Cincinnati made history as the first Group of Five team to gain entry to the College Football Playoff this season, and its college football bowl season opponent is a Goliath. The No. 4 Bearcats are 13.5-point underdogs against No. 1 Alabama in the latest college football bowl odds at Caesars Sportsbook. No. 3 Georgia is a 7.5-point favorite over No. 2 Michigan in the other College Football Playoff semifinal.
Houston, the team Cincinnati had to defeat in the AAC Championship Game, is a 2.5-point underdog against Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. After a flurry of coaching changes and player opt-outs, it can be tough to figure out where to place your college football bowl bets. Before locking in any any college football picks for those games or others during the 2021-22 bowl schedule, be sure to see the latest college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,700 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters the 2021-22 college football bowl season on a 43-29 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, it has turned its attention to the latest bowl season college football odds from Caesars and locked in picks for every FBS matchup. Head here to see every pick.
Top college football predictions for bowl season
One of the top college football picks the model is recommending for the 2021-22 bowl season: No. 16 Oklahoma (-4.5) covers against No. 14 Oregon on Dec. 29 at 9:15 p.m. ET in the Alamo Bowl. This will be Oklahoma’s first game without head coach Lincoln Riley, who left for USC, but the Sooners will still have most of their key offensive pieces.
Chief among them is quarterback Caleb Williams, who cemented his spot as the team’s starter after Spencer Rattler got off to a shaky start and has since transferred to South Carolina. Williams is supported by running back Kennedy Brooks and offensive coordinator Bill Bedenbaugh, who elected to stay in Norman instead of joining Riley at USC. Oregon, meanwhile, will be without top defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has opted out of this game to prepare for the NFL.
SportsLine’s model has Oklahoma covering that 4.5-point spread in almost 60 percent of simulations, making the Sooners a top against-the-spread pick for college football bowl season. The point total also has potential, as the under 61.5 hits in almost 60 percent of simulations.
Another one of the college football predictions from the model: The Auburn Tigers (-2.5) cover against the Houston Cougars in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 28.
Auburn’s fanbase is no stranger to a strong Group of Five opponent in bowl season, as the Tigers lost to the UCF Knights on New Year’s Day in 2018. The Tigers went 6-6 this season, but the model is confident in a strong performance from Auburn in the bowl game. A healthy T.J. Finley will be a big key for the Tigers, as the Auburn quarterback injured his ankle in the Iron Bowl against Alabama.
The model has also taken into account that Houston lost its only matchup against a Power Five team, Texas Tech, by 17 points earlier this season. The simulations project that Auburn rushes for over 150 yards against the Cougars, which helps the Tigers cover the spread in almost 60 percent of simulations.
How to make college football bowl picks
The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every other game during bowl season, and it’s projecting multiple shocking upsets. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.
So what college football picks can you make with confidence? And which underdogs do you need to jump on now? Check out the latest college football odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,700 in profit over the past five-plus seasons, and find out.
College football odds for bowl season (via Caesars)
Here are the college football lines for bowl season:
Dec. 20:
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Tulsa vs. Old Dominion (+9.5, 51.5)
Featured Game | Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Old Dominion Monarchs
Dec. 21:
Frisco Bowl: San Diego State vs. UTSA (-2.5, 49)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Wyoming vs. Kent State (+3, 58.5)
Featured Game | Wyoming Cowboys vs. Kent State Golden Flashes
Dec. 22:
Armed Force Bowl: Army vs. Missouri (+3.5, 59.5)
Dec. 23:
Gasparilla Bowl: Florida vs. UCF (+7.5, 56.5)
Featured Game | Florida Gators vs. UCF Knights
Frisco Football Classic Bowl: Miami (OH) vs. North Texas (+3.5)
Dec. 24:
Hawaii Bowl: Memphis vs. Hawaii (+3, 60)
Featured Game | Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs. Memphis Tigers
Dec. 25:
Camellia Bowl: Ball State vs. Georgia State (-3.5, 49.5)
Dec. 27:
Military Bowl: Boston College vs. East Carolina (+3.5, 49.5)
Quick Lane Bowl: Nevada vs. Western Michigan (-3.5, 59)
Dec. 28:
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Minnesota vs. West Virginia (+4.5, 44.5)
Featured Game | Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Texas Tech (+8, 60)
Holiday Bowl: UCLA vs. NC State (-1, 60)
First Responder Bowl: Air Force vs. Louisville (-1.5, 54.5)
Featured Game | Louisville Cardinals vs. Air Force Falcons
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn vs. Houston (+2.5, 52)
Featured Game | Auburn Tigers vs. Houston Cougars
Dec. 29:
Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Oregon (+4.5, 61.5)
Featured Game | Oklahoma Sooners vs. Oregon Ducks
Cheez-It Bowl: Iowa State vs. Clemson (-1, 45.5)
Featured Game | Iowa State Cyclones vs. Clemson Tigers
Pinstripe Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Maryland (+1.5, 54)
Featured Game | Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Maryland Terrapins
Fenway Bowl: SMU vs. Virginia (-1, 72.5)
Featured Game | Virginia Cavaliers vs. SMU Mustangs
Dec. 30:
Las Vegas Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State (+7, 43)
Featured Game | Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Purdue (+3, 61)
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: South Carolina vs. UNC (-7.5, 58.5)
Featured Game | South Carolina Gamecocks vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Peach Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Michigan State (+3.5, 63)
Dec. 31
Tony the Tiger Bowl: Washington State vs. Miami (Fla.) (-2.5, 59)
Arizona Bowl: Boise State vs. Central Michigan (+9.5, 53)
Featured Game | Boise State Broncos vs. Central Michigan Chippewas
TaxSlayer Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Wake Forest (+6.5, 58.5)
Featured Game | Texas A&M Aggies vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
College Football Playoff semifinal: Alabama vs. Cincinnati (+13.5, 58)
Featured Game | Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
College Football Playoff semifinal: Georgia vs. Michigan (+7.5, 43.5)
Featured Game | Michigan Wolverines vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Jan. 1:
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Notre Dame (-1.5, 45.5)
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Utah (+6.5, 67)
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Baylor (-1, 52.5)
Featured Game | Ole Miss Rebels vs. Baylor Bears
Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Kentucky (-2.5, 45)
Featured Game | Kentucky Wildcats vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. Arkansas (+3, 46)
Featured Game | Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Jan. 4:
Texas Bowl: Kansas State vs. LSU (-2.5, 46.5)
Jan. 10:
CFP National Championship Game: Matchup TBD