2023-24 College Bowl Season Betting Odds, Lines, Picks And Predictions

It's the most wonderful time of the year -- for college football fans and bettors that is. This season's festivities of 43 college bowl games kick off on Saturday, December 16th and play on until the anticipated College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8th. 

So, how do you keep up with all the college bowl madness and holiday family madness? Well, we created this page for you that has everything you need to handicap your college bowl picks, listing the college bowl odds and a sprinkle of expert analysis

College Football Bowl Season Betting News

Here's some important things to note ahead of bowl season.

New Year’s Day Bowl Games: NY6 Semifinal Bowls

The semifinals are assigned to a different pairing of the six major college bowl games each year, typically alternating once every three seasons. Known as the New Year’s Six (even though they’re not all played on January 1).

In 2023, the Rose Bowl, featuring the No. 1 TCU Michigan Wolverines and No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Sugar Bowl, welcoming the No. 2 Washington Huskies and No. 3 Texas Longhorns to the stage, will be hosting the CFP semifinals. The winners of the Rose and Sugar bowls play in the national championship game this year.

The remaining bowls are paired with head-to-heads that are just as enticing. The Orange Bowl is a revenge game for two groups snubbed from the CFP, the No. 5 Florida State Seminoles and No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs. The Peach Bowl pits No. 10 Penn State against the No. 11 Ole Miss

The Cotton Bowl has No. 7 Ohio State vs No. 9 Missouri, with the Buckeyes being bruised by the transfer portal. Lastly, the Fiesta Bowl has No. 8 Oregon vs No. 23 Liberty

New Year’s Six Bowls

BowlDateMatchupLocationSportsbook OddsWhere To Watch
CottonDecember 29, 8 P.M. ETOhio State Buckeyes vs Missouri Tigers AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TexasMissouri -2.5 | O/U 48.5ESPN
PeachDecember 30, 12 noon ETPenn State Nittany Lions vs Ole Miss RebelsMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GeorgiaPenn State -3.5 | O/U 48.5ESPN
OrangeDecember 30, 4 p.m. ETFlorida State Seminoles vs Georgia BulldogsHard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FloridaGeorgia -14 | O/U 44.5ESPN
FiestaJanuary 1, 1 p.m. ETOregon Ducks vs Liberty FlamesState Farm Stadium, Glendale, ArizonaOregon -16 | O/U 65.5ESPN
RoseJanuary 1, 5 p.m. ETMichigan Wolverines vs Alabama Crimson TideRose Bowl, Pasadena, CaliforniaMichigan -1.5 | O/U 45ESPN
SugarJanuary, 8:45 p.m. ETWashington Huskies vs Texas LonghornsCaesars Superdome, New Orleans, LouisianaWashington -4 | O/U 63.5ESPN


Remaining Bowl Season Schedule

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2023-24 Bowls

Myrtle Beach Bowl - Georgia Southern Eagles vs Ohio Bobcats

  • Myrtle Beach Bowl Odds: Georgia Southern -3.5 | O/U 48
  • Georgia Southern vs Ohio Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 16, 11:00 a.m. ET
  • Stadium: Brooks Stadium, Conway, South Carolina
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

New Orleans Bowl - Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

Cure Bowl - Miami (OH) RedHawks vs Appalachian State Mountaineers

New Mexico Bowl - Fresno state bulldogs vs new mexico state aggies

LA Bowl - UCLA Bruins vs Boise State Broncos

Independence Bowl - Texas Tech Red Raiders vs california golden bears

  • Independence Bowl Odds: Texas Tech -3 | O/U 56.5
  • Texas Tech vs California Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 16, 9:15 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Toastery Bowl - western kentucky hilltoppers vs old dominion monarchs

Frisco Bowl - Marshall Thundering Herd vs UTSA Roadrunners

  • Frisco Bowl Odds: UTSA -12.5 | O/U 52.5
  • Marshall vs UTSA Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 19, 9:00 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Boca Raton Bowl - USF Bulls vs syracuse orange

  • Boca Raton Bowl Odds: Syracuse -3 | O/U 62
  • USF vs Syracuse Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 19, 2:30 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Gasparilla Bowl - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs UCF Knights

  • Gasparilla Bowl Odds: UCF -4.5 | O/U 64.5
  • Georgia Tech vs UCF Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 22, 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Birmingham Bowl - troy trojans vs duke blue devils

  • Birmingham Bowl Odds: Troy -7.5 | O/U 44
  • Troy vs Duke Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 23, 12:00 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
  • TV Coverage: ABC

Camellia Bowl - arkansas state red Wolves vs northern illinois huskies

Armed Forces Bowl - air force falcons vs james madison dukes

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - Georgia state panthers vs utah state aggies

Ventures Bowl - eastern michigan eagles vs south alabama jaguars

Las Vegas Bowl - northwestern wildcats vs utah utes

  • Las Vegas Bowl Odds: Utah -6.5 | O/U 41.5
  • Northwestern vs Utah Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 23, 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • TV Coverage: ABC

Hawaii Bowl - San jose state spartans vs coastal carolina chanticleers 

Quick Lane Bowl - Bowling Green Falcons vs minnesota golden gophers

First Responder Bowl - texas state bobcats vs rice owls

  • First Responder Bowl Odds: Texas State -3.5 | O/U 60
  • Texas State vs Rice Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 26, 5:30 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Guaranteed Rate Bowl - Kansas jayhawks vs UNLV Rebels

  • Guaranteed Rate Bowl Odds: Kansas -12.5 | O/U 64.5
  • Kansas vs UNLV Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 26, 9:00 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Military Bowl - tulane green wave vs virginia tech hokies

  • Military Bowl Odds: Virginia Tech -7.5 | O/U 46.5
  • Tulane vs Virginia Tech Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 27, 2 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Duke's Mayo Bowl - north carolina tar heels vs west viriginia mountaineers

Holiday Bowl - louisville cardinals vs uSC Trojans

  • Holiday Bowl Odds: Louisville -7.5 | O/U 57.5
  • Louisville vs USC Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 27, 8:00 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Petco Park, San Diego, California
  • TV Coverage: FOX

Texas Bowl - Oklahoma state cowboys vs texas A&M Aggies

Fenway Bowl - sMU Mustangs vs Boston College eagles

Pinstripe Bowl - rutgers scarlet knights vs Miami (fL) Hurricanes

Pop-Tarts Bowl - NC State wolfpack vs kansas state wildcats

Alamo Bowl - Oklahoma sooners vs arizona wildcats

Gator Bowl - clemson tigers vs kentucky wildcats

  • Gator Bowl Odds: Clemson -5 | O/U 46.5
  • Clemson vs Kentucky Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 29, 12:00 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Sun Bowl - notre dame fighting irish vs oregon state beavers

Liberty Bowl - memphis tigers vs iowa state cyclones

  • Liberty Bowl Odds: Iowa State -8.5 | O/U 57.5
  • Memphis vs Iowa State Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Music City Bowl - auburn tigers vs maryland terrapins

  • Music City Bowl Odds: Auburn -2.5 | O/U 50
  • Auburn vs Maryland Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 30, 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
  • TV Coverage: ABC

Arizona Bowl - wyoming cowboys vs toledo rockets

  • Arizona Bowl Odds: Wyoming -3 | O/U 44.5
  • Wyoming vs Toledo Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: December 30, 4:30 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
  • TV Coverage: CW Network

Reliaquest Bowl - LSU Tigers vs wisconsin badgers

  • Reliaquest Bowl Odds: LSU -10.5 | O/U 55
  • LSU vs Wisconsin Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: January 1, 12 noon ET
  • Stadium: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
  • TV Coverage: ESPN

Citrus Bowl - iowa hawkeyes vs tennessee volunteers

  • Citrus Bowl Odds: Tennessee -8 | O/U 36.5
  • Iowa vs Tennessee Matchup Report
  • Date/Time: January 1, 1:00 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
  • TV Coverage: ABC


Betting On The College Football Postseason

There are 86 bowl berths available, with 86 bowl-eligible teams in the mix. The victors of the two semifinal games advance to the final. The College Football Playoff committee, primarily made up of athletic directors from each major conference, former players, coaches and administrators, meets in early December. They probably sit around a giant table covered in snacks. Their goal is to rank the top 25 teams and select the top four squads for the College Football Playoff. 


College Football Bowl Season

Once the committee ranks the teams and probably finishes their snacks, they place the top-seeded team at the closest site to their home field to prevent a road-game environment. Cities across America can bid to host the champion matchup years in advance. This year it’s on January 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas – home of the NFL's Houston Texans. 

How To Read NCAAF Bowl Odds

One of the most common bets is the moneyline. This is a straight-up bet that requires you to simply pick a an outright winner. When you visit your preferred sportsbook, you’ll see college football bowl odds laid out like this.

College Bowl Game Odds

  • Michigan -170
  • Alabama +120

In this scenario, the Wolverines are the favorite and the Crimson Tide are the underdogs. Faves are always marked by the minus sign (-), whereas dogs always have a plus sign (+). This is universal across all online betting sites. We’ve also used American odds but you can choose Fractional or Decimal style if you prefer.

If you believe that Michigan is going to trounce ’Bama, you would take them straight up (SU). A $100 winning bet would give you a payout of $158.82 – your original $100 comes back along with your winnings of $58.82. That same $100 on Alabama would give you a payout of $220 – you get your $100 back, coupled with your prize of $120. Bets on underdogs come with more risk but bigger rewards.

Our Odds Calculator can show you what you’d win based on the NCAAF bowl odds and amount bet.

Bowl Game Spreads, Totals And Parlays

No matter which NCAAF bowl odds you’re betting on, you’ll find other options besides the moneyline. Below, we list the other betting types that are popular with college football bettors during the playoffs.

College Bowl Games With Point Spreads

To make this kind of bet, you would need to determine which team will cover the spread. Let’s say Penn State is taking on USC in the Citrus Bowl and is favored by 4.5 points. The Nittany Lions would need to win by five or more points to cover.

In order for the Trojans to cover, they would need to win the game outright or not lose by more than four points. Our Database will tell you how teams have performed in the past against the spread (ATS).

College Bowl Games OVER/UNDER Bets

Often referred to as totals betting, this is a wager that requires you to bet on the combined number of points scored by both teams.

Oddsmakers create these NCAAF bowl odds based on previous performance and you need to predict if the total will be OVER or UNDER the set number. If the Gator Bowl features Georgia Tech vs Kentucky, and the total is 48.5, you would decide if the collective score from both teams will be OVER 49 or UNDER 48.

Parlay NYE

This betting type involves bundling two or more wagers on one ticket. Parlays let you add many SU, spread and totals bets to a single betting slip, which works out very well during bowl season. Since there are so many games played on each day during the college football postseason, you can combine 10 to 15 teams on one bet.

Want to bet on the Liberty Bowl, the Cure Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl? Go for it! Our Parlay Calculator will show you how much you’d win based on the NCAAF bowl odds and bet amount of all your wagers.

College Football Playoff History

While bowl matchups have been around for over a century, the current College Football Playoff system has only been in effect since 2014. You know what else has been around for over a century? Trains. Crazy, right?

Before there were television crews to document it, college football teams have been battling each other in front of a live audience. However, it wasn’t until college football bowl games became a staple of our New Year’s Day TV viewing diet that people realized there were major college football betting opportunities that couldn’t be missed. Before streaming, people used to turn on their televisions to NBC or ABC and watch college football, commercials and all. Can you even imagine?

Everything’s Coming Up Rose Bowls

The year was 1901. New York became the first state to require automobiles to feature license plates, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as president of the United States, and a Michigan schoolteacher named Annie Edson Taylor went over Niagara Falls in a barrel (she survived). It was also the year that the head of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses decided to stage a sporting event to promote the village’s floral festival (other than the traditional porcupine wrangling – no, really, it was a thing).

Instead of watching people tussle with a spiky beast, the citizens of Pasadena were treated to the first incarnation of a college football bowl. With the two best teams from the East and West taking the field on January 1, 1902, the Rose Bowl was born. Featuring Michigan and Stanford, the college football game lasted a whopping eight minutes.

After trailing by 49 points, the Cardinal threw their hands up in defeat, allowing the Wolverines to record the first-ever victory in a college football bowl. We’re not sure what the football odds were for that game, but it’s safe to say that those who had the Stanford moneyline were left with a very sour taste in their mouths. Still better than having to wrangle a porcupine. Due to the short Michigan/Stanford game, it took 14 years for another big game between East and West to take place in Pasadena.

TV, Naming Rights And The End Of The Bowl Championship Series

After a 14-year hiatus, college football bowl games came back with a fervor. Here’s how things went from 1916 until present day:

  • • In 1916, the Tournament of Roses featured a match between Washington State and Brown. The Cougars won. Yes, Brown has a football team. They’re called the Charmin Bears.
  • • The 1923 tournament was the first to be played in a new stadium called the Rose Bowl, cementing the location of the New Year’s Day football game.
  • • After seeing the success of that game, other warm-weather regions decided to get in on the action with their own NCAA football bowls.
  • • The Festival of Palms Bowl was played in 1933 between Manhattan College and the University of Miami.
  • • The Sugar Bowl started in 1935 in New Orleans. A year later, the Sun Bowl started in El Paso.
  • • 1937 saw the launch of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and the Bacardi Bowl was played in Havana, Cuba.
  • • Post-World War II, bowl games began to crop up with names like the Great Lakes Bowl (Cleveland, OH), the Raisin Bowl (Fresno, CA), the Salad Bowl (Phoenix, AZ), the Cigar Bowl (Tampa, Fla), and the Camellia Bowl (Lafayette, LA).
  • • Zooming forward to 1965, the magic of television was able to broadcast the majority of college games on a national level. Bowl directors realized they could make more money with marquee teams playing in those games and started looking for sponsorship opportunities.
  • • By the 1980s, college football bowls were a haven for corporations who could pay to have their name and logo plastered everywhere (Sunkist Fiesta Bowl, FedEx Orange Bowl, Outback Bowl, and the Scrambled Eggs Bowl – OK, we made the last one up, but give it time and Big Fowl will eventually have their own bowl).
  • • Amid the grunge sounds emanating from the Northwest, the ’90s saw the birth of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), a nirvana for sports bettors.
  • • From 1998 to 2013, the BCS system resulted in five bowl game matchups of the top 10 ranked College Football Division I teams. But first there was the Bowl Coalition (1992-94) and the Bowl Alliance (1995-97), and like the “Rachel” haircut, they fell out of favor for a more modern system.
  • • The BCS met its end after the 2013 season and was replaced by the current system, the College Football Playoff.

Bowl Odds For College Football

The College Football Playoff is one of the top gambling events of the year, besides the Super Bowl. There’s plenty of action throughout the playoffs. Be sure to keep an eye on our NCAA football section for Betting Trends, Consensus data, college bowl season odds, and free college football picks. We’ve got more content than Alabama has bowl wins.

College Bowl Season Betting FAQ

Can I bet on college football bowl games?

Yes, you can bet on college football bowl games. In fact, there are 43 different college bowl games you can wager on. The six major college football bowl games to bet on each year are the Rose Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl.

What Is The New Year’s Six?

Usually abbreviated to NY6, the New Year’s Six are six different major bowl games: the Rose Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl. And no, they aren’t all scheduled to be played on New Year’s Day.

Where can I bet on college football bowl games?

There are a number of college football betting sites online to bet on college football bowl games. Our recommended online sportsbook to wager on college bowl games is Sportsbook. This online betting site offers everything you need to bet on every bowl game. Sportsbook, Sportsbook, Sportsbook, Sportsbook and Sportsbook are also great options for all of your best bowl bets.

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