2023 Birmingham Bowl Betting Odds, Predictions, Preview

The Birmingham Bowl wrapped up on Saturday, December 23, 2023 and bettors saw an upset as Duke knocked off Troy 17-10 as a 6.5-point underdog.

Recap all the 2023 Birmingham Bowl Betting Odds, Picks, Predictions and History below and be sure to check back for the 2024 installment.

Birmingham Bowl Betting Odds

TROY @ DUKE Odds

  • Opening point spread: Troy -5.5
  • Opening moneyline: Troy -225/Duke +185
  • Opening total: Over/Under 44.5 points scored
  • Time: Noon ET Saturday, Dec. 23 (ABC)

UPDATE 11:30 A.M. ET SATURDAY, DEC. 23: As was the case Friday at BetMGM (see below update), Troy is 7-point chalk in the college football bowl game odds market, though at -105 juice. But there's more of a lean toward the favored Trojans on the spread, at 58% of tickets/82% of money.

On the moneyline, underdog Duke is netting 70% of tickets, while money is running almost dead even.

The total remains 44.5, with not much change in action since Friday. The over is seeing 55% of tickets/61% of money.

UPDATE NOON ET FRIDAY: Duke (7-5 SU/6-6 ATS) has a lot of players on the transper-portal/opt-out/injuries list. As such, Troy (11-2 SU/8-5 ATS) opened as a 5.5-point favorite at BetMGM on Dec. 4 and within a few hours went to -6.5/-7 in the Birmingham Bowl.

The Trojans went to -7.5 on Dec. 7 and this afternoon returned to -7. Spread ticket count is almost dead even, but spread money is almost 2/1 on Troy.

BetMGM's total toggled between 44.5 and 44 a couple times between Dec. 14 and Dec. 13. It's been stuck at 44.5 since Dec. 13, with 52% of tickets on the Under/62% of money on the Over.

Click here for Vegas Insider senior reporter Patrick Everson's full College Football Bowl Odds: Spreads, Lines, Trends for Every Bowl Game.

Birmingham Bowl Pick, Prediction

Action Network college football betting expert Collin Wilson offers this prediction:

The Trojans dominated the Sun Belt this season, winning the conference championship before losing head coach Jon Sumrall to Tulane for the same position. Defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato will serve as interim for this game, as the losses on the roster to the portal are minimal.

The story is the opposite with Duke, losing nearly every key contributor on defense along with starting running back Jordan Waters. Head coach Mike Elko has also left for Texas A&M, taking two Duke assistants with him.

The Blue Devils will turn to Manny Diaz in 2024 while 31-year coaching veteran Trooper Taylor tries to conduct bowl practices with a makeshift staff and roster.

There's minimal bite to the Duke offense behind quarterback Grayson Loftis heading into battle with a Troy defense that ranks top-25 in nearly every category.

Pick: Troy -7.5

For more college football picks, check out Action Network's College Football Bowl Confidence Pool Rankings: Collin Wilson’s Picks for All 2023 Bowl Games.

Birmingham Bowl Betting Resources

  • Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023
  • TV-Time: ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Protective Stadium
  • Location: Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham Bowl History

Birmingham Bowl Logo

The Birmingham Bowl debuted in 2006, and the matchup has conference tie-ins with the AAC, SEC, C-USA, and MAC. The game takes place at Legion Field from Birmingham, Alabama. This game was previously called the PapaJohns.com Bowl and the BBVA Compass Bowl prior to dropping its sponsors in 2015. 

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 and that 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, and the Houston Cougars of the AAC were tasked with taking on 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.

Duke became the first underdog since 2018 to win the Birmingham Bowl outright after knocking off Troy, 17-10 in 2023.

Favorites are now 7-3 ATS across the past 10 versions of this game. The 'under' is also 6-1-1 across the past eight installments.

Birmingham Bowl Betting Results

YearMatchupLine, TotalATS Result
2023Duke 17 Troy 10Troy -6.5, 43.5Underdog, Under
2022East Carolina 53 Coastal Carolina 29ECU -7, 67Favorite, Over
2021Houston 17 Auburn 13 Houston -1, 49Favorite, Under
2020---
2019Cincinnati 38 Boston College 6 Cincinnati -7.5, 53.5Favorite, Under
2018Wake Forest 37 Memphis 34 Memphis -2.5, 71Underdog, Push
2017USF 38 Texas Tech 34USF -2, 66Favorite, Over
2016USF 46 South Carolina 39USF -10.5, 58.5Underdog, Under
2015Auburn 31 Memphis 10Auburn -3, 64.5Favorite, Under
2014Florida 28 East Carolina 20Florida -6.5, 54Favorite, Under
2013Vanderbilt 41 Houston 24Vanderbilt -1.5, 53Favorite, Over
2012Mississippi 38 Pittsburgh 17Mississippi -4.5, 54Favorite, Over
2011SMU 28 Pittsburgh 6Pittsburgh -4, 48Underdog, Under
2010Pittsburgh 27 Kentucky 10Pittsburgh -4, 52.5Favorite, Under
2009Connecticut 20 South Carolina 7South Carolina -4, 50.5Underdog, Under
2008Rutgers 29 N.C. State 23Rutgers -6, 57.5Push, Under
2007Cincinnati 31 Southern Miss 21Cincinnati -11, 55Underdog, Under
2006USF 24 East Carolina 7USF -5.5, 42.5Favorite, Under

College Football Bowl Betting Resources

College Football Playoff Odds: Lines, Spreads, Betting Trends for Semifinal Games

College Football Playoff odds for the semifinals are on the board and getting attention, even as debate rages over the four participants. Michigan nabbed the No. 1 ranking and a meeting with No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. No. 2 Washington then faces No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl.

Here’s everything you need to know about College Football Playoff odds for the semis: opening lines, spreads and betting trends for each game, as multiple oddsmakers provide insights on CFP odds and action. Check back regularly for updates and use our new ESPN BET bonus code VIBONUS to get the most out of your action.

College Football Playoff Odds for Semifinals