Our five days in a row of College Football Bowl game action continues with a little Thursday night action in the Xbox Bowl in Frisco, Texas. Missouri State and Arkansas State do battle in a border war. Kickoff for the Xbox Bowl is set for Thursday December 18th at 9:00 ET on ESPN2. Let’s take a look at this Bears-Red Wolves matchup and make our College Football Bowl best bets for Thursday, December 18th.
The Missouri State Bears are making their first appearance in a Bowl game, in just their first year at the FBS level. They went 7-5 overall and 5-3 in Conference USA. The only opt out of the game is the Bears starting center Cash Hudson, who is looking for some cash (pun intended) and has entered the transfer portal. Their coach Ryan Beard left to take the job at Coastal Carolina. Nick Petrino, the son of Bobby Petrino, will serve as the interim coach for this game.
Arkansas State went 6-6 on the season, also finishing conference play at 5-3 in the Sun Belt. The Red Wolves have no known opt outs at this time. They also hold the all-time series lead 3-0 over Missouri State. The last time these two teams met was back in 2015.
College Football Bowl Best Bets: Thursday, December 18th
Missouri State +1.5 (-115)
Missouri State was the favorite earlier in the week but the line has swung the way of the Red Wolves. Generally a coaching change has me leaning away from a team, but Nick Petrino is a solid pick here. It’s a huge accomplishment for the Bears to find their way into a Bowl game in their first season at the FBS level. It’s a great rallying point, and outside of the one player everyone is on board to see things through. In a College Football world where everyone is opting out, Missouri State is here to play, and you love to see it.
Their offense has also been lights out down the stretch. They’ve had success on the ground and through the air, and have put the points to accompany it. The Red Wolves defense has struggled, and their offense is going to have a hard time keeping up. Bears win this one outright.
