Auburn (-125) Needs A Win To Avoid Their Worst Football Season Since 2012

Ian Book sucks against any Miami team, and if you started Dolphins defense you probably slept pretty well 🤤 — let’s talk Houston vs. Auburn 👇

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Birmingham Bowl Preview

A full day of college football on a Tuesday? Gotta love bowl season 😎

10 teams are in action today, kicking off at noon with the Birmingham Bowl featuring #20 Houston and Auburn. That AAC-SEC showdown is one of the most intriguing matchups of the day — here’s a look at how the lines are shaping up 👇

Auburn vs. Houston Betting Preview

• Spread: Auburn -2

• Moneyline: Houston +105 (bet $100, win $105), Auburn -122 (bet $122, win $100)

• Over/Under: 51.5

• Location: Birmingham, Alabama

Auburn will be looking to secure the SEC’s first win this bowl season — the powerhouse conference is 0-2, following a Missouri loss to Army and a Florida loss to UCF. Also, the Tigers haven’t had a losing season since 2012, they currently sit at 6-6 😳 

Can Auburn Get Back On Track?

Flashback to the start of November, and Auburn is 6-2, fresh off an impressive win over #10 Ole Miss, and ranked #13 in the nation. But unfortunately for the Tigers, a lot has changed since then, including their starting quarterback

• Auburn has limped to the finish line with four straight losses, including a heartbreaking four-OT defeat to Alabama in the Iron Bowl their last time out 😫

• The talented-but-inconsistent Bo Nix, the Tigers starting QB for the past three seasons, was knocked out for the season with an ankle injury in a loss to Mississippi State. He has since announced his transfer to Oregon

His replacement, Sophomore TJ Finley, has been solid when he’s played this season, and he was under center when Auburn took the nation’s top team to the brink. That performance shows the midseason upside is still there, but the Tigers are in for a battle against a Houston squad that had rattled off 11 straight wins prior to falling to #4 Cincinnati in the AAC Championship

• The Cougars have played like one of the best all-around teams in college football this season, ranking 12th in the nation in points per game (36.7), while also being one of just six teams allowing less than 300 yards per game

• Houston’s stingy D is especially good on third down and at generating pressure. They’re allowing a third down conversion rate of just 25.5%, best in the nation, and their pressure rate of 43.1% ranks fourth 😤

The X-factor here is Auburn running back Tank Bigsby, who has become the focal point of the offense since Nix went down. Houston is tough against the run, but the Tigers will need to get him going if they hope to keep up with the Cougar offense 🚀

Other Games To Watch

Auburn and Houston may be kicking off Tuesday’s slate in style, but it’s certainly not the only intriguing matchup. Here are some other lines to keep an eye on 👇

🎄 Holiday Bowl: UCLA vs. #18 NC State (8:00pm EST)

• Spread: NC State -2

• O/U: 59.5

• NC State is looking to put an exclamation mark on one of the most successful seasons in program history. A victory would give the Wolfpack just their second double-digit win season ever

• QB Devin Leary has been a big reason for their success, and his 35 passing TDs this season mark a new school record

• Trivia question: who held the NC State passing touchdown record prior to Leary? (answer below)

✅ Guaranteed Rate Bowl: West Virginia vs. Minnesota (10:15pm EST)

• Spread: Minnesota -5

• O/U: 45

• Minnesota has one of the best defenses in the country, ranking top 10 nationally in points allowed (ninth) and yards allowed per game (fourth). The Gophers are especially good against the run, giving up just 100 YPG

• That could spell trouble for a Mountaineer team that will be without 1,000-yard rusher Leddie Brown, who opted out of the game to focus on the draft

For My Parlay Gurus

In their first meeting since 1973, I’m riding with Houston to come out on top today over an Auburn team missing some key contributors. I’m going with the Gophers as well in this parlay👇

• Houston ML vs. Auburn: +105

• Minnesota -5 vs. West Virginia: -110

$100 on this bet would win you $291 — if we hit, make sure to email [email protected] for $100*. First come, first serve 😉

Trivia answer: In his senior season, Philip Rivers threw for 34 touchdowns and was named ACC Player of the Year. He was then selected fourth overall in the 2004 NFL draft by the Giants, who then traded him to the Chargers for Eli Manning