The college football regular season is just about over, but a lot of important games are left. The College Football Playoff picture needs some clarity. Some conference championship games are already set, but others are not, and a chance to play for a conference crown is a big goal for most programs. A bowl game appearance is usually one of the bare minimum goals for a team and a lot of four and five-win teams are still out there.
I asked pro bettors Brad Powers (@BradPowers7) and Kyle Hunter (@KyleHunterPicks) for their thoughts on a variety of Week 12 topics and their favorite bets.
Powers: As always it is a case-by-case basis. Generally speaking, it's not a big handicapping tool for me. Maybe 20 years ago it would have been, but there are 40 bowl games so a majority of CFB teams go to bowl games and go to them regularly. Obviously, if you're looking to bet into it, I'd say look for teams that haven't bowled in a long time. Bowl eligibility certainly meant something to Kansas, Connecticut and Bowling Green, who recently got there and haven't been to one in several years. I'd focus more on the Group of Five teams that are trying to build something in the first year or two of a coaching staff, like Southern Miss, Arizona, Georgia Southern or UNLV.
Hunter: It certainly matters more now, but the problem with this is the oddsmakers clearly know this as well. It isn't like you are going to get some kind of great deal on a team fighting for bowl eligibility. Also, these teams who are 4-6 or 5-5 right now aren't great teams, so you have to at least question how much you should be trusting them.