rise towards the end of the season.

PICK: Houston +2.5

Match odds are updated periodically and may change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all your college football betting betstamp @rw33

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