College Football: Valero Alamo Bowl Odds And Prediction

Nov 5, 2016; Manhattan, KS, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver James Washington (28)makes a touchdown catch during a game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. The Cowboys won the game, 43-37. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports /

Valero Alamo Bowl Odds And Prediction

Bowl season is more than half over, but we are really kicking it into high gear now! This is the lightest day left on the schedule besides New Year’s Day, which the NFL has taken for its own. The last game today is the Valero Alamo Bowl!

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You will still get my picks against the spread and point wagers just like I did all season long. I didn’t have a great regular season, but I can make it look a whole lot better with a strong bowl season! It was a decent start on Saturday, but just in case you missed any:
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Geico Las Vegas Bowl
Raycom Camellia Bowl
AutoNation Cure Bowl
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Miami Beach Bowl
Boca Raton Bowl
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Dollar General Bowl
Hawaii Bowl
St. Petersburg Bowl
Quick Lane Bowl
Camping World Independence Bowl
Zaxby’s Heart Of Dallas Bowl
Northrup Grumman Military Bowl
National Funding Holiday Bowl
Motel 6 Cactus Bowl
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Russell Athletic Bowl
Foster Farms Bowl
AdvoCare V100 Bowl
Birmingham Bowl
Belk Bowl

Dec 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Phillip Lindsay (23) carries the ball against the Washington Huskies during the Pac-12 championship at Levi /

(12)Oklahoma State vs. (10)Colorado(-2.5) at San Antonio, TX(3):

Oklahoma State(9-3, 7-2 Big 12(10):

Wins: vs. Southeast Louisiana(61-7), vs. Pittsburgh(45-38), vs. Texas(49-31), vs. Iowa State(38-31), at Kansas(44-20), vs. West Virginia(37-20), at Kansas State(43-37), vs. Texas Tech(45-44), at TCU(31-6)

Losses: vs. Central Michigan(27-30), at Baylor(24-35), at Oklahoma(20-38)

Record vs. bowl teams: 4-3

The phantom loss to Central Michigan didn’t end up hurting their bowl seeding. The Cowboys were destined for the Alamo once Western Michigan crashed the New Year’s Six. Mason Rudolph is a veteran leader. James Washington is one of the best receivers in a conference packed with them. But it was the emergence of running back Justice Hill that really made the Cowboys a force. What will make the difference in this game for the Cowboys is the defense. They need to play well to head back north with a win.

Colorado(10-3, 8-2 Pac 12):

Wins: vs. Colorado State(44-7), vs. Idaho State(56-7), at Oregon(41-38), vs. Oregon State(47-6), vs. Arizona State(40-16), at Stanford(10-5), vs. UCLA(20-10), at Arizona(49-24), vs. Washington State(38-24), vs. Utah(27-22)

Losses: at Michigan(28-45), at USC(17-21), vs. Washington (10-41)

Record vs. bowl teams: 4-3

Just because they were overmatched by Washington in a nationally showcase Friday night Pac 12 Championship game doesn’t mean that Colorado is a bad team. The Ralphies had Michigan on the ropes before Sefo Liufau missed the entire second half because of injury. The defense was mostly good all year long, and I would put Sefo Liufau up against almost any other quarterback. His overall athletic ability sometimes overshadows how good of a passer he really is. Phillip Lindsay had the backfield mostly to himself this year, and became an accomplished runner.

Prediction:

These teams are pretty similar. Both have smart leaders and good passers at quarterback. I would give Liufau a slight edge because he is a better runner than Rudolph. Both Hill and Lindsay came into their own this year. Oklahoma State has a little more depth in their backfield. James Washington is the best receiver on the field by a pretty large margin, but I give Colorado a decided advantage on the defensive side.

I am not as confident in this as I was early on, partially because the Big 12 has looked much better in bowls than I thought they would. This game could be a pretty high scoring affair, but I trust Colorado’s defense a lot more.

Pick: Colorado

Next: 2016 Capital One Bowl Mania Picks

Stay tuned for the rest of the bowl picks against the spread, and our DFS picks for the NBA, NFL, and even some NHL action! We have something for everyone.