Music City Bowl Betting History

As the Music City Bowl approaches its 20th anniversary, moneyline bettors can fondly look to the Nashville, Tennessee, staple as college football’s most likely site for unlikely postseason upsets.

The game – which has historically involved a Southeastern Conference squad suiting up against representatives of the Big East (1999-2001), Big Ten (2002-2005) and ACC (2006-present) – tends to invite top teams that happen to have had a down year.

The debut of the Music City Bowl in 1998 was evidence of this trend, with Alabama battling Virginia Tech, but the festivities were relocated from Vanderbilt Stadium to the Tennessee Titans’ Nissan Stadium one year later. And in the first game there, Syracuse’s 20-13 win over Kentucky as a 2.5-point underdog started a particularly odd run of results.

Dogs won outright in eight of the first 10 Music City Bowls at Nissan Stadium, giving new meaning to the venue’s penchant for miracles among pigskin pundits and fans. Kentucky came into the 2006 meeting with Clemson as heavy 11-point dogs but wound up winning 28-20. In 2002, Minnesota prevailed 29-14 with Arkansas laying 8.5 points. And as recently as 2014, Notre Dame overcame an 8.5-point spread to outlast LSU 31-28.

Favorites won the Music City Bowl just seven times overall prior to 2017, but in four of the next seven games after 2010 (’10, ’11, ’12, ’16).

Tennessee notched its first win in the bowl in 2016, beating Nebraska 38-24 as a 3-point favorite, while mid-major Vanderbilt is a perfect 2-0 at its hometown bowl.

This year, the Music City Bowl will feature a matchup between the Auburn Tigers and the Purdue Boilermakers. For the latest odds, a free pick and handicapping information, visit our Music City Bowl Game Center.