The Houston Cougars and Texas Tech Red Raiders play on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, in a game on the college football Week 3 schedule.
Which team will win the college football Week 3 game?
Check out these college football Week 3 picks and college football Week 3 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 5 p.m. MST on FOX (stream with FUBO).
Texas Tech is a 7.5-point favorite over Houston in college football Week 3 odds for the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Red Raiders are -300 on the moneyline, while the Cougars are +240. The over/under (point total) for the game is set at 53.5 points.
Watch Houston vs Texas Tech on FUBO (free trial)
The Arizona Republic: Houston 31, Texas Tech 27
Jeremy Cluff writes: "The Red Raiders did not impress in their win
over Oregon State. Conner Weigman and Houston will shake up the Big 12 title race with an upset win in Lubbock, Texas."
Bookies.com: Bet Texas Tech to cover vs Houston
Bill Speros writes: "The Big 12 Championship Game – Texas Edition features a pair of ranked foes with eyes on the conference championship. The Cougars love to stack yards and points. But that’s nearly impossible in Lubbock against the Raiders’ top-tier defense."
Dimers.com: Texas Tech 31, Houston 23
It writes: "After extensive simulations, our model gives Houston a win probability of 25%, while Texas Tech has a win probability of 75%."
ESPN: Texas Tech has a 75.7% chance to defeat Houston on Friday
The site gives the Cougars a 24.3% shot at winning the college football Week 3 game.
Sports Betting Dime: Texas Tech 29.4, Houston 18.6
The site's formula predicts that the Red Raiders will beat the Cougars in the Week 3 college football game.

Sports Illustrated: Bet Houston with the points vs Texas Tech
Ian MacMillan writes: "There have been enough red flags surrounding Texas Tech for me to stay away from betting on them in this game. A lackluster Week 1 33-10 win against an FCS team was disappointing, so I can't imagine them winning and covering against an impressive Houston squad."
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Houston vs Texas Tech picks, predictions, odds for Week 3 Big 12 game
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