Bragging rights are on the line in the 2024 New Mexico Bowl on Saturday as a Group of Five team will match up with a Power Four program. The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns of the Sun Belt Conference will take on the TCU Horned Frogs of the Big 12, in the first-ever meeting between the schools. Louisiana is 10-3 and won the Sun Belt West Division before losing in the conference championship game. Meanwhile, TCU finished sixth in the Big 12 standings but has won its last three games. The New Mexico Bowl 2024 marks the first appearance for either a Sun Belt or Big 12 team in this bowl game. TCU will be missing its top two receivers with Jack Bech (62 catches) and Savion Williams (60 catches) out with injuries.
Kickoff is at for 2:15 p.m. ET at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. The Horned Frogs are favored by 10 points in the latest Louisiana vs. TCU odds, while the over/under is 59.5 points per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any TCU vs. Louisiana picks, you’ll want to see the college football predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it went a profitable 43-35 on all top-rated picks this season while also nailing all four first-round College Football Playoff winners. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns.
The model has set its sights on Louisiana vs. TCU. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for TCU vs. Louisiana:
- Louisiana vs. TCU spread: TCU -10
- Louisiana vs. TCU over/under: 59.5 points
- Louisiana vs. TCU money line: TCU -365, Louisiana +288
- Louisiana vs. TCU picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Louisiana vs. TCU streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why TCU can cover
TCU brings an impressive bowl history into Saturday’s contest as the Horned Frogs are 11-4 in bowl games over the last 20 years. In 2024, they’ve won their last three games, also covering in each of those, with the offense being the strength of the team. TCU ranks among the top 25 in the nation in total offense, passing offense, yards per play and third down conversion percentage. The school also has one of the most productive players in the nation in Josh Hoover, who is one of seven FBS quarterbacks averaging over 300 passing yards per game.
He should be able to take advantage of a Ragin’ Cajuns defense that struggles both through the air and on the ground. Louisiana ranks 93rd (out of 134 FBS teams) in completion percentage allowed, and it also happens to rank 93rd in yards per rush allowed. Also, it’s hard to ignore the 31-3 blowout loss at the hands of Marshall that Louisiana suffered in its last game, which is the most lopsided loss in Sun Belt Championship history. See which team to pick here.
Why Louisiana can cover
Louisiana has a big-play offense that averages 6.5 yards per play, good enough for 11th-best in the nation. It is also extremely efficient where it matters the most as just three teams in all of college football have a higher redzone scoring percentage. Head coach Michael Desormeaux also emphasizes protecting the ball, and that’s apparent as the Ragin’ Cajuns have more games without a giveaway (seven) than games with a turnover (six). That has enabled the team to rank in the top 10 of FBS in turnover margin per game.
Even though Louisiana is coming off that defeat to Marshall, the team is 7-1 against the spread following a loss over the last two seasons. TCU is just 2-5 ATS following a win in 2024, while Louisiana is also 5-1 ATS away from home this season. The Ragin’ Cajuns also have an undervalued component in college football by having a near-automatic kicker. Kenneth Almendares, a seventh-year senior, is a First-Team All-American and the Lou Groza award winner for being the nation’s best kicker, as leads the nation in both made field goals (25) and FG percentage (93.1%, min. 20 attempts). See which team to pick here.
How to make TCU vs. Louisiana picks
The model has simulated Louisiana vs. TCU 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins TCU vs. Louisiana in the 2024 New Mexico Bowl, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Louisiana vs. TCU spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out.
