North Texas vs UTSA Picks & Odds: Can Roadrunners Repeat As C-USA Champs?

After going unbeaten in regular-season conference play, the UTSA Roadrunners (10-2 SU, 6-6 ATS) shoot for their second straight C-USA title when they host the North Texas Mean Green (7-5, 7-5) on Friday night. UTSA beat the Mean Green 31-27 during the regular season, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 15 seconds left on the clock.

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North Texas vs UTSA Sportsbook Odds

UTSA closed as a 10-point home favorite when these teams met in October, but the Roadrunners opened as 8.5-point chalk in the rematch. The total opened nearly a touchdown lower than it was for the regular-season matchup, which saw just 58 points scored.

Get the best North Texas vs UTSA odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.

North Texas Defense Steps Up Down The Stretch To Earn Rare Trip To Title Game

The Mean Green clinched their first Conference USA final appearance since 2017 with a 21-17 win over Rice last week. Fifth-year senior linebacker KD Davis, who is on pace to lead North Texas in tackles for the fourth straight year, iced the victory with an interception in the final minutes.

Defense has been the Mean Green’s biggest weakness all season, ranking 123rd in the nation in yards allowed and 112th against the pass, but it’s shown improvement over the past month. Last week’s victory was the third time in four games that North Texas allowed 17 points or less.

Offensively, North Texas is led by junior quarterback Austin Aune, who threw multiple touchdown passes last week for the ninth time in his last 10 games. Sophomore running back Ikaika Ragsdale also enjoyed a big outing vs Rice, collecting 181 yards from scrimmage and scoring a pair of touchdowns.

Star QB Leads Roadrunners To Come-From-Behind Win In Regular-Season Finale 

The defending C-USA champions ran the table in conference play, finishing the season with a come-from-behind 34-31 win over UTEP. UTSA scored the final 20 points of the contest, including the winning field goal with just four seconds left.

The Roadrunners had already clinched a berth in the conference title game before last week’s clash with UTEP, so you might not want to read too much into the Roadrunners’ struggles to beat the 5-7 Miners. Prior to that contest, UTSA had whipped Rice and Louisiana Tech by a combined score of 92-14.

Still, the Roadrunners showed last week that they’re capable of playing from behind with quarterback Frank Harris — who threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns — and receivers Tykee Ogle-Kellogg and Zakhari Franklin, who combined for 268 yards and a pair of scores.

Mean Green: Keys to Win

North Texas’ balanced offense (30th in passing, 21st in rushing) could cause problems for a UTSA defense that has allowed more than 400 yards per game this season. The Mean Green’s defensive improvement over the past month is also reason for optimism.

Roadrunners: Keys to Win

Nerves shouldn’t be a factor for UTSA as it makes its second straight appearance in the C-USA title game. The Roadrunners’ strength on offense — Harris and the passing game — also matches up well with a North Texas secondary that is near the bottom of the nation in yards allowed through the air.

College Football Computer Pick: North Texas +8

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