The bowl season is slowly heating up while the College Football Playoffs are nearing, so it’s the right time to take a closer look at the best wagers for Friday, December 27, 2019, when we’ll see five interesting games. Betting on the bowl games is always a special job, as schools from different conferences take on each other. Some teams will square off for the first time which is a case with Michigan State and Wake Forest in Pinstripe Bowl, so here are our best bowl bets for this Friday.
Pinstripe Bowl Game Info – Michigan State Spartans vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Time: Friday, December 27th @ 3:20 PM ET
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
Weather: 51 F Cloudy
TV: ESPN
Spread: Michigan State -3.5
Money Line: -180 | +160
Total: 50.0
Pinstripe Bowl Best Bet – Under 50.0 points at -110
The Michigan State Spartans barely made it to the postseason, finishing at 6-6 straight up while covering only three times in the process. They’ve been struggling mightily on the offensive end all season long, scoring just 22.0 points per game (107th in the country) on 362.6 total yards (101st). At least, the Spartans have been playing some tough defense, surrendering only 22.7 points per contest (35th) on 320.1 total yards (18th). Michigan State has won its last two games in the regular season to become bowl eligible, shutting down Rutgers 27-0 and Maryland 19-16.
On the other side, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons have dropped three of their last four games to finish 8-4 straight up and 5-6-1 ATS. They are 39th in the country in points scored per game (32.8) and 12th in total yards (473.4), while their defense is tied-78th in points allowed per game (29.2) and 79th in total yards (409.8). Junior QB Jamie Newman leads the way for the Demon Deacons with 2693 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while he also ran for 487 yards and six touchdowns. The Demon Deacons have been poor in November, but they are looking for the fourth straight bowl victory.
If they want to extend their postseason winning streak, the Demon Deacons will have to find a way to score against the Spartans’ stout defense, and it won’t be an easy task. The Spartans cannot improve a lot offensively even against Wake Forest’s fragile defense. But the Spartans can continue with a strong defensive performance and keep the Demon Deacons’ offense on the sidelines. Wake Forest played twice on the neutral site this season, and those two games went in the under, while the under is 5-2 in Michigan State’s last seven outings.
Holiday Bowl Game Info – USC Trojans vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Time: Friday, December 27th @ 8:00 PM ET
Location: SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, California
Weather: 44 F Clear
TV: FS1
Spread: Iowa -2
Money Line: +110 | -127
Total: 52.0
Holiday Bowl Best Bet – Under 52.0 points at -110
The USC Trojans finished the regular season on a high note, winning five of their last six games overall. They were averaging 37.3 points per game in that span, but the Trojans will have a tall task to post a bunch of points on the scoreboard in the Holiday Bowl. The Iowa Hawkeyes are one of the best defensive teams in the country, allowing only 13.2 points per game (5th) on 304.6 total yards (12th). The Hawkeyes are 99th in the country in points scored per game (23.8), but their tough defense should be enough against the Trojans.
USC relies a lot on QB Kedon Slovis who’s tossed for 3242 yards, 28 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Over his last three appearances, Slovis has thrown for at least 406 yards and four touchdowns. However, the Trojans’ ground game is poor, racking up just 126.2 yards per game (114th), and the Hawkeyes’ passing defense surrenders only 184.2 yards per contest (11th). Hereof, Kedon Slovis will have a mountain to climb in Holiday Bowl.
I expect the Hawkeyes to shut down the Trojans’ passing offense and control the clock. They should beat the Trojans and cover along the way, but I still think that betting on the under is a smarter move than taking the spread. The under is 8-2-1 in Iowa’s last 11 games overall, and none of these 11 contests had more than 51 points in the total.
Cheez-It Bowl Game Info – Air Force Falcons vs. Washington State Cougars
Time: Friday, December 27th @ 10:15 PM ET
Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona
Weather: 43 F Partly Cloudy
TV: ESPN
Spread: Air Force -3
Money Line: -140 | +120
Total: 68.5
Cheez-It Bowl Best Bet – Air Force Falcons -3.0 at -110
A couple of completely different teams will square off in the 2019 Cheez-It Bowl. While the Air Force Falcons rely on their terrific ground game and a solid defense, the Cougars lean mostly on their QB Anthony Gordon who became the first guy in Pac-12 history to toss for more than 5000 yards. Washington State is 1st in the country in passing yards per game (444.3). However, the Cougars’ one-dimensional offense shouldn’t be enough against the Falcons, while their ground game is the second-worst in the nation with only 72.5 yards per contest.
Air Force is enjoying a wonderful season, finishing the regular part at 10-2 straight up and 7-5 ATS. The Falcons’ triple-option attack racks up 293.0 rushing yards per game (3rd in the country), while their defense surrender just 19.8 points per contest (20th). Also, the Falcons are 39th in the nation in passing yards allowed per outing (208.1). On the other side, the Cougars’ run D is 79th in the country with 170.0 yards allowed per game, and Washington State surrender 31.4 points per contest (tied-94th).
The Falcons will carry the pigskin as much as they can, and I don’t see how the Cougars will slow them down. Air Force should have enough defensive firepower to cope with Anthony Gordon and his talented receiving corps, so I expect the Falcons to win Cheez-It Bowl and cover the spread. They are 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS in the last seven outings.
