Houston Cougars vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Prediction and Picks – Saturday, October 25, 2025

The No. 24 Arizona State Sun Devils will host the Houston Cougars in a pivotal Big 12 matchup this Saturday, and we'll preview the lines and odds in our Houston vs. Arizona State prediction. Arizona State spent Week 8 hosting the No. 7 Texas Tech Red Raiders for a 26-22 home upset win, while Houston is 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference after beating the Arizona Wildcats. Kickoff is set for 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, October 25.

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Is Houston a contender at 6-1?

The Houston Cougars enter Week 9 at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play, losing 35-11 to No. 11 Texas Tech in Week 6. Since then, the Cougars have taken their turn beating Oklahoma State (39-17) and hosted Arizona, pulling out a 31-28 win in a game they entered as two-point underdogs.

The Cougars played well against the Wildcats, especially during the second and third quarters–a stretch through which the Cougars scored touchdowns on all three of their drives and outscored the Wildcats 21-0. They held off a late scoring push that equalized the game, executing a 52-yard, nearly five-minute drive that ended with a 41-yard field goal from kicker Ethan Sanchez to win as time expired. Junior quarterback Conner Weigman threw three touchdowns for the first time since the season opener against Stephen F. Austin, completing 15 of 23 passes for 164 yards in the process. On the ground, Weigman gained 98 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, none of which were sacks. He was narrowly outgained on the ground by Dean Connors, who carried the ball 20 times and gained exactly 100 yards–his second time hitting the mark this season and first since posting 132 yards against Rice in September.

Houston ranks 92nd among 136 FBS teams in passing yards (211.3), T-53rd in rushing yards (169.6), T-62nd in points (29.4), and T-27th in points allowed (19.0) per game heading into Week 9. Those are all good numbers, but they'll likely need to be better if the team wants to keep up on the road against the Sun Devils.

Sun Devils down Tyson after Texas Tech upset

After a grisly 42-10 road loss to Utah in Week 7, it was understandable that the Arizona State Sun Devils didn't receive a vote for the AP Top 25 in Week 8 after holding the 21st spot in Week 7. After their more recent 26-22 home win against No. 7 Texas Tech, Arizona State is back on the board at No. 24 heading into Week 9–ten spots behind the Red Raiders team they displaced.

The game wasn't nearly as close as it looked in the final score–the Sun Devils scored first to go up 3-0 in the first quarter, then went up 19-7 when they converted another field goal to open the fourth quarter. The Red Raiders briefly retook the lead in the final two minutes, but the Sun Devils put themselves back on top with a 75-yard touchdown drive that ran 10 plays and took less than a minute and a half off the clock. After missing nearly a month with a lower-body injury, sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt stepped back into the starting lineup and completed 28 of 47 passes for 319 yards. Ten of those passes went to the team's junior superstar Jordyn Tyson, who racked up 105 yards and a touchdown in the game, but ultimately left after suffering a hamstring injury. He's already been ruled out ahead of the upcoming contest with Houston.

Arizona State is tied for 90th among FBS teams with 211.7 passing yards per game. While those numbers figure to improve with Leavitt back in the lineup, it remains to be seen how the team will generate offense without Tyson. Heading into Week 9, Tyson ranks third among FBS receivers in catches (57), ninth in yards (628), and is in a four-way tie for second with eight touchdowns behind Indiana's Elijah Sarratt. His absence will be more than a minor inconvenience–the Sun Devils have gotten some passing game production from tight end Chamon Metayer (21-226-1) and running back Raleek Brown (25-139-0), but little else. No other wide receiver on the roster has caught even ten passes this season.

Houston vs. Arizona State Pick

Spread Pick for Houston vs. ASU

• Houston +7.0 (-105) (4 Units)

There's enough evidence that Arizona State is in a bad place without Leavitt under center–his injury cost him one game, and the Sun Devils lost it 42-10 against Utah. Leavitt was still playing in every other game that the offense funneled nearly half of its total yards and all of its production from the wide receiver position through Tyson. It's hard to imagine them finding a new offensive identity in time to beat a perfectly competent Houston team at home by more than seven points. Tyson's recorded at least one touchdown (rushing or receiving) in each game he's played, and there's little to suggest that anyone else on the roster can replicate that production.

Over/Under Pick for Houston vs. Arizona State

• Over 46.5 (-115) (4 Units)

The Team Total Over is 2-5 in Arizona State games, but the two it's hit in are telling: their 38-19 (over 52.5) win against FCS Northern Arizona in Week 1, and their 10-42 (over 42.5) loss at Utah in Week 7. The latter game in that selection is the only other time this season that the Sun Devils have seen a pregame total line below 50 points. Conversely, the Team Total Over is 5-2 in Houston games–only falling short in their 27-0 win over FCS Stephen F. Austin and their loss to Texas Tech. Unless the Sun Devils look completely uncompetitive without Tyson, I'd expect this game to hit 47 points easily.