Compass Bowl Odds

The Pittsburgh Panthers and Mississippi Rebels were both just .500 teams this season, but they've managed to pay off their supporters on the college football odds at a combined 17-7 ATS heading into their matchup in the Compass Bowl on January 5.

For updated lines and totals on all of this year's bowl games head over to the college football betting boards at 5Dimes, , and BetOnline today.

Compass Bowl
Saturday, January 5 @ 1:00pm ET
Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

Team: Pittsburgh Panthers
Conference: Big East
Records: 6-6 SU, 8-4 ATS, 4-6 OU

Team: Mississippi Rebels
Conference: Southeastern
Records: 6-6 SU, 9-3 ATS, 5-6 OU

Opening Spread / Total (from BetOnline)
Mississippi -2 / 51.5 Points

[Compass Bowl Matchup Stats]

Compass Bowl Betting Trends: All six Compass Bowls played UNDER the total . . . Big East is 5-1 SU in the Compass Bowl . . . Ole Miss is 6-1-1 ATS in past eight bowl games.

Compass Bowl History

Data includes original name of bowl, current name, teams, point spread of the second listed team, SU winner and ATS winner.

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The Southern Methodist Mustangs will be going to their third straight bowl game this year after going 24 years without a single bowl appearance from 1985-2008.

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Compass Bowl
Saturday, January 7 @ 1:00pm ET
Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

Team: Southern Methodist Mustangs
Conference: Conference USA
Records: 7-5 SU, 4-8 ATS, 4-8 OU

Team: Pittsburgh Panthers
Conference: Big East
Records: 6-6 SU, 7-5 ATS, 5-7 OU

Spread / Total (from TopBet)
Pittsburgh -3.5 / 47 Points

[Compass Bowl Matchup Stats]

Despite falling short of higher hopes heading into the season, the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Pittsburgh Panthers still earned a trip to go bowling and will meet in this year’s Compass Bowl. Pitt has won in each of its last two bowl appearances.

SMU started the season off strong with a 5-1 SU record (4-2 ATS) including an upset win over TCU on the road, but the Mustangs fizzled out to the tune of a 2-4 SU (0-6 ATS) finish with three double-digit losses. Pittsburgh narrowly earned bowl eligibility at 6-6 SU, but the Panthers did finish the season strong at 3-2 SU with a 5-0 ATS record. It was Pittsburgh head coach Todd Graham’s first season with the program, but he won’t be coaching in this bowl game as he left to take the vacant Arizona State head coaching position.

With star running back Ray Graham out with a knee injury, junior quarterback Tino Sunseri is the most important player on Pittsburgh’s offense. Sunseri had an underwhelming year this season, passing for 2,433 yards with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

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Pittsburgh is using its third coach in two months and Kentucky suspended its starting QB for the Compass Bowl, where the Panthers are 3.5-point favorites in college football betting action when they play the Wildcats.

Compass Bowl
Saturday, January 8 @ 12:00pm ET
Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

Team: Pittsburgh Panthers
Conference: Big East Conference
Records: 7-5 SU, 6-3-2 ATS, 6-5 OU

Team: Kentucky Wildcats
Conference: Southeastern Conference
Records: 6-6 SU, 6-5 ATS, 8-3 OU

Spread / Total (from SBG Global)
Pittsburgh -3.5 / 52.5 Points

[Compass Bowl Matchup Stats]

Sophomore Morgan Newton will replace suspended veteran starting QB Mike Hartline for Kentucky, and with his lack of experience you can bet a running game will be the order of the night.

Newton will be tasked with finding Randall Cobb, who was named a first-team All-American after notching 2,191 all-purpose yards – which is a school-record. Derrick Lowe averaged 112 yards per game over seven contests off the ground, while sitting out four with a shoulder injury. He also had eight games in 2009 when Hartline was on the shelf, so he’s certainly capable at this level.

Cobb had 15 touchdowns this season for Kentucky, who must utilize his speed to help find the open yards. If executed, the Wildcats could position themselves for victory and cover the Compass Bowl odds.

Defensive end Jabaal Sheard was the conference defensive player of the year, and should help the Panthers shut down Cobb, who Pittsburgh must keep off his game if they are to win and cover the NCAAF odds set for the tilt.

Pittsburgh needs to establish the run offense and get Dion Lewis going in the backfield for the Panthers to fulfil oddsmakers' faith in the 3.5-point advantage in the Compass Bowl odds.

The Panthers will primarily attack with the run to be successful but they do have a capable receiver in Jonathan Baldwin, who had 810 yards receiving with five touchdowns.

These teams have paid out to OVER bettors 14 times this season, and should peak the interest of totals bettors in college football betting.