The Bum's College Football Bowl Games Rated Plays, Trends, News Etc. !!

[StarDust Bum]

College Bowl Pick'em
December 16, 2015

The college football Bowl season begins on Saturday Dec. 19 runs through Saturday Jan. 2. This year’s postseason will feature 40 games plus the College Football Playoff championship, which is scheduled for Monday Jan. 11.

During the holiday season, bettors have the opportunity to earn extra cash with "College Bowl Pick ‘em" contests where all you have to do is pick the winner, which isn’t as easy as it looks.

The most popular contest has you picking the winner of all 40 Bowl games and ranking them with confidence, starting with 40 as the most confident pick and counting all the way down to 1 as least confident.

Why is UCLA the top choice on this list? Its opponent, Nebraska finished 5-7 in the regular season, as the Cornhuskers recorded only quality victory by narrowly edging Michigan State in a controversial finish. Yes, the Huskers lost several close games at the end, but they need to travel to northern California to face a Bruins’ squad that is looking to close out the season with a victory after getting pummeled by cross-town rival USC. Nebraska’s defense allowed 402 yards per game as it faces standout quarterback Josh Rosen, who threw for 3,351 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Florida State is ranked second on this list, even though the Seminoles are facing American Athletic Conference champ Houston in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. One season removed from playing in the college football playoff, the Seminoles seemed forgotten with Jameis Winston headed to the NFL. However, FSU lost only two games this season with the two defeats coming to top-ranked Clemson on the road and losing on a last-second blocked field goal returned for a score at Georgia Tech. Houston is listed as an underdog for just the third time this season, but faced eight teams that finished at 6-6 or worse.

VegasInsider.com handicapper Joe Nelson also selected a Pac-12 team as his most confident bowl pick of the season, backing Washington against Southern Miss in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, "Washington finished just 6-6 and there are a few bowl games with bigger favorite spreads, but Chris Petersen has a great track record in bowl games and his team responded with dominant wins in the final two weeks of the season to earn this spot. Getting to 6-6 in a season that started with great turmoil was a great accomplishment for the Huskies especially with a schedule that included most of the Pac-12 heavyweights and two bowl teams from the Mountain West. After losing in bowl action last season, this should be a focused team and Washington wound up with elite defensive numbers this season allowing fewer than 18 points per game despite a daunting schedule." The rest of the straight up selections are listed below.

COLLEGE BOWL PICK 'EM STRAIGHT UP

Point Value Bowl Game Matchup Prediction

40 Foster Farms Bowl Nebraska vs. UCLA UCLA Bruins

39 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Houston vs. Florida State Florida State Seminoles

38 Citrus Bowl Florida vs. Michigan Michigan Wolverines

37 Fiesta Bowl Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes

36 Independence Bowl Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hokies

35 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Akron vs. Utah State Utah State Aggies

34 Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Semifinal Michigan State vs. Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide

33 Hawai'i Bowl San Diego State vs. Cincinnati San Diego State Aztecs

32 GoDaddy Bowl Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green Bowling Green Falcons

31 Camellia Bowl Ohio vs. Appalachian State Appalachian State Mountaineers

30 St. Petersburg Bowl Connecticut vs. Marshall Marshall Thundering Herd

29 New Orleans Bowl Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

28 Liberty Bowl Kansas State vs. Arkansas Arkansas Razorbacks

27 Poinsettia Bowl Boise State vs. Northern Illinois Boise State Broncos

26 Military Bowl Pittsburgh vs. Navy Navy Midshipmen

25 Sun Bowl Miami (FL) vs. Washington State Washington State Cougars

24 Quick Lane Bowl Central Michigan vs. Minnesota Central Michigan Chippewas

23 Birmingham Bowl Auburn vs. Memphis Memphis Tigers

22 Heart of Dallas Bowl Washington vs. Southern Mississippi Southern Mississippi Eagles

21 Armed Forces Bowl California vs. Air Force California Golden Bears

20 Boca Raton Bowl Toledo vs. Temple Toledo Rockets

19 Rose Bowl Iowa vs. Stanford Iowa Hawkeyes

18 Miami Beach Bowl Western Kentucky vs. USF South Florida Bulls

17 Russell Athletic Bowl North Carolina vs. Baylor North Carolina Tar Heels

16 Arizona Bowl Nevada vs. Colorado State Colorado State Rams

15 Capital One Orange Bowl - Semifinal Oklahoma vs. Clemson Oklahoma Sooners

14 Texas Bowl LSU vs. Texas Tech LSU Tigers

13 Las Vegas Bowl BYU vs. Utah BYU Cougars

12 Belk Bowl N.C. State vs. Mississippi State N.C. State Wolfpack

11 Holiday Bowl USC vs. Wisconsin Wisconsin Badgers

10 Bahamas Bowl Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan Western Michigan Broncos

9 Music City Bowl Texas A&M vs. Louisville Louisville Cardinals

8 Outback Bowl Northwestern vs. Tennessee Tennessee Volunteers

7 Sugar Bowl Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma State Ole Miss Rebels

6 Pinstripe Bowl Indiana vs. Duke Duke Blue Devils

5 Cure Bowl San Jose State vs. Georgia State San Jose State Spartans

4 New Mexico Bowl Arizona vs. New Mexico Arizona Wildcats

3 Taxslayer Bowl Penn State vs. Georgia Georgia Bulldogs

2 Cactus Bowl West Virginia vs. Arizona State Arizona State Sun Devils

1 Alamo Bowl Oregon vs. TCU Oregon Ducks

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Bowl Tip Sheet
December 17, 2015


**Arizona vs. New Mexico**

-- The Pac-12 and Mtn. West Conference will collide Saturday in Albuquerque at the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. As of Thursday, most betting shops had Arizona (6-6 straight up, 6-6 against the spread) installed as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 65. The line was 9.5 at most spots on Tuesday, but the number has been slowly sliding down since then. The Lobos were +325 on the money line (risk $100 to win $325) earlier in the week, but that number was down to +300 by Thursday. For first-half wagers, the Wildcats were favored by 4.5 points with a total of 33 points.

-- New Mexico (7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS) is in the postseason for the first time since 2007 and this will be the bowl debut for Bob Davie in his fourth season at the helm. The Lobos won three of their last four games both SU and ATS, with all three victories coming from the role as double-digit underdogs. They beat Utah State 14-13 as 20.5-point home underdogs before taking over the smurf turf and capturing a 31-24 win at Boise State as 31-point puppies.

-- UNM’s defense gave up 638 total yards of offense to the Broncos, but it forced four turnovers and was able to get stops on three fourth-down attempts by BSU. Jhurell Pressley rushed nine times for 132 yards and one TD for the winners. QB Austin Apodaca completed 8-of-12 throws for 172 yards, while QB Lamar Jordan ran for a 19-yard TD and completed his only pass attempt for 46 yards.

-- After beating BSU, UNM lost a 28-21 decision to Colorado State as a three-point home underdog. However, the Lobos bounced back in the regular-season finale to top Air Force 47-35 as 11-point home ‘dogs. Pressley exploded for 170 rushing yards and three TDs on 17 carries, while Jordan ran 12 times for 68 yards and one TD. Jordan also threw for 135 yards.

-- New Mexico won outright in five of seven home games this year, going 3-4 ATS. However, we should note that UNM went 2-1 both SU and ATS in three games as a home puppy. During Davie’s four-year tenure, the Lobos are 5-9 ATS in 14 games as home ‘dogs.

-- After racing out to a 5-2 start, Rich Rodriguez’s squad lost four of its last five games, including a 52-37 defeat at Arizona State as a six-point underdog in the regular-season finale. After the regular-season finale, Rodriguez’s name was linked to multiple jobs and he definitely interviewed for the South Carolina gig. According to reports and a tweet from Arizona AD Greg Byrne, Rodriguez declined an offer from the Gamecocks.

-- Arizona’s defense has been a disaster, finishing No. 114 in total yards (463.2 YPG) and No. 106 in scoring defense (35.7 PPG). This unit had to play nearly the entire season without junior MLB Scooby Wright, who was a first-team All-American and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. Wright injured his foot in September and played in only two regular-season games. However, he is expected to return and play on Saturday. He finished last season with 14 sacks and 29 tackles for loss.

-- Arizona star RB Nick Wilson won’t be available on Saturday, however. Wilson, who rushed for 1,375 yards and 16 TDs while garnering third-team All Pac-12 honors as a true freshman in 2014, missed three games this year and was given only six carries in each of the last three games he played. Wilson finished 2015 with a team-best 736 rushing yards for eight TDs with a 5.5 yards-per-carry average.

-- Arizona is going bowling for a fourth straight season under Rodriguez, who has led the Wildcats to a 2-1 SU record and a 1-2 ATS mark in three postseason games. In 2012, UA failed to cover in a 49-48 win over Nevada at the New Mexico Bowl. Two years ago, the Wildcats smashed Boston College 42-19 as seven-point favorites at the AdvoCare V100 Bowl. Then last season, they dropped a 38-30 decision to Boise State as three-point ‘chalk’ at the Fiesta Bowl.

-- Arizona’s offense is led by sophomore QB Anu Solomon, who missed the regular-season finale at Arizona State with a head injury. He also missed most of the 56-30 home loss to UCLA after leaving the game early with a concussion. Nevertheless, Solomon completed 63.0 percent of his passes for 2,326 yards with an 18/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He ran for 186 yards and two scores. For his career, Solomon has a stellar 46/13 TD-INT ratio.

-- Arizona posted a 2-0 spread record in a pair of road ‘chalk’ situations this year. During Rodriguez’s tenure, the Wildcats are 5-2 ATS as road favorites.

-- UNM’s last bowl appearance came in this same event in 2007 when it blasted Nevada 23-0 as a 2.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The Lobos had lost four straight bowl games prior to that, including the 2006 New Mexico Bowl to San Jose State (20-12) as three-point favorites.

-- The ‘over’ cashed at a 9-3 overall clip for Arizona this year, hitting in each of its last two regular-season games. The Wildcats saw their games average combined scores of 72.4 points per game.

-- The ‘under’ went 7-5 overall for UNM, but the ‘over’ hit at a 4-3 clip in its home outings. The Lobos have seen their games average combined scores of 56.3 PPG. They saw the ‘under’ go 4-1 in their last five contests.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Brigham Young vs. Utah**

-- Utah and BYU ((9-3 SU, 8-4 ATS) are set to renew their bitter rivalry Saturday afternoon at the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. These in-state adversaries didn’t play each other this year or in 2014, but they’ll play five years in a row starting in 2016. As of Thursday, most books had Utah installed as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 52 points.

-- Utah has won four in a row in this series, taking the cash in each of the last three. The Utes are 5-1 against the Cougars both SU and ATS in the last six head-to-head meetings, including a 20-13 win two seasons ago as seven-point underdogs. The ‘over’ has hit in two of the last three encounters.

-- Utah (9-3 SU, 5-7 ATS) won its first six games against a tough schedule, one that featured five bowl-bound teams including Oregon and Michigan. The Utes blasted the Ducks 62-20 in Eugene, but their first setback would come at Southern Cal (42-24). They lost twice more in November, falling 37-30 at Arizona and 17-9 vs. UCLA.

-- Utah looked sloppy in the regular-season finale, a 20-14 ho-hum win over Colorado as a 16.5-point home ‘chalk.’ Joe Williams ran 34 times for 187 yards and one TD.

-- Utah has failed to cover the number in three straight games and five of its last six. The Utes have been single-digit favorites four times, going 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS in those instances.

-- Kyle Whittingham’s team will have to face the Cougars without star senior RB Devontae Booker, who is ‘out’ due to a knee injury that kept him out of the last two regular-season games. Booker rushed for 1,261 yards and 11 touchdown while averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He also 37 receptions for 318 yards and threw a 25-yard TD pass on his only aerial attempt. As a junior in 2014, Booker earned first-team All Pac-12 honors after rushing for 1,512 yards and 10 TDs. Without its workhorse back, Utah lost at home to the Bruins and posted the aforementioned win over CU.

-- Williams has filled in well for Booker, posting back-to-back 100-plus yard rushing performances. In the loss to the Bruins, the juco transfer who started his career at UConn, rushed for 121 yards and 26 totes. For the season, Williams is averaging 4.9 YPC.

-- BYU won six of nine games against bowl-bound opponents. The Cougars’ scalps include Nebraska, Boise State, UConn, San Jose State, Cincinnati and Utah State The defeats came at UCLA (24-23), at Michigan (31-0) and at Missouri (20-16).

-- BYU got off to an inauspicious start in August when star RB Jamaal Williams was lost to a season-ending suspension. Then in the first half of the opener at Nebraska, Heisman Trophy candidate Taysom Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury. Nevertheless, Bronco Mendenhall’s squad beat the Cornhuskers thanks to a Hail Mary pass from Tanner Mangum on the game’s final play. Mangum rallied BYU past Boise State at home in Week 2, connecting on a long TD pass on a fourth-and-seven play in the final minute.

-- Mangum has completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 3,062 yards with a 21/7 TD-INT ratio. Mangum’s favorite target is Mitch Mathews, who hauled in 52 receptions for 729 yards and 11 TDs. Devon Blackmon had 43 catches for 572 yards. Algernon Brown emerged as BYU’s top RB, producing 697 yards and 11 TDs with a 5.7 YPC average.

-- BYU cruised to victory in its regular-season finale at Utah State, blasting the Aggies by a 51-28 count as a three-point road favorite. Mangum connected on 16-of-30 throws for 284 yards and four TDs without an interception. Brown rushed for 68 yards and one TD on 16 carries, while Mathews brought down six catches for 158 yards and two TDs.

-- Utah senior QB Travis Wilson has had a mediocre season, throwing only 13 TD passes compared to 10 interceptions. He has completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,022 yards.

-- Utah WR Kenneth Marshall was listed as ‘questionable’ earlier this week, but he was upgraded to ‘probable’ after practicing on Thursday. Marshall has 38 receptions for 448 yards and four TDs. Britain Covey has made a team-high 41 catches for 518 yards and four TDs.

-- Totals have been an overall wash for the Utes (6-6), though we’ll note back-to-back ‘unders’ to close the regular season.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (6-6) for the Cougars, but they have seen the ‘over’ cash in back-to-back contests.

-- BYU hasn’t been an underdog since September when it compiled a 3-1 spread record and collected a pair of outright victories from the ‘dog role.

-- Utah is bowling for a second straight season after thumping Colorado State 45-10 as a 2.5-point fave at last year’s Las Vegas Bowl. The Utes has missed the postseason in 2012 and 2013 when they went 5-7 in consecutive seasons. They have a chance to post their first 10-win campaign since entering the Pac-12 in 2011 and it would be their first 10-win season since 2010, which was the third year in a row of double-digit win tallies (2008-2010).

-- ABC will provide the broadcast at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

**Ohio vs. Appalachian State**

-- Appalachian State (10-2 SU, 6-6 ATS) is going bowling for the first time in school history in just its second season competing in the Sun Belt Conference. The Mountaineers suffered their lone defeats at Clemson (41-10) and vs. Arkansas State (40-27). They had only two wins against bowl-bound foes, beating Georgia Southern 31-13 as 6.5-point home favorites and Georgia State 37-3 in Atlanta.

-- As of Thursday, most books had Appalachian State listed as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 55. The Mountaineers will be facing Ohio from out of the MAC at the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. This is the sixth bowl game for the Bobcats in the last seven years. They were left out of the postseason in 2014.

-- Appalachian State has been a single-digit favorite twice, easily cashing tickets in both instances. However, the Mountaineers are currently mired in a 1-4 ATS slump spanning their last five regular-season outings.

-- Appalachian State is led by a defense that ranks No. 13 in the country in scoring, allowing only 18.2 PPG. ASU is 12th in total defense and 18th against the pass.

-- There was no sophomore slump for ASU quarterback Taylor Lamb, who was the Sun Belt’s Freshman Player of the Year in 2014. Lamb completed 60.6 percent of his passes this season for 2,240 yards with a 29/8 TD-INT ratio. He also produced 385 rushing yards and four TDs while averaging 5.1 YPC.

-- ASU junior RB Marcus Cox went over 1,000 rushing yards for a third consecutive season. He ran for 1,266 yards and eight TDs while averaging 5.8 YPC. Cox also had 18 catches for 160 yards and two TDs. Redshirt freshman RB Jalin Moore emerged as an excellent No. 2 RB, rushing for 635 yards and five TDs with a 7.4 YPC average.

-- Ohio (8-4 SU, 8-4 ATS) has won three in a row both SU and ATS, including a 26-21 win at No. Illinois as an 11-point underdog in the regular-season finale. A.J. Ouellette rushed for 140 yards on 30 carries, while J.D. Sprague ran five times for 30 yards and also threw for 92 yards and one TD without an interception.

-- Ouellette has rushed for a team-best 642 yards and five TDs with a 4.7 YPC average. Meanwhile, Daz’mond Patterson has 497 rushing yards, nine TDs and a 4.9 YPC average. Patterson missed the win at NIU to close the regular season due to a leg injury, but he’s expected to play against the Mountaineers.

-- Ohio has been an underdog four times, posting a 3-1 spread record with a pair of outright victories, including a 21-10 win over Marshall as a three-point home underdog.

-- Ohio starting CB Devin Bass is ‘out’ with a thumb injury, while safety Nathan Carpenter is ‘doubtful’ due to a groin issue. Carpenter had 32 tackles and a pair of interceptions.

-- The ‘over’ is 7-5 overall for Ohio with its games averaging combined scores of 52.2 PPG.

-- The ‘under’ is 7-5 overall for ASU, but the ‘over’ has hit in four of its last five games. The Mountaineers have seen their games average combined scores of 55.4 PPG.

-- Kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Top Bowl Action
December 18, 2015


ARIZONA WILDCATS (6-6) at NEW MEXICO LOBOS (7-5)
New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium - Albuquerque, NM
Kickoff: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Arizona -7.5, Total: 65.5

New Mexico will play in its first postseason game since 2007 when it hosts Arizona on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.

The Wildcats (6-6 ATS overall, 3-3 ATS on road) haven't won a game in regulation since Oct. 17, losing four of their last five SU with the lone win being in double overtime versus Utah.

The Lobos (6-6 ATS overall, 3-4 ATS at home) were 3-1 (SU and ATS) in November capped off by an impressive 47-35 win over 11-point favorite Air Force.

These schools faced two common opponents this year (Nevada and Arizona State) with Arizona scoring 40.5 PPG against the pair and New Mexico managing only 13.5 PPG in those two contests. But this season, the Wildcats allow 40.8 PPG away from home and the Lobos are 5-2 SU with 33.6 PPG at University Stadium. Also, most of the betting trends in this matchup favor New Mexico, such as its 10-2 ATS mark after an upset win in conference play as a home underdog since 1992, and its opponent's 0-8 ATS record after a 2-1 ATS run in a three-game stretch since the start of last season.

Bettors expecting a big Arizona win can point to its opponent's negative trend that college football home underdogs are 18-45 ATS (29%) since 1992 in a game involving two average teams (+/- 0.6 yards per play) after 7+ games, after gaining 6.25+ yards per play in their previous contest. Although Wildcats top RB Nick Wilson (undisclosed) is doubtful to play and WR Samajie Grant (head) and OL Freddie Tagaloa (knee) are both questionable, the team expects to have both top QB Anu Solomon (concussion) and superstar LB Scooby Wright (foot) in action. The Lobos have no new injuries to contend with.

Arizona's offense has amassed 36.7 PPG and 494 total YPG this season with a healthy balance of 227 rushing YPG (5.5 YPC) and 267 passing YPG (7.3 YPA). Although leading rusher, RB Nick Wilson (725 rush yds, 5.5 YPC, 8 TD), will not likely play, the team has two other capable ball carriers in QB Jerrard Randall (702 rush yds, 9.0 YPC, 5 TD) and RB Jared Baker (691 rush yds, 5.8 YPC, 6 TD). The senior Randall has had three games with more than 100 rushing yards this season, while the senior Baker has surpassed the century mark twice, including 207 yards on 23 carries (9.0 YPC) at Colorado on Oct. 17.

But the key to this offense is the health of sophomore QB Anu Solomon, who has completed 63% of his passes for 2,338 yards (7.6 YPA), 18 TD and only 4 INT. Solomon has thrown at least two touchdown passes in six of 10 games this year and also rushed for a season-high 86 yards and a score in his last game against Utah. Solomon has four pass catchers with more than 500 receiving yards this year in WRs Cayleb Jones (722 yds, 4 TD), Johnny Jackson (612 yds, 5 TD), Nate Phillips (546 yds, 4 TD) and David Richards (514 yds, 5 TD).

Defensively, the Wildcats have struggled all season in allowing 35.7 PPG on 463 total YPG, including 40.0 PPG and 493 YPG in the past three contests. Being on the field for an average of 33:06 doesn't help either their run defense (188 YPG allowed on 4.4 YPC) or pass defense (275 YPG on 7.8 YPA). However, the unit has forced two turnovers in each of the past two games, and superstar LB Scooby Wright will be back on the field for the first time since September to wreak havoc.

New Mexico's offense has averaged a solid 29.3 PPG on 378 total YPG this year with a slight uptick in the past three contests to 33.0 PPG and 417 total YPG. The strength of this attack is clearly on the ground (248 YPG on 5.2 YPC), which includes 645 rushing yards on a hefty 6.1 YPC over the past two games.

The ball-carrying duties are nearly an equal split between three players, RBs Jhurell Pressley (846 rush yds, 6.3 YPC, 11 TD), Teriyon Gipson (766 rush yds, 5.8 YPC, 6 TD) and QB Lamar Jordan (672 rush yds, 5.3 YPC, 6 TD) who have 135, 132 and 126 carries, respectively. Pressley is coming off a career-high 170 yards (10.0 YPC) and career-high-tying three touchdowns in the win over Air Force, while Gipson is averaging 82 rushing YPG since the start of October, including 71 yards (5.9 YPC) versus the Falcons.

Although Jordan has a solid 8.6 YPA as a passer, he has completed just 53% of his throws with more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (4). In the past three games, the sophomore is 9-for-19 for 239 yards, 0 TD and 4 INT.

The Lobos aren't a great defensive team either, as they surrender 27.0 PPG and 432 total YPG. While opponents run for 194 YPG on 4.5 YPC, they also complete 58% of their throws for 238 YPG on 8.0 YPA. Turnovers are key for this unit that has 19 forced turnovers in seven wins and only four total takeaways during five defeats.

BYU COUGARS (9-3) vs. UTAH UTES (9-3)
Las Vegas Bowl
Sam Boyd Stadium - Las Vegas, NV
Kickoff: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Utah -3, Total: 52

"Holy War" rivals play for state bragging rights on Saturday when surging BYU meets slumping Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The Cougars are 7-1 SU (5-3 ATS) since October 1, with their only loss being by four points on the road at an SEC school (Missouri). Meanwhile the Utes are 1-5 ATS (3-3 SU) in the past six contests, with the lone win and cover coming at Washington on Nov. 7.

These long-time rival schools met every year from 1945 to 2013 but did not square off last season. Utah has won nine of the past 12 meetings including four in a row, but BYU usually keeps the score close, as seven of the past nine meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less.

Although the Utes are 9-1 ATS in non-conference games in the past three seasons, all college football teams after an ATS loss versus an opponent with 2+ straight ATS wins are just 47-98 ATS (32%) in the past five seasons when the line is +3 to -3.

Utah will likely be without star RB Devontae Booker (knee), who has rushed for 1,261 yards and 11 TD this season, and will also be thin at wideout with its top two pass catchers most likely sidelined in WR Britain Covey (undisclosed, doubtful) and WR Kenneth Scott (leg, out).

For BYU, there have been no new additions to the injury report since TE Bryan Sampson (ankle) and LB Rhett Sandlin (neck) both suffered season-ending injuries in November. This will be last game for Cougars head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who will coach Virginia next season.

Although BYU lost star QB Taysom Hill with a broken foot in the season opener, the school has still managed to produce 34.2 PPG and 428 total YPG during the 2015 campaign. Much of this yardage has come through the air (295 YPG on 7.9 YPA), as the ground game remains subpar with only 133 YPG on 4.1 YPC. In the past four contests, the Cougars have averaged a mere 79 rushing YPG on 3.0 YPC.

But Hill's replacement, freshman QB Tanner Mangum, has done an excellent job all year with a 62% completion rate, a school freshman record 3,062 passing yards (7.9 YPA), 21 TD and 7 INT. In the past seven games, Mangum has thrown 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions. The only negative is the 26 sacks he has taken, but Mangum has done a great job in spreading his passes around, as five different BYU players have more than 400 receiving yards.

The clear leader of this group is 6-foot-6 senior WR Mitch Mathews, who has 729 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns this season, and is coming off a season-high, 158-yard effort with two touchdowns at Utah State. Mathews had a great performance in last season's Miami Beach Bowl when he caught nine passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in his team's 55-48 loss to Memphis in double overtime.

The Cougars defense has been consistently great all season in limiting opponents to 21.8 PPG on 358 total YPG. The run-stop unit allows only 3.7 YPC (145 rush YPG) and opposing quarterbacks complete just 56% of passes for 213 YPG (6.5 YPA). This BYU defense has also forced multiple turnovers eight times this season including each of the past three games. That's not a good sign for the Utes, who have multiple giveaways in four straight contests.

Utah's offense averages a solid 30.2 PPG and 377 total YPG this season, and those numbers are even better away from home (39.0 PPG, 410 total YPG). But the top three skill players are all expected to be sidelined on Saturday in RB Devontae Booker (1,261 rush yds, 4.7 YPC, 11 TD) and WRs Britain Covey (518 rec yds, 4 TD) and WR Kenneth Scott (448 rec yds, 4 TD).

That puts more pressure on inconsistent QB Travis Wilson (62% completions, 2,024 pass yds, 13 TD, 10 INT) to move the football with a subpar receiving corps whose only healthy player reaching 200 yards this season is TE Harrison Handley (270 rec yds, 4 TD). In last year's Las Vegas Bowl against Colorado State, Wilson threw for a pedestrian 158 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, but he also ran for 91 yards (8.3 YPC) and three touchdowns in the 45-10 rout. Wilson has also used his legs nicely this season with 467 rushing yards (3.7 YPC) and 6 TD.

Wilson and junior RB Joe Williams (386 rush yds, 4.9 YPC, 1 TD) will continue to handle the bulk of the rushing load. Williams has done an excellent job filling in for Booker with 308 yards on 60 carries (5.1 YPC) over the past two games, and should expect another 20+ carries on Saturday.

The Utes defense has done a nice job this season in holding opponents to 21.8 PPG on 365 total YPG. They are especially adept at stuffing the run (112 YPG on 3.3 YPC) as opposing quarterbacks throw for 253 YPG (7.0 YPA) on a 55% completion rate. Turnovers are a big part of this unit's success, as Utah has amassed 27 takeaways during nine wins, but has forced only two turnovers combined in its three defeats.

OHIO BOBCATS (8-4) vs. APPALACHIAN STATE MOUNTAINEERS (9-3)
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl - Montgomery, AL
Kickoff: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Appalachian State -7.5, Total: 55

Appalachian State will make its first-ever bowl appearance on Saturday when it takes on Ohio in the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, AL.

The Mountaineers (6-6 ATS) flourished in their second FBS season with 10 wins, and the lone defeats came to unbeaten Clemson and Sun Belt champion Arkansas State. Since that last loss, the team has won three straight games by a combined score of 109 to 54.

The Bobcats (8-4 ATS) are also riding a three-game win streak (SU and ATS) that includes a 26-21 upset at double-digit favorite Northern Illinois in the last game. Ohio also has much more postseason experience with this being the school's sixth bowl trip in the past seven years. However, most of the betting trends favor Appalachian State, with the most telling trend being that college football underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points, coming off two straight conference wins are just 26-65 ATS (29%) in the past 10 seasons versus an opponent off a road victory.

The Mountaineers are also a better team away from home at 5-1 SU with a +21.8 PPG margin while the Bobcats are 3-3 SU with a minus-6.8 PPG margin.

Ohio is a decent offensive team with 27.4 PPG and 424 total YPG, and those numbers have jumped to 33.7 PPG and 484 total YPG over the past three contests. The club prefers to run the football with 57% of its plays staying on the ground, which has led to a quality 187 rushing YPG on 4.4 YPC and an average possession time of 32:27. The Bobcats also throw for 236 YPG on 7.5 YPA, but their quarterback situation is shaky, as it's not clear whether senior QB Derrius Vick (1,809 pass yds, 7.3 YPA, 10 TD, 6 INT) or junior JD Sprague (785 pass yds, 9.0 YPA, 7 TD, 1 INT) will be starting under center.

Vick hasn't played the past two games due to a nagging ankle injury, but threw more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) in his past five games. Sprague won each of the past two games by completing 21-of-33 passes for 367 yards, 4 TD and 0 INT, and he is clearly the better runner with 190 yards on 4.5 YPC compared to Vick's 177 yards on 1.9 YPC.

The best ball carrier on the team is sophomore RB A.J. Ouellette (642 rush yds, 4.7 YPC, 5 TD), who has rushed the football 52 times for 261 yards (5.0 YPC) and 2 TD over the past two games, but speedy 5-foot-7 RB Daz'mond Patterson (497 rush yds, 4.9 YPC, 9 TD) is also a capable back.

Ohio's defense has given up 24.8 PPG on 371 total YPG this year, and those numbers have improved greatly to 17.3 PPG on 313 total YPG in the past three contests. The Bobcats allow 157 rushing YPG on a hefty 4.8 YPC this season, and also give up 214 passing YPG on 6.5 YPA and 60% completions. A big deficiency has been turnovers, as Ohio started the season with 15 takeaways in the first six games of the year, but has forced only four turnovers during the past six contests.

Appalachian State knows how to put up big numbers with 37.2 PPG on 470 total YPG this season, including 39.3 PPG on 488 total YPG away from home. This is also a run-heavy offense that keeps the ball on the ground two-thirds of the time. The club constantly feeds junior RB Marcus Cox, who has 1,261 rushing yards (5.8 YPC) and 8 TD this year. Cox topped the century mark in rushing yards seven times this year, including a season-high 192 in the regular-season finale at South Alabama.

The Mountaineers can also throw the football with sophomore QB Taylor Lamb, who produced 2,263 passing yards (8.8 YPA), 29 TD and only 8 INT, which places him eighth in the nation with a 166.1 rating. Lamb has plenty of reliable pass catchers to work with in WRs Shaedon Meadors (439 rec yds, 3 TD), Malachi Jones (433 rec yds, 3 TD) and Simms McElfresh (424 rec yds, 6 TD). He also has a big target in 6-foot-4 TE Barrett Burns, who caught only 12 passes all year, but six of those grabs resulted in touchdowns.

The ASU defense has been tough this season in allowing only 18.2 PPG and 318 total YPG, thanks in large part to Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year DL Ronald Blair, who had 7.5 sacks, 67 tackles and 18 Tackles for Loss. The run-stop unit holds teams to 134 YPG on 3.5 YPC, while the passing defense limits opposing quarterbacks to 184 YPG on 6.4 YPA and 61% completions. Although the Mountaineers forced three turnovers in their final game, they had zero takeaways in each of their previous three contests.

SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS (5-7) vs. GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS (6-6)
Cure Bowl
Citrus Bowl Stadium - Orlando, FL
Kickoff: Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line San Jose State -3, Total: 55.5

Georgia State will play in its first-ever bowl game when it travels to Orlando on Saturday to tangle with sub-.500 San Jose State in the Cure Bowl.

The Spartans (7-5 ATS) are one of three 5-7 teams to go bowling this season, but they failed to win consecutive games all year. They haven't dropped a bowl game since 1987, but they did plenty of losing this season with five of their defeats coming by at least two touchdowns.

The Panthers (8-3-1 ATS) were 1-23 in their first two FBS seasons, but finished the 2015 campaign with four straight wins (SU and ATS). All four victories came by double-digits despite the spread in three of those contests being by a field goal or less.

Both schools have positive betting trends for their season finale, as SJSU is 22-9 ATS in non-home games after gaining 6.25+ yards per play in its previous contest since 1992, and is also 15-5 ATS in this same timeframe on the road versus poor rushing teams (3.25 or less YPC).

However, Georgia State is 12-3 ATS under Trent Miles after a game that went Under the total, including 7-0 ATS this season, and is also 9-1 ATS on the road under Miles after an ATS victory.

The only two significant injuries for this matchup are both for the Spartans with TE Brad Kuh (undisclosed) doubtful and S Chad Miller (eye) questionable.

San Jose State has a high-powered offense that averaged 28.0 PPG and 415 total YPG this year, and those numbers have jumped to 33.0 PPG and 472 total YPG in the past three contests. The team has a slight preference to keep the football on the ground with 56% running plays, which has resulted in 182 YPG on 4.6 YPC. The air attack is also efficient with 233 YPG on 7.5 YPA and 68% completions.

Senior RB Tyler Ervin (1,469 rush yds, 5.6 YPC, 13 TD) is the best offensive weapon the Spartans have. Not only did the senior rack up six games with 110+ rushing yards, but he also caught 44 passes for 337 yards and 2 TD. The second leading rusher is junior QB Kenny Potter (346 rush yds, 3.5 YPC, 6 TD), who has galloped for 216 yards and two scores in the past three games. Potter (69% completions, 1,895 pass yds, 14 TD, 6 INT) has also been throwing the football with great accuracy, completing at least 65% of his throws in five straight games where he has totaled 11 TD and only 2 INT.

There isn't a clear No. 1 receiver between TE Billy Freeman (581 rec yds, 6 TD) and WRs Hansell Wilson (464 rec yds, 4 TD) and Tim Crawley (424 rec yds, 5 TD). Freeman had 109 receiving yards in the season finale versus Boise State, but Wilson had 98 and a touchdown while Crawley caught five passes and found the end zone for the third straight game.

The San Jose State defense hasn't been terrible this season in allowing 28.2 PPG and 369 total YPG, but those numbers have slipped to 33.3 PPG and 440 total YPG over the past three games. Although the pass defense is outstanding, allowing the second-fewest yards in the nation (154 passing YPG), opponents have steamrolled the front seven to the tune of 216 YPG on 5.2 YPC.

Due the high volume of running plays, the Spartans have been unable to generate many turnovers, tallying only 11 takeaways all season. Their Saturday opponent does have seven games of multiple giveaways though.

Despite its 22 turnovers this year, Georgia State has still averaged a strong 27.8 PPG and 450 total YPG this season, including 32.5 PPG and 511 total YPG during its four-game win streak.

The Panthers love to throw the football with strong-armed QB Nick Arbuckle, who averages 347 passing YPG (4,160 pass yds) with 26 TD and only 11 INT. He has three great pass catchers in WRs Penny Hart (1,095 yds, 8 TD), Robert Davis (979 yds, 6 TD) and Donovan Harden (662 yds, 4 TD). The freshman Hart has five games of at least 110 receiving yards in 2015, and has also scored a touchdown in four straight games.

Georgia State is not a strong running team with only 103 YPG on 3.2 YPC this season, but sophomore RB Kyler Neal has rushed for 64 yards on 11 carries (5.8 YPC) and two touchdowns over the past two games. Defensively, the Panthers have been excellent the past three weeks in limiting opponents to 12.7 PPG and 287 total YPG, but they still give up 28.4 PPG and 416 total YPG for the season.

They haven't stopped many opposing quarterbacks with allowing 234 passing YPG on 6.5 YPA, and they also surrender 182 rushing YPG on 4.4 YPC. But the unit does have at least one takeaway in all 12 games this season, including 11 forced turnovers during the past six contests.

ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES (9-3) vs. LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (8-4)
New Orleans Bowl
Superdome - New Orleans, LA
Kickoff: Saturday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line Louisiana Tech -2, Total: 67.5

A pair of high-powered offenses tries to cap off the season in style when Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech collide in Saturday's New Orleans Bowl.

QB Fredi Knighten has propelled the Red Wolves (8-4 ATS) to 48.6 PPG during their current eight-game win streak (6-2 ATS) while QB Jeff Driskel has led the Bulldogs to a huge 7-2 SU mark (4-5 ATS) with 36.7 PPG in their past nine games.

But Louisiana Tech is also coming off a humiliating 58-24 loss to 5-point underdog Southern Miss when it turned the ball over seven times. The giveaways could continue against an Arkansas State team that has forced 27 turnovers in the past eight contests.

The Red Wolves also have some big betting trends in their favor, such as their 10-2 ATS record when facing a winning team in the past three seasons or the fact that teams like the Bulldogs coming off an ATS loss facing an opponent with 3+ straight ATS wins are just 19-50 ATS (27%) in the past five seasons. But not all is hopeless for Louisiana Tech, which is 14-3 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite since 1992, and 32-15 ATS off a conference loss in that same timeframe.

The only new injuries or omissions for either team are all with Arkansas State, which will likely be without WR Tyler Trosin and DE Chris Stone who are expected to be suspended for this bowl game, while OL Jemar Clark suffered a season-ending knee injury in late November.

Arkansas State's recent offensive surge of 55.3 PPG and 529 total YPG in the past three games gives the club 41.0 PPG and 448 total YPG this season. While the star of the offense is senior QB Fredi Knighten (1,698 pass yds, 7.6 YPA, 19 TD, 7 INT), the Red Wolves prefer to run the football. They rush the ball 75% of the time, which equates to 236 YPG on 5.0 YPC.

Three different ball carriers average more than six yards per carry with RBs Michael Gordon (1,055 rush yds, 6.4 YPC, 9 TD), freshman Warren Wand (643 rush yds, 6.1 YPC, 4 TD) and sophomore Johnston White (573 rush yds, 6.4 YPC, 14 TD). The 5-foot-9, 187-pound senior Gordon has rushed for 821 yards and 7 TD during the eight-game win streak, including 148 yards in the regular-season finale versus Texas State.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound White has scored in all eight of the victories, totaling 11 TD during the win streak. Knighten has also rushed for 358 yards and 4 TD this season, and has been much more potent through the air recently with 286 passing YPG, 9 TD and 1 INT over the past three contests. Senior WR Tres Houston (568 rec yds, 10 TD) has caught four of these touchdowns as part of his 13 receptions for 311 yards over the past three games.

Defensively, Arkansas State allows 28.8 PPG on 397 total YPG this year, but has improved those numbers to 22.0 PPG on 356 total YPG in the past three games. The Red Wolves are decent against the run, limiting opponents to 145 YPG on 4.2 YPG, but the secondary has been burned for 252 passing YPG on 6.6 YPA.

Part of this is the result of the gambling nature of a team that has at least three takeaways in four straight games, and hopes its opponent keeps giving away the football like the Bulldogs did seven times in the regular-season finale.

Louisiana Tech has a high-octane offense that scores 36.7 PPG with 465 total YPG. These numbers are achieved with a nearly even balance of 53% passing plays and 47% rushing plays. But while the ground game picks up a pedestrian 154 YPG on 4.7 YPC, the air attack racks up 311 YPG on 8.5 YPA.

Senior QB Jeff Driskel entered this year with a weak career ratio of 23 TD and 20 INT, but this season he has thrown for 24 TD and only eight picks. Driskel has 3,575 passing yards (8.7 YPA) this season, including nine games of at least 290 passing yards.

His top target is junior WR Trent Taylor (89 rec, 1,133 yds, 8 TD) who has six 100-yard efforts this season. On the ground, the Bulldogs usually hand the football to senior RB Kenneth Dixon (968 rush yds, 5.5 YPC, 17 TD) who has rushed for more than 160 yards on three separate occasions.

Although Dixon has been horrible in the past two games with only 35 yards on 27 carries, he did catch five passes for 82 yards and 2 TD in the last game, giving him 354 receiving yards and five scores through the air this season.

The Louisiana Tech defense allows a subpar 26.7 PPG on 382 total YPG, but has been very good in stopping the run (116 YPG on 3.5 YPC). The pass defense has been consistently torched all season though, surrendering 266 passing YPG on 7.0 YPA and 60% completions. The Bulldogs haven't created enough turnovers away from home though, tallying only five takeaways in six road games this season.

[StarDust Bum]

CFB ATS

CFB > (211) W KENTUCKY@ (212) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-21 14:30:00 - 2015-12-21 14:30:00
Play ON S FLORIDA against the spread in All games in games played on a grass field
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9 units)

CFB > (277) TCU@ (278) OREGON | 2016-01-02 18:45:00 - 2016-01-02 18:45:00
Play ON OREGON against the spread in Road games after playing a conference game
The record is 10 Wins and 0 Losses for the last two seasons (+10 units)

CFB > (259) MICHIGAN ST@ (260) ALABAMA | 2015-12-31 20:00:00 - 2015-12-31 20:00:00
Play ON MICHIGAN ST against the spread in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+9 units)

CFB > (277) TCU@ (278) OREGON | 2016-01-02 18:45:00 - 2016-01-02 18:45:00
Play ON OREGON against the spread in All games after playing a conference game
The record is 15 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.7 units)

CFB > (223) CINCINNATI@ (224) SAN DIEGO ST | 2015-12-24 20:00:00 - 2015-12-24 20:00:00
Play AGAINST CINCINNATI against the spread in Road games in non-conference games
The record is 0 Wins and 8 Losses for the last three seasons (-8.8 units)

CFB > (259) MICHIGAN ST@ (260) ALABAMA | 2015-12-31 20:00:00 - 2015-12-31 20:00:00
Play ON MICHIGAN ST against the spread in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 15 Wins and 3 Losses for the last three seasons (+11.7 units)

CFB > (279) W VIRGINIA@ (280) ARIZONA ST | 2016-01-02 22:15:00 - 2016-01-02 22:15:00
Play AGAINST W VIRGINIA against the spread in All games off a loss against a conference rival
The record is 2 Wins and 12 Losses for the last three seasons (-11.2 units)

CFB > (207) SAN JOSE ST@ (208) GEORGIA ST | 2015-12-19 19:00:00 - 2015-12-19 19:00:00
Play ON GEORGIA ST against the spread in Road games when playing on a Saturday
The record is 14 Wins and 3 Losses for the last three seasons (+10.7 units)

CFB > (229) SOUTHERN MISS@ (230) WASHINGTON | 2015-12-26 14:20:00 - 2015-12-26 14:20:00
Play ON SOUTHERN MISS against the spread in All games when playing on a Saturday
The record is 10 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+7.8 units)

--------------------

CBB MONEYLINE

CFB > (205) OHIO U@ (206) APPALACHIAN ST | 2015-12-19 17:30:00 - 2015-12-19 17:30:00
Play ON APPALACHIAN ST using money line in Road games when playing on a Saturday
The record is 8 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.25 units)

CFB > (263) TENNESSEE@ (264) NORTHWESTERN | 2016-01-01 12:00:00 - 2016-01-01 12:00:00
Play ON NORTHWESTERN using money line in All games as an underdog vs. the money line
The record is 9 Wins and 6 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.85 units)

CFB > (279) W VIRGINIA@ (280) ARIZONA ST | 2016-01-02 22:15:00 - 2016-01-02 22:15:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA ST using money line in Road games against Big 12 conference opponents
The record is 1 Wins and 4 Losses for the since 1992 (-16.05 units)

CFB > (269) IOWA@ (270) STANFORD | 2016-01-01 17:00:00 - 2016-01-01 17:00:00
Play ON IOWA using money line in all games
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+9.9 units)

CFB > (269) IOWA@ (270) STANFORD | 2016-01-01 17:00:00 - 2016-01-01 17:00:00
Play ON IOWA using money line in All games in all lined games
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+9.9 units)

CFB > (233) TULSA@ (234) VIRGINIA TECH | 2015-12-26 17:45:00 - 2015-12-26 17:45:00
Play AGAINST VIRGINIA TECH using money line in All games as a favorite vs. the money line
The record is 10 Wins and 11 Losses for the last three seasons (-27.95 units)

CFB > (261) OKLAHOMA@ (262) CLEMSON | 2015-12-31 16:00:00 - 2015-12-31 16:00:00
Play ON CLEMSON using money line in all games
The record is 23 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+19 units)

CFB > (261) OKLAHOMA@ (262) CLEMSON | 2015-12-31 16:00:00 - 2015-12-31 16:00:00
Play ON CLEMSON using money line in All games in all lined games
The record is 23 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+19 units)

CFB > (225) CONNECTICUT@ (226) MARSHALL | 2015-12-26 11:00:00 - 2015-12-26 11:00:00
Play AGAINST CONNECTICUT using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 3 Wins and 8 Losses for the last three seasons (-16.5 units)

CFB > (227) MIAMI@ (228) WASHINGTON ST | 2015-12-26 14:00:00 - 2015-12-26 14:00:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI using money line in All games when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest
The record is 17 Wins and 23 Losses for the since 1992 (-37.15 units)

CFB > (257) HOUSTON@ (258) FLORIDA ST | 2015-12-31 12:00:00 - 2015-12-31 12:00:00
Play AGAINST FLORIDA ST using money line in All games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins
The record is 67 Wins and 36 Losses for the since 1992 (-88 units)

-----------------------

CFB FIRST HALF

CFB > (211) W KENTUCKY@ (212) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-21 14:30:00 - 2015-12-21 14:30:00
Play ON S FLORIDA ?>in the first halfin All games in games played on a grass field
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9 units)

CFB > (217) BOISE ST@ (218) N ILLINOIS | 2015-12-23 16:30:00 - 2015-12-23 16:30:00
Play ON BOISE ST ?>in the first halfin All games in non-conference games
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last two seasons (+9 units)

CFB > (255) WISCONSIN@ (256) USC | 2015-12-30 22:30:00 - 2015-12-30 22:30:00
Play ON USC ?>in the first halfin All games off a loss against a conference rival
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+9 units)

CFB > (277) TCU@ (278) OREGON | 2016-01-02 18:45:00 - 2016-01-02 18:45:00
Play ON OREGON ?>in the first halfin All games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 13 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.8 units)

CFB > (277) TCU@ (278) OREGON | 2016-01-02 18:45:00 - 2016-01-02 18:45:00
Play ON OREGON ?>in the first halfin All games after playing a conference game
The record is 15 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.7 units)

CFB > (211) W KENTUCKY@ (212) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-21 14:30:00 - 2015-12-21 14:30:00
Play ON W KENTUCKY ?>in the first halfin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 19 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.5 units)

CFB > (241) AIR FORCE@ (242) CALIFORNIA | 2015-12-29 14:00:00 - 2015-12-29 14:00:00
Play AGAINST CALIFORNIA ?>in the first halfin All games after playing a conference game
The record is 5 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-17 units)

CFB > (227) MIAMI@ (228) WASHINGTON ST | 2015-12-26 14:00:00 - 2015-12-26 14:00:00
Play ON WASHINGTON ST ?>in the first halfin Road games when playing on a Saturday
The record is 13 Wins and 2 Losses for the last three seasons (+10.8 units)

CFB > (269) IOWA@ (270) STANFORD | 2016-01-01 17:00:00 - 2016-01-01 17:00:00
Play ON IOWA ?>in the first halfin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 11 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+8.8 units)

-------------------------

CFB TOTALS

CFB > (209) ARKANSAS ST@ (210) LOUISIANA TECH | 2015-12-19 21:00:00 - 2015-12-19 21:00:00
Play OVER ARKANSAS ST on the totalin All games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins
The record is 11 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+11 units)

CFB > (271) OLE MISS@ (272) OKLAHOMA ST | 2016-01-01 20:30:00 - 2016-01-01 20:30:00
Play UNDER OLE MISS on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 2 Overs and 17 Unders for the last three seasons (+14.8 units)

CFB > (209) ARKANSAS ST@ (210) LOUISIANA TECH | 2015-12-19 21:00:00 - 2015-12-19 21:00:00
Play OVER ARKANSAS ST on the totalin Road games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 10 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+10 units)

CFB > (271) OLE MISS@ (272) OKLAHOMA ST | 2016-01-01 20:30:00 - 2016-01-01 20:30:00
Play UNDER OLE MISS on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 0 Overs and 10 Unders for the last three seasons (+10 units)

CFB > (279) W VIRGINIA@ (280) ARIZONA ST | 2016-01-02 22:15:00 - 2016-01-02 22:15:00
Play UNDER W VIRGINIA on the totalin All games as a favorite
The record is 2 Overs and 14 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.8 units)

CFB > (209) ARKANSAS ST@ (210) LOUISIANA TECH | 2015-12-19 21:00:00 - 2015-12-19 21:00:00
Play OVER ARKANSAS ST on the totalin All games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 15 Overs and 2 Unders for the last three seasons (+12.8 units)

CFB > (217) BOISE ST@ (218) N ILLINOIS | 2015-12-23 16:30:00 - 2015-12-23 16:30:00
Play OVER BOISE ST on the totalin All games as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points
The record is 9 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+9 units)

CFB > (213) AKRON@ (214) UTAH ST | 2015-12-22 15:30:00 - 2015-12-22 15:30:00
Play OVER UTAH ST on the totalin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 10 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.9 units)

CFB > (201) ARIZONA@ (202) NEW MEXICO | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play OVER ARIZONA on the totalin All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 13 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.8 units)

CFB > (275) KANSAS ST@ (276) ARKANSAS | 2016-01-02 15:20:00 - 2016-01-02 15:20:00
Play UNDER ARKANSAS on the totalin All games in games played on a neutral field
The record is 3 Overs and 17 Unders for the since 1992 (+13.7 units)

CFB > (275) KANSAS ST@ (276) ARKANSAS | 2016-01-02 15:20:00 - 2016-01-02 15:20:00
Play UNDER ARKANSAS on the totalin Road games in games played on a neutral field
The record is 3 Overs and 17 Unders for the since 1992 (+13.7 units)

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Saturday, December 19


Sam Houston St @ Jacksonville St

Game 355-356
December 19, 2015 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Sam Houston St
72.034
Jacksonville St
84.531
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Jacksonville St
by 12 1/2
77
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Jacksonville St
by 8 1/2
72 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Jacksonville St
(-8 1/2); Over

North Carolina A&T @ Alcorn State

Game 361-362
December 19, 2015 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
North Carolina A&
58.322
Alcorn State
64.082
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Alcorn State
by 6
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina A&
by 1 1/2
52 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Alcorn State
(+1 1/2); Under

Arizona @ New Mexico

Game 201-202
December 19, 2015 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
89.021
New Mexico
83.287
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 6
58
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona
by 9 1/2
65
Dunkel Pick:
New Mexico
(+9 1/2); Under

Brigham Young @ Utah

Game 203-204
December 19, 2015 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brigham Young
96.913
Utah
95.362
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brigham Young
by 1 1/2
48
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 3
52
Dunkel Pick:
Brigham Young
(+3); Under

Ohio @ Appalachian St

Game 205-206
December 19, 2015 @ 5:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ohio
71.622
Appalachian St
82.619
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Appalachian St
by 11
59
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Appalachian St
by 7 1/2
54 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Appalachian St
(-7 1/2); Over

San Jose St @ Georgia State

Game 207-208
December 19, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose St
80.405
Georgia State
74.817
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose St
by 5 1/2
60
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose St
by 2 1/2
55 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose St
(-2 1/2); Over

Arkansas St @ Louisiana Tech

Game 209-210
December 19, 2015 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arkansas St
83.934
Louisiana Tech
88.861
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Louisiana Tech
by 5
73
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisiana Tech
by 2
67 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Louisiana Tech
(-2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, December 19

New Mexico Bowl
New Mexico is in its first bowl since 2007, when they were also in this bowl, on its home field. Lobos lost four of last five bowls, ran for 645 yards in last two games (Colo St/Air Force). Arizona lost four of its last five games despite scoring 30+ points in four of the five; they allowed 225.8 rushing ypg in last four games, had QB injury issues last month. Wildcats are 2-1 in bowls under RichRod, scoring 40.3 ppg- average total was 75.3. Lobos are 5-9 as home underdogs under Davie, 2-1 this season. Faves are 3-2 vs spread (4-1 SU) in this bowl last five years; the average total was 69.

Las Vegas Bowl
BYU-Utah rivalry ended when Utes went to Pac-12, Cougars went independent. Utah won last four meetings (last one in '13), the last three as underdog in intense rivalry- this game sold out quickly in Vegas. Pac-12 team won this game last two years, after Boise won it three years before that- favorites are 3-2 in last five bowls Utah lost best RB Booker (knee); Utes won four of last five bowls; they were underdog in four of the five. Utah waxed Colorado State here 45-10 LY, lost to Boise in '10. BYU lost its last two bowls, losing in OT to Memphis LY in game that ended with a big brawl. Average total in last five Las Vegas Bowls is 56.6.

Camellia Bowl
Appalachian State is in its first bowl in its second season in I-A- ASU won nine of last ten games; they allowed 41-40 points in its losses TY (Clemson/Ark State)- they ran ball for 230+ yards six of last seven games. Sun Belt non-conference favorites are 2-2 this year. MAC underdogs are 19-9 vs spread out of conference. Ohio is 2-3 in last five bowls; they were underdog in last four, last of which was in '13. Bobcats won last three games to get here; they ran for 87.8 ypg in four losses, 313.5 in last four games. Last three years, MAC teams are 4-12 SU in bowl games- they were 2-2 LY.

New Orleans Bowl
UL-Lafayette won this bowl last four years for Sun Belt, were dog three times; now up to Arkansas State to carry Sun Belt's torch. In last six years, ASU has had five head coaches- last four years it was in GoDaddy Bowl, going 2-2 SU. Redwolves won last eight games after a 1-3 start- their last eight games went over the total. Over last four years, C-USA teams are 14-5 SU in bowls. La Tech lost 58-24 in season finale to Southern Miss; they're 7-2 last nine games, Bulldogs beat Illinois 35-18 in bowl LY, its first bowl win since 2008. Florida transfer Driskel is Tech's quarterback.

Cure Bowl
San Jose State won its last three bowl games, spread out over 25 years- their last bowl was in 2012. Spartans are 1-6 against teams that are in bowls, losing three of last four overall- they're 4-1 s a favorite this year. Last four years, Mounain West teams are 9-14 SU in bowls. MW non-conference favorites are 1-7 vs spread this season; Sun Belt underdogs are 13-16. Georgia State is bowling in third year of I-A play; they went 1-23 last two years. State won its last four games to get to 6-6- they're 7-1-1 as an underdog. Earlier this year; Panthers were 2.5-point dog to Liberty, a I-AA team.

[StarDust Bum]

Big profits from betting these NCAAF small-conference bowl teams

Arkansas State has scored 35 or more points in all of its wins and has hit the 50-point mark in each of the last three games.

Team to watch: Houston Cougars

Line: +7 vs. Florida State in the Peach Bowl

The Houston Cougars had a spectacular season this year and Greg Ward Jr, had he played in a Power 5 conference, could have potentially been a front runner in the Heisman race. Houston amassed an impressive 12-1 record this season and had it not been for a game in which Greg Ward Jr. sat out in versus Connecticut, the Cougars could have potentially ended the season undefeated.

Houston is not a pushover by any means and this contest against Florida State is its chance to prove that the Cougars can hang with the elite teams in the country. They have already knocked off quality teams like Louisville (on the road), Memphis, Temple and Navy this season. The fact that they’re playing in a BCS Bowl game against a Power 5 school like Florida State will only add to their motivation. Florida State will be fortunate to come out of this contest with a win, but it likely won't come easy and Houston will keep things within a touchdown.

Team to beware of: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Line: -2 vs. Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl

The Arkansas State Red Wolves pose an interesting challenge to the Bulldogs in this contest. Arkansas State has had an impressive season, going 9-3 overall including a perfect 8-0 in conference play. They are an extremely explosive offensive team led by Fredi Knighten and have managed to score 35 or more points in all of their wins this season and have hit the 50-point mark in each of their last three games. They come into this contest on an eight-game winning streak.

Like its counterpart, Louisiana Tech has an extremely prolific offense, ranked fourth all-time in program history in points scored (441) and total yards (5,589). The Bulldogs currently rank 20th in the nation in points per game averaging 36.8 per game. This will no doubt be a high-scoring offensive affair, but the difference in this one will likely be which team is more battle tested. Arkansas State faced arguably the toughest schedule in the nation in the early part of the season taking on both USC and Missouri back-to-back and then an extremely tough Toledo team two weeks later. That toughness and step up in competition will be the difference in this contest.

Total team: Bowling Green Falcons

Line: 66 vs. Georgia Southern in the Go Daddy Bowl

Both of these teams have prolific offenses which should turn this contest into a shootout. Bowling Green comes into this contest ranked fourth in the nation in total offense and has managed to light up the scoreboard in nearly each and every game it’s played. Led by the arm of Matt Johnson, the Falcons rank third in the nation in passing yards per game.

Georgia Southern, on the other hand, is no slouch on the offensive end as it brings the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in the country into this contest. The Eagles come in averaging an impressive 355.6 yards per game on the ground behind the legs of Michael Breida. This should be a highly-entertaining, offensive contest with both teams possibly cracking the 40-point mark.

[StarDust Bum]

80 need-to-know betting notes for 80 college football bowl teams

The Michigan State Spartans are 6-0-1 ATS over their last six neutral-site games and 4-0 ATS over their last four bowl matchups.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Saturday, December 19

Arizona Wildcats: The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS over their last five bowl games and 1-5 ATS over their last six neutral-site contests.

New Mexico Lobos: The Lobos concluded their 2015 campaign with three wins over the program’s final four outings, but more importantly, this is New Mexico’s first bowl game in eight years. Motivation sides with the Lobos.

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl: Saturday, December 19

BYU Cougars: BYU is 1-5 ATS over its last six games against Utah with four consecutive losses by an average of 13.7 points per contest.

Utah Utes: The Utes are 8-2 ATS over their last 10 bowl games, but dropped two of this season’s final three matchups.

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Saturday, December 19

Ohio Bobcats: The Bobcats are a perfect 6-0 ATS over their last six non-conference games and enter postseason play having won three straight matchups while outscoring the opposition by a margin of 101-52.

Appalachian State Mountaineers: Be advised that this is Mountaineers head coach Scott Satterfield’s first career bowl game.

Autonation Cure Bowl: Saturday, December 19

San Jose State Spartans: San Jose State just became one of the first teams in college football history to qualify for a bowl game despite winning just five contests during the regular season. The Spartans head to the Autonation Cure Bowl with a minus-5 turnover differential as well as having lost three of their final four games.

Georgia State Panthers: The Panthers went 6-0-1 ATS over their final seven games of the season and are currently receiving approximately 74 percent of the action heading this contest.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Saturday, December 19

Arkansas State Red Wolves: One of the hottest teams in the country, Arkansas State has won eight consecutive games by an average of 21.1 points per contest and enters Saturday’s matchup with Louisiana Tech having covered the number in four straight outings.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: The Bulldogs are a perfect 4-0 ATS over their last four matchups against opponents from the Sun Belt Conference and 5-1 ATS over their last six neutral-site games.

Miami Beach Bowl: Monday, December 21

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: It should come as no surprise to learn that approximately 88 percent of the bets already placed on this total support the Over (66.5), especially when you consider the fact that Western Kentucky has hung 45 or more points on the scoreboard in eight of their last 10 games.

South Florida Bulls: After starting the season 1-3, Willie Taggart’s Bulls went on to win seven of their final eight outings by an average of 22.5 points per game, which includes four consecutive ATS wins to conclude the season.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Tuesday, December 22

Akron Zips: One of the stingier defenses in the land, Akron held the opposition to 21 or fewer points in eight of the program’s final ten games while boasting a turnover differential of plus-8 on the season.

Utah State Aggies: Utah State head coach Matt Wells is a perfect 2-0 both SU and ATS the spread in bowl games, but be advised that his squad lost three of its final four regular season contest.

Marmot Boca Raton Bowl: Tuesday, December 22

Toledo Rockets: The Rockets have failed to cover the spread only two times over the team’s last 15 games. However, Toledo is currently receiving just 21 percent of the action heading into the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl.

Temple Owls: The Owls are 10-4 ATS over their last 14 games overall and should have plenty of motivation for this matchup considering the fact that the program hasn’t appeared in a bowl game in four years.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Wednesday, December 23

Boise State Broncos: The Broncos are 5-2 ATS over their last seven bowl games while current head coach Bryan Harsin is a perfect 1-0 both SU and ATS in postseason play.

Northern Illinois Huskies: The Huskies are just 2-6 ATS over their last eight bowl games while current head coach Rod Carey is 0-3 both SU and ATS in postseason play.

GoDaddy Bowl: Wednesday, December 23

Georgia Southern Eagles: The Eagles are 10-2 ATS over their last 12 contests overall, but more importantly, December 23 will mark the program’s first bowl game in school history.

Bowling Green Falcons: The Falcons are 4-0 ATS over their last four games against opponents from the Sun Belt Conference and 7-1 ATS over their last eight games overall. In addition, be advised that the GoDaddy Bowl marks the final collegiate game for quarterback Matt Johnson, who threw for 4,700 yards and 43 touchdowns with just eight interceptions this season.

Popeyes Bahamas Bowl: Thursday, December 24

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders: The Raiders finished the 2015 regular season a perfect 4-0 both SU and ATS while outscoring the opposition 134-55 and averaging 495.7 total yards per game.

Western Michigan Broncos: Head coach P.J. Fleck looks to rebound from his only other bowl game performance, a 38-24 loss to Air Force last December. As it currently stands, Western Michigan is receiving approximately 69 percent of the action for this showdown.

Hawai’i Bowl: Thursday, December 24

San Diego State Aztecs: One of the nation’s premiere defensive units, San Diego State won each of its final nine games while surrendering the staggering average of just 12.6 points per contest with 24 turnovers forced. During that nine-game stretch, the Aztecs went 7-1-1 against the spread.

Cincinnati Bearcats: As a program, the Bearcats are just 2-6 ATS over their last eight bowl games while head coach Tommy Tuberville is a career 6-6 ATS in postseason play.

St. Petersburg Bowl: Saturday, December 26

Connecticut Huskies: The Huskies are just 7-17 ATS over their last 24 games overall, but be advised that this is the program’s first bowl appearance since 2011 when UConn fell 48-20 to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

Marshall Thundering Herd: The Herd are a perfect 4-0 ATS over their last four bowl games, with head coach Doc Holliday a sterling 3-0 both SU and ATS in postseason play.

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Saturday, December 26

Miami Hurricanes: Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Remember when “The U” was the most feared collegiate football program on the planet? Well, this iteration of the Hurricanes has lost five consecutive bowl games by an average of 11.8 points per contest. However, Miami did go 4-1 SU after firing head coach Al Golden following a 58-0 loss to Clemson.

Washington State Cougars: As of publication, Washington State was receiving approximately 76 percent of spread bets entering the Hyundai Sun Bowl, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering the fact that the program went 8-1 ATS over their final nine matchups of the season.

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl: Saturday, December 26

Washington Huskies: Head coach Chris Petersen is a career 5-3 both SU and ATS in postseason play but is looking to avenge his only bowl game loss while leading the Washington program, which came in the form of a 30-22 defeat to Oklahoma State last January.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles: Southern Mississippi is a perfect 6-0 ATS over its last six non-conference games and 10-3 ATS over its last 13 contests overall. In addition, this is the program’s first bowl game since defeating Nevada 24-17 in the 2011 Hawai’i Bowl.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Saturday, December 26

Indiana Hoosiers: The Hoosiers are 5-1 ATS over their last six non-conference games, but more importantly, this is the program’s first bowl game since suffering a 49-33 defeat at the hands of Oklahoma State in 2007. Not surprisingly, approximately 83 percent of the early action sides with the Hoosiers.

Duke Blue Devils: Duke is 1-4 ATS over its last five games overall and enters postseason play having been outscored 190-132 over its last five contests.

Camping World Independence Bowl: Saturday, December 26

Tulsa Golden Hurricane: Tulsa is 4-1 ATS over its last five bowl games, but this is head coach Phillip Montgomery’s first career postseason appearance.

Virginia Tech Hokies: Two words: Frank Beamer. The legendary Hokies frontman will call it a career after the Independence Bowl following 29 seasons on the Virginia Tech sidelines.

Foster Farms Bowl: Saturday, December 26

UCLA Bruins: Head coach Jim Mora Jr. is a perfect 3-0 ATS in bowl games while his Bruins are 4-1 ATS over their last five games against Big Ten opposition.

Nebraska Cornhuskers: The Huskers are just 1-4 ATS over their last five games against Pac-12 opponents.

Military Bowl: Monday, December 28

Pittsburgh Panthers: Head coach Pat Narduzzi’s first career bowl appearance will come while leading a Panthers program that is just 2-6 ATS over its last eight matchups against non-conference opponents.

Navy Midshipmen: Navy is 7-3 ATS over its last 10 bowl games, but the real key here is the fact that ultra-prolific quarterback Keenan Reynolds (115 career touchdowns) will be under center for the final time in Navy’s colors.

Quick Lane Bowl: Monday, December 28

Central Michigan Chippewas: The Chippewas are 10-3 ATS over their last 13 games overall, 5-0 ATS over their last five non-conference games and 4-1-1 ATS over their last six bowl games.

Minnesota Golden Gophers: The Gophers are just 1-4 ATS over their last five bowl games and enter postseason play having dropped five of their final six contests by an average of 11.0 points per outing.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Tuesday, December 29

California Golden Bears: California went just 1-5 ATS over its final six contests while giving up an average of 203.5 rushing yards per game during the 2015 campaign. That doesn’t bode well for a matchup with Air Force, who averaged 58.7 rushing attempts and 322.1 rushing yards per game this year.

Air Force Falcons: The Falcons are 6-1 ATS over their last seven games overall and 8-2 ATS over their last 10 matchups against teams with a winning record. In addition, Air Force is 4-1 ATS over its last five bowl games.

Russell Athletic Bowl: Tuesday, December 29

North Carolina Tar Heels: Approximately 70 percent of the early action is on head coach Larry Fedora and the Tar Heels, but you have to wonder how motivated North Carolina is to play in a December 29 bowl game after winning 11 straight contests and having an outside shot at qualifying for college football’s four-team playoff before falling 45-37 to Clemson in the ACC title game.

Baylor Bears: The Bears are just 1-5 ATS over their last six games overall and, just like in North Carolina’s case, you have to question the program’s motivation to play in this game after their 8-0 start resulted in a 9-3 finish.

Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Tuesday, December 29

Nevada Wolf Pack: The Pack’s six victories came against teams with a combined record of 25-47, with only one of those programs (New Mexico) concluding the regular season with a winning record.

Colorado State Rams: The Rams enter postseason play having won four straight games by an average of 10.7 points per contest.

Advocare V100 Texas Bowl: Tuesday, December 29

LSU Tigers: Considering all the nonsense that took place in Louisiana at the end of the regular season surrounding the program’s head coach position, do you really want to bet against Les Miles in this spot? After all, the last thing Miles wants to do here is give the boosters a reason to regret not firing him. As of publication, approximately 72 percent of all spread bets placed for the Advocare V100 bowl sided with LSU.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: The Red Raiders are 10-4-1 ATS over their last 14 games overall while head coach Kliff Kingsbury is a perfect 1-0 both SU and ATS in postseason play.

Birmingham Bowl: Wednesday, December 30

Auburn Tigers: The Tigers are an abysmal 5-18 ATS over their last 23 games overall and 0-8 ATS over their last eight non-conference matchups.

Memphis Tigers: Led by one of the top signal-callers in the country in Paxton Lynch, Memphis burst from the gates in early September with eight consecutive victories. But the Tigers faltered down the stretch in the face of quality competition with losses to Navy, Houston and Temple before defeating SMU in the season finale. However, be advised that this program is still 18-7-2 ATS over its last 27 non-conference showdowns.

Belk Bowl: Wednesday, December 30

North Carolina State Wolfpack: The Wolfpack are 5-1-1 ATS over their last seven bowl games, but concluded the 2015 campaign with just one ATS win in their final five outings.

Mississippi State Bulldogs: Despite approximately 76 percent of the early spread bets coming in on Mississippi State, the line for the 2015 Belk Bowl hasn’t budged from its opening position of MSU -5. Note that Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen is 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS in postseason play.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Wednesday, December 30

Texas A&M Aggies: While Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin is 4-1 both SU and ATS during his career in bowl games, be advised that the point spread for this contest has moved drastically, with Texas A&M going from a 3-point favorite to a 1.5-point underdog as of publication. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Aggies went just 1-6 ATS over their final seven games of the season.

Louisville Cardinals: The Cardinals are 6-2 ATS over their last eight matchups with SEC opponents. However, note that head coach Bobby Petrino is just 2-6 ATS in postseason play.

Holiday Bowl: Wednesday, December 30

USC Trojans: USC head coach Clay Helton went just 1-4 ATS over his final five games of the season before firing his entire defensive coaching staff after watching his squad get dismantled 41-22 by Stanford in the Pac-12 championship game. However, USC is 9-3 ATS over its last 12 meetings against Big Ten competition.

Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers are just 1-5 ATS over their last six neutral-site games, which may serve as one reason why only 21 percent of all spread bets placed on this game at the time of publication came in on Wisconsin.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Thursday, December 31

Houston Cougars: The Cougars are 27-13-1 ATS over their last 41 games overall and won every single contest started by dynamic signal-caller Greg Ward Jr. this season. In addition, Houston is 6-1 ATS over its last seven non-conference showdowns.

Florida State Seminoles: The Seminoles are 8-1-1 ATS over their last 10 bowl game appearances and 5-0 ATS over their last five games overall.

Capital One Orange Bowl: Thursday, December 31

Oklahoma Sooners: At the time of publication, only 38 percent of spread bets placed on the Orange Bowl were in support of an Oklahoma squad that went 6-1 ATS over its final seven games of the season and 8-3 ATS over its previous 11 non-conference matchups. However, it’s worth noting that “Big Game” Bob Stoops is just 8-8 straight-up and 7-9 ATS in bowl games during his illustrious career. Arguably the most popular choice to win it all amongst sharp bettors, Oklahoma won seven straight games by an average of 32.1 points per contest after losing to Texas on October 10.

Clemson Tigers: The biggest test of head coach Dabo Swinney’s career, be advised that Clemson covered the spread just one time over its final five games during the 2015 season. Also note that the pointspread in this matchup has moved from Oklahoma -3.5 to Oklahoma -4 despite the fact that 62 percent of the action is currently favoring the Tigers. If nothing else, it tells us that the while the ticket count favors Clemson, the majority of the money bet on this game supports Oklahoma.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl: Thursday, December 31

Michigan State Spartans: After falling 39-38 at Nebraska on November 7, Michigan State destroyed their following four opponents by an average of 15.0 points per game. Sparty is now 6-0-1 ATS over their last six neutral-site games and 4-0 ATS over their last four bowl matchups, while head coach Mark Dantonio is 6-3 ATS for his career in postseason play.

Alabama Crimson Tide: Despite being universally recognized as the best head coach in the nation, Nick Saban is just 8-8 both SU and ATS in bowl games during his career. However, Alabama covered the number four times over their final five games of the 2015 season and is 5-1 ATS over its last six matchups against Big Ten opposition.

Outback Bowl: Friday, January 1

Northwestern Wildcats: He may be just 1-4 in bowl games as the head coach at Northwestern, but be advised that Pat Fitzgerald is 4-1 ATS in postseason play.

Tennessee Volunteers: Head coach Butch Jones is 3-1 ATS in bowl games during his career, which includes a 1-0 ATS mark as the boss at Tennessee following last January’s 45-28 dismantling of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Taxslayer Bowl.

Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl: Friday, January 1

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Irish are 7-1 ATS over their last eight games against teams with a winning record and 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games overall, but be advised that head coach Brian Kelly is just 2-6 ATS in bowl games for his career.

Ohio State Buckeyes: A 17-14 home loss to Michigan State on November 21 was quickly forgotten following a 42-13 thrashing of the Wolverines in Ann Arbor to close out the season. Pay close attention to the fact that Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is a blistering 9-2 both SU and ATS in postseason play.

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl: Friday, January 1

Michigan Wolverines: Head coach Jim Harbaugh is a perfect 2-0 ATS in bowl games during his collegiate coaching career.

Florida Gators: The Gators failed to top 28 points in each of their final eight games of the season and averaged just 12.0 points per game over the program’s final five contests of the 2015 campaign. Be advised that a staggering 84 percent of bets placed on the total for this matchup at the time of publication were in favor of the under.

Rose Bowl: Friday, January 1

Stanford Cardinal: Stanford is 5-1 ATS over its last six bowl games and 12-4 ATS over its last 16 games overall.

Iowa Hawkeyes: Head coach Kirk Ferentz is a career 8-4 ATS in bowl games.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Friday, January 1

Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Cowboys commenced the 2015 season by winning each of their first ten games before dropping back-to-back home contests to Baylor (45-35) and Oklahoma (58-23) to close out the season. In addition, note that head coach Mike Gundy is just 3-6 ATS in postseason play.

Mississippi Rebels: Ole Miss won four of its final five contests by an average of 15.0 points per game and enters January with a 4-1-1 ATS mark over its last six bowl games.

Taxslayer Bowl: Saturday, January 2

Penn State Nittany Lions: Head coach James Franklin’s first bowl appearance with the Lions resulted in a 31-30 victory over Boston College last December. But more importantly, be advised that the point spread for the Taxslayer Bowl has shifted off the key number of Georgia -7 to Georgia -6.5 despite the fact that 52 percent of the bets already placed have been in support of the Bulldogs.

Georgia Bulldogs: Big question mark here as former head coach Mark Richt is now in Miami not to mention the fact that several of his assistants have also bolted the Georgia program for other positions around the country. Georgia could very well lay an egg in this matchup, so proceed with extreme caution.

Autozone Liberty Bowl: Saturday, January 2

Kansas State Wildcats: The Wildcats are just 1-6 ATS over their last seven bowl games while head coach Bill Snyder is a career 7-9 SU and 5-11 ATS in postseason play. However, give Kansas State credit for turning a midseason six-game losing stretch into a three-game winning to close out the year and get bowl eligible.

Arkansas Razorbacks: It all came together and started clicking for Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks on October 24 when Arkansas beat Auburn 54-46 in quadruple overtime to ignite a six-game stretch in which the program recorded five victories. Arkansas is now 6-2 ATS over its last eight games overall and 6-1 ATS over its last seven games against Big 12 opposition.

Valero Alamo Bowl: Saturday, January 2

Oregon Ducks: After a disappointing 3-3 start to commence the 2015 campaign, many around the country turned their back on Mark Helfrich and the Ducks. That wound up being a big mistake as Oregon rattled off six straight wins by an average of 10 points per game to close out the year. Take note that the Ducks are 5-1 ATS over their last six games overall and 5-2 ATS over their last seven bowl games.

TCU Horned Frogs: The Horned Frogs are just 1-7 ATS over their last eight neutral-site games and 1-5 ATS over their last six bowl games.

Motel 6 Cactus Bowl: Saturday, January 2

West Virginia Mountaineers: The Mountaineers are just 1-5 ATS over their last six bowl games, but be advised that this point spread has shifted from ASU -1 to West Virginia -1 despite the fact that 60 percent of the spread bets placed at the time of publication sided with the Sun Devils.

Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils are just 1-6 ATS over their last seven bowl games.

[StarDust Bum]

Essential betting tidbits for Saturday's college football bowl games

Arizona opened as a 12-point favorite in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, but that has since moved to -7.5.

Arizona Wildcats vs. New Mexico Lobos (+7.5, 64.5)

* Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez reportedly turned down an offer to coach at South Carolina in the days after the Wildcats lost their regular-season finale to in-state rival Arizona State. The loss was the fourth in the final five games for Arizona, which posted its only victory - and only quality win of the season - in that span against then-No. 10 Utah.

* The Lobos, who finished second behind Air Force in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference, have two common opponents with Arizona as they lost to Arizona State 34-10 on Sept. 18 and dropped a 35-17 decision on Oct. 10 to Nevada - a team the Wildcats beat 44-20 a month earlier.


BYU Cougars vs. Utah Utes (-2.5, 51)

* The Cougars, in their fifth straight season as an independent, are one of 11 FBS teams to be making at least their 11th consecutive bowl appearance, and it’ll be the program’s sixth Las Vegas Bowl and first since going 3-2 in the game from 2005-09.

* After spending much of the season with an unblemished record and eyeing the Pac-12 South Division title - and even a spot in the College Football Playoff -Utah suffered three losses in a five-game span starting Oct. 24, and will have to settle for playing in the Las Vegas Bowl for the second straight year.


Ohio Bobcats vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers (-7.5, 55.5)

* Ohio's offense has had its troubles at times this year, partially because of injury problems at quarterback. Senior Derrius Vick and junior JD Sprague both were injured late in the campaign, forcing junior Greg Windham into duty in the regular-season finale against Northern Illinois.

* Appalachian State players and coaches are looking at the program's first bowl game as a way to build the program, to prepare next year's team to be even better. After some of their struggles during the transition to FBS, the Mountaineers want to continue to mold the team into a perennial bowl participant. "We want to carry momentum into next season," sophomore quarterback Taylor Lamb told reporters. "It's kind of looking to the future of the team."


San Jose State Spartans vs. Georgia State Panthers (+2.5, 55)

* San Jose State employs a balanced offense that has totaled more than 2,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards passing. All-Mountain West first-team running back Tyler Ervin is 11th in the country with 1,469 rushing yards and averages 122.4 yards per contest (12th nationally).

* Georgia State throws the ball as well as anybody in the country, led by senior quarterback Nick Arbuckle, the Sun Belt player of the year who is sixth in the country in passing yards per game (346.7). Arbuckle has 1,496 yards and 10 touchdowns during the four-game winning streak, and conference freshman of the year Penny Hart has enjoyed a stellar debut season with 1,095 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.


Arkansas State Red Wolves vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (-2, 68)

* The Red Wolves were rocked by troubling news ahead of their bowl game as starting defensive end Chris Stone and backup receiver Tyler Trosin were arrested on drug charges Tuesday. Coach Blake Anderson said he is "aware of the unfortunate and disappointing incident," but declined to comment further until gathering more information.

* The Bulldogs had one of the most prolific offenses in program history this season, finishing fourth all-time in total yards (5,589) and points scored (441). Florida transfer Jeff Driskel was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year after passing for 3,575 yards and 24 touchdowns, which was more than he had in four years combined playing for the Gators.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Saturday, December 19

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl betting preview: BYU vs. Utah
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tanner Mangum has rewritten the school’s freshman passing record book, throwing for 3,062 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Brigham Young Cougars vs. Utah Utes (-2.5, 51)

Game to be played at Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

Utah and BYU are even at odds on how many times they’ve met – the former says 95; the latter puts it at 89 – but the next edition of the Holy War will be waged in Sin City. The former conference foes whose long-standing rivalry has been on hold for the last two regular seasons, will clash for the first time in the postseason - and on a neutral field - Dec. 19 when they square off in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. It’s no more than a brief flight or a 420-mile trip down Interstate 15 for both fan bases, and bowl organizers announced Dec. 7 that the game had sold out less than 24 hours after the matchup was set.

After spending much of the season with an unblemished record and eyeing the Pac-12 South Division title - and even a spot in the College Football Playoff -Utah suffered three losses in a five-game span starting Oct. 24, and will have to settle for playing in the Las Vegas Bowl for the second straight year. The Utes finished the regular season 9-3 – trailing only 11-2 Stanford in terms of the best overall record in the Pac-12 – and wound up 22nd in the final CFP rankings. "We had the best record in the South, overall, and the second-best record in the conference overall — we were tied with Oregon but we beat them head-to-head — so that being the case, and then being in the sixth bowl (in the Pac-12 pecking order), that was, that was unique," coach Kyle Whittingham told the Salt Lake Tribune on Dec. 7. "So we'll leave it at that, I guess. It was just how the cards unfolded.”

Whittingham’s counterpart will be coaching his final game at BYU. Bronco Mendenhall has accepted an offer to jump to Virginia and coach in a Power Five conference after a 99-42 11-year run in Provo which included 10 winning seasons and 11 bowl appearances. Each of the previous two BYU coaches, Gary Crowton (resigned in 2004) and LaVell Edwards (retired in 2000), also faced Utah in their final contests with the Cougars.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC.

LINE HISTORY: Utah opened as three point favorites and have been bet down slightly to the current number of -2.5. The total opened at 53.5 and has been bet down to 51.

INJURY REPORT:

BYU - TE B. Sampson (out for season, ankle) LB R. Sandlin (out for season, ankle), LB S. Takitaki (out for season, suspension), LB P. Amone (out for season, knee), QB T. Hill (out for season, foot), TE C. Jorgensen (out for season, neck), TE S. Richards (out for season, knee).

Utah - WR K. Scott (questionable Saturday, leg), WR B. Covey (doubtful Satuday, undisclosed), RB D. Booker (out Saturday, knee), QB C. Hansen (out for season, leg), WR T. Patrick (out for season, leg), TE E. Moeai (out for season, leg), DB J. Fogal (out for season, knee), TE S. Fakailoatonga (out for season, undisclosed), RB T. McCormick (out for season, knee), OL L. Falemaka (out indefinitely, abdominal), RB M. Brooks-Brown (out indefinitely, abdominal).

WEATHER REPORT: It is expected to be partly cloudy in Las Vegas Saturday, with temperatures in low 60's at gametime. There will be a 10-14 mile per hour wind gusting towards the northern end zone.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "BYU is losing head coach Bronco Mendenhall to Virginia, but he will coach the Cougars in this game. However, it is a tricky situation, especially for the players who will be returning to BYU next season. They may tune Mendenhall out, and the distraction is enough to make BYU a fragile team. Utah has no such issues, and they’ll come with their best effort against an in-state rival. The Utes were considered a Top 10 team just two months ago, but they finished the season on a 3-3 SU / 1-5 ATS slide. Meanwhile, BYU finished strong, going 7-1 SU in their final eight games, including 2-0 ATS in their final two games while scoring 52 and 51 points. Those recent results have now caused Utah to be a much smaller favorite in this game." Covers Expert Steve Merril.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Utah (-2.5) continues to receive 3-1 bets and money over BYU, but the line has been staying strong at 2.5 for the past four days. The total has seen a lot of movement however, dropping from 54 all the way down to 50."

ABOUT UTAH (9-3, 8-4 ATS, 6-6 O/U): The Utes are making the ninth bowl appearance in Whittingham’s 11 seasons and their second straight after back-to-back 5-7 seasons in 2012 and ’13. It’ll be their fifth appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl - but they won’t have leading rusher Devontae Booker (1,261 yards, 11 touchdowns), who suffered a season-ending knee injury Nov. 14 against Arizona, and might be without leading receiver Britain Covey (41 receptions-518 yards-four TDs), who missed the team’s regular-season finale with an ankle injury. Senior quarterback Travis Wilson (2,024 passing yards, 13 TDs, 10 interceptions) leads a Utah offense ranked 10th in scoring (30.2 points) and 11th in total yards (376.8) in the conference while All-Pac-12 first-team selections lineman Lowell Lotulelei, linebacker Paul Gionni and safety Marcus Williams headline a defense which allowed the second-fewest points (21.8) and yards (365.2) in the conference during the regular season.

ABOUT BYU (9-3, 5-7 ATS, 6-6 O/U): The Cougars, in their fifth straight season as an independent, are one of 11 FBS teams to be making at least their 11th consecutive bowl appearance, and it’ll be the program’s sixth Las Vegas Bowl and first since going 3-2 in the game from 2005-09. BYU started 2-2 but won seven of its final eight games, including back-to-back blowouts of Fresno State (52-10) and Utah State (51-28) to end the regular season. Tanner Mangum took over at quarterback in the season opener at Nebraska after Taysom Hill was lost to a season-ending fractured foot and has rewritten the school’s freshman passing record book while throwing for 3,062 yards and 21 TDs; the defense is allowing 21.8 points and 358.1 yards per outing and is led by senior end Bronson Kaufusi, who has totaled 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

TRENDS:

* Underdog is 14-3 ATS in the last 17 meetings.
* BYU is 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Under is 4-1 in Utah's last five non-conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in BYU's last five neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: Sixty-eight percent of users are backing the Utes.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


ARIZ at UNM 02:00 PM

ARIZ -9.0 DOUBLE PLAY

O 65.0


BYU at UTAH 03:30 PM

BYU +2.5 DOUBLE PLAY

U 49.5


OHIO at APP 05:30 PM

APP -7.5 TRIPLE PLAY

O 55.5



MORE LATER

[StarDust Bum]

EVENING CFB PICKS


SJSU at GSU 07:00 PM

GSU +1.0 TRIPLE PLAY

O 55.0 TRIPLE PLAY


ARST at LT 09:00 PM

LT -1.5 BLOW OUT

U 66.5 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

CFB ATS

CFB > (211) W KENTUCKY@ (212) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-21 14:30:00 - 2015-12-21 14:30:00
Play ON S FLORIDA against the spread in All games in games played on a grass field
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9 units)

-------------------------

CFB FIRS HALF

CFB > (211) W KENTUCKY@ (212) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-21 14:30:00 - 2015-12-21 14:30:00
Play ON S FLORIDA ?>in the first halfin All games in games played on a grass field
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9 units)

-----------------------

[StarDust Bum]

Miami Beach Bowl, Dec 21

South Florida coach Taggart played QB at Western Kentucky in late 90's, was an assistant coach there for nine years, then inherited an 0-12 WKU team in '10 and had them in a bowl in his third year, before leaving for USF, who are in their first bowl since 2010- this is Taggart's 3rd year at USF. Bulls beat WKU 24-12 in '10 in last meeting- they've won seven of last eight games since a 1-3 start, with only loss to 10-2 Navy. USF ran ball for 304.5 ypg last four games. Hilltoppers won last five games, scoring 49.4 ppg; they've split two bowls, with games decided by total of four points.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, December 21

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

W KENTUCKY (11 - 2) vs. S FLORIDA (8 - 4) - 12/21/2015, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S FLORIDA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games this season.
S FLORIDA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
S FLORIDA is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

---------------------

Mon - Dec, 21

Western Kentucky at South Florida, 2:30 ET
W Kentucky: 1-3 ATS after 3 or more consecutive wins against the spread
S Florida: 9-2 ATS after 1 or more consecutive straight up wins

------------------------

Monday, December 21

2:30 PM
WESTERN KENTUCKY vs. SOUTH FLORIDA
Western Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Western Kentucky's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of South Florida's last 6 games
South Florida is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

----------------------

Miami Beach Bowl: Monday, December 21

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: It should come as no surprise to learn that approximately 88 percent of the bets already placed on this total support the Over (66.5), especially when you consider the fact that Western Kentucky has hung 45 or more points on the scoreboard in eight of their last 10 games.

South Florida Bulls: After starting the season 1-3, Willie Taggart’s Bulls went on to win seven of their final eight outings by an average of 22.5 points per game, which includes four consecutive ATS wins to conclude the season.

---------------------

NCAAF

Monday, December 21

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miami Beach Bowl betting preview: Western Kentucky vs. South Florida
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surprisingly, South Florida has been one of the best bets in the country this season, going 9-2-1 ATS.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. South Florida Bulls (+2.5, 66.5)

Game to be played at Marlins Park, Miami, Florida

Coach Willie Taggart takes USF to a bowl game for the first time in his third season at the helm and meets the school that retired his jersey. Taggart’s Bulls go after their eighth win in nine games when they meet Conference-USA champion Western Kentucky in the Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park on Dec. 21. Taggart was a four-year starter at quarterback, highlighted by an All-American senior season, for the Hilltoppers and went 14-10 the final two of his three years as coach at Western Kentucky before moving on to USF in 2013.

Two high-powered offenses will face off: The Bulls come in having scored 153 points combined in the last three games, while Western Kentucky is averaging 49.4 points in winning five straight. USF was second in the American Athletic Conference in rushing yards per game (242.9), led by Marlon Mack’s 1,273 yards and eight touchdowns. The Hilltoppers do most of their damage through the air as senior quarterback Brandon Doughty boasts a nation-leading 45 touchdown passes to go along with 4,594 passing yards – second in the country.

The Bulls will play past their final regular-season game for first time since beating Clemson 31-26 at the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. USF managed 14 victories combined the next four seasons and started 2015 at 1-3 before knocking off Syracuse 45-24 on Oct. 10 to start their rise. USF can match the school record with a ninth win; senior guard Thor Jozwiak told the Tampa Tribune, “That’s a huge motivation. We’re going to have fun with the bowl game and it’s a great reward for us. But we’re going there to win, no question.”

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Western Kentucky opened as 3.5-point favorites and have been bet down one-point to sit at -2.5. The total has been bet up one-point moving up from 65.5 to 66.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Western Kentucky - TE T. Higbee (questionable Monday, knee).

South Florida - N/A.

WEATHER REPORT: If the roof is open at Marlins Park there is a chance it could get a little wet, with a 31 precent chance of rain in the forecast. There will also be a 12-15 mile per hour wind gusting from east to west.

ABOUT WESTERN KENTUCKY (11-2, 7-5-1 ATS, 9-4 O/U): The Hilltoppers play in their third bowl in four years after edging Central Michigan 49-48 at the Bahamas Bowl in 2014. Doughty, who threw for 410 yards in the 45-28 win over Southern Miss at the C-USA title game, has completed 71.8 percent of his passes and boasts several dangerous weapons at his disposal. Taywan Taylor owns the single-season school records in receptions (79) and receiving yards (1,363), Jared Dangerfield (76 catches) and Nicholas Norris (58) have also excelled and running back Anthony Wales is 14 rushing yards short of 1,000.

ABOUT USF (8-4, 9-2-1 ATS, 5-6-1 O/U): While Mack stands 102 yards from breaking the school’s single-season rushing record set by Andre Hall in 2005, sophomore quarterback Quinton Flowers’ progress has been a major key. Flowers has completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,023 yards with 21 touchdowns and top target Rodney Adams boasts 39 catches for 692 yards to go along with a school-record eight receiving scores. The Bulls, who are averaging 21.1 points against, will test Western Kentucky’s offense with linebacker Auggie Sanchez (106 tackles), safety Jamie Byrd (80 tackles, five sacks) and first-team All-AAC corner Deatrick Nichols (four interceptions) leading the way.

TRENDS:

* Western Kentucky is 1-4 ATS in their last five non-conference games.
* South Florida is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Western Kentucky's last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 4-1 in South Florida's last 5 games in December.

CONSENSUS: Bettors are siding with Western Kentucky in Monday's lone bowl game, with 61 percent of wagers on the Hilltoppers. As for the total, 61 percent of wagers are on the over.