Independence Bowl – UAB vs. BYU Spread, Line, Odds, Predictions, Picks, and Betting Preview

The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl kicks off Saturday, December 18, between the UAB Blazers (8-4) and the BYU Cougars (10-2).

UAB represents the Conference USA. They're a well-coached and consistent team under head coach Bill Clark, who has amassed a 68-42 record since the program reboot in 2017. They play hard-nosed, trench-oriented football led by a perennially stingy defense. While that style of play has them competing for the C-USA championship more often than not, it may not work out so well against a school like BYU.

The Cougars go bowling seemingly every single year and have flown under the radar as one of the best teams in the country in 2021. BYU sits at 10-2, including a perfect 5-0 record against the PAC-12. They, too, operate a physical brand of football in the trenches, where they should have the advantage over this C-USA opponent.

One huge advantage for BYU will be at the quarterback. Jaren Hall stepped into Zach Wilson's vacant starting quarterback position and fared well. Overall, the team passed for 269.8 yards per game while Hall averaged a robust 8.7 yards per attempt.

The motivation angle could go against BYU. The Cougars were right in the mix of a New Year's Six bowl game but narrowly missed the cut when the final College Football Playoff rankings were announced. That's a letdown. It's fair to question what their motivation will be in Shreveport, Louisiana, to play a UAB team in its own backyard. Lastly, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake's name is floating around the rumor mill as a candidate for the Oregon job.

BYU appears to be the much better football team and should match up well with the Blazers, but there are enough questions to keep us away from an early bet recommendation on the Cougars.