Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl Odds And Prediction

Nov 5, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rolls out of the pocket during the second quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl Odds And Prediction

We have made it to the New Year’s bowls, with the first one taking place Friday night. New Year’s Eve features four games, including the two semifinal games. It promises to be a wild night! But first, there are still two morning bowls! The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl and the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

More from College Football Odds

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
Valero Alamo Bowl
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Hyundai Sun Bowl
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Capital One Orange Bowl

Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers defensive end Arden Key (49) and safety Jamal Adams (33) play defense against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at NRG Stadium. LSU won 56 to 27. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

(20)LSU(-3.5) vs. (13)Louisville at Orlando, FL(5):

LSU(7-4, 5-3 SEC):

Wins: vs. Jacksonville State(34-13), vs. Mississippi State(23-20), vs. Missouri(42-7), vs. Southern Mississippi(45-10), vs. Mississippi(38-21), at Arkansas(38-10), at Texas A&M(54-39)

Losses: vs. Wisconsin(14-16), at Auburn(13-18), vs. Alabama(0-10), vs. Florida(10-16)

Record vs. bowl teams: 4-4

Les Miles was dismissed after a difficult loss to Auburn. The team seemed to turn a corner then, but Danny Etling is still not the answer. He isn’t enough of a threat throwing the football to take the pressure off of the run game. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that super back Leonard Fournette is sitting out the bowl game. I get it. I really do, but the teammates that he spent three years with need him, even if this game doesn’t mean much. At least LSU has a more than capable “backup” in Derrius Guice. He was even better than Fournette at times this year.

Louisville(9-3, 7-1 ACC):

Wins: vs. Charlotte(70-14), at Syracuse(62-28), vs. Florida State(63-20), at Marshall(59-28), vs. Duke(24-14), vs. North Carolina State(54-13), at Virginia(32-25), at Boston College(52-7), vs. Wake Forest(44-12)

Losses: at Clemson(36-42), at Houston(10-36), vs. Kentucky(38-41)

Record vs. bowl teams: 4-3

Louisville was a shoo-in for the playoff after blasting Florida State in early October. That is, until Lamar Jackson stumbled in the final two games. For as much good as he did early in the season, Jackson made critical error after critical error in the finale against Kentucky, and he could never get going against Ed Oliver and the Houston defense. Now, I’m not blaming everything on him. The lack of a consistent run game or an offensive line that can consistently protect him finally caught up to him.

Prediction:

The Heisman curse is a real thing here, folks. So is my 5-point bet curse. To beat LSU you have to grind and play great defense. That is not Louisville’s modus operandi. They can ill afford to get into a track meet against LSU. That is likely what will happen. I don’t see Louisville stopping Guice, and I don’t see Jackson having a lot of success against this LSU line. Especially the way the Louisville offensive line has played lately. The odds are not in Louisville’s favor.

Pick: LSU

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.