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Raleek Brown of the USC Trojans celebrates with teammate Kyle Ford #81 after scoring a touchdown against the Utah Utes during the first quarter in the Pac-12 Championship at Allegiant Stadium on December 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Raleek Brown of the USC Trojans celebrates with teammate Kyle Ford #81 after scoring a touchdown against the Utah Utes during the first quarter in the Pac-12 Championship at Allegiant Stadium on December 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by David Becker/Getty Images via AFP.

Wrapping up a surprisingly successful season, can the Tulane Green Wave deliver one more surprise on January 2? Read on for our top Cotton Bowl college football odds as Tulane battles the USC Trojans.

The Green Wave busted the books with strong play on both sides of the football en route to an unlikely 11-win season. But they'll have their hands full with a Trojans side that also racked up 11 victories and boasts one of the most prolific offenses in the country.

Here are the best college football odds for the 2022 Cotton Bowl featuring Tulane and USC via our best sportsbooks.

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Cotton Bowl Odds: Tulane vs. USC

FanDuelDraftKingsCaesarsBetMGMPointsBet
SpreadUSC -1.5 (-114)USC -2 (-110) USC -2 (-110)USC -2 (-110)USC -2 (-110)
Total63.5 (-110/-110)63.5 (-110/-110)63.5 (-110/-110)63.5 (-110/-110)63.5 (-110/-110)
MoneylineUSC -130/TUL +108USC -126/TUL +105USC -130/TUL +110USC -130/TUL +110USC -131/TUL +110

Odds updated as of Dec. 31 at 9:45 a.m. ET.

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Tulane vs. USC Spread

It appears that the market has finally settled on a price – and it's USC -2 in the majority of spots, with FanDuel the only sports betting site holding on to a -1.5.

The Trojans rewarded bettors' faith with an 8-5 ATS record in 2022, though there may be some hesitancy to lean into USC following its 47-23 thumping at the hands of Utah on Dec. 2. Still, USC had covered the spread in three straight games before that one-sided loss and went 3-1 ATS in four games as a favorite of fewer than five points.

Tulane curried even more favor with bettors this season by covering the spread in 11 of 13 games. The Green Wave are on a three-game cover streak and are 8-1 ATS in their previous nine outings – most recently cruising to a 45-28 triumph over USF as a 3.5-point favorite on Dec. 3.

Tulane vs. USC Over/Under

The Cotton Bowl total is consistently at 63.5, with the five marquee sportsbooks all settling on that number.

Over bettors thrived with the Trojans, who posted a 10-3 O/U mark on the strength of the nation's No. 3 scoring offense (41.1 points per game). USC has surpassed the betting total in seven consecutive games, with six of those contests coming in north of 70 points.

Tulane produced a 7-6 O/U record for the season, but converted the Over in four straight games and six of its previous seven contests. The Green Wave scored 38 or more points in four of those seven outings, boosting their season average to 35.2 (good for 21st in the country).

Check out our complete list of college football picks and predictions here!

Cotton Bowl Betting Trends

Tulane Green Wave

  • Averaged 197.1 rush yards per game, good for 31st in the nation
  • Finished third in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (35.2 points per game)
  • Averaged just 34.6 penalty yards per game, eighth-fewest in FBS
  • Are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games vs. teams with winning records

USC Trojans

  • Were one of only five teams to average 500 total yards per game
  • Converted 51.6% of their third downs, the No. 4 rate in the country
  • Led the nation with a plus-22 turnover differential
  • Are 1-11 ATS in their previous 11 neutral-site games

Cotton Bowl Betting History

YearWinnerLoserScoreATS Cover
2021AlabamaCincinnati27-6Alabama -13
2020OklahomaFlorida55-20Oklahoma -8.5
2019Penn StateMemphis53-39Penn State -7
2018ClemsonNotre Dame30-3Clemson -10.5
2017Ohio StateUSC24-7Ohio State -9.5
2016WisconsinW. Michigan24-16PUSH
2015AlabamaMichigan State38-0Alabama -10.5
2014Michigan StateBaylor42-41Michigan State +3
2013MissouriOklahoma State41-31Missouri -3
2012Texas A&MOklahoma41-13Texas A&M -3

Cotton Bowl FAQs

Who is playing in the 2022 Cotton Bowl?

The Tulane Green Wave face the USC Trojans in this year's Cotton Bowl.

Who is favored to win the Cotton Bowl?

USC is installed as a slight favorite over Tulane at the majority of sportsbooks.

What is the betting line for the Cotton Bowl?

As of Dec. 31 at 9:45 a.m. ET, the Trojans are listed at -2, with the consensus total sitting between 63 and 63.5. USC is between -130 and -135 on the moneyline at most sportsbooks, with Tulane ranging from +108 to +115 depending on the sports betting site.

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