The Composite is here to help you pick the winners of all the bowl games, including the College Football Playoff matchups.
Welcome to the crapshoot that is bowl season.
We tried to give you one player to watch in each bowl game, but that can be difficult this time of year with the dizzying array of opt outs. This affects your betting tickets, along with trying to judge the team's motivations.
Who really wants to be in this bowl game? And who would much rather just start their offseason program? Which team fired its coach? Who’s on the skeleton bowl staff and were they too busy trying to figure out their future that they may have let a thing or two lapse during bowl practices?
We can give you the numbers, but a lot can change in the weeks between the regular season and bowl games.
Good luck this holiday season, but you’ve been warned.
Season: 342-384-6 (47.3%)
Check Bowl Game Odds at SI Sportsbook
Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Composite Best Bets
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The process behind the picks is briefly explained in my Week 1 column. Most of the time, the computer spits out something within one or two points of the real line (and at that point, sharp plays and whale plays are what’s moving the line anyway). But if the computer gives something more than three points, it’s worth a second look.
Favorites
-Coastal Carolina (-11) over Northern Illinois
-Fresno State (-11.5) over UTEP
-Oregon State (-7.5) over Utah State
-Minnesota (-3.5) over West Virginia
-Virginia Tech (PK) over Maryland
-Miami (-2.5) over Washington State
-Ohio State (-6) over Utah
Dogs
-Purdue (+4.5) over Tennessee
-Cincinnati (+13.5) over Alabama
-Michigan (+8.5) over Georgia
-Texas Tech (+9) over Mississippi State
DEC. 17
-Toledo (-10) over Middle Tennessee
-Coastal Carolina (-11) over Northern Illinois
DEC. 18
-Appalachian State (-3) over Western Kentucky
-Fresno State (-11.5) over UTEP
-UAB (+6.5) over BYU
-Liberty (-9) over Eastern Michigan
-Oregon State (-7.5) over Utah State (+7.5)
-Marshall (+5) over Louisiana
DEC. 20
-Tulsa (-9.5) over Old Dominion
DEC. 21
-Kent State (+3) over Wyoming
-UTSA (-2.5) over San Diego State
DEC. 22
-Army (-3.5) over Missouri
DEC. 23
-Central Florida (+6.5) over Florida
-Miami (Ohio) (-3) over North Texas
DEC. 24
-Hawaii (+7.5) over Memphis
DEC. 25
-Ball State (+4.5) over Georgia State
DEC. 27
-Western Michigan (-5.5) over Nevada
-East Carolina (+3) over Boston College (-3)
DEC. 28
-Auburn (-3) over Houston
-Louisville (-2) over Air Force
-Texas Tech (+9) over Mississippi State
-NC State (-1) over UCLA
-Minnesota (-3.5) over West Virginia
DEC. 29
-SMU (+2) over Virginia
-Virginia Tech (pick) over Maryland
-Clemson (+1.5) over Iowa State
-Oklahoma (-5) over Oregon
DEC. 30
-Pittsburgh (+2) over Michigan State
-North Carolina (-9) over South Carolina
-Purdue (+4.5) over Tennessee
-Pittsburgh (+2) over Michigan State
-Wisconsin (-7) over Arizona State
DEC. 31
-Cincinnati (+13.5) over Alabama
-Michigan (+8.5) over Georgia
-Miami (-2.5) over Washington State
-Boise State (-7.5) over Central Michigan
-Texas A&M (-5) over Wake Forest
JAN. 1
-Ole Miss (+1) over Baylor
-Ohio State (-6) over Utah
-Notre Dame (-2) over Oklahoma State
-Penn State (+2) over Arkansas
-Iowa (+3) over Kentucky
JAN. 4
-LSU (+1.5) over Kansas
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