Cotton Bowl 2022 Betting Guide

As one of six major college football bowl games, the Cotton Bowl always features an interesting matchup. This year will be no different with No. 14 Tulane (11-2) vs. No. 8 USC (11-2). The following Cotton Bowl 2022 betting guide discusses these teams in depth and their chances of winning. It also provides tips on placing Cotton Bowl moneyline, spread, and totals bets.

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Goodyear Cotton Bowl 2022 Teams and News

Sponsored by Goodyear, the Cotton Bowl kicks off at 1:00 pm on January 2, 2023. You might be interested in placing Cotton Bowl wagers at the best sports betting sites before 1 pm. Further details on this primetime college football bowl game are available below.

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Betting on Tulane at the NCAA Cotton Bowl

Tulane is far from an elite football school, which showed last year during a dismal 2-10 campaign. Coach Willie Fritz engineered the nation’s biggest turnaround, though, in guiding the Green Wave to an 11-2 record. Tulane capped off its strong season with an 8-1 AAC mark and conference championship win over Central Florida. The latter victory avenged an earlier loss to the Golden Knights.

This team beat the likes of Kansas State and Cincinnati through a strong running game. It averages 200.3 rushing yards (22nd nationally) on 5 yards per carry. Tyjae Spears leads the charge with 1,373 ground yards and 15 touchdowns on 6.5 yards per carry. Quarterback Michael Pratt has added 395 yards and 10 TDs to the team’s rushing totals.

Pratt is also proficient at throwing the ball, tallying 2,776 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He doesn’t rack up huge passing totals, but he’s a dangerous dual threat.

The Green Wave are a mixed bag defensively. They only allow 22.2 points per game (29th nationally), but they’re subpar against the run. Tulane gives up 161.7 rushing yards, which ranks 75th in the nation.

Betting on USC at the Cotton Bowl

USC played some of its worst football in school history last year, stumbling to a 4-8 record. Lincoln Riley fixed this during his first year in LA, guiding the Trojans to an 11-2 mark. His turnaround at USC bears similarities to what Fritz and Tulane have done. USC was on the path towards a College Football Playoff (CFP) berth. However, it lost to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship and just missed out.

QB Caleb Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma, is a major reason for the Trojans’ success. The junior has thrown for 4,075 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He’s also gained 372 yards and scored 10 TDs on the ground.

Williams has powered USC to 41.1 points per game (4th nationally). He is, however, questionable for the Cotton Bowl after hurting his hamstring against Utah. Williams remains optimistic that he’ll be ready to suit up come January 2nd. If he can’t, though, WR Jordan Addison (875 receiving yards) and RB Travis Dye (884 rushing yards) must step up. They’re the team’s next-biggest weapons besides their famed teammate.

USC will really be praying for Williams’ health because it doesn’t stop anybody on defense. The Trojans are surrendering 27.9 points (67th nationally) and 266.5 passing yards (105th).

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Who won the Cotton Bowl in the Past

Last year’s Cotton Bowl was a playoff game that saw Alabama trounce Cincinnati 27-6. This season’s edition has gone back to being a regular New Year’s 6 bowl. Both Cotton Bowl 2022 teams have little or no experience (in Tulane’s case) in this game. However, USC does own a 1995 Cotton Bowl victory.

Best Cotton Bowl Odds Available

Many of the best sports betting apps are offering 2022 Cotton Bowl odds. The following table—although highly subject to change—will help you find the best Tulane vs. USC odds.
 

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Cotton Bowl Betting Line Tips

Looking for a few tips on betting the USC vs. Tulane matchup? We’ve provided some Cotton Bowl predictions for moneyline, totals, and spread bets below. You can combine these tips with the best sports betting promos to further your potential winnings.

Cotton Bowl Predictions: Moneyline Betting Pick (USC -135)

The Trojans are a slim favorite at sportsbooks with a -135 moneyline average. We see USC as having the upperhand here, though, thanks to its tough schedule and overall talent. It has beat No. 17 Oregon State, No. 18 UCLA, and No. 19 Notre Dame. Tulane has an impressive victory over No. 11 Kansas State, but it hasn’t beaten any other top-25 teams.

Cotton Bowl Projections: Point Spread Betting Pick (USC -2.5)

We like USC to win this game and cover—especially on a -2.5 spread. Its record against the spread (ATS) isn’t great at 7-6, but it has gone 3-1 ATS down the stretch. Normally, we’d choose Tulane here due to its nation-leading 11-2 ATS record. But again, we’re going with USC because they only have to win by a field goal to cover.

Cotton Bowl Over/Under Betting Pick (Over 61.5)

The Trojans and Green Wave have 10-3 and 7-6 records, respectively, favoring the over. More importantly, they have 7-0 and 6-1 records favoring the over within the past seven games. USC provides a cherry on top for this pick with its lofty 41.1 points.