North Texas never gave us a doubt last week. As 10-point dogs, the Mean Green led the entire game and defeated Western Kentucky 40-13, cashing as the Group of Five Underdog of the Week. Hashtag: GMG. The win makes our Underdog of the Week selection 3-1 in the past four weeks.
Here’s this week’s dog, who can hopefully help spark another streak (college football betting odds via BetMGM):
Houston (spread: +3.5, moneyline: +140) at SMU
All eyes in Houston are on the Astros and the World Series, especially after Houston tossed the second no-hitter in World Series history Wednesday night (albeit in Philadelphia). But it’s the thick of college football season and the Cougars are one win away from being bowl eligible. Sure, that sixth win could come in the final three weeks against Temple or Tulsa, two of the bottom three teams in the AAC, but why not Saturday in this instate rivalry?
The underdog has covered in the last three matchups between these teams. If it wants to make it four covers in a row, Houston will need to keep up with Tanner Mordecai and the top passing offense in the American (325 YPG), because I don’t know if there’s much containing it. I think Clayton Tune and Houston’s offense can keep pace. The Cougars average just two less points per game than the Mustangs, and Tune leads the league with 21 passing touchdowns.
All he needs to do is just find Nathaniel Dell streaking down the field:
SMU has been involved in just one game that’s been within three points this season — a 29-27 loss to Cincinnati two weeks ago. Houston has been involved in four, going 2-2. Maybe that means SMU is more dominant than UH this year. Regardless, the Cougars have plenty of close-game experience this year, and I think that will help them here.
Honorable Mentions
Army (spread: +7, moneyline: +215) vs. Air Force
I don’t mean to be repetitive or lazy, but the underdog also always seems to cover in these military matchups. The favorite hasn’t covered in the last five contests between the Falcons and Black Knights, with the last multi-possession difference coming in a 21-0 Army win in 2017. And of course, all of these games tend to go under, as well, with only one of the last five games getting near the total. Unders fare well for dogs, and the Black Knights have won four of these last five meetings, being underdogs in four of them.
Coastal Carolina (spread +3, moneyline: +123) vs. Appalachian State
The Chanticleers were on this list last week sitting at +2.5 points against Marshall. They covered in a 24-13 victory. App State has Coastal’s number and the Mountaineers are 7-1 in this series. Coastal has been seemingly underwhelming this year, but they’re still 7-1 and atop the Sun Belt East. There’s a reason this is our top G5 game to watch this week, and it should be a close one. This game is played Thursday night on ESPN, and I can see Coastal picking its play up a notch on national TV.
New Mexico (spread: +16, moneyline: +525) at Utah State
Cooper Legas will return under center for the Aggies this week. The junior started in three games prior to suffering a concussion three weeks ago at Colorado State, going 2-1 in those starts. Even with Legas back for the Aggies, both teams are coming off a bye. I think this bodes well for an underdog going up against a team that’s 0-3 as a favorite this season.
