Part one of the Post Action College Bowl guide. The second segment, a selection of the final 21 bowl games including the CFP semifinals, will air on December 27.
In just one year, the bowl season will be less important.
With the arrival of the 12-team College Football Playoff, the remaining playoffs will be stripped of several marquee teams, further diluting teams — 41 teams this season, including 22 without a winning record — whose stakes have long since evaporated .
It’s an important step, one that signals progress in a sport that can’t find room for an undefeated ACC champion in a four-team playoff.
It’s also not important.
The bowls are not intended for fans, who are invited to travel around the country to watch their schools play in empty stadiums. They look embarrassed to the shepherds. They are for TV channels with time slots that need to be filled. It’s for us, anyone with a sports betting account.
This will never change. or not.
Myrtle beach
Ohio (+3.5) over Georgia Southern
The Eagles have lost four straight games, all of which came against bowl-playing teams. Their worst performance came earlier in the year against the two best defenses they faced (Wisconsin, James Madison). Now comes the Bobcats, who rank fourth in the nation in total defense.
New Orleans
Jacksonville State (-2.5) over Louisiana
An actual home game isn’t enough to help the Cajuns, who are 2-5 against bowl teams, have lost three of their past four games, will be without starting quarterback Zion Kreis and will be trying to stop third-place finisher Rich Rodriguez. A game with a defense that allows more than 167 yards rushing per game.
medicine
Miami (Ohio) (+6.5) over Appalachian State
The MAC champions are live dogs, possessing the best defense in the conference in two decades. The RedHawks have not given up more than 16 points in the past five games.
New Mexico
New Mexico State (-3.5) over Fresno State
The Aggies’ only loss came nearly three months ago when starting quarterback Diego Pavia was out with an injury. The physical dual threat — who threw three touchdowns in a blowout win at Auburn — is expected to return for this game.
the
Boise State (+4.5) over UCLA
Poor quarterback play has forced Chip Kelly to rely on his defense this season. This unit may struggle without defensive coordinator Danton Layne — who made the jump to USC — against the Mountain West champions’ top 20 offense.
independence
California (+3) over Texas Tech
The Golden Bears have won three straight games to reach their first bowl in four years. The coin flip features two of the nation’s best running backs in Tech’s Tahj Brooks and Cal’s Jaydn Ott, but the latter draws the far more favorable matchup against the nation’s 95th-ranked defense.
The famous roaster
Western Kentucky (+2) over Old Dominion
Take the points. All but two of the Monarchs’ games this season have been decided by one possession, including seven games by four points or fewer.
Fresco
Marshall (+13) over UTSA
The Roadrunners are making their fourth straight appearance under fourth-year coach Jeff Traylor. They lost every game, failing to cover the deficit every time.
Boca Raton
South Florida (+3) over Syracuse
The Orange are less than a month away from firing their head coach. The Bulls are led by Alex Golesh, whose first year at the helm netted more wins than the program had in the previous three seasons combined, thanks to dual threat freshman Byrum Brown.
Gasparilla
Georgia Tech (+4.5) over UCF
Neither team performs as expected. The Knights are 2-6 against the spread as a favorite. The Yellow Jackets are 6-2 against the number as the underdog.
Birmingham
Duke (+7.5) over Troy
The Trojans will benefit from the absence of Duke’s head coach and quarterback, but their offense is not prepared for one of the toughest matchups of the season. Troy averaged 35.3 points against defenses ranked 77th or worse. He led 18.4 points against the others.
Camellia
Arkansas State (-1) over Northern Illinois
Even during his failed tenure at Tennessee, Butch Jones was ready for bowl season, winning his past four games. If this game is as close as the spread suggests, it may come down to the Red Wolves’ Dominick Zevada, who hasn’t missed a kick of at least 40 yards since the season opener.
Armed forces
James Madison (-2.5) on Air Force
The Dukes don’t need new Indiana coach Curt Cignetti on the sidelines. The nation’s top-ranked defense is adequate against Air Force’s replacement offense, which has lost four straight games.
potato
Utah State (-1) over Georgia State
Come bet against the Panthers, who have lost five straight games by an average of 23.2 points. Stay for the final game for Aggies quarterback Levi Williams, who will skip his senior season to begin Navy SEAL training.
68 projects
Eastern Michigan (+16) over southern Alabama
Farewell, pot-lending tree. We barely knew you. Rep (2019-22).
Las vigas
Utah (-6.5) over Northwestern
The Utes weren’t equipped to play in the toughest conference in the country this season, but they were undefeated against teams ranked outside the top 20. Their 22nd-ranked defense should stifle the Wildcats, who have averaged just over 12 points in six games against them. Top 35 defenses.
Hawaii
Coastal Carolina (+10) over San Jose State
Don’t count the singers, even without Grayson McCall gone. Coastal Carolina — which has won six of its seven games against bowl teams and went 5-2 against the spread as an underdog this season — has won three of five games using its backup quarterbacks, who will face the worst red zone defense in the country.
Betting on college football?
Quick lane
Bowling Green (+4) over Minnesota
The Gophers’ (5-7) good grades (Academic Progress Average) earned them the only bowl invitation for a sub-.500 team, but they don’t belong here. That will be evident — especially without quarterback Athan Kalliakmanis, who has entered the transfer portal — against the Falcons, who have won five of their past six games, played in this bowl last season and won at Minnesota in 2021.
First responder
Rice (+4.5) over Texas
JT Daniels’ six disappointing seasons at four different schools have officially ended, with the former top-rated recruit retiring due to concussions. Rice can still bring it up against the Bobcats’ defense, where he ranks 105th in passing yards allowed, 120th in completion percentage allowed and 114th in points allowed (33.8).
Guaranteed price
UNLV (+12.5) over Kansas
Excluding a seven-point effort against Michigan — the nation’s top-ranked defense — the Rebels averaged nearly 37 points per game. UNLV (5-1 against the spread as an underdog) will have plenty of shots against the second-worst red zone defense in the country.
Best Bets: Miami (Ohio), Duke, James Madison
this chapter: 103-98-4 (19-22-1)
Record 2014-22: 1,150-1,082-25
As college football fans gear up for an action-packed Saturday, the excitement continues to build for the upcoming Hawaii Bowl and Cure Bowl games. With teams facing off in intense matchups, predictions and picks for these highly anticipated games are hot topics of conversation among sports enthusiasts. As the teams prepare to battle it out on the gridiron, fans and analysts alike are eager to weigh in on their predictions for the outcomes of these thrilling bowl games.