One of the best handicappers in the college football business is Ben Burns and he’s ready to continue cashing in now that the bowl game odds have been posted. If you are looking for bowl picks that will help you turn a profit, then this is the top expert for you to turn to.
I’m laying the small number with ARIZONA. Most teams would be thrilled to have gone 10-2 during the regular season. However, the Cougars had dreams of going undefeated, so their season has actually been a disappointment. Their two biggest games of the year came against Utah and TCU and they lost those by a combined score of 80-31, most recently a 48-24 loss at Utah in their regular season finale. While a bowl victory would certainly lessen the sting a little, most will still regard the season as a disappointment, no matter what happens this evening. Teams in that situation often have trouble in their bowl game, as the extra few weeks of practice time merely extends their disappointment.
While the Cougars are most likely somewhat disappointed, after not having played in a bowl game in a decade, the Wildcats should be thrilled to be here. The Wildcats are healthy and have steadily improved as the season finished. While BYU was blown out in its final regular season game, Arizona blew out Arizona State in its final game. I believe that positive momentum will have served the Wildcats well during the last few weeks of practice. As coach Stoops said: “You always want to go into a bowl game with momentum. I think we accomplished that. We are moving forward as a program.”
Both teams have excellent quarterbacks and both bring similar stats to the table. Arizona averaged 37.1 points (37.2 on the road) while BYU averaged 35.3 (29.3 on the road) points. BYU allowed 21.2 points (31.2 on the road) and 350.7 yards. Arizona allowed 21.3 points but only 302.1 yards.
The Wildcats have been strong under Stoops in recent seasons when having had extra time to prepare. They’re 4-1 SU/ATS the last five times that they played a game after having had two or more weeks rest in between games. Looking back further and we find the Wildcats at 17-8 SU and 16-9 ATS the last 25 times that they were in that situation. I expect them to be the hungrier team and for that to lead to a win and cover. *Main Event