When you are looking at the bowl game odds this year, you can’t just focus on the sides but also have to target a few totals. That is one of the reasons handicapper Jeff Alexander has been so successful over the years, because there isn’t a line posted by the books that he won’t break down for his bowl picks subscribers. That doubles up the opportunities they have to beat the books, and one of the reasons he cashed in on the 2008 Alamo Bowl. While everyone was wondering if Missouri would win in a blowout or Northwestern could cover the large number, he saw the advantage here with the UNDER. Take a look at his reasoning:
3* Alamo Bowl Total SUREFIRE on Northwestern/Missouri UNDER 67
Northwestern has a better defense than the Tigers are used to seeing in the Big 12 North, but its spread offense is not as good as many of the offenses in the Big 12. Mizzou will score points, but not enough to send this one over a big number. Northwestern is 9-1 UNDER vs. awful passing defenses – allowing a comp. pct. of 62% or worse since 1992. The average score in these games totaled 51 points. Pound the Under.