Michigan State football head coach Mark Dantonio
Friday, December 27 features five bowl games beginning at noon with Temple and UNC meeting in the Military Bowl and will conclude at 10:15 p.m. with Washington State and Air Force meeting in the Cheez-It Bowl.
If you’re looking for tips on how to get involved with Friday’s action, look no further. This betting guide will breakdown the top matchups and provide our best analysis for the entire slate.
Don’t forget to follow the Heavy on Winners Facebook page for the top picks, latest odds, and more!
Red, White, and Tarheel Blue
The Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman kicks off the day with a matchup between UNC and Temple. Tarheels head coach Mack Brown is looking to win a bowl game and finish his first season in Chapel Hill above the .500 mark. Temple head coach Rod Carey is still searching for his first career bowl win. The Tarheels definitely have the coaching edge, but do they have enough elsewhere to cover a nearly six-point spread?
UNC (-5.5) vs. Temple | 12 p.m. | ESPN
North Carolina (6-6) is playing in a bowl game for the first time since 2016 under the guidance of first-year head coach Mack Brown, who previously led the program to six-straight bowl appearances in the ‘90s. The 2019 Tarheels feature an aerial attack ranked 25th in the FBS with 285 passing yards per game. Quarterback Sam Howell threw 35 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions but completed just over 60 percent of his throws. Linebacker Chazz Surratt headlines the defense. Surratt is ranked 26th in the nation with 110 tackles this season.
Temple (8-4) is playing in a bowl game for the 5th straight year as first-year head coach Rod Carey continues a strong postseason tradition in Philadelphia. The Owls feature a balanced attack on offense triggered by quarterback Anthony Russo, who threw for 2,733 yards this season with 21 touchdowns. Temple has a dynamic playmaker on the outside in Jadan Blue, who is tied for 7th in the nation with 87 receptions this season. The Owls rank 42nd in scoring defense allowing 23.5 points per game. Defensive end Quincy Roche is 6th in the country with 13 sacks this season.
READ MORE: UNC vs. Temple Prediction: Military Bowl Pick
Batter Up
The Pinstripe Bowl returns to Yankee Stadium for the 10th time and will feature a struggling Big 10 program trying to regain some footing against an upstart ACC squad. A poor showing for Michigan State could be the end of the line for head coach Mark Dantonio, who has continued to flounder despite a solid recruiting base. It will be intriguing to see if Wake Forest can control the tempo on offense against a feisty Sparty defense. The Demon Deacons like to play fast, and even faster.
Michigan State (-4) vs. Wake Forest | 3:20 p.m. | ESPN
Michigan State (6-6) struggled mightily this season despite head coach Mark Dantonio setting becoming the program’s all-time wins leader. Dantonio has gone 113-57 during his 13 seasons in East Lansing, but his job status is still in question after a very difficult 2019 campaign which saw Sparty suffer through a five-game losing streak. Quarterback Brian Lewerke will be playing in his final game. The senior has struggled this season with just 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Meanwhile, the Spartan defense has been stellar, ranking 14th in the FBS allowing 108.6 rushing yards per game. Michigan State lost a low-scoring 7-6 affair to Oregon in last year’s Redbox Bowl.
Wake Forest (8-4) is playing in its fourth straight bowl game, having won the previous three. The Demon Deacons can also win their ninth game for just the third time in program history and the first time since 2007. Wake Forest runs an up-tempo offense and leads the nation with 83.7 plays per game. Quarterback Jamie Newman has had a dynamic 2019 campaign with over 3,000 total yards and 29 combined touchdowns. The junior leads a Demon Deacons offense that is 12th in the country averaging 473.4 yards per game. Wake’s defense struggled at times this season and finished in the middle of the pack in the ACC in yards allowed (409.8) and points (29.3) per game.
READ MORE: Michigan State vs. Wake Forest Prediction: Pinstripe Bowl Pick
Don’t Mess With Texas
The Texas Bowl features Oklahoma State taking on a battle-tested Texas A&M squad that has played one of the toughest schedules in the country this season, with their five losses all coming to top-10 teams (Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Georgia). The Aggies should be fired up to play in their backyard as the game is in Houston, just 90 miles from the Texas A&M campus.
Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M (-5.5) | 6:45 p.m. | ESPN
Oklahoma State (8-4) is appearing in a bowl game for the 14th straight season, which is the ninth-longest active streak in the country. Redshirt sophomore Chuba Hubbard, the nation’s leading rusher, will play in the game despite being undecided on his jump to the NFL. Hubbard has churned out 1,936 yards this season but still trails the great Barry Sanders by a wide margin for Oklahoma State’s all-time single-season mark of 2,850 yards set back in 1988. The Cowboys offense is ranked 33rd in the FBS averaging 33.4 points per game.
Texas A&M (7-5) has also been a consistent competitor in the postseason, appearing in its 11th straight bowl game. Head coach Jimbo Fisher is 6-2 all-time in bowl games and won his only appearance with the Aggies last season in a 52-13 Gator Bowl blowout of NC State. Kellen Mond rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown in the bowl win over the Wolfpack last season. The dual-threat quarterback followed that up with a strong 2019 campaign with over 3,000 total yards and 26 combined touchdowns. The Aggies will be without junior defensive tackle and sack-leader Justin Madubuike, who declared for the NFL draft and will skip the bowl game.
READ MORE: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M Prediction: Texas Bowl Pick
Say Cheez-It
The Cheez-It bowl is a clash of styles between run-heavy Air Force against the Air Raid offense of Washington State. The game will be played at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, which means Friday features two bowl games being played at MLB stadiums. Who is ready for spring training?
Air Force (-2.5) vs. Washington State | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN
Air Force (10-2) is playing in its first bowl since 2016. Head coach Troy Calhoun is 4-5 all-time in bowl appearances over the past 13 seasons since taking over the program. The Falcons are ranked 3rd in the FBS with 292.5 rushing yards per game. They ended the regular season with the third-highest win total in program history. Quarterback Donald Hammond III triggers the triple-option attack. Hammond has combined for 24 combined touchdowns this season.
Washington State (6-6) is playing in its sixth bowl game in the last seven seasons. The Cougars lead the nation in passing offense with 444.3 yards per game as quarterback Anthony Gordon made history in Mike Leach’s Air Raid attack. Gordon is the first quarterback in Pac-12 history to throw for over 5,000 yards. Washington State ranks 79th in the FBS in rushing defense, allowing 170 yards per game. The Cougars disappointing season was defined by a 67-63 loss to UCLA where they blew a 32-point lead.
READ MORE: Air Force vs. Washington State Prediction: Texas Bowl Pick
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