Introduction to Bowls
The first bowls get started this weekend with two matchups on Friday and six games on Saturday. Most of the first bowls are played by teams in the Other Five Conferences, as opposed to the Power Five Conferences. The ten conferences are mainly split because of money brought in from big television contracts. The Power Five schools are the ones that tend to get bigger recruits because they have more money for scholarships. It has been becoming more and more like David and Goliath.
In the first bowls, there is only one of the twenty teams from a Power Five Conference (Oregon State). Most of these games have the better teams from the Other Five Conferences playing each other.
At the beginning of bowl season, research the best betting sites for football betting.
Odds for All of the Upcoming Bowl Games
Preview of the Eight Bowls
Friday, Dec. 17th
Bahamas Bowl (Nassau, Bahamas)
6-6 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs. 7-5 Toledo Rockets
The first bowl of the year has two Middle American teams travel to the Bahamas to play each other. Perhaps the best location for any bowl, yet with the two teams that are the most eh. Middle Tennessee State barely qualifies, and the Rockets are fourth in the MAC. Take Toledo at -10.5 and -350.
Tailgreeter Cure Bowl (Orlando, Florida)
9-4 Northern Illinois Huskies vs. 10-2 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Coastal Carolina is dominant, it would have been better if they could have taken on a lesser Power Five school. Both games the Chanticleers lost were by under three points and to teams with positive winning percentages. Coastal Carolina has the better defense and better offense, and they should take their -10.5 and -400 money line with ease.
#12 BYU takes on UAB in Shreveport Louisiana for the Independence Day
Saturday, Dec. 18th
Roofclaim.com Bowl (Boca Raton, Florida)
8-5 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. 10-3 Appalachian State Mountaineers
The Mountaineers have only lost three games this year, one to Miami (who was ranked at the time), and two to Louisiana who are 12-1 themselves. Western Kentucky is a throw heavy team, but Appalachian State has a great defense. The Mountaineers have a surprisingly low, yet easy to bet on, -3 spread and -145 money line.
PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
7-5 UTEP (Texas-El Paso) Miners vs. 9-3 Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State is a much better squad and deserve their -11.5/-450 line. Quarterback Haener has thrown for an impressive 32 touchdowns and will lead the Bulldogs over the Miners.
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl (Shreveport, Louisiana)
8-4 UAB (Alabama-Birmingham) Blazers vs. 10-2 BYU (Brigham Young) Cougars
BYU ended their year ranked at #12, yet they landed in one of the first bowls. UAB was a solid team, but this isn’t quite a fair matchup. The Cougars have a baffling -7/-275 line, even though they only lost to Baylor and Boise State, while UAB has four losses and eight wins against bad to okay teams.
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Lending Tree Bowl (Mobile, Alabama)
7-5 Eastern Michigan Eagles vs. 7-5 Liberty Flames
Liberty should win this matchup (-350), but expect Eastern Michigan to keep it close (+9.5). This is the game with the least interesting matchup, so set your bets and watch something else.
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel (Inglewood, California)
10-3 Utah State Aggies vs. 7-5 Oregon State Beavers
Utah State gets the first chance to take down Goliath. Oregon State is alright, but Utah State has the better record, better team, and is coming off a huge win against Mountain West Conference finalist San Diego State 46-13. Utah State is the +7.5/+240 underdog that’ll topple the first Power Five team.
R+L Carriers Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana)
12-1 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs. 7-5 Marshall Thundering Herd
The Ragin’ Cajuns got completely snubbed in the bowl process. They only lost one game it was to the ranked Longhorns in week one. They won every game since then, and against good opponents, yet they are playing a Marshall team that ranks fifth in their own small conference. This is just messed up, so take the Ragin’ Cajuns at -5.5/-250.
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