College Bowl Picks 2022-23: Latest Odds and Predictions Against the Spread
Fittingly, unexpected chaos during championship week defined the final march to the College Football Playoff bracket and overall bowl schedule.
There, the Ohio State Buckeyes snuck into the bracket behind No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan thanks to unexpected losses by TCU and USC, though the former still snuck into the third spot.
If the wild ride of the last month continues, onlookers could always get an Ohio State-Michigan rematch. That USC loss in the Pac-12 title game made all this possible and boosted the non-CFP bracket dramatically, with Utah lifted to the Rose Bowl for a matchup with Penn State.
With the slate set, here's a look at the schedule, odds and predictions before kickoffs, with NCAA.com's bracket boasting viewing info and times.
All odds via DraftKings
Bowl Schedule, Odds, Predictions
1 of 2
Friday, December 16
Bahamas Bowl: Miami (Ohio) (+10) vs. UAB
Cure Bowl: No. 24 Troy (-1) vs. No. 25 UTSA
Saturday, December 17
Fenway Bowl: Cincinnati (+2) vs. Louisville
Celebration Bowl: Jackson State (N/A) vs. N.C. Central
Las Vegas Bowl: No. 14 Oregon State (-10) vs. Florida
L.A. Bowl: Washington State (+1.5) vs. Fresno State
LendingTree Bowl: Rice (+6) vs. Southern Mississippi
New Mexico Bowl: SMU (-1.5) vs. BYU
Frisco Bowl: Boise State (-10) vs. North Texas
Monday, December 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Marshall (-10) vs. UConn
Tuesday, December 20
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Eastern Michigan (+3.5) vs. San Jose State
Boca Raton Bowl: Liberty (+3.5) vs. Toledo
Wednesday, December 21
New Orleans Bowl: South Alabama (-7.5) vs. Western Kentucky
Thursday, December 22
Armed Forces Bowl: Baylor (-6.5) vs. Air Force
Friday, December 23
Gasparilla Bowl: Wake Forest (-2.5) vs. Missouri
Independence Bowl: Houston (-6.5) vs. Louisiana
Saturday, December 24
Hawai'i Bowl: Middle Tennessee State (+6.5) vs. San Diego State
Monday, December 26
Quick Lane Bowl: Bowling Green (-2) vs. New Mexico State
Tuesday, December 27
First Responder Bowl: Memphis (-7) vs. Utah State
Birmingham Bowl: Coastal Carolina (+9.5) vs. East Carolina
Camellia Bowl: Buffalo (+3.5) vs. Georgia Southern
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Oklahoma State (+3) vs. Wisconsin
Wednesday, December 28
Military Bowl: Duke (pick) vs. UCF
Liberty Bowl: Arkansas (-5) vs. Kansas
Holiday Bowl: No. 15 Oregon (-10.5) vs. North Carolina
Texas Bowl: Texas Tech (+4) vs. Ole Miss
Thursday, December 29
Pinstripe Bowl: Minnesota (-7.5) vs. Syracuse
Cheez-It Bowl: No. 13 Florida State (-7) vs. Oklahoma
Alamo Bowl: No. 12 Washington (+5.5) vs. No. 20 Texas
Friday, December 30
Orange Bowl: No. 6 Tennessee (+7) vs. No. 7 Clemson
Duke's Mayo Bowl: No. 23 NC State (+1) vs. Maryland
Sun Bowl: No. 18 UCLA (-6.5) vs. Pitt
Gator Bowl: No. 19 South Carolina (+3.5) vs. No. 21 Notre Dame
Arizona Bowl: Ohio (-1.5) vs. Wyoming
Saturday, December 31
Music City Bowl: Iowa (+2) vs. Kentucky
Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Alabama (-4) vs. No. 9 Kansas State
Monday, January 2
ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 22 Mississippi State (-1) vs. Illinois
Citrus Bowl: No. 17 LSU (-8) vs. Purdue
Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 10 USC (-2) vs. No. 16 Tulane
Rose Bowl: No. 8 Utah (-2.5) vs. No. 11 Penn State
College Football Playoff
2 of 2
Saturday, December 31
Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Michigan (-8) vs. No. 3 TCU
Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia (-6.5) vs. No. 4 Ohio State
Monday, January 9
College Football Playoff National Championship Game
We're still a long way out from the CFP kicking off, and the lines will undoubtedly move before then.
But is it any great shock to see second-seeded Michigan favored by more than a touchdown against No. 3 TCU? The Horned Frogs had a magical season, going 12-1 with wins over five ranked opponents. But a couple of those wins (such as over Oklahoma) turned out to be against .500 teams, and one against Kansas State saw TCU lose the rematch at the worst possible time on December 3, although they did storm back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Michigan hasn't had any such drama, steamrolling most of the schedule and thumping then-ranked No. 2 Ohio State 45-23 on November 26. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy tossed three touchdowns against the Buckeyes as his ascent continues.
That's not to say TCU stands no chance, especially with quarterback Max Duggan sitting on 30 touchdown passes and just four interceptions, but Michigan is far less erratic, meaning it's not unreasonable to expect the Pac-12 to fall to 0-5 in the CFP.
It's a similar story in the other matchup. The Buckeyes beat two ranked opponents all year, simply cruising and at one point dropping a 77-burger on Toledo. Then, the loss to Michigan saw Heisman hopeful C.J. Stroud toss a pair of scores and picks, and there was a general outcry for head coach Ryan Day to lose his job in the aftermath. Luckily, USC gifted the Buckeyes a playoff spot.
Then there's top-ranked Georgia, which is 3-0 against top 25 teams so far this year, including a 50-30 drubbing of then-No. 14 LSU in the SEC title game.
Not that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is happy with the fact the Tigers were the first opponent to hit the 30-point mark against his defense, as captured by Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors: "We had a resilient play and we played really good complementary football, but we can't play the defense we played last night and expect to be any kind of champions–semifinal or national championship–so we got some work to do."
Speaking of Smart, he's entering his eighth CFP game (as assistant or head coach), which would seem to create a coaching disparity. His Bulldogs have put up 99 points at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this year over two games already, too, so this goes beyond just picking the better-looking, more consistent team. In fact, it wouldn't be a stunner to see the line grow more in favor of the Bulldogs during the march to kickoff.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).
21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
