Published October 31, 2026 · By the Goalorithm model desk
Preview
The Cincinnati Bearcats visit the Houston Cougars in college football on Saturday, November 7, with kickoff at 12:00 a.m. ET. Goalorithm’s model makes Houston the likelier winner, projecting a game with points from both teams.
What the model expects
The model gives the Houston Cougars 74.4% to win and the Cincinnati Bearcats 25.6%; its likelier result is a Houston Cougars win. These projections are estimates, not certainties. Its projected score is Houston 34, Cincinnati 25.4, for 59.4 points in all, with a projected margin of the Houston Cougars by 8.6 points.
Records and recent results
The Houston Cougars are 6-2 overall this season, with 288 points scored and 168 allowed in 8 games. The Cincinnati Bearcats are 5-2, with 248 points scored and 185 allowed in 7 games; the Houston Cougars have the better record.
The Houston Cougars lost 21-13 on the road to the Utah Utes on October 24, and before that beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys 35-32 at home on October 17 and beat the Kansas State Wildcats 35-16 on the road on October 10. That leaves Houston coming into this game after a loss to Utah, following wins over Oklahoma State and Kansas State.
The Cincinnati Bearcats beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders 37-24 at home on October 24, and before that lost 45-42 on the road to the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 17 and lost 34-7 on the road to the Arizona Wildcats on October 3. Cincinnati’s latest result was a win over Texas Tech, preceded by losses to West Virginia and Arizona. The teams’ listed recent results give each a win in its latest game, though Houston’s preceding results were wins and Cincinnati’s were losses.