BCS Bowl Predictions: Betting the Spread for the All the BCS Bowls

While it's true that most of the bowl games prove meaningless in the grand scheme of things leading up to crowning the BCS Champions, the bowl season does give college football fans a lot more games to watch as the season winds down.

The bowl season also gives the gamblers out there more college football games to wager on.

Here's a look ahead to January at betting all of the BCS bowl games against the spread.

Orange Bowl

Matchup: Clemson vs. West Virginia

Opening Line: Clemson -3

Prediction: This actually turned out to be a decent match-up for the Orange Bowl, although it's not a BCS worthy game. A Geno Smith-Tajh Boyd quarterback dual should be a good one and will be a game worth watching.

Both teams are similar and both have success throwing the football. Both teams also can play good defense, but both choose not to at times.

It also features two of the games best young coaches going head-to-head in Dabo Swinney and Dana Holgorsen.

The problem here in betting this game is the inconsistencies of both teams as you never know what team will show up from quarter to quarter, or game to game. I'm tempted to take WVU here, but they've looked shaky in wins down the stretch while Clemson rebounded and looked like the team they did early on in winning the ACC.

Who to take: Clemson

Sugar Bowl

Matchup: Michigan vs. Virginia Tech

Opening Line: Virginia Tech -3

Prediction: The Hokies are a surprise inclusion in the BCS, and despite not beating anyone all season, they are still a very good football team. They have an up and coming signal caller in Logan Thomas and a tremendous workhorse for a running back in David Wilson.

Like any good Frank Beamer coached team, this Virginia Tech team is solid as well on both the defensive side of the ball and on special teams.

Looking at the Wolverines, we all know about the talents of Denard Robinson, but he will have to make plays with his arm to win this one. He's proven that he can step up and throw the rock when he has to.

Usually the team that everyone says shouldn't be there comes away with the win, so while I would be tempted to go with the Hokies, I'm going the other way because of the Michigan defense, who have been one of the more surprising units of the season only allowing 17.2 points per game on the season

Who to take: Michigan

Rose Bowl

Matchup: Wisconsin vs. Oregon

Opening Line: Oregon -4.5

Prediction: This is going to be a good one, and it features two of the top running backs in the game in Wisconsin's Montee Ball and Oregon's LaMichael James.

Conventional thinking would lead you to think that a Big Ten team can't hang with the speed of an Oregon, but this Badgers team isn't only big, they have some fantastic athletes.

This game features two of the six top scoring teams in the nation, but Wisconsin has the edge defensively. The key to this one could be if the Oregon defense can stop the Wisconsin offense and not the other way around.

With that being said, I still like the Ducks to cover.

Who to take: Oregon

Fiesta Bowl

Matchup: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford

Opening Line: Oklahoma State -3.5

Prediction: This has the potential of being a great game featuring two of the top signal callers in the nation with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden.

How will being snubbed from the BCS Championship game effect the Cowboys motivation for this one?

The scoreboard operator will be busy in this one as two of the top offenses in the game will be on display. The Cardinal finished 5th in the nation scoring 43.6 points per game, only to be topped by Oklahoma State who finished 2nd at 49.3.

Both defenses aren't bad, but they aren't necessarily great either. Having said that, I like Stanford's defense just a little bit better, and they could force Weeden into a few mistakes, which he's prone to.

I'm taking Stanford and the points.

Who to take: Stanford

BCS Championship Game

Matchup: LSU vs. Alabama

Opening Line: LSU -1

Prediction: We all know about how we got to this point, and we all know how good these two teams match-up on both sides of the ball.

Looking back at their first meeting, the Crimson Tide's special teams doomed them in what turned out to be a 9-6 LSU victory.

You can attempt to analyze this one in any way you want, but it promises to be another tightly contested physical contest.

I want to take the Tide here, but I have concerns about their special teams. There is also the Les Miles factor as the Mad Hatter could have something big up his sleeve saved for a big moment in this one.

Whoever comes out victorious, it wouldn't surprise me. These are two great team with two great head coaches, but I'm going with the Tigers to complete a perfect season.

With the schedule LSU played, they will be worthy champions.

Who to take: LSU