Three Big 12 Prop Bets to Watch in the Independence Bowl, Texas Tech vs. Cal
There are two things in life that everyone loves, watching college football and making money. In today’s story, I’m going to try to help you accomplish both.
As the Texas Tech Red Raiders get set to take on the Cal Bears in the 2023 Independence Bowl, we here at Heartland College Sports want to provide you with three prop bets to keep your eyes on as well as a superstar staff parlay.
TAHJ BROOKS 2+ TDS
While fans could be quick to assume that Cal struggles to defend the run, the Bears are actually one of the better defenses that Tech has faced on the ground. Cal is giving up 133.6 yards per game which ranks seventh in the Pac-12, but if you compare those numbers to the Big 12 Conference, the Bears would rank third in yards allowed on the ground behind only Texas (80.8) and Iowa State (131.6).
So with that being said, I won’t rush to take the over on Tahj Brooks‘ rushing yards listed at 123.5. However, the Bears have not been good at keeping teams out of the end zone this season. Cal has given up 32.7 points per game, which ranks ninth in the league. While the Big 12 is known for scoring points, Cal’s defensive numbers would put them in 13th place in the conference ahead of only Baylor (33.3).
Tahj Brooks is a dynamic player and I expect him to get on the board multiple times in this game. While he could steal his first receiving touchdown of the year on a check-down or screen pass, I trust the senior running back to put on a show.
BEHREN MORTON OVER 228.5
Sometimes statistics lie, but that is not the case with this bet. Cal has been awful at defending the pass this year surrendering 283.3 yards per contest. For some additional context, that ranks second to last in the Pac-12 Conference and if they were to play in the Big 12, it would put them comfortably in dead last.
Behren Morton has been really good as of late and helped lead the Red Raiders to a 3-1 record down the stretch against TCU, No. 16 Kansas, UCF, and No. 7 Texas. Through Morton’s last four games, the over is 2-2, which may not sound convincing, but when you consider the fact that the Red Raiders’ win against Kansas was a 16-13 field goal contest and the final game against Texas was a 57-7 blowout, I think the numbers are a bit skewed.
Cal’s defense is worse than Kansas and Texas by a considerable amount and with Morton having a solid match up against a weak pass defense, Morton cruises past 228.5 through the air.
COY EAKIN OVER 53.5
This bet is pretty self-explanatory, someone has to make plays in the passing game. The talented freshman Eakin is going to be a significantly bigger part of the game plan following the departures of both Myles Price and Jerand Bradley. Eakin stood out through the final four weeks of the season despite being the young playmaker in a crowded room, bringing in 19 catches for 138 yards.
With the team losing its second and third leading receivers to the transfer portal, Eakin instantly gets a bigger percentage of the target share and should have the ability to stand out alongside Xavier White. Eakin finished off the 2023 season with the fourth-most receiving yards for Tech, and with two of the three players listed ahead of him on the depth chart exiting for different opportunities, the freshman wideout should show up against Cal.
SUPERSTAR STAFF PARLAY +390 ODDS
- Tahj Brooks Anytime TD
- Behren Morton Alternate Passing Yards 225+
- Fernando Mendoza Over 0.5 Interceptions Thrown
- Texas Tech Over 30.5 Total Points
The bets outlined in the HCS Superstar Staff Parlay all coincide with Joey McGuire’s squad taking care of business against Cal in the 2023 Independence Bowl. While nothing is ever set in stone in the world of sports betting, I feel pretty good about each bet outlined in this article. Have fun, bet smart, enjoy the game, and let’s go make some money!
