Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 12-23-2016, 03:32 AM

2016 Bowl Record:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

12/22/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

12/20/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100

12/19/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

12/17/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800

**StarDust Bum** · 12-23-2016, 01:06 PM

NCAAF

Friday, December 23

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Bahamas Bowl betting preview: Eastern Michigan vs Old Dominion
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Old Dominion's David Washington is one of four FBS quarterbacks to have thrown for 25 touchdown passes with four or fewer interceptions.

Eastern Michigan Eagles vs Old Dominion Monarchs (-4, 63.5)

A pair of postseason strangers face off when Eastern Michigan meets Old Dominion in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl in Nassau, Bahamas, on Dec. 23. While the Monarchs have never played in a bowl game, the Eagles make their first appearance in 29 years. The two teams are no strangers to each other, however, as Old Dominion defeated Eastern Michigan in a shootout on the road last season 38-34, getting a 45-yard touchdown run with 1:57 to play for the winning margin.

Chris Creighton directed the turnaround for Eastern Michigan, which won a combined three games in his first two years with the program. Creighton took over for coach Ron English, who was fired after addressing his team with what the school's administration deemed as “wholly inappropriate language” in 2013. Quarterback Brogan Roback fuels the offense, throwing for 2,394 yards with 16 touchdowns and he passed for 468 yards and three scores in the Eagles' bowl-clinching win over Ball State earlier in the season.

Old Dominion's only loss in Conference USA play came to Western Kentucky but it proved to spell the end of its title hopes as both teams finished 7-1 in conference play. The Monarchs averaged 36 points per game (27th in the FBS) led by David Washington, who is one of four FBS quarterbacks to have thrown for 25 touchdown passes with four or fewer interceptions. Washington threw for 2,648 yards overall while completing 59.7 percent of his passes for the Monarchs, who ride a five-game winning streak all of which came by double figures.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Old Dominion opened as 3-point favorites and the spread climbed up a full point to 4. The total hit the betting board at 64, went as high as 65 before fading back down to 63.5. View the complete line history here.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "A lot of public support for Old Dominion, possibly spurred by the motivation of its first bowl game. We have 70 percent of the tickets on the Monarchs, mostly small bets as there hasn't been much interest from the sharper players thus far."

WEATHER REPORT: The forecast for Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau is partly sunny skies with a chance of showers and temperatures in the low-80’s for the afternoon kickoff. There will be a bit of wind out of the east ranging from 10-14 mph.

INJURY REPORT:

Eastern Michigan - RB Ian Eriksen (questionable, undisclosed)

Old Dominion - TE Melvin Vaughn (questionable, ankle), QB David Washington (questionable, knee)

TRENDS:

* Eagles are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Monarchs are 1-4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Monarchs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games.
* Over is 4-0 in Eagles last 4 games on grass.
* Over is 5-1 in Monarchs last 6 games on grass.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing Old Dominion with 61 percent of the bets being laid on the Monarchs. Users are split 50/50 on the total.

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

NCAAF

Friday, December 23

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armed Forces Bowl betting preview: Louisiana Tech vs Navy
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Navy sophomore Zach Abey has run for three scores since taking over but has thrown four interceptions in two games.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs No. 25 Navy Midshipman (+6.5, 67.5)

Both Navy and Louisiana Tech carry two-game losing streaks - including setbacks in their respective conference title games - into the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 23 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Midshipmen, who fell to Temple in the American Athletic Conference championship before losing to Army for the first time in 15 years, have won three straight bowl games - including this one in 2013. The Bulldogs have won two bowl games in a row and are seeking their third consecutive nine-win season.

Navy has not been the same team since losing senior quarterback Will Worth - the nation's leader with 25 rushing touchdowns - early in the loss to Temple on Dec. 3. Sophomore Zach Abey has run for three scores since taking over but has thrown four interceptions in the two games. Abey and his crew will need to get some early points in order to prevent a situation where they need to play catch up through the air opposite Louisiana Tech's relentless passing attack.

Bulldogs quarterback Ryan Higgins was named Conference USA MVP after throwing for 4,208 yards and 37 TDs against eight interceptions for the nation's fifth-ranked scoring offense (44 points per game) and third-ranked passing unit (359.8 yards). Navy's rushing game is fourth in the country at 310.9 yards, making for an intriguing clash of styles. "It certainly has some interesting dynamics when you look at the two teams and where both of our strengths are and both of our weaknesses are," Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz - who is 4-3 in bowl games - told reporters.

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

LINE HISTORY: Louisiana Tech opened as 3.5-point favorites and that number wasn’t high enough for bettors and has been climbing settling at 6.5. The total hit the board at 66 and has risen to two full points to 68. View the complete line history here.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: “We opened Navy as a 1 point favorite this bowl game, but took early action on Louisianna Tech (over 70%) The action has been so overwhelming on Louisiana Tech that the line has moved all the way to Tech -6.5 with over 85% of the action on Tech to cover.”

WEATHER REPORT: The forecast for Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth Texas is looking wet, with cloudy skies and showers expected at kickoff. Temperatures in the mid-50’s and slight wind to the north, make for a less than ideal day for football.

INJURY REPORT:

Louisiana Tech - LB Dalton Santos (questionable, academics), LB Jordan Harris (questionable, academics), S Secdrick Cooper (questionable, neck)

Navy - LB Ryan Harris (out, lower body), LB Josiah Powell (out, leg), WR Tyler Carmona (doubtful, foot), LB Mike Kelly (questionable, shoulder), WR Craig Scott (questionable, ankle), S Jerry Thompson (questionable, ankle), SB Darryl Bonner (questionable, head), S Kyle Battle (questionable, knee), SB Joshua Walker (questionable, shoulder), SB Josh Brown (questionable, foot), CB Elijah Merchant (questionable, concussion), G Marcus Edwards (questionable, personal), LB Hudson Sullivan (questionable, knee)

ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (8-5 SU, 8-5 ATS, 10-3 OU): Higgins has one of the nation's top targets in senior Trent Taylor, who is second in the country in receptions (124), third in yards (1,570) and among 31 players with at least 10 receiving TDs, although he has only two in his last eight games. Junior Carlos Henderson had 52 fewer grabs but nearly the same number of yards (1,406) and ranks tied for second among FBS players with 17 receiving scores. Junior running back Jarred Craft had a total of 31 yards on the ground over the last two games but gained 1,350 total yards this season and 13 TDs, nine of which came on the ground.

ABOUT NAVY (9-4 SU, 7-5-1 ATS, 8-5 OU): The Midshipmen will be challenged early and often by Higgins after allowing 25 TDs through the air and ranking 122nd in the country in passing efficiency defense. It'll be up to Abey and a fleet of backs - led by junior Chris High (500 rushing yards, five TDs) - to maintain possession and burn the clock. Senior fullback Shawn White had 310 of his 443 yards over the final five games, as well as four of his seven scores, while senior wideout Jamir Tillman has team highs of 38 catches and 615 receiving yards.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Bowl games.
* Midshipmen are 0-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 7-1 in Bulldogs last 8 games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Midshipmen last 4 Friday games.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing Louisiana Tech with 55 percent of the wagers on the Bulldogs. The Over is getting 54 percent of the total action.

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

NCAAF

Friday, December 23

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Dollar General Bowl betting preview: Ohio vs Troy
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Troy led the Sun Belt in scoring, passing and total offense with 49 touchdowns and 5,263 total yards.

Ohio Bobcats vs Troy Trojans (-4, 49)

Two teams that ended the season with close losses to miss out on conference championships get a chance to remove that bitter taste when Ohio meets Troy in the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Dec. 23. The Bobcats gave No. 14 Western Michigan all it could handle before losing 29-23 in the MAC championship game. The Trojans were upset by Georgia Southern 28-24 to miss out on a share of the Sun Belt crown.

This is the eighth straight season of bowl eligibility for Ohio under coach Frank Solich, who also guided the Bobcats to Mobile in 2007. The MAC East Division champion missed out on its first conference crown since 1968 but still can reach nine wins for the first time since 2012 - the last time Ohio won a bowl game. The Bobcats are 2-7 overall in bowl games.

Troy led the Sun Belt in scoring, passing and total offense with 49 touchdowns and 5,263 total yards. The Trojans are 2-3 in bowl games and are making their first bowl appearance since 2010 - when they beat the Bobcats 48-21 in the New Orleans Bowl. Troy nearly upset No. 3 Clemson in a 30-24 nail-biter Sept. 10.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Troy opened as 3.5-point favorites and that number held until Tuesday when the line inched up to -4. The total hit the board at 49 and briefly fell to 48.5 before returning to 49, where it currently stands. View the complete line history here.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We opened Troy as -35. point favourites and took solid two way action on that number. We have since moved to Troy -4 as we are starting to see more action come in on Troy, 63% to be exact."

WEATHER REPORT: The forecast for Mobile, Alabama is a mostly cloudy night with temperatures in the low-60’s at kickoff. There will be minimal wind, but no rain is expected.

INJURY REPORT:

Ohio - S Mayne Williams (questionable, head), WR Andrew Meyer (questionable, undisclosed), OL Jacob Ready (out indefinitely, suspension)

Troy - No injuries to report

ABOUT OHIO (8-5 SU, 7-6 ATS, 1-11-1 OU): Since allowing 56 points to Texas State in triple overtime in the season opener, the Bobcats have held every opponent to fewer than 30 points, with MAC Defensive Player of the Year Tarell Basham being a big reason why. The senior defensive lineman led the conference with 11.5 sacks and is the school’s career leader with 29.5. Senior linebacker Blair Brown had a conference-high 116 tackles (13.5 for loss), and MAC Freshman of the Year Javon Hagan had 50 tackles and led the team with five forced fumbles and three interceptions.

ABOUT TROY (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS, 4-7-1 OU 6-2): The Trojans got as far as 8-1 and became the first Sun Belt team to be ranked in the Top 25 before losing two of their final three games and missing out on their sixth conference title. Despite the slide, it still was a season of major strides for Troy, which improved by five wins in coach Neal Brown’s second season - tied for the fifth-best turnaround in the nation. Junior running back Jordan Chunn led the resurgence, rushing for 1,232 yards and a conference-best 13 touchdowns.

TRENDS:

* Bobcats are 6-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Trojans are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 8-0-1 in Bobcats last 9 vs. S-Belt.
* Over is 5-0 in Trojans last 5 Bowl games.

CONSENSUS: 57 percent of users are taking the favoured Trojans and the Over is picking up 53 percent of the totals action.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-23-2016, 01:09 PM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

EMU at ODU 01:00 PM

ODU -6.0

O 63.5 *****

LT at NAVY 04:30 PM

NAVY +7.0 *****

O 67.5

OHIO at TROY 08:00 PM

TROY -5.0

U 49.5 *****

**StarDust Bum** · 12-24-2016, 11:29 AM

2016 Bowl Record:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

12/23/2016 2-3-1 40.00% -650

12/22/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

12/20/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100

12/19/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

12/17/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HAW at MTU 08:00 PM

MTU -7.0 *****

O 72.5 *****

**StarDust Bum** · 12-25-2016, 02:33 AM

Hawaii rallies to beat Middle Tennessee 52-35 in Hawaii Bowl
December 24, 2016

HONOLULU (AP) Dru Brown threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns and Hawaii overcame an early deficit to beat Middle Tennessee 52-35 in the Hawaii Bowl on Saturday night.

The Rainbow Warriors (7-7) amassed 500 yards of total offense and their highest-scoring output this season to end the year on a three-game winning streak.

Brown completed 20 of 30 passes without an interception. He had a 2-yard touchdown run and was sacked just once. Brown has nine touchdowns to zero interceptions in his last two games.

''I think the offensive line played a solid role in that,'' Brown said. ''They played really well the last two games and really all year. Most of the time when the offense isn't working it's my fault. I still think I made some mistakes today, (but) they just weren't magnified. The receivers played great and the coaches called great plays.''

Tight end Metuisela Unga caught two of Brown's scoring strikes, an 18-yarder in the first quarter for Hawaii's first score and a 12-yarder late in the third.

Diocemy Saint Juste ran for 170 yards on 25 carries.

Hawaii turned three Middle Tennessee turnovers into 21 points. It fell behind 14-0 just over 5 minutes into the game, but scored the next 28 points and never relinquished the lead.

''I think that's been kind of a trend this year where we start off slow, but after those two scores we all came together on the sideline and said, `Enough is enough, let's go,''' Hawaii defensive lineman Kory Rasmussen said.

Brent Stockstill started at quarterback for the Blue Raiders (8-5) after missing the last three games with a broken collarbone. He finished 30 of 51 passing for 432 yards. Stockstill threw four touchdown passes - two to Richie James - and was intercepted twice.

''Obviously, we're disappointed, disappointed for our seniors,'' Stockstill said. ''I played terrible in first half and put us in a deep hole. We tried to come out of it, but we just didn't make enough plays.''

James caught nine passes for 175 yards. It was his 14th game of 100 or more receiving yards in his career. Middle Tennessee posted 542 yards of total offense.

Hawaii took a 35-21 lead into halftime.

THE TAKEAWAY

Middle Tennessee: The Blue Raiders have now lost their last four bowl games. It was their 10th appearance in a bowl game in program history and the sixth in the FBS era. Their last postseason win came in the 2009 New Orleans Bowl, when they defeated Southern Miss 42-32.

Hawaii: The Rainbow Warriors improved to 6-5 overall in bowl games and 4-3 in the Hawaii Bowl in their first postseason appearance since losing to Tulsa 62-35 in the 2010 Hawaii Bowl. It is their first bowl win since beating Arizona State 41-24 in the 2006 edition of the Hawaii Bowl.

UP NEXT

Middle Tennessee will face yet another rigorous nonconference schedule, opening against Vanderbilt on Sept. 2 before road games at Syracuse and Minnesota.

Hawaii will start year No. 2 under coach Nick Rolovich at home against Western Carolina on Sept. 2, before visiting UCLA the following week.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-25-2016, 02:38 AM

2016 Bowl Record:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

12/24/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50

12/23/2016 2-3-1 40.00% -650

12/22/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

12/20/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100

12/19/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

12/17/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800

Monday, December 26

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MIAMI OHIO (6 - 6) vs. MISSISSIPPI ST (5 - 7) - 12/26/2016, 11:00 AM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

MARYLAND (6 - 6) vs. BOSTON COLLEGE (6 - 6) - 12/26/2016, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MARYLAND is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

VANDERBILT (6 - 6) vs. NC STATE (6 - 6) - 12/26/2016, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NC STATE is 30-16 ATS (+12.4 Units) after a bye week since 1992.
NC STATE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

Mon – Dec. 26

Miami Ohio at Mississippi State, 11:00 AM ET – St. Petersburg Bowl
Miami OH: 13-4 ATS after playing 2 straight conference games
Mississippi St: 1-8 ATS after playing their last game on the road

Maryland at Boston College, 2:30 PM ET – Quick Lane Bowl
Maryland: 0-6 ATS off a win against a conference rival
Boston College: 11-3 UNDER after playing a conference game

Vanderbilt at NC State, 5:00 PM ET – Independence Bowl
Vanderbilt: 14-4 UNDER as an underdog
NC State: 8-1 ATS in games played on turf

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

Dec 26
St Petersburg Bowl, Tropicana Field: Miami OH-Mississippi State
Miami was 0-6 at one point this year, in midst of a 4-year, 5-37 skid, then they won their last six games and are here- this Redhawks’ first bowl since 2010, their 2nd since ’04- they’ve got to be really excited. Miami is 5-2 as an underdog this year, 4-1 in games with a double digit spread. A 12-point favorite from the SEC with an 11am kickoff? Hmmm. Mississippi State is 3-2 in its last five bowls, scoring 44-34-51 the last three years, but that was with Dak Prescott at QB. Under is 7-3 in last ten Miami games, 0-6 in Bulldogs’ last six. SEC non-conference favorites are 10-18 vs spread this year; MAC underdogs are 15-11. Favorites covered this bowl three of last four years; MAC teams lost by 17-21 in last two appearances here. The game is in a dome; weather isn’t a concern, but it also is a baseball field- average total in this bowl last five years: 45.8.

Quick Lane Bowl, Detroit: Maryland-Boston College
In one three-game stretch in November, Maryland was outscored 149-13, but here they are, favored in a bowl. Terps are favored for first time since Oct 15 vs Minnesota (they lost 31-10). Maryland lost 31-20/45-21 in its last two bowls; their last bowl win was 2010. Boston College lost its last five bowl games (after winning 8 in row); their last bowl win was in in 2007. BC had to beat UConn/Wake Forest just to get to 6-6; Eagles are 3-3 as an underdog, 3-2 in games with a single digit spread; Maryland is 2-2 as a favorite, 1-3 in games with single digit spread. Underdog won this bowl SU three of last four years; Big 14 teams are 3-0 in this bowl the last five years. This season, ACC underdogs are 7-4 vs spread; Big 14 favorites are 15-11. This game is living proof there are too many bowl games.

Independence Bowl, Shreveport: NC State-Vanderbilt
Last five years, SEC teams are 10-4 vs ACC teams in bowls; ACC teams covered one of the three they were favored in. Vanderbilt is in its first bowl since 2013, when James Franklin was coach- they won last two bowls, are 4-2-1 all-time in bowls. NC State is 3-2 in its last five bowls; they lost 51-28 in Belk Bowl LY. Wolfpack are 2-5 in last seven games; they lost four in row at one point. State is 4-2 as a favorite, 3-2 in games with single digit spread. Vandy is 6-3 as an underdog this season, 4-4 in games with single digit spread. This season, ACC favorites are 17-9 vs spread; SEC underdogs are 5-3. Under is 7-1 in NC State’s last eight games, 5-3 in Sandy’s last eight. Vanderbilt (-7.5) beat NC State 38-24 at home in Music City Bowl in 2012; neither HC was here back then. Doeren is 2-1 in bowl games. Underdogs covered this bowl three of the last four years.

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

Monday, December 26

11:00 AM
MIAMI (OHIO) vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami (Ohio)'s last 11 games
Miami (Ohio) is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
Mississippi State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Mississippi State's last 5 games

2:30 PM
MARYLAND vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
Maryland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Maryland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston College
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston College's last 9 games when playing Maryland
Boston College is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Maryland

5:00 PM
NORTH CAROLINA STATE vs. VANDERBILT
North Carolina State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina State's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Vanderbilt's last 25 games
Vanderbilt is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

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

Monday, December 26

Vanderbilt @ NC State

Game 233-234
December 26, 2016 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vanderbilt
94.915
NC State
92.706
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Vanderbilt
by 2
48
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NC State
by 4
44 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Vanderbilt
(+4); Over

Maryland @ Boston College

Game 231-232
December 26, 2016 @ 2:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Maryland
76.064
Boston College
83.021
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston College
by 7
34
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Maryland
by 1
43 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston College
(+1); Under

Miami of Ohio @ Mississippi St

Game 229-230
December 26, 2016 @ 11:00 am

Dunkel Rating:
Miami of Ohio
75.716
Mississippi St
94.388
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mississippi St
by 18 1/2
61
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mississippi St
by 13 1/2
58 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Mississippi St
(-13 1/2); Over

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

Monday's Top Bowl Action
December 23, 2016

St Petersburg Bowl (ESPN, 11:00 a.m. ET)
Miami (Ohio) Redhawks vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Sportsbook.ag Odds: Mississippi State (-14.5); Total set at 58.5

Although Mississippi State enters the St Petersburg Bowl with a sub-.500 record at 5-7 SU, they are two touchdown favorites over a 6-6 SU Miami team from the MAC.

Obviously life in the SEC West is much tougher than the MAC, so that's part of why this spread is as high as it is, but for as inconsistent as the Bulldogs have been this year, this may be too much chalk for them to swallow.

Right off the bat, you'll see that the prevailing concept that the SEC is still one of the best conferences in CFB has a lot to do with how much support Mississippi State has already received in this game. VegasInsider.com shows that over 85% of the bets against the spread have come the Bulldogs way already, pushing this number up from it's opening mark of -11.5 all the way through the key number of -14.

The fact that the Bulldogs offense put up plenty of points down the stretch against everyone not named Alabama also plays into that, as Mississippi State averaged 45.2 points per game over their last five contests (omitting the 51-3 loss vs Alabama.

Miami will have trouble matching that type of firepower should the game turn into a shootout, but it's not like Mississippi State's defense is stellar by any means. The Bulldogs may have scored 45/game during that stretch, but they also allowed 37.3/game in those same five contests. Throw in the 51 they allowed in the 'Bama game and that number jumps up to 39.7/game over their last six contests.

Those defensive numbers alone show you why Mississippi State enters this bowl game with a 5-7 SU record.

Sometimes the line can tell a story though and while the oddsmakers are not always right, they are near spot on a majority of the time.

With the total set at just 58.5 points for a team that's been scoring 40+ and allowing 37+ of late, oddsmakers don't believe that either team will have much success offensively as fans of their program have gotten used to. Miami (Ohio) isn't a strong offensive team by any means, but even matched up against a sub-par defense like the Bulldogs, and listed as 14-point underdogs, those same oddsmakers expect the Redhawks to rely on their strong defense to keep them in this game and I'd tend to agree.

Miami (Ohio) hasn't allowed more than 26 points against since early October, and while competition in the MAC doesn't quite line up to the caliber of opponent the Bulldogs faced, the Redhawks are going to need to sustain long drives offensively, and use their defense to frustrate Mississippi State to have a chance.

That's precisely how this game should play out as Miami (Ohio) will find some success moving the ball against a defense that has had trouble stopping everyone, and locking down defensively and holding Mississippi State to minimal TD's and plenty of FG attempts will be the game plan.

The Bulldogs would love to finish the season with a 6-6 SU, .500 mark, and they likely will, but with a 1-5 ATS mark after covering the spread last time out, and 1-4 ATS marks after gaining and/or allowing 450+ yards in their last game, -14.5 points is too much to lay here.

The fact that over 80% of bettors are backing Mississippi State at this high number mainly because it's the “SEC vs. MAC” cements the point that going against the grain in spots like these with sub-par programs from Power Conferences can pay out handsomely.

Best Bet: Take the +14.5 points with Miami (Ohio).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 03:04 AM

This is what was palyed yesterday but wasn't posted

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

M-OH at MSST 11:00 AM

M-OH +14.0 *****

O 58.0 *****

MD at BC 02:30 PM

BC +2.0 *****

U 43.5 *****

NCST at VAN 05:00 PM

VAN +6.0 *****

U 45.0 *****

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 03:07 AM

Wednesday's Early Bowl Tips
December 26, 2016

**Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern**

-- Pittsburgh (8-4 straight up, 5-7 against the spread) of the Atlantic Coast Conference will battle Northwestern (6-6 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) will meet for the first time ever in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Both teams stumbled out of the box, but were able to finish up on high notes to get into the postseason. As of Monday morning, the Panthers were favored by 5 1/2 points with a total hovering around 65 points.

-- The Panthers scuffled early in the season, opening with an underwhelming 28-7 win over FCS Villanova, before picking up a shootout win against Penn State, 42-39, back on Sept. 10. However, the Panthers then hit the road and dropped back-to-back games at Oklahoma State and North Carolina, failing to cover three of their first four outings. In fact, Pitt started out 1-5 ATS in their first six games before rattling off four covers in five tries between Oct. 15 and Nov. 19. That included a 43-42 win at Clemson as 21 1/2-point underdogs.

-- The Pittsburgh offense really hit its stride down the stretch, spurred on by that upset win in Death Valley. The Panthers were impressive for most of the season on offense, posting 36 or more points in 10 of their final 11 games, and at least 28 points in all 12 outings overall. However, the final three games was truly amazing, as they combined for 175 points, or 58.3 PPG, against Clemson, Duke and Syracuse. Needless to say, the 'over' hit in all three of those games, and each of the past 11 for Pittsburgh.

-- Pittsburgh ranked 11th in the country in points scored, posting 42.3 PPG. The return of RB James Conner, who had a storybook season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma last December, was a huge reason for their success. He rolled up 1,060 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns while piling up 5.1 yards per scamper. Conner is also a threat in the passing game, as he was third on the team in receiving yardage with 299 yards and four touchdowns on 20 receptions. Overall the Panthers were 26th in the country with 229.8 yards per game. RB Quadree Henderson is a solid sub when Conner needs a breather, posting 555 yards on 54 carries, or 10.3 yards per carry. He also found the end zone five times.

-- Pittsburgh's Nathan Peterman passed for 2,602 yards with 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions while completing 59.7 percent of his pass attempts. He also showed he needs to be accounted for in the run game, posting 291 yards with two scores and 4.2 yards per tote. Peterman's favorite target was WR Jester Weah, who went for 23.4 yards per catch. He led the team with 34 grabs, 795 yards and nine touchdowns. WR Scott Ondroff was a solid secondary option with 558 yards and five touchdowns, going for 16.9 yards per grab.

-- The Panthers have two wide receivers listed on the injury report, as Zach Challingsworth (shoulder) and Tre Tipton (upper body) are listed as questionable. Challingsworth is a special teams player and did not have a catch, while Tipton posted 142 yards on 12 receptions and a touchdown in limited action.

-- Defensively, the Panthers struggled all season, especially against the pass. In fact, only one team ranked worst against the pass in FBS, as Pitt allowed 343.1 yards per game to finish 127th out of 128 teams. Teams had to pass against Pittsburgh, as the Panthers were a solid ninth overall against the rush with only 108.9 yards allowed. As far as points were concerned, the Panthers were 108th in the nation with 35.6 points per game allowed.

-- Like the Panthers, Northwestern didn't exactly fire out of the chute. They were 1-3 SU/ATS in their first four games, losing to bowl teams Western Michigan and Nebraska, as well as a 9-7 setback to FCS Illinois State back on Sept. 10. The 'under' was 4-0 in their first four games, and the offense was a disaster with just 16.5 PPG in what was considered the 'easier' part of their schedule. The Wildcats were able to turn things around, however, hitting 38 or more points in four of their final eight games, improving to 91st in the nation with 25.6 PPG. However, in their final eight games they managed 30.0 PPG, and would have been even better if not for a seven-point total against Wisconsin Nov. 5.

-- The Wildcats ranked 52nd in the country in passing, rolling up 247.7 yards per game. QB Clayton Thorson completed 257 of his 442 pass attempts (58.1 percent) for 2,968 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions while also rushing for five touchdowns. Thorson should be able to pile up plenty of yardage against an awful Pittsburgh pass defense. WR Austin Carr was Thorson's go-to guy with 84 receptions, 1,196 yards and 12 touchdowns on 14.2 yards per reception. WRs Flynn Nagel and Andrew Scanlan were decent secondary and tertiary options, both averaging over 11 yards per catch. But they combined for just two touchdowns. Slot-back Garrett Dickerson managed 272 yards and four touchdowns on 29 receptions.

-- In the run game, the Wildcats have a star in RB Justin Jackson. He posted 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns on 266 rushes, posting 4.9 yards per attempt. Six of those 12 touchdowns came in the final three games, as he finished up strong. That included 173 yards and three scores in a 42-21 win over rival Illinois in the season finale. RB John Moten IV was a solid change of pace back, averaging 6.1 yards per rush with 329 total yards and two touchdowns.

-- As a single-digit favorite, Pitt was 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS this season, while Northwestern was 1-3 SU/ATS as a pick 'em or single-digit underdog this season.

-- The Panthers won six of their final eight games overall, and covered four of their final six outings. They're 6-1 ATS in their past seven games in the month of December, but just 1-4 ATS in their past five neutral-site games, 1-4 ATS in their past five bowl games and 0-6 ATS in their past six non-conference tilts.

-- The Wildcats have five straight covers against ACC teams, including earlier in the season when they knocked off Duke by a 24-13 score as four-point favorites. The Wildcats covered six of their final eight games, but they're just 2-5 ATS in their past seven against teams with an overall winning record and 1-4 ATS in their past five games against non-conference teams.

-- The 'over' is 4-0 in Pitt's past four bowl games, 4-0 in their past four neutral-site games and 22-8-1 in their past 31 games overall, including each of their past 11 outings.

-- The 'under' is 11-5 in Northwestern's past 16 overall, 25-10 in their past 35 against teams with an overall winning record and 20-7 in their past 27 out of conference. The 'under' is also 4-1 in their past five against ACC foes, including that game against Duke earlier in the season.

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

**West Virginia vs. Miami-Florida**

-- The Russell Athletic Bowl takes place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., as former Big East members West Virginia (10-2 straight up, 5-7 against the spread) and Miami-Florida (8-4 straight up, 8-4 against the spread) meet. The bowl has been a home away from home for Miami, as it is their third trip to the Russell Athletic Bowl (formerly Champs Bowl) in the past eight seasons. Miami is 0-2 SU in the game, falling 20-14 to Wisconsin Dec. 29, 2009, and 36-9 to Louisville Dec. 28, 2013.

-- It was a tale of three seasons for the Hurricanes. They opened the season 4-0 SU/ATS, went on a four-game losing streak while going 0-4 ATS, then finished up 4-0 SU/ATS in their final four regular season games, including wins over bowl teams North Carolina State and Pittsburgh. Overall the Hurricanes were 2-3 SU/ATS against bowl teams this season.

-- Miami ranked 27th in the country in passing yardage, posting 273.5 yards per game while averaging 34.6 PPG to rank 36th in the country. They were in the upper echelon of college football with 431.2 yards per game to rank 53rd overall. Defensively the Canes were 27th in the country by allowing 353.8 yards per game, including just 18.9 points per outing, ranking 14th in the country.

-- QB Brad Kaaya completed 61.2 percent of his pass attempts to finish with 3,250 yards, 23 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He is not a dual-threat option, and actually had minus-133 rushing yards with one touchdown. Kaaya's favorite target is WR Ahmmon Richards, who tallied 866 yards and two touchdowns on 46 receptions, good for 18.8 yards per reception. WR Stacy Coley was also sharp, posting 703 yards with nine touchdowns on a team-high 58 receptions. TE David Njoku was one of the most productive tight ends in the nation, posting 654 yards with seven touchdowns on 38 catches.

-- The run game is strong for Miami, and they have good depth, too. RB Mark Walton led the charge with 1,065 yards and 14 touchdowns, while RB Joseph Yearby was outstanding with 592 yards and seven touchdowns, posting a team-best 6.0 yards per attempt. RB Gus Edwards managed 5.5 yards per attempt, and is capable when his number is called upon.

-- West Virginia ranked 12th in the country in total yardage with 506.9 yards per game, and they were strong both in the run game and pass game. Head coach Dana Holgorsen's bunch was very balanced, posting 267.4 yards per game in the air and 239.5 yards per game on the ground, both ranking in the Top 30 in the nation. They bogged down in the red zone on occasion, however, and managed just 32.6 points per game which ranked 46th in the country.

-- If West Virginia is to compete in this game and pick up their 11th victory of the season, they will need to be much better against the pass. They allowed 255.7 yards per game through the air to rank 101st in FBS. They allowed 431.2 totals yards per game, 79th in the country, and 175.5 yards per game on the ground to rank 66th. The Mountaineers had a bend-but-don't-break defense, as they allowed just 23.4 yards per game to rank 35th overall in scoring defense.

-- The offense starts and stops with QB Skyler Howard, who tossed 26 touchdowns while getting picked off 10 times in 230 attempts. He finished with 3,194 pasing yards while completing 60.8 percent of his attempts, and he also added 400 rushing yards with nine touchdowns to give Miami a dual-threat option to worry about. Howard has several dangerous options in the pass game, including WR Shelton Gibson. No. 1 led the team with 927 yards and eight touchdowns, good for 23.2 yards per catch. He was blanked in the regular season finale against Baylor, but is just two games removed from a three-catch, 163-yard, two-touchdown performance at Iowa State. WR Daikiel Shorts Jr. posted 833 yards on a team-high 58 grabs with five scores, and WR Ka'Raun White also found the end zone five times.

-- On the ground, the Mountaineers are dangerous with a three-headed monster in the backfield in addition to Howard's solid running ability. RB Justin Crawford was the best of the lot, posting 1,164 yards with four touchdowns on 7.4 yards per run. They do not lose much when Crawford needs a rest, as RB Rushel Shell is a hammer. He posted 514 yards with five scores to lead all running backs, and RB Kennedy McKoy posted 466 yards with three scores on 6.5 yards per attempt.

-- West Virginia won four of their final five games, but they were 2-3 ATS during the stretch, and 4-7 ATS in their final 11 regular season games. They enter as short 'dogs in this game, and they lost their only game as an underdog Nov. 19 at home against Oklahoma. The Mountaineers fell 56-28 in that game at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown as 3 1/2-point underdogs. They are 2 1/2-point underdogs to Miami as of Monday afternoon.

-- Miami was 8-2 SU/ATS as a favorite this season. They're 6-1 ATS in their past seven following a cover, and 4-0 ATS in their past four. However, they have failed to cover in their past five bowl games while going 0-6 ATS in their past six neutral-site affairs.

-- It used to be 'All about the U' in the 1980's and 1990's, but the Hurricanes have fallen on hard times in the postseason. They have dropped six straight bowl games since winning the MPC Computers Bowl Dec. 31, 2006. They have lost the past six bowl games by an average of 13.0 points per contest.

-- West Virginia hasn't been much better in bowl games recently, going just 2-4 SU in the past six tries, including a loss in the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl in this same stadium against N.C. State. Under Holgorsen the Mountaineers are 2-2 SU in four bowl games, winning a shootout with Arizona State in last season's Cactus Bowl. In four games under Holgorsen the Mountaineers have averaged 38.5 PPG while allowing 39.5 PPG.

-- For what it's worth, West Virginia has covered seven straight games played on a Wednesday. However, they're just 3-10 ATS in their past 10 against teams with a winning record, 6-14 ATS in their past 20 against the ACC and 1-6 ATS in their past seven bowl games. They're 1-6 ATS in their past seven neutral-site games and 0-4 ATS in the past four played in the month of December.

-- These former Big East foes haven't met since Oct. 2, 2003, when Miami edged West Virginia 22-20 in the old Orange Bowl in downtown Miami. The underdog is 7-2 ATS in the past nine meetings in this series, but again, the last meeting was 2003.

-- The 'over' is 4-0 in West Virginia's past four neutral-site games, and 8-3 in their past 11 bowl games. However, the 'under' is 6-1 in their past seven against teams with a winning overall record, and 24-10 in their past 34 games overall. The 'under' is also 22-5 in their past 27 games on a fieldturf surface.

-- For Miami, the 'under' is 4-0 in their past four neutral-site battles, and 6-1 in their past seven bowl games. The under is also 42-19 in their past 61 non-conference tilts, while the 'over' is 5-1 in their past six against Big 12 opponents.

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

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 03:16 AM

Tuesday, December 27

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

ARMY (7 - 5) vs. NORTH TEXAS (5 - 7) - 12/27/2016, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARMY is 15-35 ATS (-23.5 Units) when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
NORTH TEXAS is 1-0 against the spread versus ARMY over the last 3 seasons
NORTH TEXAS is 1-0 straight up against ARMY over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

WAKE FOREST (6 - 6) vs. TEMPLE (10 - 3) - 12/27/2016, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEMPLE is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) in all games this season.
TEMPLE is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
TEMPLE is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
TEMPLE is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) after playing a conference game this season.
TEMPLE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
TEMPLE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins this season.
WAKE FOREST is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest since 1992.
WAKE FOREST is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in road games after a bye week since 1992.
WAKE FOREST is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in December games since 1992.

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

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WASHINGTON ST (8 - 4) vs. MINNESOTA (8 - 4) - 12/27/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games after playing a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.

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

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BAYLOR (6 - 6) vs. BOISE ST (10 - 2) - 12/27/2016, 10:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 132-96 ATS (+26.4 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 132-96 ATS (+26.4 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games after playing a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 35-20 ATS (+13.0 Units) in games played on a grass field since 1992.

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

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

Tues – Dec. 27

Army at North Texas, 12:00 PM ET – Cotton Bowl
Army: 4-2 ATS as a favorite
N Texas: 7-25 ATS after a game where they committed no turnovers

Wake Forest at Temple, 3:30 PM ET – Military Bowl
Wake Forest: 8-20 ATS after scoring and allowing 17 or less points
Temple: 6-0 ATS after playing 3 straight conference games

Washington State at Minnesota, 7:00 PM ET – Holiday Bowl
Washington St: 23-39 ATS after 2 or more consecutive losses against the spread
Minnesota: 8-1 ATS off a loss against a conference rival

Baylor at Boise State, 10:15 PM ET – Cactus Bowl
Baylor: 2-11 ATS after failing to cover the spread in 6 or 7 out of their last 8
Boise State: 17-5 ATS in road games after 2 or more consecutive losses against the spread

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

Dec 27

Heart of Dallas Bowl, Cotton Bowl: Army-North Texas

North Texas (+16.5) went to West Point Oct 22 and upset Army 35-18; UNT was +6 in turnovers in game where Cadets outgained North Texas 396-320- this is the only rematch of bowl season. This is unusual bowl: favorites won/covered this game the last five years, with all five games decided by 13+ points. North Texas beat UNLV 36-14 here three years ago, their only bowl since 2004. UNT is 2-5 all-time in bowls. Army is in its first bowl since 2010; they’re 3-2 all-time in bowls, with two losses by total of four points. Mean Green lost four of last five games; they’re 5-7 but the three 5-7 teams won their bowls last year. Conference USA non-conference underdogs are 9-11 vs spread this year. Under is 5-3 in last eight North Texas games.

Military Bowl, Annapolis: Wake Forest-Temple

Laying 13 points in a bowl with a team whose coach bolted for greener pa$ture$ is dangerous and not a great idea. Temple covered its last 11 games, is 10-3 SU, but Rhule is the new coach at Baylor now. Owls 6-1 as favorites this year, 6-1 in games with double digit spread- they won their last seven games, last six by 16+ points. Wake Forest is 6-6 but lost its last three games, scoring only 13 pts/game; Deacons are 5-1 as an underdog this year, 3-3 in games with a double digit spread. Wake is in its first bowl since 2011; they’ll be excited. Deacons covered four of last five bowls. Favorites covered this bowl three of last four years. ACC teams lost here two of last three years. Under is 5-1-1 in Wake’s last seven games, 5-0 in Temple’s last five. AAC favorites are 10-7 vs spread this year; ACC underdogs are 7-4.

Holiday Bowl, San Diego: Washington State-Minnesota

Underdogs covered last four Holiday Bowls, winning three SU. Pac-12 teams are 1-4 in this game the last five years. This year, Washington State lost its first two games, its last two games but went 8-0 in between; Coogs are 3-3 as favorites this year, 2-4 in games with a single digit spread. Minnesota is 2-2-1 as an underdog, 3-3 in games with a single digit spread. Leach is 6-5 in bowls, 1-1 here; Wazzu is 7-5 overall in bowls. Gophers are in 5th straight bowl; they’re 1-3 in last four bowls, ending skid with win over Central Michigan LY. Coogs are 1-3 this year when scoring less than 30 points; Minnesota held nine of 12 opponents under 30. Last two years, Pac-12 teams are 3-8 vs Big 14 teams- they’re 4-8-1 vs spread in last 13 games when favored against a Big 14 squad. Over is 6-3 in Coogs’ last nine games, 4-2 in Gophers’ last six.

Cactus Bowl, Chase Field- Phoenix: Boise State-Baylor

Baylor started season 6-0, wound up 6-6; now they’ve hired Temple coach Rhule; not sure how it affects this game. Bears allowed 32.8 pts/game during its skid. Baylor was 3-2 in its last five bowls under Briles, with average total of 92.4. Baylor is 1-1 as an underdog, 1-4 in games with a single digit spread. Boise State is 10-2, covered one of its last seven games; they’re 4-8 vs spread, 0-2 in games with single digit spread. Broncos won four of last five bowls, scoring 40 pts/game; they won 55-7/38-30 in last two bowls. Underdogs covered three of last four Cactus Bowls; Big 12 teams are 4-1 in this game the last five years. Under is 7-4 in Baylor games this year, three of last four Boise games went over. Big X underdogs are 2-4 this season; Mountain West favorites are 8-8.

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

Tuesday, December 27

12:00 PM
ARMY vs. NORTH TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Army's last 5 games
Army is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing North Texas
North Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
North Texas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

3:30 PM
TEMPLE vs. WAKE FOREST
Temple is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Temple's last 5 games
Wake Forest is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wake Forest's last 7 games

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. WASHINGTON STATE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Washington State is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Washington State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games

10:15 PM
BOISE STATE vs. BAYLOR
Boise State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Boise State is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
Baylor is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Baylor is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games

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

Tuesday, December 27

Baylor @ Boise State

Game 241-242
December 27, 2016 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baylor
82.236
Boise State
93.217
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
by 11
76
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boise State
by 7 1/2
67
Dunkel Pick:
Boise State
(-7 1/2); Over

Washington St @ Minnesota

Game 239-240
December 27, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington St
103.852
Minnesota
87.846
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington St
by 16
57
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington St
by 9 1/2
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington St
(-9 1/2); Under

Wake Forest @ Temple

Game 237-238
December 27, 2016 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wake Forest
80.695
Temple
101.660
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Temple
by 21
33
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Temple
by 13
41
Dunkel Pick:
Temple
(-13); Under

Army @ North Texas

Game 235-236
December 27, 2016 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Army
80.852
North Texas
63.483
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Army
by 17 1/2
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Army
by 10
49 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Army
(-10); Over

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

Tuesday's Bowl Tip Sheet
December 26, 2016

**Washington State at Minnesota**

-- This Pac-12/Big Ten showdown will take place in San Diego at the Holiday Bowl. As of early Monday, most betting shops had Washington State (8-4 straight up, 6-6 against the spread) installed as a 10-point favorite with a total of 61. The Gophers were available on the money line for a +350 return (risk $100 to win $350).

-- Washington State is in the postseason for the third time in Mike Leach’s five-year tenure. The Cougars beat Miami 20-14 as three-point ‘chalk’ at last year’s Sun Bowl and in 2013, they dropped a 48-45 decision to Colorado State as 5.5-point favorites.

-- After losing its first two games at home to Eastern Washington and at Boise State by six combined points, Washington State ripped off eight consecutive wins before allowing a third quarter to get away in a 38-24 loss at Colorado as a six-point road underdog. Nevertheless, Washington State was in position to win the Pac-12 North with a home win over Washington in the Apple Cup to close the regular season.

-- Washington wasn’t having anything of it, though. Chris Petersen’s squad went into Pullman and captured a 45-17 win as a six-point road ‘chalk.’ The Huskies sprinted out to a 28-3 first-quarter lead and led 35-10 at intermission. Washington State cut the deficit to 35-17 on a nine-yard TD pass from Luke Falk to Gabe Marks midway through the third quarter. WSU would produced 160 third-quarter yards compared to only 13 for the Huskies, but the Cougars were stopped on fourth down at the 1-yard line to end an 81-yard drive with 37 seconds left in the third. The Huskies promptly marched 98 yards down the field to put the game on ice.

-- WSU is led by junior quarterback Luke Falk, who has completed 71.0 percent of his passes for 4,204 yards with a 37/10 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Marks led the Cougars with 85 receptions for 867 yards and 13 TDs, while Tavares Martin Jr. had 61 catches for 708 yards and seven TDs. Before going down with a season-ending injury in mid-November, River Cracraft had caught 53 balls for 701 yards and five TDs.

-- James Williams has rushed for a team-best 573 yards and six TDs while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Williams also has 47 catches for 313 yards and one TD. Jamal Morrow has run for 562 yards and five TDs with a 6.6 YPC average. He also has 43 receptions for 464 yards and five TDs. Gerard Wicks has rushed for 449 yards and 11 TDs with a 5.4 YPC average. Wicks also has 28 catches for 180 yards and one TD.

-- Washington State is ranked 15th in the nation in total offense, second in passing and 14th in scoring with a 40.3 points-per-game average. The Cougars have a weak secondary but are strong up front on the defensive line. They are 28th in the country at defending the run but a deplorable 122nd (of 128 FBS teams) against the pass.

-- Washington State has been a double-digit favorite six times, producing a 3-3 spread record.

-- Minnesota (8-4 SU, 4-5-3 ATS) thrived in the underdog role during the regular season, posting a 3-0-2 spread record with a pair of outright victories at Maryland and vs. Northwestern.

-- Minnesota will be without 10 players who were suspended for an incident back on Sept. 2 that involves sexual-assault allegations. Only a few of the 10 players are starters but two of them are starting defensive backs and two others are reserves in the secondary. This is bad news going against Washington State’s high-octane aerial attack. Sophomore CB KiAnte Hardin and freshman CB Antoine Winfield are two of the starters. Hardin had a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery during the regular season, while Winfield had one pick, two fumble recoveries and four passes broken up.

-- Minnesota loves to pound the rock with the ground game. Rodney Smith finished fourth in the Big Ten in rushing with 1,084 yards. Smith ran for 15 TDs and averaged 4.9 YPC, while Shannon Brooks rushed for 599 yards and five TDs with a 4.8 YPC average.

-- Minnesota senior QB Mitch Leidner has completed 56.4 percent of his throws for 2,040 yards with an abysmal 7/12 TD-INT ratio. Leidner can also make things happen with his legs, rushing for 340 yards and 10 TDs. His favorite target is Drew Wolitarsky, who has 61 receptions for 787 yards and five TDs.

-- Minnesota is ranked 23rd in total defense, 19th against the run and 31st in scoring (22.9 points per game).

-- The ‘over’ is 7-4-1 overall for the Cougars, 6-2-1 in their last nine contests. They’ve seen their games average combined scores of 67.5 points per game.

-- Totals have been an overall wash for the Gophers (6-6), but they’ve seen the ‘over’ go 4-2 in their last six outings. Their games have averaged combined scores of 53.2 PPG. This is the highest total Minnesota has seen all season. The two previous highs, 56 apiece vs. Oregon State and vs. Colorado State, both saw the ‘under’ prevail.

-- ESPN will have the broadcast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

**Baylor vs. Boise State**

-- This is the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl that’ll be played at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ., the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As of early Monday, most spots had Boise State (10-2 SU, 3-9 ATS) installed as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 67. The Bears were +250 on the money line (risk $100 to win $250).

-- Baylor (6-6 SU, 3-9 ATS) has had a tumultuous season to say the least. Amid the sexual-assault scandal that engulfed the campus and was national headlines for months, former coach Art Briles was dismissed in late May and former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe took over on an interim basis. Playing an easy schedule in September and October, Baylor started 6-0 but it limps into the postseason on a miserable six-game losing streak.

-- Boise State started 7-0 with quality wins vs. Washington State (31-28), at New Mexico (49-21) and vs. BYU (28-27), only to see its unbeaten record go up in flames in Laramie, where the Broncos lost a 30-28 decision to Wyoming. They answered with three straight wins over cupcake foes, only to fall to Air Force for a third straight season in the regular-season finale.

-- In the loss at Wyoming on Oct. 29 as a 14.5-point road favorite, Boise State jumped out to a 14-0 lead and still led 21-7 late in the second quarter. The Cowboys pulled to within 21-20 early in the fourth quarter, but BSU extended the advantage to 28-20 when Brett Rypien found Thomas Sperbeck for a 33-yard scoring strike with 10:50 remaining. Josh Allen’s 27-yard TD pass to Tanner Gentry made it 28-26 and a short pass to Jake Maulhardt for the two-point conversion evened things up with 6:42 left. Then with 1:25 remaining, Wyoming’s Chase Appleby sacked Rypien in the end zone for a safety to provide the winning points.

-- Boise State went 0-2 ATS with one outright defeat in a pair of single-digit favorite spots during the regular season.

-- BSU is 31-8 SU since Bryan Harsin took over for Chris Petersen. Harsin has led the Broncos to back-to-back bowl wins over Arizona (38-30 at the 2014 Fiesta Bowl) and No. Illinois (55-7 at the 2015 Poinsettia Bowl).

-- Rypien was the Mtn. West Conference Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-MWC selection as a freshman in 2015 when he threw for 3,353 yards and 20 TDs. In his sophomore campaign, Rypien again garnered first-team All-MWC honors by completing 61.8 percent of his throws for 3,341 yards with a 23/6 TD-INT ratio. He also had a pair of TDs rushing and had two catches for 42 yards and one TD on trick plays.

-- BSU has a balanced attack thanks to the presence of junior RB Jeremy McNichols, who rushed for 1,663 yards and 23 TDs while averaging 5.6 YPC. He’s also excellent at catching the ball out of the backfield, hauling in 32 receptions for 450 yards and four TDs. McNichols earned second-team All-MWC honors.

-- Like Rypien, Sperbeck earned first-team All-MWC honors for a second straight season. He had 72 receptions for 1,193 yards and nine TDs. Sperbeck also threw three TD passes on three attempts for 92 yards off of trick plays. Cedrick Wilson added 50 catches for 1,041 yards and 10 TDs. BSU put a pair of offensive linemen on the first-team All-MWC unit: Travis Averill and Mario Yakoo.

-- BSU is ranked 45th in the country in total defense, 26th versus the pass and 28th in scoring (22.7 PPG). This unit is led by a pair of first-team All-MWC selections in senior DE Sam McCaskill and sophomore nose tackle David Moa. McCaskill recorded 48 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, five passes broken up, one QB hurry and one blocked kick. Moa registered 27 tackles, 8.5 TFL’s, 7.5 sacks, four PBU and one blocked kick.

-- Baylor really only has two victories of note all year, beating Oklahoma State 35-24 at home and winning a 45-42 decision at Iowa State (and yes, we’re reaching here with the win at Iowa State, but Ames tends to claim a few victims of note regularly). The six-game slide started with a 35-34 loss at Texas. Next, TCU went into Waco and won by 40 in the first of four straight defeats by margins of at least 19 points until the tight game in Morgantown.

-- Baylor lost its team leader in senior QB Seth Russell when he went down with a season-ending ankle injury in a 45-24 loss at Oklahoma. Russell had thrown for 2,126 yards with a 20/8 TD-INT ratio in the first nine games. The dual-threat signal caller had also rushed for 506 yards and eight TDs.

-- Since Russell went down, true freshman Zach Smith has started the last three games. He has completed 56.1 percent of his passes for 1,151 yards with a 10/6 TD-INT ratio.

-- Just like LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, Baylor RB Shock Linwood has chosen to skip his team’s bowl game to stay health and begin prepping for the NFL Draft. Linwood is the Bears’ all-time leading rusher, but he has mostly been a disappointment in 2016. He was suspended for one game and ran for more than 100 yards in only two games. Linwood finished the year with a career-low 751 rushing yards and two TDs with a 5.4 YPC average.

-- Terrence Williams led the Bears in rushing with 945 yards and 11 TDs with a 5.9 YPC average. KD Cannon paced Baylor in receptions (73), receiving yards (989) and TD catches (11), while Ishmael Zamora caught 58 balls for 786 yards and seven TDs.

-- This is Baylor’s seventh straight trip to the postseason. The Bears beat up on North Carolina by a 49-38 count at last year’s Russell Athletic Bowl as 3.5-point underdogs.

-- Baylor has only been an underdog twice, going 1-1 ATS. The lone cover came in the regular-season finale at West Virginia in a 24-21 loss as a 17-point ‘dog.

-- Baylor has hired former Temple coach Matt Rhule to lead it into the future, while Grobe plans to return back to retirement

-- The ‘under’ is 8-4 overall for the Bears, but they’ve seen the ‘over’ go 3-2 in their last five outings. Their games have averaged combined scores of 65.3 PPG.

-- The ‘under’ is 7-5 overall for the Broncos despite a 3-1 run for the ‘over.’ Their games have averaged combined scores of 58.2 PPG.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 10:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- There are four total bowl games on Tuesday’s slate, including a pair of early starts. The action starts at noon Eastern when North Texas and Army collide at the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl on ESPN. Army (7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS) is an 11.5-point favorite over the Mean Green at most spots, while the total is 48.5. These teams met on Oct. 22 with North Texas capturing a 35-18 win as a 17.5-point road underdog. The Mean Green took advantage of seven Army turnovers in the upset victory. Jeffrey Wilson led UNT with 160 rushing yards and three TDs on 15 carries. The Mean Green, which is 5-7 SU and 6-5-1 ATS, has compiled a 5-4-1 spread record with four outright victories as an underdog. Meanwhile, Army owns a 2-2 record both SU and ATS in four games as a double-digit ‘chalk.’

-- This is Army’s first postseason appearance since 2010 when it beat SMU 16-14 as a seven-point underdog.

-- North Texas is bowling for the first time since knocking off UNLV 36-14 as a 6.5-point favorite at this same event.

-- The Military Bowl in Annapolis, MD., will feature an AAC/ACC showdown between Temple and Wake Forest. As noted earlier, Temple lost its head coach Matt Rhule to Baylor. Most spots have the Owls installed as 12-point ‘chalk.’ They own the nation’s best spread record (12), taking the cash 12 times in a row since losing their opener to Army as double-digit favorites. Temple won the AAC by thumping Navy earlier this month. Wake Forest (6-6 SU, 7-5 ATS) has been a double-digit ‘dog four times this season, posting a 3-1 spread record. The Demon Deacons went 5-1 ATS in six games as underdogs. They have lost five of their last six contests since starting 4-0 and 5-1. Wake is bowling for the first time since Dave Clawson replaced Grobe in 2014. Grobe had the Deacs in the 2011 Music City Bowl, where they dropped a 23-17 decision to Mississippi State but took the cash as 6.5-point ‘dogs. This game will come off the board at 3:30 p.m. Eastern and be televised by ESPN.

-- UConn fired Bob Diaco on Monday after he limped to an 11-26 record during his three-year tenure.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 03:19 AM

2016 Bowl Record:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

12/26/2016 2-4-0 33.33% -1200

12/24/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50

12/23/2016 2-3-1 40.00% -650

12/22/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

12/20/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100

12/19/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

12/17/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 12:14 PM

NCAAF

Tuesday, December 27

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Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl Betting Preview: Army vs. North Texas
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Sophomore running back Andy Davidson leads Army with 178 carries for 905 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Army Black Knights vs. North Texas Mean Green (+11.5, 48.5)

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

This year's Heart of Dallas Bowl on Dec. 27 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas will feature a rematch between two teams that played in the regular season -- Army and North Texas. The visiting Mean Green defeated Army 35-18 on Oct. 22, handing the Black Knights their first home loss of the season. How well Army can slow down running back Jeffrey Wilson, who went for 160 yards and three touchdowns in the first matchup, will be a key to this game.

The Mean Green didn’t exactly take the regular route to a bowl game, dropping four of their last five to finish under .500. North Texas is only in a bowl because there weren’t enough 6-6 teams to fill all the available spots, allowing a handful of five-win squads into the party. Selections were based on academic progress rate scores, and the Mean Green ranked second among teams not bowl eligible, giving North Texas its ninth bowl game in school history.

Army is back in a bowl game for the first time since 2010, thanks in large part to the play of quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw. The dual-threat junior signal caller finished second on the team in rushing with 695 yards and paced the passing game with 650 yards, accounting for 11 touchdowns either on the ground or in the air. The Black Knights aren’t going to pass much in any game, but after throwing four interceptions in the loss to North Texas earlier this season, Bradshaw will need to be especially choosy about his aerial attempts in this contest.

TV: Noon ET, Dec. 27, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: North Texas opened this game as 8.5-point underdogs and despite playing this game in its home state, they've been faded to +11.5. The total opened at 49 and has been bet down to 49.5. Check out the complete line history here.

WEATHER REPORT: The forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies in Dallas, with temperatures in the mid 50's for the game.

INJURY REPORT:

Army - No injuries to report.

North Texas - RB J. Wilson (probable Tuesday, knee), OL G. Gunter (questionable Tuesday, undisclosed), WR R. Bussey Jr. (quesitonable Tuesday, undisclosed), OL E. Woodworth (questionable Tuesday, undisclosed), QB M. Fine (out Tuesday, shoulder), RB W. Ivery (out Tuesday, academics).

ABOUT ARMY (7-5, 7-5 ATS, 4-8 O/U): The constant to the Army ground attack has been sophomore running back Andy Davidson, who leads the team with 178 carries for 905 yards and 11 touchdowns. Still, in the loss to North Texas he ran the ball just 16 times for 70 yards and no scores, and averaged 78.7 yards in the team's five losses -- missing one completely with injury. The Black Knights are able to attack on the ground with a number of different players, but if Davidson isn't having his usual success the Army offense can get slowed down.

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS (5-7, 6-5-1 ATS, 5-7 O/U): If the Mean Green are going to repeat their win over Army from earlier this year, the defense must improve. In the five games since holding the Black Knights to 18 points -- the fewest by a North Texas opponent this year -- the Mean Green have allowed an average of 39.2 points while going 1-4. North Texas forced seven turnovers against Army but managed just six since, meaning the team's leading tackler defensive back Kishawn McClain (86 tackles) and the rest of the defense need to be more opportunistic in their season finale.

TRENDS:

* Army is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games in December.
* North Texas is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Under is 15-2 in Army's last 17 neutral site games.
* Under is 8-3 in North Texas' last 11 games following a straight up loss.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-eight percent of the public is backing Army, while 55 percent of the wagers are on the Over.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 12:19 PM

NCAAF

Tuesday, December 27

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Military Bowl Betting Preview: Temple vs. Wake Forest
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Temple was the best bet in the nation in college football this season, going 12-1 ATS.

Temple Owls at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+12, 41)

Game to be played at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland

Interim coach Ed Foley leads American Athletic Conference champion Temple into action in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27 against Wake Forest at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. Foley took over after Rhule left to become coach at Baylor following the Owls' 34-10 victory over Navy in the AAC championship game Dec. 3. Foley has been with Temple since 2008 and served in several capacities, including special teams and tight ends coach this season.

Under Rhule's guidance, the Owls won 20 out of their last 27 games including the last seven, and take on a Wake Forest team that has lost six of its last eight games under coach Dave Clawson. The Owls are led by a pair of dynamic seniors from Elizabeth, N.J., in quarterback Phillip Walker and running back Jahad Thomas, who helped orchestrate a remarkable turnaround from 2-10 in 2013 to 10-3 this season. Walker has thrown for more than 10,000 yards and 72 touchdowns as a four-year starter while Thomas is poised for his second straight 1,000-yard season, needing 82 yards against Wake Forest to reach the milestone.

Wake Forest opened the season with four straight wins and was 5-1 after a victory over Syracuse, but faltered when matched up with some of the ACC's best. The Demon Deacons will likely need to put forth one of their best defensive efforts of the season to win this game as they lack the offensive firepower to match the Owls, who have close to a two touchdown advantage in points scored per game. Clawson's team will run the ball with the likes of quarterback John Wolford and running backs Matt Colburn and Cade Carney while picking their spots in the passing game, which has yielded seven touchdowns this season.

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

LINE HISTORY: Temple opened has 13.5-point favorites and were faded to as low as -11.5, but have bounced back to the current number of -12. The total opened at 41 and ahs yet to move off that number. Check out the complete line history here.

WEATHER REPORT: A shower or two possible is early with partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. The expected high is 62F. Winds gusting out of the west at 10 to 15 mph. There will be a 30 percent chance of rain.

INJURY REPORT:

Temple - DB K. Lucas (questionable Tuesday, undisclosed), DB J. Thomas (questionable Tuesday, undisclosed), DB N. Smith (questionable Tuesday, leg).

Wake Forest - DB R. Janvion (probable Tuesday, toe), QB J. Wolford (probable Tuesday, shoulder), RB I. Robinson (questionable Tuesday, leg), DB A. Austin (questionable Tuesday, hand), DB (out Tuesday, shoulder).

ABOUT TEMPLE (10-3, 12-1 ATS, 5-8 O/U): After struggling a bit on defense during the middle of the season, the Owls were solid over the season's final month, limiting five opponents to a total of 33 points. Two more seniors from New Jersey - Haason Reddick and Praise Martin-Oguike - have been disruptive along the defensive line, totaling 31.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and six forced fumbles. Stephaun Marshall and Delvon Randall are the top tacklers for a unit that has surrendered only one rushing and three passing touchdowns over the past five games.

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (6-6, 7-5 ATS, 5-7 O/U): The Demon Deacons have several difference-makers on defense in junior lineman Duke Ejiofor, senior linebacker Marquel Lee and freshman safety Jessie Bates III. Ejiofor and Lee combined for 34 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks while Bates is second on the team in tackles to Lee and first in interceptions. Bates, who led all FBS freshmen in interceptions, interception return yards and interceptions returned for touchdowns, was named to the USA Today Freshman All-America Team.

TRENDS:

* Temple is 12-0 ATS in the last 12 games overall.
* Wake Forest is 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 5-0 in Temple's last five games overall.
* Under is 5-2 in Demon Deacons last seven games overall.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-eight percent of wagers are backing Temple to cover its 13th consecutive game. As for the total, 62 percent of wagers are on the Over.

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NCAAF

Tuesday, December 27

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Holiday Bowl Betting Preview: Minnesota vs. Washington State
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Luke Falk has completed 71 percent of his passes for 4,204 yards and 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions this season.

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Washington State Cougars (-10, 61)

Game to be played at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

After watching its Rose Bowl hopes fade with two late losses, Washington State looks to end the season on a winning note as the Cougars face Minnesota in the National Funding Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 27. Washington State bounced back from two early losses to contend in the Pac-12 before closing with back-to-back losses to Colorado and rival Washington, while Minnesota will play in a bowl game for a program record-tying fifth straight season. The Gophers will be hard-pressed to slow down the Cougars’ Air Raid attack, which led the Pac-12 and placed second nationally at 370.8 passing yards per game.

It will be even tougher for the Gophers to slow Washington State's passing attack after it was announced Tuesday that 10 Minnesota players were suspended from the Holiday Bowl stemming from an incident in an off-campus apartment Sept. 2. Among those who will not play are starting defensive backs KiAnte Hardin - a sophomore - and freshman Antoine Winfield Jr., along with secondary reserves in freshman Ray Buford and sophomore Antonio Shenault. Hardin recorded two interceptions, six passes defended and a fumble recovery while Winfield had a pick, four passes defended and two fumble recoveries.

Washington State junior quarterback Luke Falk has completed 71 percent of his passes for 4,204 yards and 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, and he’s been helped this season by a surprising running game led by the trio of Jamal Morrow, James Williams and Gerard Wicks. In order to keep Falk and the Cougars’ explosive offense off the field, Minnesota will need to control the clock behind sophomore Rodney Smith, who finished fourth in the Big Ten with 1,084 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Mitch Leidner added 10 rushing touchdowns but threw 12 interceptions.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers pegged Washington State as 5.5-point favorites, but they have since moved all the way to -10. The total opened at 60 and have been bet up to 61. Check out the complete line history here.

WEATHER REPORT: It should be a beautiful night for football in San Diego, with the forecast calling for clear skies and temperatures in the low 60's.

INJURY REPORT:

Minnesota - DB A. Starks (questionable Tuesday, undisclosed), OL J. Weyler (questionable Tuesday, tricep).

Washington State - LB I. Dotson (questionable Tuesday, undisclosed).

ABOUT MINNESOTA (8-4, 4-5-3 ATS, 6-6 O/U): While first-year coach Tracy Claeys failed to record any marquee victories, the Gophers avoided any major missteps and nearly won at Penn State in early October before falling 29-26 in overtime. Leidner has completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 2,040 yards and seven touchdowns, including five to Southern California native Drew Wolitarsky, who has caught 61 passes for 787 yards. The Gophers ranked 13th in the Big 10 in pass defense but linemen Steven Richardson and Blake Cashman combined for 13.5 sacks and could help disrupt Falk’s rhythm.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (8-4, 6-6 ATS, 7-4-1 O/U): Falk is without injured starting wide receiver River Cracraft but still has a pair of potent deep threats in Gabe Marks and Tavares Martin Jr., who combined for 146 catches, 1,575 yards and 20 touchdowns. Left guard Cody O'Connell was named a first team All-American while safety Shalom Luani joined Marks as an All-Pac-12 first team selection after recording four interceptions along with 58 tackles, including 8.5 for loss. The Cougars’ underrated defense includes linebacker Peyton Pelluer, who had a team-high 89 tackles and will play a key role in slowing down the Gophers’ running game.

TRENDS:

* Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in their last six vs. Pac-12 opponents.
* Washington State is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss.
* Under is 4-0 in Minnesota's last four games following a straight up loss.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Washington State's last five games following a straight up loss.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing Washington State in this matchup, with 66 percent of wagers on the Cougars. As for the total, 65 percent of the wagers are on the Over.

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

NCAAF

Tuesday, December 27

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Cactus Bowl Betting Preview: Boise State vs. Baylor
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Junior running back Jeremy McNichols leads the Boise State offense, rushing for 1,663 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Boise State Broncos vs. Baylor Bears (+7.5, 67)

Game to be played at Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona

Baylor will try to end the up-and-down Jim Grobe coaching era on a high note when it faces Boise State in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl on Dec. 27 at Chase Field in Phoenix, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Grobe took over on an interim basis when Art Briles was fired on May 26 amid the school's sexual assault scandal and led the team to a 6-0 start, but the Bears, who hired Temple's Matt Rhule to become permanent head coach last week, limp into the contest with a six-game losing streak. "I'm very excited for our players to have an opportunity to play in the Cactus Bowl against a great football team in Boise State," Grobe told reporters. "I think our guys are looking forward to coaching these kids and getting them ready for a bowl game. So I feel good about playing in a bowl game. This is going to be it for me, so I'd like to win it for sure."

Playing a Big 12 opponent in the Phoenix area brings back some fond memories for Boise State football fans. The last time the Broncos played a Big 12 opponent in a bowl game was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Adrian Peterson-led Oklahoma when Boise State pulled out a memorable 43-42 overtime upset victory. That contest is famous for a 50-yard hook and ladder touchdown play by the Broncos on 4th-and-18 with 18 seconds to go to force overtime, and then Boise State won it with a Statue of Liberty two-point conversion by running back Ian Johnson who then proposed a few minutes later to his girlfriend in the middle of his nationally-televised postgame interview.

This will be the second time Baylor will play a bowl game in the Phoenix area in the last four seasons. After winning the 2013 Big 12 championship, the Bears were upset by Central Florida 52-42 in the Fiesta Bowl. "I like Arizona a lot," senior linebacker Aiavion Edwards told the Waco Tribune. "We had a good time the last time we were there, and we're looking forward to finishing the game off better than last time."

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Boise State opened this bowl favored by 10-points, but they've since been faded to the current number of -7.5. The total hit the board at 66.5 and has been bet up slightly to 67. Check out the complete line history here.

WEATHER REPORT: If the roof is open at Chase Field, it should be a nice night in Phoenix with clear skies and temperatures in the mid 50's for the game.

INJURY REPORT:

Boise State - S D. Sumner-Gardner (doubtful Tuesday, shoulder).

Baylor - RB T. Williams (probable Tuesday, knee), S D. Hall (questionable Tuesday, concussion), WR P. Stricklin (questionable Tuesday, leg), DE X. Jones (questionable Tuesday, ankle), RB S. Linwood (out Tuesday, personal).

ABOUT BOISE STATE (10-2, 3-9 ATS, 5-7 O/U): After losing to Air Force for the third consecutive year and failing to make it into the conference championship for the second straight season, the Broncos are looking at a potential bowl win over a Big 12 team as something to build on. "We're trying to finish this season the right way and take everything we've learned and apply it," coach Bryan Harsin told reporters. "And go out there and be a much better football team than we were in the last game." Junior running back Jeremy McNichols (1,663 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing), sophomore quarterback Brett Rypien (3,341 yards, 23 TDs passing), and wide receivers Thomas Sperbeck (72 catches, 1,193 yards, nine touchdowns) along with Cedrick Wilson (50, 1,041, 10) lead an offense that averaged 35.6 points and 479.8 yards per game.

ABOUT BAYLOR (6-6, 3-9 ATS, 4-8 O/U): The Bears have the fifth-ranked offense nationally, averaging 523.3 yards - including 250.3 yards rushing. However, most of that was accomplished with Seth Russell (152-of-278, 2,126 yards, 20 TD passes) at quarterback and the senior won't play after breaking his left ankle in a 45-24 loss at Oklahoma on Nov. 12. Freshman Zach Smith started the final three games at quarterback and threw eight touchdown passes compared to six interceptions over that span so look for the Bears to lean heavily on a running game led by sophomore Terence Williams (945 yards, 11 TDs, 5.9 per carry) and senior Shock Linwood (751, two, 5.4).

TRENDS:

* Boise State is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games overall.
* Baylor is 1-5 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Boise State's last five bowl games.
* Over is 4-1 in Baylor's last five games overall.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing Boise State with 56 percent of the wagers, while 63 percent of the betting public is on the Over.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 12:22 PM

At Minnesota, a boycott is over but tensions are not
December 27, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota President Eric Kaler stepped behind the podium and began to speak, a crisis averted after seven Golden Gophers football players announced that the team would not boycott the upcoming Holiday Bowl against Washington State because 10 of their teammates had been suspended in a sexual assault case.

''I listened to their concerns,'' said Kaler, who had negotiated with the players. ''I was able to explain our point of view around the actions that we took. It was a very frank and candid conversation. I'm glad it led to this resolution.''

Listening from another room in the team's football building, players fumed. They thought Kaler was taking credit for solving an impasse even though he left the talks the previous night without a deal, a group of four that included players and other people involved in the talks told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because of a team-wide agreement not to speak publicly about the case to keep a focus on the bowl game in San Diego on Tuesday.

The interviews revealed a lingering divide between an administration trying to actively investigate allegations from a woman who says she was pressured into sex with multiple football players and a team that was concerned about the fairness of the process.

Tensions ran so high that the players' decision to participate in the bowl nearly collapsed a day after it was made. Players, angered by Kaler's remarks, called an emergency meeting the next day as they returned to practice after some pushed to reinstate the boycott.

''Things were still very raw for them,'' Regent Darrin Rosha, who was asked to attend the meeting, said. ''For some, the allegations and due process issues had somewhat taken a backseat to the way they felt team members who were not involved had been treated by the university.''

Kaler and athletic director Mark Coyle declined to be interviewed about the boycott talks, instead releasing a joint statement pledging to work ''to address issues and concerns that have risen to the surface from across our University community, to make a difference and improve things moving forward.'' Federal laws written to protect the privacy of students involved in investigations like this one restrict their ability to comment directly on many of the details in the case - with the media or the team.

Universities have been under pressure to more aggressively respond to sexual assault on campus, and high-profile cases at Florida State, Baylor and Stanford involving athletes in recent years have intensified concerns that the rules are bent for those playing a sport. At Minnesota, the president acted swiftly to address the case, and made it clear in statements the university was taking the allegations seriously.

Even if it meant sacrificing the bowl game - and the roughly $2.8 million it pays out.

The case started at the beginning of the season. Five of the players - Carlton Djam, Dior Johnson, KiAnte Hardin, Ray Buford Jr. and Tamarion Johnson - told police they had consensual sex with the woman at an off-campus dorm. Four of them were suspended for three games early in the season, but reinstated in October.

Prosecutors cited a lack of evidence when they declined to press charges, but the university, which has a different standard of proof, conducted its own investigation. The school announced on Dec. 13 that those five players were suspended and Antoine Winfield Jr., Seth Green, Mark Williams, Kobe McCrary and Antonio Shenault were out for the bowl game as well.

A redacted copy of the university's 82-page investigation report published by a local television station quotes the woman as saying she believed 10 to 20 men had sex with her, though she was not certain. She told university investigators she was too traumatized to clearly remember events.

The team thought the case had ended when their four teammates returned to the field in October. They also were worried about due process for their teammates as the case played out in a school, not a court, those involved with the boycott told the AP. They questioned why the players did not have representation with them while being interviewed by university employees.

Coyle met with the team on Dec. 14, but players were frustrated that coach Tracy Claeys was alleged to be involved with the decision to suspend them and repeatedly invoked federal privacy laws, according to three people who were there. The team was also upset when he wouldn't discuss the timing of the suspensions, which left no time for an appeal before the bowl game, and punishing the five additional players, two of whom claimed to have not been in the apartment that night.

Twenty-four hours later, the players took a vote and announced they would boycott all team activities unless the players were reinstated.

With a deadline fast approaching to participate in the bowl and talks with Kaler and Coyle going nowhere, players asked for a meeting with Rosha and Michael Hsu, two of the newest members of the board of regents, on Dec. 16. They reached out to them because they had been vocal about the school's sexual assault policies before.

In July of 2015, Hsu and Rosha called for the president to delay implementing a new affirmative consent policy that was designed to help prevent sexual assaults on campus. Concerns emerged on other campuses that the policy shifts the burden of proof to the accused in rape cases, and Hsu wanted the board to discuss the possible legal ramifications.

Kaler and Coyle tried to re-engage the players before Hsu and Rosha could meet with them that night. They offered to reinstate the second group of five players for the bowl, but pulled that back when the university said the woman who made the accusations would have to approve that, four people involved in the discussions told the AP.

Kaler and Coyle left talks with the players before 9 p.m. without an agreement and players prepared to skip the game. The players invited the regents in, according to three people who were there, and a marathon discussion lasted until dawn.

''We weren't negotiating,'' Hsu said. ''We had nothing to give them. We were only there to talk to them, help understand them, help them understand us, the university, us as regents. Help them think through the ramifications.''

They talked about criticism the team received after announcing the boycott with a statement that paid little attention to the allegations made by the woman. If they pulled out of the bowl game, would they look like they were defending sexual assault?

Would the coaching staff lose their jobs?

They talked about their legacies. Carrying through with the boycott would have made them the first team in college football history to pull out of a bowl game under protest. Did they want to be known for that?

''They appeared to really want to get it right for all involved: the reporting student, the public, the university, the team,'' Rosha said. ''While they didn't seem sure about what the right approach was, they did conclude it wasn't maintaining the boycott.''

The players voted around 6 a.m.

The boycott was done, but the hard feelings remained.

A few hours later, without inviting the school president or athletic director or making them aware of their decision, the players called a news conference and delivered a statement that said ''sexual violence and violence against women have no place on campus, our team or in society.''

They were playing, they said, because Kaler and Coyle had agreed to ensure that their teammates would get an appeals hearing before a diverse panel - something they insisted on because all 10 accused in the case are black.

But even with the boycott rescinded, they didn't feel like they had a resolution, at least not with school leaders.

''I believe this could very well have been avoided,'' Rosha said. ''The team appeared to appreciate having a respectful dialogue.''

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 12:24 PM

Baylor faces Boise State in Cactus Bowl
December 26, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) Baylor went through a difficult season. Key injuries. A long losing streak. The lingering shadow of scandal.

The Bears battled their way through it, earning a spot in the Cactus Bowl. Beating Boise State on Tuesday night won't erase all that's happened, but it could be something to build on.

''We've certainly had some challenges this year, but we've got a wonderful group of young men that I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with,'' Baylor interim coach Jim Grobe said.

Baylor entered the season reeling from the sexual assault scandal that led to the firing of coach Art Briles in May.

Grobe, a veteran of four decades in college football, took over this season. The Bears got off to a strong start, winning their first six games behind prolific quarterback Seth Russell.

The season turned with a close loss to Texas on Oct. 29. The Bears were blown out the next week by TCU and spiraled downward. Russell sustained a season-ending broken ankle against Oklahoma and Baylor closed the season with six straight losses.

The Bears (6-6) won't have it any easier against Boise State.

The Broncos (10-2) won their first seven games and were nine points from being undefeated. Boise State has a potent passing attack behind quarterback Brett Rypien and one of the nation's best running backs in Jeremy McNichols, who rushed for 1,661 yards and 23 touchdowns.

The Broncos also love playing in the desert.

Boise State burst onto the national scene at the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, trick-playing its way past Oklahoma, and knocked off TCU three years later. The Broncos also outlasted Arizona at the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.

''I think it's a game people want to see,'' Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. ''It's certainly a game that's very interesting in college football.''

A few more things to watch:

LINWOOD OUT: Baylor will be without its one of its running backs. Shock Linwood is preparing for the NFL, following the lead of LSU's Leonard Fournette and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey. Linwood ran for over 1,200 yards each of the previous two seasons, but wasn't quite as effective this season. The senior was suspended for the Oklahoma game for disciplinary reasons and was limited to 47 yards on 14 carries in Baylor's final two games, finishing with 751 yards and two TDs. Terence Williams is Baylor's leading rusher with 945 yards and 11 TDs.

PASSING BRONCOS: Boise State had a stellar season through the air, averaging 297.8 yards per game. Rypien was the catalyst, throwing for 3,341 yards and 23 TDs with six interceptions. Boise State also had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers for the first time in school history, with Thomas Sperbeck finishing with 1,191 and Cedrick Wilson with 1,041. Baylor was 63rd nationally against the pass and will have its hands full with the Broncos.

GROBE FINALE: Grobe will be coaching his final game with the Bears. Baylor hired Temple coach Matt Rhule on Dec. 6, though Grobe will still coach the team in the Cactus Bowl. But this will not be the end of Grobe's coaching career - at least he hopes. ''I've got to tell you, my wife, Holly, would probably be disappointed to hear you say this could possibly be my last game. She probably wouldn't be happy hearing that,'' Grobe said when asked about this potentially being his last game as a college coach. Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles was hired for the same position at Florida Atlantic, but will coach the Bears in the bowl game.

SMITH'S TURN: Russell's injury thrust freshman Zach Smith into a difficult position. He was a decorated high school player coming out of Grandview, Texas, but being a starting Big 12 quarterback is a huge step. Smith had some good moments, throwing for 1,151 yards and 11 TDs, but also had his share of struggles. He had a particularly rough game in the regular-season finale against West Virginia, but got an extra month of practice in to prepare for the Cactus Bowl.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-27-2016, 12:27 PM

Temple, WF escape distractions
December 26, 2016

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Playing in a bowl game is usually considered a reward for a successful season. For Temple and Wake Forest, the Military Bowl on Tuesday offers an additional bonus: a three-hour escape from off-the-field events that served as a distraction for each program.

No. 23 Temple (10-3) hasn't played since beating Navy 34-10 on Dec. 3 in the American Athletic Conference championship at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, site of the Military Bowl.

Much has changed since then for the Owls, who will have a different look on the sideline when their return.

Three days after Temple won its first AAC title, coach Matt Ruhle accepted the same position at Baylor. Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins was subsequently hired as Ruhle's replacement.

Ed Foley, a nine-year assistant at Temple, will serve as interim coach when the Owls vie for the first 11-win season in school history.

''One of our goals was the championship, and another was to win an 11th game and become the greatest Temple team ever,'' senior linebacker Avery Williams said. ''Everything that's been going on, we really don't care. It's all about us right now.''

Under normal circumstances, Wake Forest's main focus entering the Military Bowl would be to secure a winning season by ending a three-game losing streak. But the Demon Deacons (6-6) have been embroiled in a scandal in which Wake Forest broadcaster Tommy Elrod leaked or attempted to leak game plan information to at least three opponents.

''We knew something was going on since a month ago and we've focused on the game and things we can control,'' Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. ''I think our players have done a great job of that. Nothing we can do about it. It happened, it's in our past, we addressed it and we're moving forward. I think for us it's great that there is another game.''

Some things to know about the Military Bowl matchup between Temple and Wake Forest, who last met in 1930:

BOWLING AGAIN: Wake Forest is in the postseason for the first time since the Music City Bowl in 2011.

''It's been a long time,'' said senior safety Ryan Janvion, whose 44 career starts are most on the team. ''To be here now says a lot about the direction of our program. We're all excited to be here, but we know our job isn't finished. We're going to do our best to finish this season strong with a win in a bowl game.''

The Demon Deacons, who went 3-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, need a victory to secure their winning season since 2008.

FANTASY ISLAND: Foley probably hasn't stopped smiling since getting the job as interim coach.

''To me, it's like Phillies fantasy week. You go down there and you get to be on the Phillies team for a week,'' he said. ''Well, I get to be the head coach of Temple for 21 days. It's just a thrill.''

After it's all over, Foley is counting on working with Ruhle at Baylor or under Collins at Temple.

''I feel really good that ... I'm going to end up in a really good place,'' he said.

SOAK IT UP: In carrying on a Military Bowl tradition, players on both teams visited the nation's capital this week and mingled with Armed Forces personnel. For Wake Forest, it's been a ride that was a long time coming.

''It's more than just a football game,'' Clawson said. ''No player on our team has been to bowl before, so we want them to enjoy the experience and have it be something that they want to do again.''

INTO THE UNKNOWN: Although Temple hasn't played Wake Forest in 86 years, the Owls know quite a bit about their ACC foe.

''We see them on film. We know what they do, we know what they're about,'' said quarterback Phillip Walker, who owns the school record for wins by a starting quarterback - 28 in all, including seven straight.

Walker has thrown 12 touchdown passes and only three interceptions during Temple's seven-game winning streak. He went 16 for 25 with two scores and no picks against Navy.

HISTORY LESSON: The Military Bowl debuted as the Eagle Bank Bowl, when Wake Forest beat Navy 29-19 in 2008 at RFK Stadium in Washington.

Northrop Grumman, a global security company, signed on as the bowl's new title sponsor in 2010, bringing with it a partnership with the United Service Organizations. It was renamed the Military Bowl in 2010 and moved to Annapolis in 2013.

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