The college football bowl season continues with an exciting lineup on Tuesday, featuring three games, including the highly anticipated matchup between No. 16 USC and TCU at 9 p.m. ET. USC, which fell short of a College Football Playoff spot, will face a home-state challenge against TCU, especially with several key players opting out of the Alamo Bowl. The Trojans are entering the game as 6.5-point favorites, with an over/under of 55.5 points.
SportsLine’s computer model is forecasting a thrilling outcome with the Over in play for the USC vs. TCU game. Additionally, it has made bold predictions for two other bowl games on Tuesday: Coastal Carolina is expected to cover a 9.5-point spread against Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl, while Tennessee is pegged to cover a 2.5-point spread against Illinois in the Music City Bowl. This comes as the model has successfully simulated every FBS game 10,000 times and boasts a record of 31-19 on its top-rated college football money-line picks since the 2024 season.
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Looking at the individual matchups:
Coastal Carolina has made bowl appearances for six consecutive years, though the team faces challenges following the recent firing of head coach Tim Beck. Interim coach Jeremiah Johnson, previously a defensive coordinator for Louisiana Tech, might bring valuable insight to the game. Coastal Carolina did endure a three-game losing streak, but one of those defeats was against College Football Playoff contender James Madison. The model predicts a closer contest than anticipated for Coastal Carolina, with a 66% success rate in simulations covering the spread.
In the Tennessee vs. Illinois game, quarterback Joey Aguilar, who led the SEC with 3,444 passing yards and accounted for 27 total touchdowns, is set to play his final game for the Volunteers. The team may miss receiver Chris Brazzell II due to an opt-out, while Illinois will also be without key player J.C. Davis, who has declared for the NFL Draft. The model shows strong confidence in Tennessee’s ability to secure a double-digit victory in front of its home crowd, projecting the Vols to win in 71% of simulations.
For the USC vs. TCU matchup, the Trojans will be without star receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, who opted out for the NFL Draft. However, quarterback Jayden Maiava remains a formidable force, having amassed 3,431 yards and 23 touchdowns this season. With TCU scoring heavily in recent games and not facing significant player opt-outs, the computer model anticipates a high-scoring affair, projecting 64 total points and hitting the Over in 64% of simulations.
As the bowl season progresses, these matchups promise thrilling action and strategic gameplay, making it an exhilarating time for college football fans.