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Louisiana and TCU should be at close to full strength when they meet in the New Mexico Bowl. This should be one of the more fun games in bowl season, with both teams having the ability to score and go up and down the field! It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Louisiana-TCU prediction and pick.
Louisiana-TCU Last Game – Matchup History
These two teams have never met before, and they meet in a big matchup in the New Mexico Bowl. Both teams are trying to finish the season strong and could enter next year with some momentum.
Overall Series: These teams have never played before.
Here are the Louisiana-TCU College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Louisiana-TCU Odds
Louisiana: +11.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +330
TCU: -11.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -430
Over: 58.5 (-110)
Under: 58.5 (-110)
How to Watch Louisiana vs. TCU
Time: 2:15 pm ET/11:15 pm PT
TV: ESPN
*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Louisiana Could Cover The Spread/Win
Louisiana has been having a great year on offense. They are averaging 431 yards and 33.1 points per game. Ben Wooldridge went down with an injury in November, but this offense has stayed steady with Chandler Fields under center. He has 897 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, and one interception with a 72.4% completion percentage. Out wide, the receiving corps has been very balanced. The leading receiver is Lance LeGendre, who has 814 yards and six touchdowns. The running game has also been very balanced. Bill Davis leads the team with 775 yards and nine touchdowns on 154 carries. Zylan Perry has 646 yards and four touchdowns on 101 carries. The Ragin' Cajuns do not have any opt-outs or Transfer Portal entries as of this writing, so they should have a full team on offense. They should be able to score on TCU because the Horned Frogs have been inconsistent on defense this year. Their offense is the key to them winning at all in this game, and they need to make it a shootout.
Louisiana's defense has been inconsistent this year. It allows 347 yards and 23.4 points per game and has also been solid against the pass and the run as a team. They allow 189.4 yards through the air and 157.6 yards on the ground. The Ragin' Cajuns have been solid against lesser competition on defense, but TCU is the best team they will play all season. They have the coaching and talent to play solid defense, but TCU has a leg up, and it will be difficult to beat the Horned Frogs. TCU's strength is their offense, and they should be able to find offense against Louisiana, even with the Ragin' Cajuns showing that they have a solid defense this year. K.C. Ossai and Jordan Lawson are two players who are difference-makers in this game and should be key in stopping the Horned Frogs.
Why TCU Could Cover The Spread/Win
TCU's offense has been great this season. They are averaging 431.8 yards and 33.4 points per game. Josh Hoover is the key to the team as a quarterback. Hoover has 3,697 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, with a 66.7% completion percentage. The receivers were great this year, with Jack Bech as the leading receiver. Bech has 1,034 receiving yards and nine passing touchdowns on 62 receptions. The running game has struggled this year in comparison. Cam Cook is the team's leading rusher and has 460 yards and nine touchdowns on 119 carries. TCU will pass the ball, making this matchup more interesting because that is the one area where Louisiana's defense has found success this year. TCU should still find success, especially as the best team the Ragin' Cajuns have played this year.
TCU's defense has been inconsistent this season. They allow 357 yards and 26.4 points per game. They have been solid against the pass but have struggled against the run game. They allow 192.7 yards through the air and 164.3 yards on the ground. The Ragin' Cajuns are a balanced offense and have had success on that side of the ball, even without Ben Wooldridge under center. They also love to pass the ball, which plays into one area of TCU's defensive strength. They have two capable running backs, Bill Davis and Zylan Perry, and need to lean on them if they can pull the upset.
Final Louisiana-TCU Prediction & Pick
Louisiana has had a great year, but they are overmatched in this game. TCU is not a team that is missing a lot of players due to opt-outs or the Transfer Portal and is at mostly full strength in this game. That is the key, as they are the best team the Ragin' Cajuns will play this season. This should be close at first, but TCU pulls away and wins and covers the spread in New Mexico.
Final Louisiana-TCU Prediction & Pick: TCU -11.5 (-110)
