With more than 40 games still to be played college football bowls are a season in itself. And the postseason gets started on Saturday with six games getting the festivities underway. Of course all the games early in bowl season are just a prelude to what happens on New Year’s Day and beyond when the big boys get involved and the College Football Playoff dominates. For teams like the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, though, this is a special moment. Moving up to the FBS level this season JSU wasn’t even bowl eligible due to the probation period on transition. However, with not enough teams to fill all bowl spots the Cocks were given an exemption after going 8-4 during the regular season.

The New Orleans Bowl matchup pits the first-time Gamecocks against what is essentially the home team Louisiana Ragin Cajuns. Just a two hour drive from their hometown of Lafayette, the Cajuns have been a fixture appearing in half of the previous 12 games with wins in four straight from 2011-2014 and five wins overall. Despite that JSU opened as a 3-point favorite on the college football betting line. There’s also a matchup of Power 5 programs with the Cal Bears taking on Texas Tech in the Independence Bowl. Tech is a 2.5-point NCAAF odds favorite, the smallest spread on Saturday’s board. Get NCAAF lines and odds for every bowl game this season at BetRivers sportsbook.

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Bowl Game Schedule for Saturday, December 16, 2023

Myrtle Beach Bowl – Georgia Southern (-3.5, 48.5) vs. Ohio, 11 a.m. ET (ESPN)

New Orleans Bowl – Jacksonville State (-3, 59.5) vs. Louisiana, 2:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Cure Bowl – Miami, OH vs. Appalachian State (-6.5, 44.5), 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

New Mexico Bowl – New Mexico State (-3.5, 51) vs. Fresno State, 5:45 p.m. ET (ESPN)

LA Bowl – UCLA (-4, 49) vs. Boise State, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Independence Bowl – California vs. Texas Tech (-2.5, 58.5), 9:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Oddsmakers are expecting close games with five of them having a spread of four points or less. The exception is the Cure Bowl with Appalachian State laying 6.5-points to Miami. And the games are fun because you get matchups that you’ve rarely if ever seen. For instance, the Myrtle Beach Bowl marks the first meeting between Georgia Southern and Ohio. Let’s get into our college football bowl game parlay picks and start winning some money!

The college football betting line in the Myrtle Beach Bowl jumped the fence when Ohio QB Kurtis Rourke and top running backs Sieh Bangura and O’Shaan Allison entered the transfer portal. The Bobcats went from a 3-point favorite to a 3.5-point dog on the football lines. Ohio ran for 14 touchdowns during the year with that trio accounting for all of them. I’m not that hot on Georgia Southern after losing its last three games and their inability to protect the football. Defensively Ohio is among the best in the country allowing just 263.9 yards and 15.4 points per game, and that group is intact meaning the teams have a strong chance of cashing the UNDER on a total of 48.5.

With eight wins in nine games to open the season Fresno State was in the best G5 team discussion. They had wins over P5s Purdue and Arizona State, and beat the Mountain West Championship game competitors UNLV and Boise State. But the wheels fell off late in the season with three consecutive losses leaving them spiraling. Mikey Keene wasn’t the same after returning from a late season injury and with additional time to recuperate we should see the Bulldogs offense rise to the occasion, which is why I’m backing them plus the points on my college football bet.

The P5/G5 bias is a thing and Boise State is one club that has debunked that theory in the past. The Mountain West champs kicked it into another gear after promoting Spencer Danielson to interim coach last month winning three straight, including a dominant 44-20 win over UNLV in the conference title game. He was named permanent coach earlier this month. It’s been the opposite for UCLA losing three of their last four and scoring a total of 24 points in the setbacks.

GA Southern / Ohio UNDER 48.5 Points

Fresno State +3.5

Boise State +4

Check out the latest NFL odds at BetRivers.