Bet Houston Cougars – Cougars Roar, Grab C-USA Crown
2009 Houston Cougars Betting Recap
If online betting players knew one thing about the Houston program before betting on the Cougars, it’s that they are going to put up points….a lot of them, and they kicked off the 2009 campaign with a 55-7 thrashing of Northwestern State. The Cougars then flexed their muscles with a 45-35 win at then-No.5 Oklahoma State, then they edged another high-scoring team in Texas Tech by a score of 29-28, showing that they could hang with the big boys in the major conferences. But Houston was probably due for a letdown, and the defense was terrible in a 58-41 loss at UTEP. The Cougars would rattle off five straight wins, beginning at Mississippi State and Tulane, heading to SMU before a 50-43 shootout victory over Southern Miss, and a 46-45 win at Tulsa. But the Cougars stumbled down the stretch, losing three of their last five, starting with a loss at UCF, but they recovered to rout Memphis and Rice at home by a combined score of 128-28. The happiness was only temporary though, as Houston fell 38-32 to East Carolina in the Conference-USA title game, and then they were blasted 47-20 by Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.
The Cougars weren’t shy about what they were going to do last year: they were going to use Case Keenum to throw it past you, so try and stop him. Not many teams had success against Keenum and the No.1-ranked offense in the country, including the best aerial attack in the nation. The Cougars had three receivers with 1,000 yards or more, and with two running backs with at least 670 yards, they ran just enough to keep the opposition off-balance. But their defense was dreadful, finishing 111th in the nation, and they were 115th in rushing defense. Even if they were marginally better, the Cougars probably would have had an extra win or two.
2010 Preview To Bet Houston Cougars
NCAA football betting players would do well to always check the posted total in 2010 for Houston games as eight starters are back for another year of airing it out, led by Keenum, who will own more than a few NCAA records by the end of the season. He will be protected by four returning starters up front, and Keenum will have his top four receivers from last year back in the fold. But will it matter if the Cougars can’t stop anyone? They hired a new coordinator in Brian Stewart, who coached in Dallas and will bring the 3-4 scheme he used in the NFL to try and advocate more speed and aggressiveness. Linebacker Marcus McGraw is the leader of a defense that was young last season and Stewart will hope that they learn from their mistakes.
The Cougars open up the season with home games against Texas State and UTEP, and the Cougars would love to avenge last year’s loss to the Miners. Houston heads out for a non-conference clash at California before opening up the C-USA slate at home against Tulane and Mississippi State, then the Cougars will prepare for a three-game road trip at Rice, SMU and Memphis. Houston knows they have to improve in November, and they’ll kick off the month with home games against UCF and Tulsa before wrapping up the season at Southern Miss and another big non-conference opponent, Texas Tech.
Betting on the Cougars to win the C-USA title this year is a good bet, as there is no one in the conference who will be able to stop Keenum and company, no matter how many defensive backs you put in. With a stacked offensive line, Keenum could have all the time in the world to find one of his many receivers. Defense will be the key to betting on Houston this year, and while we don’t think the Cougars are going to be confused with Alabama, the defense should be improved from last year thanks to Stewart and a year of experience. Take the Cougars to win the C-USA in your sports betting book, and as for the BCS, a bowl game is very possible if they can run the table.
