This is a 10* BOWL WINNER on Houston.

I've been on several different handicapping shows this week, giving out Houston as a play, and I'm now making it official and going to make this a client pick as well.

Both teams definitely underwhelmed this year. Louisiana Lafayette finished 6-6, and Houston was 7-5 (after finishing 12-2 the year before.)

Houston is playing its third straight bowl game, and it's looking for a second straight victory after narrowly beating Auburn 17-13 in the Birmingham Bowl last year. The offense finished averaging 37.2 points per game (which ranked 14th), and the defense was pretty good too, allowing 6.5 yards per play versus FBS opponents in 2022, which ranked 16th overall.

So despite putting up decent numbers, the Cougars definitely underwhelmed overall after last season's great campaign.

Louisiana is 7-2 in its last nine bowl games. Last year the Cajuns beat Marshall 36-21 in the New Orleans Bowl.

But Louisiana was expected to take a major step back this year with the departure of its head coach and record-setting quarterback.

Louisiana actually does have the better overall defense statistically this year, but Houston's offense is just too good in my opinion..

These bowl games are definitely difficult. There's so many transfers, coaching changes and players sitting out for various reasons.

Sometimes I completely dissect a game, looking at individual player talent, trying to uncover any edge I can find, but other times I do keep it really simple. And that's the case here.

Ultimately I think that Houston's offense is just too good here, and it's defense isn't that far behind Louisiana's.

Lay the points, the play is HOUSTON.

Good luck, NP