Jeff Traylor was a sought-after name in the coaching carousel last offseason, but he opted to stay with the UTSA Roadrunners—a decision that now faces a tough test. After a lopsided 49-10 loss to Texas State, the Roadrunners have a chance to rebound this week against the Texas Longhorns, fresh off a marquee road win over the reigning CFP National Champions.
Can UTSA keep the game competitive, or will things unravel further? Discover the key factors in this UTSA vs. Texas prediction.
UTSA vs. Texas Betting Preview
All UTSA vs. Texas odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, Sept. 14.
- Spread
Texas -35 - Moneyline
No ML - Over/Under
55.5 points - Game Time
7:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, Sept. 14 - Location
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas - Predicted Weather at Kick
94 degrees, 7 mph winds, sunny - How To Watch
FuboTV, ESPN
The line slowly moved in favor of Texas, as it opened at 33.5 and has since grown to 35. Since 35 is an important number, I wouldn’t expect it to move much more than that.
The total has dropped a bit in line with the public’s expectations. It’s not necessarily that bettors think the Longhorns won’t score as much as it is a lack of faith in the UTSA offense. As it stands, the spread and total imply a scoreline close to 45-10, which is (ironically) closer than the 49-10 drubbing the Roadrunners endured at the hands of their I-35 rivals.
UTSA vs. Texas Prediction
I’m a big fan of Jeff Traylor and believe he’s done an impressive job at UTSA, a program that’s traditionally been a challenging place to succeed. However, this season, the Roadrunners simply don’t seem to have the necessary talent.
Offensively, UTSA is struggling. The quarterback situation remains unsettled, the running game is ineffective, and aside from Devin McCuin in the short passing game, the receivers haven’t made much of an impact. While the interior blocking has held up, the tackles have been a weak spot—bad news ahead of a matchup with a formidable Texas defensive front.
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The Longhorns haven’t faced a strong passing offense yet, but they likely won’t face much resistance from UTSA’s attack.
Defensively, the Roadrunners have also had issues, surrendering over 500 yards to Texas State. While their rushing defense has been solid, it might not matter much against Texas and Steve Sarkisian, who often relies on short passes as an extension of the run game.
Texas should dominate this matchup, though the question is by how much. I lean toward Texas covering the spread, but I’d prefer the line to drop slightly before feeling confident.
I also lean toward the under, as Texas will likely do most of the scoring and may ease up later in the game.
The best bet here might be UTSA’s team total. With Texas’s defense playing at a high level, a second shutout in three weeks isn’t out of the question. The line for UTSA to go under 8.5 points is appealing, and I expect the Roadrunners to only manage a field goal against a tough Longhorns defense.
Prediction: Texas 48, UTSA 3
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