It's a battle between an ATS winner and an ATS loser at the Independence Bowl in Shreveport on December 28, as the Ohio Bobcats (4-8 ATS) take on the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (8-4 ATS) at Independence Stadium.
For updated lines and totals on all of this year's bowl games head over to the college football betting boards at 5Dimes, , and GTbets today.
Independence Bowl
Friday, December 28 @ 2:00pm ET
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
Team: Ohio Bobcats
Conference: Mid-American
Records: 8-4 SU, 4-8 ATS, 5-6 OU
Team: Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks
Conference: Sun Belt
Records: 8-4 SU, 8-4 ATS, 9-3 OU
Opening Spread / Total (from GTbets)
Louisiana-Monroe -6.5 / 59 Points
[Independence Bowl Matchup Stats]
Independence Bowl Betting Trends: Past two Independence Bowls played UNDER the total . . . Favorites are 8-1 ATS in past nine games (including six in a row) . . . Louisiana-Monroe has never played in a bowl game.
Independence Bowl History
Data includes original name of bowl, current name, teams, point spread of the second listed team, SU winner and ATS winner.
| 1995 | Independence Bowl | Michigan State | 26 | LSU | 45 | -6 | LSU | LSU |
| 1996 | Independence Bowl | Army | 29 | Auburn | 32 | -9 | ARMY | AUBRN |
| 1997 | Independence Bowl | Notre Dame | 9 | LSU | 27 | -7 | LSU | LSU |
| 1998 | Independence Bowl | Mississippi | 35 | Texas Tech | 18 | -8.5 | MISS | MISS |
| 1999 | Independence Bowl | Mississippi | 27 | Oklahoma | 25 | -4 | MISS | MISS |
| 2000 | Independence Bowl | Mississippi State | 43 | Texas A&M | 41 | -1 | MIS.ST | MIS.ST |
| 2001 | Independence Bowl | Alabama | 14 | Iowa State | 13 | 6.5 | IOWAST | ALAB |
| 2002 | Independence Bowl | Nebraska | 23 | Mississippi | 27 | 7 | MISS | MISS |
| 2003 | Independence Bowl | Missouri | 14 | Arkansas | 27 | -3 | ARK | ARK |
| 2004 | Independence Bowl | Miami (Ohio) | 13 | Iowa State | 17 | 3 | IOWAST | IOWAST |
| 2005 | Independence Bowl | Missouri | 38 | South Carolina | 31 | -3.5 | MIZZOU | MIZZOU |
| 2006 | Independence Bowl | Oklahoma State | 34 | Alabama | 31 | 2 | OKLAST | OKLAST |
| 2007 | Independence Bowl | Colorado | 24 | Alabama | 30 | -4.5 | ALAB | ALAB |
| 2008 | Independence Bowl | Northern Illinois | 10 | Louisiana Tech | 17 | -3 | LATECH | LATECH |
| 2009 | Independence Bowl | Texas A&M | 20 | Georgia | 44 | -6.5 | GEORGI | GEORGI |
| 2010 | Independence Bowl | Georgia Tech | 7 | Air Force | 14 | -3 | AIRFOR | AIRFOR |
| 2011 | Independence Bowl | North Carolina | 24 | Missouri | 41 | -4.5 | MIZZOU | MIZZOU |
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The Missouri Tigers are 0-2 SU and ATS in their last two bowl games, losing as a 6-point favorite to Navy in 2009 and as a 3-point favorite last year against Iowa.
For lines and totals on all of this year's bowl games head over to the college football betting board at 5Dimes today.
Independence Bowl
Monday, December 26 @ 5:00pm ET
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
Team: North Carolina Tar Heels
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Records: 7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS, 6-6 OU
Team: Missouri Tigers
Conference: Big 12
Records: 7-5 SU, 6-5-1 ATS, 6-5-1 OU
Spread / Total (from 5Dimes)
Missouri -5.0 / 52.5 Points
[Independence Bowl Matchup Stats]
The Missouri Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels look to cap off the 2011 season with a bowl win in the Independence Bowl. Both programs are 1-2 SU in their last three bowl games.
While both schools finished with a 7-5 record, North Carolina peaked early while Missouri peaked late. The Tar Heels started the season off 5-1 SU (3-3 ATS) but then stumbled to a 2-4 SU (3-3 ATS) finish. The Tigers on the other hand were 4-5 SU (5-3-1 ATS) before winning their final three games (1-2 ATS) to earn bowl eligibility. Missouri was just 2-4 ATS as a favorite this season, but only lost one game outright as the favorite.
Sophomore James Franklin was sensational in his first year as a starter for Missouri, establishing himself as a legitimate dual-threat weapon. Franklin passed for 2,733 yards and 20 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and also rushed for 839 yards and 13 touchdowns.
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It’s the 8-4 and second-best rushing offense of the Air Force Falcons that will be 3-point favorites in college football betting for the Independence Bowl matchup against the top-rushing offense of the 6-6 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Independence Bowl
Monday, December 27 @ 5:00pm ET
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
Team: Air Force Falcons
Conference: Mountain West Conference
Records: 8-4 SU, 4-7 ATS, 3-8 OU
Team: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference
Records: 6-6 SU, 5-5-1 ATS, 5-6 OU
Spread / Total (from )
Air Force -3 / 56 Points
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[Independence Bowl Matchup Stats]
There certainly won’t be a lot of passes thrown with these two rushing teams playing off in this bowl game. And if Georgia Tech quarterback Joshua Nesbitt (broken arm) is unable to play, that would be a big blow to their chances and could swing bettors to make a play on the Falcons covering the Independence Bowl odds.
Without Nesbitt, who ran for 737 yards and a team-leading 10 touchdowns, Anthony Allen will be asked to pick up any slack. While he held down the fort admirably, the Yellow Jackets dropped four of their last five games.
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson has had success against Air Force, but with a team that was scoring over 30 points a game and is now averaging just 20.6, it could make snapping that five-game bowl-less drought a difficult challenge.
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Air Force, meanwhile, unlike Georgia Tech, is riding high as they come into the Independence Bowl having won three straight. Junior running back Asher Clark ran for 1,001 yards with five touchdowns to lead the way, while quarterback Tim Jefferson had a team-high 15 rushing TDs while amassing 769 yards on the ground.
If Jared Tew is cleared to play for the Falcons, it could give them another option. He had three touchdowns and 540 yards rushing in seven games, before moving to the injury list.
With both teams expected to display a ground attack in the Independence Bowl, and with the majority of both teams' games paying out to UNDER bettors during the season, there’s no reason to feel this trend will be stopped.
