Meineke Car Care Bowl 2012 picks and predictions

The Minnesota Golden Gophers aren't garnering much favoritism for their date with the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Texas Tech interim head coach Chris Thomsen will attempt to lead the team that is averaging 37.8 points per game to a bowl victory against embattled coach Jerry Kill's Minnesota team at Reliant Stadium in Houston, and both the Red Raiders (7-5) and the Golden Gophers (6-6) come into Friday's game on two-game losing streaks.

But Texas Tech is the heavy favorite as the second-most prolific passing team in the nation.

All six of the CBS college football experts predict the Red Raiders to win straight up, but only two of them believe Tech will reach the spread of 12.5.

At ESPN, Mark Schlabach predicts a final score of 38-20 as Red Raider quarterback Seth Doege continues his success this year. Schlabach and NBC's John Tamanaha note that a repeat of the 2006 Insight Bowl, when Minnesota lost track of a 38-7 lead and fell in overtime to Texas Tech, is unlikely.

Tamanaha picks the Red Raiders to win 37-19 on Friday.