College footbal betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Friday December 22, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
Ohio (-7.5) vs UAB, Bahamas Bowl
UAB didn’t even field a team the last two years, after briefly dropping the sport. Blazers went 6-2 in last eight games after a 46-43 loss to North Texas; UAB is 5-2 as an underdog this year, 5-1 in games with single digit spread. Ohio U lost its last two games after an 8-2 start; Bobcats are 5-3 as a favorite this year, 6-2 in games with a single digit spread. MAC teams are 5-18 in their last 23 bowls, but they’re 7-1 vs spread when opposing a C-USA team. MAC squads are 5-4 as a non-conference favorite this year. C-USA underdogs are 8-23 vs spread. UAB is in its 2nd bowl; they lost 59-40 to Hawai’i in the 2004 Hawai’i Bowl. Ohio lost its last three bowls, giving up 32 ppg; they’re 2-8 all-time in bowls. C-USA is 2-1 vs MAC in the Bahamas Bowl, with average total of 72.3— underdogs covered two of the three games.
Wyoming vs Central Michigan, Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise
Wyoming QB Allen (shoulder) missed last two games; Wyoming lost both, 13-7/20-17. He is expected to play here, to quiet doubts of NFL scouts. Cowboys were 7-3 when he got hurt; they are 5-1 vs spread this season in games with single digit spread. Wyoming lost its bowl 24-21 LY, its first bowl in five years. Central Michigan lost bowls the last three years, allowing 41.7 ppg; they lost 55-10 in a bowl LY. Chippewas won their last five games after a 3-4 start; they’re 5-3 vs spread in games with single digit spread- they scored 37.2 ppg in last five games. Underdogs won last three Potato Bowls SU; average total in last five, 69.2. Since 2011, Mountain West teams are 14-10 vs spread when playing a MAC opponent.
armadillosports.com
When: 12:30 PM ET, Friday, December 22, 2017
Where: Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau
Bahamas Bowl Preview: UAB vs. Ohio
BAHAMAS BOWL STORYLINES
1. Two years after the school shut down its football program amidst financial concerns, UAB won a school-record eight games to earn its second-ever bowl berth. The Blazers, guided by National Coach of the Year candidate Bill Clark, will face Ohio in the Bahamas Bowl on Friday, Dec. 22. UAB earned its invitation to the island paradise by finishing second in the West Division of Conference USA, thanks in part to a ground attack which produced 27 touchdowns.
2. Ohio finished second in the MAC's East Division, one game behind Akron. The Bobcats lost to the Zips 37-34 in the penultimate game of the regular season, snapping their four-game winning streak, and capped the campaign with another narrow setback at Buffalo. Despite the consecutive defeats to end the season, the speedy Bobcats still finished the slate ranked 14th in the nation in scoring with an average of 38.9 points.
3. Under Clark, who was named the conference's top coach, the Blazers went 6-0 at home and revitalized their fan base to lead the league in attendance. Defensive back Darious Williams earned All-American Honorable Mention laurels after leading the squad with five interceptions, including one pick in four straight games. Ohio is paced by dual threat quarterback Nathan Rourke, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more in a 45-28 win over Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 1.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Ohio -7.5. O/U: 57.5
ABOUT UAB (8-4, 6-2 Conference USA): The last time the Blazers played in a bowl game was in 2004, when they participated in the Hawaii Bowl, and getting back was not an easy endeavor after the program was shut down in 2014. Quarterback A.J. Erdely passed for 2,077 yards with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions while rushing for 289 yards and 13 more scores. Spencer Brown carried the ball 237 times for 1,292 yards and 10 TDs while Andre Wilson was the team's top receiver, hauling in 48 passes for 619 yards and six touchdowns.
ABOUT OHIO (8-4, 5-3 MAC): The Bobcats have won exactly eight games for three straight seasons but suffered bowl losses to Troy last campaign and Appalachian State two years ago. Rourke, who relished the time off to recover from several nagging injuries, racked up 2,018 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 882 yards and 21 scores. A.J. Ouellette finished the regular season with 980 yards and seven scores on 184 carries.
PREDICTION: UAB 30, Ohio 28
When: 4:00 PM ET, Friday, December 22, 2017
Where: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Preview: Central Michigan vs. Wyoming
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL STORYLINES
1. Will this be Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen's swan song? The rifled-armed 6-5, 233-pound junior had what many consider a disappointing season, completing just 141-of-251 passes (56.2 percent) for 1,658 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while also rushing for 207 yards and five scores on 84 carries. Although only an Honorable Mention All-Mountain West pick, Allen comes in at No. 6 on ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.'s top 20 list for 2018 NFL Draft prospects.
2. Will Allen, who missed Wyoming's final two games after spraining his right shoulder in a 28-14 win at Air Force on Nov. 11, be healthy enough to play? "The shoulder is getting better day to day," Allen told Wyosports.net on Dec. 5. "I've been getting back in the swing of things with some 7-on-7 and some plays in the team sessions the last couple days of practice. It felt good. (The shoulder) still isn't where I want it to be or it needs to be. There are some throws I still feel some pain, and some I don't feel anything." As far as skipping the bowl to avoid the possibility of further injury should he decide to turn pro, Allen said: "If I'm 100 percent, I'm playing in the game. I owe that to this university and to this team."
3. Which team can avoid turnovers? Both clubs thrived on forcing opponents to turn over the ball, with Central Michigan leading the FBS by creating 31 turnovers while Wyoming was right behind with 30. The Cowboys also had a turnover margin of plus-16, which was second-best in the FBS, while the Chippawas finished at plus-eight.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Wyoming -1
ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (8-4, 6-2 MAC): The Chips, who had a 45-27 nonconference win at Kansas of the Big 12, bounced back from a 3-4 start to earn their fourth straight bowl appearance after finishing second to eventual champ Toledo in the MAC's West Division. Sophomore running back Jonathan Ward (988 yards, nine touchdowns, 5.9 yards per carry) and senior wide receiver Corey Willis (42 catches, 625 yards, nine TDs) both were All-MAC Second Team picks while senior quarterback Shane Morris finished second in the conference in passing, completing 226-of-407 attempts for 2,908 yards with 26 TDs and 13 interceptions. Senior linebacker Joe Ostman (12 sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss) and defensive backs Amari Coleman (10 passes defended, three interceptions) and Josh Cox (six interceptions) lead a defense that ranks second in the FBS with 19 interceptions.
ABOUT WYOMING (7-5, 5-3 Mountain West): If Allen doesn't play, it could be a long afternoon for the Cowboys, who ranked 10th in the Mountain West in scoring (22.3 points) and last in rushing (107.8 yards). Backup quarterback Nick Smith struggled, completing just 54.1 percent of his passes (40-of-74) for 471 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in setbacks against Fresno State (13-7) and lowly San Jose State (20-17), which snapped a 10-game losing streak. Wyoming's defense was one of the best in the conference, allowing just 17.8 points and 332.8 yards while featuring three All-Mountain West First Team picks in defensive linemen Youhanna Ghaifan (five sacks, 13 tackles for loss) and Carl Granderson (7.5 sacks) and safety Andrew Wingard (111 tackles, four interceptions).
PREDICTION: Wyoming 17, Central Michigan 14
Friday's Best Bet
December 20, 2017
By Bookmaker
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Betting Preview
Central Michigan Chippewas vs Wyoming Cowboys
Friday, Dec. 22, 2017 - ESPN, 4:00 p.m. ET
Bettors are treated to an afternoon double-header of Bowl games on Friday with the Bahamas Bowl and Famous Idaho Potato Bowl going off back to back.
Both are quite attractive from a betting standpoint, but it's the latter half of that double-header that is the better game to get down on when push comes to shove.
This year's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on the “smurf turf” at Boise State pits a Central Michigan team from the MAC up against a Wyoming team that will be very comfortable in these unique surroundings and has one guy that is very eager to prove his level of skill on the national stage.
Bookmaker.eu Odds: Wyoming (-3); Total set at 46
Wyoming enters this game on a two-game losing streak as their NFL-bound QB Josh Allen missed those final two games with a shoulder injury. Allen entered the year as one of the top NFL prospects at the position because of all the physical attributes he's got, but he's not a household name playing in Wyoming, and he hasn't exactly lit the world on fire this year.
Allen hasn't really done anything to drastically reduce his draft stock this year, but he also hasn't done anything to drastically improve it either, and this Bowl game on the national stage is his final opportunity to gain some significant recognition in that regard. Allen should return under center for this game as he's had more than a month off since he last played, and chances are he will be looking to have his best game of the season.
Allen and his Wyoming teammates also have the added advantage of not having to travel far for this game in Boise, and given the notion that playing on blue turf can be a bit of an adjustment for some players, the fact that Wyoming has already played on this field this year has to help. Wyoming lost 24-14 to Boise State in mid-October and Allen didn't exactly have his best game with just 131 passing yards with 1 TD and 2 INT's.
He did run in the other TD the Cowboys scored that day, but Central Michigan's defense is not Boise State's and Allen and this Wyoming offense should have much more success on that side of the ball here. The Chippewas allowed 26.8 points per game on average and with Allen treating this like a personal showcase to improve his draft stock (and potentially make millions more the higher he goes), this may be the perfect opportunity for him to put all his highly touted attributes on full display.
Central Michigan isn't just here to be enhancement talent like they are in WWE, and they come into this game on a 5-0 SU and ATS run. Central Michigan scored 30+ in all five of those wins, but the MAC isn't a conference that's known for top defensive play, whereas Wyoming is a team that has its most success playing stout defense and riding Allen's coattails on offense.
The Cowboys have held five straight opponents to 20 points or less, and only once this year did a Wyoming opponent score more than 24 points against them. That was the high-flying Oregon Ducks back in Week 3, and if Wyoming's defense shows up too – which they should – that poses a significant problem for the Chippewas.
Central Michigan's four losses this year, both SU and ATS, came when they were up against talented defensive units as they scored 17 points or less in each one of those defeats. Wyoming's defense averaged 17.8 points allowed per game, so if those numbers do hold true, the Chippewas just might end up being that enhancement talent Allen and his Wyoming teammates are looking for. After all, the month off between games for Central Michigan probably killed most of the momentum they built during that winning streak, and if they can't score in bunches, losses tend to follow.
This line has already seen significant movement as it opened up in the pick'em range when Bowl games were announced and has moved to it's current number since then. I' ve started to see some push back on Central Michigan since starting this piece, but VegasInsider.com shows a 60/40 split in favor of the Chippewas and that's held consistent throughout the entire move. That signals to me that the initial move in favor of Wyoming is the one big bettors got down on early and the one that holds more respect in the oddsmakers eyes and I fully agree with it 100%.
Allen's return under center has a bit to do with that move as well, but with the guy essentially playing for his future in football, I do expect a great game from him and the rest of his offensive teammates looking to showcase his talent to the nation. Wyoming's defense will do what they do and hold the Chippewas offense at bay, and with Wyoming 6-2 ATS when coming off a loss and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 against a winning team, it's the Cowboys that should get the job done in a big way here.
Yet given the significant move on the spread, I'd suggest splitting up your wager in one of two ways. Either you buy a half-point or so to get this number under the critical -3, or you lay the -3 and also take a piece of Wyoming on the ML as well.
Odds per - Bookmaker.eu
Best Bets:
Wyoming -3 (-115)
Wyoming ML -160
Georgia defender enters treatment program, will miss College Football Playoff
Author Chip Patterson CBS Sports
Georgia will officially be without one of its more talented linebackers when it takes on Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff.
Junior Natrez Patrick, a key part of the Bulldogs linebacker rotation and starter in seven games this season, missed four games because of a suspension tied to an October arrest for misdemeanor marijuana possession. He was then cited for marijuana possession on Dec. 2, and while that charge was dismissed, an ensuing drug test resulted in a violation of his probation.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Patrick has resolved his probation violation and entered in-patient treatment. Patrick's lawyer told DawgNation on Thursday that he won't play in the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma, though no details were given regarding the type or length of the treatment.
"Natrez is receiving treatment for his personal issues and we look forward to the completion of that treatment so he can put this behind him," Patrick's attorney, Billy Healan, said. "This resolves all his legal matters."
Patrick was the team's second-leading tackler a year ago and -- even with the suspension -- finished sixth on the team in tackles with 35. Currently, the expectation is that after undergoing treatment Patrick will be back with the team in 2018, but the school offered little in terms of an official comment, citing confidentiality requirements.
As questions surround Florida State's bowl eligibility, Independence Bowl will go on
Author Chip Patterson
Florida State secured a bowl bid for a 36th consecutive season -- what the school boasts as an ongoing national record -- thanks to three straight wins to close out its schedule, concluding with a rescheduled game against Louisiana-Monroe on Dec. 2. The Seminoles rescheduled the game, which had been postponed indefinitely due to Hurricane Irma, to give the players a chance to play their way into the postseason and continue the streak. After beating Delaware State, Florida and ULM consecutively, the Noles received a bid to the Independence Bowl at 6-6.
But it's that 77-6 win against Delaware State that has been called into question, according to a report from Reddit College Football. After requesting and accessing a report from the school's statistics, Reddit found that Delaware State used 87 percent of its scholarship grants-in-aid over a two-year period. Schools are allowed to count one FCS win towards its six-win minimum for bowl eligibility, but that FCS school reportedly must have a 90 percent scholarship threshold.
It's a very specific, odd wrinkle in the rule for bowl eligibility, but given the lengths that Florida State took to become bowl-eligible, fans have been quick to point to this potential hiccup in the Seminoles' postseason status. Now what is being called a "monumental error" has resulted in Florida State having a bowl bid while Buffalo, Western Michigan and UTSA -- all bowl eligible -- are spending the holidays at home.
"This monumental error should have been caught at three levels: the school, conference and NCAA," a bowl industry source told college football insider Brett McMurphy. "It's too late to do anything now, they'll still play in the game. If it was funny, it would be a comedy of errors."
CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd reached out to Wright Waters, the executive director of the Football Bowl Association, who believes this situation "probably happens more than" fans and the media realize. He further notes that most schools do not face this issue among their six bowl-eligible wins because it is usually as simple as "someone in compliance making a phone call. Florida State should have verified it ... [and] they may have." It should be noted that the FBA has no jurisdiction on this matter.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Independence Bowl officials are saying the show will go on, regardless of this new information.
"This is a matter between the NCAA, Florida State and Delaware State. We're continuing preparations for our game," Stefan Nolet, media relations director for the Independence Bowl, told the Sentinel.
Florida State and the ACC did not respond to requests for comment from either the Sentinel or McMurphy.
The NCAA has an option to extend a waiver to Florida State due to extenuating circumstances, if any action is to be taken at all. At this point, as most of the reports have pointed out, it's too late to make any changes with the Independence Bowl, Florida State and Southern Miss all set for their Wednesday, Dec. 27 game in Shreveport.
CBS Sports