College Football took a day off for the NFL to spotlight Christmas, and now they are back in full force on Friday. We’ve got three great matchups on tap in the GameAbove Sports Bowl, Rate Bowl, and First Responder Bowl. Let’s jump in, look at each game, and make our College Football Bowl picks and best bets for Friday, December 26th.
The GameAbove Sports Bowl kicks off at 1:00 ET to start the day from Ford Field in Detroit on ESPN. The Central Michigan Chippewas will face the Wildcats of Northwestern. Central Michigan will be without defensive lineman Kade Kostus and defensive end Michael Heldman. On the Northwestern side, it appears left tackle Caleb Tiernan and defensive end Anto Saka will be their opt-outs.
The Rate Bowl from Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, is next up on the docket. Kickoff for this match between the New Mexico Lobos and the Minnesota Golden Gophers is set for 4:30 ET on ESPN. New Mexico will be without stud defensive end Keyshawn James-Newby. The Golden Gophers will be without running back Darius Taylor, defensive tackle Deven Eastern, and defensive end Anthony Smith.
The nightcap at Gerald G Ford stadium in Dallas, Texas, is set for 8:00 ET also on ESPN. The First Responders Bowl will feature the Florida International Panthers taking on the UTSA Roadrunners. FIU will be without defensive backs Brian Blades II and Mister Clark. UTSA’s opt-outs are also on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive lineman Chidera Otutu and linebacker Shad Brooks Jr.
College Football Bowl Best Bets: Friday, December 26th
Central Michigan +10.5 (-110)
I believe Northwestern is the better team here, and in the end, their physicality will prevail and give them the win. But you can’t ignore how good this Chippewa team is at covering the spread. Over their last six games, they’ve gone 5-1. They are also getting their mobile quarterback, Angel Flores, back for this game. Flores should be able to keep Central Michigan in the game.
Minnesota -1.5 (-108)
This one is pretty simple. PJ Fleck is a good football coach, and he gets the job done. Fleck is 6-0 in Bowl Games with Minnesota. New Mexico has been impressive under first-year coach Jason Eck, shattering everyone’s expectations of the team. However, he’s taking a Mountain West team to do battle against Big Ten talent for a team that always takes the postseason seriously.
UTSA -4.5 (-122)
The Florida International Panthers haven’t been good on defense this season. They rank 105th in rushing defense success rate. They also allow 3.77 points per quality drive, ranking 94th in College Football. On the offensive side of the ball, it’s not much better. The Panthers check in at 104th in the nation in offensive EPA and 103rd in rushing success. UTSA is clearly the much better team, and it’s a surprise the line is this short.
