Bowl Games thread.....

As they say on the ESPN commercials, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Lets hope the most profitable too.

Im going to try and keep one thread for the whole bowl season.

Im also going to rate my games from 1 star to 4 stars, here is the breakdown:

* = lean but probably no bet for me

** = one unit wager for me

*** = one and a half unit wager for me

**** = the rare (but at least 3 for this bowl season, prob more) double wager for me

So here are the games through Fri Dec 22.  I will add the rest day by day.

TCU -12 (*) vs N Illinois.  This is a tough opener that will be played in San Diego.  N Illinois plays in the crappy MAC and had out of conference games against Iowa, Oh St, Temple, and Indiana State.  They won the games they should have and lost the ones they should have.   They rely heavily upon getting their ground game going averaging about 180 on the ground.  Their air attack depends upon their ground attack working, as shown in the games where they couldn’t get the ground game going the air attack was weak too.

TCU is hot right now winning 7 in a row coming in to this bowl game and none of them were really all that close.  TCU historically has lived off its defense but this team is stacked on offense averaging over 400 yards per game, their rushing offense is 9^th in the nation.  Remember where I said N ILL would have to get their ground game going?  Problem is that TCU gives up only 67 yards on the ground per game which is 4^th in the country and 1^st in the MWC.  This team has held some very good offensive teams down (like T Tech to 3 points) and I think they can do it here to N Ill.

I hate laying DD in bowl games.  The past 10 years of DD dogs in bowl games cover at a ridiculous rate.  I don’t think TCU will sleepwalk through this one though.  They are coming in on a roll and should be happy to be there, and I hope will show up and cover the big number.

BYU -3.5 (***) (waiting as line keeps drifting down, trying to get -3)  vs Oregon.  This game is in Las Vegas.  Im confident that BYU will put up a big number against a sub par Oregon defense.  Oregons defense doesn’t give up a ton of yards, but because of turnovers and poor punting and kickoffs they are one of the worst points given / yards given teams in the country.  These are the teams you want to bet against, the teams that constantly give you a short field to work with and will make mistakes. 

Oregon limps in to this game since they made Brady Leaf the starter at qb.  He has done a reasonably good job but is still only 2-3 in his starts.  The Oregon offense is a lot like their defense in that they don’t turn yards in to points.  BYU has a bend but don’t break defense that should give up the yards but not the points.

This is my first big play of the bowl season as I see BYU being able to move the ball at will and holding Oregon to a reasonable number.  Total players might like the over here.  I see something like a 45-24 game.

Troy vs Rice.  Nothing here.  Nada.  Drink a bottle of wine and go to sleep early.  Troy cruised through their conference schedule but lost to G Tech, FSU, Neb, and  UAB all on the road.  Now they should probably lose to those teams, but their loss to UAB concerns me.  Rice has won the games it should have and lost the rest.  Rice wins games by ridiculously close margins winning their final 6 games by 4, 1, 3, 6, 11, and 1.  And that is against CUSA crap competition.  Rice’s defense is very bad and gives up a ton of points.

I cant get excited about anything in this one.  Rip it out of the schedule.

S Florida -4 (**) vs E Carolina.  This one is in Birmingham Alabama.  I shade this one to SFL because of stronger numbers across the board for them, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  SFL is 24^th in the country in total defense and 2 in the big east – and I think that is a big deal.  If you can play W Va, Louisville, and Rutgers and still have those numbers I am impressed.

In bowl games I also lay a big emphasis on conference strength and out of conference schedule.  The Big East and CUSA just don’t compare week in and week out.  ECU did not put up big offensive numbers against subpar defenses and I just don’t think they will get to the 20’s in this one.

USF qb grothe is a freshman and a good one, and has progressively gotten better over the season.  He is a dual threat and while USF isn’t going to put up a huge number here I think they will get in to the 20’s.

I see a 24-13 game for USF.

SJ State +5.5 (**) (I realize this game is down to +3.5 at which it would be * for me) vs New Mexico.  This one is in Albuqerque NM which is close to a home game for NM.

This one is just an overlay pure and simple because of the perceived home field.  I got this one about a week ago at +5.5, and many have seen the value. 

NM is not good on offense, they are not good on defense.  At least SJ can move the ball on offense.

This is a value play pure and simple.  I had this one close to a PKEM so I will take the 5.5 with a smile.