Upcoming Match-ups

Louisiana vs UTSA Picks and Odds – First Responder Bowl

Ryan Bolta

by Ryan Bolta in College Football

Updated Dec 24, 2020 · 6:00 AM PST

Levi Lewis
Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Levi Lewis (1) throws during an NCAA football game against Arkansas State on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020 in Lafayette, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
  • #19 Louisiana (9-1) and UTSA (7-4) face off in the First Responder Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 26th
  • UTSA RB Sincere McCormick set school records with 1,345 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns
  • See the game odds, spread, and total along with a prediction below

The #19 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners – two of the best names in college football meet in the First Responder Bowl on Saturday in Dallas, Texas.

Both teams are riding winning streaks entering what should be a competitive battle.

Louisiana are 14-point favorites for good reason. That said, it’s not the spread that you should be focusing on. Let’s take a deep dive into both programs to see where the value sits with the total.

First Responder Bowl Louisiana vs UTSA Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
#19 Louisiana -14 (-113) -625 O 57.5 (-109)
UTSA +14 (-108) +400 U 57.5 (-112)

Odds taken Dec. 23rd from DraftKings

UL QB Levi Lewis Came Up Clutch This Year

The Ragin’ Cajuns were led by senior quarterback Levi Lewis this year. He helped Louisiana to a 9-1 record thanks to four game winning 4th quarter drives.

Lewis finished the year with 2,128 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While he wouldn’t be considered a true dual-threat quarterback, Lewis is still capable of running the ball. He finished 2020 with 310 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Those numbers all sound great, so why the hesitation in taking the Ragin’ Cajuns to cover the number? Four late comeback victories is a big number considering the competition in the Sun Belt. This game could be closer than the line suggests with Louisiana’s habit of letting lesser competition hang around.

Sincere McCormick an Elite Force for UTSA

The two team names are great in this game, and no player in college football sounds cooler than Sincere McCormick. Thankfully for the Roadrunners, he’s much more than a catchy name. Their star running back finished second in college football with a school-record 1,345 rushing yards.

He also set the school record with 11 touchdowns in only 11 games. His ability to rack up yards and control the clock will be a major factor in the First Responder bowl.

The Roadrunners are in familiar territory as the underdogs and they tend to perform well in that scenario.

They are 4-0 against the spread as double-digit underdogs this season and 9-3 in their last 12 games as underdogs. The number that really sticks out however is their current run of hitting the under. Betting the under with UTSA on the field is 7-1 in the last eight games.

Stats Suggest Betting the Under Presents Best Value

Louisiana only allows 21.8 points per game, which ranks 28th in the country. They also have a habit of requiring late game come backs to finish off opponents. Traditionally, teams aren’t in the hurry up offense late in the 4th quarter when trying to drive for a victory.

UTSA isn’t much worse on defense, allowing 25.2 points per game and they boast one of the best running backs in the country. A solid defensive unit and a clock bleeding running back that can drag out possessions?

Sounds like a recipe that would lead to the under hitting. It may not be a sexy pick but it should be a profitable one, take the under and don’t think twice.

The Pick: Under 57.5 (-112)

Author Image