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The Houston Cougars play their last game representing the American Athletic Conference when they square off against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in the 2022 Independence Bowl on Friday at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. The Cougars have been members of the AAC since 2013. This season Houston (7-5) finished tied for second in the West division of the AAC. Next season the program moves to the Big 12. Meanwhile the Ragin' Cajuns (6-6) tied for third in the West division of the Sun Belt in coach Michael Desormeaux's first season at the helm in Lafayette. They've had four players opt out of this game: defensive end Andre Jones, running back Chris Smith and receivers Michael Jefferson and Dontae Fleming

Kickoff is 3 p.m. ET. The Cougars are 7-point favorites in the latest Houston vs. Louisiana odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 56. Before locking in any Louisiana vs. Houston picks, you need to see the Independence Bowl predictions and betting advice what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now the model has dialed in on Houston vs. Louisiana and just revealed its coveted picks and Independence Bowl 2022 predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of the model's college football picks. Now, here are the college football odds and betting lines for Louisiana vs. Houston:  

  • Houston vs. Louisiana spread: Cougars -7 
  • Houston vs. Louisiana over/under: 56 points 
  • Houston vs. Louisiana money line: Cougars -260, Ragin' Cajuns +210
  • HOU: QB Clayton Tune is tied for the nation's lead in touchdown passes (37) 
  • ULL: The Ragin' Cajuns rank 11th in the country in interceptions (15) 
  • Houston vs. Louisiana picks: See picks here

Why Houston can cover

Tune closes out a prolific career on Friday. A 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior, Tune leads The American in career touchdown passes (101) and is two touchdown passes shy of Tanner Mordecai's single-season record (39) and one shy of Desmond Ridder and Holton Ahlers for the league's career touchdowns responsible for (117) record. Tune also ranks third in the country in total offense (361.2 yards per game).

Tune has one of the country's most productive receivers in Nathaniel Dell. A 5-foot-10 junior who already has declared for next year's NFL Draft, Dell leads the country in touchdown receptions (15) and ranks second in receiving yards per game (112.8) and receptions per game (8.6). For his efforts this season he was named to all-AAC first team.

Why Louisiana can cover

Louisiana has a ball hawk in the defensive backfield in Bralen Trahan. A senior safety from Lafayette, La., Trahan is tied for 17th in the country this season in interceptions (four). For his career, he has 13 interceptions, which ranks second among active leaders in the FBS and ranks fourth all-time in program history.

In addition, the Ragin' Cajuns' Zi'Yon Hill-Green has a knack for getting to the quarterback. A fifth-year senior from New Iberia, La., Hill-Green has 21 career sacks, which is tied for the most in program history and 18th among active leaders in the NCAA. For his efforts this season he was named to the all-Sun Belt first team.

How to make Houston vs. Louisiana picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 62 points. It also has an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's Independence Bowl pick at SportsLine.

So who wins the Independence Bowl 2022 between Houston vs. Louisiana? And which side of the spread is covering well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Louisiana vs. Houston spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $2,500 the last six-plus years, and find out.