College Playoffs / Bowl Games Betting Info

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Re: College Playoffs / Bowl Games Betting Info

Friday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Pittsburgh (-3, 54) vs. Houston

Both these teams went through up-and-down seasons as Pittsburgh put together a 6-6 season, while Houston finished at 7-5. After losing its AAC opener to UCF, the Cougars won five of their final seven games in conference play, capped off by a 38-31 loss to conference co-champion Cincinnati. Sophomore quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. is settling in under center for Houston, coming off his seventh straight start in the defeat to Cincinnati, throwing for a career-best 360 yards. Houston’s best win this season came as a road underdog at Memphis in October, the only victory against a team that made a bowl.

The Panthers began the season at 3-0, then proceeded to lose six of their next seven games, but finished with back-to-back victories over Syracuse and Miami. Half of Pittsburgh’s wins came against bowl teams (Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College), but allowed at least 40 points in losses to North Carolina, Duke, and Georgia Tech. Running back James Conner racked up 1,675 yards this season on the ground, but never broke the 85-yard mark in the final three wins over UM, VT, and BC, while rushing for at least 220 yards in the losses to UNC and Duke.

Pitt has dropped two of its past three bowl games, but knocked off Bowling Green, 30-27 in last season’s Little Caesar’s Bowl. Houston fell short in last season’s BBVA Compass Bowl to Vanderbilt, 40-24, while playing in the Armed Forces Bowl for the third time since 2008 (1-1).

Iowa vs. Tennessee (-3½, 51½)

The Hawkeyes dropped three of their final four games to close the season, as Iowa looks to snap a two-game bowl skid. Iowa’s (7-5) last two losses came by a combined five points at home to Nebraska and Wisconsin, while blowing a 24-7 lead in an overtime setback to the Huskers. Kirk Ferentz’s club didn’t have many solid wins on its schedule, beating Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, and Illinois in Big Ten play, while all four conference losses came to bowl squads.

Tennessee (6-6) is playing in its first bowl game since 2010, even though half of its wins have come against SEC opponents. The Volunteers knocked off a pair of bowl teams at home to kick off the season against Utah State and Arkansas State, while rallying past South Carolina in overtime for its only signature SEC win. Dual threat quarterback Joshua Dobbs started the final five games for the Vols, throwing eight touchdown passes and rushing for six more scores (3-2 SU/ATS).

The Vols began the season at 4-1 to the ‘under’ in the first five games with a total of 50 or higher. However, UT went 2-0-1 to the ‘over’ in the final three chances with games above a 50 total, while scoring at least 45 points in two of those contests. Iowa cashed the ‘under’ in four of the opening five games, but went 5-1-1 to the ‘over’ to close the season.

UCLA (-1½, 59½) vs. Kansas State

The most intriguing matchup on Friday’s card takes place in the Lone Star State with an exciting Pac-12/Big 12 battle. UCLA (9-3) began the season as a team to compete for the inaugural four-team playoff, but back-to-back home losses to Utah and Oregon derailed any chance at a national title. The Bruins bounced back with five consecutive wins, while limping to the finish with a 31-10 home loss to Stanford. Jim Mora’s team failed to cover seven of their first eight games, but the Bruins put together a 3-1 SU/ATS record in the last four games of the season.

Kansas State (9-3) held its own in the Big 12 race alongside TCU and Baylor this season, but lost to both clubs in conference play. The Wildcats didn’t have many signature wins, as K-State edged Oklahoma in Norman, 31-30 as seven-point underdogs in October. Out of the five bowl teams that K-State beat this season, three of those teams were blasted in bowl action (Oklahoma, UTEP, and Texas).

The Wildcats snapped a five-game bowl skid in last December’s Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against Michigan in a 31-14 victory. UCLA is playing in its first-ever Alamo Bowl, while coming off a 42-12 blowout of Virginia Tech in last season’s Sun Bowl.

Oklahoma State vs. Washington (-6½, 56½)

The Cowboys (6-6) became bowl-eligible by rallying past Oklahoma, 38-35 in Norman as 21-point underdogs. Oklahoma State won five of its first six games, while dropping each of its next five contests prior to the win over the Sooners. In four losses during the five-game skid, the Cowboys scored 14 points or less, while freshman Mason Rudolph has been the man under center in each of the past two games. Rudolph averaged 277 yards passing in the two games against Baylor and Oklahoma, covering each time as heavy underdogs.

Washington (8-5) goes for its second straight nine-win season and the first in Chris Petersen’s tenure as head coach. The Huskies rolled to a 4-0 start in non-conference play, but slipped up in five of the first seven Pac-12 games before finishing strong with routs over Oregon State and Washington State. UW didn’t beat one bowl team this season, as its best victory is over an FCS school, Eastern Washington, who went 11-2 in the regular season.

Oklahoma State has won three of the past four bowls, but lost to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl last January, 41-31. Washington is playing in its fifth straight bowl, splitting the past four, while Petersen owns a 4-1 record in his past five bowl games as head coach of Boise State.

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Re: College Playoffs / Bowl Games Betting Info

Birmingham Bowl Preview
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

East Carolina and Florida had high hopes for the 2014 season. Both schools were close to having big seasons, but a series of gut-wrenching losses for each team has resulted in a trip to the Birmingham Bowl.

The Pirates and Gators will square off at Legion Field in the Iron City on Saturday at noon Eastern. ESPN will provide the telecast.

As of Friday afternoon, most betting shops had Florida (6-5 straight up, 6-5 against the spread) listed as a seven-point favorite with a total of 56. Gamblers can back ECU on the money line for a +200 return (risk $100 to win $200).

East Carolina (8-4 SU, 5-7) raced out to a 6-1 start in its first seven games, including wins at Va. Tech (28-21) and vs. North Carolina (70-41). The lone defeat came in a 33-23 loss at South Carolina as a 14-point underdog.

But on Nov. 1 at Temple, ECU's season took a turn for the worse. It couldn't overcome five lost fumbles, including a 63-yard scoop and score and lost 20-10 to the Owls despite owning a 428-135 advantage in total offense.

Twelve days later at Cincinnati, ECU allowed a late lead to slip away when the Bearcats made a 47-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. The Pirates wasted special performances from Breon Allen, Shane Carden and Justin Hardy.

Carden completed 35-of-61 passes for 425 yards and two TDs without an interception, while Hardy hauled in 15 receptions for 188 yards and one score. Allen rushed 12 times for 129 yards and one TD.

Ruffin McNeil's squad won its next two games and squared off with UCF in its regular-season finale at home. ECU trailed the Knights 26-9 early in the fourth quarter, only to battle back and take the lead behind three TD passes from Carden, who hit Hardy with a 13-yard scoring strike to put his team ahead 30-26 with 2:17 left.

However, on the game's final play, UCF attempted a Hail Mary and it was answered by Breshad Perriman, who gave the Knights a 32-30 win with the 51-yard TD catch.

Florida won three of its first four games with the lone defeat coming at Alabama by a 42-21 count. In a critical Week 7 showdown vs. LSU at The Swamp, the Gators led by 10 midway through the second quarter. They went ahead 24-20 with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter.

On LSU's ensuing drive, it converted a 3rd-and-25 play and eventually scored to go up 27-24 with 2:40 left. UF promptly marched into the red zone and in a third-and-goal situation, an easy TD pass was dropped by back-up TE Tevin Westbrook. Therefore, UF settled for a short field goal to tie the game.

Will Muschamp's team would get the ball back with time to get into field-goal range. With 24 seconds remaining, UF was on the fringe of LSU territory before Jeff Driskel was intercepted. The interception return set up a 50-yard field goal with three ticks remaining to lift LSU to an improbable 27-24 victory.

One week later, Florida allowed touchdowns by Missouri via a kick return, punt return, fumble return and a pick-six. The Tigers, who didn't get over 100 yards of total offense until the fourth quarter, easily won a 42-13 decision.

At that point, Muschamp's fate appeared to be sealed. But after an open date, Florida played inspired football in Jacksonville, smashing Georgia by a 38-20 count behind huge performances from RBs Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor. UF won the next week by cruising past Vanderbilt 34-10 as a 14.5-point road favorite.

With a 5-3 record, one that should've been 6-3 if not for the cancellation of the home opener vs. Idaho, Muschamp appeared to have a chance to keep his job if the Gators could run the table with wins vs. South Carolina, vs. Eastern Ky. and at FSU.

On Nov. 15 at The Swamp, UF took a 17-10 over the Gamecocks on a one-yard TD run by Jones late in the third quarter. Florida nearly went ahead by two TDs late in the final stanza, but a Treon Harris TD run was called back due to a holding penalty. Several plays later, UF could've gone ahead by two possessions, only to have a short field goal blocked.

Nevertheless, UF got a stop and had the ball with a chance to run the clock out. It went three and out, though, and was forced to punt with less than 30 ticks left. The punt got blocked, once again giving Steve Spurrier's team life. It took advantage, scoring with 12 seconds remaining after Mike Davis recovered his own fumble in the end zone.

After the Gators kicked a field goal for a 20-17 lead in overtime, South Carolina answered and ended the game on a Dylan Thompson four-yard TD run. Less than 24 hours later, Muschamp was fired with the Gators looking at a 5-4 record. If UF had beaten LSU and South Carolina and been allowed to play Idaho, it could've easily been 8-2 at that point.

In the regular-season finale at Florida St., Muschamp's last game as the head coach, the game went much like all of the games during Coach Boom's four-year tenure. Muschamp had a terrific defensive game plan, one that forced former Heisman winner Jameis Winston to throw four interceptions and finish with a career-low in passing yards.

Three of Winston's picks were in the first quarter, but the first two resulted in just field goals for UF. After the third interception, the Gators had a first-and-goal situation with a 9-0 lead, only to see all its momentum go up in flames with one ill-fated play.

Harris rolled out after a play-action fake and threw a short pass to Westbrook. You could argue that Harris might have put a little too much zip on the throw, but it hit Westbrook in the hands, just like Jeff Driskel's pass to him did in the end zone against LSU. Westbrook couldn't handle the throw, which bounced in the air and was intercepted and returned 94 yards for a TD.

Trailing 24-19 in the second half, the Gators missed two field goals. Still, they had the ball with a chance to win in the final two minutes. UF advanced into FSU territory thanks to a pass-interference call on a fourth-down incompletion. Facing 4th and 11 several plays later, Harris had DeMarcus Robinson wide open over the middle, but the freshman QB threw the ball behind him and Robinson couldn't make what would've been a spectacular catch.

Both teams are going to be without key players for various reasons. ECU lost leading rusher Breon Allen to a torn MCL at practice on Wednesday. Allen rushed for a team-best 869 yards and eight TDs, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Also, the Pirates' best defensive lineman Terry Williams and starting safety Domonique Lennon are 'out' after being ruled academically ineligible.

Florida won't have one of its best pass rushers, Bryan Cox Jr., who had hip surgery in December. Also, special-teams ace and sixth-year senior Andre DeBose chose not to play in the bowl game and to get on with the rest of his career. Finally, starting DT Darious Cummings didn't make the trip due to a violation of team rules.

The 'over' is 8-3 overall for UF, but the 'under' has cashed in two of its last three games. UF's games have averaged a combined score of 51.6 points per game.

Totals have been an overall wash for ECU (6-6), but the 'over' has hit in three of its last four games.

B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets

Florida went 0-2 ATS in a pair of games as single-digit favorites.

ECU went 2-0 ATS in two games as an underdog this year.

ECU has lost two of its three bowl games since McNeill took over for Skip Holtz. The one victory came last year, however, as the Pirates thumped Ohio 37-20 as 14-point 'chalk' at the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl.

Carden is the all-time leading passer in school history, passing alum and former Jacksonville Jaguar David Garrard earlier this season. Carden has 84 career TD passes compared to just 28 interceptions. Carden connected on 65.0 percent of his throws this season for 4,309 yards with a 28/8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Hardy came into his senior year already holding the record for receiving yards in ECU history. He padded his stats in 2014, catching 110 balls for 1,334 yards and nine TDs.

Harris orchestrated a comeback win for UF at Tennessee. He appeared poised to become the starter for the LSU game, but a sexual-assault allegation kept him out of uniform against the Tigers. He has started every game since then, however. The true freshman from Miami completed only 50.0 percent of his throws, but he took care of the ball for the most part with a 7/3 TD-INT ratio. Harris rushed for 291 yards and three TDs, averaging 4.5 YPC.

UF's Jones rushed for a team-best 817 yards and six TDs, averaging 4.9 YPC. He has announced his intention to declare for the NFL Draft after this game. Taylor rushed for 565 yards and six TDs, averaging 5.0 YPC.

Robinson led UF in catches (47) and receiving yards (774) and had seven TD receptions.

New Florida head coach Jim McElwain has hired a new defensive coordinator (Geoff Collins from Mississippi St.) and offensive coordinator (Doug Nussmeier from Michigan). It's not official yet but many reports have indicated that the next hire will be Randy Shannon, the former head coach at Miami who has been an assistant at Arkansas the last two years.

Main reason to watch UF-ECU: The matchup between Hardy and UF All-American CB Vernon Hargreaves III.