Independence Bowl Prediction
Is Miami too much of a favorite when the Hurricanes take on Louisiana Tech this afternoon in the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl at 4PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
Walk-On’s Independence Bowl
223 Miami vs. 224 Louisiana Tech
Thursday, December 26, 2019
4PM ET – Independence Stadium
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, Miami is the favorite in this game, as the Hurricanes are getting odds of -6.5 points against Louisiana Tech. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 50 points. The public betting currently has 63 percent going on Louisiana Tech as the underdog. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NCAAF Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Miami with .500 season
Miami is coming off a 27-17 loss at Duke and the Hurricanes suffered back-to-back losses to end the regular season. Miami is 6-6 on the season, 6-6 against the spread and 6-5-1 with the over.
The Hurricanes are led by their defense this season. Miami is allowing just 20.8 points and 307.6 yards per game. The unit is led by Gregory Rousseau, who has 49 tackles and 14 sacks. Offensively, Miami is putting up 27.8 points and 378.9 yards per contest. Jarren Williams has thrown for 2,093 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead the offense. DeeJay Dallas is the team’s leading rusher with 693 yards and eight touchdowns. Dallas is out for today’s game. Cam’Ron Harris is the next leading rusher with 545 yards and five scores. Tight end Brevin Jordan is the leading receiver with 35 catches for 495 yards and two touchdowns. He is questionable to play today due to a foot injury.
Bulldogs look for 10 wins
Louisiana Tech is coming off a 41-27 win over UTSA to end the regular season, but the Bulldogs dropped two of their last three games to end their 2019 season. Tech is 9-3 on the season, 7-5 against the spread and 6-6 with the over/under total.
The Bulldogs are a strong offensive team this season, averaging 34 points and 445.2 yards per game. Defensively, Louisiana Tech allowed 23.7 points and 390.3 yards per contest. J’Mar Smith has been leading the team this season with 2,814 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. He also has rushed for 230 yards and three scores. Justin Henderson is the leading rusher with 967 yards and 15 touchdowns. Malik Stanley is the leader of a balanced receiving group. He has 37 catches for 574 yards and three touchdowns.
College Football Betting Trends
Miami
The Hurricanes are 1-7 against the spread in their last eight bowl games and 2-5 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite.
Louisiana Tech
The Bulldogs are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven bowl games and 6-2 ATS in their last eight games in December.
Prediction:
Miami has a great defense and I think that will be something that should hold up. The problem is, you can’t expect the Hurricanes to really put up a lot of points. They have a number of narrow victories this season, including just a 5-point win at home over Central Michigan. Tech is an explosive offense, but the Bulldogs haven’t met a defense of this talent this year. I think the offense will struggle, but it will be able to stay in the game, if not win, due to Miami’s lackluster offense. I just don’t see Miami getting up for this game and they have some big injuries, so I will go with Louisiana Tech to keep this game tight.
Independence Bowl Prediction: Louisiana Tech +6.5
Related: Independence Bowl Total Prediction