Louisiana Tech vs Army Odds & Picks: Army Will Grind Out Another Win In Independence Bowl

Goodbye Marshall, hello Louisiana Tech. The Dec. 28 Independence Bowl had to call an audible after the Thundering Herd bowed out, so the Shreveport, La., game tabbed the 5-7 Bulldogs from nearby Ruston to face Army. The new guys now get to take on a service academy running an option offense on two weeks’ notice—no wonder the Black Knights are favored by 15.5 points.

Marshall’s decision not to extend the contract of coach Charles Huff—who left for a lesser job at Southern Miss—prompted much of the team’s roster to enter the transfer portal, forcing the Sun Belt champs to withdraw from the bowl game due to a lack of available players. Louisiana Tech now faces an 11-2 Army team that leads the nation in rushing offense at nearly 300 yards per game.

Louisiana Tech vs Army Odds

Matchup Page: Louisiana Tech vs Army, December 28, 9:15 pm ET

Odds as of December 16

Louisiana Tech vs Army Picks—Independence Bowl

Army has been one of the biggest stories of this season, plowing through its schedule with the exception of a 49-14 blowout loss to playoff-bound Notre Dame and a rather surprising 31-13 loss to 6-point underdog Navy. The Black Knights covered in six straight games to open the year, but since then have beaten the spread just twice—including in a 35-14 rout of 5-point underdog Tulane in the AAC championship.

Louisiana Tech started the season 1-3 outright before splitting its last eight games. The Bulldogs covered in five straight to end the regular season, four of those as double-digit underdogs. There were no other remaining bowl-eligible teams, so the Bulldogs got the call as the 5-7 squad with the best academic progress rate. The Bulldogs average 22.2 points per game, 113th in the nation.

No question, seeing Army get whipped by archival Navy was a head-scratcher. But the Midshipmen are a 9-win team with a very efficient offense—and the same cannot be said for Louisiana Tech. While Army has failed to cover its last two games as a double-digit favorite, the Black Knights remain the only play against a Louisiana Tech squad that beat just one FCS team that finished with a winning record.

Louisiana Tech vs Army Independence Bowl Pick: Army -15.5

Army grinds out yardage and victories behind a squad that’s gone UNDER in four of its last eight games. Louisiana Tech is one of the lowest-scoring teams in America, having gone UNDER in six of its last 10. We’ll take those trends in the Independence Bowl.

Louisiana Tech vs Army Independence Bowl Pick: UNDER 43.5

Louisiana Tech vs Army News

The Black Knights are relatively injury-free with the exception of a knee issue suffered by kickoff specialist Anderson Britton, who was hurt against Notre Dame and hasn’t played since. Louisiana Tech has had eight players enter the transfer portal since the end of the regular season, according to On3, most notably linebacker Mekhi Mason, who made 13 solo tackles in 12 games.

Louisiana Tech vs Army Prop Bet: Bryson Daily Anytime TD

The Black Knights quarterback ended the regular season with 29 rushing touchdowns, tied for the national lead with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up. Daily ran for multiple TDs in 10 of 12 games, posting five scores against East Carolina and four each against UAB and Tulane. While he has plenty of help in tailback Kanya Udoh, it’s Daily who makes that Army option go.

Louisiana Tech vs Army Betting Trends