Bowl Game Best Bets for the Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us, which means non-stop college football action until the New Year! We’re making the most of what’s left as the college football season comes to an exciting conclusion. With that in mind, we’re running through all of our favorite bets for the upcoming week!

Duke’s Mayo Bowl – Dec. 27
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (-6.5)
Total: 54.5

The North Carolina Tar Heels are looking to put a stamp on their 2023 season with a Duke’s Mayo Bowl game win over the West Virginia Mountaineers. UNC will be without the services of their second-year starting quarterback. Drake Maye declared for the NFL Draft, opting out of Wednesday’s tilt versus the Mountaineers. 

The Tar Heels ended the regular season averaging the fifth-most yards per game against FBS opponents. Even factoring in Maye’s absence, the team should be able to deliver significant yardage versus a subpar Mountaineers defense. West Virginia ranked 78th in total defense, faltering away from their friendly confines with jaw-dropping 457.8 yards allowed per game. 

Expect Omarion Hampton to keep North Carolina competitive in this one. The sophomore running back rushed for just shy of 1,500 yards this season and should put the team on his back against a porous defensive unit. UNC covers +6.5, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they pull off a stunning upset.

Best Bet: Tar Heels +6.5

Check out SportsGrid’s CFB Game Picks and CFB Props Picks During Bowl Season.

Holiday Bowl – Dec. 27
Louisville Cardinals (-7.5) vs. USC Trojans
Total: 57.5

At different points this season, the Louisville Cardinals and USC Trojans looked like CFP contenders. USC burst out of the gates, winning their first six games of the year and cracking the top ten. Similarly, the Cardinals won six straight to open the season and ten of their first 11. Although both teams stumbled over the latter part of the campaign, they’ve both flashed elite offenses that should help this game sail over the total. 

Louisville managed a respectable 397.7 yards per game this season, translating to a 28.8-point average. As inferred from the betting line, that’s the low end of the spectrum of what to expect against an underwhelming Trojans defense. USC had the 117th-ranked total defense this season, giving up an awful 438.8 yards and 34.9 points per game. 

The Trojans have enough star power in their offense that they should be able to produce even without Caleb Williams in the lineup. This team went over the total in nine of 12, highlighting their penchant for high-octane games. We’re betting that trend continues in the Holiday Bowl. 

Best Bet: Over 57.5

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Alamo Bowl – Dec. 28
Arizona Wildcats (-2.5) vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Total: 62.5

It’s become easy to dismiss the Arizona Wildcats come football season. The once-proud program hadn’t had a winning season since 2017, going 15-38 until 2022. Then, Arizona did an about-face in 2023, stringing together a 9-3 record with signature wins against some formidable opponents. They were rewarded with an Alamo Bowl berth against the Oklahoma Sooners, a contest they enter as -2.5 chalk. 

The Wildcats’ success wasn’t contained to one facet of the game. They produced the 18th-best total offense, simultaneously limiting opponents to the 37th-fewest yards. Altogether, they ended the season with +1.3 net yards per play, illustrating their dominance on both sides of the ball. 

The Sooners are dealing with a rash of opt-outs ahead of this one, negatively impacting their prospects of claiming victory, let alone covering the +2.5 spread. We’re planting our flag in the Arizona spread, expecting them to punctuate their resurgent season with a decisive win on Thursday.

 Best Bet: Wildcats -2.5

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