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Bowl betting trends: Edge to Georgia, TCU in playoff games

Georgia's Javon Bullard celebrates after the College Football Playoff championship football gam ...

Las Vegas handicapper Bruce Marshall is editor of The Gold Sheet (Goldsheet.com). He provides the Review-Journal with college football tech notes and trends. Follow @thegoldsheet on Twitter.

Thursday

Minnesota (-10, 42½) vs. Syracuse: The Golden Gophers won and covered their last three bowls. Minnesota is 6-1-1 against the spread in its past eight games vs. nonconference opponents, and the under is on a 9-4-1 run. The Orange closed the season 1-5 straight up and ATS, and they failed to cover four straight as an underdog. Edge: Minnesota and slight to under.

Oklahoma vs. Florida State (-9½, 66½) : The Sooners won and covered two straight bowls. Oklahoma went 3-6 SU and 2-7 ATS to close the regular season. The Seminoles won their last five SU (4-1 ATS) and covered eight of their final 11. Edge: Florida State.

Washington vs. Texas (-3, 67½): The Huskies went 10-2 SU, 7-5 ATS under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer. The past two seasons, DeBoer’s teams are 20-5 and 3-0 as an underdog, with the over on a 9-3-1 run. The Longhorns were 8-4 ATS, with the over going 4-1 in their last five. Edge: Washington and over.

Friday

Maryland vs. North Carolina State (-1, 46½): The Terrapins did their normal fade after midseason, dropping five in a row ATS. But Maryland is 6-1 ATS its last seven games outside the Big Ten. The Wolfpack are 4-8 ATS and 1-4 ATS away from home. Edge: Slight to Maryland.

Pittsburgh vs. UCLA (-5½, 53½): The Panthers lost last year’s bowl game, dropping to 1-5 ATS in their past six bowls. The Bruins are making their first bowl appearance since 2017. UCLA is 6-2 ATS its last eight away from home. The over is 9-3 in UCLA’s games and on a 13-4 run. Edge: Over and slight to UCLA.

South Carolina vs. Notre Dame (-2½, 51): The Gamecocks won and covered five of their last seven and are 4-1 ATS against nonconference foes. The Fighting Irish were 6-6 ATS overall but 4-2 away from home. The last five Notre Dame games went over the total. Edge: South Carolina and over.

Wyoming vs. Ohio (-1½, 41½): The Cowboys won three straight bowl games and are 4-0 ATS in bowls under coach Craig Bohl. Wyoming is on a 5-0 under run. The Bobcats won seven straight and covered eight in a row prior to losing the Mid-American Conference title game to Toledo. Edge: Under and slight to Wyoming.

Clemson (-5½, 63½) vs. Tennessee: The Tigers are 11-3 SU and ATS in bowls/playoffs since 2012. Clemson went 1-3 ATS outside of the Atlantic Coast Conference but is 7-2 ATS its last nine away from home. The Volunteers went 9-3 ATS and covered all four games outside the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee went 1-1 as an underdog. Edge: Slight to Clemson.

Saturday

Kansas State vs. Alabama (-6½, 56): The Crimson Tide are 6-9 ATS their past 15 bowl/playoff games. Alabama went 1-5-1 ATS its last seven and is 1-5 ATS its last six away from home. The Wildcats are on a 12-5-1 spread surge since mid 2021 and covered their past four. Edge: Kansas State.

Iowa (-2, 31½) vs. Kentucky: This is a rematch of last year’s Citrus Bowl won by Kentucky 20-17. The Hawkeyes are 3-1 SU and 3-0-1 ATS their past four bowls, and they won and covered four of their last five in the regular season. The Wildcats won their last four bowls outright and are 3-1-1 ATS the last five bowls. Kentucky is on a 10-4-1 ATS run and was 5-1 ATS as an underdog. Kentucky is on a 12-1 under run and Iowa is 9-4 to the under since late 2021. Edge: Under and Kentucky.

Texas Christian vs. Michigan (-7½, 58½): This is the Horned Frogs’ first bowl appearance since 2018. TCU was 9-3 ATS and 2-1 as an underdog. The Frogs finished 4-1 to the under after starting 2-6. The Wolverines are 0-5 SU and ATS in bowls/playoffs. Michigan is 19-7-1 ATS since last season, and the under is on a 9-4-1 run. Edge: Slight to under and TCU.

Ohio State vs. Georgia (-6½, 62): The Buckeyes are 1-3 ATS their past four bowls/playoffs. Ohio State closed 1-4 ATS in its last five, while the over is on a 10-3 run. The Bulldogs are 17-11 ATS since last season, including a modest 7-6 in 2022. Edge: Over and Georgia.

Monday

Mississippi State (-1, 46) vs. Illinois: Zach Arnett was promoted for the Bulldogs after Mike Leach died. Mississippi State went 1-3 ATS its last four bowl games. The Fighting Illini are making their first bowl appearance since 2019. Coach Bret Bielema was 2-1 SU and ATS in bowls with Arkansas, 3-3 ATS with Wisconsin. Illinois is 13-6-1 ATS since early 2021 and also 15-7-1 to the under since Bielema arrived. Edge: Under and slight to Illinois.

Purdue vs. Louisiana State (-14½, 56): Brian Brohm will serve as interim coach for the Boilermakers, who were 4-3 ATS on the road this season but only 5-8 overall ATS and 3-3 as an underdog. Purdue is 10-5 to the over since late last season. The Tigers lost their last two outright and were 1-3 ATS their final four. LSU is 1-5 ATS away from home this season. The over is on a 6-1 run in LSU games. Edge: Over and slight to Purdue.

Tulane vs. Southern California (-2, 62): The Green Wave last appeared in a bowl game in 2020. Tulane is 11-2 ATS this season and 15-3 ATS since late 2021, including 5-0 away from home. The Green Wave covered three straight as an underdog and finished 4-0 to the over. The Trojans have not covered in five straight bowls. USC was 10-3 to the over this season and 16-6 since early 2021. Edge: Tulane and over.

Utah (-2½, 52½) vs. Penn State: The Utes are 10-4 SU and 9-5 ATS in bowl games, but lost the past two outright. They did cover in last year’s Rose Bowl. Utah is 15-8 ATS since early 2021 and also on a 14-9 over run. The Nittany Lions are 3-3 ATS their last six bowl games. Penn State finished 5-0-1 ATS and 8-3-1 ATS overall. Penn State is 8-4 to the over. Edge: Over and slight to Utah.

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