LSU favorites versus unbeaten UCF, and opening lines for every College Football Bowl Game
Patrick Everson
The LSU Tigers go into their Fiesta Bowl matchup with Central Florida as 7.5-point favorites, but the public might lean towards the unbeaten Golden Knights to cover.
While everyone is still buzzing about – and arguing over – the College Football Playoff selections, it’s worth pointing out that there are a bevy of other intriguing bowl matchups. We check in on the opening lines and early action for four of those contests, and gets you the opening and current lines for every other bowl game, with insights from Derek Wilkinson, supervisor at The SuperBook at Westgate in Las Vegas.
Fiesta Bowl
No. 11 Louisiana State Tigers vs. No. 8 Central Florida Knights (+7.5)
Central Florida hasn’t lost since its bowl game two years ago, going 13-0 SU and 8-4-1 ATS last season, and sitting at 12-0 SU and 9-3 ATS this year. The Knights beat Memphis 56-41 as 1-point home favorites in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
That gave UCF a second straight shot at an SEC team in bowl season, as the Knights upset Auburn in last season’s Peach Bowl.
Louisiana State finished the regular season in a monster of a game, albeit a loss. The Tigers (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) went off as 3-point underdogs at Texas A&M and pushed the contest to seven overtimes before falling 74-72.
“We purposely set this line just above a touchdown to give the people something to think about,” Wilkinson said of opening LSU -7.5 for this New Year’s Day game. “This will be the toughest team, by far, that UCF has played all year, but I think the public will like an undefeated team getting more than a touchdown. I’m anticipating that the line will come down to -7 pretty soon.”
Rose Bowl
No. 9 Washington Huskies vs. No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (-5.5)
Ohio State is feeling much like a bridesmaid after winning the Big Ten title, but finishing sixth in the CFP rankings and missing the four-team playoff. The Buckeyes (12-1 SU, 6-7 ATS) dumped Northwestern 45-24 laying 16.5 points in the conference title game in Indianapolis.
Washington upended Washington State on the road in Week 13 to snare a spot in the Pac-12 title game, then took full advantage of it. The Huskies (10-3 SU, 4-9 ATS) slogged past Utah 10-3 giving 4.5 points in Santa Clara, Calif., to earn a spot in this New Year’s Day game.
“This line feels a little too high to me. We haven’t seen much action on it yet, but I think the sharps will like Washington,” Wilkinson said. “The public usually likes Ohio State, especially when the Buckeyes are the higher-ranked team. However, look for this line to drop to 4.5 or even 4 throughout the next couple of weeks.”
Sugar Bowl
No. 15 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (-11)
Georgia is also feeling left out this week, finishing one spot out of the CFP, a year after reaching the national championship game. The Bulldogs (11-2 SU, 8-5 ATS) went into the Southeastern Conference title game as 11-point underdogs to Alabama, led 28-14 in the third quarter, but couldn’t score again and ended up losing 35-28.
Texas won its last three regular-season games to land a spot in the Big 12 final last weekend. The Longhorns (9-4 SU, 5-7-1 ATS) then came up short against Oklahoma, losing 39-27 as 9.5-point neutral-site pups at AT&T Stadium.
“Texas just lost to Oklahoma, and I think Georgia is quite a bit better than the Sooners,” Wilkinson said. “That said, I think Georgia -11 is a little high. I think the wiseguys will like Texas plus the points and that the line will drop some.”
This Big 12-SEC clash wraps up the New Year’s Day bowls, with an 8:45 p.m. ET start.
Gator Bowl
North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. No. 19 Texas A&M Aggies (-4.5)
Texas A&M, which gave CFP selectee Clemson all it could handle back in September, finished the regular season on a three-game win streak. In the finale, the Aggies (8-4 SU and ATS) outlasted LSU in seven overtimes, winning 74-72 as 3-point home favorites.
North Carolina State won its last three games and four of five to cap the regular season. The Wolfpack (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) went out of conference to finish up, whomping East Carolina 58-3 as 24.5-point home faves.
“We took a sharp bet on A&M (Monday) and moved the line to -5,” Wilkinson said of action on this Dec. 31 matchup. “The Aggies are coming off an epic win against LSU, and I think they’re going to carry that momentum into this one. N.C. State has been playing well lately, but the Wolfpack haven’t been facing teams as good as A&M.”
The rest of the 39-game bowl slate:
Cure Bowl, Dec. 15: Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette – Open: +3.5; Current: +3.5
New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 15: North Texas vs. Utah State – Open: -9.5; Current: -10
Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 15: Arizona State vs. No. 21 Fresno State – Open: -4.5; Current: -4.5
New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 15: Middle Tennessee vs. Appalachian State – Open: -7.5; Current: -7
Camellia Bowl, Dec. 15: Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia Southern – Open: +1; Current: +1
Boca Raton Bowl, Dec. 18: Northern Illinois vs. Alabama-Birmingham – Open: -1; Current: -1
Frisco Bowl, Dec. 19: Ohio vs. San Diego State – Open: +3; Current: +3
Gasparilla Bowl, Dec. 20: Marshall vs. South Florida – Open: +2; Current: +1.5
The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, Dec. 21: Florida International vs. Toledo – Open: -6; Current: -6
Potato Bowl, Dec. 21: Brigham Young vs. Western Michigan – Open: +12.5; Current: +12.5
Birmingham Bowl, Dec. 22: Wake Forest vs. Memphis – Open: -3.5; Current: -3.5
Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 22: Houston vs. Army – Open: -3; Current: -3
Dollar General Bowl, Dec. 22: Buffalo vs. Troy – Open: +3; Current: +3
Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 22: Louisiana Tech vs. Hawaii – Open: -2; Current: -2
First Responder Bowl, Dec. 26: Boston College vs. No. 25 Boise State – Open: -3; Current: -3
Quick Lane Bowl, Dec. 26: Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech – Open: -4.5; Current: -4.5
Cheez-It Bowl, Dec. 26: Texas Christian vs. California – Open: Pick; Current: Pick
Independence Bowl, Dec. 27: Duke vs. Temple – Open: -3; Current: -3
Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 27: Miami vs. Wisconsin – Open: +3; Current: +4
Texas Bowl, Dec. 27: Vanderbilt vs. Baylor – Open: +5; Current: +4
Music City Bowl, Dec. 28: Auburn vs. Purdue – Open: +4; Current: +4
Camping World Bowl: No. 20 Syracuse vs. No. 16 West Virginia – Open: -7; Current: -7
Alamo Bowl: No. 24 Iowa State vs. No. 13 Washington State – Open: -3.5; Current: -3.5
Peach Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Michigan – Open: -7.5; Move: -7.5
Belk Bowl, Dec. 29: South Carolina vs. Virginia – Open: +4; Current: +4
Arizona Bowl, Dec. 29: Arkansas State vs. Nevada – Open: Pick; Current: Pick
Cotton Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Clemson – Open: -11.5; Current: -11.5
Orange Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Alabama – Open: -14; Current: -14
Military Bowl, Dec. 31: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati – Open: -6; Current: -6
Sun Bowl, Dec. 31: Pittsburgh vs. Stanford – Open: -6.5; Current: -6.5
Redbox Bowl, Dec. 31: Michigan State vs. Oregon – Open: -2; Current: -2.5
Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31: No. 23 Missouri vs. Oklahoma State – Open: +8; Current: +8
Holiday Bowl, Dec. 31: No. 22 Northwestern vs. No. 17 Utah – Open: -6.5; Current: -6.5
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1: Iowa vs. No. 18 Mississippi State – Open: -6; Current: -6
Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1: No. 14 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Penn State – Open: -6; Current: -6
Patrick Everson
The LSU Tigers go into their Fiesta Bowl matchup with Central Florida as 7.5-point favorites, but the public might lean towards the unbeaten Golden Knights to cover.
While everyone is still buzzing about – and arguing over – the College Football Playoff selections, it’s worth pointing out that there are a bevy of other intriguing bowl matchups. We check in on the opening lines and early action for four of those contests, and gets you the opening and current lines for every other bowl game, with insights from Derek Wilkinson, supervisor at The SuperBook at Westgate in Las Vegas.
Fiesta Bowl
No. 11 Louisiana State Tigers vs. No. 8 Central Florida Knights (+7.5)
Central Florida hasn’t lost since its bowl game two years ago, going 13-0 SU and 8-4-1 ATS last season, and sitting at 12-0 SU and 9-3 ATS this year. The Knights beat Memphis 56-41 as 1-point home favorites in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
That gave UCF a second straight shot at an SEC team in bowl season, as the Knights upset Auburn in last season’s Peach Bowl.
Louisiana State finished the regular season in a monster of a game, albeit a loss. The Tigers (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) went off as 3-point underdogs at Texas A&M and pushed the contest to seven overtimes before falling 74-72.
“We purposely set this line just above a touchdown to give the people something to think about,” Wilkinson said of opening LSU -7.5 for this New Year’s Day game. “This will be the toughest team, by far, that UCF has played all year, but I think the public will like an undefeated team getting more than a touchdown. I’m anticipating that the line will come down to -7 pretty soon.”
Rose Bowl
No. 9 Washington Huskies vs. No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (-5.5)
Ohio State is feeling much like a bridesmaid after winning the Big Ten title, but finishing sixth in the CFP rankings and missing the four-team playoff. The Buckeyes (12-1 SU, 6-7 ATS) dumped Northwestern 45-24 laying 16.5 points in the conference title game in Indianapolis.
Washington upended Washington State on the road in Week 13 to snare a spot in the Pac-12 title game, then took full advantage of it. The Huskies (10-3 SU, 4-9 ATS) slogged past Utah 10-3 giving 4.5 points in Santa Clara, Calif., to earn a spot in this New Year’s Day game.
“This line feels a little too high to me. We haven’t seen much action on it yet, but I think the sharps will like Washington,” Wilkinson said. “The public usually likes Ohio State, especially when the Buckeyes are the higher-ranked team. However, look for this line to drop to 4.5 or even 4 throughout the next couple of weeks.”
Sugar Bowl
No. 15 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (-11)
Georgia is also feeling left out this week, finishing one spot out of the CFP, a year after reaching the national championship game. The Bulldogs (11-2 SU, 8-5 ATS) went into the Southeastern Conference title game as 11-point underdogs to Alabama, led 28-14 in the third quarter, but couldn’t score again and ended up losing 35-28.
Texas won its last three regular-season games to land a spot in the Big 12 final last weekend. The Longhorns (9-4 SU, 5-7-1 ATS) then came up short against Oklahoma, losing 39-27 as 9.5-point neutral-site pups at AT&T Stadium.
“Texas just lost to Oklahoma, and I think Georgia is quite a bit better than the Sooners,” Wilkinson said. “That said, I think Georgia -11 is a little high. I think the wiseguys will like Texas plus the points and that the line will drop some.”
This Big 12-SEC clash wraps up the New Year’s Day bowls, with an 8:45 p.m. ET start.
Gator Bowl
North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. No. 19 Texas A&M Aggies (-4.5)
Texas A&M, which gave CFP selectee Clemson all it could handle back in September, finished the regular season on a three-game win streak. In the finale, the Aggies (8-4 SU and ATS) outlasted LSU in seven overtimes, winning 74-72 as 3-point home favorites.
North Carolina State won its last three games and four of five to cap the regular season. The Wolfpack (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) went out of conference to finish up, whomping East Carolina 58-3 as 24.5-point home faves.
“We took a sharp bet on A&M (Monday) and moved the line to -5,” Wilkinson said of action on this Dec. 31 matchup. “The Aggies are coming off an epic win against LSU, and I think they’re going to carry that momentum into this one. N.C. State has been playing well lately, but the Wolfpack haven’t been facing teams as good as A&M.”
The rest of the 39-game bowl slate:
Cure Bowl, Dec. 15: Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette – Open: +3.5; Current: +3.5
New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 15: North Texas vs. Utah State – Open: -9.5; Current: -10
Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 15: Arizona State vs. No. 21 Fresno State – Open: -4.5; Current: -4.5
New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 15: Middle Tennessee vs. Appalachian State – Open: -7.5; Current: -7
Camellia Bowl, Dec. 15: Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia Southern – Open: +1; Current: +1
Boca Raton Bowl, Dec. 18: Northern Illinois vs. Alabama-Birmingham – Open: -1; Current: -1
Frisco Bowl, Dec. 19: Ohio vs. San Diego State – Open: +3; Current: +3
Gasparilla Bowl, Dec. 20: Marshall vs. South Florida – Open: +2; Current: +1.5
The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, Dec. 21: Florida International vs. Toledo – Open: -6; Current: -6
Potato Bowl, Dec. 21: Brigham Young vs. Western Michigan – Open: +12.5; Current: +12.5
Birmingham Bowl, Dec. 22: Wake Forest vs. Memphis – Open: -3.5; Current: -3.5
Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 22: Houston vs. Army – Open: -3; Current: -3
Dollar General Bowl, Dec. 22: Buffalo vs. Troy – Open: +3; Current: +3
Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 22: Louisiana Tech vs. Hawaii – Open: -2; Current: -2
First Responder Bowl, Dec. 26: Boston College vs. No. 25 Boise State – Open: -3; Current: -3
Quick Lane Bowl, Dec. 26: Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech – Open: -4.5; Current: -4.5
Cheez-It Bowl, Dec. 26: Texas Christian vs. California – Open: Pick; Current: Pick
Independence Bowl, Dec. 27: Duke vs. Temple – Open: -3; Current: -3
Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 27: Miami vs. Wisconsin – Open: +3; Current: +4
Texas Bowl, Dec. 27: Vanderbilt vs. Baylor – Open: +5; Current: +4
Music City Bowl, Dec. 28: Auburn vs. Purdue – Open: +4; Current: +4
Camping World Bowl: No. 20 Syracuse vs. No. 16 West Virginia – Open: -7; Current: -7
Alamo Bowl: No. 24 Iowa State vs. No. 13 Washington State – Open: -3.5; Current: -3.5
Peach Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Michigan – Open: -7.5; Move: -7.5
Belk Bowl, Dec. 29: South Carolina vs. Virginia – Open: +4; Current: +4
Arizona Bowl, Dec. 29: Arkansas State vs. Nevada – Open: Pick; Current: Pick
Cotton Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Clemson – Open: -11.5; Current: -11.5
Orange Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Alabama – Open: -14; Current: -14
Military Bowl, Dec. 31: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati – Open: -6; Current: -6
Sun Bowl, Dec. 31: Pittsburgh vs. Stanford – Open: -6.5; Current: -6.5
Redbox Bowl, Dec. 31: Michigan State vs. Oregon – Open: -2; Current: -2.5
Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31: No. 23 Missouri vs. Oklahoma State – Open: +8; Current: +8
Holiday Bowl, Dec. 31: No. 22 Northwestern vs. No. 17 Utah – Open: -6.5; Current: -6.5
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1: Iowa vs. No. 18 Mississippi State – Open: -6; Current: -6
Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1: No. 14 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Penn State – Open: -6; Current: -6
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