Utah is one of five unbeaten Power Four teams going into this weekend, along with BYU, Miami, Texas Tech, and UCLA, but it would be nice to beat a team that’s better than blah.
There’s a real chance the 6-0 Utes have yet to beat a team that will end up in a bowl game.
Houston is already bowl eligible. This would be a real, restaurant-quality win for a Ute program trying to keep up with that BYU team a few miles down the road.
Houston cranked up a big 35-16 win over Kansas State, took down Oklahoma State, and came within a two-point conversion of Texas Tech in a 28-26 loss. It doesn’t have to play BYU, but beat the Utes in Salt Lake City, and the College Football Playoff dream will be alive and thriving with a very favorable schedule to close.
Houston vs Utah: Quick Hits
- Houston starts a run of three road games in four dates, getting a week off before hosting Cincinnati next.
- Utah starts a run of three road games in the next four dates, going to Cincinnati next before the showdown against BYU in Salt Lake City.
- Houston won the last meeting in 2024 and is 5-0 all-time in the series starting with a 34-14 victory in 1966.
How To Watch Houston vs Utah
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
Game Time: 10:15 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
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Why Houston Will Win
It was nice that Utah destroyed Arkansas 43-10 earlier in the year, but it had to work way too hard against Kansas and Colorado over the last two weeks. The turnovers were a problem, with two in each game.
Houston isn’t a takeaway machine, but the defense has produced ten in the last six games. On the other side, the Cougars are No. 1 in the nation at converting third down chances.
It’s a highly-efficient team that makes the right plays, controls the clock, and best of all, stops the run. However …
Why Utah Will Win
One team was able to run for more than 140 yards against Houston this year: Texas Tech. Utah is an almost perfectly-balanced team when everything is working, but it starts by being physical up front. Utah rushed for 140 yards or more against everyone but Colorado, running for 134 in last week’s win.
Utah doesn’t exactly go ground-and-pound like it used to, but it knows how to tear off big drives when the offensive line is humming.
But to pull this off, the defense has to keep the Cougars from controlling the tempo. That comes from owning third downs on both sides of the ball, and dominating the time of possession battle.
Houston vs Utah Prediction, Betting Lines
This will be worth staying up late for.
Houston is more than capable of winning this, but the Utah defense will own the last ten minutes. The good drives the Cougars will come up with in the first half will slow down, but Utah quarterback Devon Dampier will struggle to find any sort of rhythm.
And then, after he settles in, Dampier will get hot with the midrange throws against a Houston defense trying to keep him from taking off. Expect a fantastic fight that comes down to the final moments and one late Ute stop.
Utah 30, Houston 27
Latest Consensus Line: Utah -6.5, o/u: 57.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 3
Must See Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.