College football bowl season is back in full force this season. The Bahamas Bowl kicks things off on December 17, and between that game and the College Football Playoff championship on January 10, 43 postseason games will take place featuring 84 teams. Sports betting on bowl games is kind of a mixed bag, as the distractions of travel play a significant role with these young athletes. Also, teams who have gone through a coaching change since the end of the regular season often experience a lack of motivation, as do teams whose bowl game does not match what they had hoped for, and you will also see mid-majors take down teams well above them in the rankings.
Let’s look at the first round of games, along with some of our college football betting predictions.
NCAA News: Picks for the First Round of Bowl Games
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs Toledo Rockets (-9)
Friday, December 17 | 1:00 pm ET, ESPN
Toledo finished their last three games with double-digit victories, thanks in part to the running game led by Bryant Roback, who rumbled for 459 yards and eight touchdowns in those games combined. Toledo is also solid in terms of ball security, so they should be able to dictate the rhythm of the game.
Rockets win and cover: Bet the Game Today
Cure Bowl: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (-9.5) vs Northern Illinois Huskies
Friday, December 17 | 6:00 pm ET, ESPN
Coastal Carolina turned a 6-0 start into a 10-2 finish, but they can still notch Win #11 in their bowl game. Once they took that loss, though, they went 1-5 down the stretch against the spread. As an underdog, the Huskies were 5-3 against the spread. It’s likely that the Chanticleers originally had New Year’s Six hopes but are now playing a week before Christmas.
Huskies to cover: Bet the Game Today
Boca Raton Bowl: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Appalachian State Mountaineers (-3)
Saturday, December 18 | 11:00 am ET, ESPN
Appalachian State has never lost a bowl game straight up, but this could be one of their biggest challenges. Hilltoppers quarterback Bailey Zappe has accounted for 56 touchdowns on the FBS’ second most prolific offense in terms of scoring. The over/under total for this game is 68.5, and that could end up not being enough, if the offenses can get up and running for this early kickoff.
Hilltoppers to cover: Bet the Game Today
New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State Bulldogs (-13.5) vs UTEP Miners
Saturday, December 18 | 2:15 pm ET, ESPN
This line has expanded since it opened. However, the Bulldogs will not have quarterback Jake Haener, who entered the transfer portal and will not dress for the game. Fresno State head coach has already left to take the program at Washington. UTEP has not win a bowl game since 1967, so there’s plenty of motivation for the Miners to get up for this one…and plenty of reason for Fresno State to take it easy.
Miners to cover: Bet the Game Today
Independence Bowl: #13 BYU Cougars (-8) vs UAB Blazers
Saturday, December 18 | 3:30 pm ET, ABC
BYU is just 3-7 as a favorite this year. However, a win over UAB (an emphatic win, at least) could see them creep into the top ten. What on earth are they doing playing their bowl game in Shreveport, you ask? That’s the risk associated with being an independent program not named Notre Dame. All it takes is one setback during the regular season to banish you far, far from New Year’s Day, let alone the College Football Playoff. Will BYU come out mad or apathetic? That’s the question.
BYU to win and cover: Bet the Game Today
L.A. Bowl: Utah State Aggies vs Oregon State Beavers (-7.5)
Saturday, December 18 | 7:30 pm ET, ABC
This is the first L.A. Bowl, and Oregon State’s reward for a surprisingly strong Pac-12 slate is a date with a tough team from the Mountain West. I think Oregon State ekes this one out, but Utah State will make it interesting, thanks to a stalwart defense led by linebacker Justin Rice.
L.A. Bowl: Bet the Game Today
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