Bowl Game Picks Part X

This is my tenth year of doing bowl game picks! Last year I picked 53% of the winners, and 59.5% against the spread and the total points. Not saying you should listen to me, but I will do a little better than some of the so-called experts out there. It has been difficult over the years because of the number of player opt-outs. This year we have teams deciding to not play in bowl games, some of which I understand (Kansas State and Iowa State), and some that seem like pretty crybaby moves (looking at you Notre Dame). 

I am not including the playoff games in this post, those will have their own, or be with my NFL picks. And I should probably mention that you should always gamble responsibly. All odds from FanDuel. All rankings are from my latest rankings.

Cricket Celebration Bowl–December 13th at 12:00 p.m.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
South Carolina State Bulldogs (9-3) vs. Prairie View A&M Panthers (10-3)
Favorite:
O/U:
My Score Prediction: 
My Take: I know nothing about these schools. But, when I know little, I tend to go with the team with a stronger defense. The Panthers only give up 16.2 points per game, and just 267 yards of total offense. I think Prairie View A&M gets the job in a low-scoring affair. 

Bucked UP LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk–December 13th at 8:00 p.m.
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
Boise State Broncos (9-4) vs. #24 Washington Huskies (8-4)
Favorite: Washington (-8.5)
O/U: 52.5
My Score Prediction: 37-17 Washington
My Take: The Huskies are an underrated team, and I have a feeling they will put it on Boise State. Regional rivalry, they will want to make a statement. The Washington defense was solid this year, and Boise State struggled against some of the better defenses.

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl–December 16th at 9:00 p.m.
Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama
Troy Trojans (8-5) vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks (8-5)
Favorite: Troy (-3.5)
O/U: 50.5
My Score Prediction: 17-13 Troy
My Take: Sun Belt vs. C-USA. I generally think the Sun Belt is the better conference, and for some reason Troy seems to be able to give teams problems. I think the Trojans will win a low-scoring game. 

StaffDNA Cure Bowl–December 17th at 5:00 p.m.
Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida 
Old Dominion Monarchs (9-3) vs. #34 South Florida Bulls (9-3)
Favorite: South Florida (-6.5)
O/U: 56.5
My Score Prediction: 38-28 South Florida
My Take: This game will totally depend on who is playing. Alex Golesh is off to Auburn, and it looks like his OC is coming with him. Who knows what that does for the Bulls. Fortunately, I think this game is early enough that players will probably play in it, then decide if they are transferring with their coach, but this is definitely something to pay attention to. If it were a normal match-up, I would say the Bulls win easily. Old Dominion will give them a fight, but I just think South Florida has too much firepower. If ODU could pull off the upset, it would be the first bowl win for Ricky Rahne, who is the longest tenured head coach in the Sun Belt. 

68 Ventures Bowl–December 17th at 8:30 p.m.
Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (6-6) vs. Delaware Blue Hens (6-6)
Favorite: Louisiana (-2.5)
O/U: 57.5
My Score Prediction: 41-36 Delaware
My Take: I am going to take the Blue Hens for the upset. First year in FBS and they get a bowl win. That would be a cool story. Neither team has a good defense, so I think this could be a back-and-forth battle. 

XBOX Bowl–December 18th at 9:00 p.m.
Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas
Missouri State Bears (7-5) vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves (6-6)
Favorite: Arkansas State (-2.5)
O/U: 56.5
My Score Prediction: 24-21 Arkansas State
My Take: Missouri State will not be getting their first bowl win in their first year of FBS. I think both of these teams are evenly matched (lackluster offenses, average defenses). I will give Butch Jones and his experience the nod over the very young Ryan Beard (who could be hired away in the next few days). 

Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by Engine–December 19th at 11:00 a.m.
Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina
#40 Kennesaw State Owls (10-3) vs. Western Michigan Broncos (9-4)
Favorite: Western Michigan (-4.5)
O/U: 49.5
My Score Prediction: 23-20 Western Michigan
My Take: I would love to see the Owls win this game and continue their exciting season. Unfortunately, I think the Broncos will be just slightly better. Kennesaw State keeps it close and covers the spread. Also, I really want to go to the Myrtle Beach Bowl someday. 

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl–December 19th at 2:30 p.m.
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
Memphis Tigers (8-4) vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack (7-5)
Favorite: NC State (-5.5)
O/U: 58.5
My Score Prediction: 28-21 NC State
My Take: Memphis had a rough end to the season, and then they lost their coach. NC State has been up and down all season, but they finished with some wins.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl–December 22nd at 2:00 p.m.
Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho
Washington State Cougars (6-6) vs. Utah State Aggies (6-6)
Favorite: Utah State (-3.5)
O/U: 53.5
My Score Prediction: 28-26 Utah State
My Take: This should be a close game. The Aggies have played well, particularly at the end of the year. They lost to UNLV and Boise State, but only by a total of four points over two games. The Cougs have been all over the place. They lost to Ole Miss by a field goal, but got absolutely destroyed by North Texas. 

Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans–December 23rd at 2:00 p.m.
Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida
Toledo Rockets (8-4) vs. #36 Louisville Cardinals (8-4)
Favorite: Louisville (-7.5)
O/U: 44.5
My Score Prediction: 38-7 Louisville
My Take: The Cardinals will roll right over the Rockets. They have a common opponent: Kentucky. Louisville beat them 41-0, whereas Toledo lost to the Wildcats 24-16. 

New Orleans Bowl–December 23rd at 5:30 p.m.
Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-4) vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (7-5)
Favorite: Western Kentucky (-4.5)
O/U: 55.5
My Score Prediction: 31-28 WKU
My Take: I think this has the potential to be a great game. But I worry about Coach Huff leaving, and what effect that will have on the team. If the Golden Eagles come out to play, it will be close, but I think the Hilltoppers manage to squeak it out. Fun fact, they both played Louisiana Tech (WKU won 28-27, while lost 30-20). 

Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl–December 23rd at 9:00 p.m.
Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas
UNLV Rebels (10-3) vs. Ohio Bobcats (8-4)
Favorite: UNLV (-4.5)
O/U: 62.5
My Score Prediction: 45-35 UNLV
My Take: This will be a shootout. Both teams beat Miami OH this year, and both teams can score a bunch of points. I always pull for the MAC, but I think in this case Dan Mullen and the Rebels come out on top. 

Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl–December 24th at 8:00 p.m.
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawai’i
California Golden Bears (7-5) vs. Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (8-4)
Favorite: Cal (-2.5)
O/U: 55.5
My Score Prediction: 31-27 Hawaii
My Take: It is interesting to me that the Rainbow Warriors destroyed San Diego State, who shutout the Bears. College football is bonkers. I think this game comes down to Micah Alejado, the Hawaii freshman QB. He was hurt earlier in the year, but I think he should be 100% by Christmas. I watched him a few times and I like this kid. But do not sleep on Cal and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. This should be a fun battle between very young quarterbacks. 

GameAbove Sports Bowl–December 26th at 1:00 p.m.
Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
Central Michigan Chippewas (7-5) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (6-6)
Favorite: Northwestern (-10.5)
O/U: 43.5
My Score Prediction: 21-13 Northwestern
My Take: Fun fact: the Wildcats score 22.5 points per game, and the Chippewas give up 22.7 ppg. I think this will be a low-scoring, boring slog. True Northwestern football. 

Rate Bowl–December 26th at 4:30 p.m.
Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona
New Mexico Lobos (9-3) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-5)
Favorite: Minnesota (-2.5)
O/U: 47.5
My Score Prediction: 24-21 New Mexico
My Take: Minnesota has been so unreliable this year. They are 4-7-1 against the spread. New Mexico plays every tough, and honestly, they have a very solid chance of pulling off the upset. 

Servpro First Responder Bowl–December 26th at 8:00 p.m.
Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas
Florida International Panthers (7-5) vs. UTSA Roadrunners (6-6)
Favorite: UTSA (-8.5)
O/U: 59.5
My Score Prediction: 35-25 UTSA
My Take: Remember when UTSA beat Tulane? That was cool. Remember when UTSA lost to Temple? It has been like that all season for the Roadrunners. FIU…well they did win four straight to end the year. Including one against Jacksonville State. I still like the Roadrunners in this one. 

Go Bowling Military Bowl–December 27th at 11:00 a.m.
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland
#29 Pittsburgh Panthers (8-4) vs. East Carolina Pirates (8-4)
Favorite: Pitt (-5.5)
O/U: 59.5
My Score Prediction: 41-28 Pitt
My Take: Some of you will find this hard believe, but I think this Pitt team is good, and probably deserves a better bowl match-up. That being said, they definitely cannot overlook the Pirates. Narduzzi does not have the best track record in bowl games, so this would be a chance to prove some folks wrong. 

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl–December 27th at 12:00 p.m.
Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
Penn State Nittany Lions (6-6) vs. Clemson Tigers (7-5)
Favorite: Clemson (-3.5)
O/U: 48.5
My Score Prediction: 21-20 PSU
My Take: The opt-outs have already begun with Penn State losing two key members of the defense. But, I think in the battle of teams who underachieved this year, that Terry Smith and the players he has out there will want to impress new head coach, Matt Campbell. Anyways, I would continue to monitor the opt-outs in this one, I would imagine we start hearing some Clemson players.

Wasabi Fenway Bowl–December 27th at 2:15 p.m.
Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
#37 UConn Huskies (9-3) vs. Army Black Knights (6-5)
Favorite: Army (-4.5)
O/U: 50.5
My Score Prediction: 27-21 Army
My Take: The Huskies defense is a little weak against the run, which against Army is a bad sign. This is the kind of game that I wish would happen before coaching changes because I think Jim Mora gets this team ready to go, and they beat the Black Knights. But now? Army has the clear advantage.

Pop-Tarts Bowl–December 27th at 3:30 p.m.
Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida
#22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-3) vs. #14 BYU Cougars (11-2)
Favorite: BYU (-4.5)
O/U: 55.5
My Score Prediction: 38-35 GT
My Take: BYU wants to prove that they deserved to be in the playoffs, but Georgia Tech is going to dash those dreams. I think Haynes King will have a big game, and he is the type of gutsy player who can put a team on his shoulders and carry them to victory.

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented by Dre and Snoop–December 27th at 4:30 p.m.
Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona
Miami (OH) RedHawks (7-6) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (8-4)
Favorite: Fresno State (-3.5)
O/U: 42.5
My Score Prediction: 27-24 RedHawks
My Take: Was Fresno State good this year? They had a nice win against Boise State, but also some bad losses. They lost to Northern Illinois, who Miami OH beat. So, I think the RedHawks pull off the upset. 

Isleta New Mexico Bowl–December 27th at 5:45 p.m.
Branch Field at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico
#26 North Texas Mean Green (11-2) vs. San Diego State Aztecs (9-3)
Favorite: North Texas (-3.5)
O/U: 55.5
My Score Prediction: 45-28 North Texas
My Take: Drew Mestermaker has a monster game, and a week later he transfers to Oklahoma State to be with Coach Eric Morris. San Diego State has a good defense, but they fell apart a few times this season against dynamic quarterbacks. 

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl–December 27th at 7:30 p.m.
EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida
#19 Virginia Cavaliers (10-3) vs. #28 Missouri Tigers (8-4)
Favorite: Missouri (-6.5)
O/U: 48.5
My Score Prediction: 20-17 Mizzou
My Take: The score will look close, but the Tigers will be in control. It will probably be boring. 

Kinder’s Texas Bowl–December 27th at 9:15 p.m.
NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas
LSU Tigers (7-5) vs. #38 Houston Cougars (9-3)
Favorite: Houston (-3.5)
O/U: 41.5
My Score Prediction: 13-9 Houston
My Take: LSU was bowl eligible? Weird, it felt like they lost at least ten games. Houston is an okay team, and I think they can pull off a win.

JLAB Birmingham Bowl–December 29th at 2:00 p.m.
Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama
Georgia Southern Eagles (6-6) vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers (5-7)
Favorite: Georgia Southern (-3.5)
O/U: 59.5
My Score Prediction: 27-24 App State
My Take: Yep, these teams played already this year. Georgia Southern won the first time, but I think App State gets revenge. They are going to take advantage of being invited to a bowl game after a lackluster season. 

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl–December 30th at 2:00 p.m.
Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-6) vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-5)
Favorite: LA Tech (-7.5)
O/U: 50.5
My Score Prediction: 30-20 LA Tech
My Take: The Bulldogs should have no trouble with this Chanticleer team. Louisiana Tech will run over the Coastal defense. 

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl–December 30th at 5:30 p.m.
Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee
#23 Tennessee Volunteers (8-4) vs. #35 Illinois Fighting Illini (8-4)
Favorite: Tennessee (-5.5)
O/U: 60.5
My Score Prediction: 24-14 Volunteers
My Take: I feel like these are the same team. Last year Illinois took down South Carolina in a bowl game. This year though, Tennessee and the SEC get revenge. 

Valero Alamo Bowl–December 30th at 9:00 p.m.
Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
#17 University of Southern California Trojans (9-3) vs. #39 Texas Christian University Horned Frogs (8-4)
Favorite: USC (-5.5)
O/U: 59.5
My Score Prediction: 31-28 USC
My Take: The Trojans have the better resume, but TCU has the wild card of Josh Hoover. When Hoover plays well, the Horned Frogs look like a great team. But damn, when he falls apart…it is epic. 

ReliaQuest Bowl–December 31st at 12:00 p.m.
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
#31 Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) vs. #13 Vanderbilt Commodores (10-2)
Favorite: Vanderbilt (-5.5)
O/U: 46.5
My Score Prediction: 28-14 Vandy
My Take: The Hawkeye defense will give Vandy fits for awhile, but I think Diego Pavia is another one of those guys who just wills his team to win. The Commodores will eventually start adding points to the board, while the Iowa offense flounders when it counts. 

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl–December 31st at 2:00 p.m.
Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas
#32 Arizona State Sun Devils (8-4) vs. #25 Duke Blue Devils (8-5)
Favorite: Duke (-2.5)
O/U: 49.5
My Score Prediction: 21-10 Duke
My Take: I feel bad for Kenny Dillingham. When Sam Leavitt does not play, the Sun Devils struggle. Well…Sam is transferring, and I think their best receiver has declared for the NFL. Manny Diaz will have his boys ready to prove to everyone that they were worthy of a playoff spot since they won the ACC (they lost five games, sorry Blue Devils, that does not qualify you for the playoffs). Also, did the Sun Bowl pick these teams because they are both devils? I hope so.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl–December 31st at 3:00 p.m.
Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida
#16 Michigan Wolverines (9-3) vs. #12 Texas Longhorns (9-3)
Favorite: Texas (-6.5)
O/U: 46.5
My Score Prediction: 24-13 Texas
My Take: I would have probably picked Michigan before today. I felt like the Wolverines were an underappreciated team. But, after the Sherrone Moore firing, and the news about his arrest. I think the team will be slightly distracted, especially while a coaching search is happening. The Longhorns are still angry about being excluded from the playoffs, so they will probably want to prove something to the world. 

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl–December 31st at 3:30 p.m.
Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada
Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-5) vs. #15 Utah Utes (10-2)
Favorite: Utah (-15.5)
O/U: 50.5
My Score Prediction: 37-14 Utah
My Take: Utah was probably the least talked about team this year. They got beat up by Texas Tech, and lost a close one to BYU. The rest of their games were them mostly putting up a ton of points. Nebraska…well, yeah. They were supposed to be good, but they just fell apart when Raiola got hurt. I look for the Utes to blow the Cornhuskers out. 

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl–January 2nd at 1:00 p.m.
Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas
Rice Owls (5-7) vs. Texas State Bobcats (6-6)
Favorite: Texas State (-10.5)
O/U: 59.5
My Score Prediction: 34-16 Texas State
My Take: The Bobcats are just the superior team. Rice has a bad offense, and a weak defense. 

Autozone Liberty Bowl–January 2nd at 4:30 p.m.
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee
#27 Navy Midshipmen (9-2) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (7-5)
Favorite: Navy (-3.5)
O/U: 55.5
My Score Prediction: 30-27 Navy
My Take: The Bearcats have lost four straight games. Navy will not have to worry about anyone transferring, and I think their offense will be just too much for Cincinnati. 

Trust & Will Holiday Bowl–January 2nd at 8:00 p.m.
Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California
#18 Arizona Wildcats (9-3) vs. #33 Southern Methodist University Mustangs (8-4)
Favorite: Arizona (-2.5)
O/U: 51.5
My Score Prediction: 28-24 Arizona
My Take: The Wildcats and Mustangs have similar offenses, from a points/yards perspective. They have good quarterbacks who could make this game a fun one. I think Arizona has a slightly better defense, especially playing in the Big XII, which I believe has stronger offenses.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl–January 2nd at 8:00 p.m.
Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-4) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-7)
Favorite: Mississippi State (-2.5)
O/U: 56.5
My Score Prediction: 31-27 Wake Forest
My Take: The Bulldogs are the favorite? That is some SEC bias right there. I think Wake Forest is a good team, and they can beat Mississippi State. Maybe this is the game where Robby Ashford makes a name for himself.