College Football Bowl Predictions 2019-2020: Las Vegas Betting Odds, Picks Against The Spread
With the 2019-2020 college football bowl season almost upon us, 17 teams are favored by at least a touchdown. That includes a betting line in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. Only one of the New Year's Day bowl games has a line of fewer than seven points.
Below are the complete betting odds for every bowl game, as well as predictions against the spread. All point spreads, over/unders and trends are courtesy of OddsShark.
Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl: Buffalo (-6.5) vs. Charlotte, 58
Charlotte has never played in a bowl game. Buffalo made a bowl game last season, and they are ready to win their first one with the nation’s seventh-ranked defense.
Prediction ATS: Buffalo
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl: Utah State (-7) vs. Kent State, 65
Kent State enters this matchup on a three-game winning streak that includes two victories over bowl teams. They’ve scored at least 33 points in four straight games. Utah State is 76th in scoring defense.
Prediction ATS: Kent State
New Mexico Bowl: Central Michigan (+3.5) vs. San Diego State, 41
San Diego State is fourth in scoring defense, having allowed 17 points or fewer in five straight games. That includes matchups with a pair of opponents that rank in the top 30 in yards per play.
Prediction ATS: San Diego State
FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl: Liberty (+5) vs. Georgia Southern, 60.5
Liberty is playing its first season in the FBS. They are only a few weeks removed from losing by double digits to a two-win Rutgers team. Georgia Southern won the Camellia Bowl last year, and they are 4-2 against the spread in their last six games.
Prediction ATS: Georgia Southern
Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl: SMU (-3) vs Florida Atlantic, 70.5
Florida Atlantic just lost head coach Lane Kiffin, who has been hired by Ole Miss. SMU’s advantage on offense could be the difference. The Mustangs are tied for sixth with 43.0 points per game.
Prediction ATS: SMU
Camellia Bowl: Florida International (+2.5) vs. Arkansas State, 63
Florida International’s Anthony Jones and Napoleon Maxwell have run for 1,411 combined yards on over 5.0 yards per carry. Arkansas State ranks 111th in the FBS in opponents’ yards per rush.
Prediction ATS: Florida International
Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State (+3.5) vs. Washington, 50
Boise State’s only loss is a three-point defeat at BYU on Oct. 19. Washington has a pair of losses to teams that didn’t make a bowl game.
Prediction ATS: Boise State
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Appalachian State (-16.5) vs. UAB, 48
UAB ranks seventh in opponents’ yards per play. Appalachian State will almost certainly win, but they could have trouble scoring enough points to cover such a large spread.
Prediction ATS: UAB
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl: UCF (-17.5) vs. Marshall, 61.5
In their last seven games, UCF has only two wins by more than two touchdowns. Marshall has a victory over Florida Atlantic, who received more votes than UCF in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.
Prediction ATS: Marshall
SoFi Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii (+2) vs. BYU, 64
Hawaii ranks 110th in opponents’ yards per play. They are 12th in yards per play with four players that have either 80-plus catches or 975-plus receiving yards. BYU is 61st in passing efficiency defense.
Prediction ATS: Hawaii
Walk-On's Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech (+6) vs. Miami, 50
Louisiana Tech took advantage of an easy schedule to win nine games. Their three losses all came against bowl teams by an average of 19.3 points per game.
Prediction ATS: Miami
Quick Lane Bowl: Pittsburgh (-11.5) vs. Eastern Michigan, 49
Pittsburgh is fifth in the nation, surrendering 4.3 yards per play. Eastern Michigan was held to 14 points the last time they faced a team that ranked in the top 15 in opponents’ yards per play.
Prediction ATS: Pittsburgh
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman: North Carolina (-4.5) vs. Temple, 53
Temple is 19th in opponents’ yards per play. North Carolina is 1-6 in their last seven games when scoring 31 points or fewer.
Prediction ATS: Temple
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Michigan State (-4.5) vs. Wake Forest, 49
Akron is the only FBS team with a worse record against the spread than Michigan State. The Spartans have covered the betting line just three times in 12 tries.
Prediction ATS: Wake Forest
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State (+7) vs. Texas A&M, 54
Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard leads college football with 1,936 yards on the ground. Texas A&M is near the middle of the pack in opponent’s yards per rush. Oklahoma State is 4-1 against the spread in their last five games.
Prediction ATS: Oklahoma State
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl: USC (+2) vs. Iowa, 52
USC has lost nine of their last 10 games as an underdog. Iowa has won five of their last six games and covered the spread in 13 of their last 20 games as a favorite.
Prediction ATS: Iowa
Cheez-It Bowl: Air Force (-3) vs. Washington State, 67.5
This might be a shootout that ends up being one of the most entertaining bowl games this season. Anthony Gordon is the only quarterback with more than 5,000 passing yards, though his penchant for throwing interceptions could hurt Washington State in the end. Washington State ranks last among bowl teams in yards per play allowed.
Prediction ATS: Air Force
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Memphis (+6.5) vs. Penn State, 60.5
After leading Memphis with 1,425 rushing yards on 6.4 yards per carry, Kenneth Gainwell could struggle against Penn State. The Nittany Lions are giving up just 2.6 yards per rushing attempt.
Prediction ATS: Penn State
Camping World Bowl: Notre Dame (-3.5) vs. Iowa State, 54.5
The Fighting Irish are eighth in opponents’ yards per play, and they’ve given up more than 27 points just once. Iowa State is 1-4 when scoring 27 points or fewer.
Prediction ATS: Notre Dame
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal): Oklahoma (+13) vs. LSU, 75.5
Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow should go back and forth in a high-scoring game. Ultimately, Oklahoma’s defense will fail them the way it has in each of the team’s three playoff appearances in the last four years.
Prediction ATS: Oklahoma
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal): Clemson (-2) vs. Ohio State, 63.5
The defending national champions have looked unstoppable since a Sept. 28 scare against North Carolina, winning eight straight games by at least 31 points. Trevor Lawrence was phenomenal as a freshman in last year’s playoffs, averaging 337 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in two games.
Prediction ATS: Clemson
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Western Kentucky (-3.5) vs. Western Michigan, 51.5
Western Kentucky is 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games. Western Michigan will have trouble scoring against a Broncos’ defense that is giving up 20.1 points per game.
Prediction ATS: Western Kentucky
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Mississippi State (-4) vs. Louisville, 63.5
The Bulldogs had a four-game losing streak before finishing the season 3-1 against a weak part of the schedule. Mississippi State is 106th in opponents’ yards per play. Louisville is 26th in yards per play.
Prediction ATS: Louisville
Redbox Bowl: California (-7) vs. Illinois, 43
Illinois exceeded expectations all season long, going 6-1 against the spread as an underdog. California is 0-4 against the spread as a favorite.
Prediction ATS: Illinois
Capital One Orange Bowl: Florida (-14.5) vs. Virginia, 54.5
In nine games as a favorite, Florida has lost against the spread just twice. Gators quarterback Kyle Trask has 1,245 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in his last four games.
Prediction ATS: Florida
Belk Bowl: Virginia Tech (-3) vs. Kentucky, 46
Lynn Bowden has been great for Kentucky since moving from receiver to quarterback, but he could have trouble against a strong rushing defense that has several weeks to prepare. Bowden is averaging 162.3 rushing yards and 41.6 passing yards per game since changing positions.
Prediction ATS: Virginia Tech
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Florida State (+4) vs. Arizona State, 55
Arizona State should take care of business against a mediocre Florida State team. If you ignore a loss in Utah, freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels has completed 68.4% of his passes for 1,476 yards, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions over a five-game span.
Prediction ATS: Arizona State
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Navy (-2.5) vs. Kansas State, 52
Navy enters their matchup against Army with a 6-1 record against the spread as a favorite. Kansas State is 93rd in opponents’ yards per carry, which doesn’t bode well against the No.1 rushing attack in the country.
Prediction ATS: Navy
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Wyoming (-7) vs. Georgia State, 48.5
Georgia State has one of the worst defenses of any bowl team, allowing 6.4 yards per play and 36.1 yards per game. Wyoming scored a season-high 53 points against UNLV, who also gives up 6.4 yards per play.
Prediction ATS: Wyoming
Valero Alamo Bowl: Utah (-7.5) vs. Texas, 55
Expect Utah to come out firing after blowing their chance to reach the playoffs. The Utes are 9-4 against the spread as a favorite. They averaged 38.5 points during their eight-game winning streak before the Pac-12 Title Game.
Prediction ATS: Utah
Outback Bowl: Minnesota (+7.5) vs. Auburn, 53
Minnesota is 6-2 ATS in their last eight games as an underdog. Quarterback Bo Nix could struggle against a unit that’s 24th in pass efficiency defense.
Prediction ATS: Minnesota
VRBO Citrus Bowl: Michigan (+7) vs. Alabama, 59
Alabama has scored at least 35 points in every game, even putting up 45 points in Auburn with Mac Jones under center. The Wolverines don’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Crimson Tide. Jim Harbaugh has lost three straight bowl games.
Prediction ATS: Alabama
Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual: Oregon (+2.5) vs. Wisconsin, 51
Paul Chryst has led Wisconsin to a bowl victory in each of the last four seasons, including three straight wins by at least eight points. Even Ohio State’s elite run defense had trouble containing Jonathan Taylor in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Prediction ATS: Wisconsin
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Georgia (-7.5) vs. Baylor, 41.5
Baylor’s only losses this season are a pair of one-score defeats at the hands of Oklahoma. Jalen Hurts put up good numbers against a terrific Bears’ pass defense, but Jake Fromm will struggle.
Prediction ATS: Baylor
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl: Boston College (+7) vs. Cincinnati, 55.5
Cincinnati’s issues in the passing game have caused them to have trouble with good teams. That shouldn’t be a problem against Boston College, who ranks 113th in opponents’ yards per play and 125th in passing defense.
Prediction ATS: Cincinnati
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Indiana (+1.5) vs. Tennessee, 51.5
Over their last 10 games, Tennessee has only been beaten by top-15 teams. Indiana hasn’t beaten a bowl team this season. The Hoosiers aren’t in the top 50 in yards per play or yards per play allowed.
Prediction ATS: Tennessee
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio (-7.5) vs. Nevada, 58.5
Ohio is 4-8 against the spread. Nevada doesn’t have a good offense, but the Bobcats are only averaging a little over 25 points per game against teams that made a bowl game.
Prediction ATS: Nevada
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Southern Mississippi (+7) vs. Tulane, 56.5
These two teams are pretty evenly matched, ranking near each other in a few major offensive and defensive categories. Golden Eagles quarterback Jack Abraham has thrown nine interceptions in the last six games. Tulane can win by at least a touchdown if they rely on their No.13 rushing attack and take care of the football.
Prediction ATS: Tulane
LendingTree Bowl: Louisiana (-14) vs. Miami (OH), 55.5
Louisiana has been one of the best bets in the sport, going 9-4 against the spread and 7-3 ATS as a favorite. They’ve scored more than 30 points in seven straight games. The RedHawks have scored no more than 27 points in eight straight games.
Prediction ATS: Louisiana
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.