Birmingham Bowl Betting Prediction
Auburn is a slight favorite over Houston in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl at 12:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Will the Tigers cover as a 2-point favorite or is there a better play on the board?
Game Snapshot
237 Houston Cougars (+2) vs. 238 Auburn Tigers (-2); o/u 51
12:00 p.m. ET, Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
TV: ESPN
Houston Cougars Game Notes
Houston redshirt junior QB Clayton Tune completed 17-of-26 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, and also rushed 15 times for 75 yards in Houston’s 35-20 loss to Cincinnati. Tune (6’3″/215) was awesome in the first half, completing passes with ease and also escaping pressure and scrambling for big gains over and over. That was especially important with Cincy’s swarming defense destroying Houston’s offensive line. Tune fired passes all over the field in the first half, gunning it to sidelines, throwing on the run and firing in between Cincy defenders down the middle. Tune’s first touchdown was a bullet to Nathaniel Dell, putting it in the best spot for Dell to catch it while falling. The second half however, was completely different. Cincy’s defense became too much to handle, and Tune didn’t have the same success evading pressure. All told, Tune was sacked eight times. Tune also threw his pick in the second half, which was just an unbelievable play by Bearcat linebacker Joel Dublanko. He hid amongst the defensive line, reading Tune and then somehow jumping with little to no time to react and snagging Tune’s pass out of the air. Cincy’s defense was simply too much, and with Houston entering the 4th quarter down 22 points Cincy could just pin their ears back and run after the QB. Tune did manage to pull one back in the fourth, delivering on a short slant to Jake Herslow. It was too little too late, and Tune’s last play was indicative of the whole second half, with Tune getting crushed between two Cincinnati defenders and getting sacked on 4th and 6.
Auburn Tigers Game Notes
Auburn redshirt sophomore QB T.J. Finley (ankle) believes he will be close to 100% when his team faces Houston on December 28th in the Birmingham Bowl. Finley (6’6/242) battled through an ankle injury in the Iron Bowl game against Alabama on November 27th, throwing for 137 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the 24-22 loss. Finley indicated on Friday that he is working in all individual and team drills at practice, and that he believes he will be close to 100% come the bowl game. This season, Finley has thrown for 600 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.
Houston vs. Auburn Betting Prediction
The Cougars are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven bowl games as an underdog, are 1-5 against the number in their last six games overall as an underdog and are 0-4 at the betting window in their last four bowl games overall. On the other side, the Tigers are 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games in December and have covered in seven of their last 10 games as a favorite.
BIRMINGHAM BOWL BETTING PREDICTION: AUBURN TIGERS -2