In case you didn’t know, our beloved headache-inducing drama called the NCAA bowl games season is already underway, and with it comes tons of online NCAA Football betting opportunities. To get you all prepped up, here are 5 early SU picks we believe will offer you great value in this week’s NCAAF lines.
Best 5 Early SU picks for this Week’s College Bowls
Hawai’i Bowl: San Diego State vs. Cincinnati
- When: Thursday, December 26, 8:00 pm ET, ESPN
- NCAAF Odds: San Diego State -1.5
Analysis: The Aztecs are coming into this game on the back of a solid run with no loss since September 26th. The biggest strength in their season has been their 15th-ranked rushing offense, led by star running back Donnel Pumphrey, who finished the season ranked No. 9 in country with 1,554 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. This should allow them to get some solid points and yardages against Cincinnati‘s weak rushing defense that ranks 106th in the FBS in yards allowed per carry.
Pick: San Diego State stays in its winning ways with a close win
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Miami (FL) vs. Washington State
- When: Saturday, December 26, 2:00 pm ET, CBS
- NCAAF Odds: Washington State -3
Analysis: The Miami (FL) Hurricanes (8-4, 5-3 ACC) had a decent season on the strength of solid play from QB Brad Kaaya (ACC leader in passing yards per game at 274.5) and Joseph Yearby (939 yards rushing with six touchdowns). This allowed them to finish the season strongly on a 4-1 run. But from the look of things, the Hurricanes won’t be having it easy this Saturday, as they’ll be going against an equally good Washington State Cougars (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) team. More worryingly, Washington State will have its starting QB Luke Falk back in the squad after missing the regular-season due to an injury. Falk led the FBS with 387.8 yards per game, completing an amazing 70.7 percent of his passes and throwing for 36 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. With his strong arms and great accuracy, the Cougars should be able to overpower Miami en route to a strong statement victory.
Pick: Washington State secures the win.
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl: Washington vs. Southern Mississippi
- When: Saturday, December 26, 2:20 PM ET
- NCAAF Odds: Washington -8.5
Analysis: A couple of years after Southern Miss finished the season as a one-win team, they are now in the bowl games as a 9-win team, thanks to the revolutionary leadership of head coach Todd Monken and superb passing display from quarterback Nick Mullens, who threw for over 4,000 yards with 36 passing touchdowns. Commendable as that is, the Golden Eagles of Conference USA will need to have their best of performances, as they’ll be facing arguably their toughest opponent on the season in the Washington Huskies from the Power Five Conference of Pac-12. Despite owning a middling 6-6 record on the season, the Huskies led the Pac-12 in scoring as well as in total defense, while their pass defense efficiency ranked amongst the top 20 teams in the FBS, meaning Southern Mississippi will be severely tested on both sides of the ball.
Pick: Washington claims its seventh win of the season, but the Huskies keep the scores close to cover the spread.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Indiana vs. Duke
- When: Saturday, December 26, 3:30 PM ET, ABC
- NCAAF Odds: Indiana -2
Analysis: The famous Yankee stadium will be the ground where the Hoosiers and Blue Devils will square it off this Saturday for a chance to win the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Judgingly, the Blue Devils posted a good number of marquee wins on the season, especially down the stretch, with starting QB Thomas Sirk and RB Shaquille Powell being the team’s danger-men. However, the momentum looks to be on the side of the Hoosiers, who finished the season with big back-to-back wins, scoring a whopping 101 points in the two-game stretch. So, whereas Duke’s offense could figure strongly in this game, containing Indiana’s prolific offense is likely to be a big problem for Duke’s questionable D, giving the Hoosiers the much-needed edge.
Pick: Indiana stands its ground and uses its better defense to see out a hard-earned win.
Forster Farms Bowl: UCLA vs. Nebraska
- When: Saturday, September 26, 9:15 pm ET, ESPN
- NCAAF Odds: UCLA -6.5
Analysis: Jim Mora and his Bruins team are looking to win their third successive bowl and reach at least the nine-win mark for the fourth season, and considering the way the Huskers have been playing shiftily, the odds certainly look to be in the favor of UCLA. Just about the only thing that is in favor of the Cornhuskers is that they have a sterling run defense and an above-average rushing offense. Still, with UCLA known to mostly hang the ball in the air through their five-star QB recruit Josh Rosen (who is coming off a promising freshman season), it doesn’t look like Nebraska will be getting much out of this game.
Pick: UCLA outlasts Nebraska to keep their bowl winning streak intact.
