Predicting Big 12 football scores in Week 5: Small lines could lead to big wins
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Week 5 of the college football season is here, and the regular season is already a third of the way over. There are no ranked-on-ranked Big 12 matchups this weekend, but we will see both ranked BYU and Texas Tech take the field.
There are certainly a few games to keep an eye on if you’re a fan of Big 12 football, and here is how each game could play out.
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No. 10 BYU vs. TCU
This line is very interesting. BYU is favored to win by 6.5 points. The Cougars are on the road, but TCU has yet to impress. The Horned Frogs couldn’t score against North Carolina and just lost to a UCF team last weekend that was without its starting quarterback.
Transfer Jaden Craig has thrown for 1,213 yards and has proven he can pass the football, but he does have three interceptions in four games. BYU, on the other hand, has the No. 2 scoring offense in the Big 12 and has proven it can get the job done through the air or on the ground.
TCU might have the No. 2 scoring defense in the conference, but until the Horned Frogs can show they can compete with a better team, we can’t predict this to be overly close.
Final score: BYU 27, TCU 14
No. 12 Texas Tech vs. Colorado
Another line that’s a little suspicious, but it might say more about Texas Tech than it does Colorado. The Red Raiders are a 12.5-point favorite, and the Buffaloes are not a good team and have suffered back-to-back losses against Northwestern and Baylor. Deion Sanders has a quarterback problem, and it sounds like Julian Lewis will be benched in favor of Isaac Wilson.
However, the Red Raiders have yet to show they are the power they were last season. Texas Tech did beat Houston, which was a good win, but the Red Raiders’ defense is a concern, and starting quarterback Will Hammond has five interceptions to four touchdown passes.
The only good thing for Texas Tech is that it plays Colorado.
Final score: Texas Tech 38, Colorado 24
Cincinnati vs. Arizona
A late-night game for the West Coast people. Cincinnati fans will have to wait until 11 p.m. ET to see their Bearcats take the field on Saturday against Arizona.
Cincinnati is 4-0, but the Bearcats might be the worst 4-0 team out there. They did just beat Kansas State, 31-26, which was a very good win, but quarterback JC French hasn’t been overly impressive, but he’s taken care of the ball. UC has a top-five scoring offense in the Big 12, and the ‘Cats will need a lot from the offense this weekend.
Noah Fifita has been great for the Wildcats, throwing 11 touchdown passes for two interceptions. Arizona can score and it competed with BYU in Week 2. The time of this game could certainly impact UC and favor Arizona.
Final score: Arizona 34, Cincinnati 24
The rest of the games will be quick-hitter style
- No. 20 Houston 31, UCF 21
- Kansas 41, Middle Tennessee State 10
- West Virginia 34, Iowa State 28
- Arizona State 27, Baylor 24
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.
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