Tips for Betting College Bowl Games
Written by Anthony Moretti - Google +
Bowl season official kicks off tomorrow with three postseason college football games on the schedule. Before you bet on any of these games or before you make your college bowl picks for an office pool or online contest be sure to read over these helpful tips.
Bowl Betting Tips & Handicapping Advice – Five Important Questions
1. How well did each team end the regular season? Look at the last five games on the schedule for both teams. Did they both finish strong? If one team ended the regular season with a three-game winning streak and the other with a four-game losing streak who do you think has the edge going into the bowl game? It might seem like common sense, but this is something that is often overlooked.
2. Are there any motivational factors? This one is much more abstract. Trying to predict how college-aged kids “feel” about their particular bowl game isn’t something that is easy to do. With that being said, motivation shouldn’t be ignored. Think about 2008 when Alabama got throttled by Utah in the Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide had lost in the SEC Championship game against Florida, which cost them a trip to the BCS Championship Game. A let down like that certainly affected Alabama’s motivation against the Utes.
3. How much time off has each team had leading up to the bowl game? Practice only does so much for most teams. Practicing without full contact for several weeks can get teams out of “game mode” and have them coming out flat in their bowl game.
4. How did each team perform against other bowl qualifying teams? Look at the records of both teams against other teams that are playing in bowls this year? If one team is 4-1 against teams in the postseason this year and the other is 0-4, that should factor into your picks.
5. What weather are the teams practicing in? Teams who are able to practice outside in warm climates have traditionally been more successful in bowl games (which are typically held at warm locations) than those who practice in cooler temps, even if they have indoor practice facilities.
Keep in mind that these are very general tips. We’ve provided them as a helpful tool, but you should never bet or pick a team based solely on past trends. What you can do is use them as a tool to help you choose which team to take in certain match ups, where neither team seemingly has a clear edge on paper. Good luck!
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