Bowl season is well underway and it is finally time for some B1G games. There are some great games, bad games, and a few stinkers, but hey, we will never complain about college football after the last few years. Bowl season has become impossible to bet. You literally have no idea who is going to be playing for each team. With guys sitting out, COVID, and the transfer portal, you have to be an insane person to bet on these games, which is exactly why I have bet on every single one so far.
Typically Spread Awareness puts the games in the order in which they will occur, BUT NOT THIS WEEK. We have broken down the best bets for every game AND the GAMBLING FUN FACTOR that comes with each. It is chaos and I am sorry. Let’s get into it.
BIG TEN BOWLAPALOOZA
Orange Bowl: #3 Georgia -7.5 vs #2 Michigan (12/31, 6:30 PM CST, ESPN)
Gambling Fun Factor: 10 of 10
I haven’t had the opportunity to talk with you all since that whole Iowa vs Michigan thing happened. It was ugly, and being there in person was one of the more miserable sporting experiences I have ever had. The low point of the night was after the game. A couple of fun stories from the game, though:
- The guy in front of me was a Michigan fan. Before the game, we were talking and discovered we had both bet on the UNDER. A great friendship began to blossom. Midway through the third quarter, this man gets up to leave the game because he has to drive home. He says, and I quote “Well, sorry you are all going to lose, but at least the under is going to hit!”...UHHH, WHAT THE HELL, DUDE? The under did not hit. I am not a fighting man (bad shoulders, it’s a whole big thing), but I will THROW HANDS with this dude if I ever see him again. You cannot say that, and he should be thrown in prison immediately!
- We returned to the Iowa bar and the live band was singing SHALLOW to a bunch of sad Iowa fans. If you do not know that song, it is easily one of the most depressing songs from one of the most depressing movies ever. It was so sad.
Hilariously sad.
OK, let’s talk football. The line in this game is ridiculous. Michigan +7.5 is the easiest bet of the bowl season. Am I biased based on what they did to Iowa? Maybe. But they are going to win. Easily. Georgia is good, but Bama exposed them and broke them. Stetson Bennett is awful, and the Michigan defense is going to do terrible things to him. Will it be as bad as the Iowa game? Probably not, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Michigan won by 2+ scores (HOT TAKE ALERT).
PICK: Michigan +7.5
Citrus Bowl: #15 Iowa +2.5 vs #22 Kentucky (1/1, 12:00 PM CST, ABC)
Gambling Fun Factor: 4 out of 10
The Hawkeyes are back and thank the lord we have had a month to forget about the last time they took the field! I have completely forgotten what even happened in the Big Ten Championship Game. Did we even play it or was it canceled for COVID? Who knows!
Betting on Iowa is never fun, it is actually the opposite and I hate it. I have a lot of questions about this game, the main one being: Will the offense look any different after a month of preparation? There are rumors that the team has been running some “trick” plays in practice, but what does that even mean? A trick to Brian Ferentz could be running a third down pass route BEYOND the first down marker.
Kentucky is led by future Iowa head coach Mark Stoops, and I have no idea if they are any good. I have not watched any of their games this season but they are 8-4 ATS overall and 5-2 ATS as a favorite…They also have former Husker screen pass-catcher, Wan’dale Robinson, on the team and he has turned into quite the stud. The man has 94 receptions for 1,164 yards and seven touchdowns this year. That yardage is more than double what he did during two seasons in Lincoln…Thanks, offensive genius Scott Frost. He could be a problem, and I am worried.
So, what are we going to do here? Well, it is the last Iowa game of the season, can’t hold anything back. Take Iowa, and take the OVER, because we have no shame.
PICK: IOWA +3, OVER 44
Rose Bowl: #6 Ohio State -5 vs #11 Utah (1/1, 4:00 PM CST, ESPN)
Gambling Fun Factor: 7 out of 10
Well, this game WAS going to be a 10 out of 10, but now half of Ohio State's team isn’t playing, including Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, and like 75% of their defense. I am no expert, but that seems bad. Sure, Ohio State is loaded, but like…come on, no way they win this, right? RIGHT?
Utah is good. They beat Oregon down twice and would have been undefeated if not for an October loss to Oregon State which I can only assume was because of COVID. I am not going to look that up, I am just going to assume it is right. I said this during championship week and I will say it again, enjoy winning the conference and going to the Rose Bowl while you can, Utah. Lincoln Riley is coming.
PICK: UTAH +5
Peach Bowl: #10 Michigan State -2.5 vs #12 Pittsburgh (12/30, 6:00 PM CST, ESPN)
Gambling Fun Factor: 8 out of 10
Another game that could have been a 10 out of 10 on the fun scale ruined by people not playing. No Kenny Pickett for Pitt, no Kenneth Walker for Michigan State…Yeah, this game really lost its luster. Not sure why Pickett opted out, he could have easily thrown for 700 yards against Michigan State and their non-existent pass defense. I mean, you, yes YOU, could throw for 300 yards against them.
I have no idea who Pitt's new offensive coordinator is, or who their backup QB is, but as long as he has two arms and two legs, I don’t think they will have any issues on offense. Will the Spartans be able to keep up? No.
PICK: PITT +2.5, OVER 56
Outback Bowl: Penn State +1 vs #21 Arkansas (1/1, 11:00 AM CST, ESPN2)
Gambling Fun Factor: 5 out of 10
A battle of teams that were once ranked WAY too high. Penn State made it all the way to #4 after a 5-0 start to the year. They were then absolutely dominated by Iowa and lost five out of their last seven games. James Franklin’s hopes and dreams of leaving Penn State for USC were crushed and he instead had to settle for a 10-year, $70 million dollar deal to stay in Happy Valley. Tough life.
Arkansas got all the way to #8 before being dismantled by Georgia 37-0. They also lost to Mississippi and Auburn in a rough three-game stretch. They turned it around after that, though. Will they keep it rolling against a Penn State team that is pretty bad? Yup.
PICK: Arkansas -1
Las Vegas Bowl: Wisconsin -6 vs Arizona State (12/30, 9:30 PM, CST, ESPN)
Gambling Fun Factor: 4 out of 10
I think this is probably the best bowl, fan-wise, that your team could get selected for, or maybe I just think that because I am addicted to going to Vegas and giving them all of my money. To each their own, I suppose, but like... look at this!
Hello @FSELV #LVBowl | #OnlyVegas pic.twitter.com/eW1plhni8l
— SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (@LasVegasBowl) December 28, 2021
Here is a question for you all: Is Wisconsin good? They had a very confusing season and it makes my head hurt to think about so we aren't going to do that.
I think Arizona State is bad. Herm Edwards is somehow still the coach, which blows my mind. He is a terrible coach! Are my thoughts about him based on his time with the Kansas City Chiefs 14 years ago? Yes. Can people change? Sure. Will my opinion of him ever change? Absolutely not.
PICK: Wisconsin -6
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Minnesota -4.5 vs West Virginia (12/28, 9:15 CST, ESPN)
Gambling Fun Factor: 3 out of 10
A football game played in a baseball stadium? Yes, please. Nothing like watching guys go up to catch a fade in the corner of the endzone and crash into a foul pole that is three feet behind the out-of-bounds line. I mean seriously, someone is going to get severely injured.
Red pill Blue pill pic.twitter.com/rzFw2NOjM2
— Guaranteed Rate Bowl (@RateBowl) December 24, 2021
On paper, this game looks like it is going to be a GRIND. Both teams trying to establish the run while everyone watching falls asleep because, honestly, who wants to watch Minnesota play West Virginia in anything?
Let’s start B1G bowl season off with a nice #OVER pick because everyone else seems to like the UNDER.
PICK: OVER 45
Music City Bowl: Tennessee -5.5 vs Purdue (12/30, 2:00 PM CST, ESPN)
Gambling Fun Factor: 5 out of 10
I have not written anything since the Big Ten Championship Game and I would just like to say thank the lord David Bell decided to go to the NFL. That man has been mean, rude, and straight-up disrespectful to Iowa for the last few years and it is nice to see him go (hopefully to the Chiefs…) Who is the next Purdue receiver to torch us and deal Iowa a crushing mid-season loss? Could it be transfer Tyrone Tracy? Oh no…
Without Bell and George Karlaftis, the Boilermakers could be in some trouble here.
Pick: TENNESSEE -5.5
Pinstripe Bowl: Maryland -3.5 vs Virginia Tech (12/29, 1:15 PM CST, ESPN)
Gambling Fun Factor: 6 out of 10
Another game of football being played on a baseball field! As I am writing this, there is a 50% chance of rain, which is the only reason this game is a 6 out of 10.
Honestly, what a lovely bowl game to get selected for, I am sure the players are beyond excited to play on the hallowed grounds of new Yankee Stadium where legends like Brett Gardner and Kyle Higashioka have stood.
As for this game, well it is one of those stinkers. Luckily it is at 1:15 PM so you don’t HAVE to watch it, but if it is raining I suggest you turn it on.
PICK: Virginia Tech +3.5
Taxslayer.com Bowl: #17 Wake Forest -14.5 vs Rutgers (12/31, 10:00 AM CST, ESPN)
Gambling Fun Factor: 10 out of 10
Rutgers is going to get dominated and it is going to be glorious. These poor Rutgers players have been off for over a month, probably doing nothing but playing video games and eating McDonald's. One second you're doing that, the next you're getting a call from your coach saying you have one week to prepare to play against one of the best offenses in college football. This will be awesome.
PICK: Wake Forest -14.5, OVER 62.5
That's it for the season folks. Thank you all for following along. It started on a cold streak, warmed into the hottest streak in the history of hot streaks, and ended with some of the most average picks ever. It was fun, and I may return for some basketball at some point, but we have a baby on the way and I fear my fingers are about to stop working due to having to build so many pieces of furniture.
I love you all, Hawks by a MILLION.
