With so many new bowl games over the years, the Holiday Bowl has been in place since 1978. Winners and Whiners has information that can help you pad your bankroll in a post Christmas spending bounce back, with the best NCAAF betting promos available.
Holiday Bowl: Louisville vs USC
The DirectTV Holiday Bowl is hard to predict with a #15 Louisville squad (10-3) reeling from late-season stumbles colliding with a once-promising USC team (7-5) also on a downward spiral. Both lost key players to the NFL Draft and transfers, forcing lineup overhauls and injecting uncertainty into the matchup. Stay locked in to Winners and Whiners for the best Holiday Bowl betting promos, expert, and free picks.
With both teams forced to rebuild on the fly, the Holiday Bowl becomes a showcase for hidden talents and new team identities. Who adjusts best and overcomes their player losses? That’s the question Petco Park will answer on Wednesday night.
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Louisville Looking to Bounce Back
Louisville started the season 6-0, which included a win over Notre Dame. The Cardinals come into the Holiday Bowl as seven-point favorites after losing their last two games, including a heartbreaker to Kentucky and a deflating ACC Championship defeat to Florida State, despite the Noles missing their top two quarterbacks.
The opt-out list includes running back Jawhar Jordan and wide receiver Jamari Thras, putting extra pressure on quarterback Jack Plummer and a revamped receiving corps.
Defensively, opt-outs like safety Josh Minkins leave gaps to fill, but linebacker TJ Quinn and defensive end Ashton Gillotte anchor a unit that was 76th in the nation in takeaways.
No Caleb Williams for USC
USC started hot but fizzled out, dropping five of their last six. Star QB Caleb Williams and RB MarShawn Lloyd are gone, along with key receivers. QB Miller Moss and RB Austin Jones take the reins, while Tahj Washington and Zachariah Branch step up on offense.
Defensively, the loss of cornerback Domani Jackson and linebacker Tackett Curtis stings. The Trojans have some potential on defense, but overall had a terrible season ranking 100th in yards per play allowed.
Free USC vs Louisville Holiday Bowl Pick
USC only went 7-5 when they were at full strength with a future NFL player at quarterback, they will not fare much better without a handful of their top players. Aside from Williams’ departure, their top running back, their receiver with the most touchdowns, and a starting cornerback will miss this game as well. They are also missing extra pieces on defense that will affect their depth. Louisville has the majority of their top players playing here, including their starting quarterback in Plummer. He threw for over 3,000 yards this season, and USC had a weak pass defense giving up an average of 255 yards through the air this season. USC was terrible against the spread this season, their 3-9 ATS record only beat out Vanderbilt’s 2-10 ATS to avoid being the worst in the nation. USC has only covered once since September 23rd, and that was in a game where they still lost big to Oregon. Louisville did not lose much on defense to the transfer portal, they will not let the backups at USC torch them. Louisville has their quarterback, most of their defense, and enough remaining skill players to control this game from beginning to end.
Prediction: Louisville -7
Looking for more Bowl Picks?
Breaking down the bowl games can be overwhelming. If you are looking for tips in stacking some extra cash for the holidays, check out the free picks on our site. If you are looking for even more, check out our expert handicappers.
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