UTSA vs Troy Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for 2022 Cure Bowl (Roadrunners' Defensive Struggles Play a Big Role)

UTSA vs Troy Cure Bowl Game Info

2022 College Football Game - Cure Bowl
No. 25 UTSA Roadrunners (11-2) vs. No. 24 Troy Trojans (11-2)
Date: Friday, Dec. 16, 2022
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Exploria Stadium — Orlando, FL
Coverage: ESPN

With the 2022-23 college football regular season in the rearview mirror, bowl games are right around the corner. The Cure Bowl is set for kickoff on Friday, Dec. 16, and pits the No. 25 UTSA Roadrunners against the No. 24 Troy Trojans. This will be each team's first-ever appearance at the Cure Bowl.

UTSA finished the season with an 11-2 record and won the Conference USA Championship thanks to a big performance from quarterback Frank Harris (341 passing yards, 4 touchdowns). Meanwhile, Troy posted an 11-2 record and won the Sun Belt Championship behind the efforts of running back DK Billingsley (3 rushing touchdowns).

UTSA vs Troy Odds & Spread

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: UTSA: (-126) | TROY: (+105)
Spread: UTSA: -1.5 (-115) | TROY: +1.5 (-105)
Total: 55.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

UTSA enters this contest as a slight favorite on the moneyline and spread. This clash also features a total of 55.5 points, which ranks as one of the highest among the college football bowl game slate.

UTSA vs Troy Prediction & Pick

UTSA will be looking to cap off an exciting season with its first bowl game victory in program history. Harris has been carrying this team on his back all year long as he ranks sixth in the nation in passing yards (3,865) and tied for ninth in passing touchdowns (31). His rapid development has been insane.

On the other side, Troy is 5-3 all-time across eight bowl game appearances. The Trojans captured its first Sun Belt title since 2017 by relying on a defense that only allows 322.3 yards (No. 16 in FBS) and 17.6 points (No. 6 in FBS) per game. They also average 1.6 takeaways per game (T-No. 40 in FBS).

This is a classic matchup between a stellar offense and a dominant defense. Both teams are riding 10-game winning streaks as well. I'll ultimately give the edge to Troy here. The Trojans are 8-3 straight up in their last 11 games against a Conference USA opponent and will be playing closer to home.

Final Score Prediction: UTSA: 27 | Troy: 31

UTSA vs Troy Betting Trends

- UTSA is 10-3 against the spread (ATS) this season.
- The total has hit the under in seven of UTSA's 13 games this season.
- Troy is 7-6 ATS this season.
- The total has hit the over in eight of Troy's 13 games this season.

UTSA vs Troy Best Bet

Troy's defense has shown time and time again that it can shut down any opposing offense. The same thing cannot be said about UTSA, though. The Roadrunners have been torched through the air, giving up 255.5 passing yards per game (No. 98 in FBS) and 12.6 yards per completion (No. 97 in FBS).

Quarterback Gunnar Watson has be licking his fingers coming off a 318-yard, 3-touchdown outing in the Sun Belt Championship. Troy is a ridiculous 5-0 against the spread (ATS) in its last five games as an underdog and 5-1 ATS in its last six games overall. Back the Trojans to squeak out a Cure Bowl win.

Bet: Troy Trojans ML (+100)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.