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**TheGame** · 01-02-2014, 10:40 AM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

NCAAF Bowl Previews
Insiderangles.com

Cotton Bowl – Oklahoma State vs. Missouri (-1) - This contest is one of the better matchups among the non-BCS bowls, although that is also contingent on both teams showing up as both would have been automatic BCS qualifiers if they had won their last game. As things shook out, Missouri is probably the more disappointed team though as, with Oho State losing on Championship Saturday, the Tigers would have been in the BCS Championship Game of they would have gotten by Auburn. Also, Oklahoma State has almost always shown nice bounce-back ability, as evidenced by the following trend. Oklahoma State is 12-2 ATS in its last 14 games following an ATS loss.

Orange Bowl – Clemson vs. Ohio State (-2½) - Yes, Ohio State was undefeated in two years under Urban Meyer before running into Michigan State, but its defense looked very vulnerable this year well before that loss and that side of the ball could prove costly vs. the potent Clemson offense in this fourth BCS bowl. A then undefeated Clemson team was criticized and called “overrated” for getting blown out at home by Florida State for its first loss, but that loss did not look quite as bad with the Seminoles going on to destroy all comers every week. Clemson finished 12th in the country in total offense with 502.9 yards per game as well as 21st in total defense. ACC bowl underdogs (Clemson) are 39-23-2, 62.9 percent ATS since 2000.

**TheGame** · 01-02-2014, 10:40 AM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

OKLAHOMA ST (10 - 2) vs. MISSOURI (11 - 2) - 1/3/2014, 8:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
MISSOURI is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all games this season.
MISSOURI is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
OKLAHOMA ST is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) after playing a conference game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA ST is 1-0 against the spread versus MISSOURI over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA ST is 1-0 straight up against MISSOURI over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

CLEMSON (10 - 2) vs. OHIO ST (12 - 1) - 1/3/2014, 8:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 155-113 ATS (+30.7 Units) in all games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 155-113 ATS (+30.7 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 129-94 ATS (+25.6 Units) as a favorite since 1992.
OHIO ST is 115-80 ATS (+27.0 Units) in games played on a grass field since 1992.
OHIO ST is 77-53 ATS (+18.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

OKLAHOMA STATE vs. MISSOURI
Oklahoma State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Missouri
Oklahoma State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Missouri is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma State
Missouri is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma State

CLEMSON vs. OHIO STATE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Clemson's last 6 games
Clemson is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games
Ohio State is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Ohio State's last 8 games

Oklahoma St at Missouri
Oklahoma St: 13-4 ATS off 1 or more straight overs
Missouri: 2-10 ATS in road games off an upset loss as a favorite

Clemson at Ohio State
Clemson: 2-8 ATS after having won 8 or more out of their last 10 games
Ohio State: 33-16 ATS after 1 or more consecutive straight up losses

**TheGame** · 01-02-2014, 08:24 PM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Clemson looks for respect
By Sportsbook.ag

Orange Bowl

Matchup: Clemson (10-2 SU, 6-6 ATS) vs. Ohio State (12-1 SU, 6-6-1 ATS)
Venue: Sun Life Stadium
Location: Miami, Fl.
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Ohio State -3, 69.5

Falling one game short of a national championship berth, No. 7 Ohio State will have to regroup and prepare to take on No. 12 Clemson in the Orange Bowl, featuring two of the nation’s most prolific offenses.

The Buckeyes averaged 46.3 PPG this year (3rd in FBS), scoring at least 30 points in every single game this season. Their lone loss of the year came in the Big Ten Championship to Michigan State, when they fell 34-24. Between that and a narrow victory against Michigan, they gave up 37.5 PPG over their past two contests.

The Tigers scored 40.2 PPG (9th in nation), running one of the most effective pass offenses in the country (329 YPG 11th in FBS). They also lost their most recent game, falling 31-17 at in-state rival South Carolina, while their other defeat came to No. 1 Florida State (51-14 on Oct. 19). Overall, the Tigers went 7-5 ATS this season, including 3-1 ATS in their final four games.

As an underdog, they were 1-2 ATS. Ohio State finished 7-6 ATS, going 0-4 ATS in their final four contests. Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer is 38-11 ATS (78%) in all non-conference games he has ever coached, while Dabo Swinney is 12-3 ATS against good rushing defenses (allowing 120 rushing YPG or less) as the head coach of Clemson.

The only time these programs met was the 1978 Gator Bowl, when Clemson won 17-15.

The Clemson passing offense continues to flourish with 8.7 YPA on 68.4% completions. That’s all credit to another solid season for senior QB Tajh Boyd (3,473 pass yards, 9.3 YPA, 29 TD, 9 INT), who completed 67.6% of his passes. Two of those picks came in the loss to South Carolina, but in the three games prior to that, he exploded for 1,005 passing yards, 12 TD and just 2 INT. He also added 273 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, despite averaging only 2.0 YPC.

His top target is future NFL first-round pick, junior WR Sammy Watkins (85 catches, 1,237 yards, 10 TD), who can create a big play at any moment with his vertical speed. Watkins has at least 90 receiving yards in nine of 12 games this year. Junior WR Martavis Bryant (39 catches, 800 yards, 5 TD) also made big plays, averaging a hefty 20.5 yards per reception.

On the ground, RB Roderick McDowell (956 rush yards, 5.4 YPC, 5 TD) should break the 1,000-yard mark this game after a solid season taking advantage of defenses that key in too much on Boyd. McDowell ran for 111 yards on just 14 carries (7.9 YPC) in the loss to South Carolina.

Defensively, the Tigers were decent against the run, allowing 153 YPG on just 3.7 YPC, and opponents completed only 52.4% of their passes (45.9% in away games) for 198 passing YPG against a unit that yielded 21.1 PPG (17th in nation). But Clemson will be hard-pressed to keep the Buckeyes below 30 points.

Ohio State’s offense is built more on the ground, where it averaged 317.5 rushing YPG, third-most FBS. The Buckeyes scored 42 rushing touchdowns, with both RB Carlos Hyde (1,408 rush yards, 7.7 YPC, 14 TD) and QB Braxton Miller (1,033 rush yards, 6.8 YPC, 10 TD) both eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. Hyde accomplished that feat that after missing the first three games of the year, rushing for more than 110 yards in each of his final eight games, breaking 200 yards in a game twice in the past four contests.

Miller, who missed two games due to injury this year, ran for more than 140 yards in each of his past four games, averaging 156 rushing YPG on 9.4 YPC with 8 TD. But the junior is also an efficient passer, completing 63.2% of his throws for 1,860 yards (8.1 YPA), 22 TD and 5 INT. He also missed some time this year due to injury. WRs Philly Brown (55 receptions, 10 TD) and Devin Smith (42 receptions, 8 TD) were his top targets, tying for the team lead with 655 receiving yards each.

While the Ohio State defense was stingy against the run, yielding a mere 103 YPG on 3.1 YPC, the pass defense often struggled, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 60.5% of their attempts for 260 YPG (6.8 YPA). The Buckeyes hope to capitalize on a turnover-prone Clemson team with 20 giveaways in its past eight games, including six in its most recent game, but they have forced only two turnovers in past three contests combined.

**TheGame** · 01-02-2014, 08:25 PM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Boys, Tigers clash in Cotton
By Sportsbook.ag

Cotton Bowl

Matchup: Oklahoma State (10-2 SU, 8-4 ATS) vs. Missouri (11-2 SU, 10-2-1 ATS)
Venue: AT&T Stadium
Location: Arlington, TX
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Oklahoma State -1.5, 61

Former Big 12 rivals square off in Friday's Cotton Bowl as No. 13 Oklahoma State faces No. 9 Missouri in Arlington, TX.

The Cowboys went into their final regular season game with a chance to win the Big 12 and earn a BCS berth. However, a loss to rival Oklahoma gave the conference title to Baylor, and put OSU into the Cotton Bowl. Despite that loss, the Cowboys (8-4 ATS) still had an impressive season, and they have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball.

Last season, Missouri struggled to a 2-6 conference record in its first season in the mighty SEC, but head coach Gary Pinkel has turned the club around, going 11-2 (both SU and ATS), and won the SEC East before falling 59-42 in the title game to Auburn. But Pinkel has led the Tigers to a 15-3 ATS mark (80%) after a loss by 17+ points in his tenure with the school.

However, Mike Gundy has posted a 50-22 ATS mark (69%) when favored as the head coach of Oklahoma State.

These former conference rivals have split their past 10 meetings (SU and ATS) since 1995, but the Cowboys won each of the past three matchups (SU and ATS), including a 45-24 blowout win at Missouri when they last met in 2011. Both teams have great offenses, combining for 78.8 PPG and 933 total YPG, making the key to winning the Cotton Bowl being which team can make the stops on defense.

The Cowboys throughout the years have been known as an offensive juggernaut, and this season was not any different. Oklahoma State ranks 13th in the nation in scoring (39.8 PPG) behind a balanced offensive attack that gains 269 passing YPG on 7.5 YPA and 172 rushing YPG on 4.4 YPC. Senior QB Clint Chelf (1,792 pass yards, 7.7 YPA, 15 TD, 6 INT) regained his starting job after struggling early in the season, and has the ability to make plays with both his arm, as well as his legs, rushing for 321 yards (6.1 YPC) and six touchdowns.

He has a terrific duo on the outside, as WRs Tracy Moore (44 catches, 638 yards, 6 TD) and Josh Stewart (52 catches, 623 yards, 2 TD) complement each other very well. Moore is a big, strong receiver that is able to make the tough catches over the middle of the field, while Stewart is a dynamic player that has the ability to make people miss in the open field and take the ball the distance.

The ground game is propelled by RBs Desmond Roland (745 rush yards, 4.7 YPC, 12 TD) and Jeremy Smith (442 rush yards, 3.8 YPC, 9 TD), who combined for 186 rushing yards in the last game versus Oklahoma. However, what has made Oklahoma State better this season is the vast improvement of the defense (20.0 PPG, 12th in nation), a unit that has been the weakness for the Cowboys in the past few seasons.

This year, OSU has allowed 378 total YPG, broken down into 246 passing YPG (5.9 YPA) and 133 rushing YPG (3.5 YPC). The star on defense is senior CB Justin Gilbert (40 tackles) who has six interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. While he is a terrific defensive player, he is equally as dynamic in the return game. But he'll have his hands full with the tall and athletic Missouri wideouts.

Gilbert figures to see a lot of time against guys like long-named Missouri WRs Dorial Green-Beckham (55 catches, 830 yards, 12 TD) and L'Damian Washington (47 catches, 853 yards, 10 TD) who stand 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4, respectively. The man that feeds the large receivers is senior QB James Franklin (2,255 pass yards, 8.1 YPA, 19 TD, 5 INT) who has made terrific strides throughout his career at Missouri, leading his team to 39.0 PPG (16th in nation) on 257 passing YPG (39th in FBS) and 237 rushing YPG (16th in nation). He used to be known as a scrambler, but while he still has the ability to run and make plays (474 rush yards, 4.5 YPC, 4 TD) defenses have to worry about him throwing the ball downfield. But he will be looking for redemption from that 2011 loss to Oklahoma State when he finished 14-of-27 for 184 yards, 1 TD and 3 INT.

With Green-Beckham and Washington grabbing a lot of the focus of opposing defenses, senior RB Henry Josey (1074 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns with an average of 6.6 yards per carry) has had a terrific year. Josey has had a tough career having to battle with multiple ACL injuries, but he didn't show any signs of injury when he last faced the Cowboys in 2011, rushing for 138 yards on 25 carries (5.5 YPC).

On defense, Missouri allows just 22.5 PPG (29th in FBS), but allows 407 total YPG 255 passing YPG (6.5 YPA) and 152 rushing YPG (4.2 YPC). In the SEC title loss to Auburn, the Tigers surrendered 545 rushing yards on 74 carries (7.4 YPC), plus 132 more yards through the air. But they have forced at least one turnover in all 13 games this year, totaling 29 takeaways.

**TheGame** · 01-02-2014, 08:31 PM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

AT&T Cotton Bowl: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Missouri Tigers (+1.5, 61.5)

AT&T COTTON BOWL STORYLINES:

1. Perhaps the best non-BCS matchup of the bowl season comes in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, where former conference rivals No. 13 Oklahoma State and No. 9 Missouri square off Jan. 3 in Arlington, Texas. Both teams were one win away from BCS berths - or in the Tigers' case, perhaps a spot in the national championship game. The Cowboys won the last three meetings when the teams were Big 12 foes after Missouri had won four of the previous five.

2. Expect a shootout from two of the best, most balanced offenses in the nation as Oklahoma State averages 39.8 points and Missouri 39. The Tigers boast a better ground game, but both teams can hurt opponents with the run or the pass.

3. The turnover battle is always critical, but particularly so when each team's success is as reliant on winning it as these two. Oklahoma State has 30 takeaways and is plus-15 in that department, while Missouri has forced 29 turnovers and is plus-16. The Tigers have a streak of 43 consecutive games with at least one takeaway - the longest current streak in the FBS.

LINE: Missouri opened as 1.5-point faves, but a big swing now has them as 1.5-point dogs. The total has gone up slightly from 60.5 to 61.5.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (10-2, 8-4 ATS): The Cowboys rotated quarterbacks early in the season but have settled on senior Clint Chelf as their man, and with good reason. Chelf has passed for 1,792 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while adding 321 yards and six TDs on the ground at a clip of 6.1 yards per carry. The Cowboys are tough against the run - tied for 22nd nationally at 132.9 yards allowed per game - and have a lockdown cornerback in All-American Justin Gilbert, who should be able to neutralize one of Missouri's stable of dangerous receivers.

ABOUT MISSOURI (11-2, 10-2-1 ATS): The Tigers were quietly one of the best running teams in the SEC thanks to three running backs who each have more than 500 yards on the ground and quarterback James Franklin (474 yards, four touchdowns). If the Cowboys manage to bottle up Henry Josey (1,074 yards, 13 TDs), Russell Hansbrough (660, four) and Marcus Murphy (571, nine), they'll still have to contend with Franklin and Missouri's bevy of talented - and tall - receivers led by Dorial Green-Beckham (55 catches, 830 yards, 12 TDs) and L'Damian Washington (47, 853, 10). Missouri's defense had a great season with All-America defensive end Michael Sam leading the way, but the Tigers were gashed for 677 total yards - 545 on the ground - in their 59-42 loss to Auburn in the SEC Championship game.

TRENDS:

* Oklahoma State is 4-1 ATS in its last five meetings.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Road team is 5-1 ATS in its last six meetings.
* Missouri is 10-2-1 ATS in its last 13 games overall.

**TheGame** · 01-02-2014, 08:31 PM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Discover Orange Bowl: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

Clemson Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (-3, 69.5)

DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL STORYLINES:

1. Ohio State was 60 minutes from having the opportunity to play Florida State for the national championship, but will have to settle for another ACC opponent when it faces Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl on Jan. 3 at Miami's Sun Life Stadium. The seventh-ranked Buckeyes saw their BCS title hopes evaporate with a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game, but coach Urban Meyer does not view a matchup with the No. 12 Tigers as a consolation prize. “I think the minute the Orange Bowl selected Ohio State, the mood changed real fast in Columbus, Ohio,” Meyer said. "Every team in America wakes up in August and wants to go play in a BCS bowl game. We're one of the few that gets to do that, so we're honored to be here.”

2. Like offense? The scoreboard operator figures to be working overtime as two of the nation's most explosive attacks square off. Both squads average more than 40 points and are led by elite quarterbacks in Ohio State's Braxton Miller and Clemson's Tajh Boyd. Miller is more of a dual threat as evidenced by his 1,033 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing, while Boyd possesses the ability to run but prefers to utilize a vaunted passing game headed by the dynamic Sammy Watkins. Miller is joined in the backfield by Carlos Hyde, giving Ohio State the nation's third-best rushing offense (317.5 yards) to try and counter an aerial assault that is No. 12 nationally with an average of 329.3 yards.

3. Seeing its unbeaten season and national title chances squelched in its last game, there is an obvious potential for a letdown factor for Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes were not permitted to play in a bowl game last season due to NCAA violations and have been mocked for not being championship-worthy because of the perceived weakness of the Big Ten overall. Clemson, which also lost its season finale to intrastate rival South Carolina, will want to erase the memory of its last game on the national stage - when the Tigers were embarrassed at home by Florida State 51-14 in October. "This is an opportunity for us again to measure up against one of the best teams in the country," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

LINE: Ohio State opened at 3-point faves, moved to -2 then back to -3. The total opened at 67 and has moved up to 69.5.

WEATHER: There is a 14 percent chance of rain with an 18 mph wind blowing across the field.

ABOUT CLEMSON (10-2, 6-6 ATS): Boyd failed to throw a touchdown pass for only the second time this season in the 31-17 loss to South Carolina, but the senior finished with 3,473 yards, 29 scoring passes and a completion percentage of 67.6. Watkins, projected to be the top receiver selected in the 2014 NFL Draft, hauled in 10 TD passes and had seven 100-yard games on the way to his second 1,200-yard season. The duo gets to attack a pass defense that ranked 11th in the Big Ten (259.5 yards) and surrendered over 300 yards to five opponents in a league not known for quarterback play. “Clemson will probably give us the biggest challenge we've had all year," Meyer said. "We've had some struggles on defense.” Clemson's defense ranked 49th nationally against the run (152.6) yards and will be hard-pressed to contain Miller and Hyde.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (12-1, 6-6-1 ATS): Miller had 22 touchdown passes against only five interceptions but a concern for the Buckeyes was a final four-game stretch in which he failed to complete 45 percent of his passes on three occasions, including an 8-for-21 effort for 101 yards against Michigan State. Swinney pointed to only one number when studying Miller. “The biggest thing is he's a winner," Swinney said. "When you can count on one finger how many losses you have, you're pretty good." The 240-pound Hyde sat out the first three games while serving a suspension but still wound up with 1,408 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns while averaging 7.7 yards a pop. Wideouts Philly Brown and Devin Smith are Miller's top targets - each had 655 yards receiving and combined for 18 scoring receptions - while the oft-maligned defense did tie for first nationally with 40 sacks.

TRENDS:

* Clemson is 2-6 ATS in its last eight bowl games.
* Ohio State is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Under is 7-2 in Clemson's last nine bowl games.
* Under is 4-0 in Ohio State's last four bowl games.

**TheGame** · 01-03-2014, 09:51 AM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Discover Orange Bowl: Clemson vs Ohio State
Chuckedel.com

The Orange bowl will feature two of the nation's most exciting offenses, the pair combing to score an average of 80 points per game. Both have enigmatic signal callers, who were Heisman candidates at one point this season before falling in the race. Both teams also allowed just 21 points a game to opponents, setting up what promises to be one of the best games of the bowl season.

Tahj Boyd came into the season as one of the top rated QBs, and upheld that position all season. He was able to complete 67.6% of his passes for 9.3 yards per attempt, while converting 40% of his third down attempts with just a single turnover on third down. However, his fourth quarters were a big departure, when he posted just a 51.5% completion rate, was -1 in touchdowns to interceptions, and averaged just 6.9 yards per attempt. With as many big plays as the Clemson offense had, Boyd should not have had any struggles. Sammy Watkins could be one of the first receivers off the board in April if he declares, averaged 14.6 yards per catch ans totaling 1237 yards with ten touchdowns. He had 22 receptions of at least fifteen yards, and converted 75% of his third down receptions. Martavis Bryant is a receiver that should get more looks, averaging 20.5 yards per catch this season and going eight for nine on his third down catches. The offensive line held up well, allowing just a 9.9% pressure rate, while helping a run game get to 4.1 yards per carry. Roderick McDowell took 177 of the team's carries for 956 yards, which he should be able to hit the thousand yard mark this season. McDowell is especially hot right now, averaging over six yards a carry in November and scoring three touchdowns.

The Ohio State offense is truly run based. Carlos Hyde multiple times this season saved the team, starting with a brilliant performance against Northwestern. Hyde was an electric runner, totaling up 7.7 yards per carry and scoring 14 touchdowns, while averaging 5.1 yards per carry in the redzone. Starting with that Northwestern game, he rushed for at least 110 yards per game, and failed to average more than five yards per carry just once (against Wisconsin). Braxton miller took the next highest carry total as a QB, carrying the ball 153 times for 1033 yards. He also scored ten touchdowns, and was 80% in converting third and short carries. Miller was pretty good through the air as well, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt on his 231 dropbacks. He threw only five interceptions, and converted 40.5% of his third down attempts despite completing only 50% of those passes. The passing game though was never really explosive, averaging just 11.8 yards per catch, ranking 82nd in passing plays over fifteen yards.

Clemson's defense allowed just at 5 yards per play this season, and forced 26 turnovers. Spencer Shuey lead the charge for the Tigers, with 89 tackles, 5.5 of them for loss. The Tigers allowed just 3.7 yards per carry on the ground, and only allowed four teams all season to do better than four yards per attempt. Their 19 touchdowns surrendered is also somewhat misleading, since it was just the pair of teams from Georgia that scored 9 of them. The pass defense was just as solid, allowing only 52.4% of the passes to be completed, while allowing just twelve touchdowns through the air. Bashaud Breeland was the best player in the secondary, leading the team with four interceptions and defending ten passes while totaling 52 tackles.

The Buckeyes defense was exceptionally good against the run, allowing just 3.1 yards per carry. Only eight touchdowns were scored against them on the ground, thanks largely to Ryan Shazier's 16.5 tackles for loss against the run. Shazier amassed seven more sacks while also garnering 135 tackles with four passes defended and four forced fumbles. Noah Spence lead the charge against opposing passers with 7.5 sacks and four more QB hurries. However, Spence is now suspended for an undisclosed rule, so the pass rush could falter a bit. That will certainly make it tougher on Bradley Roby, who defended 13 passes to lead the team's pass defense, with Doran Grant defending 10 more. Their work though wasnt enough as the Buckeyes allowed 60.5% of passes to be completed for seven yards per attempt with 26 touchdowns through the air.

Clemson has been just about as good as everyone expected them to be this season, but they had a pair of huge games where they came out flat and got beaten up badly. Ohio State thoroughly outclassed a down Big Ten, but had a let down themselves in the championship game to lose a shot at the national title. If Tahj Boyd can keep his composure, the Tigers could keep the game within hand. And without the pass rush of Spence, he should be able to. Clemson wins a nail biter.

**TheGame** · 01-03-2014, 09:52 AM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Missouri
Chuckedel.com

Matchup: Oklahoma State vs. Missouri
Line: Oklahoma State -1. Total 62.5

Key Points for Oklahoma State

-Cowboys cornerback Justin Gilbert, who is also an extremely good kick returner, has six interceptions and two defensive touchdowns this season.
-Clint Chelf has had an up and down career but really found himself as this season wore on. After sharing duties with J.W. Walsh behind center, Chelf took control and solidified himself as the clear starter.
-What's been missing from OK State in the last ten years has been a dominating defense. That's all changed this season as Mike Gundy's defense ranks 11th in the FBS in yards allowed per-play.

Key Points for Missouri

-It will be important for their big, physical receivers such as Dorial Green-Beckham (55 catches, 830 yards, 12 TD) and L’Damian Wahsington (47 catches, 853 yards, 10 TD) to make an impact in this game.
-Tigers running back Henry Josey came back from a season ending knee injury to have a 1,000-yard season in 2013. Josey is the heart and soul of this Tigers offense.
-James Franklin is the mirror image of Clint Chelf. He can also make plays with his legs, but does most of his heavy lifting through the air.
-The Auburn game was an anomaly for the Tigers. The 59 points they gave up were more than the total they had allowed in their previous four games combined. This is an even more impressive stat considering they played Texas A&M and Ole Miss in that stretch. They'll have to revert back to their early success if they want to beat OK State.

Prediction: A true coinflip, I'd lean Missouri based on the inconsistencies of Clint Chelf.

**TheGame** · 01-03-2014, 09:52 AM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Bowl Breakdown
By Mike Rose
VegasInsider.com

Cotton Bowl - Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Missouri Tigers

Opening Line: Missouri -1

We have no doubt that these are two of the best 10 teams in the country this year, as both of these clubs missed out on chances to play in the BCS on the final day of the regular season. The Cowboys, who have dominated in their last three bowl games, lost to Oklahoma in Bedlam and then perhaps got screwed out of an at large bid to the show anyway, while Missouri lost in the wild SEC Championship Game against Auburn, who will go on to play for all of the marbles. These clubs are quite familiar with each other having played against one another in the Big XII for years before Missouri's move, so there could be some bad blood spilling over in Arlington.

Orange Bowl - Clemson Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

Opening Line: Ohio State -2½

OSU had to think that it was set to be playing against another team from the ACC this year, but it lost the Big Ten title game and has been relegated to the Orange Bowl. Urban Meyer is a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS in BCS bowl games, while Clemson's only trip to the BCS ended with a brutal loss to West Virginia here in the Orange Bowl. QB Tajh Boyd will want to make amends in his last collegiate game for sure.

**TheGame** · 01-03-2014, 09:53 AM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Cotton Bowl

Missouri-Oklahoma State used to be Big 12 rivals before Tigers jumped to SEC; Cowboys won/covered last three meetings, last of which was 45-24 two years ago. SEC teams are 9-1 vs Big X in last ten Cotton Bowls; oddly, only Big X win during that time was Missouri’s 38-7 (-3) win over Arkansas six years ago, but now Mizzou is an SEC team- they missed out on bowls LY after going 5-7 in first SEC season, but are 3-2 in last five bowls (favored in all five)- they’re 4-4 in bowls under Pinkel. OSU won last three bowls while scoring 36-41-58 points; they crushed Purdue in Heart of Dallas Bowl LY, same area as this game, but playing BCS bowl in JerryWorld should be exciting for team that recruits mainly in Texas. Oklahoma State is 5-4 as a favorite, 4-0 vs spread in games with single digit pointspread; Mizzou is 2-0 as a dog, winning both SU, 6-2 in games with single digit spread. Favorites won/covered last four Cotton Bowls, all of which were decided by 14+ points.

Orange Bowl

Ohio State gave up 34+ points in three of last four games (0-4 ATS), losing shot at national championship game with 34-24 loss to Michigan State in Big Dozen title game. Buckeyes are 6-6 vs spread as favorites, 2-1 if spread was single digits. Meyer is 7-1 SU/ATS in bowl games; this is his first for OSU, which wasn’t allowed to play in bowl LY- they’ve been underdog in four of last five bowls, going 2-3. Swinney is 2-3 as bowl coach, with dogs covering four of the five games; Tigers upset LSU as 6-point dog in Atlanta LY. Tigers are 1-2 as underdogs this year, beating Georgia, losing to Florida State/South Carolina; those were also only three games they played this year with single digit spread. Clemson scored 38+ points in eight of ten wins. Underdogs are 5-3 vs spread in last eight Orange Bowls, 4-2 SU in last six, with last five all decided by 10+ points; Clemson (-3) lost 70-33 to West Virginia here two years ago. Am wary of disappointed Buckeye squad that had eyes on national title game but gave up 603 TY to Michigan in game before losing conference title game.

**TheGame** · 01-03-2014, 10:25 AM

Re: Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Friday's Bowl Tips
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Cotton Bowl - Oklahoma State vs. Missouri

As of early this morning, most betting shops had Oklahoma St. (10-2 straight up, 8-4 against the spread) installed as a one-point favorite with a total of 62.5.

Missouri (11-2 SU, 10-2-1 ATS) won the SEC East by a one-game margin over South Carolina thanks to a pair of late-season wins at Ole Miss (24-10) vs. Texas A&M (28-21). However, the Tigers came up on the short end of a 59-42 decision against Auburn at the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.

The Mizzou offense couldn’t be faulted at the Ga. Dome. James Franklin threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns, while Henry Josey ran for 123 yards on just nine carries. Franklin rushed for 62 yards, including a five-yard TD scamper to pull his team to within 45-42 with nine seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Oklahoma St. is also coming off a downer performance, losing at home in the Bedlam game to Oklahoma by a 33-24 count. The Cowboys gave up a 27-24 advantage to the Sooners on a seven-yard TD pass with 19 ticks left. They had gone ahead with 1:46 remaining on a one-yard TD plunge from Desmond Roland, who rushed for 144 yards and two scores against OU.

OSU finished 12 in the nation in scoring, averaging 39.8 points per game. Roland rushed for a team-high 745 yards and 12 TDs. Clint Chelf threw for 1,792 yards with a 15/6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has a pair of dangerous WRs in Tracy Moore and Josh Stewart. Moore had a team-high six TD catches, while Stewart had a team-best 52 receptions.

Franklin missed four consecutive games with a separated shoulder but still threw for 2,254 yards with a 19/5 TD-INT ratio. He also ran for 474 yards and four scores. Gary Pinkel may also use Maty Mauck, who had a 10/2 TD-INT ratio. The Tigers might have the nation’s best group of WRs with Green-Beckham, L’Damian Washington and Marcus Lucas. Green-Beckham and Washington had 12 and 10 TD catches, respectively.

Josey has run for a team-high 1,074 yards and 13 TDs while averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He shares carries with Russell Hansbrough (660 yards and four TDs) and Marcus Murphy (571 yards for nine scores).

When these schools met two seasons ago in their last encounter as Big 12 rivals, Oklahoma St. won 45-24 as a 6.5-point road favorite. The Cowboys have won four of the last five head-to-head meetings both SU and ATS. The ‘under’ is also 4-1 in the last five OSU-MIzzou games.

The ‘under’ is 7-4-1 overall for Oklahoma St., 3-0-1 in its last four games.

The ‘over’ is 7-6 overall for Mizzou, but the ‘under’ has cashed in four of its last six games.

FOX will have the telecast at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Orange Bowl - Ohio State vs. Clemson

As of early this morning, most spots had Ohio State (12-1 SU, 6-6-1 ATS) listed as a three-point ‘chalk’ with the total in the 70-71 range. Gamblers can back the Tigers on the money line for a +135 return (risk $100 to win $135). For first-half wagers, the Buckeyes are favored by one with a total of 35.

Clemson (10-2 SU, 6-6 ATS) saw its four-game winning streak snapped in a 31-17 loss at South Carolina in its regular-season finale. The Tigers have now lost five in a row to their in-state rivals by double-digit margins. They committed five turnovers, as QB Tajh Boyd was intercepted twice without throwing a TD pass.

Clemson is hoping to avoid the type of result it got in a trip to the Orange Bowl two seasons ago. That’s when CU took woodshed treatment from West Va. in the form of a 70-33 clubbing as a three-point favorite.

Boyd became the school’s all-time leading passer as a senior. He threw for 3,473 yards with a 29/9 TD-INT ratio. Sammy Watkins returned to his 2011 form by catching 85 balls for 1,237 yards and 10 TDs.

Ohio St. is coming off its first defeat under Urban Meyer at the Big Ten Championship Game. The Buckeyes lost 34-24 to Michigan St. as 5.5-point favorites. OSU failed to cover the number for the fourth consecutive time, while the 58 combined points went ‘over’ the 53.5-point number on a 26-yard TD run by the Spartans with 2:16 remaining.

Ohio St. is led by senior QB Braxton Miller, who ran for 142 yards and two TDs against Michigan St. For the season, Miller had a 22/5 TD-INT ratio and 10 rushing scores.

Ohio St. RB Carlos Hyde 1,408 yards and 14 TDs while averaging 7.7 YPC. He also had a pair of TD receptions. Philly Brown led the Bucks in receiving with 55 catches for 655 yards and 10 TDs.

Ohio St. has been a single-digit favorite three times, going 1-1-1 ATS. The push came in a 31-24 home win over Wisconsin, while the lone spread cover came on the worst wrong-side winner of 2013 in a win at Northwestern.

Clemson has been an underdog three times, compiling a 1-2 record both SU and ATS. The Tigers opened the season with a 38-35 win over Georgia as 1.5-point underdogs. They got blasted at home by FSU (51-14) as five-point ‘dogs and lost in Columbia as previously mentioned. -- The ‘over’ is 7-5 overall for Clemson, 4-2 in its last six games.

The ‘over’ is 9-4 overall for the Buckeyes, 6-2 in their last eight games.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

Announcement

Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

Friday College Football Bowl Betting Info. 1/3/2014

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