NCAAFB Betting News, Match-Ups and Trends For Saturday 12/22/18

Birmingham Bowl
Wake Forest is in its 3rd straight bowl, winning 34-26/55-52 in previous two; Memphis is in its 5th straight bowl, losing last three while allowing 34.3 ppg. Wake scored 50+ points in four of its six wins- they’re 1-4 scoring less than 27 points. Deacons are 11-4-1 vs spread in last 16 games as an underdog, 1-2 this year. Memphis won four of its last five games after a 4-4 start; they ran ball for 400+ yards in last two games, 200+ yards in last eight games. Wake held five of last six opponents under 200 rushing yards. Tigers are 11-5 in last 16 games as a favorite, 6-1 this year. Last four years, AAC teams are 17-11 vs spread when playing an ACC opponent. Three of last four Wake games stayed under total; five of last six Memphis games went over. Favorites are 5-1 vs spread in this bowl last six years, with average total of 62.2 in last five.

Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth
Houston QB King is out for this game. Service academies are 2-3 in this game the last six years; average total in last four is 82.5. Army won its last eight games after losing in OT at Oklahoma Sept 28; they outgained Sooners 379-355, running ball for 339 yards. Cadets did get held under 300 TY in three of last four games; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five games as a favorite. Houston lost three of last four games after a 7-1 start; they gave up 45 points in all four losses this year. Star DE Oliver left team to prep for NFL Draft, which leaves a void. Navy ran for 344 yards vs Cougars, which is a red flag. Houston is in its 6th straight bowl; they lost 34-10/33-27 in last two; they won this bowl in 2014. Army is in 3rd straight bowl, winning 38-31ot/42-35 in last two- they won this bowl LY. Three of last four Army games stayed under total; five of last six Houston games went over.

Dollar General Bowl, Mobile, AL
Sun Belt team beat the MAC team in this bowl four of last five years (underdogs 3-2 vs spread) with average total of 64. Troy won this game two years ago. Buffalo is in its third bowl, its first since 2013; Bulls lost 38-20/49-24 in first two bowls. Bulls’ coach Leipold won six national titles in D-III, this is his first D-I bowl. Troy is in its 3rd straight bowl, winning last two 28-23/50-30- their last two bowl losses were both in OT. Troy is 9-3, but scored 12-10 points in last two games; under Brown, Trojans are 9-3-1 as underdogs, 1-1-1 this year. Buffalo is 10-3, losing MAC title game 30-29; Bulls are 5-3 vs spread this year in games with single digit spread- they’re 1-3 this season when scoring less than 30 points. Four of last five Buffalo games went over total; three of last four Troy games stayed under.

Hawai’i Bowl
Louisiana Tech is in its fifth straight bowl, winning the last four while scoring 45.3 ppg; Hawai’i is in its second bowl since 2010; Rainbows (+7) beat MTSU 52-35 in this game two years ago. Underdogs are 4-3 vs spread in this bowl last seven years, winning last two SU. Average total in this bowl last three years is 65.3. Louisiana Tech lost three of its last four games after a 6-2 start; Tech is 4-3 SU on road this year, with two losses to SEC teams; they’re 14-4 in lat 18 games as road underdogs, 4-1 this year. Hawai’i is 4-2 at home vs I-A teams this year; Rainbows are 7-0 when they score 30+ points, 1-5 when they don’t. These teams last played in 2011; Hawai’i won last two meetings. Since ’12, Mountain West teams are 13-11 vs spread when playing C-USA teams. Tech’s last five games stayed under the total.

Saturday's Early Bowl Tips
December 21, 2018
By Brian Edwards

**Memphis vs. Wake Forest**

-- These teams will collide at Legion Field at noon Eastern on Saturday for the Birmingham Bowl. ESPN will provide the telecast.

-- As of early Friday, most books had Memphis (8-5 straight up, 8-5 against the spread) installed as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 73. Some books had moved the number to three with a -120 price tag attached to it. The Demon Deacons were +140 on the money line (risk $100 to win $140).

-- Memphis won’t have star RB Darrell Henderson, who has elected to turn pro and sit out in order to stay healthy for the NFL Draft. Henderson is second in the nation in rushing yards (1,909). He averaged 8.9 yards per carry and rushed for 22 touchdowns. Henderson also had 19 receptions for 295 yards and three TDs.

-- Henderson’s absence will mean more touches for Patrick Taylor Jr., who had a helluva season himself. Taylor rushed for 1,012 yards and 15 TDs with a 5.7 YPC average. He also caught 16 balls for 196 yards and one TD.

-- Mike Norvell went with Arizona St. grad transfer Brady White as his starting QB this year. White completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 3,125 yards with a 25/8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His favorite target is Damonte Coxie, who has 66 receptions for 1,104 yards and seven TDs. White has another elite weapon in versatile WR/RB Tony Pollard, who has produced 4,542 all-purpose yards in three seasons with the Tigers. Pollard had 1,359 all-purpose yards this season, rushing for 443 yards and five TDs with a 7.3 YPC average. He has 39 catches for 458 yards and three TDs.

-- Memphis won the AAC’s West Division by closing the regular season with four straight wins both SU and ATS. Then in the AAC Championship Game at undefeated UCF, the Tigers raced out to a 38-21 halftime lead. However, their offense went stagnant in the second half – much like when UCF rallied to win 31-30 at Memphis during the regular season – and the Knights won a 56-41 decision as one-point home favorites. Henderson rushed 16 times for 210 yards and three TDs in the losing effort, scoring on runs of 62 and 82 yards in the first half. Henderson also had a four-yard TD pass on a trick play. Taylor had 118 rushing yards and one TD on 15 attempts, while Pollard ran for 45 yards on six carries. White completed 17-of-29 throws for 178 yards with zero TDs and one interception. The Tigers gave up 698 yards to UCF’s electric offense.

-- Memphis went 2-1 both SU and ATS in three games as single-digit favorites this year.

-- Memphis is bowling for a fifth consecutive season, but the Tigers have lost three postseason games in a row. Since Norvell took over for Justin Fuente, his team has lost 51-31 to Western Ky. in the 2016 Boca Raton Bowl and dropped a 21-20 decision to Iowa St. at the 2017 Liberty Bowl.

-- Memphis is ranked fourth in the nation in total offense, third in rushing yards and seventh in scoring with its 43.6 points-per-game average. The Tigers have struggled on the other side of the ball, though. They’re ranked 84th in the country in total defense, 98th at defending the pass, 73rd in run defense and 92nd in scoring ‘D’ (31.5 PPG).

-- Wake Forest (6-6 SU, 4-8 ATS) won each of its last three road games as underdogs to get bowl eligible. Dave Clawson’s squad won 56-35 at Louisville as a 2.5-point ‘dog, then captured a 27-23 win at N.C. St. (in a Thursday night game on a short week) as a 19.5-point puppy and closed the regular season with a 59-7 victory at Duke as a 9.5-point ‘dog. Junior RB Cade Carney blasted through the Blue Devils’ defense for 223 rushing yards and two TDs on 31 carries. Sophomore QB Jamie Newman connected on 18-of-23 passes for 177 yards and four TDs without an interception. Newman also had 50 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Sophomore WR Greg Dortch, who was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2017, had 10 receptions for 124 yards and one TD.

-- Wake Forest is in the postseason for the third straight season. From 2009-2015, the Demon Deacons had seven straight losing seasons and went bowling just once. Clawson went 3-9 in each of his first two seasons, but he led Wake to 7-6 and 8-5 records in 2016 and ’17, respectively. The Deacs have won both bowl games on Clawson’s watch, beating Temple 34-26 as 12-point underdogs at the 2016 Military Bowl. Then in last year’s wild Belk Bowl affair, they won a 55-52 decision over Texas A&M as three-point ‘chalk.’

-- Wake Forest posted a 3-6 record both SU and ATS in nine games as an underdog.

-- Newman started the last three games after starting QB Sam Hartman went down with a season-ending injury. Hartman had thrown for 1,984 yards with a 16/8 TD-INT ratio. Newman has completed 62-of-101 throws for 755 yards with an 8/3 TD-INT ratio. He has 156 rushing yards, one TD and a 3.8 YPC average. Newman is hoping to have his best WR Dortch, who is ‘questionable’ due to an injured finger. Dortch has 89 receptions for 1,078 yards and eight TDs. Sage Surratt has 39 catches for 568 yards and three TDs, while Alex Bachman has 30 grabs for 370 yards and six TDs.

-- Carney has rushed for a team-best 954 yards and eight TDs while averaging 5.4 YPC. Matt Colburn has 739 rushing yards, five TDs and a 5.1 YPC average.

-- Wake Forest junior cornerback Amari Henderson is listed as ‘questionable’ with an undisclosed issue. Henderson started nine games, recording 42 tackles, eight passes broken up and 0.5 tackles for loss.

-- The ‘over’ has hit in five of the Tigers’ past six games to improve to 8-5 overall. Their games have averaged combined scores of 75.2 PPG.

-- The ‘over’ is 7-5 overall for the Deacs, but they’ve seen the ‘under’ go 3-1 in their past four outings. Their games have averaged combined scores of 65.8 PPG.

**Houston vs. Army**

-- These teams are set to square off in the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Ft. Worth, TX. As of Friday, most spots had Army listed as a five-point favorite with a total of 60. The Cougars had +180 odds to win outright (risk $100 to win $180).

-- Army (10-2 SU, 6-4-2 ATS) brings an eight-game winning streak to Texas. Jeff Monken has his team bowling for a third straight season and with its second straight 10-win campaign. The Black Knights have won both bowls on Monken’s watch, including a 42-35 triumph over San Diego St. as 6.5-point underdogs at last year’s Armed Forces Bowl. In 2016, they beat North Texas 38-31 in overtime but failed to cover as 11-point ‘chalk.’

-- Army lost its opener 34-14 at Duke as a 14-point underdog and took its only other ‘L’ in overtime at Oklahoma. The Sooners slipped past the Black Knights 28-21 as 30-point home favorites.

-- Monken’s club was a single-digit favorite six times this year, going 6-0 SU and 2-2-2 ATS.

-- Army is off a 17-10 win over Navy as a seven-point favorite. QB Kelvin Hopkins threw for 61 yards and ran for 64 and two TDs on 18 carries. The defense limited the Midshipmen to 208 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers.

-- Hopkins has completed 48-of-90 passes (53.3%) for 956 yards with a 6/3 TD-INT ratio. He also has 852 rushing yards, 12 TDs and a 4.3 YPC average. Darnell Woolfolk has a team-high 885 rushing yards and 14 TDs with a 4.2 YPC average. Jordan Asberry has nine receptions for 197 yards and three TDs.

-- Army beat three bowl-bound opponents, including a 28-21 home win over Hawaii, a 42-13 win at Buffalo and a 37-22 win at Eastern Michigan.

-- Houston (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS) started the season 7-1 with its only loss coming in a 63-49 setback at Texas Tech in non-conference play. However, the Cougars lost three of their last four games both SU and ATS, including a 52-31 loss at Memphis that decided the AAC West on Nov. 23.

-- Houston lost star QB D’Eriq King to a season-ending knee injury in its 48-17 win over Tulane as a 7.5-point home favorite on Nov. 15. King had enjoyed a spectacular year, completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 2,982 yards with a 36/6 TD-INT ratio. He also ran for 674 yards and 14 TDs with a 6.1 YPC average.

-- UH head coach Major Applewhite went with true freshman QB Clayton Tune in place of King at Memphis. Tune completed 18-of-43 passes against the Tigers for 256 yards and three TDs with one interception. In four games, Tune has connected on just 38-of-85 throws for 565 yards with a 7/2 TD-INT ratio. He will make his second career start vs. Army.

-- Houston is in the postseason for a program-record sixth straight time. The Cougars are 2-3 both SU and ATS in their past five bowl games, including a 33-27 loss to Fresno St. as two-point favorites at last year’s Hawaii Bowl.

-- Houston will be without all four of its starting defensive linemen when it faces the nation’s second-best ground attack. Ed Oliver is sitting out to stay healthy for the NFL Draft and is expected to be a Top-10 pick in the first round. Oliver played in eight games this year, producing 54 tackles, 11.5 TFL’s, three sacks, nine QB hurries, two PBU and one forced fumble. For his career, he had 193 tackles, 54 TFL’s and 13.5 sacks in 33 games. The Cougars will also be sans Jerard Carter, Payton Turner and Isaiah Chambers.

-- Tune might not have two of the team’s best wideouts, as Keith Corbin (undisclosed) and Courtney Lark (knee) are both listed as ‘questionable.’ Corbin has 39 catches for 669 yards and a team-best 10 TDs, while Lark has 32 grabs for 509 yards and five TDs. Also, WR Bryson Smith is ‘out’ for undisclosed reasons. Smith has 30 receptions for 285 yards and four TDs, in addition to rushing for 84 yards on 18 carries. Smith is also UH’s primary return guy on special teams. He has returned 12 punts for 93 yards and has 126 yards on six kickoff returns.

-- Houston RB Terrence Williams (228 rushing yards, 1 TD & 5.7 YPC) is ‘questionable’ for undisclosed reasons.

-- Houston’s leading rusher is Patrick Carr, who has 816 rushing yards and five TDs with a 5.7 YPC average. The Cougars’ top WR is Marquez Stevenson, who has 67 receptions for 947 yards and nine TDs.

-- UH was only an underdog once this season in the non-cover at Memphis. The only other ‘dog situation since Applewhite took over prior to the 2017 campaign came at USF last year where the Cougars beat the Bulls 28-25 as 10.5-point ‘dogs.

-- The ‘over’ hit in five of UH’s last six regular-season games to improve to 8-4 overall. The Cougars have seen their games average combined scores of 80.8 PPG.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (6-6) for the Black Knights, but they’ve seen the ‘under’ go 3-1 in their past four games. Their games have average combined scores of 47.7 PPG.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- With Kyle Shurmur set to complete his eligibility in Vandy’s bowl game vs. Baylor, it looks like Derek Mason has found his next QB for the 2019 campaign. Ball St. QB Riley Neal will head to Nashville as a grad transfer and be able to play right away. Neal has 7,393 career passing yards and a 46/25 career TD-INT ratio. As I’ve stated repeatedly, Shurmur is vastly underrated and enjoyed fantastic junior and senior seasons for the Commodores.

-- Michigan RB Karan Higdon has joined teammates Rashan Gary and Devin Bush as Wolverines who will skip the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl vs. Florida on Dec. 29 in order to stay healthy for the NFL Draft.

-- According to multiple reports, Ohio St. is the frontrunner to land Georgia QB Justin Fields, who elected to transfer late last week. Fields was a five-star dual-threat QB when he signed with UGA last fall.

-- According to a report on Thursday, Urban Meyer will teach a class at Ohio St.’s business school this spring. The class is about….. (wait for it…..) “integrity and leadership.” OSCAR!!! What a joke! Only in America…

Memphis Tigers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview and Predictions 2018-12-22

BIRMINGHAM BOWL STORYLINES

1. Memphis and Wake Forest will meet for the first time since 1967 when they face off in the Jared Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 22 in Birmingham, Ala. The Tigers finished first in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference but fell in the title game 56-41 to unbeaten UCF. The Demon Deacons were tied for fifth in the ACC Atlantic Division and became bowl-eligible with a 59-7 win over Duke in their regular-season finale.

2. Darrell Henderson is Memphis' top offensive threat and is one of the best running backs in the nation, recently being named to the Walter Camp All-America first team. The 5-9 junior rushed for 1,909 yards on 214 attempts for an average of 8.9 yards per attempt while scoring 22 touchdowns. Wake Forest allowed 191.3 rushing yards per game during the regular season, ranking 91st in FBS.

3. Wake Forest will be without its top quarterback as freshman Sam Hartman has been declared out. Hartman, who injured his leg in early November against Syracuse, missed the final three regular-season games with sophomore Jamie Newman taking his place. Newman isn't the downfield passing threat Hartman is and finished the season with 755 passing yards on 101 attempts and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 8:3.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN. LINE: Memphis -5.

ABOUT MEMPHIS (8-5, 5-3 American): The Tigers will be looking to alleviate the sting from their setback to UCF in the title game where Memphis had jumped out to a 24-7 lead in the first quarter. They'll try to do so by scoring a lot of points as they feature an explosive offense that averages 248.8 passing yards and 285.5 rushing yards while scoring 43.6 points per game - the seventh-high mark in the nation. Receiver Damonte Coxie is another player to watch, as the sophomore has a catch in 17 straight games and is just the third in program history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season as he had 66 catches for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season.

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (6-6, 3-5 ACC): The Demon Deacons are in a bowl game for the third year in a row and it took their best performance of the season to get them there in the rout of the Blue Devils on Nov. 24. "Certainly, this year, it was our most complete game," coach Dave Clawson told reporters after the game in which his offense put up a season high in points while the defense surrendered fewer than 17 points for the first time. The defense, which ranks 116th out of 129 teams in total defense (465.3 yards), will need to take its game to another level as it will be challenged early and often against Memphis' offensive machine.

PREDICTION: Memphis 58, Wake Forest 30
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Houston Cougars vs. Army Black Knights Preview and Predictions 2018-12-22

LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCE BOWL STORYLINES

1. Army returns to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl looking to add to its eight-game win streak when it faces Houston on Saturday, Dec. 22, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The Black Knights, whose seven bowl games have been all been decided by a touchdown or less, beat San Diego State by a touchdown in this bowl last year. The Cougars, making their program-best sixth straight bowl appearance, lost three of their final four games to miss out on the American Athletic Conference title game.

2. Houston's beat-up defense will have its hands full with Army's triple option attack that is ranked second nationally with 296.3 rushing yards. Houston will be without four defensive line starters - All-American Ed Oliver, who announced he would skip the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft, and injured Jerard Carter, Payton Turner and Isaiah Chambers. The Cougars have already faced two of the country's top rushing teams in Navy and Memphis, allowing 344 and 401 rushing yards - respectively - during conference play.

3. Freshman quarterback Clayton Tune will make his second start in place of injured Cougars quarterback D'Eriq King (2,982 passing yards, 675 rushing yards, responsible for 50 touchdowns ). Houston enters bowl season fourth in scoring (46.4) and sixth in total offense (528.6 yards) but Army's tough defense can shut down high-scoring teams. The Black Knights, who use their ground game to control the clock (FBS-best time of possession at 38 minutes, 51 seconds), held opponents to 17.4 points, including FBS scoring-leader Oklahoma to 28 points.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Army -3

ABOUT HOUSTON (8-4, 5-3 American Athletic Conference): Tune is 38-of-85 for 565 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions in four appearances and will lose his redshirt by playing in the bowl. Tune has playmakers in junior running back Patrick Carr (816 yards, five touchdowns) and sophomore receiver Marquez Stevenson (team-best 67 catches for 947 yards, nine touchdowns) and the Cougars had junior running back Mulbah Car (325 yards, two scores) and junior receiver Keith Corbin (669 yards, 10 touchdowns) return from injuries to play Memphis in the finale. Senior linebackers Austin Robinson (team-high 116 tackles, 13 tackles for loss) and Roman Brown (105 tackles, 5.5 for loss) will try to lead a defense that missing plenty of experience up front, including Oliver - who missed most of the final five games because of a bruised knee and finishes with 193 tackles, 54 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in 33 career games.

ABOUT ARMY (10-2): Junior quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. (847 rushing yards) and senior running back Darnell Woolfolk (885 rushing yards) combine for 26 of the Black Knights' 39 rushing touchdowns. Hopkins has completed 48-of-90 passes for 956 yards, six scores and three interceptions while senior Jordan Asberry (nine catches, 197 yards) has caught half of those touchdowns. Senior linebacker James Nachtigal (81 tackles and five sacks) leads an Army defense that has held five opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing and has forced 16 turnovers, including four in the win against rival Navy to give the Black Knights the Commanders-in-Chief's Trophy in back-to-back seasons and back-to-back 10-win seasons - both program firsts.

PREDICTION: Army 27, Houston 23
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Buffalo Bulls vs. Troy Trojans Preview and Predictions 2018-12-22

DOLLAR GENERAL BOWL STORYLINES

1. The talented freshman duo of Jaret Patterson and Kevin Marks will lead Buffalo into its first bowl game appearance in five seasons when it takes on Troy on Dec. 22 in the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Patterson and Marks have rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Bulls, who dropped their previous two bowl games in 2008 and 2013. The Trojans, who are making their third straight bowl appearance and second at the Dollar General Bowl, will counter with junior B.J. Smith, who set a school record with five consecutive 100-yard rushing games while churning out 1,093 yards and 12 touchdowns.

2. Patterson ran for 72 yards in a 30-29 loss to Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference championship game Nov. 30 to break the freshman rushing record of 917 yards previously set by Aaron Leeper in 2002. The Maryland native has 946 yards and 13 touchdowns while Marks has amassed 805 yards and 12 scores on the ground for the Bulls, whose 10 wins are the most in school history. Junior Emmanuel Reed, who was the team's leading rusher last season with 840 yards, has contributed 371 yards and one touchdown to help Buffalo break the school's single-season rushing record of 2,463 yards set in 1998.

3. The Trojans, who are 1-1 in bowl games played in Mobile, which is located roughly three hours from their campus, opened the season with a 5-1 record before losing starting quarterback Kaleb Barker for the season due to a knee injury. Sophomore Sawyer Smith stepped in and lost the first game he started to Liberty but then led the Trojans to four straight wins before they missed out on a chance to qualify for the Sun Belt Conference championship game with a 21-10 loss to Appalachian State. Smith has completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 1,349 yards with 10 touchdowns against six interceptions.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Buffalo -2.5

ABOUT BUFFALO (10-3, 7-1 MAC): The month of November was not kind to junior quarterback Tyree Jackson as he broke the 200-yard barrier just once while the Bulls posted a 2-2 record. In the first nine games, the MAC Offensive Player of the Year averaged 247 yards while throwing 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but those numbers dropped to 158 yards per game with four touchdowns and three interceptions in four games in November, which culminated with the Bulls allowing a 29-10 lead to slip away in the MAC championship game defeat. Jackson, who needs two touchdown passes to tie the school record of 29 set by Joe Licata in 2014, is no stranger to struggles as the Bulls went 2-10 in his first season as the starter in 2016 before climbing to 6-6 last season under Lance Leipold.

ABOUT TROY (9-3, 7-1 Sun Belt): While Smith is unquestionably the motor that makes this team run, the Trojans have a stable of talented receivers that allowed both Barker and Smith to throw for over 1,000 yards, the second time that has happened in school history. Senior Damion Willis is the big play threat with 43 catches for 775 yards and eight touchdowns, while Deondre Douglas caught one more pass than his teammate for 437 yards and eight scores. Sidney Davis finished with 39 catches and Tray Eafford and Jabir Daughtry-Frye had 21 receptions each for the Trojans, who have won 22 of their last 26 games.

PREDICTION: Buffalo 34, Troy 31
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Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Preview and Predictions 2018-12-22

SOFI HAWAI'I BOWL STORYLINES

1. Bowl matchups are the most fun when teams come in with conflicting styles, and Hawai'i and Louisiana Tech fit the bill. The high-flying Rainbow Warriors will try to find a way to light up the scoreboard when they take on the defensive-minded Bulldogs in the SoFi Hawai'i Bowl in Honolulu on Saturday, Dec. 22. Hawai'i averages 32.2 points while Louisiana Tech limited opponents to an average of 23.8 points.

2. The Rainbow Warriors are making their eighth appearance in the Hawai'i Bowl and second in three years and expect to enjoy a home-field advantage. "The University of Hawai'i is honored to be participating in the 2018 Hawai'i Bowl," athletics director David A.K. Matlin told reporters. "This is a special holiday tradition and an amazing experience for our student-athletes who continue to inspire our state. This game gives us one last chance to thank our fans for all the support they've given us throughout the season and a great send-off for our senior class." The Rainbow Warriors are 4-3 in the Hawai'i Bowl, including a 52-35 win over Middle Tennessee State in 2016.

3. Louisiana Tech is making its fifth consecutive bowl appearance and is looking for its fifth straight win in its fifth different bowl game. The Bulldogs have some history playing in hostile territory after winning the Armed Forces Bowl over Navy in 2016 and taking the Frisco Bowl from SMU last season. "We could not be more excited to represent Louisiana Tech in the Hawai'i Bowl," Bulldogs coach Skip Holtz told reporters. "I want to thank the Hawai'i Bowl committee, the people of Hawaii and everyone involved for giving us this incredible opportunity to play our final game of the 2018 season in the great state of Hawaii. I am very excited for this football team to experience the culture and hospitality of the Hawai'i Bowl while also having the opportunity to face off against a great opponent in such a historic stadium."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Hawai'i -1.

ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (7-5, 5-3 C-USA): Bulldogs defensive end Jaylon Ferguson led the bowl subdivision with 15 sacks and was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. The senior will spend his final collegiate game terrorizing the Rainbow Warriors offensive line and hoping his offense can get just enough done to win the game. That offense is guided by junior quarterback J'Mar Smith, who threw for five touchdowns and four interceptions over the team's final eight games and is completing 57 percent of his passes on the season.

ABOUT HAWAI'I (8-5, 5-3 Mountain West): Rainbow Warriors quarterback Cole McDonald threw for 3,790 yards and 35 TDs in the regular season and was at his best in the finale at San Diego State on Nov. 24, when he threw for 452 yards, three TDs and no interceptions in a 31-30 overtime victory. McDonald could find himself scrambling away from Ferguson and got some practice by rushing for a score in each of the last two games. McDonald's favorite target is wide receiver John Ursua, who owns 89 catches for 1,343 yards and 16 TDs.

PREDICTION: Hawai'i 31, Louisiana Tech 24
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NCAAF

Long Sheet

Saturday, December 22

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WAKE FOREST (6 - 6) vs. MEMPHIS (8 - 5) - 12/22/2018, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 19-35 ATS (-19.5 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.

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

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HOUSTON (8 - 4) vs. ARMY (9 - 2) - 12/22/2018, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARMY is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
ARMY is 19-36 ATS (-20.6 Units) when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest since 1992.

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

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BUFFALO (10 - 3) vs. TROY (9 - 3) - 12/22/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TROY is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
TROY is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in road games in games played on turf since 1992.
TROY is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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LOUISIANA TECH (7 - 5) at HAWAII (8 - 5) - 12/22/2018, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISIANA TECH is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival since 1992.
HAWAII is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HAWAII is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
HAWAII is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
HAWAII is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
HAWAII is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) after playing a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
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NCAAF

Bowl Season

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Trend Report

Saturday, December 22

Memphis Tigers
Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 6 games
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Wake Forest's last 6 games

Houston Cougars
Houston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Army
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Army
Army Black Knights
Army is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Army is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Army is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Army is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston

Buffalo Bulls
Buffalo is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Buffalo is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games
Troy Trojans
Troy is 11-3-2 ATS in its last 16 games
Troy is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Troy's last 6 games

LA Tech Bulldogs
Louisiana Tech is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Louisiana Tech is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisiana Tech's last 5 games
Louisiana Tech is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Louisiana Tech is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisiana Tech's last 5 games on the road
Louisiana Tech is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Hawaii
Louisiana Tech is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Hawaii
Louisiana Tech is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Hawaii
Louisiana Tech is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Hawaii
Hawaii Warriors
Hawaii is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Hawaii is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Hawaii is 2-10-1 ATS in its last 13 games at home
Hawaii is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Hawaii's last 5 games at home
Hawaii is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Louisiana Tech
Hawaii is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Louisiana Tech
Hawaii is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Louisiana Tech
Hawaii is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Louisiana Tech
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