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College Football Player Props & Best Bets, Odds for Saturday: Top Bowl Game Predictions

Allen Byron

Updated as of December 23, 2023 at 3:41 PM EST. Read time: 4 minutes and 39 seconds. For more information, visit our Twitter and Google News links.

A custom graphic of College football best bets
College football best bets

There are seven bowl games scheduled for Saturday before Christmas Eve, providing college football fans with plenty of action. We have compiled our top player props and best bets for Saturday’s bowl games based on the best NCAAF odds available at leading college football betting sites.

Player opt-outs, coaching changes, and the transfer portal have been the defining factors of this bowl season, creating a multitude of interesting betting opportunities.

In the Birmingham Bowl on Saturday, Troy and Duke will face off. Despite Duke’s spot in the AP top 25 rankings for much of the season, Troy is favored to win by a touchdown.

In addition, James Madison is making its inaugural bowl appearance since moving to the FBS level, but is predicted to be the underdog against Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl due to player opt-outs and coaching adjustments, despite having an impressive 11-1 record.

In analyzing the odds for all college bowl games, we have identified college football player props and top bets for Saturday’s seven-game lineup. Odds are sourced from our trusted college football betting sites, with confidence ratings ranging from 1 to 5 stars.

College football best bets for Saturday

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College football schedule and odds for Saturday

(Odds via DraftKings)

College football player props for Saturday

Chevan Cordeiro Over 1.5 passing touchdowns vs. Coastal Carolina (-115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

San Jose State is among the top 10 FBS schools currently on a six-game winning streak or longer. Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro has played a significant role in this success, throwing multiple touchdown passes in five of those six wins. As he returns to his home state of Hawaii, Cordeiro is expected to be a key player in the offensive strategy and has a strong likelihood of throwing at least two touchdown passes. The team prop for San Jose State to score over 3.5 touchdowns is favored at -165 on DraftKings.

Coastal Carolina had a tough defensive outing in their last game, giving up 56 points and 481 yards to James Madison. Jordan McCloud, the Dukes quarterback, had an impressive performance with 324 passing yards and five touchdowns.

Entering the game, the Chanticleers were ranked 11th in pass success defense and 118th in rush success. Despite allowing a 16% big-play percentage against inside zone runs this season, we anticipate Cordeiro and his receiving corps to have success against their defense.

Both DraftKings and bet365 are offering -115 odds for Cordeiro to throw for multiple touchdowns.

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Braylon McReynolds Over 94.5 rushing yards vs. Eastern Michigan (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

The 17-point spread in this game is one of the largest among remaining bowl games, indicating that South Alabama will likely rely less on passing in the second half against Eastern Michigan.

South Alabama has the unique advantage of playing this bowl game on their home field, which is promising for McReynolds’ success. This is especially true given that starting running back La’Damian Webb averaged 119.5 rushing yards per game in his last four home games, surpassing 95 yards in each of them.

McReynolds has only rushed for 161 yards this season, playing in just three games since the first one. Nevertheless, with Webb sidelined due to a toe injury, the coaching staff will probably want to evaluate McReynolds as a potential future back. We anticipate that he will have a workload similar to his performance against Texas State, where he had 19 carries for 79 yards.

We are hesitant to give this play more than three stars due to uncertainty surrounding the involvement of running back Kentrel Bullock, who recently returned from injury. However, Eastern Michigan’s defense has struggled against the run, ranking 109th in rush success and 114th in line yards. We anticipate the Jaguars’ offensive line dominating the Eagles’ defensive front throughout the game.

We are placing this bet on DraftKings because our other top sports betting apps have a slightly higher -115 juice for the same number.

College football game picks for Saturday

Air Force ML vs. James Madison (+107 via BetRivers) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

James Madison leveraged its opportunity hosting “ESPN’s College Gameday” to advocate for the NCAA to reverse its decision to exclude the Dukes from a bowl game. However, the excitement of playing in a bowl has diminished as several defensive players have since entered the transfer portal.

Six of JMU’s defensive starters have entered the portal, with five of them having played a minimum of 432 snaps this season. Furthermore, the majority of Dukes players have no experience facing a triple-option attack and would likely agree that practicing and preparing for it for several weeks is not enjoyable.

In the meantime, Air Force revisits the location of their dominant bowl victory over Baylor last year, where they racked up 276 rushing yards and controlled possession for over 40 minutes in a 30-15 blowout win.

Despite quarterback Jordan McCloud’s name being in the transfer portal, he is still expected to play in the game for the Dukes. However, JMU is currently without head coach Curt Cignetti, who left to take a job at Indiana. This has added another challenge to the Dukes’ preparation for the game.

Therefore, we anticipate that Air Force’s strong program and consistent performance will prevail. Additionally, their impressive defense, ranked second in EPA/pass and in the top 11 for third and fourth-down success, will help contain James Madison’s offense.

BetRivers is the sole one among our top sports betting sites that provides odds greater than +105 for betting on the underdog.

Northwestern +6.5 vs. Utah (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Northwestern enters this game with a strong momentum, having won three consecutive games (including away victories against Wisconsin and Illinois) and covering the spread in six straight games. The team is guided by Big Ten Coach of the Year David Braun, who is expected to have a motivated squad as they have not participated in a bowl game since 2020. On the other hand, Utah has suffered four consecutive losses in bowl games.

The Utes are known for their physical, defensive playing style, but they have recently had over a dozen players enter the transfer portal or opt out, including both starting safeties Sione Vaki and Cole Bishop who have a combined 1,200+ snaps. Additionally, defensive lineman Jonah Elliss is sidelined for the season due to injury.

The Utes defense, which has been a key factor in their previous Pac-12 Championship Game appearances, is not as strong this season. We anticipate that Northwestern’s offense, which is ranked in the top 20 for finishing drives, will be able to capitalize on this weakness.

We can choose from three top sportsbooks that are offering a line of +6.5 at standard -110 juice: BetMGM, bet365, and Caesars.

The top college football wagers were placed on Thursday at 6:33 a.m. ET.

Editor’s note: Prepare for the debut of Vermont sports betting by checking out our top Vermont sportsbook promotions and downloading the premier Vermont sports betting apps! Must be 21+ and located in Vermont. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Check out our best college football betting sites:

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Written By:
Allen Byron
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he’s especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike’s a big advocate of “fading the public” and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that “there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas.” When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He’s tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”