Game Info
Independence Bowl
Date/Time: Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 9:15PM EST
Where: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
TV: ESPN
California Golden Bears (6-6 SU, 6-6 ATS) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-6 SU, 5-7 ATS)
Betting Odds
Point Spread: CAL +3/TTU -3 (BAS – Offers you the ability to bet on games at -105 instead of -110!)
Money Line: University of California +125, T. Tech -145
Over/Under Total: 58
The California Golden Bears take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday in Shreveport in the Independence Bowl. Cal is coming off an up-and-down season that at least ended on a positive note, as they went into the Rose Bowl on November 25 as 9-point dogs and beat UCLA, 33-7, finishing off a nice little run at the end of the season that lands them in this bowl spot. Texas Tech was also looking strong at the end of the season, at least until running into Texas in their last game on the 24th, losing 57-7. Who should we get behind in this tricky bowl matchup on the 16th? Let’s break it down!
Form to End the Season
At the end of the long season, we want to see how both teams are holding up, and it shows positive returns on both squads on that front. After winning just one game in conference all season and having sponged some ugly losses, Cal’s three-game winning streak to end the season was impressive. We see their offense coming to life, in addition to a defense that is playing some of its best ball of the season. Since late October, only the Ducks have really made them look bad, something that happened to a lot of Pac-12 teams this past season.
Granted, the Red Raiders’ flopping around the field against Texas in their last game was a rough impression to leave heading into the college football postseason. After losing a lot of close games earlier in the season, we started to see Texas Tech steering those games into their column come season’s end. Finishing up with a nice run of wins against TCU, Kansas, and Central Florida shows them entering this spot with some life still in their legs. Neither of these teams really excelled this season, but in a bowl spot of this nature, it’s odd to find two teams who really seemed to improve over the course of the year.
