Best Bets: Bowl Szn

Every week, Rock M Nation will post the SEC betting lines for that week’s slate of games. DISCLAIMER: Rock M Nation is not an online gambling operator, nor a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only. None of the staff will be using this information for gambling purposes and are not liable for any losses incurred due to the analysis contained within.

I think it’s about time to chalk this one up as a “season from hell” for Best Bets. We went 1-2 last week with BB sitting at 23-25 and it seems like we just can’t get over the hump. We did rally a bit on our overall picks and finished the week 3-3 as always so we’re 48-48 on the season. Oh well, we never quit here at Rock M Nation so I shall persist until the bitter end. This week we’ll jump into some of the more fun bowl match ups and save the next round of playoff picks for next week. Here we go:

Best Bets

California vs. Hawaii (-1.5)

This one is for all us ball knowers who find ourselves building play sets, doll houses, and in my case, an entire god**** trampoline once the sun goes down on Christmas Eve. Watching football sure beats some cheesy Christmas movie while laboring for love, so you better bet I’ll have this one on through the window as I toil in the backyard. Other than enjoying the tropical islands in December, Cal doesn’t have a whole lot to play for. They’ve lost their coach and have a new one. I’m sure in a month the whole staff will be turned over as will half the roster. On the flip side, Hawaii has had their best season in at least a decade and are looking to finish strong, all the while sleeping in their own beds and not dealing with four-hour time changes. Give me the Warriors.

Georgia Tech (+4.5) vs. BYU

Both teams are feeling pretty disappointed in being in this game, even if it is the prestigious Pop Tarts Bowl. BYU feels (erroneously) that they belong in the playoffs while Georgia Tech had a late-season collapse leaving them out of the ACC championship game and their own shot at the playoffs. I’m taking the Jackets here because I think they will muck this game up enough to keep it close, even if they don’t ultimately win. It should be a fun, ugly, low scoring game, which is just how I feel after I house a few pop tarts myself.

Virginia (+4.5) vs. Missouri

This one may seem like a bit of copium, but I’m not feeling super confident in the Tigers’ chances in the Gator Bowl. If this was the regular season and both teams were playing with their full compliment of players, I’d pick Mizzou. But without Pribula, three of the team’s top pass catchers and the leading tackler, as well as the status of both leading pass rushers up in the air… this one sounds like it might not go Mizzou’s way. I think the Tigers are able to run the ball effectively enough to stay in the game and maybe even win a close one, but 4.5 points is too many to feel good about taking the good guys here.

Worth a look

New Mexico (+2.5) vs. Minnesota

Similar in some ways to the Hawaii Bowl, the Lobos are coming off one of their best seasons in years while Mid-esota is pretty meh as always. The Gophers are the more talented team but I think New Mexico comes out fired up and wanting to add a P4 skin to the wall.

Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina (+9.5)

The Pirates are another one of the surprise G5 teams of the year as they came out of obscurity to compete for an AAC championship game birth down the stretch. They aren’t a great team by any means, and Pitt certainly has more talent, but I don’t trust the Panthers’ offense to score enough points to blow out East Carolina. I think Pitt will win, but 9.5 points is a lot.

LSU vs. Houston (-2.5)

With the regime change already well in the works, I’m not quite sure what LSU has to play for in the Texas Bowl besides pride (and this squad hasn’t really shown a ton of that this season.) Houston has made a nice rebound under Willie Fritz (to no ballknower’s surprise) and this is a virtual home game for the Cougars. I’ll take UH to win by at least a field goal.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See sportsbook.fanduel.com for details.