Independence Bowl Betting Odds: Houston vs Louisiana
Cougars Favored in Cajuns' Home State
The Houston Cougars will bring their high-powered offense to Louisiana to take on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in the Independence Bowl. The game is three hours away for the Cajuns and four for the Cougars. But are Houston fans going to make the trip for a bowl game that doesn’t live up to preseason expectations?
Game Information
Houston (7-5) vs Louisiana (6-6)
Date & Time & Streaming:
Location: Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
Streaming: ESPN
Cougars Become Bigger Favorites in Game
The Independence Bowl betting odds have seen the Houston Cougars move from 5-point favorites to 6.5-point favorites. Not much of a move, so the opening number was a good one by oddsmakers. Houston was horrible as a favorite this season, going 5-3 straight-up and just 1-7 ATS. The Cougars were not a team you wanted for your college football picks against the spread this season. The Cajuns were 7-5 against the spread.
The oddsmakers also did a pretty good job on the total, as the Independence Bowl betting odds have seen the number climb from 60.5 to 61. Much of that likely has to do with Houston’s 9-2-1 totals record during the season. Louisiana was 6-6 in totals during the seasons.
The Independence Bowl betting odds on the moneyline have the Cougars -245, which has climbed slightly from the opening number. The Ragin’ Cajuns were just 1-3 straight-up as an underdog this season. Aside from a 49-17 loss to Florida State, Louisiana played teams tough as an underdog.
Houston Cougars Will Score, Can They Stop?
The biggest obstacle facing the Cougars isn’t going to be the Cajuns’ defense. It’s going to be themselves. Can they get motivated for a bowl game that has to be considered a disappointment? The Cougars were picked first in the American Athletic Conference preseason media poll. Now they’re playing a game close to home against a team that doesn’t have a marquee name.
Offensively, the Cougars are likely to put some points on the scoreboard with a potent offense led by quarterback Clayton Tune. Tune threw for 3,845 yards and 37 TDs this season. His favorite target, Nathaniel Dell, has announced he will enter the NFL draft but will play in the game. Dell had 103 receptions and 15 touchdowns on the season. No other receiver had more than 36 catches.
Houston throws 39 times a game and runs the ball 30 times, with Tune the team’s leading rusher with 491 yards and five scores. The Cougars have three running backs who share the workload, with all three getting between 70-83 rushing attempts.
With Houston, the question is if the defense is going to show up. This is a team that scored 63 points in regulation against SMU and lost. The Cougars allow 33.5 points per game to teams who scored 31.1 points, so they’re a little worse than average. Houston did have a couple of decent defensive games but also a couple of poor efforts. The Cougars did play three overtime games this season, which doesn’t help in regards to points allowed.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Solid Defensively
Louisiana can’t match Houston offensively, which is the primary reason why the Houston vs Louisiana odds have the Cougars favored by nearly a touchdown. The Cajuns aren’t bad on offense, averaging 27 points against teams that allowed 26.4, but can’t match the explosiveness of Houston. Louisiana does have a more balanced offense, running and throwing close to 35 times a game.
Louisiana lost starting quarterback Ben Wooldridge to an injury last month, although there isn’t a huge drop with Chandler Fields. Despite the number of rushing attempts Louisiana has each game, it’s the passing game that puts the Cajuns on the scoreboard.
The team had 26 passing TDs on the season and just 10 on the ground. Michael Jefferson led the team with 51 catches and 7 TDs. No other receiver had more than 22 catches.
Louisiana was solid on defense, allowing 22.8 points to teams that averaged 25.6. The Cajuns were a little better against the pass than the run, which should bode for them well in this game. Louisiana allowed 30 or more points three times this season and allowed 21 or fewer points on seven occasions.
The Cajuns needed a win in their last game of the season to become bowl eligible and they thumped Texas State in a big way, winning 41-13 as 5-point road favorites. While the Independence Bowl betting odds have them as dogs, they are more likely to be fired up for the game.
Who Wants the Game More?
If the Cougars were ready and focused for this game, they would likely be the play. At the beginning of the season, the Independence Bowl betting odds would have had Houston favored by double digits. But you have to question Houston’s motivation here. Yes, it’s a bowl game, but certainly not the one the Cougars were aiming for at the beginning of the year. The Cajuns are happy to be playing here and many times motivation outranks talent in the bowl games.
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