2023 Birmingham Bowl Betting Lines - Duke vs. Troy Odds

Birmingham Bowl Lines - Duke vs. Troy Odds

Previously known as the Papa John’s Bowl, the Birmingham Bowl has been the title sponsor since 2015. The Duke Blue Devils will face the Sun Belt Conference champion Troy Trojans. Duke will be without head coach Mike Elko, who took the HC position at Texas A&M. Instead, interim head coach Trooper Taylor will be in charge. Offensively, the Blue Devils are led by running backs Jaquez Moore and Jordan Waters and wide receivers Jalon Calhoun and Jordan Moore, who have combined for 3,131 yards of total offense and 30 touchdowns.

2023 Birmingham Bowl at a Glance

Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023

Time (ET) / TV: 12:00 PM / ABC

Venue: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama

Matchup: Duke Blue Devils vs. Troy Trojans

College Football Betting Lines

Duke Blue Devils +7

Troy Trojans -7

Total: 43.5

Money Line: Duke +218, Troy -265

Birmingham Bowl Preview

Last game, the Duke Blue Devils won 30-19 against the Pitt Panthers as 6-point home favorites. The game went over the total of 42. Duke has a record of 7-5 straight up, 6-6 against the spread, and 7-4-1 over/under the total. Duke ranks 96th for total offense, 112th for passing, 55th for rushing and 64th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 45th overall, 39th against the pass, 56th against the rush, and 22nd for points allowed. Also, Duke ranks 65th for fewest turnovers lost and 94th for takeaways.

Last game, the Troy Trojans won 49-23 against the Appalachian State Mountaineers as 5.5-point home favorites. The game went over the total of 53.5. Troy has a record of 11-2 straight up, 8-5 against the spread, and 6-7 over/under the total. Troy ranks 36th for total offense, 32nd for passing, 64th for rushing and 44th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 15th overall, 30th against the pass, 16th against the rush, and 10th for points allowed. Also, Troy ranks 129th for fewest turnovers lost and 79th for takeaways.

Birmingham Bowl Prediction

In this situation, Troy brings a strong defense and championship credentials. Duke’s coaching situation is not a positive for this game.

Birmingham Bowl Format

The Birmingham Bowl debuted in 2006, and the matchup has conference tie-ins with the AAC, SEC, CUJSA, and MAC. This game was previously called the PapaJohns.com Bowl and the BBVA Compass Bowl before dropping its sponsors in 2015. the Birmingham Bowl was played at Old Legion Field from its inception through 2020. Now, the Birmingham Bowl is held at Protective Stadium, home to the UAB Blazers football program. Protective Stadium opened in October of 2021 to rave reviews. The payout for this bowl game is $1.3 million.

Birmingham Bowl Past Results

Favorites have won three of the last four matchups in the Birmingham Bowl. The 2019 edition watched Cincinnati dominate Boston College in wire-to-wire fashion for a 38-6 victory, which was the second Birmingham bowl victory for the Bearcats.

The 2020 installment of the Birmingham Bowl was wiped out by, what else, COVID-19. The game returned on Dec. 28, 2021. The Houston Cougars of the AAC faced the Auburn Tigers of the SEC and a mostly Tigers crowd. Houston erased a three-point deficit with a late touchdown to win it 17-13. Favorites are now 7-2 ATS across the past nine versions of this game. The 'under' is also 5-1-1 across the past seven installments.

USF is the only multiple-game winner, and the Bulls matched Pitt for most appearances with their third in 2017. Pitt’s three trips have resulted in just one victory, that coming with a 27-10 win over Kentucky in the 2010 season. The Birmingham Bowl hasn’t been good for teams from the Carolinas. South Carolina and East Carolina have made it to the Birmingham Bowl twice, but both teams lost their two appearances.

The AAC has been represented in all 12 games, including teams from the former Big East Conference, which reorganized into the American for the 2013 season. The AAC/Big East is 7-6, with the SEC also owning a winning record at 4-3 on the strength of four straight wins from 2012 to 2015.

In 2022, East Carolina beat Coastal Carolina 53-29 behind MVP Holton Ahlers’ 300 yards and 5 TDs passing.

2023-24 College Football Bowl Games

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