A pair of teams starving for bowl wins clash when Texas A&M, losers of five straight bowl games and nine of its last 10, faces Northwestern, a team that has lost in eight straight bowl games.

[ Check out full Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl odds preview data and trends here ]

Texas A&M boasts a Top 12 offense nationally but still only scratched their way to a 6-6 record, the same as the Big Ten's Wildcats from Northwestern. Of note, the past 4 Texas Bowls played UNDER total and favorites are 7-1-2 ATS past 10 Texas Bowls, which has been renamed the Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl in 2011.

View Texas AM vs Northwestern Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Fans backing the Wildcats here saw them open as 10-point underdogs in this college football clash. (Check back shortly for Sportsbook totals at sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark as none was available at the time this preview was written.)





How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Northwestern's No. 51-ranked offense (29.5 PPG) against a Aggies defense that ranks No. 76 at 28.7 PPG. The Wildcats passing attack has averaged 256.6 yards per game, less than the Aggies give up through the air (280.5 YPG on average).

Defensively, the Aggies feature the league's No. 21-rated road run defense, allowing 121.4 yards per game. Northwestern, meanwhile, ranks No. 70 in rushing offense at home.

Texas A&M lost its last outing, a 27-25 result against Texas on November 24. Texas A&M failed to cover in that game as a 7.5-point favorite, while the 52 combined points took the game UNDER the total.

Last time out for Northwestern, they were a 31-17 loser as they battled Michigan State at home. Northwestern failed to cover in the match as a 6-point underdog, while 48 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.


Texas A&M Aggies Trends:
When playing in December are 3-7
When playing on grass are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 4-6
When favored on the road are 7-3

Northwestern Wildcats Trends:
When playing in December are 0-4
When playing on grass are 4-6
After being outgained are 4-6
When an underdog at home are 3-7

A few Aggies at Wildcats trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas A&M's last 9 games
Texas A&M is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Texas A&M is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Northwestern is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northwestern's last 5 games
Northwestern is 7-15 ATS in its last 22 games