We're in for a treat with a four-game bowl slate this Thursday featuring five ranked teams as we discuss our top college football player props and best bets for Wednesday's bowl games based on the leading NCAAF odds from our best sports betting apps.
Thursday's college football schedule provides our first two ranked vs. ranked matchups of bowl season, as No. 18 NC State and No. 25 Kansas State meet in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and No. 14 Arizona and No. 12 Oklahoma do battle in the Alamo Bowl.
Elsewhere, two iconic baseball stadiums – Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium – convert their grounds to host the Fenway Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl, respectively.
As part of our look at all college bowl game odds, here are our college football player props and best bets for Thursday's four-game slate (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence base d on a 1-to-5-star scale).
College football best bets for Thursday
- SMU-Boston College Under 48 (-110 via DraftKings) ???
- Rutgers ML vs. Miami (-118 via FanDuel) ????
- Kansas State -2.5 vs. NC State (-110 via Caesars) ???
- Oklahoma team total Under 28.5 vs. Arizona (-110 via bet365) ???
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College football schedule and odds for Thursday
(Odds via DraftKings)
- SMU (-10) vs. Boston College
- Rutgers (-1) vs. Miami
- North Carolina State vs. Kansas State (-2.5)
- Arizona (-3) vs. Oklahoma
College football game picks
SMU has played one game without starting quarterback Preston Stone, who suffered a season-ending leg injury, and scored 26 points in the AAC Championship against Tulane. The Mustangs had not scored fewer than 31 points in any of their previous 10 wins this season, and while backup QB Kevin Jennings totaled 266 yards in his first start, he posted just a 61.3 QBR and committed three turnovers (2 INT, one fumble).
Thus, we expect SMU to again rely on a defense that ranks in the top 10 nationally in rush success, pass success, and quality drives allowed. The Mustangs held Tulane to one touchdown over the final 59 minutes of the AAC title game, and they sacked QB Michael Pratt seven times and held the Green Wave to 2-for-15 on third down.
We would be interested in backing the Under on many of Boston College's player props when they become available. However, for now, DraftKings is our go-to shop for a wager on the Under, as the only one of our best sp ortsbooks offering a line other than 47 or 47.5 as of this writing.
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Rutgers is 1-1 all-time at the Pinstripe Bowl, and the Scarlet Knights should have the decided edge in fan representation playing so close to home.
They'll face a Miami offense that will have a third-string under center, as Tyler Van Dyke is in the transfer portal (will play at Wisconsin next year) and backup Emory Williams is injured. That should put a damper on a Hurricanes rushing offense that ranks 42nd in the country with 176.8 yards per game on the ground, going up against a stout Rutgers run defense that also ranked in the top 45.
We expect even fewer holes to be opened for Miami, who are starting as many as two new offensive linemen. Conversely, the Scarlet Knights offensive line should fare well against the Hurricanes' pass rush, as they have allowed just 14 sacks all season (12th-fewest).
Meanwhile, Rutgers has the perfect foil for Hurricanes slot receiver Xavier Restrepo, as neither Michigan nor Penn State attempted a pass in nickel cornerback David Igbinuson's direction.
This is a confident four-star play, as Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is 5-1-1 in bowl games, and his team should be prepared for this game after playing the second-toughest schedule in the country.
Kansas State will be without starting quarterback Will Howard, and offensive coordinator Collin Klein has already left for Texas A&M. However, with the way the Wildcats control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, playing with a backup quarterback shouldn't be a major concern.
Kansas State's defense ranks fourth in Stuff Rate and the top 30 in opponents' point s per opportunity, havoc, and rush success. Meanwhile, the Wildcats offense ranks second in points per opportunity and averages more than five points per drive when they get past the other team's 40-yard line.
Kansas State is not a big-play offense, ranking outside the top 100 in explosiveness. But the consistency at which the Wildcats score points means they hardly ever get behind the sticks, and they should be too much for a Wolfpack defense that ranks outside the top 50 in points per opportunity.
Kansas State has been a model of consistency under head coach Chris Klieman, with eight-plus wins in four of five seasons, and we expect it to be well prepared for this game. This is a sharp line, with the same point spread and juice at all of our best sports betting apps, so bettors have their choice of where to shop.
Oklahoma will be without starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel and two offensive linemen, right tackle Tyler Guyton and center Andrew Raym, who each had at least 663 snaps this season. Add to it that new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell will take over play-calling duties for the departed Jeff Lebby, and there is not much to be confident about for the Sooners offensively.
Meanwhile, Arizona's offense is mostly intact, with just one offensive lineman and potentially wide receiver Jacob Cowing not playing. Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita had a 168.6 passer rating and completed 73.8% of his passes against top-25 competition this year, and the team averaged 37.3 points per game in his eight starts.
Thus, we expect the Wildcats to do a solid job of playing keep away from the Sooners offense, who will be held to 28 or fewer points for the fourth time this season.
College football best bets made Wednesday at 6:41 a.m. ET.
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