College Football Bowl Odds 2023: Betting Tips for Top Games on This Week's Schedule

The four games between Monday and Friday feature some of the most underrated quarterbacks in the FBS.

UTSA Roadrunners senior Frank Harris is the most notable signal-caller among the ones playing this week.

The Frisco Bowl will be Harris' swan song with UTSA after five years at quarterback and that game should serve as a celebration of his talents.

The most offensive fireworks will likely come from the Gasparilla Bowl, where two veteran quarterbacks can take advantage of a pair of poor defenses.

The week starts with the Famous Toastery Bowl in Charlotte, where a team with the quarterback disadvantage is the more trustworthy side because of its defense.

Western Kentucky (+5) vs. Old Dominion

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BLOOMINGTON, IN - SEPTEMBER 17: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Malachi Corley (11) advances the ball during the college football game between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Indiana Hoosiers on September 17, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Famous Toastery Bowl (Monday, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have the biggest reported absence for the Famous Toastery Bowl, but that should not count them out of the game.

Hilltoppers quarterback Austin Reed, who threw for 3,340 yards and 31 touchdowns this season, is not expected to play, per Action Network's Brett McMurphy.

However, WKU will have No. 1 wide receiver Malachi Corley, who is 32 receiving yards shot of 1,000, and most of its turnover-hungry defense still available.

Corley will be asked to support projected starter Turner Helton in the passing game, and he can take advantage of an Old Dominion defense that allows 386 total yards per game.

WKU's defense could ease the pressure on Helton as well. That unit recorded 14 interceptions and forced 12 fumbles, 11 of which it recovered.

ODU quarterback Grant Wilson was sacked 51 times and threw seven interceptions in the regular season. He was taken down at least five times in six games.

The Monarchs had issues breaking away from teams in their six victories. They had a total margin of victory of 23 points and they only scored over 30 points in one of those wins.

WKU's defensive pressure combined with a lack of overall explosiveness from the ODU offense makes it hard to trust the Monarchs on the point spread, especially as it continues to grow with Reed's absence for the Hilltoppers.

UTSA (-11.5) vs. Marshall

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SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 17: University of Texas - San Antonio Roadrunners QB Frank Harris throws a pass during the game between the University of South Florida Bulls and the University of Texas - San Antonio Roadrunners on November 17, 2023 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Frisco Bowl (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

UTSA quarterback Frank Harris is the most notable player on the midweek bowl slate.

Harris will play the final game of his five-year career in the Frisco Bowl against Marshall, who faces a significant mismatch at quarterback.

Cole Pennington, the son of former NFL quarterback Chad Pennington, will start with Cam Fancher in the transfer portal. Pennington has zero touchdown passes and six interceptions in his three appearances.

Pennington will rely heavily on 1,000-yard rusher Rasheen Ali against a UTSA defense that gave up 137.7 rushing yards per game and will be without top tackler Trey Moore.

UTSA's defense can hone in on stopping Ali, which should force Pennington to win the game, something he has not proved he could do through the air in his young collegiate career.

The Thundering Herd will likely have to play catch up with the Roadrunners, who can hit any defense from a ton of angles.

UTSA has four receivers with 30 or more catches, led by 1,000-yard wide out Joshua Cephus, two running backs with over 100 carries and a dual-threat quarterback in Harris with 2,829 total yards.

The Roadrunners should be expected to eclipse the 30-point mark with ease, just like they did in every contest of their seven-game winning streak that was ended on November 24 by the Tulane Green Wave.

Marshall does not have the complete offense to go score-for-score with UTSA and that could turn the Frisco Bowl into a blowout in favor of the Roadrunners.

South Florida (+3) vs. Syracuse

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EAST HARTFORD, CT - OCTOBER 21: South Florida Bulls running back Nay'Quan Wright (5) carries the ball during the game as the South Florida Bulls take on the UConn Huskies on October 21, 2023, at the Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Boca Raton Bowl (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)

South Florida has more incentive to play well in the Boca Raton Bowl than Syracuse.

The Bulls won three of their final five games to become bowl eligible and could use a win over a power-five program to create momentum into next season.

Syracuse is in a transition period from fired head coach Dino Babers to new head coach Fran Brown and the program is already building toward 2024. Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord announced his transfer to Syracuse on Sunday.

USF freshman quarterback Byrum Brown can use the Boca Raton Bowl to build on one of the best seasons from an underclassman at the Group of Five level.

Brown produced 3,823 total yards and had two of his best performances of the season in November. He had four touchdown passes in the regular-season finale against the Charlotte 49ers and had five scoring throws in a 59-50 loss to the Memphis Tigers.

Brown is also dynamic on the ground. He scored a rushing touchdown in four of his last five games and had three multi-score games with his legs.

USF's freshman star should thrive against an average Syracuse defense with little motivation to win and that could serve as his breakout performance to the national audience.

UCF vs. Georgia Tech (Over 66.5)

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ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 25: UCF Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee (10) rushes with he ball as Houston Cougars defensive lineman David Ugwoegbu (12) looks to make the tackle during the game between the Houston Cougars and the Central Florida (UCF) Knights on Saturday, November 25, 2023 at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Gasparilla Bowl (Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

The Gasparilla Bowl has the potential to be the most exciting game of bowl season.

Georgia Tech's defense gives up 438.2 total yards per game and UCF averages a concession of 392.7 total yards per contest.

Quarterbacks Haynes King (GT) and John Rhys Plumlee (UCF) have good handles of their respective offenses and could move the ball with ease for four quarters.

King, a Texas A&M transfer, threw for 2,755 yards and ran for 648 yards with 35 total touchdowns.

Plumlee, who also came to his school as a SEC transfer, is as explosive in both facets of the UCF offense. He had at least 200 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in each of his last three games.

Plumlee's overall numbers are not as great as King's because he missed some time in October with an injury, but at his best, he is one of the more explosive dual-threat quarterbacks in the FBS.

Neither program is dealing with any significant absences for the bowl game, and that should allow King and Plumlee to duel for four quarters to potentially give us the highest-scoring contest of bowl season.

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