Published Dec 24, 1:35pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Dec 24, 1:35pm ET
Pixabay-Keith Johnston
Updated Dec 24, 1:35pm ET
Let’s get ready to enjoy the Kinder’s Texas Bowl, with the Houston Cougars hosting the LSU Tigers at NRG Stadium. This will be the fourth time these two teams meet, with LSU holding a slim 2–1 advantage. It’s been almost 25 years since these schools last faced off on the field, so let’s see who takes home the victory.
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| HOUSTON COUGARS | -135 |
| LSU TIGERS | +114 |
The LSU Tigers come into this game with a 7–5 record and as slight underdogs at +2.5 on the spread. This will be their 25th straight bowl appearance and their fourth overall trip to this game. They’ll be relying on a tough defensive unit as their weapon of choice, allowing only 18.3 points per game and recording 17 total interceptions this season.
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Interestingly, they had more interceptions on defense than touchdown passes on offense. Their top ball hawks were Harold Perkins (4), A.J. Haulcy (3), and DJ Pickett (3). Since the offense wasn’t particularly explosive for LSU this year, they’ll need to squeeze everything they can out of their defensive squad.
The Houston Cougars will be making their first Texas Bowl appearance since 2007 after a successful 9–3 season. They’ll be aiming for their 10th win of the year, backed by a top-tier defense that helped them go 6–0 on the road.
As an added edge, Houston will essentially be playing on home turf, making them favorites for this game at -2.5. Connor Weigman, their QB, will look to complement that strong defense with an efficient offense. So far, he’s thrown for 2,475 yards and 21 touchdowns.
This one should have a defense-first feel, as both teams excel on that side of the ball. You can see it in the low over/under of 41.5 for this game. Houston, as mentioned earlier, is favored at -2.5 with a moneyline of -135.
Our recommended pick is the Houston Cougars -2.5. We feel it will be a close game, but the Cougars should prevail thanks to their home crowd advantage.
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Pick
Houston -2.5
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