Live Betting
You can bet all of the action before it begins at our sportsbook and in this game you can also bet on it while it is in progress. Before the other bigger bowl games get started you can already be in action with live football betting. For the latest schedule of live games available at our sportsbook be sure and check out the BetDSI Blog.
Houston -6.5, total 56.5
The Cougars and their high-powered offense are favored by about a touchdown against Penn State. The Nittany Lions really aren’t good enough to be playing in a big bowl game and but because of their marquee name they were chosen for the TicketCity Bowl. "I can honestly say that we didn't even think about (the scandal)," TicketCity Bowl president Tom Starr said. "We just looked at all the positive sides - a great school, great legacy, players that deserve the reward."
Houston’s Motivation
Houston would have been playing in a BCS bowl game but they lost the Conference USA title game against Southern Mississippi. The Cougars played poorly for the first time all season and were blown out 49-28 by the Golden Eagles. “It was in our grasp," said quarterback Case Keenum, "and we let it slip away." Keenum and the Cougars will look to bounce back against a Penn State defense that was fifth in the country against the pass this season. Not only will Houston have to overcome a letdown and a tough Penn State defense, they will have to win without head coach Kevin Sumlin who was hired to be Texas A&M’s new head coach. Sumlin will not be coaching the Cougars in the bowl game as that job now falls to interim head coach Tony Levine.
You would like to make a case for taking Penn State in TicketCity Bowl odds but their quarterback Matt McGloin got into a fight recently with wide receiver Curtis Drake and backup Rob Bolden also got into trouble. Penn State is just a mess all the way around so maybe you just hope Keenum has a big day and Houston rolls.
Game Trends
The Nittany Lions are 3-10-1 against the college football odds in their last 14 games overall. The Nittany Lions are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog. The Cougars are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite. Looking at the total, the Under is 9-2-1 in the Nittany Lions last 12 games overall. The Over is 22-10 in the Cougars last 32 games overall.
