One of the most wonderful times of the sports year is upon us, bowl season. A bunch of games that mean very little to the players, the schools' fanbase or the general public. But for us bettors, it can be a very profitable time. With just a little bit of work, we can find teams that care playing those that don't. Teams with coaches trying to impress against teams with lame duck coaches. There will also be huge mismatches where talent can carry a team to a cover. So let's get this party started and find some winners.
The first game of the 2011-2012 bowl season is the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, in which Temple takes on Wyoming. As of right now, the Owls are a 7 point favorite. A breakdown of both teams strengths and weaknesses seems to justify this spread. But bowl games tend to be about much more than the numbers. For me, there are quite a few factors in this game that are leading me to choose the underdog. First and foremost among them is the quality of opponents on each teams schedule. Wyoming plays in the Mountain West Conference while Temple is a member of the MAC. The quality of teams from top to bottom in these two conferences isn't comparable as the MWC is vastly superior. Add on top of that the fact Temple avoided playing the MAC champ, Northern Illinois, as well as another bowl bound team Western Michigan and they had some easy sledding in conference. The bowl teams from the MAC they did play, Toledo and Ohio, both beat the Owls. As for Wyoming, they did get wins against two bowl teams, Air Force and San Diego State, and both were on the road. Another big factor to me is the location of this game, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Cowboys play a game on this field every other year thanks to conference play and won this bowl game two years ago, as a 10 point underdog. That familiarity to their surroundings will help the players focus in a bit better than Temple. Also being used to the altitude will benefit Wyoming as this game will be played at 5,100 feet above sea level. Any homefield advantage will be the Cowboys given their proximity to the bowl site compared to Temple. This game will be the furthest west the Owls have traveled in at least 6 years, with Minnesota being the closest trip which was in 2006. Add all of this up and I expect a close game which makes taking the 7 points an easy call. This is one game I am already down on, and the only one at the moment, but I'll give you my leanings in the others.
The second game of the day is Ohio University against Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The Bobcats enter this game after blowing a 20 point second half lead in the MAC Championship game. I expect them to be a bit down and un-excited for this game. As for Utah State, they are pumped to be in a bowl game as even their coach joined the fray by getting a tattoo for them making it in this year. This is the schools first bowl game since 1997 and they should get quite a bump from the crowd. I am expecting the Aggies to win by a touchdown and the game to get over the total of 60.
The final game tomorrow is Louisiana-Lafayette against San Diego State in the R&L Carries New Orleans Bowl. This will be the Ragin' Cajuns first ever bowl appearance and they get it in their home state. While the Aztecs may have more talent, the Cajuns will have more energy and motivation. Look for Louisiana to play well early, but as the game goes, San Diego State will prove to be too much. I like the Aztecs to cover the 4 points as this game may fly over the total.
Good luck and feel free to hit me up on twitter with any questions, you can find me at @vegasobie. Remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose.
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