Even ugly bowls can be worthy of action

Five nights before Christmas, Brigham Young won a bowl and coach Bronco Mendenhall celebrated like the end of the world was near. He was one of the few who cared - about the bowl game.

I approached the 35-game bowl season with great anticipation, because more games mean more opportunities to win wagers, but this was just a bad football game on a boring Thursday night.

San Diego State was nursing a 6-3 lead in the fourth quarter until its quarterback, Adam Dingwell, turned into Mark Sanchez. Dingwell fumbled in the end zone, fumbled a snap and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Fans were booing and calling for Tim Tebow. Just like that, the Aztecs' dreams of winning the Poinsettia Bowl were flushed down the toilet bowl.

The Cougars, 3-point favorites, claimed a 23-6 victory. Defense still wins championships, at least in minor bowls. Three quarterbacks combined to throw six picks and no touchdown passes, so it was similar to watching a New York Jets practice.

"I guess a lot of people are getting put to sleep watching that one," LVH oddsmaker Jeff Sherman said.

I did not bet the game, which was a good thing because I leaned to the underdog. But when one game is isolated on the schedule, it will get bet, so the wagering handle on even the boring bowl games is not quite meaningless.

"It's like one of the lesser NFL games, if Jacksonville is playing Tennessee or something along those lines," Sherman said. "It's nothing to write home about."

But I'm writing about it anyway, because I still like the bowls, and 32 of them remain on the rotation.

"I know there are some unattractive matchups," Sherman said, "but there are some good matchups in the non-BCS bowls that should attract a lot of interest."

Most of those interesting bowls are scheduled after Christmas.

We keep hearing the end of the world is near, but I'm betting against that. After finishing the regular season 40-18-2 against the spread the last 11 weeks and taking a three-week break, I'll now roll through the bowls and highlight my best bets.

Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, Today

■ Ball State (+7) over Central Florida: The Cardinals, who scored 30 or more points 10 times this season, have an explosive offense led by quarterback Keith Wenning. Ball State has won six straight and is fired up to be in St. Petersburg, Fla. Knights coach George O'Leary won't be putting a point-spread cover on his resume, at least truthfully.

Holiday Bowl, Thursday

■ UCLA (-1) over Baylor: Off back-to-back losses to Stanford, this is a good spot for the Bruins to rebound and finish coach Jim Mora's first season on a positive note. The Bears rank No. 1 in the nation in total offense, but a more physical UCLA team can handle Baylor's finesse. The second bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego guarantees to be more entertaining than the first.

Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 29

■ West Virginia (-4) over Syracuse: It's doubtful defense will win this one. The Mountaineers offense features three future NFL stars - quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey - and all signs point to them outscoring the Orange.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Dec. 29

■ Texas Christian (-2½) over Michigan State: Gary Patterson wins bowl games, just like Mendenhall does at BYU, so TCU has the coaching edge. The Horned Frogs won four of their past five bowls. The Spartans were a disappointment this season, and nothing indicates that will change.

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31

■ Louisiana State (-4) over Clemson: The Tigers of the Southeastern Conference are too strong defensively for the Tigers of the weak Atlantic Coast Conference. Clemson lost to another SEC opponent, South Carolina, 27-17 in its home finale.

Heart of Dallas Bowl, Jan. 1

■ Purdue (+17) over Oklahoma State: Cowboys coach Mike Gundy has complained about his team drawing this lesser bowl, and that's not a good sign. The Boilermakers won their final three games to get to 6-6, and they are more motivated and improved with Robert Marve at quarterback.

Gator Bowl, Jan. 1

■ Northwestern (+2½) over Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were exposed as frauds, losing four of their last five games after beating up on weak opponents early in the season. Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald will be celebrating after the Big Ten gets a rare win over the SEC.

Rose Bowl, Jan. 1

■ Wisconsin (+6½) over Stanford: Barry Alvarez is returning to the sideline to coach the Badgers, who put 70 points on Nebraska. Alvarez is not coming back to get blown out. He will be well prepared, and he will roll with running back Montee Ball.

Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 3

■ Kansas State (+9) over Oregon: This game is a letdown for the Ducks. It appears coach Chip Kelly has one foot out the door on the way to the NFL. Bill Snyder might not get the coaching edge, but the Wildcats do have the better, more experienced quarterback in Collin Klein, who has accounted for 37 touchdowns and at least will keep this close.

I'll address Alabama-Notre Dame at a later date, assuming the world doesn't end this weekend.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts "The Las Vegas Sportsline" weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM, 98.9 FM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.