Houston Cougars vs. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Independence Bowl Odds and Picks

Namely, Dana Holgorsen must be a great guy to hang with.  What else explains the Houston Cougars putting up with Holgorsen’s subpar record r.  Previously, before hiring Holgorsen, Houston bragged that they fired coaches for going 8-4.  But that doesn’t pertain to Holgorsen.  At the onset of 2022, Houston flopped out of the gate to a 1-3 NCAAF bets start.  Hence the worries that UH would not qualify for a bowl game.  To Holgorsen’s credit, Houston rallied down the stretch.  Still, the Cougars were nowhere near competing for the American Athletic Conference championship.

2022 Independence Bowl CashBet Wagering Analysis

Houston is headed to its 30th bowl game in school history.  Additionally, it’s their third-straight bowl appearance in as many years.  Houston will look to notch back-to-back bowl victories.  Following a narrow top online Sportsbook win over Auburn 17-13 in the 2021 Birmingham Bowl.

Houston’s defense indicated a program that is not a serious contender.  Houston is bowl eligible.  Consider that Houston hired Holgorsen from the West Virginia Mountaineers to do more than go to minor bowls.

At the same time, Louisiana will be playing in its 10th bowl game.  All of these have come after the 2011 Betting on College Football season.  Overall, 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.

Independence Bowl Overview

Specifically, the Independence Bowl is played at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Independence Stadium is home to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.  Concurrently, the conference tie-ins are rotational, with BYU and CUSA taking turns in 2021.  Army and the American Conference are on deck for 2022.  Accordingly, the payout for the Independence Bowl is $2.2 million.

Overall, 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.

Houston Cougars Road to the Independence Bowl  

Last time out, the Houston Cougars lost 37-30 against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane as 13-point home favorites.  The game went over the bet on NCAAF total of 66.5.  As a result, the Cougars are 7-5 straight up, 4-8 against the spread, and 10-2 over/under the total.

Houston ranks 22^nd nationally for total offense, 7^th for passing, 78^th for rushing, and 14^th for scoring.  On defense, UH ranks 110^th overall, 126^th against the pass, 59^th against the rush, and 117^th for points allowed.  Also, Houston ranks 97^th for fewest turnovers lost and 105^th for takeaways.

Houston has covered the spread four times in 12 games with a set spread.  Consider that Houston failed to cover the spread when they are at least 6.5-point favorites.  This season, Houston games have hit the over nine times.

Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Road to the Independence Bowl

Last time on the gridiron, 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.  Now, Louisiana has a record of 6-6 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 6-6 over/under the total.

In sum, Louisiana ranks 87^th nationally for total offense, 75^th for passing, 80^th for rushing, and 77^th for scoring.  In turn, on defense, the Cajuns rank 48^th overall, 60^th against the pass, 50^th against the rush, and 37^th for points allowed.  Also, Louisiana ranks 56^th for fewest turnovers lost and 11^th for takeaways.

To summarize, Louisiana is 7-5-0 against the spread this season.  This season, six Louisiana games have gone over the point total.  Louisiana has a record of 2-1 ATS when playing as at least 6.5-point underdogs.

2022 Independence Bowl CashBet Free Pick  

In this situation, we have two Betting on NCAAF choices coming off disappointing seasons.  However. Houston has a deeper roster and superior firepower.

2022 Independence CashBet Best Bet

Houston Cougars