It’s bowl season, which means it’s time to turn the TV to a game between teams you probably don’t care about and won’t care about three hours later. But for those three hours — forget holiday parties and family visits — you’re glued to the screen watching college football bowls.
That’s even more the case if you have a little money on the outcome. Bowl season is a great time for sports bettors, as there’s a game almost every night of the week and the lines are out for all of them.
The only games of any consequence to the national championship picture, of course, are the College Football Playoff semifinals, which this year take place at the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl.
But before those games on Dec. 29, and afterward through New Year’s Day, there are 37 other bowl games for your viewing and betting pleasure. We’ll go through a few of the top matchups and then list the betting odds for all 39 bowl games.
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State (7-5, 7-5 ATS) vs. Fresno State (11-2, 9-4 ATS)
3:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 15, ABC
Odds: Fresno State -4.5, O/U 51.5
Annually one of the top matchups early in the bowl season, the Las Vegas Bowl pits the Mountain West Conference champion Fresno State Bulldogs against the Arizona State Sun Devils from the Pac-12 Conference.
Related: College Football Betting Guide | College Football Bowl Betting
The game also features two coaches you might remember from the past: Fresno State’s Jeff Tedford (formerly of Cal) and Arizona State’s Herm Edwards (formerly of the Jets and Chiefs in the NFL).
It also features one of the nation’s surprise teams in the Bulldogs, who boast the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense and won the MWC championship by beating Boise State on the blue turf in Idaho. Arizona State also wasn’t expected to make much of its season, but the Sun Devils beat Michigan State in an early-season showdown and took out rival Arizona in the Territorial Cup to end the season.
The key here, as it is for many bowl games, is motivation. While both teams figure to want to end their season with a win, a victory for Fresno State — which was one UCF upset away from going to a New Year’s Six game — would put quite a bow on quite a season. The Bulldogs and their defense will find a way to win this one.
Pick: Fresno State -4.5, UNDER 51.5
Camping World Bowl: West Virginia (8-3, 6-3-2 ATS) vs. Syracuse (9-3, 8-3-1 ATS)
5:15 p.m. ET Dec. 28, Orlando, Florida, ESPN
Odds: Syracuse -2.5, O/U 68.5
One recent trend to keep an eye on with bowl games is star players sitting out to prepare for the NFL Draft. The latest star to go this path? West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, who announced his intentions to sit out the bowl game last week.
Curiously, the Mountaineers are still giving 1.5 points in this game, even though you’ve got to question how motivated the rest of the team will be without its leader and best player. That will be especially true if Syracuse jumps out to an early lead.
The Orange, meanwhile, would love nothing better than to end a surprising season with their 10th victory against a top-20 opponent (even if Grier isn’t playing). Syracuse fans — and bettors — should be in line for a happy holiday.
Pick: Syracuse +1.5, UNDER 68.5
Alamo Bowl: Iowa State (8-4, 6-6 ATS) vs. Washington State (10-2, 10-2 ATS)
9 p.m. ET Dec. 28, San Antonio, ESPN
Odds: Washington State -3.5, O/U 54.5
The last Friday night of 2018 has quite a doubleheader, so after West Virginia-Syracuse wraps up, stay tuned for another battle of top 25 teams when Iowa State meets Washington State.
The Pac-12 had a bad year — or at least 11 of the 12 teams did. Washington State could be nothing other than ecstatic with its season, even when you include the sour ending of an Apple Cup loss to Washington. Still, you’ve got to figure the Cougars will want to redeem themselves for that and go out with a bang.
Iowa State also had a memorable season, but ultimately its back-to-back wins over Oklahoma State and West Virginia mask an otherwise thin résumé. The Cyclones would like to make one more statement and win one of the bigger bowls the program has reached in recent memory.
Unfortunately for ISU, the trends favor the team from the west here. Washington State was a covering machine in the regular season, and Iowa State seemed to be running out of gas at the end of the year. Score one more for Cougars backers.
Pick: Washington State -3.5, OVER 54.5
Liberty Bowl: Missouri (8-4, 7-5 ATS) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6, 6-6 ATS)
3:45 p.m. ET, Dec. 31, Memphis, Tennessee, ESPN
Odds: Missouri -8, O/U 74.5
After the playoffs anchor a wonderful slate of games on Saturday, Dec. 28, we have the traditional bowl dates of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to entertain us before the NFL playoffs open the following weekend and the CFP Championship Game the next Monday.
Perhaps the most entertaining game on those days will be the Liberty Bowl between two high-powered offenses in Missouri and Oklahoma State. Both teams rank in the nation’s top 20 in scoring offense and total offense and have prolific quarterbacks in Taylor Cornelius for Oklahoma State and Mizzou’s Drew Lock, who could be a first-round draft pick.
So there are plenty of reasons to watch for entertainment value alone. But with a little cheese on the game? That could make your New Year’s Eve.
The lean here is toward Mizzou. The Tigers have improved defensively throughout the year and have a more balanced offense. Lock is the headliner, but Missouri has quite a running game, while Oklahoma State passes much more than it runs. Plus, running back Justice Hill has decided to skip the game to prepare for the draft.
Look for Missouri to end its season with a fifth straight win and fourth by a comfortable margin — in a game that will be high-scoring but not quite as high-scoring as that sky-high total suggests.
Pick: Missouri -8, UNDER 74.5
Fiesta Bowl: LSU (9-3, 6-6 ATS) vs. Central Florida (12-0, 9-3 ATS)
1 p.m. ET, Jan. 1, Glendale, Arizona, ESPN
Odds: LSU -7.5, O/U 55.5
Central Florida capped an unbeaten season last year by beating Auburn in the Peach Bowl and then claimed a national championship for itself. No doubt the Knights will do the same thing this year if they can beat another traditional SEC power in a New Year’s Six bowl game.
The task might be a little more difficult this year, considering LSU figures to be more motivated to win than Auburn was last year. The Tigers have the carrot of a 10-win season and ridding their mouths of the taste of a seven-overtime loss at Texas A&M in their final regular-season game. Plus, they’ll feel the need to represent SEC pride in a conference that absolutely believes in that sort of thing.
Both teams will be missing key players. UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton is out for the season with an injury (though his replacement, Darriel Mack, was very impressive in an AAC Championship win against Memphis), and LSU will be missing both starting cornerbacks: Greedy Williams has declared for the draft and is skipping the game, and Kristian Fulton is hurt.
That leaves what should be a very entertaining game. Expect one that comes down to the final possession, and though LSU might win outright, UCF will cover with the points.
Pick: UCF +7.5, OVER 55.5
Rose Bowl: Ohio State (12-1, 6-7 ATS) vs. Washington (10-3, 4-9 ATS)
5 p.m. ET, Pasadena, California, ESPN
Odds: Ohio State -6.5, O/U 58
The Granddaddy of Them All doesn’t quite live up to that moniker this year, as the CFP semifinals have rotated to the Cotton and Orange bowls, but the Rose still has a great matchup to end the traditional New Year’s Day festivities in Southern California.
Ohio State brings Heisman finalist Dwayne Haskins and its high-flying offense west to face Washington and its suffocating defense. Haskins has almost been better against the better defenses the Buckeyes have played (see: Michigan), but Washington will be another stern test.
The temptation here is to say both teams have reason to be motivated: Washington wants a chance at national recognition after blowing a winnable season opener against Auburn, and Ohio State would like to show the CFP committee they were wrong in excluding the Buckeyes for a second straight year — and to send coach Urban Meyer, who is retiring for the second time, off with a win.
But the energy around Ohio State seemed to wax and wane this season, and it’s worth wondering what a month off will do a team that had national-title hopes. As for Washington? Give Chris Peterson and his staff a month to prepare for a game and they might make life especially difficult on any quarterback, even one as talented as Haskins (who might be the best pro prospect of the three Heisman finalists).
Pick: Washington +6.5, UNDER 58
All bowl game odds
Saturday, Dec. 15
Cure Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
Tulane -3.5 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, O/U 59
New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, N.M.
Utah State -9 vs. North Texas, O/U 66.5
Las Vegas Bowl, Las Vegas
Fresno State -4.5 vs. Arizona State, O/U 51.5
Camellia Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
Georgia Southern -1 vs. Eastern Michigan, O/U 47.5
New Orleans Bowl, New Orleans
Appalachian State -7 vs. Middle Tennessee, O/U 50.5
Tuesday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, Fla.
UAB -2.5 vs. Northern Illinois, O/U 43.5
Wednesday, Dec. 19
Frisco Bowl, Frisco, Texas
Ohio -3 vs. San Diego State, O/U 54
Thursday, Dec. 20
Gasparilla Bowl, Tampa, Fla.
Marshall -2.5 vs. South Florida, O/U 55.5
Friday, Dec. 21
Bahamas Bowl, Nassau, Bahamas
Toledo -6 vs. Florida International, O/U 68.5
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise, Idaho
BYU -12 vs. Western Michigan, O/U 48.5
Saturday, Dec. 22
Birmingham Bowl, Birmingham, Ala.
Memphis -5 vs. Wake Forest, O/U 74
Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, Texas
Army -3 vs. Houston, O/U 67
Dollar General Bowl, Mobile, Ala.
Buffalo -4 vs. Troy, O/U 53.5
Hawaii Bowl, Honolulu
Louisiana Tech +1 at Hawaii, O/U 60
Wednesday, Dec. 26
First Responder Bowl, Dallas
Boise State -3 vs. Boston College, O/U 55
Quick Lane Bowl, Detroit
Georgia Tech -4 vs. Minnesota, O/U 60.5
Cheez-It Bowl, Phoenix
TCU pick ’em vs. Cal, O/U 40.5
Thursday, Dec. 27
Independence Bowl, Shreveport, La.
Temple -3 vs. Duke, O/U 56
Pinstripe Bowl, New York
Miami -4 vs. Wisconsin, O/U 47
Texas Bowl, Houston
Vanderbilt -3.5 vs. Baylor, O/U 55
Friday, Dec. 28
Music City Bowl, Nashville, Tenn.
Auburn -4 vs. Purdue, O/U 54.5
Camping World Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
West Virginia -1.5 vs. Syracuse, O/U 68.5
Alamo Bowl, San Antonio
Washington State -3.5 vs. Iowa State, O/U 54.5
Saturday, Dec. 29
Peach Bowl, Atlanta
Michigan -7.5 vs. Florida, O/U 51
Belk Bowl, Charlotte, N.C.
South Carolina -4 vs. Virginia, O/U 54.5
Arizona Bowl, Tucson, Ariz.
Arkansas State -1.5 vs. Nevada, O/U 60.5
Cotton Bowl, Arlington, Texas*
Clemson -11.5 vs. Notre Dame, O/U 55.5
Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens, Fla.*
Alabama -14 vs. Oklahoma, O/U 81
Monday, Dec. 31
Military Bowl, Annapolis, Md.
Cincinnati -7 vs. Virginia Tech, O/U 53.5
Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas
Stanford -6.5 vs. Pitt, O/U 52
Redbox Bowl, Santa Clara, Calif.
Oregon -3 vs. Michigan State, O/U 48
Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tenn.
Missouri -8 vs. Oklahoma State, O/U 74.5
Holiday Bowl, San Diego
Utah -7 vs. Northwestern, O/U 45
Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Fla.
Texas A&M -5 vs. NC State, O/U 58.5
Tuesday, Jan. 1
Outback Bowl, Tampa, Fla.
Mississippi State -6.5 vs. Iowa, O/U 44.5
Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
Penn State -6.5 vs. Kentucky, O/U 48
Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz.
LSU -7.5 vs. UCF, O/U 55.5
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Ohio State -6.5 vs. Washington, O/U 58
Sugar Bowl, New Orleans
Georgia -11 vs. Texas, O/U 58
