The final day of the non-playoff College Football Bowl games is here. It’s been an exciting run of Bowl games in 2025, and now we’ll cap it all off here in 2026. Friday brings us four Bowl games, starting with a 1:00 ET kickoff and running through the rest of our day. Let’s dive in and take a look at the College Football Bowl best bets for Friday, January 2nd.
Up first is the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. It’s a Texas-sized showdown at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas between two Texas-based teams. Rice takes on Texas State. Rice will be without wide receiver Drayden Dickmann, and Texas State will be without running back/kick returner Jaylen Jenkins. Both have entered the transfer portal.
The afternoon game is the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Kick time for this one is at 4:30 ET on ESPN. This game pits Navy, fresh off its Commander-in-Chief Trophy win over Army against the Bearcats of Cincinnati. The Bearcats will be without star quarterback Brenden Sorsby, running back Tawnee Walker, safety Christian Harrison, and defensive back Tayden Barnes among others.
It’s an evening double header with the final two games both kicking off at 6:00 ET. This one will air on FOX. Arizona and SMU face off in the Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium in beautiful San Diego, California. SMU got good news about quarterback Kevin Jennings who has decided to return for his senior season and plans to play Friday night. Arizona will be without offensive guard Michael Wooten, who has entered the transfer portal.
Alongside the Holiday Bowl will be the Duke’s Mayo Bowl also at 6:00 ET, this one will be on ESPN. The ACC’s Wake Forest Demon Deacons will take on the SEC’s Mississippi State Bulldogs. Wake will be without wide receiver Christopher Barnes and defensive lineman Mateen Ibirogba. Mississippi State won’t have safety, Tony Mitchell.
College Football Bowl Best Bets: Friday, January 2nd
Navy -7 (-109)
This one is pretty cut and dry. Cincinnati is without a lot of players and a lot of key players at that. Just missing quarterback Brenden Sorsby is huge, but there are a lot of holes for this team to fill. Add to that that Navy is at full strength and Blake Horvath is an absolute stud. Navy’s option running ability is tough for any team to defend, but their added passing game ability with Horvath seals the deal for me in this one. The Midshipman roll.
Wake Forest +3.5 (-115)
This Wake Forest and Mississippi State matchup may be one of the best Bowl games of the year, so fitting we get it as one of the last ones. This should be a good and close game, so that makes me lean toward the dog no matter who it is. Kamario Taylor the Mississippi State quarterback is a towering 6’4” 230lbs. He bullied the Georgia defense on the ground earlier this year, and if the Bulldogs lean into that on Friday, it’ll keep them in this one.
