Bowl season is upon us – a beautiful 3+ week timeframe filled with 3 meaningful games and 40 whatever games. But because this is America, football is football. We will watch any football given to us. As I plan to build up my gambling content for the new year, there is no better way to start than (responsibly) making picks for every single bowl game to come?
You can buy picks for “experts,” sure. But we all have our only feelings on games and things and stuff. Someone could flip my pick by telling me a particular uniform is being worn. That’s just how it is. I am not a professional, but I’m not horrible at what I’m doing. If I was, my fiancée wouldn’t marry me.
So here we go! Every bowl game in chronological order including the full, ridiculous names of said bowl game starting with…
Friday 12/16: Hometown Lenders Bahamas Bowl
- 10:30 am CST, Nassau, Bahamas
- Miami (OH) vs UAB (-11.5) – Total 45
- PICK: OVER 45. There is no other way to start bowl season than betting the over in the game. All signs lead to the under if you look at the statistics (UAB totals are 6-6 while Miami unders hit 9 out of 12 games). However, it’s bowl season baby. It’s the Bahamas. The ball will be aired out.
Friday 12/16: Duluth Trading Cure Bowl
- 2:00pm CST, Orlando, Florida
- UTSA vs Troy (-1.5) – Total 56.5
- PICK: OVER 56.5. Both of these teams are good 11-2 overall on the season. And with that, both teams are scoring POINTS. I think this is going to be a close high scoring game that might see overtime. I promise my pick is not going to be the over every game, but I mean I can’t resist here.
Saturday 12/17: Wasabi Fenway Bowl
- 10:00am CST, Boston, Massachusetts
- Louisville (-1) vs Cincinnati – Total 40
- PICK: Louisville -1. First off, let’s acknowledge that football games in baseball stadiums are awesome. Especially when it’s an old one like Fenway. Love this venue. Now… Talk about an awkward situation. Scott Satterfield, former head coach of Louisville, is now the head coach of Cincinnati after their former head coach, Luke Fickell, left to take the Wisconsin job. Satterfield has already ruled himself out of the bowl game out of respect for the two programs. I think Louisville is not good, but I think the boys are going to want to show their former coach a little something. Also, maybe build some momentum for their new head coach Jeff Brohm from Purdue.
Saturday 12/17: SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
- 1:30pm CST, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Florida vs Oregon State (-10) – Total 53
- PICK: Oregon State -10. Florida is an absolute mess right now. They have had quarterback troubles all season long, and now it’s even worse since one of them got arrested. Meanwhile, Oregon State has won 4 of their last 5, including taking down Oregon in the season finale. Tough to lay double digits in bowl games, but this one seems like the one to do it.
Saturday 12/17: Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel
- 2:30pm CST, Inglewood, California
- Washington State vs Fresno State (-4) – Total 53
- PICK: Over 53. Uhm – why does Jimmy Kimmel get a bowl game now? Are we this pressed for sponsorship that now we have to turn to late night talk show hosts? Whatever. Anyways, give me the points. Fresno State’s offense is electric and I think Washington State will keep up with them. 27 points each seems obtainable, and the LA turf just looks super fast.
Saturday 12/17: LendingTree Bowl
- 4:45pm CST, Mobile, Alabama
- Rice vs Southern Miss (-6.5) – Total 45.5
- PICK: Under 45.5. I’m going to be honest here, no clue. Southern Miss is probably the smart pick here, but both of these teams are not great. I’ll live life on the edge and do my least favorite thing in the world – take the under.
Saturday 12/17: New Mexico Bowl
- 6:30pm CST, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- SMU (-4) vs BYU – Total 64
- PICK: Under 64. We’ve got a pair of 7-5 teams that are pretty mid and average. Both sides are going to have offensive skill positions out and not playing. Watch this be the craziest bowl game of the year that finishes with 175 points so I’ll take the under again. Yikes.
Saturday 12/17: Frisco Bowl
- 8:15pm CST, Frisco, Texas
- Boise State (-10.5) vs North Texas – Total 59.5
- PICK: Boise State -10.5. This is very close to a home game for North Texas, which could very well help them. What isn’t going to help is almost their entire offense is not going to be playing. Boise State is the better team on paper. I think this is another take the chalk pick even though it’s double digits.
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