In this chaotic bowl season, which features full-blown free agency and unprecedented player movement, information and situational analysis are more important than any numbers or power ratings. Only the two playoff games are business as usual for handicappers and oddsmakers.
The best bet for the bowls might have already passed. For some odd reason, oddsmakers made Syracuse a 3-point favorite against South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl, and the Bulls rolled to a 45-0 win on Thursday. The betting scorecard shows favorites at 5-4 straight up and 4-4-1 ATS, with the totals leaning to 5-4 for Overs.
My plays in this column went 43-37-3 ATS in the regular season, but the opening weekend of the bowls was a lost cause with losers on Boise State and New Mexico State. In an attempt to get back on track, here are five plays for the next round of the bowl schedule:
James Madison (-1.5, 41) vs. Air Force
Armed Forces Bowl