NCAAF Trends and Indexes - Army/Navy and Bowl Season (Saturday, December 12 - Saturday, January 2)

[Udog]

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.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Saturday, December 19

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


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[Udog]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Monday, December 21


Western Kentucky @ South Florida

Game 211-212
December 21, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Western Kentucky
99.052
South Florida
94.511
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Western Kentucky
by 4 1/2
70
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Western Kentucky
by 2 1/2
65 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Western Kentucky
(-2 1/2); Over




NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

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.




NCAAF

Monday, December 21

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


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[Udog]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Bowl Season


Akron @ Utah State

Game 213-214
December 22, 2015 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Akron
79.057
Utah State
82.143
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah State
by 3
44
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah State
by 7
48
Dunkel Pick:
Akron
(+7); Under

Toledo @ Temple

Game 215-216
December 22, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toledo
94.156
Temple
92.647
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toledo
by 1 1/2
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Temple
by 2
51 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toledo
(+2); Under




NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec 22
Mountain West teams beat MAC teams in this bowl last three years, by 14-25-26 points; last MAC team to win here was Ohio (+2) in same matchup vs Utah State in 2011. Aggies allowed 11.7 ppg in winning its three bowls since then, by 26-7-15 points. Ohio won two of last three bowls (were underdog in all three); Bobcats are 8-1 this year, when allowing less than 41 points. Over last three years, MAC teams are 4-12 SU in bowls, MW teams 7-11. Average total in this bowl last five years was 59.

Boca Raton Bowl
Temple split its last six games after a 7-0 start; Owls are in first bowl since '11, their third since 1979- somehow coach Rhule is staying at Temple, which has to help here. AAC teams are 3-6 in bowl games in their existence, but none of those games were against MAC teams. Owls beat UMass of MAC 25-23 back in September (TY498-438). Toledo allowed 41+ points in last three bowls, but won two of the three; Rockets split their last four games after a 7-0 start- they have senior QB who started his career at Alabama.




NCAAF

Tuesday, December 22

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Tuesday's college football bowl games betting preview
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Under has gone 4-0 in Temple's last four non-conference games.


Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Game played at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho

Akron Zips vs. Utah State Aggies (-6.5, 47.5)

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL STORYLINES

1. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Dec. 22 in Boise, Idaho may not have the desired warm weather location of most bowl games, but that doesn't matter to either Akron or Utah State. Both teams are just happy to be going bowling but for different reasons. This is just the second bowl appearance ever for the Zips since becoming an FBS program in 1987 while the Aggies will be making a school-record fifth straight bowl appearance despite scuffling down the stretch.

2. Akron, which won its final four games to finish in a tie for second in the MAC East Division, lost to Memphis, 38-31, in its only previous bowl game, the 2005 Motor City Bowl. The Zips have steadily improved under fourth-year head coach Terry Bowden, going 1-11 in his first season and then 5-7 in back-to-back years before finishing 7-5 this year. "The thing that's beginning to hit us now it's time for us to go out and win a bowl -- not play a bowl, but win a bowl," Bowden told the Akron Beacon Journal.

3. Utah State looked like it might be headed to a more prestigious bowl game back in mid-October when it forced eight turnovers and stunned then No. 21-ranked Boise State, 52-26, to take over the Mountain Division lead in the Mountain West Conference. But the Aggies lost four of their final six games, including back-to-back road games at New Mexico (14-13) and Air Force (35-28), and ended up in a four-way tie for second place at 5-3 in the division behind the Falcons (6-2). This is the third time in five years that Utah State will play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, which is just a four-hour drive from campus in Logan, Utah.

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

LINE HISTORY: Books opened Utah State -7 but that has moved to -6.5. The total is down to 47.5 from the opening 49.

INJURY REPORT:

Akron - RB D.J. Jones (Questionable, undisclosed).

Utah State - QB Kent Myers (Probable, shoulder), NT Travis Seefeldt (Out indefinitely, undisclosed).

WEATHER FORECAST: A small 20 percent chance of snow with temperatures in Boise in the mid-30s and wind blowing across the field at around six miles per hour.

ABOUT AKRON (7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS, 5-7 O/U): Senior running back Conor Hundley is the team's leading rusher with 883 yards and 10 touchdowns on 188 carries while sophomore quarterback Thomas Woodson has completed 53 percent of his passes for 2,034 yards,16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Senior wide receiver Imani Davis (46 receptions, 593 yards, 3 TDs) is the top receiver for the Zips, who run a spread offense. Akron's defense, which ranks third nationally in rushing defense (89.8 yards per game) and 17th in total defense (328.5), is led by senior linebacker Jatavis Brown, who was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the team with 108 tackles, including 17.5 for loss, and 10.5 sacks.

ABOUT UTAH STATE (6-6 SU, 5-7 ATS, 9-3 O/U): The Aggies have arguably the two best linebackers in the Mountain West in 6-5, 250-pound senior Kyler Fackrell, who led the nation in fumble recoveries (five) and is considered an NFL prospect, and junior Nick Vigil, who ranks fifth in the nation in tackles (11.7 per game) and is only the player in the nation to have at least nine tackles in every game. Both Fackrell and Vigil were first team all-Mountain West picks while senior wide receiver Hunter Sharp, who had 60 receptions for 746 yards and eight touchdowns, was a second team choice. Sophomore quarterback Kent Myers passed for 1,470 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions and also rushed for 348 yards and three touchdowns, which ranked second on the team behind junior running back Devante Mays' 842 yards rushing.

TRENDS:

* Zips are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Aggies are 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Zips last five non-conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Aggies last four neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: Sixty-six percent of users are backing the Aggies.




Marmot Boca Raton Bowl

Game played at FAU Football Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida

Toledo Rockets vs. Temple Owls (-2.5, 49.5)

MARMOT BOCA RATON BOWL STORYLINES

1. Temple and Toledo had seasons that, more or less, mirrored each other, setting up an intriguing matchup at the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 22 in Boca Raton, Fla. The Owls and Rockets each won their first seven games before stumbling a couple of times late in the year, capped by a defeat in their last game by each squad. Still, the strong campaigns created significant opportunities for the head coaches with Toledo's Matt Campbell bolting to take over Iowa State and Temple's Matt Rhule signing a six-year extension amid rumors that he could head elsewhere.

2. For much of the season, the Owls appeared destined for a New Year's Six bowl game, although there is still plenty on the line for Rhule's team. Temple was 2-10 two seasons ago and improved to 6-6 last year only to get left out of the postseason. "Hopefully our legacy will be that we can win 11 games," center Kyle Friend told reporters. "That has never been done before here."

3. The Rockets are seeking their first 10-win season since 2001, but must do it in former offensive coordinator Jason Candle's first game as head coach. "I have a chance to be the head football coach at a place that I love, and to be around the team that I love and the guys that I fought with and bled with for seven years here," said Candle, who likely would have been named offensive coordinator at Iowa State as part of Campbell's staff. "It's a no-brainer. It's an easy decision.” Candle already is familiar with Temple, which was in the Mid-American Conference (along with Toledo) from 2007-11.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened this game as a Pick, but Temple is now -2.5. The total is down to 49.5 from the opening 51.

INJURY REPORT:

Toledo - LB Jaylen Coleman (Out for season, leg), QB Jalen Reese (Out for season, Achilles), TE Adam Kulon (Out for season, knee).

Temple - DL Jullian Taylor (Out indefinitely, undisclosed), DL Josian Bronson (Out for season, ankle).

WEATHER FORECAST: There is a 36 percent chance of rain with temperatures in the mid-70s and wind blowing across the field at around 10 miles per hour.

ABOUT TOLEDO (9-2 SU, 8-2-1 ATS, 3-8 O/U): The Rockets are one of the nation's more balanced teams, ranking in the top 35 nationally in points (34.7) and points against (21.1) with a strong rushing attack that averages 213.2 yards per game - tops in the MAC. “Both teams pay attention to running the ball,” Candle told reporters of his squad and the Owls. “To win and play well in November and December, you’ve got to be able to run the ball and stop the run, and I think both teams do a good job of that.” Kareem Hunt and Terry Swanson both have a chance to reach 1,000 rushing yards on the season with a big performance in Boca, while Phillip Ely (2,680 yards and 21 touchdown passes) hopes to maintain a solid run in which he has thrown five touchdowns and one interception over the last three outings.

ABOUT TEMPLE (10-3 SU, 9-4 ATS, 5-8 O/U): The Owls, who ended the regular season ranked No. 24 in both the coaches' poll and the College Football Playoff rankings, went 3-3 over their final six games - a run that included a close defeat to Notre Dame, a 21-point loss at USF and a disappointing 24-13 setback at Houston in the AAC title game. Robby Anderson was hardly to blame for the loss to Houston as he racked up season highs of 12 catches for 150 yards and recorded the team's only touchdown. Overall, though, Temple's best player is linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who said after winning the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation's top defensive player: "I'm not the biggest, I'm the not fastest, but I push myself to prepare off the field, so when I step on the field, I can do things faster than other people. I can narrow down what plays teams might run just by the formations. I think that is a tribute to the coaches' putting me in the right situations."

TRENDS:

* Rockets are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four non-conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Owls last four non-conference games.
* Owls are 1-4 ATS in their last five vs. MAC.
* Under is 6-0 in Owls last six games following a ATS loss.

CONSENSUS: Sixty-five percent of users are backing the Owls.


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[Udog]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Bowl Season


Boise State @ Northern Illinois

Game 217-218
December 23, 2015 @ 4:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boise State
91.859
Northern Illinois
85.348
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
by 6 1/2
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boise State
by 9
56
Dunkel Pick:
Northern Illinois
(+9); Under

Georgia Southern @ Bowling Green

Game 219-220
December 23, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia Southern
95.505
Bowling Green
99.462
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Bowling Green
by 4
61
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Bowling Green
by 8
66 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Georgia Southern
(+8); Under


Middle Tennessee St @ Western Michigan

Game 221-222
December 24, 2015 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Middle Tennessee
84.201
Western Michigan
92.585
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Western Michigan
by 8 1/2
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Western Michigan
by 3
63
Dunkel Pick:
Western Michigan
(-3); Over

Cincinnati @ San Diego St

Game 223-224
December 24, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
87.393
San Diego St
96.918
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego St
by 9 1/2
63
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego St
by 1
57
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego St
(-1); Over




NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

Poinsettia Bowl, San Diego, Dec 23
Boise State lost its last two home games, allowed 29.5 ppg in last four overall; Broncos won four of last five bowls, with average total in last four 63.8- they covered two of last three as bowl favorite. Northern Illinois lost its last three bowls by average score of 35-16. Huskies are 1-3 vs bowl teams this season; they're 8-0 when scoring 27+ points, 0-5 when they score less. NIU lost last two games, to Ohio/bowling Green. MAC non-conference underdogs are 19-9 vs spread this season; MW favorites are 1-7.

GoDaddy Bowl, Mobile
Georgia Southern-Bowling Green both lost their head coaches already; not a lot of similarity after that. GSU is playing in its first bowl, in its second year of I-A ball- they're 8-0 when running ball for 325+ yards- they were held to 233 or less YR in all four losses, are 2-2 as underdogs this year. BG won nine of last ten games, with last seven wins all by 14+ points. Falcons beat USA 33-28 LY to snap 4-game bowl losing streak. MAC non-conference favorites are 5-5 vs spread; Sun Belt underdogs are 12-11 against the spread.

Bahamas Bowl, Dec 24
Middle Tennessee won last four games after 3-5 start to get here; they're 1-3 in bowl games, with only win in '09; all three losses were by 14 points. Blue Raiders scored 33.5 ppg in last four games, playing lower end of conference in that stretch. Western Michigan is 0-6 all-time in bowl games, allowing 35 ppg in last five; Broncos are 2-3 as a favorite this year- they gave up 242 rushing ypg in their last three games. C-USA non-conference underdogs are 14-18 vs spread; MAC favorites are 5-5.

Hawai'i Bowl
San Diego State lost three of its last four bowls; two of those were at home in Poinsettia Bowl. Aztecs are Mountain West champs, winning last nine games after a 1-3 start, including a home loss to South Alabama. Cincinnati allowed 33+ points in 7 of 12 games- they're 5-0 when allowing less than 33. Bearcats allowed 222.8 rushing ypg in last five games. AAC teams are 19-15 vs spread out of conference; MW teams are 15-20. Favorites covered this bowl three of last four years; MW teams lost all four games, with average total 47.8.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Tuesday, December 22


There is a 40% chance of snow showers for the Idaho Potato Bowl with a 3-6MPH NE wind that reverses direction late in the game.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Wednesday, December 23

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Wednesday's college football bowl games betting preview
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Boise State has gone 5-0 against the spread in their last five games versus team from the MAC.


San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Game played at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

Boise State Broncos vs. Northern Illinois Huskies (+8, 56)

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL STORYLINES

1. Two teams that had loftier expectations will share the gridiron when Boise State squares off with Northern Illinois in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Boise State was looking to repeat as the Group of Five's representative in a New Year's Six bowl but the Broncos underachieved with three losses in Mountain West play and stand at 8-4. The Huskies had similar aspirations after five consecutive seasons of 11 or more victories but are now attempting to avoid their first six-loss season since 2009.

2. Boise State is averaging 37.8 points behind freshman quarterback Brett Rypien, who was in line to redshirt in his first season on campus until sophomore Ryan Finley suffered a season-ending ankle injury. The nephew of former Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien was ready for the challenge and passed for 2,973 yards and 17 touchdowns while winning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors. Northern Illinois has done some quarterback shuffling of its own as junior starter Drew Hare (Achilles' tendon) and redshirt freshman backup Ryan Graham (leg) both were injured and freshman Tommy Fiedler is currently slated to make his second career start.

3. Huskies sophomore cornerback Shawun Lurry stands just 5-8 but he is a player quarterbacks are learning to avoid as he leads the nation with nine interceptions and is averaging 30.3 yards per return. "It just comes from practicing hard every day and taking practice seriously and the (defensive) line putting pressure on the quarterback," Lurry recently told reporters. "When they do that, the quarterback just throws the ball up in the air and I’ll be in the right area sometimes and I get it." The Broncos (22) have even more interceptions than Northern Illinois (21) and feature senior safety Darian Thompson, who had five picks this season and is the Mountain West's all-time leader with 19.

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

LINE HISTORY: Books opened NIU as 8.5-point dogs but that has moved to +8. The total opened at 56.

INJURY REPORT:

Boise State - WR Shane Williams-Rhodes (Probable, ankle), CB Donte Deayon (Probable, knee), WR Austin Cottrell (Questionable, leg), S Darian Thompson (Questionable, concussion), QB Ryan Finley (Out indefinitely, ankle), TE David Lucero (Out indefinitely, suspension), WR Akilian Butler (Out indefinitely, undisclosed), S Dylan Sumner-Gardner (Out indefinitely, ankle), OL Rees Odhiambo (Out for season, ankle), Gabe Perez (Out for season, shoulder).

Northern Illinois - QB Ryan Graham (Probable, leg), WR Tommylee Lewis (Questionable, ankle), DT Corey Thomas (Out for season, knee), QB Drew Hare (Out for season, lower body).

WEATHER INFO: Temperatures in the low-60s under partly cloudy skies.

ABOUT BOISE STATE (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS, 6-6 O/U): Sophomore running back Jeremy McNichols is tied for the national lead with 23 touchdowns (18 rushing, five receiving) and has rushed for 1,244 yards while posting seven 100-yard performances. Junior receiver Thomas Sperbeck leads the Mountain West in receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,334) - with the latter total breaking the school single-season mark set by Titus Young (1,210 in 2010). Thompson and senior cornerback Donte Deayon (17 career interceptions, four this season) head the secondary while junior defensive end Kamalei Correa has a team-leading five sacks for a unit with 28 takeaways.

ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS (8-5 SU, 7-4-2 ATS, 6-7 O/U): The Huskies figure to give junior running back Joel Bouagnon (1,269 yards, 18 touchdowns) a heavy workload to help take pressure off Fiedler, who was 12-of-28 for 152 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in a 34-14 loss to Bowling Green in the MAC title game. Junior receiver Kenny Golladay (71 receptions for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns) is a big-play threat on offense while MAC Special Teams Player of the Year Aregeros Turner - a junior - averages 25.2 yards with one touchdown on kickoff returns. Senior middle linebacker Boomer Mays (108 tackles) and senior defensive end Perez Ford (five sacks) join Lurry as the headliners on a defense that forced 27 turnovers.

TRENDS:

* Broncos are 1-4 ATS in their last five games in December.
* Huskies are 2-6 ATS in their last eight bowl games.
* Under is 5-2 in Broncos last seven vs. MAC.
* Under is 12-5 in Huskies last 17 neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-three percent of users are backing the Broncos.




Godaddy Bowl

Game played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama

Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Bowling Green Falcons (-7.5, 64)

GODADDY BOWL STORYLINES

1. With one of the most dynamic quarterback-wide receiver tandems in the game, MAC champion Bowling Green will be looking to match a school record for wins set in 2003 when it faces Georgia Southern on Dec. 23 in the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Dino Babers posted an 8-6 record in his first season at the helm in 2014, and now has the Falcons on the verge of consecutive bowl wins for the second time in school history (2003-04). Bowling Green ranks in the top five in FBS in scoring (43.4 points per game), passing offense (376 yards per game) and total offense (561 yards per game).

2. Led by second-year coach Willie Fritz, Georgia Southern is making its first bowl appearance in its first year of bowl eligibility. A power in the Division I-AA ranks, the Eagles won national championships in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2000. Georgia Southern won the Sun Belt Conference with a perfect 8-0 record last season and finished third this season, and the Eagles took Georgia to overtime before falling 23-17 on Nov. 21.

3. Bowling Green and Georgia Southern enter with drastically different offensive approaches. The Falcons boast one of the most potent passing games in the country with MAC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Johnson throwing to Paul Warfield Award-winning wide receiver Roger Lewis. The Eagles, on the other hand, rely on a triple-option run attack that averages 355 yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry and received a combined 2,320 yards from Matt Breida and L.A. Ramsby.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened Bowling Green as a 7.5-point favorite. The total is down to 64 from the opening 66.

INJURY REPORT:

Georgia Southern - OL Roscoe Byrd (Questionable, undisclosed).

Bowling Green - RB Donovan Wilson (Questionable, undisclosed), DL Mike Minns (Out, suspension), OL Christian Piazza (Out for season, undisclosed), K Anthony Farinella (Out indefinitely, back), DL Gus Schwieterman (Out for season, foot).

WEATHER INFO: Temperatures in the low-70s with an 87 percent chance of thunderstorms. Wind is expected to blow toward the north endzone at around 10 miles per hour.

ABOUT GEORGIA SOUTHERN (8-4 SU, 8-4 ATS, 5-7 O/U): A potent running attack has allowed the Eagles to top 40 points seven times this season and is led by the 5-11, 190-pound junior Breida, who has rushed for 1,540 yards, 16 touchdowns and an 8.2 yards-per-carry average. Georgia Southern threw just 129 passes all season and sophomore Kevin Ellison enters having completed only 44 percent of his 84 passes for 532 yards and three touchdowns against five interceptions. The Eagles yield 23 points per contest and 204 passing yards per game but have recorded just 21 sacks.

ABOUT BOWLING GREEN (10-3 SU, 10-3 ATS, 6-7 O/U): Johnson, who has completed 368-of-535 passes for 43 touchdowns against eight interceptions, leads FBS with 4,700 yards passing and ranks eighth in passer efficiency rating (166.1). Lewis caught 82 passes for an FBS-high 1,476 yards and joins Ryan Burbrink (56 catches, 627 yards) and Ronnie Moore (67 catches, 871 yards) as receivers who have recorded 2,000 yards receiving in their careers. Running backs Travis Greene (1,219 yards) and Fred Coppet (797) have combined for 19 TDs and 5.8 yards per carry.

TRENDS:

* Eagles are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.
* Falcons are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Eagles last six games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Falcons last four bowl games.

CONSENSUS: Seventy percent of users are backing the Falcons.


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[Udog]

NCAAF

Wednesday, December 23


The Boise State Broncos are 5-2 ATS over their last seven bowl games.


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.


The Falcons are 4-0 ATS over their last 4 games against opponents from the Sun Belt Conference and 7-1 ATS over their last 8 games overall.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Thursday, December 24

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Christmas Eve college football bowl games betting preview
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The Aztecs are one of the hottest teams in the nation, winners of nine straight (8-1-1 ATS).


Popeyes Bahamas Bowl

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Western Michigan Broncos (-5, 65)

Game to be played at Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, Nassau Bahamas

Both Middle Tennessee and Western Michigan ended their regular seasons on a good note and look prepared to put up a boatload of points in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl on Christmas Eve. Led by quarterback Brent Stockstill, who set the Conference USA passing record for a freshman with 3,678 yards, the Blue Raiders overcame a 3-5 start with four straight wins down the stretch, the last two by a combined 69 points. The Broncos' balanced attack ranked second in the Mid-American Conference in total offense and helped get the squad past then-No. 24 Toledo 35-30 in the finale of the regular season Nov. 27.

Western Michigan features a dynamic receiving duo in Daniel Braverman and Corey Davis, the first tandem in the nation to go over 1,100 receiving yards in the same season since 2012. The pair combined for 23 touchdowns and helped lead a Broncos' offensive attack that ranks second in the nation in time of possession (34.5 minutes per game). Junior quarterback Zach Terrell threw for 3,225 yards, third in the MAC, with 27 touchdowns against eight interceptions, five of which occurred in the first two games of the season.

The Blue Raiders' defense struggled early on but was pivotal in slamming the door on opponents down the stretch, limiting their last two foes to a combined 14 points. Linebacker T.T. Barber (11.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks) and safety Kevin Byard (four interceptions in 11 games) were both all-conference selections for a unit that tied for second in the league in picks with 16. Offensively, the run game left something to be desired, averaging 3.7 yards per carry and failing to get a single player over 500 yards on the ground.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Western Michigan opened as 3.5-point favorites before getting bet to -3. Shortly after the line jumped two whole points back in the Broncos favor to -5 and got as high as -5.5, before settling back at -5. The total has been consistently bet up since opening at 62.5 and now sits at 65.

INJURY REPORT:

Middle Tennessee - LB A. Stewart (questionable Thursday, undisclosed), DE J. Jones (questionable Thursday, undisclosed), LB M. Harges (questionable Thursday, undisclosed), TE T. Barron (questionable Thursday, undisclosed), CB J. Cutrer (questionable Thursday, undisclosed), RB J. Bryson (doubtful Thursday, shoulder), OL D. Johnson (out Thursday, undisclosed).

Western Michigan - N/A.

WEATHER REPORT: It should be a beautiful day for football in the Bahamas with temperaures in the low 80's and a 10-12 mile per hour wind blowing from east to west.

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (7-5, 8-4 ATS, 4-8 O/U): Stockstill is the son of head coach Rick Stockstill, who has guided the program to five bowl games since taking over in 2006 but hasn't won one since the New Orleans Bowl in 2009. With his son in the fold and another freshman - wide receiver Richie James - as the other offensive star, the future is bright. James is one of three wideouts in FBS play to record 100 catches and one of 14 to reach the 1,200-yard mark.

ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN (7-5, 7-5 ATS, 6-5-1 O/U): Head coach P.J. Fleck's name often comes up in discussions of coaching vacancies, and he will get a chance on national television to show off the progress he has made at Western Michigan. "This was kind of the year of the 'nevers,'" Fleck recently told the Detroit Free Press. "We’ve never been to back-to-back bowl games. We’re doing that. We never beat a Top 25 team. We’ve done that. We’ve never had back-to-back-to-back No. 1 (MAC) recruiting classes three years in a row. We’re doing that. But now, it’s a chance to have our first bowl win in the history of the program." Terrell threw for three touchdowns - all of them to Davis - in last year's loss to Air Force in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

TRENDS:

* Middle Tennessee is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Western Michigan is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in December.
* Under is 5-0 in Middle Tennessee's last 5 games overall.
* Over is 4-1-1 in Western Michigan's last 6 non-conference games.

CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the Broncos in this matchup with 65 percent of wagers on Western Michigan. As for the total, 55 percent of wagers are on the over.



Hawai'i Bowl

San Diego State Aztecs vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (+3, 56.5)

Game to be played at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii

Mountain West Conference champion San Diego State will make its second trip to Hawaii in less than three months when its faces Cincinnati on Christmas Eve in the Hawai'i Bowl. The contest will be played at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium, which came under scrutiny last week when the U.S. women's national team cancelled its soccer match with Trinidad and Tobago, claiming poor field conditions and tweeting out photos of seams in the artificial turf coming apart, mainly on the sideline area. "We didn't have any problems when we played on it," Aztecs coach Rocky Long told the San Diego Union-Tribune of his team's 28-14 victory over the Rainbow Warriors on Oct. 10. "I don't think it was a concern when we were there."

San Diego State rolls into the game with the momentum of a nine-game winning streak, the third-longest active streak in the nation behind Clemson (16) and Alabama (10). That includes a perfect 8-0 mark in the Mountain West regular season and a 27-24 victory over Air Force in the 2015 Sports Authority MW Championship game at Qualcomm Stadium on Dec. 5. It was the 20th conference title in school history and second in the Mountain West era.

Cincinnati was a big preseason media favorite to win both the American Athletic Conference East Division and inaugural league title game. However, the Bearcats finished third in the East behind Temple and USF, which handed Cincinnati its worst loss of the season, 65-27, on Nov. 20. "(The Hawai'i Bowl is) one of the best bowls going," Bearcats coach Tommy Tuberville said. "I've coached in a lot of them, and unless you're playing for the national championship, what better place to spend the holidays than Hawaii?"

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Since opening as 2-point favorites, Cincinnati has seen no love as the line has not only jumped the fence, but gone all the way to San Diego State -3. The total has been bet down slightly since opening at 57, and is down to 56.5.

INJURY REPORT:

San Diego State - QB M. Smith (questionable Thursday, knee).

Cincinnati - WR J. Holton (questionable Thursday, hamstring), QB G. Kiel (out Thursday, personal).

WEATHER REPORT: It could be messy in Honolulu, with a 51 percent chance of rain showers and a 13-15 mile per hour wind gusting across the field from east to west. Temperatures will be high 70's at gametime.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE (10-3, 7-5-1 ATS, 6-7 O/U): The big question for the Aztecs is whether starting quarterback Maxwell Smith, who passed for 1,529 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions, will be able to make it back to play in the bowl game after tearing his left ACL in the regular season finale against Nevada. "I hope he gets ready," Long told Union-Tribune. "I'd love to see him start the game." If not, redshirt freshman Christian Chapman, who completed 9-of-14 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown in the championship game, will make his second college start and the Aztecs, who set a school-single season record with 3,061 rushing yards, will lean even more heavily on Donnel Pumphrey, the Mountain West's Offensive Player of the Year who has rushed for 1,554 yards and 16 TDs.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (7-5, 6-6 ATS, 6-6 O/U): The Bearcats bounced back from the ugly loss at USF to edge East Carolina, 19-16, on Andrew Gantz's 42-yard field goal on the final play of the game in their regular-season finale. Junior quarterback Gunner Kiel, who began his career at Notre Dame, has completed 206-of-316 passes for 2,777 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, with senior wide receiver Shaq Washington, who set a school single-season receptions mark with 88 catches for 971 yards and six touchdowns, his top target. Senior Hosey Williams (727 yards, 4 TDs) and sophomore Mike Boone (717 yards, 8 TDs) both topped the 700-yard rushing mark while junior linebacker Eric Wilson (103 tackles) leads a defense that ranked just 84th nationally and allowed 190.8 yards per game on the ground.

TRENDS:

* San Diego State is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
* Cincinnati is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games.
* Under is 7-2 in San Diego State's last 9 non-conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in Cincinnati's last 5 Bowl games.

CONSENSUS: The action is fairly split in this bowl game according to the Consensus, with 56 percent of wagers on San Diego State. As for the total, 58 percent of wagers are on the total.


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[Udog]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Bowl Season


Connecticut @ Marshall

Game 225-226
December 26, 2015 @ 11:00 am

Dunkel Rating:
Connecticut
81.890
Marshall
84.318
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Marshall
by 2 1/2
40
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Marshall
by 5
44
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(+5); Under

Miami-FL @ Washington St

Game 227-228
December 26, 2015 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami-FL
95.635
Washington St
93.084
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami-FL
by 2 1/2
57
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington St
by 3
62 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami-FL
(+3); Under

Southern Miss @ Washington

Game 229-230
December 26, 2015 @ 2:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Southern Miss
93.200
Washington
105.673
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 12 1/2
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 8 1/2
56
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-8 1/2); Over

Indiana @ Duke

Game 231-232
December 26, 2015 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
89.498
Duke
84.605
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 5
73
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 1 1/2
67 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-1 1/2); Over

Tulsa @ Virginia Tech

Game 233-234
December 26, 2015 @ 5:45 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tulsa
78.362
Virginia Tech
94.784
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Virginia Tech
by 16 1/2
65
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia Tech
by 13
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Virginia Tech
(-13); Over

Nebraska @ UCLA

Game 235-236
December 26, 2015 @ 9:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nebraska
91.206
UCLA
101.132
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
UCLA
by 10
65
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
UCLA
by 6 1/2
61
Dunkel Pick:
UCLA
(-6 1/2); Over

[Udog]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

St Petersburg Bowl, Dec 26
Marshall lost two of last three games, is 1-3 vs bowl teams; they won last four bowl games, allowing 17.5 ppg (2-0 as fave)- they won this bowl back in 2011. Thundering Herd starts a freshman QB. UConn is in its first bowl in five years; Huskies are 1-5 vs bowl teams this year- they scored total of only 30 points in last three games. Faves are 3-2 vs spread in this bowl last five years, with an average total of 54.4. C-USA non-conference favorites are 4-4 this year; AAC underdogs 13-10.

Sun Bowl, El Paso
Over last six years, Pac-12 teams are 7-1 vs ACC teams in bowls, with one win in 2012 Sun Bowl. Miami is 0-5 in bowl games last seven years, scoring 15.6 ppg; Hurricanes won four of last five games after 58-0 loss to Clemson- they are 4-1 in games decided by 6 or less points. Mike Leach is back in west Texas with Washington State team that went 8-3 in last 11 games after losing opener to I-AA team. Wazzu is 3-1 as favorite this year; they lost 48-45 to Colorado State in bowl game two years ago, their only bowl since '03.

Heart of Dallas Bowl
Southern Mississippi was 4-32 last three years; now they're 9-4, winning six in row before losing C-USA title game 45-28 at WKU. Golden Eagles are in first bowl since '11- underdogs covered four of their last five bowls. Pac-12 teams are 12-6 in bowls last two years; Washington lost three of its last four bowls, giving up 35.5 ppg. Huskies won last two games, scoring 97 points to become bowl eligible; they're 1-6 scoring less than 31 points. Favorites won/covered this bowl last four years, with average total of 54.8.

Pinstripe Bowl, Bronx
Duke lost four of last five games, allowing 38 ppg after a 6-1 start; they threw three guys off team, lost All-American safety to injury. Since '89, Blue Devils are 0-5 in bowl games, allowing 43.8 ppg. Last six years, Big 14 teams are 5-2 in bowls vs ACC teams. Indiana is in first bowl since '07; their last bowl was 1991 Copper Bowl. Hoosiers lost six games in row during season, losing by 8 or less points to Iowa-Michigan-Ohio State; they also blew 52-26 lead in loss to Rutgers. Underdog covered all four (3-1SU) Pinstripe Bowls.

Independence Bowl, Shreveport
This is Frank Beamer's last game at Virginia Tech; Hokies are 2-3 in last five bowls- two of five went to OT. Tech won three of last four games to get bowl eligible; their last two wins were by total of five points- they're 3-4 as favorite, three of their five I-A wins are by 15+ points. Tulsa was 5-19 last two years, is 4-3 vs spread as an underdog this year; they are in first bowl since '12- they're 4-1 in last five bowls, scoring 44.4 ppg/ Favorites are 3-2 vs spread in this bowl last five years; average total in last four, 57.5.

Foster Farms Bowl, Santa Clara
5-7 Nebraska is here because not enough teams won six games; Cornhuskers lost four of last five bowls, losing twice to Pac-12 squads. Nebraska is 3-5 vs bowl teams this year; they're 1-5 in games decided by 5 or less points. Mora is 2-1 in bowls, scoring 42-40 in last two; Bruins lost this bowl 20-14 to Illinois in '11; unsure how excited they are with this trip up north. UCLA OC Mazzone was hospitalized LW with blood clot in his lung. Pac-12/Big 14 split last eight bowl meetings.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Bowl Season

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Trend Report
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Saturday, December 26

11:00 AM
CONNECTICUT vs. MARSHALL
Connecticut is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games
Connecticut is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Marshall's last 5 games
Marshall is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games

2:00 PM
MIAMI vs. WASHINGTON STATE
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games
Washington State is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington State's last 5 games

2:20 PM
WASHINGTON vs. SOUTHERN MISS
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington's last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Southern Miss's last 10 games
Southern Miss is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

3:30 PM
INDIANA vs. DUKE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Duke's last 6 games
Duke is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

5:45 PM
TULSA vs. VIRGINIA TECH
Tulsa is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Tulsa's last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Virginia Tech's last 8 games

9:15 PM
UCLA vs. NEBRASKA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of UCLA's last 6 games
UCLA is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Nebraska's last 23 games


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[BettorsChat]

12-24-15

Cincinnati vs. San Diego St.
aloha stadium - Honolulu, hi
THURSDAY, Dec. 24, 2015; 8:00 p.m. EST
Line: San Diego St. BY 1½
OVER/UNDER: 56.5

CINCINNATI is 0-8 ATS (-8.8
Units) in non-conference home
games over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was CINCINNATI
23.5, OPPONENT 36.6.

CINCINNATI is 38-16 ATS
(+20.4 Units) versus good teams -
outscoring opponents by 10+ PPG
on the season - since 1992.
The average score was CINCINNATI
25.1, OPPONENT 29.1

LEAN: Cincinnati +1.5 & Under 56.5

12-26-15

Connecticut vs. Marshall

TROPICANA FIELD - ST. PETERSBURG, FL
SATURDAY, Dec. 26, 2015; 11:00 A.m. EST
Line: MARSHALL BY 5
OVER/UNDER: 44.5

CONNECTICUT is 2-10 ATS
(-9.0 Units) in road games after
playing a conference game over
the last 3 seasons.
The average score was CONNECTICUT 14.4, OPPONENT 31.5

CONNECTICUT is 4-14 ATS
(-11.4 Units) when playing on a
Saturday under coach Bob Diaco.
The average score was CONNECTICUT
16.1, OPPONENT 25.2

LEAN: Connecticut +5 & Under 44.5

12-26-15

Miami Fla. vs. Washington St.

sun bowl - el pas o, TX
SATURDAY, Dec. 26, 2015; 2:00 p.m. EST
Line: WASHINGTON STATE BY 2.5
OVER/UNDER: 62

WASHINGTON STATE is
7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after having
won 2 out of their last 3 games
this season.
The average score was WASHINGTON
ST 38.0, OPPONENT 28.4

Play Against - All teams where
the line is +3 to -3 (WASHINGTON
ST) - after a loss against the
spread against opponent after
2 or more consecutive ATS wins.

The situation’s record is
98-47 over the last 5 seasons
(67.6%, +46.3 units)

LEAN: Miami Fla +2.5 & Over 62

12-26-15

Southern Mississippi vs. Washington

COTTON BOWL - DALLAS, TX
SATURDAY, Dec. 26, 2015; 2:20 p.m. EST
Line: WASHINGTON BY 8.5
OVER/UNDER: 55

WASHINGTON is 0-9 ATS
(-9.9 Units) in road games
off a home blowout win by
28 points or more since 1992.
The average score was WASHINGTON
24.4, OPPONENT 32.2

Play Against - Any team
(SOUTHERN MISS) - after allowing
37 points or more last game
against opponent after 2 straight
wins by 28 or more points.

The situation’s record is
60-23 over the last 10 seasons
(72.3%, +34.7 units)

LEAN: Washington -8.5 & Under 55

12-26-15

Indiana vs. Duke

YANKEE STADIUM - BRONX, NY
SATURDAY, Dec. 26, 2015; 3:30 P.m. EST
Line: INDIANA BY 2
OVER/UNDER: 70.5

INDIANA is 5-29 ATS (-26.9
Units) after outgaining opponent
by 125 or more total yards in their
previous game since 1992.
The average score was INDIANA
24.0, OPPONENT 32.9

INDIANA is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units)
under coach Kevin Wilson
after having won 2 out of their
last 3 games.
The average score was INDIANA
21.5, OPPONENT 43.6

LEAN: Duke +2 & Under 70.5


12-26-15

Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech

Independence Stadium - Shreveport , LA
SATURDAY, Dec. 26, 2015; 5:45 p.m. EST
Line: VIRGINIA TECH BY 13.5
OVER/UNDER: 61.5

TULSA is 13-37 ATS (-27.7 Units)
after 2 straight games where
60 total points or more were
scored since 1992.
The average score was TULSA 32.8,
OPPONENT 33.0

Play Against - Underdogs of 10.5
to 21 points (TULSA) - excellent
passing team - with a completion
pct of 62% or better, after allowing
8 or more passing yards/attempt
last game.

The situation’s record is 115-62
since 1992 (65%, +46.8 units)

LEAN: Tulsa +13.5 & Over 61.5

12-26-15

Nebraska vs. UCLA

LEVI’S STADIUM - SANTA CLARA, CA
SATURDAY, Dec. 26, 2015; 9:15 p.m. EST
Line: UCLA BY 6.5
OVER/UNDER: 61

NEBRASKA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9
Units) in road games vs. good
passing teams with a completion
pct. of 58% or better over the last
3 seasons.
The average score was
NEBRASKA 27.4, OPPONENT 22.6

NEBRASKA head coach Mike Riley
is 18-4 ATS (+13.6 Units) in non home
games after a game with
a turnover margin of minus-2 or
worse as a head coach.
The average score was Riley 26.8,
OPPONENT 24.0

LEAN: UCLA & Under 61

12-28-15

Pittsburgh vs. Navy

NAVY-MARINE CORPS MEMORIAL STADIUM - ANNAPOLIS, MD
MONDAY, Dec. 28, 2015; 2:30 p.m. EST
Line: NAVY BY 3
OVER/UNDER: 53


PITTSBURGH is 9-22 ATS (-15.2
Units) in road games after a
2-game home stand since 1992.
The average score was PITTSBURGH
21.8, OPPONENT 28.3

PITTSBURGH is 8-21 ATS
(-15.1 Units) versus mistake-free
teams - 42 or less penalty yards
per game - since 1992.
The average score was PITTSBURGH
26.2, OPPONENT 27.6

LEAN: Pittsburgh +3 & Over 53


12-28-15

Central Michigan vs. Minnesota

FORD FIELD - DETROIT, MI
MONDAY, Dec. 28, 2015; 5:00 p.m. EST
Line: MINNESOTA BY 5
OVER/UNDER: 48

MINNESOTA is 14-3 ATS (+10.7
Units) in the second half of the
year over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was MINNESOTA
26.4, OPPONENT 26.1

CENTRAL MICHIGAN is 10-2 ATS
(+7.8 Units) in road games after
playing a conference game over
the last 3 seasons.
The average score was CENTRAL
MICHIGAN 27.8, OPPONENT 25.5

LEAN: Minnesota -5 & Over 48


12-29-15

Air Force vs. California

AMON G. CARTER STADIUM - FORT WORTH, TX
TUESDAY, Dec. 29, 2015; 2:00 p.m. EST
Line: CALIFORNIA BY 7
OVER/UNDER: 67.5

AIR FORCE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0
Units) after a game where they
committed 1 or 0 turnovers
this season.
The average score was AIR
FORCE 34.7, OPPONENT 19.8

Play On - Any team (CAL) - after
gaining 6.25 or more yards/play in
3 straight games, returning 8+ offensive
starters against opponent
returning 5 or less defensive starters.

The situation’s record is
53-23 over the last 10 seasons
(69.7%, +27.7 units)

LEAN: Air Force +7 & Over 67.5

12-29-15

Baylor vs. North Carolina

Florida Citrus Bowl - Orlando, FL
TUESDAY, Dec. 29, 2015; 5:30 p.m. EST
Line: BAYLOR BY 3
OVER/UNDER: 68

BAYLOR is 2-14 ATS (-13.4 Units)
after 3 consecutive games where
they committed 3 or more turnovers
since 1992.
The average score was
BAYLOR 13.2, OPPONENT 40.8

BAYLOR is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units)
under coach Art Briles after out rushing
opponent by 150 or more
yards last game.
The average score was
BAYLOR 46.8, OPPONENT 28.0

LEAN: North Carolina +3 & Over 68


12-29-15

Nevada vs. Colorado St.

ARIZONA STADIUM - TUCSON, AZ
TUESDAY, Dec. 29, 2015; 7:00 p.m. EST
Line: COLORADO STATE BY 3
OVER/UNDER: 56

COLORADO STATE is 50-27 ATS
(+20.3 Units) after covering
the spread in 2 out of their last
3 games since 1992.
The average score was COLORADO
STATE 29.5, OPPONENT 26.4

COLORADO STATE is 11-1 ATS
versus poor rushing defenses -
allowing >=4.75 rushing yards/
carry over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was COLORADO
STATE 45.9, OPPONENT 25.1

LEAN: Colorado St. -3 & Under 56

12-29-15

Texas Tech vs. LSU

NRG STADIUM - HOUSTON, TX
TUESDAY, Dec. 29, 2015; 9:00 p.m. EST
Line: LSU BY 7
OVER/UNDER: 73.5

LSU is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) away
from home after playing a game
at home over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was LSU 19.7,
OPPONENT 30.3

LSU is 13-32 ATS (-22.2 Units)
under coach Les Miles versus good
rushing teams - averaging >=4.75
rushing yards/carry.
The average score was LSU 25.3,
OPPONENT 23.9

LEAN: LSU -7 & Over 73.5

[Udog]

NCAAF

Saturday, December 26

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Saturday's bowl games betting preview and odds
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Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Josh Rosen leads UCLA against Nebraska in the Fosters Farm Bowl.


St. Petersburg Bowl - Connecticutt Huskies vs. Marshall Thundering Herd (-5, 44.5)

Game to be played at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida

Sitting at 5-5 with games against Houston and Temple remaining, it appeared Connecticut was destined to miss the postseason for the fifth straight year. The Huskies, however, handed the Cougars their only loss of the season to become bowl eligible and face Marshall in the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Bowl on Dec. 26. It is UConn's first postseason appearance since meeting Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in 2010 while the Thundering Herd are looking for their third bowl victory in as many seasons.

The Huskies, who are 21-39 overall since their showcase in the Fiesta Bowl, shocked the No. 16 Cougars 20-17 in their penultimate regular-season contest. UConn will have Bryant Shirreffs back under center after he suffered a severe concussion in that game. Shirreffs admitted that he lost consciousness after receiving a blow to the helmet. “It was a pretty big hit, it is probably the hardest hit I’ve taken,” the sophomore told reporters

Marshall won the Boca Raton Bowl last season and has beaten just one team, Southern Mississippi, which earned a bowl berth this year. The game, which will be played at Tropicana Field - the baseball home of the Tampa Bay Rays, shapes up to be a low-scoring affair as the Thundering Herd finished the season ranked 14th in scoring defense at 18.4 points per game while the Huskies were 17th at 19.8. Marshall is 9-3 in bowl appearances all-time and has won nine of its last 10 appearances but is unlikely to have star running back Devon Johnson, who missed the final five games of the season with a back injury.

TV: 11 a.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Marshall opened as 4-point favorites and have been bet up a point to sit a -5. The total has been bet up just slightly from 44 to 44.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Connecticutt - WR B. Lemelle (probable Saturday, lower body), QB B. Shirreffs (probabel Saturday, head), LB M. Walsh (questionable Saturday, knee).

Marshall - RB D. Johnson (questionable Saturday, back), LB R. Huskey (questionable Saturday, suspension), S. Houston (questionable Saturday, suspension).

WEATHER REPORT: Indoors.

ABOUT CONNECTICUT (6-6, 5-7 ATS, 2-10 O/U): UConn's offense is paced by Arkeel Newsome, who ranks 18th in the nation in all-purpose yards (1,621) while Shirreffs threw for 1,992 yards while completing 60.3 percent of his passes, the school's best numbers since Dan Orlovsky in 2004. The Huskies lost five of six games during a dreadful stretch in the middle of their schedule and are 3-2 all time in bowl games. UConn placed five players on the all-conference team led by Jamar Summers, who was tied for third in the nation with seven interceptions and was its only first-team choice.

ABOUT MARSHALL (9-3, 7-5 ATS, 4-8 O/U): Marshall won seven straight games but dropped two of its final three contests to fall into a tie for second place in the C-USA East Division. Freshman Chase Litton took over the starting job at quarterback in the third week of the season, won his first seven starts and finished the season with 2,387 yards passing with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Herd has a strong special teams unit paced by punter Tyler Williams averaging 44.3 yards and DeAndre Reaves, who had 47 receptions and is a major threat in the return game.

TRENDS:

* Connecticut is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five versus Conference USA opponents.
* Marshall is 4-0 ATS in its last four bowl games.
* Under is 5-0 in Connecticut's last five games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Marshall's last five games overall.




Hyundai Sun Bowl - Miami Hurricanes vs. Washington State Cougars (-3, 62)

Game to be played at Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas

Miami (Fla.) goes after its first postseason victory since 2006 when it takes on Washington State in the Hyundai Sun Bowl on Dec. 26 at El Paso, Texas. The Hurricanes won four of five games after coach Al Golden was fired and Larry Scott, who took over in an interim basis, will try to end the school’s five-game losing streak in bowl games since beating Nevada 21-20 in the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl at Boise, ID. The Cougars built their best record (8-4) since 2003, when they went 10-3 with a Holiday Bowl victory, and have played only one postseason game since (2013 New Mexico Bowl).

Two efficient, productive 6-4 sophomore quarterbacks face off when Miami’s Brad Kaaya meets Luke Falk of the Cougars. Kaaya, who missed 1 1/2 games with a concussion in midseason, has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in two straight years while connecting for 41 touchdowns with 16 interceptions (12 as a freshman). Falk returned to practice after missing the regular-season finale against Washington with a concussion and has completed 70.7 percent of his passes with 36 TDs and 4,266 yards this season but isn’t expected to have top receiver Gabe Marks (ankle).

The teams are tied for 83rd in the nation in scoring defense (28.8), and a big play on that side of the ball could turn the tide in a game that features two high-powered offenses. Washington State leads the nation in red-zone conversions for TDs at 94.3 percent but is near the bottom in sacks allowed (39). The Hurricanes have 15 interceptions, led by six from Artie Burns, and 24 sacks while ranking seventh in the country in turnover margin (plus-13).

TV: 2 p.m. ET, CBS.

LINE HISTORY: Washington State has held steady at the opening number of -3. The total also hasn't moved off its opening number of 62.

INJURY REPORT:

Miami - OL D. Isidora (questionable Saturday, undisclosed), OL S. Odogwu (questionable Saturday, knee), S J. Carter (out Saturday, suspension), DL C. Jenkins (out Saturday, academics).

Washington State - QB L. Falk (probable Saturday, concussion), OL J. Dahl (probable Saturday, foot), WR G. Marks (probable Saturday, ankle).

WEATHER REPORT: It could be a messy day in El Paso, with a 65 percent chance of rain and a strong 10-12 mile per hour wind gusting towards the northern end zone. Temperatures will be in the high 40's.

ABOUT MIAMI (8-4, 7-5 ATS, 6-6 O/U): Kaaya was hampered by an inconsistent rushing attack that ranks 116th in the nation but still threw for 3,019 yards with 15 touchdowns and gives 2016 coach Mark Richt a dependable quarterback around whom to build. Wide receivers Stacy Coley, Rashawn Scott and Herb Waters each have at least 38 receptions and 600 yards as Kaaya has completed 61.7 percent of his throws. Joseph Yearby needs 61 rushing yards to reach 1,000 and the Hurricanes boast one of the top kickers in the nation in Michael Badgley, who has made 24-of-27 attempts inside 50 yards.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (8-4, 9-3 ATS, 5-7 O/U): Falk, who was named to the All-Pac 12 first team, leads an offense that has nine players with at least 200 receiving yards. Marks, who was injured in the 45-10 loss to Washington on Nov. 27th, is fourth in the nation in receptions (99), tied for fourth in receiving TDs (14) and 19th in receiving yards (1,125), while Dom Williams has made 73 catches and is three yards shy of 1,000. Defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa (six sacks) was named a freshman All-American by USA Today and sophomore linebacker Peyton Pelluer leads the team with 98 tackles.

TRENDS:

* Miami is 0-4 ATS in their last four bowl games.
* Washington State is 6-0 ATS in their last six games versus a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1 in Miami's last seven neutral site games.
* Under is 4-1 in Washington State's last five games overall.




Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl - Washington Huskies vs. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (+8.5, 55)

Game to be played at Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, Texas

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl is the location for the first postseason game between Pac-12 and Conference USA teams when Washington meets Southern Miss on Dec. 26 at the historic Cotton Bowl. The Huskies needed wins over Oregon State and Washington State in the season’s final two weeks to become bowl eligible and play in the postseason for a sixth straight season. Led by third-year head coach Todd Monken and quarterback Nick Mullens, the Golden Eagles were the most improved program in FBS this season (six more wins than last season) and qualified for their first bowl since 2011.

The Southern Miss offense has gone from scoring 19 points per game in 2014 to 40.6 points this season, scoring 50 or more a school-record five times. The Golden Eagles have broken single-season school records for completions (312), passing yards (4,263), total offensive yards (6,758), touchdowns (67), and points (528). Mullens, the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, has completed 63.4 percent of his 483 passes for 4,145 yards and 36 TDs against 12 interceptions.

The Golden Eagles’ talented offense will be going up against the best defense in the Pac-12. Washington led the conference and was among the top 30 in FBS in points allowed per game (17.8), yards against (349.9) and red zone defense (77.8 percent). Cornerback Sidney Jones and safety Budda Baker earned spots on the All-Pac-12 first team, Azeem Victor led the team with 88 tackles while fellow linebackers Cory Littleton and Travis Feeney combined for 13 sacks.

TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Washington opened as 8.5-point favorites and have to move off that nunmber. The total has been bet down slightly, going from 55.5 to 55.

INJURY REPORT:

Washington - RB D. Washington (questionable Saturday, leg).

Southern Mississippi - LB A. Swain (questionable Saturday, undisclosed).

WEATHER REPORT: There is plenty of inclement weather in the forecast for this matchup. Thunderstorms are expected in the area with a 73 percent chance of rain. There will also be a strong 15-17 mile per hour wind gusting across the field from south to north.

ABOUT WASHINGTON (6-6, 7-5 ATS, 4-8 O/U): Running back Myles Gaskin, who set school freshman records with 1,121 yards and 10 touchdowns, will be the focal point of the offense. He ran for 265 yards as the Huskies outscored the Beavers and Cougars by a combined 80 points to close out the season. In his final eight games, Gaskins ran for 912 yards (5.6 per carry), but quarterback Jake Browning (62.9 percent completion, 2,671 yards, 16 TDs, 10 Interceptions) had an inconsistent season, throwing four scoring passes each in wins over Arizona and Oregon State but multiple interceptions in losses to California and Arizona State.

ABOUT SOUTHERN MISS (9-4, 10-3 ATS, 5-8 O/U): Mullens posted an historic season but he was shut down in the Conference USA championship game, throwing for only 181 yards with three interceptions in the 45-28 loss to Western Kentucky. Casey Martin is his favorite target with 74 catches for 855 yards and seven TDs, but Michael Thomas is the deep threat, grabbing 62 balls for 1,201 yards and 12 scores. The Golden Eagles’ run game is also potent, as senior Jalen Richard (1,098 yards rushing, 14 TDs, 5.9 yards per carry) and sophomore Ito Smith (1,088 yards rushing, eight TDs, seven yards per carry) combined for more than 2,900 yards from scrimmage and 27 scores.

TRENDS:

* Washington is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in December.
* Southern Mississippi is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Under is 5-1 in Washington's last 6 non-conference games.
* Under is 7-3 in Southern Mississippi's last 10 games overall.




New Era Pinstripe Bowl - Indiana Hoosiers vs. Duke Blue Devils (+3, 71.5)

Game to be played at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York

Indiana and Duke, two schools known more for their prowess on the basketball court, meet on the gridiron for the first time since 1984 - this time in a baseball stadium - as they invade Yankee Stadium for the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 26. Indiana is in a bowl game for the first time since 2007 and plays in just its second since 1993. The Blue Devils are making their fourth bowl appearance in a row but are in search of their first postseason win since the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 1961.

Both teams boast quality quarterbacks, with Hoosiers senior Nate Sudfeld leading the Big Ten in passing yards (3,184), touchdowns (24) and pass efficiency (153.9). His play in back-to-back road wins to end the regular season lifted Indiana into the bowl picture, as he threw for 735 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions against Maryland and Purdue. Duke signal caller Thomas Sirk is not quite on that level as a passer, but he did rank third in the ACC in pass completions and can hurt opponents with his legs, compiling a team-high 648 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

The Hoosiers and Blue Devils both had strong starts before gut-punch losses altered their seasons and may have prevented them from attaining a more notable bowl berth. Indiana was 4-2 and up 25 points at home against a bad Rutgers team, but it collapsed in a 55-52 loss that was the lowlight during a six-game losing streak. Duke was 6-1 and on top of the ACC Coastal division before visiting Miami utilized eight laterals in a wild kickoff return for a touchdown that sent the Blue Devils to a damaging 30-27 defeat that started a four-game losing streak.

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

LINE HISTORY: Indiana opened as 2-point favorites and have been bet up to -3. It's the total that has seen plenty of action. Since opening at 67, that number has climbed all the way to 71.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Indiana - WR I. James (questionable Saturday, shoulder), QB Z. Diamont (questionable Saturday, undisclosed), RB J. Howard (questionable Saturday, knee), S C. Dutra (out Saturday, ankle), S J. Cook Jr. (out Saturday, foot).

Duke - S J. Cash (out Saturday, wrist).

WEATHER REPORT: There will be a 55 percent chance of rain in New York, with a 6-8 mile per hour wind gusting from east to west. Temperatures will be in the high 40's during the game.

ABOUT INDIANA (6-6, 7-5 ATS, 9-2-1 O/U): The long layoff before the bowl game allows running back Jordan Howard's knee to heal up, and head coach Kevin Wilson said there is a chance the junior plays, which could transform Indiana's attack. Howard produced 1,213 yards in only nine games but missed the finale against Purdue and later had his knee scoped. He averaged 168.8 yards a game during the Hoosiers' 4-0 start and 206 in narrow losses to Iowa and Michigan down the stretch.

ABOUT DUKE (7-5, 6-6 ATS, 5-7 O/U): Behind Sirk and a balanced attack that features five receivers with at least 30 catches and four rushers with more than 300 yards, the Blue Devils should move the ball against an Indiana squad that ranked last in the Big Ten in total defense. Duke will want to shore up its defensive unit, though, after it was lit up for an average of 42.3 points during the four-game losing streak. Senior safety Jeremy Cash, who had 101 tackles - 18 for a loss - and 2.5 sacks, shined through it all to claim ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

TRENDS:

* Indiana is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Duke is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Over is 4-0-1 in Indiana's last 5 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-1 in Duke's last 6 games overall.




Camping World Independence Bowl - Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (-14, 61.5)

Game to be played at Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana

The storied career of coach Frank Beamer will come to an end when he leads Virginia Tech to its 22nd straight bowl appearance. Beamer, who made his first bowl appearance with the Hokies in the 1993 Independence Bowl, will guide them one last time when they face Tulsa in this year’s edition in Shreveport, LA. on Dec. 26. The legendary coach announced his impending retirement earlier in the season and will move on to a different position in the athletic department at the end of the campaign.

“I want to finish this thing in a good way, but we’ve got to go play well,” Beamer told reporters. “Tulsa can throw the football. Any time you can throw the football the way they do, you’re always dangerous. We’ve got to get ready for that.” The Golden Hurricane became bowl eligible by showing off that passing offense in a 45-34 win at Tulane in the regular-season finale. Dane Evans threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns in that triumph as Tulsa overcame a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2012.

The Golden Hurricane were set to deal with upheaval on the coaching staff as well, but offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert reportedly turned down a three-year contract to take the same position at Texas. Gilbert oversaw a unit that averaged 27.9 points and ranked 11th in FBS with an average of 329.8 passing yards. The Hokies ranked ninth nationally in passing defense, limiting opponents to an average of 173.8 yards.


TV: 5:45 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Virginia Tech opened as 13.5-point favorites and are now favored by two converted touchdowns. The total has stayed put at the opening number of 61.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Tulsa - N/A.

Virginia Tech - N/A.

WEATHER REPORT: There is a 50 percent chance of rain, with a chance of thunderstorms in the area. There will also be a 9-12 mile per hour wind gusting towards the northern end zone. Temperatures will be in the mid 70's for the game.

ABOUT TULSA (6-6, 6-5-1 ATS, 7-5 O/U): The Independence Bowl will mark the career finales for senior running back Zach Langer and wide receiver Keyarris Garrett, who combined for 24 touchdowns in the regular season. Garrett is second in FBS with 1,451 receiving yards and torched Tulane for 216 on 10 catches in the regular-season finale. The two seniors make things easier for junior quarterback Evans, who needs 42 passing yards to reach 4,000 on the season.

ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (6-6, 6-6 ATS, 5-7 O/U): Beamer made his reputation by being dominant on special teams, and kicker Joey Slye is ready to send his coach out on a winning note. “It’s another bowl game, and coach Beamer is taking it like another bowl game,” Slye told reporters. “That’s kind of trickling down to the rest of the players. We’ve got business to do, we’ve got business to handle, so let’s go out and handle business.” Beamer is set to be replaced by former Memphis coach Justin Fuente, whose team ripped Tulsa 66-42 in the regular season.

TRENDS:

* Tulsa is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 bowl games.
* Virginia Tech is 2-5-1 ATS in its last eight neutral site games.
* Under is 6-0 in Tulsa's last 6 neutral site games.
* Over is 6-0 in Hokies last 6 non-conference games.




Fosters Farms Bowl - UCLA Bruins vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (+6.5, 61)

Game to be played at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

UCLA’s bid to go to the Rose Bowl fell apart late while Nebraska thought it had played its way out of bowl berth entirely, at least until the NCAA stepped in. The Bruins settled for a spot in the Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Dec. 26 after coming up one game short of playing in the Pac-12 title game. The Cornhuskers are one of three five-win programs that benefited from the NCAA’s decision to use Academic Progress Rate as the main tiebreaking mechanism to help it reach the 80 teams needed to fill out 40 bowl games.

Nebraska is assured of finishing with a losing record for the third time since 1962, but its seven losses have come by a total of 31 points under first-year coach Mike Riley. The Cornhuskers became only the second FBS program since 2006 to lose four times on the final play of regulation or in overtime. The results started to get better as some key players began to get healthy near the end of the season, highlighted by Nebraska’s 39-38 comeback win over Big Ten champion Michigan State on Nov. 7.

UCLA, which has won 11 consecutive non-conference contests - which includes a home win over Nebraska in 2013 to complete a two-game series sweep – controlled its own destiny in the Pac-12 South entering the final weekend of the regular season before falling to eventual champion USC. The Bruins are 0-2 at this event, losing to Florida State in the 2006 Emerald Bowl and Illinois in the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl – both of which were played in San Francisco. Coach Jim Mora can notch his 38th career victory with UCLA in this contest, however, and break his tie with Terry Donahue for the most wins over his first four seasons at the school.

TV: 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: UCLA opened favored by a converted touchdown, but were quickly moved to -6.5, where they currently sit. The total hasn't moved off the opening number of 61.

INJURY REPORT:

UCLA - OL K. Lacy (probable Saturday, ankle), OL C. McDermott (questionable Saturday, knee), RB S. Manfro (questionable Saturday, shoulder).

Nebraska - LB M. Newby (probable Saturday, shoulder), WR A. Moore (questionable Saturday, shoulder), DL M. Stoltenberg (out Saturday, knee).

WEATHER REPORT: It should be a perfect night for football in Santa Clara, with clear skies, just a slight breeze and temperatures in the low 40's for the game.

ABOUT UCLA (8-4, 5-6-1 ATS, 3-8-1 O/U): The Bruins witnessed a number of record-setting performances this season as kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn became the conference’s all-time leading scorer and receiver Jordan Payton become the school’s all-time receptions leader. Quarterback Josh Rosen threw two interceptions against the Trojans to stop his streak of not throwing one at 245 attempts, one of several school records he broke en route to earning Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors. Paul Perkins ranks third in the conference in rushing (1,275 yards) while first-team All-Pac 12 junior defensive tackle Kenny Clark is the leader of a defense that is tied for first in the conference in fewest yards allowed per play (4.9).

ABOUT NEBRASKA (5-7, 6-6 ATS, 7-5 O/U): Tommy Armstrong Jr. operates the Big Ten’s second-ranked total offense and is the only Cornhusker to record two seasons with at least 3,000 total yards, but threw nine of his 16 interceptions over the final three contests. Jordan Westerkamp tied Nate Swift for the most single-season receptions in school history (63) in Nebraska’s 28-20 loss to Iowa in the regular-season finale while tight end Cethan Carter began to emerge as a valuable big-play threat for Armstrong as the regular season drew to a close. Although defensive tackles Vincent Valentine and Maliek Collins combined to miss seven games in 2015, Nebraska still ranks eighth in the country in run defense (113.4 yards per game).

TRENDS:

* UCLA is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games following a ATS loss.
* Nebraska is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 non-conference games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in UCLA's last four games overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Nebraska's last seven non-conference games.


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[Udog]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Bowl Season

Pittsburgh @ Navy

Game 237-238
December 28, 2015 @ 2:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
92.593
Navy
93.237
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Navy
by 1
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Navy
by 3 1/2
56
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(+3 1/2); Under

Central Michigan @ Minnesota

Game 239-240
December 28, 2015 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Central Michigan
79.085
Minnesota
82.584
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 3 1/2
44
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 6
49 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Central Michigan
(+6); Under



Air Force @ California

Game 241-242
December 29, 2015 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Air Force
89.683
California
94.531
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
California
by 5
71
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
California
by 7
65 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Air Force
(+7); Over

Baylor @ North Carolina

Game 243-244
December 29, 2015 @ 5:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baylor
101.858
North Carolina
103.380
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 1 1/2
75
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 3
69 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
North Carolina
(+3); Over

Nevada @ Colorado State

Game 245-246
December 29, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nevada
79.284
Colorado State
84.848
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado State
by 5 1/2
50
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado State
by 3
56
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado State
(-3); Under

Texas Tech @ LSU

Game 247-248
December 29, 2015 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
93.579
LSU
103.071
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LSU
by 9 1/2
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LSU
by 7
74
Dunkel Pick:
LSU
(-7); Under



Louisville @ Texas A&M

Game 253-254
December 30, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Louisville
92.343
Texas A&M
95.485
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas A&M
by 3
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisville
by 1 1/2
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas A&M
(+1 1/2); Under

Wisconsin @ USC

Game 255-256
December 30, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wisconsin
95.873
USC
96.690
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
USC
by 1
45
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
USC
by 3 1/2
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Wisconsin
(+3 1/2); Under

Memphis @ Auburn

Game 249-250
December 30, 2015 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
91.981
Auburn
96.833
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Auburn
by 5
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Auburn
by 2 1/2
63 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Auburn
(-2 1/2); Over

NC State @ Mississippi St

Game 251-252
December 30, 2015 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NC State
92.134
Mississippi St
99.966
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mississippi St
by 8
64
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mississippi St
by 5
58 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Mississippi St
(-5); Over



Houston @ Florida State

Game 257-258
December 31, 2015 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
101.289
Florida State
105.128
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida State
by 4
58
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida State
by 7 1/2
54 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+7 1/2); Over

Michigan State @ Alabama

Game 259-260
December 31, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Michigan State
106.772
Alabama
113.619
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Alabama
by 7
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Alabama
by 9 1/2
47
Dunkel Pick:
Michigan State
(+9 1/2); Over

Oklahoma @ Clemson

Game 261-262
December 31, 2015 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma
118.631
Clemson
105.654
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma
by 13
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma
by 3 1/2
66
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma
(-3 1/2); Under



Tennessee @ Northwestern

Game 263-264
January 1, 2016 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tennessee
98.854
Northwestern
88.401
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tennessee
by 10 1/2
42
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tennessee
by 8
45 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tennessee
(-8); Under

Florida @ Michigan

Game 265-266
January 1, 2016 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Florida
93.840
Michigan
100.814
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Michigan
by 7
38
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan
by 4
41
Dunkel Pick:
Michigan
(-4); Under

Notre Dame @ Ohio State

Game 267-268
January 1, 2016 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Notre Dame
100.360
Ohio State
109.893
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ohio State
by 9 1/2
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ohio State
by 6 1/2
54
Dunkel Pick:
Ohio State
(-6 1/2); Under

Iowa @ Stanford

Game 269-270
January 1, 2016 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iowa
103.704
Stanford
106.692
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Stanford
by 3
57
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Stanford
by 7
53
Dunkel Pick:
Iowa
(+7); Over

Mississippi @ Oklahoma State

Game 271-272
January 1, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mississippi
105.246
Oklahoma State
100.609
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mississippi
by 4 1/2
72
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mississippi
by 7 1/2
67
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma State
(+7 1/2); Over



Kansas State @ Arkansas

Game 275-276
January 2, 2016 @ 3:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas State
90.524
Arkansas
104.460
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arkansas
by 14
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas
by 10 1/2
59 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arkansas
(-10 1/2); Under

TCU @ Oregon

Game 277-278
January 2, 2016 @ 6:46 pm

Dunkel Rating:
TCU
103.380
Oregon
106.405
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oregon
by 3
82
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
TCU
by 1
78
Dunkel Pick:
Oregon
(+1); Over

West Virginia @ Arizona State

Game 279-280
January 2, 2016 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
West Virginia
99.822
Arizona State
95.943
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
West Virginia
by 4
69
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona State
by 1
65 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
West Virginia
(+1); Over

Penn State @ Georgia

Game 273-274
January 2, 2016 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Penn State
86.414
Georgia
97.369
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Georgia
by 11
36
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia
by 6 1/2
41 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Georgia
(-6 1/2); Under