2014 Popeye’s Bahamas NCAA Football Betting Preview

One of the great things about the college football odds season is that is offers fans the opportunity to go on a little road trip to follow their team. Some locations are obviously better than others, and there may be none better than Nassau in the Bahamas. That is the site of the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl (Dec 24^th), and it is the fans of Central Michigan and Western Kentucky who will get to soak up a little sun while they watch their favorites try to win a bowl game.

How To Bet The Chippewas vs. Hilltoppers 2014 Bahamas Bowl Odds & Game Info

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 24, 12:00 PM Location: Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau Game Odds:Central Michigan: +3½-110, OV 67 ½ -110, ML +140; Western Kentucky: -3½-110, UN 67 ½ -110, ML -160

Here is a look at the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl by Tourism Today in the Bahamas: https://t.co/1uCN0zcMCM

— Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (@TheBahamasBowl) December 16, 2014

Why Bet on the Central Michigan Chippewas

The Central Michigan Chippewas have been the epitome of mediocrity in the MAC Conference over the past few years, with a .500 record generally what they end up settling for. They went 6-6 last year and missed out on a bowl game, but were able to get to 7-5 this season, which landed them a nice trip to the Bahamas. It was a bit of an odd season for CMU, though, as they struggled to follow up good wins against the likes of Purdue and Northern Illinois with wins against what would be deemed beatable opponents. A win in this bowl game may give the Chippewas a new sense of confidence heading into next season.

Why Bet on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Ironically enough, the last time these two teams made it to a bowl game, they ended up facing each other in the 2012 Little Caesars Bowl. The Hilltoppers came out on the losing side of things, going down 24-21, so they will be looking to get a little bit of revenge here. The biggest win of the season for Western Kentucky came in the final week of the regular season, when thy knocked off unbeaten Marshall in an OT thriller. That fact that they won 67-66 tells you the sort of offensive power they are bringing to the table here.

My Expert Betting Analysis, Pick & Prediction

These two teams had pretty similar season, which is why the bookies have this one as being close, with Western Kentucky in as 3.5-point favorites. The Hilltoppers were 6-6 ATS this season, but were a solid 3-1 ATS versus non-conference foes. Central Michigan went 5-7 ATS this season, but were 1-3 ATS in in-conference games. These two have only met once before in recent history in that 2012 bowl game, and it was CMU who won SU and ATS on that day. In order for CMU to repeat their previous win versus Western Kentucky, they are going to have to slow down the Hilltoppers offense. Better teams than CMU had difficulty doing that this season, which is why I think Western Kentucky rolls to a very comfortable victory.