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Bowl season is finally here! Beginning with Friday’s Bahamas Bowl and ending with next month’s National Championship game there will be a total of 44 bowl games over the next 25 days. Six will involve Pac-12 teams, who are underdogs in all but one game. Unfortunately, the Colorado Buffaloes (4-8) won’t be one of them. However, for the purposes of this blog, I’ll guide readers on how to wager on each bowl game involving a Pac-12 squad. Your truly opened the regular season with 1,000 “beans,” and after guiding readers to an 11-3-1 record, that total sits at 1,900 as we enter bowl season. Let’s give this a go!
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel
Saturday, December 18
5:30 p.m. MT, ABC
Los Angeles, CA (SoFi Stadium)
Oregon State (7-5) vs. Utah State (10-3)
ODDS, OVER/UNDER, & MONEYLINE (per VegasInsider.com consensus):
Spread: Oregon State -7
Over/Under: 67 ½
Moneyline: Oregon State -275, Utah State +235
PREDICTION: Utah State is coming off a dominating 46-13 win over San Diego State that saw the school claim their first Mountain West title. Oregon State has lost three of their last five games, including a 35-29 season-ending loss to Oregon in the 125th edition of the Civil War. The Aggies rank 15th in the nation in passing offense, averaging over 305 yards per game through the air. The Beavers led the Pac-12 and rank 12th in the country in rushing offense with 217.4 yards per game on the ground. Mountain West teams were 5-5 against Pac-12 teams during the regular season, which included a Utah State 26-23 win at Washington State to open the season. Just over a month later, the Beavers fell to the Cougars 31-24 in Pullman, Wash. All five of Oregon State’s losses came away from Corvallis, Ore. this season. The Aggies are the play here. Give me 200 beans on Utah State getting seven points.
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Tuesday, December 28
6:00 p.m. MT, FOX
San Diego, CA (Petco Park)
UCLA (8-4) vs. No. 18 North Carolina State (9-3)
ODDS, OVER/UNDER, & MONEYLINE (per VegasInsider.com consensus):
Spread: North Carolina State -1
Over/Under: 60 ½
Moneyline: North Carolina State -120, UCLA +100
PREDICTION: If you like dynamic quarterbacks, this is the bowl game for you. North Carolina State sophomore Devin Leary (279.8 YPG) and UCLA senior Dorian Thompson-Robinson (274.4 YPG) rank 25thand 30th in nation in total offense. These two teams haven’t met since 1960, so you can throw out any recent history. The Wolfpack are seeking their first double-digit win season since 2002, while the Bruins are playing in their first-bowl game of the Chip Kelly regime. While it’d be nice to see Dorian Thompson-Robinson go out on top, I don’t think it’s going to happen, even with the game being played in California. UCLA ranks dead last in the Pac-12 and 111th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (260.2). Advantage Devin Leary. 100 beans on the Wolfpack to cover in what should be a close contest.
Valero Alamo Bowl
Wednesday, December 29
7:15 p.m. MT, ESPN
San Antonio, TX (Alamodome)
No. 14 Oregon (10-3) vs. No. 16 Oklahoma (10-2)
ODDS, OVER/UNDER, & MONEYLINE (per VegasInsider.com consensus):
Spread: Oklahoma -4 ½
Over/Under: 61 ½
Moneyline: Oregon +165, Oklahoma -185
PREDICTION: Both squads are dealing with a coaching transition since Mario Cristobal left for Miami (FL) and Lincoln Riley for USC. On the same day Cristobal left to become the Hurricanes head coach, Oregon star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, considered a potential No. 1 overall pick, announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. He’s also skipping the Ducks bowl game against the Sooners. Oklahoma is 6-1 all-time against Oregon, however the Ducks won the last meeting in 2006. There are just too many uncertainties for this contest. Maybe I’ll change my mind as it gets closer to gameday, but for now I’m going to pass on throwing down any beans here.
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Thursday, December 30
8:30 p.m. MT, ESPN
Las Vegas, NV (Allegiant Stadium)
Arizona State (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (8-4)
ODDS, OVER/UNDER, & MONEYLINE (per VegasInsider.com consensus):
Spread: Wisconsin -7
Over/Under: 42 ½
Moneyline: Arizona State +245, Wisconsin -290
PREDICTION: Arizona State running back Rachaad White led the Pac-12 with 138.5 all-purpose yards per game but he’s decided to opt-out of the Las Vegas Bowl to focus on NFL Draft preparation. Good thing because he’d be facing a Wisconsin defense that allowed a mere 240.8 yards (65.2 rush, 175.6 pass) per game during the regular season, tops in the nation. Couple that with the fact that Wisconsin played five ranked teams, while Arizona State defeated only one team that finished with a winning record and its advantage Badgers. I’m laying 200 beans on the Badgers to cover here.
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Friday, December 31
10:30 a.m. MT, CBS
El Paso, TX (Sun Bowl)
Washington State (7-5) vs. Miami, FL (7-5)
ODDS, OVER/UNDER, & MONEYLINE (per VegasInsider.com consensus):
Spread: Miami -2 ½
Over/Under: 59 ½
Moneyline: Washington State +120, Miami, FL -140
PREDICTION: Like ASU’s White, Washington State’s leading rusher Max Borghi has opted out of this contest to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft. Good thing the Cougars have quarterback Jayden De laura who led the Pac-12 with 2,751 passing yards this season. Miami fired Manny Diaz in favor of former Oregon front man Mario Cristobal, but he won’t coach in this game. That honor belongs to Hurricanes defensive line coach Jess Simpson. Whoever is coaching the Canes, it shouldn’t make much of a difference in this game. What will? Washington State is a plus-10 in turnover margin while Miami is a minus-six, which ranks 103rd in the nation. As indicated by the line, this game should be close but I’m breaking out 100 beans on the Cougars to cover.
Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One Venture X
Saturday, January 1
6:00 p.m. MT, ESPN
Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl)
No. 11 Utah (10-3) vs. No. 6 Ohio State (10-2)
ODDS, OVER/UNDER, & MONEYLINE (per VegasInsider.com consensus):
Spread: Ohio State -6 ½
Over/Under: 66
Moneyline: Utah +200, Ohio State -240
PREDICTION: The ‘Granddaddy of them all’ might be the most intriguing of all six bowl games involving Pac-12 squads. Utah enters having won nine of their last 10 games, (including two dominating wins over Oregon, a team that beat Ohio State back in September) while Ohio State is coming off a devastating 42-27 loss to rival Michigan. The Wolverines won that game by consistently pressuring Buckeyes signal caller C.J. Stroud, who was sacked four times, twice more than any other game this season. The Utes led the Pac-12 with 42 sacks and 96 tackles for loss. If they can pressure Stroud in Pasadena, they’ll have a good chance at covering. Keep a close eye on this line as it gets closer to New Year’s Day. Give me 100 beans on Utah and the six and a half points for now, but should the line drop, I may reverse course.