College football betting trends — Bowl games | Betting

Friday

Middle Tenn St. vs. Toledo (-10½, 50) (Bahamas Bowl): The Blue Raiders are 2-4 against the spread as underdogs this season after covering five of six when getting points last season. Middle Tennessee is 1-5 straight up and ATS in its last six bowl games. The Rockets won and covered their last three games and four of their last five. Edge: Slight to Toledo.

Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina (-10½, 63) (Cure Bowl): The Huskies are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games away from home. Northern Illinois has lost and failed to cover six straight bowl games. The Chanticleers were on a 12-4-1 spread run before dropping five of their last six games ATS. Coastal Carolina is 21-3 straight up since last season. All five away games for Coastal Carolina went under the total. Edge: Under and slight to Coastal Carolina.

Saturday

Western Kentucky vs. Appalachian State (-3, 67) (Boca Raton Bowl): The Hilltoppers are 9-4 ATS this season and had a five-game cover streak going into the Conference USA title game. The over is 9-4 in Western Kentucky games this season. Six of the last eight Mountaineers games went under the total. Appalachian State went 7-5 ATS this season after going 3-9 a year ago. The Mountaineers are 5-0 straight up and 4-1 ATS in bowls the past five seasons. Edge: Slight to over.

Texas-El Paso vs. Fresno State (-12½, 52) (New Mexico Bowl): The first bowl game for the Miners since 2014. UTEP has lost and failed to cover its last six bowl games since winning the 1967 Sun Bowl. The Miners lost four of the last five straight up and only covered two of those after breaking 6-1 from the gate this season. The Bulldogs are 9-3 straight up and 8-4 ATS this season and went 5-1 ATS away from home. Edge: Slight to Fresno State.

Alabama-Birmingham vs. Brigham Young (-7, 54½) (Independence Bowl): The Blazers covered their last three games and finished 8-4 ATS. UAB is 3-1 ATS as an underdog this year. Coach Bill Clark is 2-1 ATS in bowl games. The Cougars failed to cover their last four away games and five of their last six. BYU was 2-5 ATS in its last seven games. Cougars coach Kalani Sitake is 2-2 ATS in bowl games. Edge: UAB.

Eastern Michigan vs. Liberty (-9, 58½) (LendingTree bowl): Coach Chris Creighton is 0-3 straight up but 3-0 ATS in bowl games with the Eagles. The Flames cooled considerably, going 1-5 ATS in their final six games after a 14-3 spread mark in the previous 17. Edge: Eastern Michigan.

Utah State vs. Oregon State (-7, 67½) (LA Bowl): The Aggies went 10-3 straight up and 9-4 ATS this season including covers in all three nonconference games. They also went 7-0 straight up and 6-1 ATS on the road. The Beavers are 4-3 ATS as favorites this season. Edge: Utah State.

Louisiana (-5, 55½) vs. Marshall (New Orleans Bowl): The Ragin’ Cajuns dropped their first four games ATS away from home before winning and covering the last two. Louisiana is 11-16 ATS in its last 27 games on the board and failed to cover bowl games the last three seasons. The under is 17-6 in Ragin’ Cajuns games the last two seasons. The Thundering Herd have lost and failed to cover their last two bowl games but had covered their previous seven. Marshall covered four of its last six games this season, and the under was 6-2 in the team’s last eight games. Edge: “Under” and slight to Marshall.

Monday

Old Dominion vs. Tulsa (-9, 53½) (Myrtle Beach Bowl): The Monarchs closed the season with a rush, covering the last five games to finish 8-5 ATS for the season.The Golden Hurricane covered their last two games as favorites but finished 3-5 ATS in the role this season. Tulsa covered its last four games and is 10-2 ATS away from home since last season. Edge: Slight to Tulsa.

Tuesday

Kent State vs Wyoming (-3, 59) (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl): The Golden Flashes are 0-3 ATS against FBS-level nonconference foes this season and 1-6 ATS away from home. The Cowboys were 1-6-1 ATS in eight away games before late-season covers at Boise State and Utah State. Coach Craig Bohl is 3-0 ATS in bowl games with Wyoming. Edge: Slight to Wyoming.

Texas-San Antonio (-2½, 49½) vs. San Diego State (Frisco Bowl): The Roadrunners had won and covered five straight away from home until losing to North Texas. Texas-San Antonio is on an 11-4 spread uptick since late 2020. The Aztecs lost 27-0 to Ohio in this bowl in 2018. Edge: Texas-San Antonio.

Wednesday

Missouri vs. Army (-4, 57) (Armed Forces Bowl): The Tigers are 3-9 ATS this season and that is after covering three of their last four games. Missouri is 2-4 ATS as an underdog this season. Army coach Jeff Monken has covered his last three bowl games with West Point and is 3-1 straight up in bowl games with the Black Knights. Edge: Army.

Las Vegas handicapper Bruce Marshall is editor of The Gold Sheet (Goldsheet.com). He provides the Review-Journal with college football tech notes and trends. Follow @thegoldsheet on Twitter.