**Official College Bowl Games Betting Thread**

[ROCKET 0]

Taking the fav. again and going with BYU. I hate taking a lot of favs but I think the first 3 games (taking Rice next) have teams that are too hot to bet against. After that it'll be back to the dogs. As far as the total I'd take the under but am staying away from it. G-rule I didn't mean to dis you the other night (I've made many a crazy bet and don't claim to know more than the next guy) but that first half by NIU was some of the worst football I've seen in a while. You got bigger balls than me for taking on that contrarian bet.

[GiantsRule 0]

Dammit! Waited too long. Olympic has the team over at 32.5 for -135 odds; BetUS has it at 35! No thanks.

 

Going with the consensus:

 

BYU -3 (-120)

 

Good luck to all!

 

[phillybear 366]

Sigh. BYU dropping every pass in sight. The officials are drunk. It's gonna be a long night.

[phillybear 366]

Not too shabby. BYU up 17-0 at the half. No half time bet. Letting it ride.

[phillybear 366]

Overall College YTD: 256-224-6; +42.02 units

Subset: 2 unit plays or higher: 129-105-2; +53.12 units

College bowls: 0-0

 

Thursday

 

BYU (-3.5) for 3 units WINNER!!!!!

 

BYU's QB Beck was ranked #2 in the nation in QB efficiency, behind only Colt Brennan of Hawaii. Beck is a serious NFL prospect, the way he looks off receivers. He is very poised, very accurate, and is the star player in this game. Oregon counters with two struggling QBs in a rotation. While Oregon is certainly capable of running the ball with success, I question their defense being able to slow down, much less stop the excellent BYU offense. BYU defensive stats are a bit misleading, since they played so much prevent defense after building up big leads in so many of their games.

 

BYU went 4-2 SU vs bowl eligible teams, including an overtime loss at BC, in a game they clearly were the better team. BYU went 9-3 ATS, 7-2 ATS as a favorite this year. BYU has blown out every team since mid September, except for their game at Utah, a huge rivalry game.

 

Oregon went 3-5 SU vs bowl eligible teams. Oregon is 2-4 SU last 6 games, and the only wins were over Portland St (Div 1-AA) and an injury riddled Washington team.

 

Lay the lumber. Good luck to all.

 

Easy winner tonight.

 

Overall College YTD: 257-224-6; +45.02 units

Subset: 2 unit plays or higher: 130-105-2; +56.12 units

College bowls: 1-0; +3.0 units

[GiantsRule 0]

Easy winner tonight.

 

Overall College YTD: 257-224-6; +45.02 units

Subset: 2 unit plays or higher: 130-105-2; +56.12 units

College bowls: 1-0; +3.0 units

 

Got a gift with 2H BYU Team Over 14 (-115). Right after I bet it, the odds jumped to -145.

 

You guys are off to a great start for the Bowl season. Hopefully, you can keep it going.

 

[phillybear 366]

A heads up...Rice tomorrow....

[GiantsRule 0]

A heads up...Rice tomorrow....

 

Already on it!

 

Rice -3.5 (free half point from Skybook applied)

 

Likely won't have Internet access after today (or I'll be limited by dial-up at my mother-in-law's). If someone could email me at BTC316@hotmail.com with the consensus picks from philly, Art Schlichter's Bookie, Ditka (if he posts), and Yer Mom (if he comes out of hiding), I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

Good luck to all and have a fantastic holiday season!

 

[dain11279 976]

Already on it!

 

Rice -3.5 (free half point from Skybook applied)

 

Likely won't have Internet access after today (or I'll be limited by dial-up at my mother-in-law's). If someone could email me at BTC316@hotmail.com with the consensus picks from philly, Art Schlichter's Bookie, Ditka (if he posts), and Yer Mom (if he comes out of hiding), I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

Good luck to all and have a fantastic holiday season!

 

 

Gotcha! Good luck and Merry X-Mas to all degenerates :mad:

[JT 137]

Bowl games: 1-0

 

College last 4 weeks: 20-8

 

Tonight's Las Vegas Bowl pits two teams that finished out the season going in different directions. BYU comes into the post season with 9 straight wins, including victories over bowl teams Tulsa, New Mexico, Utah, and @TCU. Oregon lost 4 of it's last 6, with the wins coming at home over Portland St and a reeling Washington.

 

The Ducks went a respectable 3-3 vs bowl teams this year, but that mark is a bit deceiving. One of those wins was the officials early Christmas gift against Oklahoma; another was against UCLA in the 1st start for Bruins QB Cowan (2 INT at crucial points in the game). Their other bowl-caliber win was @ Az St. Losses to bowl teams came at the hands of Cal, USC and rival Oregon St.

 

Led by QB John Beck, the Cougars are an offensive machine, ranking 5th in the nation. Oregon has been unsettled at the QB spot, with both Dixon and Leaf taking turns (it appears Dixon gets the starting nod tonight). Both have had their moments, positive and negative. The real strength of the Oregon offense is RB Stewart and WR Jaison Williams, who led the Pac 10 in receptions despite missing the Arizona game. If Dixon or Leaf can get him the ball, he could have a field day vs a BYU secondary depleted by injury.

 

Though Oregon outranks BYU in Total D (30th - 51st), BYU has a HUGE edge in Scoring D (16th - 84th), allowing just over 15 ppg. Despite their wide open offense, the Cougars have done a great job protecting the ball, ranking 4th nationally in turnover margin. Oregon, showing it's inconsistency at QB, is 107th.

 

The teams that gave BYU trouble were those with solid, veteran QB like BC's Matt Ryan and Tulsa's Paul Smith (one of the best QB in the country nobody knows much about). Even with that, BYU went 2 OT before losing at BC and beat Tulsa. Oregon has to hope that the extra practice time for Dixon helps him to return to his early season form, and not the unsure player that threw 3 INT in two different games.

 

At some point in just about every bowl write up, I mention emotion. It looks like the sparks have started early in this one, as the two teams nearly rumbled at a promotional function the other day. Oregon has a chance to salvage a season gone wrong. BYU has a chance to show the nation what a solid team they are, and erase the stigma of losing their last 4 bowl games.

 

A couple things spook me about this one. BYU has significant injuries in their secondary; both starting CB are questionable last I checked. Also, their former coach (Crowton) is on the Oregon staff. Then there's the recent bowl history, and their poor overall record vs the Pac 10. But I like veteran QB's in bowl matchups, and the Oregon run defense has been pushed around at times this year, one of the reasons their scoring defense stats are so bad. When BYU gets the ground game going (and they have 2 solid RB), they're hard to beat. The crowd should be in BYU's favor, despite the sinful setting. BYU is 13-3-1 in their last 17 games ATS on grass.

 

The Ducks offense should be able to keep this interesting, but I like BYU's overall experience. They're not just an offense, with solid defense and special teams. I look for them to capitalize on a turnover or two, and win this one by 7-10 pts.

 

I'm laying the 4 pts. (ETA: I just got this game at BYU -3, making it an even better looking pick.)

 

Good luck to all!

 

Bowl games: 2-0

 

College last 4 weeks: 21-8

 

So how much could you have won in August betting that these two would be bowl teams? Rice vs Troy in the New Orleans Bowl. Though this is the third of what most have said are slam dunks to start the bowl season, I'm less sure of this one than either TCU or BYU.

 

Both teams finished 7-5, with only Rice capturing victories over bowl teams : @ Tulsa and vs East Carolina. Neither team really excels in any aspect of the game, though Rice has been very good with the football, ranking 7th nationally in turnover margin, while Troy is 107th.

 

Troy should be able to establish the run; Rice has allowed over 190 yds on the ground per gm. They better, because the Trojan offense has been inconsistent at best. They can't get into a shootout with a Rice team that features a 1,000 yd rusher (Quinton Smith) and the best player on either team, WR Jarrett Dillard (20 rec TD). Neither defense is really worth mentioning, though Troy gets an edge in most statistiucal categories. That said, this is probably the weakest Troy defense in a couple seasons.

 

So neither team has a defense, and only Rice has much offense. Plus, the Owls win the turnover battle. So why am I nervous about giving 6 points (a previous post had this at 3.5; I haven't found it that low)? Troy played 6 games this year decided by 8 pts or less; Rice's 4 victories to close the season were by a total of 14 pts. Then there's the common opponent. Both played at Florida State. The Noles came from behind to beat Troy 24-17, and killed Rice 55-7 a couple weeks later.

 

Overall, Rice has played better competition (@UCLA, Tx). Both teams come into the post season on a positive note, and this bowl is a big deal for both programs. This should certainly be more entertaining than the first two bowls. I'll take Rice's overall talent, and their ability to outscore Troy...and I'm sure hoping to find it at the 3.5 mentioned earlier!

 

ETA: Got in at Rice -4

 

Good luck to all!

[Hurricane Ditka 0]

Great work fellas! I am stranded in Seattle waiting for my plane so I can get to Illinois where my wife and kids are already home with family for the holidays. Sucks but at least there is a bar in this hotel.

[art schlichter's bookie 0]

Fading the Sunbelt team.

 

Rice -4.5 for 2 units

UNDER 54.5 for One unit

[American Chewy 98]

2006 College betting record

155-129-6 (54.6%) +15.22 units

2+ plays 30-28-1 +1.265 units

Bowls 1-0 +.5 units

 

shoulda played byu last night, i'm a puss.

 

Rice -4@-124 1.5 units LOSER!!

 

GL everyone

[ROCKET 0]

Gotta take Rice tonight, I like how the first 3 favs have been covering machines this year (2-0 so far). Rice should be fired up playing in their first bowl in a long time. I think we're due for a somewhat competitive game after 2 lopsided ones.

[LSUtiger 9]

Gotta take Rice tonight, I like how the first 3 favs have been covering machines this year (2-0 so far). Rice should be fired up playing in their first bowl in a long time. I think we're due for a somewhat competitive game after 2 lopsided ones.

 

Great, the site I use is at Rice -6....that blows. Would anyone lay 6 in this one?

[t.j 35]

Great, the site I use is at Rice -6....that blows. Would anyone lay 6 in this one?

 

Take Troy +6. Problem solved.

[American Chewy 98]

Great, the site I use is at Rice -6....that blows. Would anyone lay 6 in this one?

 

a capper i know and trust threw $500 at the early line when rice was -7 so i suppose so. the line dropped because the rice qb chipped a bone in his last game and noone was sure if he would play but he will according to most thats why its going back up now.

 

i dont know how anyone could take a sunbelt team in the bowls even if it is against rice.

[phillybear 366]

Overall College YTD: 257-224-6; +45.02 units

Subset: 2 unit plays or higher: 130-105-2; +56.12 units

Subset: College bowls: 1-0; +3.0 units

 

Friday

 

Rice (-5) for 3 units LOSER!!!!!

 

Rolling over the BYU profits into tonight. Both teams should be fired up for this game. I strongly believe that Troy is winning with smoke and mirrors. Despite winning the Sun Belt conference, reality says that they aren't any better than the 3rd best team in the worst conference in college football. They needed 2 TDs in the last 2 minutes vs Midd Tenn St, or they would not have gone bowling this year at all. Smoke and mirrors. Their offense and defense are both below average, and are ranked #116 in pass defense, a bad unit to go against the very good Rice spread offense. The fact that their stats are so poor after playing a bunch of Sun Belt teams raises a red flag for me. Rice comes in with a tons of momentum, played a tougher schedule, and beat some pretty good teams. Can't say the same for Troy. Rice's defense isn't all that great, but they have a good turnover margin. I can see a shoot out tonight, and I prefer to take the much better offense. Sun Belt teams are 1-4 SU in this bowl game the last 5 years. When handicapping bowl games, simply picking the winner of the game is the way to go, as the winner typically covers about 90% of the time. Rice QB Clement has been cleared to play tonight, but the backup is very capable as well. Lay the lumber.

 

Good luck to all.

[ROCKET 0]

Phillybear just summed it all up for me when it comes to bowl games and the NFL playoffs, just pick the team you think will win. The point spread isn't even an issue more times than not. I love this time of year and I have never had a losing NFL playoff/bowl season. The problem is a lot of years I'm always trying to get back my losses from the regular season going into the playoffs/bowl games. I should just wait til the end of Dec to bet but that ain't happening.

[American Chewy 98]

i'm gonna add an extra half unit. this line is skyrocketing!

[JetsFan28 0]

I'm also on Rice -4.

 

They just overturned the play and it's about to be 7-0 Troy.

 

Just threw a freakin pick. I could have made that throw. Gross.

 

Let's see if they can keep em out. Otherwise, we're lookin at 14-0.

[LSUtiger 9]

Wonderful, I return from a near year long hiatus from betting to laying a unit on Rice and they're getting stomped at halftime.

[t.j 35]

Wonderful, I return from a near year long hiatus from betting to laying a unit on Rice and they're getting stomped at halftime.

 

Didn't I tell you to take Troy +6?

[teejay booker 0]

I can thank all you boneheads who jumped on the Rice bandwagon at -4 for making me bet Troy State tonight. I was going to bet Rice at -3 if it ever fell to that spread on bodog, but it never did. Went from -4 to -6 and at that point I took Troy. Now I just won $500

 

[GiantsRule 0]

I can thank all you boneheads who jumped on the Rice bandwagon at -4 for making me bet Troy State tonight. I was going to bet Rice at -3 if it ever fell to that spread on bodog, but it never did. Went from -4 to -6 and at that point I took Troy. Now I just won $500

 

 

Of course you did.

[teejay booker 0]

Of course you did.

 

Date placed:

Dec 22, 2006 7:31p

 

 

Date settled:

Dec 22, 2006 11:34p

Single # 59348492

Football - College Lines (Game)

(307) Troy State +6 Fri@8:00p

 

 

Final Scores

Troy State 41

Rice 17

 

 

Outcome:

Win

 

 

 

Risk $550.00 to win $500.00

 

 

Because I need to lie about sh1t like this.

[GiantsRule 0]

Date placed:

Dec 22, 2006 7:31p

Date settled:

Dec 22, 2006 11:34p

Single # 59348492

Football - College Lines (Game)

(307) Troy State +6 Fri@8:00p

Final Scores

Troy State 41

Rice 17

Outcome:

Win

 

Risk $550.00 to win $500.00

Because I need to lie about sh1t like this.

 

Congrats if this is legit but...

 

A. Why even talk about amounts? A win's a win. You're not impressing anybody (which is obviously your intent by mentioning it)

B. What's the point of bragging about a bet you took AFTER the result? Here's a great tip: Pittsburgh wins the Super Bowl earlier this year defeating Seattle. Write it down!

 

Instead of trying to be a big man, talking big amounts and ripping people for picking a bad side, why not contribute to the conversation beforehand?

[ROCKET 0]

Spit the bit on Rice last night, today taking E Carolina, New Mex and Tulsa. Not real confident on the first 2 games but really like Tulsa tonight to beat an over-rated Utah team. GL everyone.

[JT 137]

Congrats if this is legit but...

 

A. Why even talk about amounts? A win's a win. You're not impressing anybody (which is obviously your intent by mentioning it)

B. What's the point of bragging about a bet you took AFTER the result? Here's a great tip: Pittsburgh wins the Super Bowl earlier this year defeating Seattle. Write it down!

 

Instead of trying to be a big man, talking big amounts and ripping people for picking a bad side, why not contribute to the conversation beforehand?

 

 

The absence of the mocking, insulting "ha, ha, after the fact, you guys are stupid and I'm smart" posts are what make this one of the few threads on this site still worth participating in. If you've got insight on the games, let's hear it! If not, stay away.

 

Got thumped on Rice last night. Maybe should have seen that coming; two non-descript teams with nothing outstanding to hang their hats on. One team getting all the action. Ah well, that's why they call it gambling.

 

College Bowls: 2-1

 

Last 30 games: 21-9

 

Busy day today, so doubt I'll get time to post much about the three games. Right now, I'm taking So Fla and New Mexico. Undecided on TU-Utah. Good luck to all!

[art schlichter's bookie 0]

Tough break last night on the under bet. Rice was a real surprise to play that bad...

 

Anyway, took all 3 today:

 

South Fla has played way better competition than E Carolina and beat WVU this year. IF they show up ready to play, they should roll.

 

S Fla -4.5 for two units

 

SJ State/ N Mexico game is basically a tossup. Give me the FG.

 

SJ State +3 for one unit

 

Not a believer in Utah. Too much up and down play this year for me to back them.

 

Tulsa +1.5 for two units.

 

Also took OSU +4.5 vs Florida in hoops today. Two units

If Horford doesn't play, Oden is going to have his way in the paint. Like OSU's explosiveness.

 

gl to all

[JetsFan28 0]

I've got South Florida - 5.5 for 2 units. Let's get em.

[phillybear 366]

Overall College YTD: 257-225-6; +41.72 units

Subset: 2 unit plays or higher: 130-106-2; +52.82 units

Subset: College bowls: 1-1; -.3 units

 

Saturday

 

South Florida (-5.5) for 3 units WINNER!!!!!

San Jose St (+3) for 3 units WINNER!!!!!

Utah (-1.5) for 3 units WINNER!!!!!

 

South Florida is a top twenty defensive team with a budding star at QB in Grothe. They were very much overlooked in the very good Big East conference this year, playing in the shadows of Louisville, West Virginia, and Rutgers. In fact, So Flor beat West Virginia, and nearly took Rutgers to OT if not for a failed 2pt conversion. East Carolina lost to WV by 17, in East Carolina, while So Flor beat the Mountaineers in WV. So Flor owns the better offense and defense in this game. I don't think So Flor will take this game for granted, as they were shutout last year in their bowl game and will look to atone for that. Although East Carolina does not have too many quality wins this year, other than beating SMU, they have a good passing offense, and have been very good vs the point spread the last two years under Skip Holtz. I have made money on East Carolina the last two years. Laying the lumber with an underrated So Flor team.

 

New Mexico figures to be have an advantage, playing at their home field today. However, when you dig deeper, you see New Mexico went 3-4 SU at home this year. New Mexico surprised me with the way they turned around their season, as the year started, they had to break in a bunch of new players at the offensive skill positions. But the rebuilding went faster than expected. They still have issues at QB, but they exceeded expectations this year, going to a bowl. San Jose St was a bit surprising as well. I did recognize their improvement early on, and the Spartans made me some nice coin this year. San Jose St has the better offense and defense in this game. San Jose St features a very balance offense which will move the ball up and down the field. SJ St offers no real surprises, they lost to the better teasm this year: at Washington (when Wash was healthy), at Nevada, at Hawaii, and lost at home to Boise St. And they pounded all of the mediocre/bad teams they played this year. Remember, SJ St had Boise on the ropes in that game, led most of the games, and finally lost on a last second FG. They are certainly capable of playing at a higher level. It can be argued that the WAC was better than the Mountain West conference this year, with Boise St, Hawaii, Nevada and San Jose St over BYU, TCU, Utah, etc. And a good WAC team is going typically going to beat a mediocre Mountain West team. The way I see it, the only reason New Mex is favored in this game is home field. So there is line value here. San Jose St hasn't gone bowling in a while, and hopefully won't lay an egg like Rice did. San Jose should win this game, but I'll take the 3 points as insurance.

 

I like Tulsa. They have a good team. And have been pretty good ATS the last couple of years. They have the better stats in this game. However, note: Utah was won their last 5 bowl games, and some were in real blow outs. I have ridden Utah a lot this year, coming off a down year, and they bounced back fairly well. Two years ago, Utah has a cinderella year, winning a BCS bowl game, going undefeated. Last year, Utah lost their coach Urban Meyer, lost their QB Alex Smith, didn't cover their first 9 or 10 games, and snuck into a bowl game. Last year, I had a 5 unit play on Utah as a 8.5 dog in their bowl game over Georgia Tech. Utah won 38-10. Hard for me to ignore how well this team plays at the end of seasons. And this year, Utah won 3 of their last games going into today's game. That only loss was to BYU, and we saw the impressive BYU a couple of night's ago, and the Cougars needed last second heroics to snatch a big win away from Utah. Tulsa looks like they peaked too early, as they lost 3 games in a row before beating punchless and horrible Tulane to end the season. Something just seems wrong with this team at the end of the year. This is a matchup of two teams going in opposite directions. Tulsa got hammered by BYU 49-24, and Utah lost 33-31 to BYU as a common opponent comparison. Looking over the schedules, both teams seemed to lose to all of the superior competition, and for the most part, beat the bad teams. Still, I just cannot ignore Utah run of success in bowl games. Utah is 6-3 ATS as a favorite this year, showing that they beat the teams they are supposed to beat. And they should beat Tulsa.

[cribdog 0]

I am rolling with S. Fla for 1 unit also, not so sure on the other 2 games.

[JT 137]

 

Got thumped on Rice last night. Maybe should have seen that coming; two non-descript teams with nothing outstanding to hang their hats on. One team getting all the action. Ah well, that's why they call it gambling.

 

College Bowls: 2-1

 

Last 30 games: 21-9

 

Busy day today, so doubt I'll get time to post much about the three games. Right now, I'm taking So Fla and New Mexico. Undecided on TU-Utah. Good luck to all!

 

Quick look at todays games.

 

So Fla -5.5 over E Car: Both teams finished off the year with good wins on the road, with So Fla stunning West Virginia, and East Carolina beating NC State. South Florida is a fast, athletic bunch, and the young QB, as mentioned earlier, is a star in the making. He's had the equivalent of an extra spring practice prepping for this game, which is a big deal for a kid. South Fl leads in every statistical category but TO margin. The Big East is better than folks think, and the Knights still have the bitter taste of last year's bowl shutout.

 

NM -3 over San Jose St: Neither team really beat anyone this year. In fact, their most impressive performances may have been in losses. SJ gave Boise their toughest test, losing 23-20, and New Mex lost to TCU 27-21. San Jose did have some trouble against good passing teams, and the NM WR are very good and very fast. The question is who will be trying to get them the ball. NM played it's best ball of the season with frosh Donovan Porterie (sp?) at QB. When he got hurt, senior Chris Nelson (the man he had replaced) played solid, if unspectacular, football. Expect both to see action today. I think Boyd, the New Mexico kicker, may be the player of the game. He'll play on Sundays. Not crazy about this pick, but NM is playing at home. I've gotta think they cover 3 against a team that's just happy to be there.

 

Tulsa +1.5 over Utah: I got the chance to see this Tulsa team play a couple times and, while they're not as good as last year's team, they're pretty solid. The Golden Hurricane had an uncharacteristic late season slump, losing three in a row before beating Tulane in their finale. Tulsa finished in the Top 20 nationally in both Total Offense & Defense, and ranks #6 in pass defense. Utah has been brutal on bowl opponents, winning their last 3 by a combined 90-17. They nearly crashed Boise's party in the last game of the season, giving up a big lead to fall 33-31. TU lost to Boise earlier in the year 49-24. The experts are leaning toward Utah here, but I think Tulsa's QB Paul Smith, a great leader, steps up here. Given time to prepare, there aren't many better than Tulsa's head coach Kragthorpe.

 

Good luck to all!

[teejay booker 0]

E. Carolina +6 for 1 unit. South Florida already played their bowl game in WV about a month ago. They will come in flat, and get down early. You guys watch.

 

The bookies want everyone to bet South Florida. There is a reason the line hasn't gone to -7.

[American Chewy 98]

2006 College betting record

155-130-6 (54.4%) +13.36 units

2+ plays 30-28-1 +1.265 units

 

S. Fla -5.5 .5 unit WINNER

[phillybear 366]

E. Carolina +6 for 1 unit. South Florida already played their bowl game in WV about a month ago. They will come in flat, and get down early. You guys watch.

 

The bookies want everyone to bet South Florida. There is a reason the line hasn't gone to -7.

 

I agree that motivation is a key factor in these early bowl games. Sometimes, it's tricky trying to figure out who has the motivation edge.

 

You have it wrong on the line movement. If the bookies wanted everyone to bet So Flor, the line would have been dropping, down to -3 and lower. Because more action was on So Flor, they moved the line up to try to get East Carolina money. The books desperately didn't want to get stuck with rooting against So Flor, and they still are. They didn't move the line as much as they should have. And with 7 a key number, it wasn't likely the line would ever reach that number. It takes a lot of effort to move a line into and off a key number like 7 and 3.

[Chronic Husker 85]

phillybear, are you starting a betting service next year?

[LSUtiger 9]

Nice start in the USF game.

[teejay booker 0]

Back in the ballgame. E. Carolina is the team that came out incredibly flat, not S. Florida.