The UTSA Roadrunners race up Interstate 35 for a matchup with the No. 2 Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening in Austin.
UTSA vs Texas Odds, Pick, Prediction
| UTSA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+36.5 -112 | 56 -108 / -112 | OFF |
| Texas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-36.5 -108 | 56 -108 / -112 | OFF |
- Point Spread: UTSA +36.5 (-112) · Texas +36.5 (-108)
- Total: Over/Under 56
- UTSA vs Texas Pick: Texas -35
UTSA vs Texas Preview
Through two games this season, it appears UTSA is not the Group of Five juggernaut of recent years.
Its 49-10 loss to Texas State last weekend was eye-opening, and its 28-16 victory over Kennesaw State in Week 1 was less than inspiring considering that this is KSU's first season of FBS football.
And now it makes sense why the Roadrunners are such heavy underdogs.
While quarterback Owen McCown was named Manning Award QB of the Week after the first game of the season, he struggled mightily against the Bobcats (10-of-23 for 105 yards), and backup Eddie Lee Marburger ( 14-of-27, 147 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) wasn't much better.
Sure, it would be great to have Frank Harris back under center, but how much would it really matter with the defense UTSA is trotting out there? The Roadrunners are allowing 32.5 points per game and rank 92nd in Defensive EPA per Play.
The defensive deficiencies drag down the whole team since UTSA is 94th in net EPA per Play overall, and it's hard to distrust the numbers after what we've seen on the field.
The traditional stats tell the same tale. Robert Henry is the Roadrunners' rushing leader with 56 yards, and no wide receiver has 120 yards through two games.
So, Texas is definitely back, right?
Yeah, it's clear that Michigan is not as talented as it was in years past (particularly at QB), but the Wolverines defense is still loaded with pros, and the Longhorns lit them up for 31 points in the Big House.
Aside from Georgia and Ohio State, there's not a more complete team out there than No. 2 Texas. The Longhorns rank fifth in EPA per play, and a few of the teams ahead of them in that metric haven't played a team like Michigan.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers looks the part of a first-round draft pick with 506 yards, six touchdowns and one pick already. More importantly, he's been clearly better than he was last season.
Ewers has all sorts of pass-catching options in Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden, Silas Bolden, Gunnar Helm and Ryan Wingo, and UTSA will have no chance of covering them in this game.
Texas' running back room is certainly thin due to offseason injuries, but Jaydon Blue and Jerrick Gibson are perfectly capable of playing well in this game.
Defensively, it's hard to do better than allowing 12 points through two games. The 12 points don't even tell the full story of the Michigan game either, because nine of those came from a garbage-time touchdown and a 52-yard field goal.
UTSA vs Texas Pick
Texas is going to destroy UTSA. The question is by how much.
The Longhorns' 52-0 win over Colorado State in Week 1 serves as a good indication of how Texas will approach its game against the Roadrunners, and I would expect a similar blowout result.
Take Texas to cover this massive spread.
Pick: Texas -35
How to Watch UTSA vs Texas Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Darrell K Royal Texas-Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 14 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
UTSA vs Texas Betting Trends
- According to Action Network's data, Texas has received nearly 100% of the money on 77% of bets.
- The over has landed 83% of the tickets and 97% of the cash.
