The Virginia Tech Hokies had a hard time paying off on the college football betting lines this season at just 3-9 ATS; they're the favorites against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights for the Russell Athletic Bowl on December 28 in Orlando.
For updated lines and totals on all of this year's bowl games head over to the college football betting boards at 5Dimes, , and GTbets today.
Russell Athletic Bowl
Friday, December 28 @ 5:30pm ET
Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
Team: Virginia Tech Hokies
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Records: 6-6 SU, 3-9 ATS, 6-5 OU
Team: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Conference: Big East
Records: 9-3 SU, 7-5 ATS, 3-8 OU
Opening Spread / Total (from GTbets)
Virginia Tech -1.5 / 43 Points
[Russell Athletic Bowl Matchup Stats]
Russell Athletic Bowl Betting Trends: UNDER is 6-1 in past five bowls . . . ACC schools are 8-1 SU in past nine Russell Athletic Bowls (formerly Champs Sports Bowl).
Russell Athletic Bowl History (formerly Champs Sports Bowl)\
Data includes original name of bowl, current name, teams, point spread of the second listed team, SU winner and ATS winner.
| 1995 | Carquest Bowl | Arkansas | 10 | North Carolina | 20 | -1 | UNC | UNC |
| 1996 | Carquest Bowl | Miami | 31 | Virginia | 21 | 3 | MIAMI | MIAMI |
| 1997 | Carquest Bowl | Georgia Tech | 35 | West Virginia | 30 | 1.5 | GATECH | GATECH |
| 1998 | MicronPC.com Bowl | North Carolina State | 23 | Miami | 46 | -5.5 | MIAMI | MIAMI |
| 1999 | MicronPC.com Bowl | Illinois | 63 | Virginia | 21 | -2 | ILLINO | ILLINO |
| 2000 | MicronPC.com Bowl | Minnesota | 30 | North Carolina State | 38 | 3.5 | N.C.ST | N.C.ST |
| 2001 | Tangerine Bowl | North Carolina State | 19 | Pittsburgh | 34 | -1 | PITT | PITT |
| 2002 | Tangerine Bowl | Texas Tech | 55 | Clemson | 15 | 4.5 | TXTECH | TXTECH |
| 2003 | Tangerine Bowl | North Carolina State | 56 | Kansas | 26 | 12 | N.C.ST | N.C.ST |
| 2004 | Champs Sports Bowl | Syracuse | 14 | Georgia Tech | 51 | -6 | GATECH | GATECH |
| 2005 | Champs Sports Bowl | Colorado | 10 | Clemson | 19 | -10 | COLO | CLEM |
| 2006 | Champs Sports Bowl | Purdue | 7 | Maryland | 24 | 1.5 | MARYL | MARYL |
| 2007 | Champs Sports Bowl | Michigan State | 21 | Boston College | 24 | -5 | MICHST | BOST.C |
| 2008 | Champs Sports Bowl | Wisconsin | 13 | Florida State | 42 | -7 | FLAST | FLAST |
| 2009 | Champs Sports Bowl | Wisconsin | 20 | Miami | 14 | -3.5 | WISCSN | WISCSN |
| 2010 | Champs Sports Bowl | North Carolina State | 23 | West Virginia | 7 | -3 | N.C.ST | N.C.ST |
| 2011 | Champs Sports Bowl | Notre Dame | 14 | Florida State | 18 | -3 | FLAST | FLAST |
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Two storied programs enter the Champs Sports Bowl hoping to extend bowl winning streaks as Florida State has won each of its last three bowl games and Notre Dame has won its last two bowl games after losing its previous nine.
For lines and totals on all of this year's bowl games head over to the college football betting board at today and pay attention to the UNDER trend which has seen 6 of the past 7 Champs Sports Bowls play UNDER the total.
Champs Sports Bowl
Thursday, December 29 @ 5:30pm ET
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Team: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Conference: Independent
Records: 8-4 SU, 5-7 ATS, 4-7-1 OU
Team: Florida State Seminoles
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Records: 8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS, 4-8 OU
Spread / Total (from )
Florida State -3.0 / 47 Points
[Champs Sports Bowl Matchup Stats]
In similar positions trying to rebuild their storied programs back up to national prominence, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Florida State Seminoles collide in this year’s Champs Sports Bowl. Florida State defeated Wisconsin 42-13 in the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl.
Early rough starts doomed both of these teams’ hopes for bigger seasons, but both finished strong. Notre Dame finished the season 8-2 SU and 5-5 ATS after starting the year 0-2 SU and ATS, and Florida State finished 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS after starting off 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS. Both teams’ totals betting tilted towards the UNDER, with each of Florida State’s last five games going UNDER the total.
E.J. Manual wasn’t able to live up to the National Championship expectations that were laid out in the preseason for Florida State, but he still had a respectable season in his first year as the starter. Manual finished the regular season with 2,417 passing yards and 16 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
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The Champs Sports Bowl features the defense-conscious West Virginia Mountaineers as slight 2.5-point favorites in college football betting against the offensively-explosive North Carolina State Wolfpack.
Champs Sports Bowl
Tuesday, December 28 @ 6:30pm ET
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Team: West Virginia Mountaineers
Conference: Big East Conference
Records: 9-3 SU, 8-3 ATS, 4-7 OU
Team: North Carolina State Wolfpack
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference
Records: 8-4 SU, 8-3 ATS, 5-6 OU
Spread / Total (from Sportsbook.ag)
West Virginia -2.5 / 48.5 Points
[Champs Sports Bowl Matchup Stats]
West Virginia finished the season on a four-game winning streak, but just missed out on a BCS bowl game when Connecticut beat South Florida in the season finale. This team has a huge amount of experience having competed in seven straight bowl games, and they know how to focus on the task.
The Mountaineers rank second in the FBS in scoring defense at 12.8 points per game and second in rush defense at over 85 yards a contest. West Virginia also has four players named to the All-Big East first team and it should make them a solid wager on the Champs Sports Bowl odds.
West Virginia also has a capable hand at quarterback as Geno Smith was second in the Big East with 2,567 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. They have also captured four of their previous five bowl games and that could be enough for college football betting enthusiasts to lay the smart money on the Mountaineers.
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The NCAAF odds may be against North Carolina State, but they have a potent offense that was second in the conference with 32.6 points per game. Russell Wilson takes charge at quarterback and rightfully so, as he was the conference leader with 3,288 passing yards and 26 touchdowns.
The Wolfpack’s fate was similar to West Virginia’s in that they dropped their regular-season finale and missed out on a BCS bowl game as well.
Totals bettors should note the strong defense of West Virginia, but the Wolfpack score over 32 points a game and this could swing the NCAAF odds in favor of OVER bettors.







