The West Virginia Mountaineers will visit the Houston Cougars in Big 12 action in college football on Saturday. Houston is ranked in the top 25 and they have just one loss on the season so far. The Cougars will try to further help their chances of getting to the Big 12 championship game by avoiding an upset at home this week. Before this game begins in Houston, continue reading to get my West Virginia vs Houston prediction.
Our West Virginia vs Houston Pick
- Pick: Houston -12.5
- Confidence: 4/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: West Virginia Mountaineers @ Houston Cougars
- Date & Time: Saturday, November 1, 2025, 12:00 a.m. ET
- Venue: TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Broadcast: FS1
Key Storylines
Houston has emerged as a Top 25 team at 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play. Their offense has been efficient and explosive, averaging 28.8 points per game going into this week. West Virginia is dealing with injuries and are 2-6 overall and 0-5 in Big 12 play. They have a defense giving up nearly 30 points per game and over 400 yards per game. As long as Houston avoids a complete meltdown on either side of the ball, they will be expected to take care of business at home.
Houston is tied for third place in the Big 12 standings going into this game. The Cougars trail 5-0 Cincinnati and BYU in the conference standings. Staying within one game of both of those teams will be important as time is starting to run out on teams trying to catch their conference rivals in the standings.
Quarterback Play
Conner Weigman has been the catalyst for the Houston offense. He’s thrown 12 touchdowns against only two interceptions this season. He also provides significant rushing production for the Cougars. His mobility gives Houston an added dimension to their offense that West Virginia has shown little ability to defend.
True freshman Scotty Fox Jr. is likely getting the start for West Virginia amid a season of turbulence at the quarterback position. He did throw for a freshman-school record 301 yards and two touchdowns in the Mountaineers’ most recent loss to TCU. But West Virginia has struggled to keep up with the rest of the Big 12 on either side of the ball this year.
Betting Trends
- Houston is 6-2 against the spread this season.
- West Virginia is 4-4 against the spread going into this Big 12 matchup.
- The Mountaineers are 3-5 on over/unders heading into Saturday.
- Houston has gone over the total in five of their first eight games.
West Virginia vs Houston Model Projection
Score Projection: Houston 34 – West Virginia 14
Win Probability: Houston 85% / West Virginia 15%
Final Thoughts
West Virginia has dropped four of its last five games by double-digits and I think we are headed for another outcome like that in this contest. The Mountaineers have struggled on both sides of the ball this season and the lack of experience at quarterback should be a problem for them here. I’ll lay the points with the Houston Cougars as they should improve to 8-1 on the season and stay in the race for the Big 12 title game.
