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Independence Bowl: California vs Texas Tech, Best Bets: December 16th, 2023
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Updated:
Read Time: 4 minutes
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The California Bears and Texas Tech Red Raiders both snuck their way into a bowl game, and here we are as they face of in Shreveport, Louisiana in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl!
The Bears won their final three games, sneaking their way to a 6-6 record and into this bowl game. The Red Raiders did something similar, winning 3 of their final 4 games to gain the same 6-6 record.
Two teams that are happy to be here, and arguably peaking at the right time, let’s break this game down and find our best bets!
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California vs Texas Tech Game Information
Matchup Information
- Venue & Location: Independence Stadium (Shreveport, LA)
- Date: Saturday, December 16th, 2023
- Kick Off: 9:15pm Eastern
- Broadcast: ESPN
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Bovada. Bet These Lines and Get a Deposit Bonus Here!
Spread
- California +3 (-105)
- Texas Tech -3 (-115)
Moneyline
- California +135
- Texas Tech -160
Over/Under
- Over 57.5 (-105)
- Under 57.5 (-115)
Free NCAA Football Picks: Independence Bowl
The nation’s 4th leading rusher, Tahj Brooks, just announced he will be returning to Texas Tech for the 2024 season. Morale is at an all time high for the Red Raiders, who won 3 of their L4 to make a bowl game, including a tough 16-13 victory @ #16 Kansas.
Even without two of their top wideouts, I like the Red Raiders to control this game and take care of the football.
California has plenty of momentum winning three straight, but relatively speaking, they didn’t really have any “good” wins.
The Bears did not beat any of the Top 6 teams in the PAC-12, with all four conference wins coming against inferior opponents. The other two wins: @ North Texas (5-7), and vs Idaho. Not very impressive.
One could argue that Texas Tech was better against their strength of competition. They only lost by 8 to Oregon, and had a chance to win that game. California lost by 44 to the Ducks.
The Red Raiders clawed their way back into a bowl game, and with the recent Brooks news, I think they keep the fire rolling into this bowl game.
A victory would be a silver lining in an otherwise disappointing season, so they should be highly motivated to end the campaign on a high note.
The Pick: Texas Tech ML (-155) Get These Odds at BetOnline
Will Brooks Run Over the Bears Defense?
I expect Brooks to eat in this game, and get plenty of touches with WR Myles Price and Jerand Bradley not playing. The Bears defense gives up 140 rushing yards per game this season, and Brooks has averaged 5.7 yards per carry this season.
He’s had 4 games with 30+ rushing attempts, and has ran the ball 25+ times in 5 of his L7 contests.
His yardage prop is at 124.5 which is far too high for me to take, however it would not surprise me if he runs for 140+, something he’s done 5 times so far this season.
Additionally, Cal’s leading tackler, LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, is entering the transfer portal. I have not found official word on whether he will play or not, but he would be a huge loss for them if he opts out.
Because of the uncertainty regarding personnel, I typically stay away from betting bowl games. However for -155, I’ll Pay the Juiceman and ride with the Red Raiders to get the job done.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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