Redneck High

Not only am I betting on tonight's New Orleans Bowl, but I'm actually really interested in the game. The Rice Owls were for so long the funny little brother of the old Southwest Conference. They tried real hard and made you laugh (if you don't think their band is funny, you've got a poor sense of humor, friend), but never won. They've played in other conferences — first the WAC, now Conference-USA — since the breakup of the SWC following the 1995 season, but they still hold something of a soft spot in the hearts of Texas Longhorns fans.

The Owls have put together a solid 7-5 season this year, and to endear them more to us, their offensive coordinator is Major Applewhite, the Longhorn Legend former quarterback. Austin will be cheering for the Hooties tonight, and I think the Rice offense should be too much for a defense-poor Troy team. Here's what I'm on:

12/22 ACTION

Troy vs. Rice (-4), $57.50/$50

Lean

Troy vs. Rice (-4), Over 27.5 1H

I'm very, very tempted by the first-half Over. The only thing that's kept me from betting it is uncertainty about how Rice will start the game. The team hasn't been to a bowl game since 1961, so they might be a little too excited. By that I mean they may be trying to hard to make plays, and end up dropping passes and such.

After watching the first half, I may add another bet at intermission, if the line looks good.

An almost-welcome loss

For the first time in almost two weeks I had a losing bet last night — the Packers won, but only by 2, not the 3 I needed. The loss kind of makes me feel relieved. Now I don't have to worry about when the winning streak will end, and I can just start another hot spell.

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ADDED ACTION - 8:45pm

Troy vs. Rice, Over 27 2H, $50/$51.50

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