Previously known as the Papa John’s Bowl, the Birmingham Bowl has been the College Football Betting title sponsor. The Duke Blue Devils will face the Sun Belt Conference champion Troy Trojans. Duke will be without head coach Mike Elko. Cause by Elko taking 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. Also, they boast wide receivers Jalon Calhoun and Jordan Moore. Calhoun and Moore combined for 3,131 yards of total offense and 30 touchdowns.
Birmingham Bowl Troy Trojans vs. Duke Blue Devils Info
| Date and Time: | Saturday, December 23, 2023, 12 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | rotective Stadium, Birmingham, AL. |
| TV Coverage: | ABC |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | +7 -110 | 44 -110 | +225 |  |
| Troy | -7 -110 | 44 -110 | -275 | |
| ||||
Birmingham Bowl Format
The Birmingham Bowl debuted in 2006. Specifically, the sports betting matchup has conference tie-ins with the AAC, SEC, CUSA, and MAC. 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. In sum, the payout for this bowl game is $1.3 million.
Birmingham Bowl Recent Results
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.
Birmingham Bowl Past Winners
USF is the only multiple-game winner. And then 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.
Overall, 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.
Birmingham Bowl Matchup
Last game, the Duke Blue Devils won 30-19 against the Pitt Panthers as 6-point home favorites. The game went over the College Football Betting 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.