Betting Early College Football Bowl Games

It was not all that long ago that the college bowl season consisted of a handful of games on New Year’s Day. The schedule expanded slowly into the late 1990’s early 2000’s before exploding to its current slate of 39 games from mid-December right through the first of the year. The evolution of the college bowl season into its current form began in earnest during the 1990s. The NCAA recognized the growing popularity of college football, prompting them to add more games to meet fan demand and regional interest.

This expansion led to increased television coverage, with more broadcast networks joining in to televise these events. By the early 2000s, the bowl schedule had cemented its place as a staple of the college football landscape, culminating in a lineup that showcases teams from various conferences across the country. The final college football game of the season is the College Football Playoff Championship. This year’s game will take place at Levi’s Stadium outside San Francisco on Monday, Jan. 7.

There is a whole lotta football between now and the national title game starting with the first five matchups on Saturday’s (Dec. 15) betting board at all the online sportsbooks taking action on the games. Sports bettors should treat the extended bowl season as a marathon and not a sprint.

Going from a full board of betting action each Saturday of the regular season to just five postseason matchups in the first wave of games will be an adjustment, but it still comes down to finding value in the betting lines. Betting all the games for the sake of generating some action for this Saturday (or any day for that matter) does not make sense unless you have some keen insight into the outcome of each matchup you are putting real money on.

Smart bettors always bet on the sports and matchups that they are most familiar with. Betting on underdog teams in bowl games can be profitable with the right approach. Look into teams with strong finishes to the regular season, which might indicate momentum going into a bowl.

Underdogs with excellent defensive statistics can also be worth considering, as keeping the game close enhances their chances. Historically, bowl games have seen several notable upsets, where underdogs have outperformed expectations based on superior preparation or coaching adjustments specific to the matchup at hand. If you did not know that the Appalachian State Mountaineers won the Sun Belt title game, let alone played in this Mid Major conference, then why are you betting them to cover as seven-point favorites against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, who just lost to UAB in the Conference USA Championship. Coaching changes can significantly impact a team's performance in bowl games. New coaches may implement different strategies that catch opponents off guard.

Conversely, the departure of a successful coach might lead to uncertainty among players, affecting the team's focus. Historical examples, such as Brian Kelly leaving Cincinnati before the 2010 Sugar Bowl, show how these transitions can affect team morale and game outcomes.

Bettors should assess the potential impact of these changes when making decisions. This should actually be a really good game between two solid Mid-Major programs, but it is hard to judge the overall effect of the Mountaineers losing their head coach to Louisville heading into this game.

If you are bound and determined to bet on some of the early bowl games, then the best betting strategy is to do your homework on each individual matchup while also taking into consideration some general betting tips for betting postseason college football.

At the top of the list for general betting tips is each team’s motivation heading into its bowl game. Teams from a Power 5 Conference winning their final regular season game to become bowl eligible at 6-6 are not going to be as motivated as a Mid-Major coming off a very successful season with double-digit victories.

There are exceptions to every rule such as Herm Edwards as a master motivator coaching Arizona State, out of the Pac-12. The 7-5 Sun Devils have been paired against the Mountain West’s 11-2 Fresno State Bulldogs in this year’s Las Vegas Bowl. The Bulldogs recently won the MWC’s title game against Boise State as slight 1.5-point underdogs. They are currently favored by 4.5 points against Arizona State. Just as a side note, the Sun Devils won four of their last five games to become bowl eligible in Edwards’ first season at the helm.

Another general betting tip for early college bowl betting is each’s team’s attitude, which goes hand-in-hand with motivation. Some Power 5 teams are happy just to play in a postseason bowl, but elite teams in these conferences expect to be playing on New Year’s Day or at least New Year’s Eve if they failed to qualify for the four-team playoff featuring the ‘best of the best’ in college football.

The Big Ten’s Wisconsin Badgers face the ACC’s Miami Hurricanes in this year’s Independence Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 27. The Hurricanes are favored by four points in a matchup between two teams that were in the top 10 of the preseason AP Top 25 poll. This makes it really hard to gauge each team’s motivation and attitude heading into this bowl game.

Bowl game location and travel can influence team performance. Teams traveling long distances or moving across time zones might face additional fatigue, impacting their gameplay.

Warm-weather teams playing in colder climates or vice versa may find themselves at a disadvantage as well. Evaluating how teams have performed under similar travel conditions in past seasons can provide valuable insights, aiding bettors in determining which team might hold a slight advantage based on logistical factors.

The post Betting Early College Football Bowl Games appeared first on AmericasBookie.com.

Original source: https://www.americasbookie.com/sports-betting-blog/betting-early-college-football-bowl-games/

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