Bahamas Bowl

The Bahamas Bowl is played annually at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. The first Bahamas Bowl featured the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Central Michigan Chippewas and was played on Christmas Eve 2014. That game was the first FBS bowl game played outside of the United States or Canada by two teams from the United States since Auburn and Villanova met in the Havana Bowl in Cuba back in 1937.
With the Ohio Bobcats playing in this year’s game, the Mid-American Conference has sent a team to each of the first four Bahamas Bowls. The Conference USA picked a tie-in to this bowl back up for 2017 after sending a team in 2014 and 2015 but stepping aside for a one-year bowl tie-in from the American Athletic Conference in 2016.
The betting favorite went 3-0 SU from 2014 to 2016 in this bowl game but covered the spread only once in those three games. After the first two Bahamas Bowls soared OVER their posted totals, Old Dominion’s 24-20 win over Eastern Michigan in 2016 stayed UNDER. That game was Old Dominion’s first ever bowl appearance and Eastern Michigan’s first in 30 years.
In addition to being the first Bahamas Bowl, the 2014 Bahamas Bowl still stands as the most memorable game in the bowl’s early history as well. Western Kentucky entered the fourth quarter with the game seemingly firmly in hand with a 49-14 lead. Central Michigan scored five touchdowns in the quarter, including its last one with one second left on the clock. The Hilltoppers thwarted the miracle comeback with a two-point conversion stop to hold on for the win.
A couple of eight-win teams will hook up in this season’s Bahamas Bowl with the UAB Blazers taking on the Bobcats. Each team also covered the spread on eight occasions during the regular season, while UAB stood out as a great UNDER bet, going below the total nine times. Check out our Bahamas Bowl betting preview here.
For updated lines and great props for all bowl games head over to Bovada today.
Year | Bowl | Team | Score | Team | Score | Spread | ATS Winner | SU Winner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Bahamas Bowl | Central Michigan | 48 | Western Kentucky | 49 | -3.5 | Central Michigan | Western Kentucky |
2015 | Bahamas Bowl | Middle Tennessee | 31 | Western Michigan | 45 | -3 | Western Michigan | Western Michigan |
2016 | Bahamas Bowl | Eastern Michigan | 20 | Old Dominion | 24 | -5.5 | Eastern Michigan | Old Dominion |
2017 | Bahamas Bowl | UAB | - | Ohio | - |
NCAAF Futures: Alabama Favored To Win Title Yet Again in 2019
Sun, Jan 14, 1:00am
It is halftime of the national championship game. Alabama’s offense has been nowhere to be found. The Crimson Tide faithful can see the national...
- Video
College Football Bowl Season Stat Pack
Tue, Dec 26, 10:49am
After a full season of ups and downs, we have finally made it to yet another bowl season. From December 16 to January 8, the best college football...
College Football Bowl Central Cheat Sheet
Tue, Dec 19, 3:30pm
College bowl season is upon us and tracking every game can be as confusing as picking out a Christmas gift for your significant other at the lingerie...
College Football Bowl Season Props
Sat, Dec 16, 9:19am
It is one of the most exciting and hectic times of the year for sports bettors – college football bowl season. Forty games featuring the best teams...
Teams Potentially Lacking Motivation For Bowl Season
Tue, Dec 12, 12:46pm
Playing in a bowl sounds awesome, but not all bowl games are created equal. Sometimes, players don’t have the same drive to play in a bowl a day...