Northwestern (6-2 SU, 6-1-1 ATS) seeks its fourth straight bowl victory when it faces Auburn (6-4, 5-5) in the Citrus Bowl. The Tigers are playing their first game since longtime head coach Gus Malzahn was fired at the end of the regular season.
- Date/Time: January 1, 1 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Northwestern -2.5 | O/U 46 (Line History)
- Auburn vs Northwestern Matchup Report
Citrus Bowl Odds Analysis
Early money came in on the Wildcats and the UNDER, moving the spread to -3.5 and the total to 43.5. Auburn is just 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games as an underdog.
Auburn News & Notes
Although the Tigers have hired former Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin to replace Malzahn, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will be the team’s interim head coach in the Citrus Bowl. Steele’s defense ranked 35th in the nation in points allowed per game, surrendering an average of 23.7, as Auburn went UNDER the total in six of its final seven regular-season games.
Offensively, freshman running back Tank Bigsby looks for his fifth 100-yard game of the campaign. Bigsby is coming off a 192-yard performance in Auburn’s regular-season finale, a 24-10 win over Mississippi State that snapped the Tigers’ two-game losing streak. The contest, however, marked the third straight game that Auburn failed to score more than 24 points.
After playing an all-SEC schedule this year due to COVID-19, Auburn might be looking forward to facing a non-conference opponent. The Tigers are 6-1 SU and ATS in their last seven games against teams outside of the SEC.
Northwestern News & Notes
The Citrus Bowl might be veteran coach Pat Fitzgerald’s final time leading Northwestern, with reports indicating that Fitzgerald will be interviewed by several NFL teams in the offseason.
The Wildcats’ 6-2 record this year marks the fourth time in the last nine years that Northwestern has posted a winning percentage of .750 or better, and the team has won four of its last five bowl game appearances under Fitzgerald.
Northwestern did stumble a bit down the stretch, losing two of its final three games, including a 29-20 loss at Michigan State that ended its national playoff hopes. However, the Wildcats’ other loss came as 16.5-point underdogs to Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game, when Northwestern easily stayed inside the number and held the Buckeyes to their fewest points of the season in a 22-10 loss.
The loss to Michigan State – which looks worse than it was because the Spartans scored a defensive touchdown on the game’s final play – was the only time this season that Northwestern allowed more than 22 points in a game. Linebacker Paddy Fisher led the Wildcats with 74 tackles as Northwestern went UNDER in seven of its eight contests.
Betting Pick: Northwestern -3.5
Auburn struggled badly against elite opposition this year, losing to Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama by a combined 61 points. Northwestern sends Fitzgerald out a Sportsbook with another strong defensive performance.
- Auburn is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 non-conference games.
- Northwestern is 7-1-1 ATS in its last 9 games.
- The UNDER is 10-4-1 in Auburn’s last 15 bowl games.
