Independence Bowl Odds
SHREVEPORT, LA (The Spread) – The North Carolina Tar Heels and Missouri Tigers look to end a tough 2011 season on a high note Monday afternoon as the two play in the Independence Bowl at 5PM ET on ESPN2.
View Current College Football Odds
Both teams come into the game at 7-5 on the season and 6-6 against the spread. Both also have split the over/under odds in 12 games. This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Trends show that the Tar Heels are just 1-6 against the spread in their last 7 games following a cover but are 19-9 ATS in their last 28 games as an underdog. Missouri is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games in December and 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games at a neutral site. North Carolina has hit the under in 5 of their last 6 non-conference games while Missouri has hit the under in 9 of their last 12 non-conference games.
Oddsmakers have made Missouri the favorite in this bowl game, as they have a point spread of -5.5 against North Carolina on Monday. The over/under odds have been set at 52.5 points. (View Matchup)
Missouri closed the season on a three-game winning streak, including a win over Texas. The Tigers have a very strong offense, as they average 32.2 points per game and rank 11th in the country in rushing with 236.3 yards per game. Henry Josey is leading the way with 1,168 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. The Missouri defense is holding opponents to just 23.5 points per game.
North Carolina is coming off a 37-21 win over Duke to close out the season, but the Tar Heels are 2-4 in their last six games. On the year, UNC is scoring 28.3 points per game while allowing 23.5 points per contest as well. The UNC offense is somewhat balanced, but the clear leader is running back Giovani Bernard, who has rushed for 1,222 yards and 13 scores.
In terms of Injuries, North Carolina tackle T.J. Leifheit (ankle) and receiver Joshua Adams (illness) are both doubtful for Monday’s game while Missouri kicker Grant Ressel is out due to a hip flexor.
Currently over 14,800 Public Bets have been placed on this game and Missouri is getting 71% of the wagers with odds of -5.5 points against North Carolina on Monday.
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!