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Andrew Rogers
New Orleans Bowl Point Spread: College Football Bowl Odds, Prediction
North Texas finished atop the Conference USA West Division standings on the strength of an offensive attack that averaged 467 yards per game, 18th-most in Division I. But it’ll be in tough against a Troy defence that held foes to 17.5 points per game.
Mean Green vs Trojans Spread and Betting Analysis
The Trojans are giving up a touchdown in this one – and with good reason, as they finished just outside the top 10 nationally in scoring defence. No team was stingier in its own red zone than Troy, which limited opponents to a 59-percent scoring rate inside the 20. But the Trojans have covered just one in their last six non-conference games, while the Mean Green are an unreal 7-1 ATS in their previous eight games against non-conference opponents.
The overwhelming majority of Sports Interaction bettors are leaning toward defence in this one, with 83 percent taking Troy. And yet, three-quarters of participants believe this one will go over the 62-point total. The Trojans have played to the under in 12 of their previous 16 games overall, and are 1-4 O/U in their last five vs. teams with winning records. The Mean Green, on the other hand, are 5-1 O/U in their previous six non-conference games.
North Texas Mean Green
The Mean Green will need to rely on the kind of third-down success they had during the season, when they converted 44.6 percent of their opportunities – good for 26th among FBS teams. They’ll also need a stronger showing from a secondary that produced just seven interceptions, ranking outside the top 100 in the country. North Texas is led by standout quarterback Mason Fine, who finished ninth in the nation in passing yards (3,749) and 12th in TDs (28).
Troy Trojans
Teams couldn’t do much of anything against the Trojans, who held foes to 114.8 rushing yards per game – 14th-best among FBS schools – and only seven touchdowns on the ground. The Sun Belt Conference champions are led by senior QB Brandon Silvers, who fell just short of the 3,000-yard passing plateau but threw six touchdowns over his final two games. Troy threw just six interceptions as a team; only 12 teams had fewer INTs.
