The Independence Bowl is set for Friday afternoon when the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (6-6) play the Houston Cougars (7-5). Louisiana is making their 10th bowl game appearance and are looking for their fourth consecutive win. Houston is making their 30th appearance and will look to improve on their 12-16-1 record. Below is my college football pick for Louisiana vs Houston.
Louisiana vs Houston Betting Pick
| ℹ️ The Pick: | Houston -5.5 |
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This game will be played at Independence Stadium at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, December 23, 2022.
Why Bet Houston -5.5
✅ Houston is 5-2 straight up in their last seven games.
✅ The Cougars are 6-1 in their last seven games against Sun Belt opponents.
✅ Louisiana is 0-5 in their last five games against AAC opponents.
NCAAFB
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns
Houston Cougars
Team Stats
Passing
Offense/Defense
| LOULAF | Passing | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | CMP | 17.6 |
| 30.4 | ATT | 29.1 |
| 69.1 | CMP% | 60.5 |
| 267.7 | Y/G | 189.5 |
| 8.8 | Y/A | 6.5 |
| 1.8 | TD/G | 1.6 |
Defense/Offense
| LOULAF | Passing | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| 19.2 | CMP | 15.2 |
| 29.5 | ATT | 23 |
| 65.1 | CMP% | 66.1 |
| 184.2 | Y/G | 152.9 |
| 6.2 | Y/A | 6.6 |
| 0.8 | TD/G | 0.9 |
Rushing
Offense/Defense
| LOULAF | Rushing | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| 34.7 | ATT | 32.8 |
| 184.2 | Y/G | 131.2 |
| 5.3 | Y/A | 4.0 |
| 2.0 | TD/G | 1.1 |
Defense/Offense
| LOULAF | Rushing | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| 33.0 | ATT | 36.7 |
| 153.0 | Y/G | 143.9 |
| 4.6 | Y/A | 3.9 |
| 1.7 | TD/G | 0.7 |
Special Teams
| LOULAF | Special Teams | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| 1.9 | Punts-GM | 4.9 |
| 40.4 | Punt Avg | 41.0 |
| 2.0 | Kick Ret GM | 1.4 |
| 24.2 | Kick Ret Avg | 20.9 |
| 1.6 | Punt Ret GM | 1.8 |
| 5.1 | Punt Ret Avg | 7.1 |
Betting Trends
| LOULAF | Betting Trends | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| OVERALL | OVERALL | |
| 2-1-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 2-1-0 |
| 2-1-0 | ATS W/L/P | 1-2-0 |
| 31.33 | Avg Score | 38.33 |
| 26.33 | Avg Opp Score | 25.33 |
| AWAY | HOME | |
| 1-2-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 2-1-0 |
| 1-2-0 | ATS W/L/P | 0-3-0 |
| 27.33 | Avg Score | 38.33 |
| 33.67 | Avg Opp Score | 33.33 |
| LOULAF | Betting Trends | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| OVERALL | OVERALL | |
| 2-3-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 3-2-0 |
| 2-3-0 | ATS W/L/P | 1-4-0 |
| 27 | Avg Score | 44 |
| 28.2 | Avg Opp Score | 36 |
| AWAY | HOME | |
| 2-3-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 3-2-0 |
| 2-3-0 | ATS W/L/P | 0-5-0 |
| 24.4 | Avg Score | 34.6 |
| 27 | Avg Opp Score | 30.8 |
| LOULAF | Betting Trends | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| OVERALL | OVERALL | |
| 4-6-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 6-4-0 |
| 5-5-0 | ATS W/L/P | 3-7-0 |
| 25.1 | Avg Score | 37.9 |
| 24.6 | Avg Opp Score | 33.4 |
| AWAY | HOME | |
| 6-4-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 7-3-0 |
| 5-5-0 | ATS W/L/P | 2-8-0 |
| 28.4 | Avg Score | 33.7 |
| 25.1 | Avg Opp Score | 29.6 |
Head to Head
Teams Last 10
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Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
Last time out, Louisiana ended their regular season with a big 41-13 win at Texas State. The Bobcats led 3-0 early, but after that it was all Ragin’ Cajuns. Louisiana built a 27-6 lead and kept increasing that during the second half.
Two Louisiana passers combined to go 21/32 for 271 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Louisiana ran the ball 36 times for 165 yards, a 4.6 average, and two touchdowns in the win. Defensively, Louisiana ran the ball 356 total yards and forced two Texas State turnovers, one interception and one recovered fumble.
Through 12 games, Louisiana is scoring 27.0 points per game and gaining 367.7 yards, 224.9 through the air and 142.8 on the ground. Defensively, the Ragin’ Cajuns allow 22.8 points and 361.6 yards, 219.3 passing and 142.3 rushing.
Houston Cougars
Houston hosted the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and lost 37-30. The Cougars jumped out to a 14-3 first quarter lead, but Tulsa cut into that and made it 24-20 at the half. It was a tied game entering the fourth quarter when Tulsa scored the first 10 points to take control.
Clayton Tune went 26/47 for 386 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Nathaniel Dell had nine catches for 161 yards and one touchdown in the loss. Defensively, Houston allowed 431 total yards and did not force any Tulsa turnovers.
After 12 games, Houston is scoring 37.0 points per game and gaining 463.8 yards, 321.1 through the air and 142.7 on the ground. Defensively, the Cougars allow 33.5 points and 430.0 yards, 285.7 passing and 144.3 rushing.
