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College Football Bowl Betting Guide for Tuesday, December 28

By Reed Wallach

Nov 26, 2021; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Air Force Falcons fullback Emmanuel Michel (28) runs
Nov 26, 2021; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Air Force Falcons fullback Emmanuel Michel (28) runs / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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We are treated to a loaded college football bowl slate on Tuesday, December 28th with five games starting at 12 PM EST and finishing after midnight.

It's going to be a long day of betting and we at BetSided have you covered with a ton of previews to get you set for these games, but here are a few key betting trends and reports to keep in mind when wagering.

All odds are courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook

Birmingham Bowl

Auburn (-2) vs. Houston (51.5) - 12 PM EST

  • This game will be played near Auburn's campus, about a two hour drive.
  • Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen has struggled in bowl games historically, 1-7 ATS. He has not won a game SU in bowl season since 2015.
  • Houston will not have starting cornerback and electric kick return Marcus Jones, who declared for the NFL Draft.
  • Auburn will be without several starters such as quarterback Bo Nix, linebacker Zakoby McClain and cornerback Roger McCreary.
  • Auburn fired offensive coordinator Mike Bobo after the season.
  • Auburn is 2-3 ATS as a favorite this season.

First Responder Bowl

Louisville (-1) vs. Air Force (55) - 3:15 PM EST

  • Service Academies are 37-15 ATS since 1980 in these bowl (h/t Action Network).
  • Air Force is 8-4 ATS this season.
  • This will be Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield's first time coaching a bowl game.
  • Louisville has gone UNDER in 5 of 7 games as a favorite.

Liberty Bowl

Mississippi State (-10) vs. Texas Tech - 6:45 PM EST

  • Mike Leach was the former head coach of Texas Tech, which will surely be a talking point throughout the broadcast.
  • Texas Tech hired Joey Maguire as their new head coach, but will be coached by interim Sonny Cumbie in this game, who took the job at Louisiana Tech recently.
  • Backup quarterback Donovan Smith will start his fourth straight game after Tyler Shough went down with an injury.
  • Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft.
  • Mike Leach is 3-7 ATS in bowl games.

Holiday Bowl

North Carolina State (-2) vs. UCLA (60) - 8 PM EST

  • UCLA will be without several players due to COVID-19 Protocols, namely defensive back Quantrezz Knight, who led the team in tackles.
  • UCLA didn't cover in any of their losses this season.
  • This game will be played at Petco Park, about a two hour drive away from UCLA's campus.
  • North Carolina State covered in 6 of 10 games as favorites this season.

Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Minnesota (-5) vs. West Virginia - 10:15 PM EST

  • West Virginia 1,000 yard rusher Leddie Brown opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft.
  • Mountaineers' head coach Neal Brown is 4-0 SU in bowl games (2-2 ATS).
  • Both teams are among the slowest in the country on a plays per minute basis. West Virginia is 92nd while Minnesota is 100th.
  • Minnesota covered their final two games of the season, including an outright upset of Wisconsin.