Despite being in neighboring states, TCU hasn’t faced Louisiana on the gridiron before. Don’t call them “ULL” or “Louisiana-Lafayette.” Indeed, that moniker was dumped very publicly a few years back. Now, Louisiana went 10-3 and finished as Sun Belt Conference runners-up. Despite a lame-duck head coach, Marshall upended them, 31-3, in the title game played in Lafayette. This year marks the seventh straight bowl game from a College Football Betting program that recently has been excellent. Head coach Michael Desormeaux took over the program after Billy Napier left for Florida and accrued a 23-17 record over three years.
New Mexico Bowl Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs. TCU Horned Frogs
| Date and Time: | Saturday, December 28, 2024, 2:15 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UL Lafayette | +13 -110 | 57½ -113 | +375 |  |
| TCU | -13 -110 | 57½ -107 | -475 | |
| ||||
New Mexico Bowl Overview
Founded in 2006, the New Mexico Bowl is played at the University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, home of the New Mexico Lobos. Now, the conference tie-ins are the Mountain West Conference and CUSA.
In 2023, The Fresno State Bulldogs marched to their third consecutive bowl victory. This time, it was under the direction of interim head coach Tim Skipper. Correlate that Fresno State dispatched the New Mexico State Aggies 37-10 in Albuquerque. Quarterback Mikey Keene was named the player of the game with 31 completions on 39 attempts for 380 passing yards. Also, Keene threw three touchdowns with one interception.
Evidenced by Keene’s numbers, the Fresno State offense had little issue moving the ball on. Keene had five different receivers, averaging more than ten yards per catch. In addition to the success in the passing game as well as the run game was junior running back Malik Sherrod. Overall, Sherrod finished with 20 carries for 90 rushing yards, as well as eight catches for 81 yards.
As a team, Fresno State totaled 491 offensive yards, more than doubling New Mexico State’s production. Also, the Bulldogs had 22 first downs compared to 13 by NMSU.
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns Team Overview
Last game, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns lost 31-3 against the Marshall Thundering Herd as 5-point home favorites. The game went under the online betting total of 58. Louisiana has a record of 10-3 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 6-6 over/under the total. Louisiana ranks 31st for total offense, 35th for passing, 57th for rushing, and 31st for scoring. Defensively, they rank 47th overall, 29th against the pass, 82nd against the rush, and 55th for points allowed. Also, Louisiana ranks 14th for fewest turnovers lost and 17th for takeaways.
TCU Horned Frogs Team Overview
Last game, the TCU Horned Frogs won 20-13 against the Cincinnati Bearcats as 2.5-point road favorites. The game went under the College Football Betting total of 58. TCU has a record of 8-4 straight up, 5-7 against the spread, and 7-5 over/under the total. TCU ranks 30th for total offense, 7th for passing, 114th for rushing, and 28th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 56th overall, 32nd against the pass, 90th against the rush, and 81st for points allowed. Also, TCU ranks 113th for fewest turnovers lost and 103rd for takeaways.
New Mexico Bowl SBG Free Picks
This year may have saved Desormeaux from finding a new position. Consider that he led Louisiana to consecutive 6-7 seasons. He was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year. In this situation, TCU finished strong and has a better roster with more depth and playmakers.
New Mexico Bowl SBG Best Bet: TCU Horned Frogs.