The State of Texas is football. From the famed “Friday Night Lights” to the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys, Texans love their football.
Texas residents and supporters must be excited about having seven Texas-based universities receive invitations to one of the 43 postseason Holiday Bowl games, including the Texas Longhorns being chosen as one of four teams qualifying for a possible FBS National Championship.
Please join me as I look at the odds for each postseason bowl game and maybe even offer a free pick or two for this season’s Texas-based postseason bowl predictions. Remember that sports betting in Texas is still illegal, so these picks are for entertainment purposes only.
California Golden Bears vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders December 16, 9:15 p.m. ET
The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
California vs. Texas Tech Betting Odds ESPN Bet
Team |
Moneyline |
Spread |
Total |
---|---|---|---|
California |
+125 |
+3 (-115) |
Over 58.5 (-105) |
Texas Tech |
-145 |
-3 (-105) |
Under 58.5 (-115) |
This one pits a pair of 6-6 teams in what should be a fun late Saturday night matchup. California finished seventh in the Pac-12 standings, enters this contest riding a three-game winning streak, and is 4-1-0 ATS over their last five.
Texas Tech finished seventh in the Big 12 standings and saw a three-game winning streak snapped after getting blown out at Texas 57-7. The Red Raiders are 2-3-0 ATS over their last five.
UTSA Roadrunners vs. Marshall Thundering Hood December 19, 9:00 p.m. ET
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
UTSA vs. Marshall Betting Odds ESPN Bet
Team |
Moneyline |
Spread |
Total |
---|---|---|---|
UTSA |
-320 |
-8.5 (-110) |
Over 56.5 (-110) |
Marshall |
+260 |
+8.5 (-110) |
Under 56.5 (-110) |
Heavily favored UTSA finished third in a tough American Athletic Conference with a 7-1-0 AAC mark and 8-4 overall record. UTSA wideout Joshua Cephas hauled in the 17th-most receiving yards while the Roadrunners defense allowed the 57th-fewest points per game.
Marshall finished sixth in the Sun Belt Conference standings and went 6-6 on the season but has lost six of their previous eight games. Junior running back Rasheem Ali scampered for 1000+, but the defense has allowed 28+ in four of their last five.
Texas State Bobcats vs. Rice Owls December 26, 5:30 p.m. ET
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Texas State vs. Rice Betting Odds at BetMGM
Team |
Moneyline |
Spread |
Total |
---|---|---|---|
Texas State |
-225 |
-6.5 (-110) |
Over 60.5 (-110) |
Rice |
+185 |
+6.5 (-110) |
Under 60.5 (-110) |
The Lone Star State placed two teams in this game when the 7-5 Texas State Bobcats of the Sun Belt Conference meet the 6-6 Rice Owls from the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
Both teams are top-50 nationally in scoring, with the Bobcats ranked 17th. Bobcats quarterback T.J. Finley has thrown for 3200+ passing yards, and wideout Joey Hobert ranks 50th nationally in receiving yards but is listed as questionable. Running back Ismail Mahdi is 14th in rushing yards. Oh, and Texas State is 117th in points allowed.
Rice can also score points, or at least they could before quarterback J.T. Daniels was lost for the season with a concussion. The Owls’ 69th-ranked scoring defense has kept them in games, while a Daniels-less offense has done enough to outscore their opponents. Rice wideout Luke McCaffrey has scored at least one TD in his last seven contests, and the Owls will need a big night from him to pull off an upset.
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State December 27, 9:00 p.m. ET
TaxAct Texas Bowl
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State Betting Odds at Caesars
Team |
Moneyline |
Spread |
Total |
---|---|---|---|
Texas A&M |
-205 |
-4.5 (-110) |
Over 53.5 (-110) |
Oklahoma State |
+170 |
+4.5 (-110) |
Under 53.5 (-110) |
Texas A&M finished fourth in the SEC West and, despite losing starting QB Connor Weigman to injury, is a top-25 scoring offense and managed to get a bowl invite. The Aggies’ defense has allowed the 32nd-most points and has allowed 63 points over their last five and went 5-6-1 ATS this season.
Oklahoma State was thrashed 49-21 by Texas in the Big 12 Championship game but did manage to go 9-4 but were 7-6-0 ATS. Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II leads the nation in rushing yards, but Oklahoma State allows far too many points and has allowed more than their 30.3 points per game average in each of their last four.
SMU Mustangs vs. Boston College December 28, 11:00 a.m. ET
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
SMU Mustangs vs. Boston College Betting Odds at DraftKings
Team |
Moneyline |
Spread |
Total |
---|---|---|---|
SMU |
-440 |
-10.5 (-110) |
Over 52 (-110) |
Boston College |
+340 |
+10.5 (-110) |
Under 52 (-110) |
SMU is a considerable favorite when they meet Boston College at historic Fenway Park. The Mustangs won the AAC Championship with an 11-2 record. They also went 8-5-0 ATS and entered this matchup, riding a nine-game winning streak.
The Mustangs suffered a huge blow when quarterback Preston Stone broke his leg against Navy, but reserve QB Kevin Jennings got the job done in the AAC championship. SMU boasts the sixth-best offense along with the 12th-ranked scoring defense.
Boston College dropped three straight to end their regular season with a 6-6 record. The Eagles averaged 25 points per game in any of their last five games. Making matters worse for BC is their nearly 30 points allowed per game, which has been exceeded in two of their previous three. Boston College is 4-8-0 ATS and hasn’t covered the spread in four of their last five matchups.
For more updates on Texas online gambling, check out Betting TX.