2023 Independence Bowl Lines - California vs. Texas Tech Odds

Independence Bowl Lines - California vs. Texas Tech

Justin Wilcox must have been reading his Bible in regard to the inspiring story of Lazarus. In the final game of the regular season, Wilcox took his California Golden Bears to UCLA for what was expected to be a loss. Also, it was projected that Wilcox would face the firing squad as the Golden Bears head coach the following day. Instead, Cal pulled off a shocking upset to gain bowl eligibility and save Wilcox’s job. After rising from the dead, Wilcox and Cal face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Independence Bowl.

2023 Independence Bowl at a Glance

Date: Saturday, December 16, 2023

Time (ET) / TV: 9:15 PM / ESPN

Venue: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana

Matchup: California Golden Bears vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders

College Football Betting Lines

California Golden Bears +3

Texas Tech Red Raiders -3

Total: 58.5

Money Line: California +125, Texas Tech -146

Independence Bowl Preview

Last game, the California Golden Bears won 33-7 against the UCLA Bruins as 9-point road dogs. The game went under the total of 51. UCLA has a record of 6-6 straight up, 6-6 against the spread, and 7-5 over/under the total. Cal ranks 58th for total offense, 81st for passing, 34th for rushing and 40th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 109th overall, 130th against the pass, 39th against the rush, and 113th for points allowed. Also, Cal ranks 125th for fewest turnovers lost and 54th for takeaways.

Last game, the Texas Tech Red Raiders lost 57-7 against the Texas Longhorns as 14-point road dogs. The game went over the total of 52.5. Texas Tech has a record of 6-6 straight up, 5-7 against the spread, and 5-7 over/under the total. Texas Tech ranks 65th for total offense, 71st for passing, 59th for rushing, and 71st for scoring. Defensively, they rank 89th overall, 68th against the pass, 97th against the rush, and 74th for points allowed. Also, Texas Tech ranks 29th for fewest turnovers lost and 69th for takeaways.

Independence Bowl Prediction

In this situation, Cal enters the game with momentum and nothing to lose.

Independence Bowl Format

The Independence Bowl is played at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. Independence Stadium is home to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The current conference tie-ins are rotational, with the Big 12 and Pac-12 this year, Army and the Pac-12 for 2024, and the Big 12 and CUSA for 2025. The payout for the Independence Bowl remains $2.2 million.

The Independence Bowl has had numerous sponsors. Of course, the most famous of the sponsors was Poulan, which held the title of what was known as the “Poulan Weedeater Independence Bowl” from 1990-97. To this day, many people think of this game as the Weedeater Bowl. The term is also used derisively for teams that make minor bowl games. Radiance Technologies has been the sponsor since 2020.

Independence Bowl Game Results (2000)

Favorites have gone 11-3 straight up and 10-4 against the spread in the last 14 Independence Bowls. But the underdogs have come through in the past two affairs in Shreveport. Duke routed Temple in 2018 in a 56-27 blowout as 3.5-point dogs, followed by Louisiana Tech blanking Miami (FL) 14-0 in 2019 as a near touchdown 'dog. Louisiana Tech recorded the first shutout in Independence Bowl history while snapping a four-game 'over' run in this game.

The 2020 installment was wiped out due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, but the game returned on Dec. 18, 2021, in a battle between independent BYU and Conference USA representative UAB.

In 2022, Houston defeated Louisiana, led by QB Clayton Tune’s 229 passing yards with three TDs. Louisiana committed three turnovers.

2023-24 College Football Bowl Games

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