2022 Independence Bowl Odds - Louisiana vs. Houston Betting

Independence Bowl Odds - Louisiana vs. Houston

Louisiana will be playing in its 10th bowl game, all of which have come after the 2011 season. They are 7-2 in bowl games and are currently on a three-game win streak. Last year Louisiana defeated Marshall, 36-21, in the New Orleans Bowl. Houston is headed to its 30th bowl game in school history and their third-straight bowl appearance in as many years. Houston will look to notch back-to-back bowl victories after narrowly beating Auburn 17-13 last year in the Birmingham Bowl. The Cougars ranked 16th in yards per play (6.5) versus FBS opponents in 2022.

2022 Independence Bowl at a Glance

Date: Friday, December 23, 2022

Time (ET) / TV: 3:00 PM / ABC

Venue: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana

Matchup: Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs. Houston Cougars

College Football Betting Lines

Houston Cougars -6.5

Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns +6.5

Total: 61.5

Independence Bowl Preview

Last game, the Houston Cougars lost 37-30 against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane as 13-point home favorites. The game went over the total of 66.5. Houston has a record of 7-5 straight up, 4-8 against the spread, and 10-2 over/under the total. Houston is 21st for total offense, 7th for passing, 78th for rushing and 14th for scoring. Defensively they rank 110th overall, 126th against the pass, 57th against the rush, and 118th for points allowed. Also, Houston ranks 95th for fewest turnovers lost and 105th for takeaways.

Houston has covered the spread four times in 12 games with a set spread. Houston has yet to cover the spread when they are at least 6.5-point favorites. This season, Houston games have hit the over nine times. The Cougars have won 62.5% of the games this season when they were the moneyline favorit. The Cougars are 2-1 (winning 60% of their games) when they have played as a moneyline favorite of -244 or shorter.

Last game, the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns won 41-13 against the Texas State Bobcats as 5-point road favorites. The game went over the total of 43.5. Louisiana has a record of 6-6 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 6-6 over/under the total. Louisiana ranks 87th for total offense, 75th for passing, 80th for rushing and 77th for scoring.

Defensively they rank 48th overall, 60th against the pass, 50th against the rush, and 37th for points allowed. Also, Louisiana ranks 56th for fewest turnovers lost and 11th for takeaways.

Louisiana is 7-5-0 against the spread this season. Louisiana has a record of 2-1 ATS when playing as at least 6.5-point underdogs. This season, six Louisiana games have gone over the point total. This season, the Ragin’ Cajuns have won one out of the four games in which they’ve been the underdog. The Ragin’ Cajuns have a record of 1-1 in games where oddsmakers have them as underdogs of at least +194 on the moneyline.

Independence Bowl Prediction

In this situation, Houston has superior personnel and firepower.

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 BYU and CUSA taking turns in 2021. Army and the American Conference are on deck for 2022. The payout for the Independence Bowl is $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.

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.

Most All-Time Wins

2022-23 College Football Bowl Games

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