BCS Bowl Games
By SPORTSBETTING.com
This is it; the Bowl Championship Series begins with two big-time bowls taking place today and another tomorrow?the Fiesta Bowl and the BCS title game take place next week. Let?s look at the games on tap:
January 1, 2009
Rose Bowl
No. 8 Penn St. Nittany Lions vs. No. 5 USC Trojans
?The Granddaddy of them All? will feature a Pac-10 power against one of the Big Ten?s best as well as pit two revered head coaches against one another; USC?s Pete Carroll and the ageless wonder, Penn State?s Joe Paterno.
As far as recent head to head matchups go, the two are as even as can be, going 1-1 straight up and against the spread in two matchups since 1996.
SoCal has feasted on Big Ten competition with a 9-1 record SU and ATS in the last 10 games vs. that conference, which includes an eight-game winning streak both SU and ATS.
The Nittany Lions haven?t played the Pac-10 nearly as much but are still profitable at 3-1 SU and ATS, including a 24-7 SU and ATS win over USC in 1996 where PSU was listed at -2.5.
The Trojans have been near perfect during bowl season going 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven January games and have taken four-straight Overs in that time as well.
Penn State isn?t too shabby in bowl action either, going 5-2 SU and 4-2-1 ATS in its last seven bowl games.
SPORTSBETTING.com is seeing a small lean to the underdog to cover the points, with 54% of the action on the underdog Nittany Lions.
Orange Bowl
No. 12 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No. 19 Virginia Tech Hokies
Here?s something you normally don?t see in a BCS bowl game, the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The 2008 Big East champion, Cincy had a dream season going 11-2 SU and 6-6 ATS and closed off the regular season going 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS.
The last January bowl game the Bearcats were in was the International Bowl two seasons ago, where they won 27-24 but failed to cover as 7-point favorites.
Virginia Tech, on the other hand, is a BCS regular, most recently taking part in last year?s Orange Bowl getting handed a SU and ATS loss against Kansas with a 24-21 final.
The betting public likes Cincy in this one, but only marginally, as 57% of the wagers at SPORTSBETTING.com are on the Bearcats.
January 2, 2009
Sugar Bowl
No. 6 Utah Utes vs. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
A loss (both straight up and against the spread) vs. Florida cost Alabama a shot at the national championship, meaning hello Sugar Bowl. Before that untimely loss, the Crimson Tide were riding a 12-game wining streak (9-3 ATS over that span).
Utah got its invite thanks to a perfect 12-0 record straight up this year (7-3-1 ATS).
When ?Bama is favored by more than 8-points, as they are here, they are only 7-13 ATS in those games.
The Crimson Tide have played 15 unders the last 20 times they have been a favorite of more than 8 points, including five straight in the last five starts.
Quite the opposite, Utah is a perfect 11-0 ATS the last 11 times they have been a dog of 8 points or more and have played six-straight Overs in the same situation.
Like the three other BCS bowl games scheduled for this week, the betting action is nearly split evenly with Utah getting 51% of the volume.
Enjoy the games and Happy New Year
By SPORTSBETTING.com
This is it; the Bowl Championship Series begins with two big-time bowls taking place today and another tomorrow?the Fiesta Bowl and the BCS title game take place next week. Let?s look at the games on tap:
January 1, 2009
Rose Bowl
No. 8 Penn St. Nittany Lions vs. No. 5 USC Trojans
?The Granddaddy of them All? will feature a Pac-10 power against one of the Big Ten?s best as well as pit two revered head coaches against one another; USC?s Pete Carroll and the ageless wonder, Penn State?s Joe Paterno.
As far as recent head to head matchups go, the two are as even as can be, going 1-1 straight up and against the spread in two matchups since 1996.
SoCal has feasted on Big Ten competition with a 9-1 record SU and ATS in the last 10 games vs. that conference, which includes an eight-game winning streak both SU and ATS.
The Nittany Lions haven?t played the Pac-10 nearly as much but are still profitable at 3-1 SU and ATS, including a 24-7 SU and ATS win over USC in 1996 where PSU was listed at -2.5.
The Trojans have been near perfect during bowl season going 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven January games and have taken four-straight Overs in that time as well.
Penn State isn?t too shabby in bowl action either, going 5-2 SU and 4-2-1 ATS in its last seven bowl games.
SPORTSBETTING.com is seeing a small lean to the underdog to cover the points, with 54% of the action on the underdog Nittany Lions.
Orange Bowl
No. 12 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No. 19 Virginia Tech Hokies
Here?s something you normally don?t see in a BCS bowl game, the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The 2008 Big East champion, Cincy had a dream season going 11-2 SU and 6-6 ATS and closed off the regular season going 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS.
The last January bowl game the Bearcats were in was the International Bowl two seasons ago, where they won 27-24 but failed to cover as 7-point favorites.
Virginia Tech, on the other hand, is a BCS regular, most recently taking part in last year?s Orange Bowl getting handed a SU and ATS loss against Kansas with a 24-21 final.
The betting public likes Cincy in this one, but only marginally, as 57% of the wagers at SPORTSBETTING.com are on the Bearcats.
January 2, 2009
Sugar Bowl
No. 6 Utah Utes vs. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
A loss (both straight up and against the spread) vs. Florida cost Alabama a shot at the national championship, meaning hello Sugar Bowl. Before that untimely loss, the Crimson Tide were riding a 12-game wining streak (9-3 ATS over that span).
Utah got its invite thanks to a perfect 12-0 record straight up this year (7-3-1 ATS).
When ?Bama is favored by more than 8-points, as they are here, they are only 7-13 ATS in those games.
The Crimson Tide have played 15 unders the last 20 times they have been a favorite of more than 8 points, including five straight in the last five starts.
Quite the opposite, Utah is a perfect 11-0 ATS the last 11 times they have been a dog of 8 points or more and have played six-straight Overs in the same situation.
Like the three other BCS bowl games scheduled for this week, the betting action is nearly split evenly with Utah getting 51% of the volume.
Enjoy the games and Happy New Year
