:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71815650/usa_today_19558181.0.jpg "Cotton Bowl odds movement: How bettors moved spread, over/under, moneyline for Tulane-USC game")
The Tulane Green Wave enter their biggest game in 83 years Monday when they take on the USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN.
The Trojans (11-2, 8-1 Pac-12) lost a Playoff spot after losing the PAC-12 title game to Utah, who both their losses came to this season. Still, they're a 2.5-point favorite because of the talent they have on offense, which includes QB Caleb Williams, who just won the Heisman Trophy. He's got 37 scores to just four picks this season, though he did struggle with a leg injury in the PAC-12 title game, so it'll be interesting to see how close he is to 100%.
Tulane (11-2, 7-1 AAC) is in this after winning its first conference title since 1998. They're no slouch just cause they're from a G5 conference. They topped Big 12 title winners Kansas State earlier this season and have Tyjae Spears at running back, who's racked up close to 1400 yards on the ground and has hit paydirt 17 total times.
Despite Tulane's success this season, the Trojans have seen the spread grow in their favor on DraftKings Sportsbook ever since the line was set. When the game was announced, USC opened as a 1.5-point favorite. It got up to 2.5 in the middle of last month, then dropped back down to 1.5 by Christmas. But now it's jumped back up to that 2.5 number just a few hours before kickoff. The point total has just continued to increase over time, opening at 62 and hopping up to 66.5 from 64.5 this morning.
The Trojans are clearly the favorite of the public, getting 82% of the bets and 72% of the handle for the spread and 78% of moneyline bets. The over is getting the eye of the public too, with 78% of the bets and 73% of the handle hammering the points.