The Bum's 2012-2013 College Football Regular and Bowl Games Best Bets !

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Saturday, December 8

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Navy - 3:00 PM ET Navy -6.5 500

Army - Under 56 500

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Pac-12 good, Big 12 bad: Best conferences to bet in bowl games

Teams from the SEC have been a popular pick with those college football bettors getting down early on the bowl season odds.

Just about every program from the nation’s most powerful conference playing in a bowl has seen their spread expand. And why not?

SEC teams are 62-49-2 ATS in bowl games since 1985, boasting a 66-47 SU mark in those contests.

That 54.8 percent cover rate is impressive but it’s not the best conference ATS count during bowl season. That honor goes to the Pac-12, which holds a 44-34 ATS record (40-38 SU) in bowl games over the past 27 years – covering the spread at a 56.4 percent click.

The Big 12, on the other hand, is a bowl season bust. The conference lugs a dismal 41-62-2 ATS (39 percent) record in bowl game since 1985, going 53-52 SU in those contests. In fact there are just five conferences that have finished in the black against the spread in that span.

The ACC (48-46-3 ATS), Big East (38-31-1 ATS), Mountain West (28-23 ATS), Pac-12 (44-34 ATS) and the SEC (62-49-2 ATS) are the only conference that have consistently turned a profit during bowl season over the last 27 years.

The Big 12 (41-62-2 ATS), C-USA (31-37-2 ATS), Independents (9-10 ATS), MAC (17-21-3 ATS), and WAC (19-23-2 ATS) have all cost bettors money at some point during that stretch while the Big Ten (48-48-1 ATS) and Sun Belt (9-9-2 ATS) have broken even.

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Double-digit BCS bowl favorites near-perfect against the spread

If you’re a big fan of the upcoming college football playoff system, you’re pointing to BCS bowl matchups like the Orange and Sugar Bowl as to why the Bowl Championship Series process was ultimately flawed in the first place.

What are supposed to be marquee matchups look like blowouts in the making, with the Northern Illinois Huskies set as 12.5-point underdogs versus the Florida State Seminoles in the Orange Bowl and the Louisville Cardinals tagged as 13-point pups facing the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. Even the national title game has been bet up to a double-figure spread, with the Alabama Crimson Tide sitting -10 versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Jan. 7.

While those seem like monster spreads for BCS-quality games, they aren’t the highest lines ever for a BCS bowl. That pile of chalk goes to the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, in which the Oklahoma Sooners, 16-point favorites, thumped the UConn Huskies 48-20 on New Year’s Day.

In fact, since the inception of the Bowl Championship Series in 1998 and going back as far as 1985, there have only been six double-digit favorites in any of the five BCS bowls (Orange, Fiesta, Sugar, Rose, BCS Championship). In five of those games, the favorite covered the big spread.

Here’s a look at those five games and their outcomes:

2011 Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma 48, UConn 20 – Oklahoma -16
2010 Sugar Bowl: Florida 51, Cincinnati 24 – Florida -12
2009 Rose Bowl: USC 38, Penn State 24 – USC -10
2008 Rose Bowl: USC 49, Illinois 17 – USC -13
2007 Orange Bowl: Louisville 24, Wake Forest 13 – Louisville -10.5
2003 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (OT) - Miami -12

Note: Five of those six BCS bowls with double-digit spreads played over the total.

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Which bowl games are best to bet now and best to bet later?

Bowl betting is sometimes a race to beat the book or a waiting game to outsmart the public.

With weeks and weeks worth of wagers flowing into sportsbooks, lines for bowl games can go on a crazy ride before the whistle finally blows.

We asked some of Covers Experts’ sharpest minds which bowls are best to bet now, and which ones are best to bet later, depending on where they see the odds moving before kickoff.

Play now

New Mexico Bowl: Arizona Wildcats vs. Nevada Wolf Pack (+9.5, 75)

The New Mexico Bowl is the first offering of bowl season and will get a ton of action. For those bettors looking to lay the favorite, sooner rather than later would be the best course of action.

“Bet Arizona now,” says Covers Expert Teddy Covers. “Arizona is going to get hit hard. They could be at -10 by the end of the day.”

As for the total for the New Mexico Bowl, the 75 points is among the highest numbers on the board and will likely climb as anxious public money takes the favorite and the over. Fans of the under should wait on this and see just how high the total will go.

“Both teams are led by inconsistent quarterbacks and I won't be surprised if we see a rather sloppy game between two teams that struggle to take care of the football,” says Covers Expert Sean Murphy.

Poinsettia Bowl: BYU Cougars vs. San Diego State Aztecs (+2.5, 49)

The Aztecs don’t have to travel far for their bowl matchup with BYU, taking the field at Qualcomm Stadium on Dec. 20. San Diego State rolls into bowl season on a seven-game winning streak (6-1 ATS) while the Cougars back into the postseason with a 3-3 SU mark in their final six games (3-3 ATS).

“The Cougars were 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS against .500 or greater opponents this season,” says Covers Expert Marc Lawrence. “It doesn't hurt that home dogs in bowl games are 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS since 1998.”

Las Vegas Bowl: Washington Huskies vs. Boise State Broncos (-5, 46)

Boise State has made a name for itself during bowl season. The Broncos aren’t the high-flying offensive power of years past but will likely draw their share of public money as Dec. 22 draws near. Boise State has leaned on its defense, ranked sixth in points allowed.

“As games get closer, the public loves to bet favorites,” says Covers Expert Matt Fargo. “If there is any value now in some notable favorites, that value could be lost by the time the game rolls around.”

Bet later

Russell Athletic Bowl: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (-2.5, 41.5)

Neither team has lit up the scoreboard this season, with defense as their main crutch. That philosophy has translated into one of the lowest totals on the bowl board. However, the layoff could be all these sides need to fine tune their attack and the public will likely drive this total downward as Dec. 28 inches closer on the calendar.

“Some time off might serve both units well, and I see this as an ideal spot for both teams to take out some of their frustrations,” says Murphy. “Both teams have playmakers on offense and speed to burn. We'll see it here.”

Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Mississippi Rebels (-3.5, 52)

Early money has been drawn to the SEC teams, including this matchup between Ole Miss and Pitt. The spread has moved from -2 to -3.5 and should continue to grow through the New Year for this Jan. 5 bowl game. Anyone sizing up the underdog should wait this one out as long as they can.

“With The Rebels an easy-to-like SEC entry and the Panthers out of the struggling Big East, I figure this line to swell by game time,” says Lawrence. “Pitt is looking to make amends for 28-6 loss as 3.5-point favorites over SMU in this same game last year.”

Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange (+4, 73.5)

The total for this game in Yankee Stadium is already on the rise with high-powered West Virginia taking on a resurgent Syracuse attack that got hot late in the year. Those bettors looking to wager on the under can put this one to sleep until Dec. 29.

“If you like the under, you best sit tight until close to game time because all the late money is likely to be on the over,” says Covers Expert Jesse Schule.

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Stanford Cardinal (-6.5, 47.5)

The knee-jerk reaction to Wisconsin's coaching change is to bet the Cardinal with both fists. The line jumped only slightly when it was announced head coach Bret Bielema was taking the job at Arkansas and leaving AD and former coach Barry Alvarez to rally the troops on New Year's Day. Covers Expert Steve Merril sees Alvarez as a live coaching underdog and expects the public to fade Wisconsin's 8-5 SU record.

"Many may think the Badgers are a bad team at 8-5, but they are much better than their record," says Merril. "They had four losses by three points and the other by seven points in overtime."

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Bowl season betting totals hit historic heights

Oddsmakers set new heights when it came to college football totals this year and those big numbers keep on coming in bowl season.

There are six bowl games that currently have totals of 70 points or more, headlined by an 80-point number for the Holiday Bowl between Baylor and UCLA on Dec. 27.

The Bears set betting history this season with an 88-point total – the biggest recorded total ever – for their season finale against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. That game finished 41-34 in favor of Baylor but stayed under the massive number.

The Bears are on the verge of history again, with the 80-point number for the Holiday Bowl currently tied for the highest bowl total since at least 1985. Not surprisingly, it was Baylor’s date with Washington in last year’s Alamo Bowl that currently stands as to tallest bowl total. The Bears beat the Huskies 67-56 and blew that 80-point total out of the water.

The other games commanding big totals this bowl season are the Fiesta Bowl between Oregon and Kansas State (76.5), the New Mexico Bowl between Nevada and Arizona (75), the Pinstripe Bowl between West Virginia and Syracuse (-73.5), the Cotton Bowl between Texas A&M and Oklahoma (71.5), and the Heart of Dallas Bowl featuring Purdue and Oklahoma State (70).

To put it into perspective, there have only been 17 bowl games with totals above 70 over the past 26 years, and this season’s bowl slate features five.

In fact, in the nine games with the tallest totals (74-80 points), the teams have played over the number in all but two of those games. And among the 20 highest bowl totals since 1985 (70-80 points), teams have combined to post a profitable 13-7 over/under mark.

Here are the 10 highest bowl totals since 1985 and their results:

80 – Baylor 67, Washington 56 (Dec. 29, 2011)
78.5 – Louisville 44, Boise State 40 (Dec. 31, 2004)
77.5 – Tulsa 63, Bowling Green 7 (Jan. 6, 2008)
77 –Hawaii 59, UAB 40 (Dec. 24, 2004)
75.5 – Hawaii 54, Houston (Dec. 25, 2003)
75 – Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31 (Dec. 30, 2008)
74.5 – Tulsa 62, Hawaii 35 (Dec. 24, 2010)
74 –UCLA 50, Northwestern 38 (Dec. 30, 2005)
74 – Oregon 45, Wisconsin 38 (Jan. 2, 2012)
73.5 - Auburn 22, Oregon 19 (Jan. 10, 2011) / Rice 38, Western Michigan 14 (Dec. 30, 2008)

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Top 5 NCAAF Trends



TOL
UTAST

UTAST are 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.



CIN
DUKE

Over is 7-0-1 in DUKE last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.



FRSST
SMU

FRSST are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.



FRSST
SMU

FRSST are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.



SJST
BGREN

SJST are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games on grass.

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Beef O Brady's Bowl Preview

Friday, December 21st

Beef O Brady's Bowl - Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL 7:30 PM ET

Ball St. Cardinals vs. Central Florida Knights (-7/61.5)

How Ball St. got here

Ball St. is one of the hotter teams in the country as it won its final six games of the regular season to slide into this bowl game that was slotted for a Big East team but not enough qualified. The Cardinals were bowl eligible last season but were bypassed so they may be playing with a chip on their shoulder this year. Ball St. was picked by some to finish at the bottom of the MAC West but proved a lot of people wrong while playing the second toughest schedule in the MAC. The Cardinals three losses this year have come against Kent St., Northern Illinois and Clemson, which have a combined five losses.

How Central Florida got here

UCF is lucky to be here. Over the summer, the Knights were hit with five years of probation for major recruiting violations including a one-year postseason ban in football and in men's basketball. They appealed though and will not hear until January so they got to play in a bowl game after all. UCF won the C-USA East but lost to Tulsa in the Championship game, the second time in three weeks the Knights lost to Tulsa. Unlike the Cardinals, UCF played a soft schedule but the one quality opponent was Ohio St., which it lost to by 15 points. The Knights should have a crowd edge with this game just 100 miles from campus.

Interesting Stat

Ball St. surpassed 30 points in 10 of 12 games while Central Florida went over 30 points on offense in nine of 13 games.

Breakdown

Two potent offense will take the field as Ball St. is ranked 31st in the country and second in the MAC in scoring offense while the Knights are ranked 27th in the nation and second in C-USA in scoring offense. That means the game should come down to which defense plays the better game and on paper, that should be Central Florida. The Knights are ranked 45th in total defense and 29th in scoring defense while Ball St. comes in ranked 102nd and 89th respectively. MAC teams averaged 29 ppg while C-USA teams averaged 29.3 ppg so the majority of the offenses played is not a factor at all. Keep an eye on the injury status of Cardinals quarterback Keith Wenning as he missed the regular season finale against Miami Ohio with an Achilles injury and his absence would be a huge disadvantage.

Trending

Ball St. is 6-0 ATS in its last six games coming off a conference win by seven points or less.

Central Florida is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in its previous game.

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Nevada Meets Arizona In New Mexico Bowl Saturday

Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Arizona Wildcats
New Mexico Bowl Betting Preview
Date: 12/15/2012 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)
Opening Lines: Arizona -9, O/U 76
Television: ESPN

Nevada Wolf Pack: Oddsmakers are expecting the bowl season to kick off with a high-scoring affair at the New Mexico Bowl where the Wolf Pack (7-5 straight-up, 3-9 against the spread) collide with the Wildcats. Nevada faltered down the stretch with four setbacks in the final five contests, including home losses to San Diego State, Fresno State and Boise State to finish a disappointing fifth in the Mountain West Conference. The Pack had one of the top ground games in the nation (260.0 yards per game, 7th), paced by Stefphon Jefferson's 1,703 yards on the ground (second in the country). Nevada also ranked 20th in scoring with a 37 points per game, but that was offset by a defense that surrendered 32.5 ppg, ranked 95th in the nation. Wolf Pack backers endured a seven-game losing streak from late-September through November, a string that was snapped with the cover vs. Boise, and "over" bettors had a slight 6-5 advantage on the year.

Arizona Wildcats: It was a trying season for Coach Rich Rodriguez and the 'Cats (7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS) who could manage just a 4-5 record in Pac-12 play (4-5 ATS). The highlight of the regular season turned out to be a 39-36 upset of USC as 5-point underdogs in late-October. Running back Ka'Deem Carey led Arizona and the nation with over 1,750 yards rushing, picking up nearly 6.4 yards per tote, and quarterback Matt Scott ranked 16th in the land with over 294 yards per game through the air. Only four schools allowed more yards on defense than the Wildcats (485.7 ypg), and opponents scored 34.3 ppg, which ranked 103rd. With those stats, it's no wonder that "over" bettors cashed eight of 11 lined games, including seven of the last eight on the schedule. Arizona was also guilty of 25 turnovers, tied for 30th most, four of those coming in the 41-34 loss to rival Arizona State in the regular-season finale.

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Potato Bowl Features Toledo Against Utah State Saturday

Toledo Rockets vs. Utah State Aggies
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Betting Preview
Date: 12/15/2012 at 4:30 p.m. (ET)
Opening Lines: Utah St. -10, O/U 57½
Television: ESPN

Toledo Rockets: Things were looking up for the Rockets (9-3 straight-up, 7-5 against the spread) when they reeled off an eighth straight win and were on the verge of cracking the polls at the end of October. But Toledo dropped its next two games to Ball State and Northern Illinois to finish third in the MAC West. The Rockets ended the campaign on a winning note with a 35-23 win over Akron despite missing their two offensive stars, quarterback Terrance Owens and tailback David Fluellen. Owens passed for more than 2,600 yards and 14 touchdowns while ranking second on the team with 381 yards rushing, and Fluellen was eighth in the country, averaging nearly 133 yards per game on the ground. The good news is both are listed as probable for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (click to check updated college football injury report). The Rockets finished the season with five consecutive "under" results and were 8-3 to the low side of totals on the year.

Utah State Aggies: One of the most profitable teams to follow this season, the Aggies (10-2 SU, 10-1-1 ATS) netted nearly nine units of profit for their backers while also putting money in the pockets of "under" bettors with an 8-3 record. Utah State ended a perfect campaign in the WAC with a 45-9 trouncing of Idaho in the regular-season finale, the only point spread loss for the Aggies with the final margin just missing the closing 37-point spread. The only two SU defeats came on the road and were decided by a total of five points (16-14 at Wisconsin and 6-3 at BYU). Utah State finished eighth in the country, allowing just 15.4 points per game, and ranked 15th in surrendering less than 323 yards per contest. Sophomore QB Chuckie Keeton directed a well-balanced offense with more than 3,100 yards through the air and a 27:9 TD/INT ratio. His 527 yards on the ground were second on the team to Kerwynn Williams' 1,277.

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NCAAF

Saturday, December 15

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New Mexico Bowl: What bettors need to know
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New Mexico Bowl: Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Arizona Wildcats (-9.5, 75.5)

GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL STORYLINES

1. The game will feature two of the nation's top four runners in Arizona sophomore Ka'Deem Carey (second) and Nevada junior Stefphon Jefferson (fourth). Carey’s 1,757 rushing yards is already a single-season school record while Jefferson stands at 1,703 yards and needs 30 to break the Wolf Pack’s single-season mark.

2. The stage is set for both runners to have memorable games. Nevada, which ranks seventh in the country in rushing and 20th in scoring, will square off against Arizona’s 89th-ranked rush defense and 103rd scoring defense. Similarly, the Wildcats’ ground game and scoring offense – both ranked 17th in the nation – will face the Wolf Pack’s 112th-ranked rush defense and 95th-ranked scoring defense.

3. Two of college football’s most innovative coaches will be matching wits for the first time. Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez is considered as a pioneer of a no-huddle, run-oriented version of the spread offense while Nevada’s Chris Ault is credited as the creator of the “Pistol” offense that has only accentuated the athletic ability of quarterbacks such as Colin Kaepernick since he began using it in 2005.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: Arizona opened as an 8-point favorite and has been bet up as high as -10. The total has climbed from 75 to 75.5.

WEATHER: There is a 9 percent chance of snow for University Stadium and temperatures will dip into the high 30s. Winds are expected to blow west at 8 mph.

CONSENSUS: 54 percent of Covers Consensus players are picking Arizona while 53 percent are on the over.

TRENDS:

* Wolf Pack are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games.
* Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last five vs. MWC.
* Under is 5-1 in Wolf Pack's last six Bowl games.
* Over is 7-1 in Wildcats' last eight games overall.

ABOUT NEVADA (7-5, 4-4 Mountain West, 3-9 ATS): Unlike the “Pistol” attack that saw the quarterback (Kaepernick) overshadow the running back (Vai Taua) two years ago, Jefferson has been the main beneficiary this season. But sophomore quarterback Cody Fajardo certainly did his best impression of Kaepernick in 2012, throwing for 2,530 yards and 17 touchdowns while running for 981 yards and 11 more scores. However, the Wolf Pack – and the defense in particular – have been in a tailspin since a 6-1 start as they went 0-4 against the top four teams in their conference over the second half of the schedule. In those four losses, Nevada surrendered an average of 277 rushing yards, 471 total yards and 41.5 points.

ABOUT ARIZONA (7-5, 4-5 Pac-12, 6-6 ATS): While the running game is the primary focus, the passing game is hardly without playmakers. Sophomore receiver Austin Hill posted 1,189 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns – the fourth and seventh-best single-season totals in school history, respectively – while Matt Scott’s 3,238 passing yards is the third-highest mark for a Wildcats quarterback in a season. Despite all the offensive success and surprising wins over the likes of Oklahoma State and USC, this is the same team that scored a combined 10 points in losses to Oregon and UCLA. Rodriguez’s seven wins in his rookie campaign were the most by an Arizona coach in his first season since Jim Young led the Wildcats to an 8-3 mark in 1973.

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NCAAF

Saturday, December 15

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Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: What bettors need to know
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Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Toledo Rockets vs. Utah State Aggies (-10, 58.5)

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL STORYLINES

1. Toledo’s talented running back David Fluellen and quarterback Terrance Owens both missed the last regular-season game on Nov. 20 against Akron with ankle injuries, but will have almost four weeks to recover.

2. Utah State set a school record for victories this season, won an outright conference title for the first time since 1936 by finishing 6-0 in the Western Athletic Conference and tries to win its first bowl game since 1993.

3. Toledo averages 32.9 points and 456.1 yards (28th in the nation), while 20th-ranked Utah State is eighth in the nation in scoring defense (15.4) and 15th in total defense.

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: Utah State opened as low as -8 and has been bet up to as high as -10.5. The total has moved from 57.5 to 58.5.

WEATHER: Snow is in the forecast for Boise, with an 18 percent chance of precipitation. Temperatures will be in the low 30s.

CONSENSUS: 53 percent of Covers Consensus players are on Utah State while 60 percent are on the over.

TRENDS:

* Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last five vs. WAC.
* Aggies are 16-5-1 ATS in their last 22 non-conference games.
* Under is 5-0 in Rockets' last five games overall.
* Under is 6-0 in Aggies' last six non-conference games.

ABOUT TOLEDO (9-3, 6-2 MAC, 7-5 ATS): The Rockets hope to have Fluellen and Owens back for Utah State, although senior quarterback Austin Dantin threw for five touchdowns and David Pasquale rushed for 93 yards in the 35-23 victory over Akron to end the regular season. The versatile Fluellen fuels the Rockets' offense, averaging 132.7 yards with 13 touchdowns. Owens, who has completed 62.8 percent of his passes and averaged 243.4 yards through the air, has also thrown for 14 scores. Bernard Reedy is the top target with 82 receptions for 1,051 yards. The Rockets will need some big plays from their defense, which has 17 interceptions but has allowed an average of 27.3 points. Toledo edged Air Force 42-41 in the Military Bowl last year to improve its bowl record to 8-4.

ABOUT UTAH STATE (10-2, 6-0 WAC, 10-1-1 ATS): The Aggies come into the game with six straight victories and have won 15 of their last 18 overall. Utah State lost 24-23 in the Potato Bowl last year to Toledo’s MAC rival Ohio and its two defeats this season have come by a combined five points to Wisconsin (16-14) and Brigham Young (6-3). The Aggies are the only team in the nation not to allow a touchdown in the first quarter. Utah State’s offense has also produced, averaging more than 30 points led by quarterback Chuckie Keeton. The sophomore has completed 67.6 percent of his passes, thrown for 27 touchdowns and rushed for more than 500 yards. Senior running back Kerwynn Williams leads the team in rushing (1,277 yards) and receiving (663), while scoring 17 times. The Aggies are 1-6 in bowls.

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70 helpful stats you didn't know for 70 bowl teams

If you're aiming to handicap all 35 bowl games in record time, this is the article for you. We dug to find you one helpful stat for every bowl team on the betting board. We listed them by matchup in chronological order.

New Mexico Bowl

Nevada – Nation’s second-best rusher Stefphon Jefferson (1703 yards).
Arizona – Nation’s top rusher Ka’Deem Carey (1757 yards).

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Toledo – Linebacker Dan Molls led the nation in tackles this season with 166.
Utah State – Third-most profitable team in college this year at 10-1-1 ATS (against the spread).

Poinsettia Bowl

BYU – No. 1 red zone efficiency defense in the nation.
San Diego State – Went 6-1 ATS during its current seven-game winning streak.

Beef O'Brady's Bowl

Ball State – Led the nation in tackles for loss allowed with just 40 against.
Central Florida – Quincy McDuffie leads the nation in kickoff return yards per game (34.2) and tied for most return TDs with three.

New Orleans Bowl

East Carolina: Lost all three meetings with non-conference FBS opponents, going 0-3 ATS in those games.
UL Lafayette – Ragin Cajun’ are home run hitters, ranking tops in the country in plays of 70-plus yards from the line of scrimmage with eight.

Las Vegas Bowl

Washington – Tied for first in the nation in opponent fumbles per game (2.5) and recovered half of those (15 of 30).
Boise State – 4-0 ATS in its last four bowl games & recovered the most fumbles in the nation this season (17).

Hawaii Bowl

Fresno State - Senior Phillip Thomas led the nation in interceptions with eight and tied for tops in the nation with three returned for TDs.
SMU – The Mustangs tied for the most interception return TDs with six this season. SMU finished tied for sixth with 19 INTs.

Little Caesar's Bowl

Western Kentucky - Antonio Andrews was nation's leading all purpose runner with 2977 yards this year.
Central Michigan – RB Zurlon Tipton has rushed for over 100 yards in six straight games, with CMU going 4-2 ATS.

Military Bowl

San Jose State - No. 2 passing efficiency offense (in terms of percentage) in the country (71.29).
Bowling Green – In addition to being the most profitable under team this year (1-10 O/U) the Falcons have only one win over a team with a winning record this season – 8-4 Ohio.

Belk Bowl

Cincinnati – Bearcats are 2-7 ATS in bowl games since 2000.
Duke: The Blue Devils haven’t been to a bowl game since the 1994 Hall of Fame Bowl.

Holiday Bowl

Baylor - Bear have the best total offense in the nation with 578 yards per game.
UCLA – Bruins ranks 91st against the pass and have allowed at least 295 yards through the air in five of 13 games.

Independence Bowl

La. Monroe - Only three teams in the country lost fewer fumbles this season (lost four).
Ohio – Bobcats have failed to cover in seven of their last eight games.

Russell Athletic Bowl

Rutgers - Worst first-down offense of all bowl teams with an average of just 16.7 ypg.
Virgina Tech – Defense allowed an average of 417 yards and 33.5 points against in road games this year compared to 334 yards and 23.9 points against at home.

Meineke Car Car Bowl

Minnesota – Only seven current Gophers played in the team’s last bowl game in 2009.
Texas Tech - Second-best passing offense in the nation with 361 yards per game.

Armed Forces Bowl

Rice - Leads all bowl teams in time of possession at 33:40.58 (Second in FBS).
Air Force - Falcons' triple-option attack leads all bowl teams with an average of 328.75 yards on the ground per game.

Pinstripe Bowl

Syracuse – The over went 5-0-1 in the Orange’s last six games and they averaged 38.5 points per game during that stretch.
West Virginia – Second-worst pass defense in the nation, behind only Louisiana Tech.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Arizona State - Second in the nation in sacks (48) and tackles for loss (106.0).
Navy - Second worst of all bowl teams in third-down efficiency defense 47.4 percent (behind only Baylor).

Alamo Bowl

Texas – Ranked ninth this year in pass efficiency but was undecided on its starting QB for the third straight year heading into its bowl game.
Oregon State – Ranked second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (17.8 points against per game) but last four games with a posted total went over.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

TCU – Ranked first in the Big 12 in total defense with just 332 yards against per game
Michigan State – Went 2-5 SU and ATS in a stretch of an NCAA-record-tying seven straight games decided by four points or fewer.

Music City Bowl

North Carolina State - Worst rushing offense of all bowl teams (117 yards per game).
Vanderbilt – Ranked first in the SEC in tackles for loss.

Sun Bowl

USC – Didn’t rank higher than 29th in the nation in any major offensive category and didn’t rank higher than 41st in any major defensive category.
Georgia Tech – Went 0-3 SU and ATS against non-conference FBS foes this year.

Liberty Bowl

Iowa State – Didn’t hold any of its last nine opponents to fewer than 21 points.
Tulsa – Ranks 11th in the nation in rushing, but both teams tied with 160 rushing yards in their September meeting.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl

LSU – Ranked in the Top 11 in the nation in rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and scoring defense.
Clemson - Second in the nation in red-zone efficiency offense (scored on 51 of 54 red zone drives).

Heart of Dallas Bowl

Purdue – Won three straight games but is the biggest underdog of this bowl season.
Oklahoma State – Over went 5-1 in Cowboys games with a total of 70 or higher this season.

Gator Bowl

Mississippi State – Had the best turnover margin in the SEC.
Northwestern – Tied with Fresno State as the most profitable team in the nation for bettors at 11-1 ATS.

Outback Bowl

South Carolina – Under is 4-0 in South Carolina’s last four bowl games.
Michigan - Threw most INTs among bowl teams this season with 18.

Capital One Bowl

Nebraska - No. 2 pass efficiency defense in the nation.
Georgia - Linebacker Jarvis Jones led the nation in forced fumbles (7) and tackles for loss (22.5).

Rose Bowl

Stanford - Led the nation in tackles for loss with 120.0 and sacks with 56.
Wisconsin - Worst red-zone efficiency defense in the nation (allowed scores on 27 of 29 drives).

Orange Bowl

Northern Illinois – Underdogs for just the second time this season. Lost 18-17 to Iowa as a 7.5-pt dog Sept. 1
Florida State – Tied among bowl teams for the worst ATS record at 3-9.

Sugar Bowl

Louisville - Led the nation in red-zone efficiency offense (scored on 48 of 50 drives).
Florida - Worst passing offense of all bowl teams that don't run a triple-option style offense (114th in the nation, 143.9 yards per game).

Fiesta Bowl

Oregon - Second-highest scoring team in the nation with 50.8 points per game.
Kansas State – Led the nation in punt returns, kickoff returns and turnover margin.

Cotton Bowl

Texas A&M – Ranked first in the SEC in passing, rushing, total offense and scoring – yet was an under team with a 4-6 over/under record.
Oklahoma – First time the Sooners have been underdogs to Texas A&M since 1999, breaking a string of 12 straight meetings where Oklahoma was favored (OU won that game 51-6 as 3.5-pt dogs).

Compass Bowl

Pittsburgh - Tied for first in the nation in fewest turnovers lost this year (8).
Mississippi – The most profitable team in the SEC this season at 9-3 ATS.

GoDaddy.com Bowl

Kent State - Tied for tops in the nation in turnovers gained with 38.
Arkansas State – Hasn’t been held to fewer than 34 points during its current seven-game winning streak (6-1 ATS).

BCS National Championship

Alabama – Ranked 84th in the nation in passing offense, but first in the nation in passing efficiency.
Notre Dame – Second best under team in the nation at 2-10 over/under behind only Bowling Green (1-10 O/U).

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday, December 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Nevada - 1:00 PM ET Arizona -8.5 500

Arizona - Under 79 500


Toledo - 4:30 PM ET Utah State -10.5 500

Utah State - Over 58.5 500

[Kaptain]

running late BUM....get the Bowl season started off right.......kick some arse.....

[StarDust Bum]

Not a good start Kapt....but the bowl season is young.......