Be on the lookout for an SEC upset as the Houston Cougars of the AAC take on the Auburn Tigers in the Birmingham Bowl. Can the Cougars end a spectacular college football season in style with an upset win? Let’s take a look at the current Houston vs. Auburn odds and make a pick and prediction for the 2021 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
Houston vs. Auburn betting odds and trends
- Spread: Auburn -2.5 (Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Total: 51.5 (Under -120, Over +100)
- Moneyline: Auburn -125, Houston +105
An SEC vs. AAC battle
Do you want to make some cash on the Cougars? Can you make a little green on Auburn? If you’re looking to make a little money predicting the future, it’s worth considering the past before you lay down your hard-earned cash.
Despite vastly different seasons in terms of success, as an SEC school facing a Group of Five team, competitive bias means Auburn heads into the game as the favorite. Outright favorites have won 73.1% of games in the 2021 college football season. However, there’s a strong chance that Houston vs. Auburn adds to the season’s 213 underdog victories this afternoon.
Similarly, taking Houston against the spread makes sense in the Birmingham Bowl. The Cougars are 2-1 against the spread when they’re the underdog this year. Although all six of Auburn’s season wins came by more than the 2.5 line, the Tigers are tied at 3-3 when they’re an against the spread (ATS) favorite.
Anyone who has watched Houston this season knows that they’ve been one of the top-scoring teams in the nation. Unsurprisingly, they’ve covered the 51.5 over/under line in eight games this year. Although Auburn has some offensive departures from a team that has hardly been free-scoring, it would be a surprise if the two teams don’t cover the line. Between their two offenses, they’ve averaged 66.7 points in the 2021 season.
Houston vs. Auburn prediction
The Birmingham Bowl might be just two hours from the Tigers’ Jordan-Hare Stadium, but the Cougars are sure to make it feel far from a homecoming atmosphere. Can Bryan Harsin eke out a winning record during his first season at the Auburn helm with a win in the Birmingham Bowl? Or can Dana Holgorsen’s Houston team end one of the school’s most successful seasons in spectacular style by securing a victory over an SEC club?
The 2021 Birmingham Bowl is the seventh edition of Houston vs. Auburn. The Tigers hold a 5-1 head-to-head advantage. Yet, the only previous bowl game clash between the two teams saw the Cougars emerge with a 36-7 victory in the 1969 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.
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The times may have changed since that victory, or even the last time the two teams met in 1973, but one thing remains the same: The Houston offense can — and will — put up points. The Cougars have averaged 37.3 points per game this season, putting up an average of 415.9 yards per game.
Holgorsen’s team is led by an exciting trio of offensive playmakers in Clayton Tune, Nathaniel Dell, and Alton McCaskill. Tune is one of the most underrated passers in college football, as he threw for 3,263 yards and 28 touchdowns this year. While Dell has been the primary target (snagging 12 of those 28 scores), McCaskill has added an impressive 16 touchdowns on the ground through the 2021 college football season.
NFL Draft departures could impact the game dramatically
They’ve also been assisted in scoring offense by dynamic all-purpose NFL Draft prospect Marcus Jones. The defensive playmaker snagged 5 interceptions this season, contributing to a defense that allowed just 21 points per game. Crucially, he added 4 touchdowns as a kick returner this season.
However, with his official declaration for the draft, Jones made it known that he will skip the Houston vs. Auburn encounter. That will be a major boost for an Auburn offense that has averaged less than 30 points per game. Furthermore, they’ve had major departures of their own with quarterback Bo Nix entering the transfer portal and promptly heading to Oregon.
While T.J. Finley has seen time under center this season — and actually has a better TD:INT ratio than Nix — expect Auburn to lean on the ground game in the Birmingham Bowl. They’ve averaged 164.3 yards per game this season behind Tank Bigsby and impressive freshman Jarquez Hunter. Bigsby entered the portal himself, but is back with the Tigers ahead of this Houston vs. Auburn clash.
After watching Houston allow 187 yards and 2 touchdowns to Jerome Ford in the AAC Championship Game loss to Cincinnati, Auburn should attack the Cougars on the ground. However, with two key Tigers defensive playmakers having already opted out — cornerback Roger McCreary and linebacker Zakoby McClain — Tune’s Houston offense should have the advantage in this Houston vs. Auburn clash in the Birmingham Bowl.
Houston vs. Auburn Prediction: Houston 35, Auburn 27
