What are the lines and early odds for the college football bowl games and College Football Playoff first round battles?
I didn’t do this each week this season, but normally every Saturday night I take a shot at what I think the first lines will be on the following week’s games – I guess without looking what they are. And then the real ones are added in to see just how off I really am from reality.
Besides the fun ego feed to see how close to the pin I can get, there’s a point. If I’m WAY off, then I’m probably missing something totally obvious. Or, the pretentious side, maybe I see something the world doesn’t.
When it comes to bowl games though, yeeeeesh.
How do you factor in opt-outs, and transfers, and coaching changes, and all that goes into these exhibitions. If anything, the early ones with the mid-range programs and the CFP games are probably the easiest. The Power Four conference bowls are the biggest guesses.
So remember, several of these lines are going to fluctuate like CRAZY, so now is where you can find the potential deals if you really like something one way or another.
By the way, so there’s no confusion, I’m trying to guess what the early first lines WILL be, not SHOULD be.
Bowl Game Lines and Early Odds
Cricket Celebration Bowl
South Carolina State vs Jackson State
Fiu First Guess: Jackson State -3.5
Actual First Line: Jackson State -1.5, o/u: 54.5
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Western Michigan vs South Alabama
Fiu First Guess: South Alabama -6.5
Actual First Line: South Alabama -10.5, o/u: 59.5
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
Memphis vs West Virginia
Fiu First Guess: Memphis -2
Actual First Line: Memphis -2, o/u: 56.5
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
James Madison vs WKU
Fiu First Guess: James Madison -5
Actual First Line: James Madison -7.5, o/u: 54.5
LA Bowl
UNLV vs Cal
Fiu First Guess: Cal -2.5
Actual First Line: Cal -2.5, o/u: 51.5
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Sam Houston vs Georgia Southern
Fiu First Guess: Sam Houston -2
Actual First Line: Georgia Southern -5.5, o/u: 46.5
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Jacksonville State vs Ohio
Fiu First Guess: Jacksonville State -2
Actual First Line: Ohio -2.5, o/u: 52
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Florida vs Tulane
Fiu First Guess: Florida -9.5
Actual First Line: Florida -11.5, o/u: 50.5
Myrtle Beach Bowl
UTSA vs Coastal Carolina
Fiu First Guess: Coastal Carolina -2.5
Actual First Line: UTSA -6.5, o/u: 57.5
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Northern Illinois vs Fresno State
Fiu First Guess: Fresno State -3
Actual First Line: Northern Illinois -1.5, o/u: 41.5
Hawaii Bowl
USF vs San Jose State
Fiu First Guess: USF -4.5
Actual First Line: San Jose State -2.5, o/u: 62.5
GameAbove Sports Bowl
Pitt vs Toledo
Fiu First Guess: Pitt -8.5
Actual First Line: Pitt -9.5, o/u: 51.5
Rate Bowl
Rutgers vs Kansas State
Fiu First Guess: Kansas State -6.5
Actual First Line: Kansas State -7, o/u: 51.5
68 Ventures Bowl
Bowling Green vs Arkansas State
Fiu First Guess: Bowling Green -6
Actual First Line: Bowling Green -6.5, o/u: 49.5
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Navy vs Oklahoma
Fiu First Guess: Oklahoma -9.5
Actual First Line: Oklahoma -8.5, o/u: 46.5
Birmingham Bowl
Georgia Tech vs Vanderbilt
Fiu First Guess: Georgia Tech -2.5
Actual First Line: Georgia Tech -2.5, o/u: 52.5
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Texas Tech vs Arkansas
Fiu First Guess: Arkansas -3
Actual First Line: Arkansas -2.5, o/u: 59.5
DIRECTV Holiday Bowl
Syracuse vs Washington State
Fiu First Guess: Syracuse -7
Actual First Line: Syracuse -6.5, o/u: 61.5
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Texas A&M vs USC
Fiu First Guess: Texas A&M -8.5
Actual First Line: Texas A&M -2.5, o/u: 50.5
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
North Carolina vs UConn
Fiu First Guess: North Carolina -8
Actual First Line: North Carolina -4.5, o/u: 55.5
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
TCU vs Louisiana
Fiu First Guess: TCU -11.5
Actual First Line: TCU -9.5, o/u: 60.5
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Boston College vs Nebraska
Fiu First Guess: Nebraska -4.5
Actual First Line: Nebraska -3.5, o/u: 45.5
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Miami vs Iowa State
Fiu First Guess: Iowa State -2
Actual First Line: Iowa State -1.5, o/u: 53.5
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Miami University vs Colorado State
Fiu First Guess: Colorado State -3.5
Actual First Line: Miami University -1.5, o/u: 43.5
Go Bowling Military Bowl
East Carolina vs NC State
Fiu First Guess: NC State -4.5
Actual First Line: NC State -5.5, o/u: 59.5
Valero Alamo Bowl
BYU vs Colorado
Fiu First Guess: Colorado -4
Actual First Line: Colorado -2.5, o/u: 54.5
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Army vs Marshall
Fiu First Guess: Army -8.5
Actual First Line: Army -8.5, o/u: 48.5
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Iowa vs Missouri
Fiu First Guess: Missouri -3.5
Actual First Line: Missouri -2.5, o/u: 43.5
ReliaQuest Bowl
Michigan vs Alabama
Fiu First Guess: Alabama -11
Actual First Line: Alabama -11.5, o/u: 43.5
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Louisville vs Washington
Fiu First Guess: Washington -2.5
Actual First Line: Louisville -5, o/u: 50.5
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Illinois vs South Carolina
Fiu First Guess: South Carolina -7.5
Actual First Line: South Carolina -11.5, o/u: 47.5
TaxAct Texas Bowl
Baylor vs LSU
Fiu First Guess: LSU -5
Actual First Line: LSU -3, o/u: 60.5
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Duke vs Ole Miss
Fiu First Guess: Ole Miss -12.5
Actual First Line: Ole Miss -14, o/u: 53.5
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
North Texas vs Texas State
Fiu First Guess: Texas State -4
Actual First Line: Texas State -7.5, o/u: 67.5
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Virginia Tech vs Minnesota
Fiu First Guess: Minnesota -3
Actual First Line: Minnesota -4.5, o/u: 42.5
Bahamas Bowl
Liberty vs Buffalo
Fiu First Guess: Liberty -4
Actual First Line: Liberty -2.5, o/u: 51.5
College Football Playoff First Round Lines & Early Odds
College Football Playoff First Round
10 Indiana at 7 Notre Dame
Fiu First Guess: Notre Dame -6.5
Actual First Line: Notre Dame -7.5, o/u: 50.5
College Football Playoff First Round
11 SMU at 6 Penn State
Fiu First Guess: Penn State -8
Actual First Line: Penn State -8.5, o/u: 53.5
College Football Playoff First Round
12 Clemson at 5 Texas
Fiu First Guess: Texas -12.5
Actual First Line: Texas -11, o/u: 51.5
College Football Playoff First Round
9 Tennessee at 8 Ohio State
Fiu First Guess: Ohio State -4.5
Actual First Line: Ohio State -7.5, o/u: 47.5
