Cnotes 2019-2020 College Football Trends-News-Notes-Best Bets & Opinions !

[Cnotes53]

MONDAY DECEMBER 23, 2019
Time (ET) Bowl Away Home
2:30 PM Gasparilla Bowl Marshall Thundering Herd Central Florida Knights


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Bowl Games Best Bets & Opinions ( All Based On 5 Units )

DATE................W-L-T...........%........UNITS

12/21/2019 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
12/20/2019.......1-1-0........50.00%.....-0.50

Totals...............5-9-0........35.71%.....-24.50


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Best Bets

Date......................Ats..................Uni ts...................O/U...................Units..............Total

12/21/2019..........2 - 3..................-6.50.................1 - 4..................-17.00............-23.50
12/20/2019..........1 - 0.................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50..............- 0.50

Totals..................3 - 3.................-1.50..................1 - 5..................-22.50.............-24.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday?s 6-pack

Top six picks for Week 16 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Arizona +9.5 (781)

5) Tennessee +3 (813)

4) Green Bay +5.5 (829)

3) Kansas City -6.5 (845)

2) Houston -3 (907)- T

1) Buffalo +6.5 (909)- L

2019 record: 48-39-4

Quote of the Day:
?They literally got me through a season. Through the toughest part of my life.?
Arkansas State football coach Blake Anderson, whose wife passed away in August. His Red Wolves won their bowl game 34-26 over FIU Saturday

Sunday?s quiz
Where did Houston Texans? QB Deshaun Watson play his college football?

Saturday?s quiz
Kevin Durant broke into the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics, a year before they moved to Oklahoma and became the Thunder.

Friday?s quiz
CBS/FS1 basketball analyst Bill Raftery was once the basketball coach at Seton Hall.

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Sunday?s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday??.

13) Texans 23, Bucs 20:
? Houston clinches the AFC South with this win.
? Texans? first TD scored on a pick-6.
? Houston had three FG?s, only one TD on four drives to red zone.

? Bucs? first five possessions: three INT?s, a FG and a blocked FG.
? Tampa Bay outgained Houston, 435-229.
? If Jameis Winston played for the Rams, I?d have a nervous breakdown.

12) Patriots 24, Bills 17:
? Buffalo lost 16-10/24-17 in its two games vs NE this season.
? Bills are already in playoffs, will likely play winner of AFC South in Wild Card.
? Buffalo was only 2-11 on third down, Patriots 7-14.

? New England clinches AFC East, has game lead over KC for the #2 seed.
? Patriots lost field position by 7 yards, only 3rd time that happened this year.
? NE?s 2nd half possessions: 4 drives, 28 plays, 182 yards, TD, two FG?s.

11) 49ers 34, Rams 31:
? Rams? first five drives: 209 yards, three TD?s.
? Rams? last eight drives: 167 yards, one TD/one FG/one pick-6
? Rams are 1-3 this year in games decided by 6 or fewer points.

? Gould kicked a 33-yard FG at the gun for the win.
? 49ers are half-game up on Seattle in NFC West; they play next week.
? This was SF?s 4th game in row decided by 3 or fewer points, or in last 0:10.

10) Colorado 78, Dayton 76 OT? Buffs hit a 3 at the buzzer to win this game, which was a lot like an NCAA tourney game; two good teams on a neutral floor.

Dayton led 19-5 early on, trailed by 8 with 7:51 left. They could meet again in March.

9) St John?s 68, Arizona 67? This game was part of the Al Attles Classic in San Francisco; Attles coached the Warriors when they won the 1974 NBA title, when their best player was Rick Barry, one of the most underrated basketball players ever.

Bill Walton was the TV analyst on this game; he spoke the truth when he talked about how Barry is one of the 10-12 best players ever. He was as good as Larry Bird, but he played before the NBA took off inn popularity and before ESPN began in the early 80?s.

Mike Anderson is doing a nice job in his first year at St John?s; they?re 11-2 after this upset win.

8) Ohio State 71, Kentucky 65? Wildcats are 8-3 vs schedule #310; they were outscored 21-8 on foul line, are shooting 27.8% on arc this year (#323). Meanwhile, John Calipari?s son Brad plays for the Detroit Titans, where he is shooting 45.3% on the arc this year- go figure.

7) College basketball upsets:
? Florida A&M (+13.5) 71, Seattle 57
? St John?s (+11) 68, Arizona 67
? North Dakota (+9) 75, Nebraska 74
? Northwestern State (+7.5) 67, Lamar 61
? Green Bay (+6.5) 85, Northern Illinois 84
? Texas A&M (+6.5) 64, Oregon State 49
? Colorado (+5.5) 78, Dayton 76 OT

6) Villanova 56, Kansas 55? Wildcats hit a 3-pointer with 0:24 left for the win. Kansas is the 5th team to lose this year while ranked #1 in country. Gonzaga becomes the new #1.

5) Baseball stuff:
? White Sox signed P Dallas Keuchel to a 3-year, $55.5M contract.
? Detroit signed 1B CJ Cron, 2B Jonathan Schoop to 1-year, $6.1M contracts. Tigers will be Schoop?s 4th team in four years.

4) Florida State 66, South Florida 60? Seminoles ended game on a 21-3 run; South Florida pretty much imploded down the stretch- they led 57-47 with 6:20 left.

3) Colorado State 111, Tulsa 104, 3OT? Rams blew an 8-point lead with 1:08 left in regulation, then rallied back from down 89-86 with 0:59 left in first OT. Rams were minus-8 in turnovers; they had three guys play 46:00+.

2) One of the reasons a lot of college basketball teams like to play these neutral court games just before Christmas, is that it is legal for them to pay for kids? trips home from the neutral site to wherever the player lives, os he can have a few days off for Christmas.

1) Good news is that tonight it starts getting dark later every day; its all downhill until spring. Lot of bowl games and college hoop coming up in the next week, as 2019 winds down to its end.

 

[Cnotes53]

Gasparilla Bowl Preview
December 20, 2019
By Joe Nelson

After big bowl Saturday, college football action picks up again early on Monday with an afternoon clash between the AAC and Conference USA.

Marshall and UCF face off in the Gasparilla Bowl from Tampa with one of the biggest spreads of the bowl season.

Gasparilla Bowl Betting Preview

Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Central Florida Knights
Venue: At Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
Time/TV: Monday, December 23, 2:30 PM ET, ESPN
Line: UCF -17?, Over/Under 61?
Last Meeting: 2012 Central Florida (-2?) 54, at Marshall 17

These teams met annually from 2002 to 2012 as MAC and Conference USA foes. Marshall remains a Conference USA squad while Central Florida moved to the American in 2013 and has risen in stature to play in New Year?s Six Bowl games the past two years.

Following back-to-back perfect regular seasons UCF slipped to 9-3 this season and surrendered the AAC East title to Cincinnati. The three losses came by a combined seven points while there were notable wins over Florida Atlantic, Stanford, and Temple. UCF outscored foes 516-274, though last season the Knights outscored foes 562-295.

Long-time starting quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a brutal injury late last season and he was expected to be replaced by Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush. That plan didn?t last long as freshman Dillon Gabriel quickly moved to the top of the offense early in the season, compiling big numbers but with below 60 percent completions and with seven interceptions while taking 21 sacks.

UCF also saw a big decline in rushing production compared with last season with Gabriel not much of a threat on the ground. Four players have 449 or more rushing yards but on the whole the ground game dipped significantly in production and yards per rush compared with last season.

UCF still had a number of dominant scores but wound up allowing 34 more points than last season over eight AAC regular season games and in nine of the season?s final 10 games the Knights allowed at least 21 points. UCF struggled down the stretch with narrow wins vs. Houston and Tulane as well as a loss at Tulsa before winning easily in the season finale vs. South Florida.

UCF has actually lost three of its last four bowl games with only the Peach Bowl win over Auburn in that run going back to the 2014 season. UCF has allowed at least 27 points in five straight bowl games, granted that run covers three different coaching staffs. Josh Heupel is now 21-4 in his career with two strong seasons at UCF but he will be without his offensive coordinator for this game as Jeff Lebby was hired to take that role at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin.

Marshall shouldn?t be underestimated due to the size of this spread as Doc Holliday is 78-50 with the program since 2010 and he is 6-0 in bowl games and the program owns an amazing 12-1 S/U and ATS record in bowl games since 1998. Under Holliday the Herd has only been favored by more than three points in one of the six wins while turning in two outright underdog wins in the bowl season.

For a second straight season Marshall finished 6-2 in Conference USA to finish second in the East division. The Herd is actually returning to the Gasparilla Bowl for a second straight season after a 38-20 win over South Florida in this game last season in what was a home game for the Bulls. Marshall had a convincing 503-360 edge in production with a sizable rushing edge and never looked back after scoring three first quarter touchdowns.

Marshall started just 2-3 this season with a competitive seven-point loss at Boise State but then had a lopsided home loss to Cincinnati while losing by 11 at Middle Tennessee State to start 0-2 in conference play. Marshall closed the season winning six of the final seven games led by defense, allowing fewer than 20 points per game on average in that span. That included notable wins over Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky, and Louisiana Tech with the lone loss coming at Charlotte. With the head-to-head win in tow Marshall didn?t get a late season loss from Florida Atlantic to move to the top of the division as the Owls wound up with the league championship.

Sophomore quarterback Isaiah Green wound up with nearly identical numbers to last season while the offense was led by 1,200-yard rusher Brenden Knox who had his best game in the upset over Florida Atlantic with 220 yards. Marshall went 6-0 when Knox rushed for at least 100 yards this season.

UCF is accustomed to being a heavy favorite, laying 21 or more points five times this season (2-3 ATS) while this will be a rare steep underdog price for Marshall, last dogged this much in September 2017 in a loss but cover at NC State. Marshall is on a 4-1 ATS run in games as a double-digit underdog going back to 2016 and is 26-19-1 ATS as an underdog under Holliday including 24-14-1 ATS is you take out his first season in Huntington.

In half of UCF?s 12 games this season they won by at least 18 points however as something will have to give in Tampa. It is worth noting that heading into this bowl season four of the past five bowl underdogs of 16 points or higher have won the game outright going back to 2013 but Marshall will have to find a way to control the pace of a high-scoring UCF team to make that a possibility.

 

[Cnotes53]

219MARSHALL -220 UCF
UCF is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) after allowing <=14 pts. over the last 2 seasons.

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Monday, December 23

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MARSHALL (8 - 4) vs. UCF (9 - 3) - 12/23/2019, 2:30:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MARSHALL is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in a bowl game since 1992.
MARSHALL is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in games played on a neutral field since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.


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Monday, December 23

Central Florida @ Marshall
Central Florida
Central Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Marshall
Central Florida is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games

Marshall
Marshall is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Marshall's last 15 games


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Dec 23- Gasparilla Bowl, Tampa

Marshall won its last seven bowl games; they won here 38-20 LY, beating the home team (South Florida). Thundering Herd also won this game in ?15. Favorites won this bowl the last four years (3-1 ATS). Average total in this bowl last four years: 37.0. Marshall won six of its last seven games overall after a 2-3 start; they?re 9-3 ATS in last dozen games as an underdog. 2-1 TY. Central Florida is 9-3, with losses by total of 7 points; they won five of last six games, are 4-5 ATS as a double digit favorite TY. UCF allowed 35-27-34 points in their three losses. Knights lost three of last four bowl games, with average total of 66.4 in last five bowls. Three of their last four games went under total.


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Monday, December 23

Central Florida @ Marshall

Game 219-220
December 23, 2019 @ 2:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Central Florida
94.181
Marshall
79.940
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Central Florida
by 14
65
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Central Florida
by 17 1/2
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Marshall
(+17 1/2); Over


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Monday, December 23

MARSHALL vs. UCF (Gasparilla Bowl)...UCF dropped 7 of last 9 vs. line TY and 4 of last 5 away from Orlando. Though Knights 7-8-1 vs. spread previous two seasons (counting a W for Cincy game in 2017). Herd only 9-16 vs. line past two seasons but Doc Holliday is 10-3 as dog since 2017 (2-1 TY)and MU has won and covered its last seven bowls (Doc 6-0).
Marshall, based on team trends.


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Random bowl facts; Merry Christmas??

? Over the last three years, Pac-12 teams are 7-15 SU in bowl games, 3-18-1 ATS, which is hard to believe, so I checked it twice. 3-18-1 it is.

? Last five tears, Pac-12 teams are 12-27-1 ATS in bowls, 9-20-1 when favored.

? Friday was a huge day for the MAC; they won two bowl games. Over the previous three years, MAC squads were 2-15 SU in bowls, 5-12 ATS.

? Over last three years, SEC teams are 17-19 SU in bowls, 9-12 ATS when favored.

? Underdogs won four of last five Pinstripe Bowls SU.

? Three years ago, big 14 teams were 3-7 SU in bowls; the last two years, they went 12-5 SU/ATS.

? In last five Cheez-It Bowls, Big X teams are 5-0 SU, beating four Pac-12 teams and Boise State.

? Over last five years, Big X teams 5-7 ATS when favored in bowls, 13-8 when the underdog; they?re 13-6 SU in bowls the last three years.

? Over last three years, Sun Belt teams are 9-5 SU in bowls. Go figure.

? Last four years, AAC teams are 10-20 SU in bowls; 6-11 ATS when favored, 4-9 when an underdog.

? Last three years, ACC teams are 20-12-1 ATS in bowls, 9-4 when favored, 11-8-1 when they?re getting points.

? Last five years, Conference USA teams are 11-5 ATS when favored, 7-11 when an underdog.
? Pac-12 teams beat an ACC team in four of last five Sun Bowls; four of the five games were decided by 6 or fewer points.

 

[Cnotes53]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UCF at MRSH 02:30 PM

MRSH +18.0

O 59.5

 

[Cnotes53]

UCF gets 10th by beating Marshall 48-25 in Gasparilla Bowl
December 23, 2019

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Central Florida is best known for a high-powered offense, but the Knights are capable of big plays on defense, too.

Richie Grant and Tre'mon Morris-Brash had first-quarter defensive touchdowns, Dillon Gabriel led three third-quarter scoring drives and UCF beat Marshall 48-25 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Monday.

''We finished the season the right way,'' UCF coach Josh Heupel said. ''The turnovers were critical. I thought defensively we started about as fast as you can.''

Grant had a 39-yard interception return on Marshall's third play from scrimmage 56 seconds into the game, and Morris-Brash recovered a fumble and ran it 55 yards for a score that helped UCF go up 21-0 with 7 minutes left in the first quarter.

Gabriel threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Otis Anderson, connected on a 75-yard score with Marlon Williams, and added a 3-yard TD run as UCF went ahead 45-22 with 6:39 remaining in the third.

Gabriel completed 14 of 24 passes for 260 yards as the Knights (10-3) reached 10 or more wins in a school-record third consecutive season. Williams caught seven passes for 132 yards and Greg McCrae had 80 rushing yards on 14 carries.

''We're happy with the 10-3, but at the same time we know what we could have done,'' Gabriel said.

Isaiah Green went 9 of 23 for 173 yards with a TD and had a rushing touchdown for Marshall (8-5). Brenden Knox, the Conference USA MVP, had 103 yards on 26 carries.

''I thought our kids fought their tail off,'' Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. ''They fought the entire game.''

Green had a 3-yard rushing touchdown and hit Willie Johnson on a 70-yard TD pass, and Justin Rohrwasser made a 50-yard field goal during the third quarter.

Marshall got within 21-7 with 12:28 to go in the second when Micah Abraham picked off backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.'s pass and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown.

Abraham's father, Donnie, played his home games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-01) at Raymond James Stadium, the site of the Gasparilla Bowl.

McCrae had a 26-yard TD run early in the first and Dylan Barnas made a 36-yard field goal as time expired as UCF took a 24-7 halftime advantage.

THE TAKEAWAY

UCF: The Knights had no letdown after playing in New Year's Day bowl games the previous two seasons, beating Auburn two years ago in the Peach Bowl and losing to LSU in the last season's Fiesta Bowl.

''You look at this season, there's goals that we didn't accomplish, right?'' Heupel said. ''But I hope we never get to the point as a program and a fan base where fans and outside voices aren't really appreciative of what our kids do every single day.''

Marshall: It was the first bowl loss for the Thundering Herd under Holliday, who entered 6-0 in bowls at the school. Knox, a sophomore, topped 100 yards rushing for the seventh time.

STRANGE STATS

UCF lead 21-0 after the first quarter despite being outgained 133-86. Marshall, however, had three turnovers. The Knights had a 168-0 yardage advantage during the second quarter and were outscored 7-3.

STANDOUT `D'

UCF linebacker Nate Evans finished with 12 tackles and a sack. Defensive back Antwan Collier made six tackles, recovered two fumbles and had an interception.

UP NEXT

UCF: Hosts North Carolina on Sept. 3 to open the 2020 season.

Marshall: Begins the 2020 season at East Carolina on Sept. 5.

 

[Cnotes53]

Bowl Games Best Bets & Opinions ( All Based On 5 Units )

DATE................W-L-T...........%........UNITS

12/23/2019.......1-1-0........50.00%.....-0.50
12/21/2019...... 4-8-0........33.33%....-24.00
12/20/2019.......1-1-0........50.00%.....-0.50

Totals..............6-10-0........37.50%.....-25.00


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Best Bets

Date......................Ats..................Uni ts...................O/U...................Units..............Total


12/23/2019..........0 - 1..................-5.50.................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50
12/21/2019..........2 - 3..................-6.50.................1 - 4..................-17.00............-23.50
12/20/2019..........1 - 0.................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50..............- 0.50

Totals..................3 - 4...................-7.00..........,......2 - 5..................-17.50.............-24.50

 

[Cnotes53]

copyright from tout site


BYU Cougars at Hawaii Warriors
Venue: At Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii
Time/TV: Tuesday, December 24, 8:00 p.m. ESPN
Line: BYU -2, Over/Under 64
Last Meeting: 2018 at BYU (-10?) 49, Hawaii 23

Since 1980 these teams have met 24 times with 20 wins for BYU including five straight going back to 2002. BYU won 30-20 in 2017 in the last trip to Honolulu as a slight 3.5-point favorite. The Cougars have scored at least 30 points in seven straight meetings in this series and Kalani Sitake is 2-0 in bowl games including delivering a 49-18 bowl win over Western Michigan last season.

The Independent schedule for BYU was very uneven with power five tests early and a much lighter path late in the year. BYU turned in notable wins over Tennessee, USC, and Boise State, but also took losses to Toledo and South Florida as well. BYU lost its season finale at San Diego State, while also beating Utah State on the road as they played three Mountain West foes.

Known for an offense that scored 470 points this season the Hawaii defense turned in improved results down the stretch, allowing an average of just 20 points per game in the final four contests including the Mountain West Championship loss to Boise State. That game in Boise featured a 31-10 final score but the statistics were pretty even and it was a 3-3 game before things turned sharply on a few big plays in the final two minutes before halftime.

Cole McDonald and Chevan Cordeiro combined for 37 touchdown passes but with 17 interceptions as well as Hawaii will wind up with more than 600 pass attempts by season?s end. Hawaii actually eclipsed 2,000 yards rushing this season on 5.1 yards per carry for a massive leap to provide much better balance compared with last season.

McDonald played the entire MWC Championship game despite ceding significant time to Cordeiro late in the season. McDonald is much bigger in stature and has been the more prolific passer but Cordeiro, the Honolulu-native, had some big moments notably in the win over San Jose State.

Given the heavy-hitters on the early season schedule one would assume that the Cougars played a much tougher schedule but the slates rated similarly as Hawaii went 2-1 vs. Pac-12 teams early in the season beating Arizona and Oregon State and also had to play Boise State twice.

Hawaii has played in this bowl game four times since 2008 going 1-3 S/U and ATS, actually getting the win in the instance where they played as the biggest underdog. Last season Hawaii lost 31-14 to Louisiana Tech at home as a slight home underdog in what was a sloppy Hawaii Bowl with six turnovers. A 7-3 halftime lead turned sharply in the third quarter for the Warriors, who were held to only 226 net yards.

BYU was a road favorite four times this season and lost S/U three times while going 0-4 ATS. Under Sitake BYU is just 4-6 ATS as a road favorite as well. Sitake is 10-12 S/U in road games at BYU while under Nick Rolovich, Hawaii is 6-8 S/U and ATS as a home underdog, though 2-1 S/U and ATS this season with wins over Arizona and San Diego State.


BYU doesn?t have a rusher with more than 400 yards as while the rushing attack proved adequate it was a clear committee approach with top rusher Sione Finau lost to a knee injury in November. Hawaii had a stronger per carry rushing average this season and playing two more games than BYU has, the Warriors with a stronger rushing production count for the season but trailed the Cougars on a per-game average.

The victor in the Hawaii Bowl has scored at least 30 points in seven straight seasons and only one of the past seven meetings has been a single-score result. The Mountain West had won three in a row against AAC teams before last season?s win for Louisiana Tech and this game should have a chance to top 30,000 in attendance for a second straight season with some positive enthusiasm for a solid season for the home team.[/SIZE]

 

[Cnotes53]

Bowl Tech Trends - Week 2
Bruce Marshall


Tuesday, December 24


Matchup Skinny
Edge

BYU at HAWAII (Hawaii Bowl)...Sitake no covers last 3 or 7 of last 9 in 2019 and Cougs had covered 15 of previous 21. Rolovich 4-4 vs. spread at Aloha TY but was just 6-14-1 vs. line previous three years as host. Bows 1-4 SU and vs. line last five bowls dating to 2007 season.
BYU, based on team trends.




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221BYU -222 HAWAII
HAWAII is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) after a loss in the last 3 seasons.




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Tuesday, December 24

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BYU (7 - 5) at HAWAII (9 - 5) - 12/24/2019, 8:00:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BYU is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
HAWAII is 90-119 ATS (-40.9 Units) after playing a conference game since 1992.
HAWAII is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BYU is 2-0 against the spread versus HAWAII over the last 3 seasons
BYU is 2-0 straight up against HAWAII over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Tuesday, December 24


Brigham Young @ Hawaii
Brigham Young
Brigham Young is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Hawaii
Brigham Young is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games


Hawaii
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hawaii's last 5 games at home
Hawaii is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games




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Dec 24- Hawai?i Bowl


BYU beat Hawai?i 49-23/30-20 last two years; BYU has a campus in Hawai?i- they?ll have fan support here, too. Cougars were held to 23 or fewer points in their five losses- they?re 7-0 scoring more than 23. Underdogs covered BYU?s last eight games. BYU won five of last six games after a 2-4 start; they won their last two bowls. Favorites covered four of BYU?s last five bowls. Hawai?i is in this bowl for third time in four years, splitting last two; Rainbows won four of last five games after a 5-4 start, losing MW title game to Boise St two weeks ago- they allowed average of 43 ppg in their last five bowls. Hawai?i is 5-8-1 ATS in last 14 games as a home underdog, 1-1 TY. Average total in last four Hawai?i Bowls, 60.3.




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Tuesday, December 24


Hawaii @ Brigham Young


Game 221-222
December 24, 2019 @ 8:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Hawaii
82.079
Brigham Young
80.746
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Hawaii
by 1 1/2
67
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brigham Young
by 2
64
Dunkel Pick:
Hawaii
(+2); Over

 

[Cnotes53]

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HAW at BYU 08:00 PM

HAW +1.5

O 62.0

 

[Udog]

Hot & Not Report - Bowls
Matt Blunt

Last week's piece on NFL trends heading into Week 16 didn't bring the best results, and with Week 17 being one that generally resembles a crap shoot for the bulk of the card with motivation and who's suiting up being big question marks throughout the week, it's back to the collegiate game this week.

NFL angles will be back in time for the playoffs early next week, but with a plethora of Bowl games in the more immediate future, here are a couple of 'lighter' angles to keep on your holiday plate for the next 10 days or so.

Who's Hot

ACC teams in Boxing Day Bowls: 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in CFB Playoff era (2014-15)

Historical information like this isn't always the most in-depth approach or even the most relevant knowledge in some cases, but considering Boxing Day (Dec. 26) this year has just two Bowl games on the card and there is an ACC team involved in each, it was worth pointing out. Miami and Pittsburgh are chalk in their respective games this year, and while ACC chalk is just 3-2 ATS in the span outlined in the header, if you do believe they will win the game, laying the points doesn't hurt.

That 7-3 SU and ATS run by ACC teams on Boxing Day is perfectly correlated (ie there were no ATS covers coming in SU defeats), with one exception, so keep that in mind. It does work the other way too in that if you are looking at taking the points with Louisiana Tech or Eastern Michigan later this week, dousing the ML with a partial unit should be considered as well. The University of Miami did account for one of those past SU and ATS losses on Boxing Day ? their only appearance in this data ? as a 20-14 loss to Washington State (-1.5) back in 2015 is one of the three ACC blemishes on this day in recent years.

That one exception ? Virginia Tech winning 55-52 back in 2015 as double-digit (-14) chalk.

But what may be even more interesting for this data set is the fact that not only are the SU wins correlated with ATS wins perfectly, but the same goes for the totals in these games as well.

In the seven SU/ATS wins by ACC programs in Boxing Day Bowls the past few years, the 'over' has gone 6-0-1 O/U, while the three SU/ATS losses by ACC schools has gone a perfect 0-3 O/U to the 'under'. That is quite the history when you think about it, and how you chose to use that information (if at all) for this year's games is up to you. But it does suggest that with Pittsburgh (-11.5) and Miami (-6) both being expected to win their respective games, the 'over' may end up being the place to look that does give you more margin for error.

Yes, the SU and ATS results have nearly always been perfectly correlated in the sense that the point spread hasn't mattered, but the one time it did ? Virginia Tech in 2015 ? was the only other time prior to this year that an ACC school was laying double-digit chalk. That puts Pittsburgh in the trickier spot this week, at least in terms of the side, which is why I do say that the 'over' (at least in that game) does potentially give you more of a margin for error. Pitt wasn't an 'over' team at all this season (3-9 O/U), but Eastern Michigan was (7-3-2 O/U), and if the Eagles do find a way to make a game of it, chances are it will be a game that should surpass their current total of 49.

Who's Not

Backing Favorites in non-CFB Playoff New Year's Day Bowl games ? 1-7 ATS and 2-6 SU the last two seasons

If you are someone who tends to wake up groggy and hungover on New Year's Day, when you take your dog out for a walk to get some fresh air and shake loose some of the cobwebs, make sure you put some underdog betting tickets in your pocket at the same time. That's because underdogs playing on this day have been money the past two years, going 7-1 ATS and 6-2 outright in that span.

When you really step back and think about it, the general theory does make a lot of sense too. All year you hear announcers talk about how important it is for many programs to be playing in a New Year's Day Bowl game, but that's not the reality for all of them. A lot of the time it's this day that houses those teams that finished ranked #5 through #10 in the CFB Playoff rankings, meaning they just missed out on their ultimate goal and there is simply no desire to go out and be at their best in a Bowl game on New Year's Day that's only lost more and more prestige as the years have gone on. That's not even mentioning that the lone ATS loss for underdogs in this spot came by a half-point last year in UCF's 40-32 loss to LSU when the Knights closed at +7.5.

But when the past two seasons has had brand name programs like LSU, Auburn and Michigan all lose outright as chalk in 2017 ? Auburn and Michigan laying -9 or more ? and the likes of Georgia (-13.5) and Penn State (-4.5) lose outright in 2018, you can see how the lack of motivation for these schools who just missed out on the playoff does come into play. This year we've got a few more candidates that fit that role, as all eight teams in action finished the year ranked in the Top 18 in the country.

The Baylor/Georgia (-6.5) game is really interesting given that both teams basically needed just a win in their Conference Championship game to be playoff bound, and for the entire Bowl season I'm not sure there is another game where you could have neither side wanting to be there like that one.

Wisconsin (-2.5/3) is currently laying about a FG against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, and while neither team likely saw their playoff hopes dashed in the final week of the season, you could make that argument for Wisconsin given they held a halftime lead against #1 Ohio State in the Big 10 Title game and then crumbled after half.

Auburn is laying a TD against Minnesota in a game that could end up being one that bucks this trend, as Auburn was never really a serious playoff contender down the stretch, and Minnesota was, had they not stumbled late in the year.

And then there is the Michigan/Alabama (-7), one that fits taking the points rather well, as long as you believe the Wolverines are able to pick themselves up off the canvas after suffering humiliation yet again in the Ohio State game. That's a role that's buried Michigan before in their Bowl game, but Alabama lost more later in the year in terms of the playoff picture, and having been involved in the CFB playoff every year since its inception, a ?regular? Bowl appearance for the Crimson Tide has to be a huge disappointment.

Meanwhile, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is in need of a significant win now more then ever with how his teams have performed against top level competition during his tenure at Michigan, and a lack of excitement/motivation from Alabama could be just what the doctor ordered for Harbaugh's crew. Alabama still has plenty of cache in their name in terms of Harbaugh beating a quality foe, and let's not forget the Tide are still without their starting QB.

That's got to be about as good as it gets situationally for a play on Michigan here, you've just got to hope that the Wolverines are motivated themselves.

 

[hawkeye]

Good info-thanks--gl

 

[Udog]

Thursday's Bowl Tips
Joe Williams

Independence Bowl (ESPN, 4:00 p.m. ET)

Louisiana Tech vs. Miami-Florida

-- The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) of Conference USA will tangle with the Miami Hurricanes (6-6 straight up, 6-6 against the spread) from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.

-- The Bulldogs will be making their 12th bowl appearance in school history, and their fifth-ever appearance in the Independence Bowl. They made their first-ever bowl appearnace against Louisville in 1977, winning 24-14. They lost the next season against East Carolina before returning in 1990 for a tie against Maryland. They also apppeared on Dec. 28, 2008, topping Northern Illinois in a low-scoring game, 17-10. Overall La. Tech holds a 7-3-1 SU record in bowl games, including wins in each of the past five. They topped Hawaii in the Hawai'i Bowl by a 31-14 score in Honolulu last Dec. 22, 2018.

-- The Hurricanes have an extensive bowl history, including five national championships to their credit. However, while they were once one of the most feared football programs in America during the 1980's and 1990's, they have fallen on hard, or really, mediocre, times. Since winning the MPC Computers Bowl over Nevada on New Year's Eve in 2006, they have posted just one win in their previous nine bowl outings. That lone win is a 31-14 victory over West Virginia at the Russell Athletic Bowl, not exactly known as one of the best bowls on the schedule. They haven't faced a Group of Five team in a bowl since that MPC Computers Bowl game, a win. In fact, that was one of just three appearances in school history against a non-Power 5 team. Before 2006, they had a 13-6 win over Holy Cross in the 1946 Orange Bowl, and a 26-0 loss to Bucknell in the 1935 Orange Bowl. So this is unchartered territory.

-- Louisiana Tech is located in Ruston, La., just one hour east of Shreveport off of Interstate 20, so you can expect a pro-Bulldogs crowd. In the state of Louisiana, all in Ruston, the Bulldogs were a perfect 6-0/4-2 ATS. They averaged 45.0 points per game in those six games at home, while going 3-3 SU/ATS in their six true road games, including losses in each of the past two. They averaged just 23.0 PPG in their six games away from home in 2019.

-- Miami were on their way to closing out the season in style. They opened with losses to Florida and North Carolina, before wins against FCS Bethune Cookman and Central Michigan. A loss to Virginia Tech, and a win over Virginia, had them at 3-3 SU/ATS midway through. They lost a tough overtime game to Georgia Tech to slip to 3-4, and a bowl appearance looked rather remote. However, they picked up road wins at Pittsburgh and Florida State to snap on track, and a dominant 52-27 win over Louisville had them in good shape and eligible. However, a stunning loss to crosstown rival Florida International, and a setback at Duke, evened them out at 6-6. Against Group of Five FBS teams they were 1-1 SU/0-2 ATS this season.

-- Miami ranked 88th in total yards (379.7) on offense, while ranking 42nd in passing yards (257.2). They were also a dismal 120th (122.5) in rushing yards per game, while ranking 73rd in points scored (27.8). Defensively, Miami was Miami. They ranked 13th in the nation in yards allowed (307.8), which is what we expect from the Canes. They were also 22nd against the pass (197.9), 16th against the rush (109.8) and 25th in points allowed (20.8).

-- Louisiana Tech was 30th in total yards per game (445.2), 31st in passing yards (277.3) and 60th in rushing yards (167.9) per game, while posting 34.0 points per game to rank 28th. Defensively they were middle of the road, ranking 70th in total yards allowed (393.9), 98th in passing yards allowed (247.8) and 54th in rushing yards allowed (146.2), while yielding 23.7 points per game to check in 46th in the country.

-- Louisiana Tech has covered five of their past seven games overall, and they're 7-3 ATS in the past 10 as an underdog. They're also 4-1 ATS in the past five neutral-site contests.

-- The Bulldogs are 6-1 ATS in their past seven bowl apperances.

-- Miami is 4-1 ATS in the past five against winning teams, but they're just 2-5 ATS in the past seven as a favorite.

-- The Hurricanes are 2-9 ATS in their past 11 neutral-site battles, while going 1-7 ATS in the past eight neutral-site games as a favorite and 1-7 ATS in the past eight bowl games.

-- Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.


Quick Lake Bowl (ESPN, 8:00 p.m.)

Pittsburgh vs. Eastern Michigan

-- The Quick Lane Bowl pits the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) of the Atlantic Coast Conference facing the Eastern Conference Eagles (6-6 straight up, 5-7 against the spread) from the Mid-American Conference at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.

-- Pittsburgh has enjoyed a lengthy bowl history dating back to the 1927 Rose Bowl. During that history, however, they have never faced a MAC opponent in a bowl game. The Panthers are looking to get untracked after getting dumped 31-24 by Stanford in the Sun Bowl last December.

-- Eastern Michigan heads over from nearby Washtenaw County to downtown Detroit for the fourth bowl game in school history. They're 1-2 SU all-time in bowl games, iwht their only victory coming back in Dec. 1987 against San Jose State in the California Bowl. They lost a narrow battle against Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl in Alabama last season.

-- The Panthers ranked 95th in total yards per game (374.1), while ranking a dismal 121st in rushing yards (120.7) per contest. They were above-average in passing yards per game at 253.4, led by Kenny Pickett, who had 2,737 passing yards. They were just 115th in points scored, however, managing a dismal 20.1 PPG. Defensively they were outstanding, as the Panthers allowed just 302.5 total yards per game to rank 11th in the nation, they gave up just 195.6 passing yards per game to rank 20th and they were 10th against the run with 106.9 yards per game. They also allowed only 21.8 points per game to check in 31st.

-- For the Eagles, they were a mediocre 67th in total yards per game (402.8), while ranking 118th in rushing yards per game (123.1). EMU was a very strong 29th in the nation with 279.7 passing yards per game, while posting 29.1 points per outing to rank 64th. Defensively, EMU had their issues, allowing 428.3 total yards per game to rank 92nd, 66th against the pass (225.8) and 109th against the rush (202.4). They yielded 30.3 PPG to check in 85th overall.

-- Pitt has posted a 10-4 ATS mark in their past 14 games in the month of December, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six non-conference battles. They're also a solid 3-0-1 ATS in the past four appearances on a fieldturf surface.

-- The Panthers are a dismal 1-4 ATS in the past five neutral-site affairs, however, and 2-5 ATS in their past seven bowl appearances.

-- Eastern Michigan is 17-6 ATS in the past 23 following a straight-up loss, and 14-4 ATS in the past 18 after a non-cover.

-- EMU is 17-8 ATS in the past 25 against winning teams, while going 21-7 ATS in the past 28 as an underdog and 17-5 ATS in the past 22 non-conference battles.

-- The under is 28-10-1 in the past 39 games overall for Pittsburgh, while going 7-1 in their past eight as a favorite. The under is 6-1 in their past seven non-conference battles, too, while cashing in four of the past five bowl games as a favorite.

-- The over is 4-1-1 in Eastern Michigan's past six games overall, 3-0-2 in the past five against teams with a winning record and 5-0-1 in the past six as an underdog.

-- Kickoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

 

[Cnotes53]

Hawaii outlasts BYU in Hawaii Bowl
December 24, 2019

HONOLULU (AP) Cole McDonald capped a stellar performance with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Nick Mardner with 1:17 remaining, and Hawaii beat BYU 38-34 on Tuesday night for the Warriors' first 10-win season since 2010.

McDonald threw for 493 yards and four touchdowns against a BYU defense that was allowing an average of 203.8 yards passing per game.

Still, it took a late rally for Hawaii to beat BYU for the first time since 2001 when both were part of the Western Athletic Conference. Hawaii led 31-24 at halftime, but the Cougars (7-6) shut out the Warriors until the final part of the fourth.

McDonald scrambled for 9 yards. He found Mardner behind the defense for a 38-yard pass that at least put Hawaii in range to tie the game. And then he hit Mardner on a post route, and he tumbled into the end zone as Aloha Stadium erupted for its home team, even though the Warriors (10-5) were technically the visiting team.

BYU wasted a solid game by Zach Wilson, whose father grew up in Hawaii. Wilson threw for 274 yards and ran for 72 yards and two short TDs to help the Cougars rally from a 10-point deficit in the first half.

BYU's last chance ended when Khoury Bethley intercepted Wilson for the second time, and the celebration was on.

McDonald finished 28 of 46, and he did most of his damage in the first half by throwing for 331 yards and three scores. Of the four touchdown drives, the shortest was 40 yards. That one followed Bethley's first interception. Two plays later, McDonald found Jared Smart on a post route with a perfectly thrown pass that made it 14-0.

Wilson brought the Cougars back, leading them on touchdown drives of 73, 75 and 75 yards, the last one ending on Micah Simon scoring on an 11-yard reverse.

BYU still leads the series 23-9. This was the first time the schools met in a bowl game.

THE TAKEAWAY

Hawaii: McDonald used the middle of the field and was not afraid to go deep on a BYU defense that had been stubborn against the pass most of the year. He went over 4,000 yards passing for the season.

BYU: The Cougars had great balance with the run (231 yards) and pass (274 yards). But they were susceptible to the deep ball all game, and it cost them in the end.

AIR HAWAII

Hawaii receivers Smart and JoJo Ward each went over 1,000 yards for the year, joining Cedric Byrd II. This is the sixth time in NCAA history that a team had three players with at least 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Hawaii has done it twice, the other time in 2007. The other schools are Texas Tech (2003), Tulsa (2003), Houston (2009 and Fresno State (2013).

UP NEXT

Hawaii: At Arizona on Aug. 29 to open the 2020 season.

BYU: At Utah on Sept. 5 to open the 2020 season.


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Bowl Games Best Bets & Opinions ( All Based On 5 Units )

DATE................W-L-T...........%........UNITS

12/24/2019.......2-0-0......100.00%....+10.00
12/23/2019.......1-1-0........50.00%.....-0.50
12/21/2019...... 4-8-0........33.33%....-24.00
12/20/2019.......1-1-0........50.00%.....-0.50

Totals..............8-10-0........44.44%.....-15.00


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Best Bets

Date......................Ats..................Uni ts...................O/U...................Units..............Total

12/24/2019..........1 - 0..................+5.00................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
12/23/2019..........0 - 1..................-5.50.................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50
12/21/2019..........2 - 3..................-6.50.................1 - 4..................-17.00............-23.50
12/20/2019..........1 - 0.................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50..............- 0.50

Totals..................4 - 4...................-2.00................3 - 5..................-12.50.............-14.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Dec 26- Independence Bowl, Shreveport
Skip Holtz is 5-0 in bowls at Louisiana Tech, were underdog in last two; senior QB Smith is 3-year starter. Tech figures to have crowd support wth game in Shreveport. Bulldogs were held under 300 total yards in all three losses TY- they lost two of last three regular season games, with backup QB playing in the losses; starter came back in last game. Tech is 17-8-1 ATS in last 26 games as an underdog, 2-2 TY. Three of their last four games went under. Miami lost four of its last five bowls; this is Diaz? first bowl as a HC. Canes are 6-6, losing last two games, with a loss to FIU of C-USA. Miami is 11-17 ATS in last 28 games as a favorite, 2-6 TY. ACC teams won this game the last four years; average total in last six Independence Bowls, 68.2.

Quick Lane Bowl, Detroit
Eastern Michigan lost bowls in ?16, ?18 by total of six points but they covered both games; Eagles are 20-6-1 ATS in last 27 games as an underdog, 3-3 TY. Four of their last five games went over. Pitt lost its last four bowls, were favored in two of them; their last bowl win was here six years ago. Panthers are 7-5 TY, scoring total of 19 points in losing last two games; they?re 6-0 when they score 20+ points, 1-5 when they don?t. Pitt is 6-3-1 ATS in last ten games as a favorite, but they?re 2-5-1 in last eight tries as a double digit fave. Five of their last six games stayed under total.. Underdogs are 3-2 in this game last five years, with average total 51.2. MAC teams lost last three appearances here, scoring 19.3 ppg. Game is indoors, so no weather worries.

 

[Cnotes53]

223MIAMI -224 LOUISIANA TECH
MIAMI is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) off upset loss vs conference foe since 1992.

225PITTSBURGH -226 E MICHIGAN
PITTSBURGH is 10-3 ATS (6.7 Units) vs. good passing teams with a completion pct. of 58% or better. over the last 2 seasons.


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Thursday, December 26

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MIAMI (6 - 6) vs. LOUISIANA TECH (9 - 3) - 12/26/2019, 4:00:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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PITTSBURGH (7 - 5) vs. E MICHIGAN (6 - 6) - 12/26/2019, 8:00:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E MICHIGAN is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
E MICHIGAN is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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Thursday, December 26

Louisiana Tech @ Miami-FL

Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Louisiana Tech is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games

Miami-FL
No trends to report

Pittsburgh @ Eastern Michigan

Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 14-7 ATS in its last 21 games

Eastern Michigan
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Eastern Michigan's last 5 games
Eastern Michigan is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games


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Thursday, December 26

Louisiana Tech @ Miami-FL

Game 224-223
December 26, 2019 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Louisiana Tech
80.102
Miami-FL
83.299
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami-FL
by 3
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami-FL
by 6
50
Dunkel Pick:
Louisiana Tech
(+6); Under

Pittsburgh @ Eastern Michigan

Game 225-226
December 26, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
82.580
Eastern Michigan
74.133
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 8 1/2
41
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
by 11
49 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Eastern Michigan
(+11); Under


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Thursday, December 26

MIAMI-FLA. vs. LA TECH (Independence Bowl)...Canes 2-6 as chalk TY, as dogs were 10-2 vs. line in Miami games. Miami has also failed to cover in 4 of last 6 bowls. Skip Holtz 18-8-1 as dog since 2014. Holtz also 5-0 SU, 4-1 in bowls with Bulldogs.
La Tech, based on team trends.


PITT vs. EASTERN MICHIGAN (Quick Lane Bowl)...Pitt 0-4 SU, 1-3 vs. spread last four bowls. Narduzzi 1-5-1 as DD chalk since 2016, but did cover 4 of 5 away TY. EMU 4-2-1 vs. line away from Ypsilanti this season, now 21-6-1 away from home since 2016, and 20-5-2 as dog since 2016. Note Panthers ?under? 13-3 since late 2018.
EMU and ?under? based on team and ?totals? trends.


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Random bowl facts; Merry Christmas??

? Over the last three years, Pac-12 teams are 7-15 SU in bowl games, 3-18-1 ATS, which is hard to believe, so I checked it twice. 3-18-1 it is.

? Last five tears, Pac-12 teams are 12-27-1 ATS in bowls, 9-20-1 when favored.

? Friday was a huge day for the MAC; they won two bowl games. Over the previous three years, MAC squads were 2-15 SU in bowls, 5-12 ATS.

? Over last three years, SEC teams are 17-19 SU in bowls, 9-12 ATS when favored.

? Underdogs won four of last five Pinstripe Bowls SU.

? Three years ago, big 14 teams were 3-7 SU in bowls; the last two years, they went 12-5 SU/ATS.

? In last five Cheez-It Bowls, Big X teams are 5-0 SU, beating four Pac-12 teams and Boise State.

? Over last five years, Big X teams 5-7 ATS when favored in bowls, 13-8 when the underdog; they?re 13-6 SU in bowls the last three years.

? Over last three years, Sun Belt teams are 9-5 SU in bowls. Go figure.

? Last four years, AAC teams are 10-20 SU in bowls; 6-11 ATS when favored, 4-9 when an underdog.

? Last three years, ACC teams are 20-12-1 ATS in bowls, 9-4 when favored, 11-8-1 when they?re getting points.

? Last five years, Conference USA teams are 11-5 ATS when favored, 7-11 when an underdog.

? Pac-12 teams beat an ACC team in four of last five Sun Bowls; four of the five games were decided by 6 or fewer points.

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LT at MIA 04:00 PM
MIA -6.5
O 50.0

PITT at EMU 08:00 PM
EMU +13.0
U 49.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Smith, Louisiana Tech beat Miami 14-0 in Independence Bowl
December 27, 2019
By The Associated Press

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) J'Mar Smith threw a touchdown pass and had a late scoring run to help Louisiana Tech beat Miami 14-0 on Thursday night in the only shutout in the Independence Bowl???s 44-game history.

Louisiana Tech (10-3) hit double-digit victories for the first time since 1984 and ran its postseason winning streak to six. Miami (6-7) completed its second losing season in 12 years.

Smith connected with Israel Tucker on a 26-yard touchdown strike on a screen pass in the second quarter, capping a 13-play, 91-yard drive. Smith added an 8-yard scoring run with 1:15 left.

Bulldogs running back Justin Henderson was selected the Most Outstanding Offensive Player after rushing for 95 yards on 22 carries. Smith completed 13 of 28 passes for 163 yards with one interception.

The teams set the game record for punts at 18, with both tying the single-club record of nine.

QUICK LANE BOWL

PITTSBURGH 34, EASTERN MCHIGAN 30

DETROIT (AP) - Kenny Pickett threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Taysir Mack with 47 seconds left and Pittsburgh held on to beat Eastern Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl.

After taking its first lead of the game, Pittsburgh (8-5) then forced Eastern Michigan (6-7) to turn it over on downs from its 40. That sealed Pitt's first bowl victory in five appearances under coach Pat Narduzzi.

Eastern Michigan quarterback Mike Glass was ejected with 10 seconds left after throwing punches at two players. Eagles cornerback Kevin McGill was ejected earlier for unsportsmanlike conduct. Glass was 28 of 50 for 311 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The senior also ran for 83 yards and a score.

Pickett completed 27 of 39 passes for 361 yards and three scores, including a school-record, 96-yard TD pass to Maurice Ffrench. Ffrench finished with 12 catches for 165 yards.

 

[Cnotes53]

FRIDAY DECEMBER 27, 2019

Time (ET) Bowl Away Home

12:00 PM Military Bowl North Carolina Tar Heels Temple Owls

3:20 PM Pinstripe Bowl Michigan State Spartans Wake Forest Demon Deacons

6:45 PM Texas Bowl Oklahoma State Cowboys Texas A&M Aggies

8:00 PM Holiday Bowl Southern California Trojans Iowa Hawkeyes

10:15 PM Cheez-It Bowl Washington State Cougars Air Force Falcons


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Bowl Games Best Bets & Opinions ( All Based On 5 Units )

DATE................W-L-T...........%........UNITS

12/26/2019.......1-3-0.......25.00%......-11.50
12/24/2019.......2-0-0......100.00%....+10.00
12/23/2019.......1-1-0........50.00%.....-0.50
12/21/2019...... 4-8-0........33.33%....-24.00
12/20/2019.......1-1-0........50.00%.....-0.50

Totals..............9-13-0........40.90%.....-26.50


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Best Bets

Date......................Ats..................Uni ts...................O/U...................Units..............Total


12/26/2019..........1 - 1..................-0.50.................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.50
12/24/2019..........1 - 0..................+5.00................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
12/23/2019..........0 - 1..................-5.50.................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50
12/21/2019..........2 - 3..................-6.50.................1 - 4..................-17.00............-23.50
12/20/2019..........1 - 0.................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50..............- 0.50

Totals..................5 - 5...................-2.50................3 - 7..................-23.50.............-26.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday?s 6-pack

Over/under win totals for baseball in 2020:

88? St Louis Cardinals

86.5? Cleveland Indians

84.5? Los Angeles Angels

81? Arizona Diamondbacks

79.5? Texas Rangers

75.5? Colorado Rockies

Quote of the Day:
?He?s going to be the quarterback. He?s going to be the future of the Denver Broncos.?
Von Miller, talking about rookie QB Drew Lock

Friday?s quiz
Where did Shaquille O?Neal finish his NBA career?

Thursday?s quiz
Ozzie Guillen was manager of the White Sox when they won the World Series in ?05.

Wednesday?s quiz
John Adams was the 2nd President of the United States.

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Friday?s Den: In a perfect world, where I made all the decisions??..

13) I?d like everyone to be nicer to each other; life is short, lets enjoy it.

Lets tolerate our differences; I like the A?s, you like someone else. you like beer, I like Cherry Coke, our differences are what make life interesting.

12) A friend of mine wouldn?t talk to me for a year because I didn?t vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016 (I voted for the 3rd party candidate). Why take life that seriously? Especially the way Presidential elections are, the Democrat almost always wins New York anyway.

11) Would a date with Gina Gershon be too much to ask for? (probably, yes?..)

10) Sounds like one of the things I?ve been posting in this space for years will finally happen; both leagues should have the DH in 2022. Both leagues should have the same rules.

9) Lets do away with Daylight Savings Time; who needs sunlight at 5:30am? Keep the clocks the way they are in the summer. Let it stay light as late in the day as possible.

8) Can we get rid of the Electoral College? Whoever gets the most votes should win, yes?

7) Every kid would learn basic life skills in high school: cooking, laundry, how to write a check, how to do a budget, the divorce laws.

When it comes to cooking, I can make one thing??reservations.

6) No Thursday NFL games, except for Week 1 and Thanksgiving Day. Instead, why not have Monday night doubleheaders every week? 7:00/10:30 games; that would be fun.

5) NBA playoff series would be two out of three until the Finals, which would be best-of-5.

4) College football teams shouldn?t be playing I-AA opponents; I mean, Alabama played Western Carolina this year, and Florida played UT-Martin AND Towson State- how does this happen? Why would anyone pay to see mismatches like this?

3) I?d be in favor of college basketball adopting the NBA?s 8-second rule for getting the ball over half court; most anything that encourages pressing and a faster-paced game is a good thing.

2) I?d make cigarettes illegal; they?re known to cause cancer. What is good about them?

1) I?d make sure DirecTV picked up the Pac-12 Network. Its not too much to ask. This is my list after all.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas.