Trade $20, Get $35 in Bonus Funds CODE: SBR35

Louisiana vs. Houston Odds, Picks, Predictions College Football: Can Cougars Win Independence Bowl?

Top college football picks for the Independence Bowl between Louisiana and Houston on Friday, Dec. 23.

Mike Spector

Last Updated: October 8, 2025 11:09 AM EDT • 3 minute read

Enjoying SBR content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account

The Houston Cougars will take their high-powered offense up against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in the Independence Bowl. Read on for our Louisiana-Houston college football pick and prediction based on the best odds.

Louisiana (6-6, 4-4) did not earn bowl eligibility until the last game of the regular season, beating Texas State 41-13 to get to .500. Houston (7-5, 5-3) comes into this bowl game limping somewhat after losing its regular-season finale, 37-30, to Tulsa as 13-point home favorites. The loss followed a stretch of five wins in six games. The Cougars are appearing in their 15th bowl in the last 18 seasons, the most bowl of any school from Texas during that span.

Here is our best Louisiana vs. Houston college football pick for the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl (odds via PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our college football best bets.

Louisiana vs. Houston Game Info

Date: Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, 3 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Weather: 71 degrees, 43% chance of precipitation, 11 mph SSW wind

Louisiana vs. Houston Odds

Louisiana vs. Houston Odds Analysis

The lines opened with Houston favored by 5. It was bet up as high as -7.5, but has since dropped to -7. The cash and tickets are siding with Houston at 53% and 59%, respectively.

The opening total of 61 has plummeted across all sportsbooks and is now found as low as 56.5. The betting splits favored the Under early in the week, but now the Over is drawing 51% of the cash and 68% of the tickets.

Louisiana vs. Houston Pick

Louisiana +7.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Houston’s offense got a big boost when wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell announced he would play in the bowl game while entering the NFL draft next year. However, the Cougars come in with little momentum after going 1-4 ATS in the last five games. Head coach Dana Holgorsen does not have the best bowl record (3-6 SU, 2-7 ATS), while Louisiana lost to the two best teams in the league (South Alabama and Troy) by a combined nine points.

The Ragin’ Cajuns secondary will be tested by Clayton Tune and his FBS-leading 37 passing touchdowns and fifth-most passing yards (3,845). But Louisiana’s secondary is its strength and should be up to the task against the pass-happy Cougars, grading 12th in coverage, per PFF. Add in the fact that the Ragin’ Cajuns will have a home-field advantage with this game being played in Shreveport, and we are more than happy to back the underdogs.

Louisiana vs. Houston Best Odds

PointsBet (-120)

BetMGM	Caesars	DraftKings	FanDuel	PointsBet
N/A	+7 (-110)	+7 (-110)	+6.5 (-104)	+7.5 (-120)

Backing the underdogs at PointsBet offers the most value despite having to pay up slightly in juice, as it is the only sportsbook where bettors can grab Louisiana at more than a touchdown. Those that do not think the Ragin’ Cajuns need that many points could find more value with the -104 odds to take +6.5 points at FanDuel, but we prefer the security of getting a full touchdown with the hook.

Louisiana-Houston pick made 12/21/2022 at 7:21 a.m. ET.

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel: Get a $2,500 No-Sweat First Bet Offer | Read our FanDuel Review

Caesars: Earn a First Bet Offer of Up to $1,250 | Read our Caesars Review

DraftKings: Get a 20% Deposit Match up to $1,000 | Read our DraftKings Review

PointsBet: Earn Five First Bet Offer of Up to $100 Each | Read our PointsBet Review

BetMGM: Get a First Bet Offer of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review

* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

U.S. Sports Betting | Best U.S. Sportsbook Promos

Written by:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike leans on his NFL experience and always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”