NCAAF Trends and Indexes - Bowl Season (Saturday, December 20 - Sunday, January 4)

[Udog]

NCAAF
Dunkel

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1

Game 255-256: Auburn vs. Wisconsin (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Auburn 102.788; Wisconsin 93.377
Dunkel Line: Auburn by 9 1/2; 67
Vegas Line: Auburn by 6; 63
Dunkel Pick: Auburn (-6); Over

Game 257-258: Michigan State vs. Baylor (12:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Michigan State 104.007; Baylor 110.573
Dunkel Line: Baylor by 6 1/2; 74
Vegas Line: Baylor by 2 1/2; 70
Dunkel Pick: Baylor (-2 1/2); Over

Game 259-260: Missouri vs. Minnesota (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri 101.404; Minnesota 100.791
Dunkel Line: Missouri by 1; 44
Vegas Line: Missouri by 5 1/2; 47 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+5 1/2); Under

Game 261-262: Florida State vs. Oregon (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida State 104.461; Oregon 119.817
Dunkel Line: Oregon by 15 1/2; 67
Vegas Line: Oregon by 8; 71 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oregon (-8); Under

Game 263-264: Ohio State vs. Alabama (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ohio State 99.515; Alabama 117.418
Dunkel Line: Alabama by 18; 62
Vegas Line: Alabama by 9; 58 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Alabama (-9); Over


FRIDAY, JANUARY 2

Game 265-266: Houston vs. Pittsburgh (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 89.318; Pittsburgh 85.395
Dunkel Line: Houston by 4; 48
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 3; 53 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+3); Under

Game 267-268: Iowa vs. Tennessee (3:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Iowa 96.648; Tennessee 91.785
Dunkel Line: Iowa by 5; 55
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 4; 51 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Iowa (+4); Over

Game 269-270: Kansas State vs. UCLA (6:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas State 104.460; UCLA 96.809
Dunkel Line: Kansas State by 7 1/2' 64
Vegas Line: UCLA by 2; 59
Dunkel Pick: Kansas State (+2); Over

Game 271-272: Washington vs. Oklahoma State (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 91.807; Oklahoma State 81.714
Dunkel Line: Washington by 10; 52
Vegas Line: Washington by 5 1/2; 56 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-5 1/2); Under


SATURDAY, JANUARY 3

Game 273-274: East Carolina vs. Florida (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: East Carolina 88.421; Florida 97.313
Dunkel Line: Florida by 9; 51
Vegas Line: Florida by 6 1/2; 56
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-6 1/2); Under


SUNDAY, JANUARY 4

Game 275-276: Toledo vs. Arkansas State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toledo 77.946; Arkansas State 76.245
Dunkel Line: Toledo by 1 1/2; 71
Vegas Line: Toledo by 4; 67
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas State (+4); Over

[Udog]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

Sugar Bowl, New Orleans 1/1
Ohio State will use 3rd string QB Jones here; he threw 34 passes all year long; Buckeyes are 1-9 vs SEC teams in bowls, with lone win in a Sugar Bowl they later vacated. Buckeyes lost by 7-5 points last couple bowls; Meyer is 7-2 in bowls overall, 1-2 vs Saban overall. Alabama had won its last four bowls before getting upset here LY; their last four bowl wins are all by 16+ points. Bama is 2-3 vs spread in games with a single digit spread; OSU is 3-0. Saban is 8-7 in bowls, 5-2 as Bama's coach. Double digit dogs won last two Sugar Bowls; four of last five here went over total. SEC teams lost last three trips here, with Alabama losing 45-31 LY. Four of last five Sugar Bowls went over total.

Rose Bowl, Pasadena, 1/1
Oregon played in only two games this season that were decided by less than 18 points; how will they handle a stressful 4th quarter? Winston is 27-0 as Florida State's QB; his last four wins were all by five or less points- he plays better in second half of games. Seminoles are underdogs for first time since 2011 (49 games); Fisher is 1-3 as an underdog, but 4-0 SU in bowls. FSU won national title on this field LY. Oregon won 42-30 here over UCLA in October; they won/covered last eight games, are 3-0 vs spread in tilts with single digit spread; Seminoles are 2-2. Underdogs are 3-1-1 vs spread in last five Rose Bowls; Pac-12 teams split last four here, with Oregon splitting their last two trips here.

Citrus Bowl, Orlando, 1/1
Minnesota covered nine of last ten times as a dog; they split their last six games after 5-1 start, are 2-1 vs spread in games with single digit spread. Missouri won six of last seven games, losing to Alabama 42-13 in SEC title tilt; they're 7-1 in games with single digit spread. This is first time Mizzou has been favored since November 1 (3-2 as a favorite). Gophers lost their last five bowls, with four of last five bowl losses by 4 or less points. Missouri scored 41 points in winning each of its last two bowls. Favorites won/covered this game three of last four years, with three of those four going over the total.

Cotton Bowl, Arlington TX 1/1
TCU won big after being shunned for playoff spot; Baylor is only team to beat Frogs this year, how will they react here? Michigan State won its last three bowls by total of 8 points; they were dog in all three games; Spartans are 0-2 this season in games with a single digit spread. Baylor scored 52.7 ppg in winning two of last three bowls; dogs covered three of their last four. Bears scored 49 ppg in winning last five games overall; they're 1-2 in games with single digit spread. Baylor lost its OC to Tulsa, which has to be disruptive. Favorites won/covered this game four of last five years; Big 12 team lost this game the last five years, but they were up against SEC foes, not Big 14 teams.

Outback Bowl, Tampa 1/1
Wisconsin AD Alvarez (former coach) is interim Badger coach after they lost coach Anderson to Oregon State. Wisconsin lost its last four bowls, three Rose Bowls and 34-24 as 1-point favorite vs South Carolina LY. Auburn won four of last five bowl games, losing national title game LY; four of those five bowls were decided by exactly three points. Tigers are 1-6 vs spread in last seven games, 2-4 in games with single digit spread. Badgers lost Big 14 title game 59-0, will be out for redemption for that debacle. SEC teams are 4-1 vs Big 14 teams in this game the last five years. Underdogs are 3-1-1 vs spread in this bowl last five years; four of last five went over total.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Thursday, January 1

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Sugar Bowl betting preview: Ohio State vs. Alabama
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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (-9, 58.5)

When No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Ohio State square off in a College Football Playoff semifinal in New Orleans, the matchup will feature two legendary programs with identical 12-1 records this season but not much else in common. For starters, the Crimson Tide have a trusted senior quarterback in Blake Sims, who has passed for 26 touchdowns against seven interceptions and is coming off a sparkling 23-of-27 performance for 262 yards with two touchdowns and no picks against Missouri in the SEC title game. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, will once again turn to Cardale Jones after the red-shirt sophomore made his first career start against Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, throwing for 257 yards and three TDs.

Ohio State enters this matchup on a roll, having won five of its last six games by double figures, including a resounding 59-0 rout of the Badgers their last time out. The Buckeyes were the most surprising of the four selections for the CFP, but none of that matters now as they - as well as the Crimson Tide - sit one win away from playing for the national championship against either Oregon or Florida State. Alabama is looking to advance to the national title game for the fourth time in six seasons while Ohio State hasn't played for the championship since losing to LSU at the end of the 2007 season.

Both teams are obviously quite talented on both sides of the ball, but the Crimson Tide rely more on their defense while the Buckeyes have counted on their offense throughout the season. Ohio State ranks fourth nationally with a scoring average of 45.2 points and has recorded at least 31 points in 12 of their 13 games, posting an average of 47.7 points in its last three contests. Alabama is fourth in the country in points allowed (16.6) and has given up more than 23 points only once all year.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: 'Bama opened as -10 faves at most books, but that's steadily been bet down to -9 a day before kickoff.

ABOUT OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes rank 11th nationally in rushing offense, mostly thanks to Ezekiel Elliott (1,402 yards) and quarterback J.T. Barrett (938), who fractured his ankle in Ohio State's regular-season finale, forcing Jones into the lineup. Sophomore defensive end Joey Bosa (13.5 sacks) is the lone first-team All-American for Ohio State, which had a pair of third-team All-Americans in Barrett and defensive tackle Michael Bennett, who set Big Ten championship game records with four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. "We made history just by making the top four," senior cornerback Doran Grant told the media earlier this month. "This game is going to be exciting. It's going to be hard-fought with two great coaches going head-to-head and two great teams going head-to-head."

ABOUT ALABAMA: T.J. Yeldon (932 yards) and Derrick Henry (895 yards) each have 10 rushing scores for the Crimson Tide, while Sims has six rushing scores of his own. However, the clear offensive star for Alabama is junior wideout Amari Cooper (115 catches, 1,656 yards, 14 touchdowns), who finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting and owns virtually every school receiving record, including career catches (219), yards (3,392) and touchdowns (29). “This is really kind of a new season for us, a new opportunity," said Alabama coach Nick Saban, whose team held Missouri to 41 rushing yards on 23 carries last week. "What does everybody want the legacy of this team to be?"

TRENDS:

*Alabama is 4-1 ATS in their last five bowl games
*Under is 5-1 in Ohio State's last six games on fieldturf
*Alabama is 4-1 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win
*Over is 7-1 in Alabama's last eight bowl games

CONSENSUS: At the time of writing, 54 percent of Consensus users were backing the Buckeyes.


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[Udog]

NCAAF

Thursday, January 1

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Rose Bowl betting preview: Florida State vs. Oregon
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Florida State Seminoles vs. Oregon Ducks (-8, 71)

The inaugural College Football Playoff has arrived and second-seeded Oregon will face third-seeded Florida State in a semifinal contest in the Rose Bowl presented by Northwestern Mutual on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif. The Ducks will be looking to topple defending national champion Florida State, which has won 29 consecutive games. The winner will meet top-seeded Alabama or fourth-seeded Ohio State in the national title game on Jan. 12.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was the landslide winner of the 2014 Heisman Trophy voting and 2013 winner Jameis Winston is the quarterback of Florida State, marking a rare meeting of Heisman winners in bowl games. “You have two of the greatest players in college football right now,” Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher told reporters. “That makes for great TV and makes for great competition. It’s what it’s about – getting the best against the best.” The other Heisman-winning quarterbacks to square off in a bowl game are 2007 winner Tim Tebow (Florida) against 2008 winner Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) when the Gators won the 2008 national title and 2004 winner Matt Leinart (USC) versus 2003 winner Jason White (Oklahoma) when the Trojans won the 2004 title.

Standout Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu suffered a serious knee injury in practices leading up to the contest and won’t be available. The highly regarded Ekpre-Olomu has nine career interceptions and opposing teams typically don’t throw much to his side of the field. The Ducks have a plus-17 turnover margin – and Winston tossed 17 interceptions – so it will be interesting to see what effect Ekpre-Olomu’s absence has on the game.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: The majority of shops opened the Ducks 8-point faves, but after seeing the line go as high as -9.5 it's come back down to its opening number as kickoff approaches.

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE: Winston wasn’t as sharp as his Heisman winning campaign as his mistake-prone ways and off-field conduct drew more attention than his 3,559 yards and 24 touchdowns. Still, the Seminoles averaged 34.8 points per game and have solid performers in running back Dalvin Cook (905 yards, eight touchdowns) and receiver Rashad Greene (93 receptions for 1,306 yards and seven TDs). Defensively, Florida State allows 23 points per game and the standouts of the unit include middle linebacker Reggie Northrup (team-best 113 tackles), free safety Jalen Ramsey (75 tackles, including 9.5 for losses) and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. (team-best 11 tackles for losses).

ABOUT OREGON: Mariota produced 52 touchdowns (38 passing, 14 rushing) while passing for 3,783 yards and rushing for 669, helping the Ducks average 46.3 points per game. Running back Royce Freeman (1,299 yards, 16 touchdowns) emerged as the season wore on while Byron Marshall had a team-best 61 receptions for 814 yards and Devon Allen added 41 catches for 684 yards. Oregon allows 22.5 points per game with free safety Erick Dargan leading the team in tackles (82) and interceptions (six), defensive end DeForest Buckner compiling a team-leading 12 tackles for losses while outside linebacker Christian French has a team-best 6.5 sacks.

TRENDS:
* Oregon is 8-0 ATS in their last eight overall
* Florida State is 1-5 ATS in their last six overall
* Under is 5-1 in Oregon's last six bowl games
* Under is 5-0 in Florida State's last five bowl games

CONSENSUS: At the time of writing, 57 percent of Consensus users were backing the underdog Seminoles.


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[Udog]

NCAAF

Thursday, January 1


Golden Gophers head into bowl season hot ATS

Minnesota is entering the Citrus Bowl coming off four straight wins against the spread to close out the season. The Gophers were dogs in each of those contests, with an average spread of +9.5.

Minny is currently +4.5 against Mizzou Thursday.


Auburn enters Outback Bowl slumping ATS

Auburn enters their bowl game going 1-6 against the spread in their final seven, including failing to cover in their final four contests. During their final seven games the Tigers had an average scoring margin of -3, while facing an average spread of -9.5.

Auburn is currently 6.5-point favorites against Wisconsin.

[Udog]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

Cactus Bowl, Tempe 1/2
Oklahoma State salvaged 6-6 record with OT win as 20-point dog in its rivalry game at Oklahoma; Cowboys are 0-2 in games with single digit spread. Washington coach Petersen was 5-2 in his bowls at Boise State; Huskies are 2-3 in last five bowls, Oklahoma State won three of its last four- favorites covered four of their last five. Underdogs won/covered three of last five Cactus Bowls, with four of five staying under total- Big 12 teams are 3-2 in those games. Huskies are 4-5 in last nine games, allowed 52 points in a over a I-AA team; they're 6-2 vs spread in games with single digit spread.

Alamo Bowl, San Antonio 1/2
Pac-12 teams are 5-1 in bowls, Big X teams 1-4. Big X teams won this game four of last five years. Kansas State covered eight of last ten games, is 3-2 in games with single digit spread. UCLA won five of last six tilts; they allowed 30+ points in all three losses, all of which were at home- they're 4-4 in games with single digit spread. Bruins are 2-3 in last five bowls, Kansas State lost four of last five, with favorites 4-0 vs spread (with one pick 'em). Snyder is 3-6 in his last nine bowls, covering once. Both teams have veteran QBs, which often leads to high scoring games. Favorites won/covered four of last five Alamo Bowls;

Taxslayer Bowl, Jacksonville 1/2
Tennessee is in its first bowl in four years; they found QB when they put soph Dobbs in- they won three of last four games, have to be fired up for this one. Vols lost three of last four bowls, Jones is 1-2 in bowls. Iowa lost three of last four games, allowing 32 ppg; they lost last two bowls 31-14/21-14- Ferentz is 6-5 as a bowl coach. Underdogs won this game SU three of last five years, with four of five games staying under total. SEC-Big 14 bowls are taking on life of own as sniping between the leagues escalates. Big 14 teams are 5-4 SU in bowls, 6-3 vs spread; they were dog in every game. SEC teams are 5-5 in bowls, 3-4 as favorites. Over last six years, SEC teams are 11-7 in bowls vs Big 14 teams.

Military Bowl, Fort Worth 1/2
Favorites won last five Military Bowls, covering four, with four of five games going over total. Pitt's coach bolted for Wisconsin; Houston fired its coach, now they'll be without their new coach another two weeks (he is Ohio State's OC). Pitt is 3-2 in its last five bowls; Houston is 2-3 in last five bowls, with favorites covering four of five games. Cougars won five of last seven games after 2-3 start that included 27-7 loss to Texas-San Antonio. Pitt allowed 49 ppg in one three-game stretch, also lost to Akron by 11. Pitt is 3-5 in tilts with single digit spread, Houston 3-2-1. Underdogs are 7-2 vs spread in ACC bowl games this season.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Friday, January 2

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Game of the Day: Kansas State vs. UCLA
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Kansas State Wildcats vs. UCLA Bruins (-1.5, 59)

Game to be played at the AlamoDome, San Antonio, Texas

Some of the best offensive talent in the nation will be on display when No. 10 Kansas State takes on No. 15 UCLA in San Antonio, Texas. The Bruins boast one of the nation's top quarterbacks in junior Brett Hundley, who is one of two players in the country to complete at least 70 percent of his passes for at least 20 touchdowns with no more than five interceptions. The Wildcats' offense is highlighted by senior wideout Tyler Lockett, who ranks fourth in the nation in receiving yards (1,351) and eighth in receptions (93) in addition to being a dynamic kick returner.

Both teams are looking to get to 10 victories for the second straight season after falling short of that goal their last time out. Kansas State absorbed a 38-27 loss to Big 12 co-champion Baylor on Dec. 6, while UCLA has not played since its five-game winning streak was halted by Stanford 31-10 on Nov. 28. Both teams also are looking to win a second straight bowl game, something the Bruins have not done since capturing eight in a row from 1982-91, while the Wildcats haven't won consecutive bowl appearances since 1999 and 2000.

This potentially could be the final game on the sideline for Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. The 75-year-old boasts 187 victories since taking over the Wildcats program in 1989 and, while he has not indicated that he will walk away following this season, retirement is always a possibility. Still, Snyder remains excited for the Alamo Bowl, telling reporters: "Having the opportunity to play against UCLA and a Jim Mora-coached football team is a great challenge for us - one I'm sure our youngsters will be excited to get invested in. It's a very challenging preparation for us."

TV: 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Action opened at UCLA +1, but quickly moved to a pick'em. The line spent an entire week listed as a pick'em before action moved the line to UCLA -1 and eventually -1.5. The total opened at 59 and has remained there.

INJURY REPORT: Kansas State - DL Terrell CLinkscales (Prob-Personal), DL Travis Britz (Out-Ankle), DB Dylan Schellenberg (Out-Leg) UCLA - QB Brett Hundley (Prob-Finger), DB Preist Willis (Ques-Head)

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (9-3 SU, 8-4 ATS, 7-5 O/U): The Wildcats gave up 584 yards in their last game against Baylor, including 412 through the air, and lost despite 14 receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown from Lockett. Quarterback Jake Waters (3,163 yards, 20 TDs) threw his sixth interception of the season - a rare turnover for a team that has given the ball to its opponent only 11 times all year. "They play perfect football almost," Bruins receiver Jordan Payton told the media. "They don't make any mistakes (and are) extremely disciplined, so it is going to take one of our best games we've ever played, and we are definitely going to be ready for it."

ABOUT UCLA (9-3 SU, 4-8 ATS, 4-7-1 O/U): Hundley, who is projected as a first-round NFL draft pick, enters this matchup with a 70.4 completion percentage to go with 3,019 passing yards and 21 touchdowns against five interceptions. He also has contributed 548 yards and eight TDs on the ground, although Paul Perkins (1,378 yards, seven TDs) carries the bulk of the load for the Bruins' ground attack. Still, Perkins and his teammates will need to refocus in the wake of the upset against Stanford, as he told reporters recently: "I don't get over any loss. I lost last night in a video game, I'm still mad about it. The bowl is going to be nice, but it can't make up for the opportunity that we had."

TRENDS:

*Wildcats are 19-6-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
*Bruins are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. loss.
*Under is 5-1 in Wildcats last 6 neutral site games.
*Over is 10-4 in Bruins last 14 vs. Big 12.

CONSENSUS: 54.25 percent of users are backing Kansas State with 63.4 percent on the over.


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[Udog]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

Birmingham Bowl 1/3
East Carolina covered its last six games vs ACC/SEC teams; motivation here is all in their favor, as Florida has interim coach. Pirates lost three of last five games after 6-1 start; they're 2-0 as underdog this year, 2-2 in games with single digit spread. Florida is 2-3 in such games. Favorites won/covered this game three of last four years; this bowl was decided by 13+ points each of last five years. Florida has changed coaches, they didn't play in bowl game LY- they've won four of last five bowls, but last win was in '11. East Carolina lost four of last five bowls, with only win LY as 14-point favorite over MAC squad.

Bowls so far: underdogs are 22-13, over is also 22-13.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Saturday, January 3

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Birmingham Bowl betting preview: ECU vs. Florida
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East Carolina Panthers vs. Florida Gators (-7, 56)

Game to be played at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

Florida - ranked ninth nationally in total defense - will be challenged by the country's top quarterback-receiver combination. American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Shane Carden has hit NCAA-record holder Justin Hardy for 27 career touchdowns - the most among active duos. Carden averages 359.1 passing yards - with five 400-yard games this season - while the Gators are allowing 194.2 yards through the air, 24th in the nation.

Freshman starting quarterback Treon Harris is expected to play for Florida after being charged with a second-degree misdemeanor Dec. 13 after operating a vehicle without a valid license. Two small bags of marijuana were also found in the car but Harris and freshmen teammates Jalen Tabor and J.C. Jackson were not charged because the car did not belong to any of them. The Florida athletic department released a statement Friday afternoon saying "We are aware of the incident and are dealing with it internally and their bowl status hasn't changed."

D.J. Durkin, who will not return to Florida after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator, will serve as interim head coach for the bowl game while recently hired head coach Jim McElwain has been watching practices. McElwain hired Mississippi State defensive coordinator Geoff Collins on Dec. 16 to fill the same role at Florida. "(Interim coach) is one of the hardest positions to be in," said Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill, who was the Texas Tech interim coach for the 2010 Alamo Bowl before taking the East Carolina job.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Gators as 7-point faves. That was adjusted to -6.5 before moving back to -7. The total opened at 57 and is down to 56.

WEATHER: Forecasts are calling for an 88 percent chance of thunderstorms and wind blowing toward the north endzone at nine mph.

INJURY REPORT: East Carolina - WR Trevon Brown (Probable, knee), RB Breon Allen (Out, leg)

ABOUT EAST CAROLINA (8-4 SU, 5-7 ATS, 6-6 O/U): Hardy - who won the 2014 Burlsworth Trophy as the best player who began their career as a walk-on - owns the NCAA record for career receptions (376) and leads the nation with 9.2 catches per game. Carden has thrown for 4,309 yards and 28 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 551 attempts. The Pirates - ranked No. 2 in passing (367.3) and fifth in total offense (532.8) - should have freshman receiver Trevon Brown (four TDs before a knee injury on Oct. 23) back for the bowl game.

ABOUT FLORIDA (6-5 SU, 6-5 ATS, 8-3 O/U): Harris has thrown for 633 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions and run for another 240 yards and two scores since taking over as starter five games ago. Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor have combined for 1,382 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns and Demarcus Robinson leads the Gators - who have lost five turnovers in their last five games after committing 15 in the previous four games - with 47 catches for 774 yards and seven touchdowns. Leading tackler Antonio Morrison needs two stops to become the first Gator with 100 tackles since Ahmad Black in 2010.

TRENDS:

* Pirates are 5-0 ATS in their last five non-conference games.
* Gators are 4-1 ATS in their last five bowl games.
* Over is 6-2 in Gators last eight bowl games.
* Over is 7-2 in Pirates last nine neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 59 percent of bettors are taking the Gators.


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[Udog]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

Godaddy.com Bowl, Mobile, 1/4
Seniors who red-shirted a year at Arkansas State had a different coach in all five years of college, in addition to two other interim coaches for bowl games. Red Wolves are in this bowl for 4th year in row, winning last two by 17-13/23-20 scores. Underdogs won/covered this bowl three of last four years, with last three staying under total. Over last six years, MAC bowl favorites are 2-5-1 vs spread; they're 1-10 SU in bowls last couple years. Toledo is 2-3 in last five bowls, allowing 38.7 ppg in last three; Rockets won four of last five games, are 1-3-1 vs spread in games with a single digit spread. ASU is 3-2 in games with single digit spread.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Sunday, January 4

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GoDaddy Bowl betting preview: Toledo vs. Arkansas State
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Toledo Rockets vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves (+3.5, 68.5)

Arkansas State makes its fourth consecutive appearance in the GoDaddy Bowl when the Red Wolves face Toledo in Mobile, Ala. Toledo won seven of its final nine regular-season games, but the Rockets will be tested by a Red Wolves team that has compiled 35 victories over the past four seasons. Arkansas State is seeking its third straight GoDaddy Bowl victory after beating Ball State 23-20 last season.

Toledo is led by the running back tandem of Kareem Hunt and Terry Swanson, who combined for more than 2,000 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. Hunt finished second in the nation in yards per carry at 7.9. The duo will likely receive a heavy workload against an Arkansas State squad that ranks 91st nationally in run defense at 191.9 yards per game.

Both teams struggled in non-conference play this season, with Toledo allowing a total of 107 points in back-to-back losses to Missouri and Cincinnati. The Rockets also fell 37-30 to an Iowa State team that finished 2-10. Arkansas State lost to Tennessee and Miami before recording an impressive 21-14 overtime win over Utah State on Sept. 20.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened Toledo -2.5 and the Rockets are now -3.5. The total opened at 67 and is up to 68.5.

INJURIES: Toledo - DB Jordan Haden (Out, abdominal). Arkansas State - DB Charleston Girley (Probable, wrist).

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-50s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow toward the south endzone at 10 mph.

ABOUT TOLEDO (8-4 SU, 4-7-1 ATS, 7-5 O/U): Hunt missed three games with an ankle injury but still rushed for 1,360 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Rockets, who average 34.4 points per game. Quarterback Logan Woodside, who threw for 19 scores with seven interceptions, finished the regular season on a high note with a career-high five touchdown passes in a 52-16 victory over Eastern Michigan. Linebacker Junior Sylvestre recorded a team-high 94 tackles and leads a unit that ranked 11th in the MAC in pass defense.

ABOUT ARKANSAS STATE (7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS, 8-4 O/U): Dual-threat quarterback Fredi Knighten passed for 2,874 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and has also rushed for 775 yards and 11 scores. The dynamic junior accounted for 449 total yards and four touchdowns in a 68-35 victory over New Mexico State in the Red Wolves’ regular-season finale. Linebacker Qushaun Lee and cornerback Artez Brown each had four interceptions to lead the defense, which allowed an average of 39 points in its last three games

TRENDS:

* Rockets are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
* Red Wolves are 12-3-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 5-0 in Rockets last five non-conference games.
* Over is 7-0 in Red Wolves last seven games overall.

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 55 percent of bettors are backing Toledo.


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