College Football Odds, Best Bets: 6 Friday Bowl Game Picks, Including Maryland vs. NC State, Clemson vs. Tennessee

Friday’s faculty soccer slate is the biggest one of many 2022 bowl season.

With bowl video games kicking off as early as 12 p.m. ET and working by the primary New 12 months’s Six bowl of the season, there are many bets to be made. That’s the place we are available in.

Whether or not you’re seeking to place a guess earlier than a school soccer coach will get his head doused with mayonnaise otherwise you need to have a good time the orangest Orange Bowl in historical past, we have now you lined.

Learn on for all six of our faculty soccer greatest bets for Friday’s bowl video games, and you’ll want to verify again tomorrow for our Faculty Soccer Playoff betting protection.

Friday’s Faculty Soccer Greatest Bets

The staff logos within the desk beneath signify every of the bowl matchups that our faculty soccer workers is focusing on from Friday’s slate of bowl video games. Click on the staff logos for one of many matchups beneath to navigate to a particular guess mentioned on this article.

Maryland vs. NC State

By Stuckey

After UCLA pulled out of its bowl matchup with NC State on the final second final season, the Wolfpack have been itching to get again to a bowl for this veteran group.

I count on a totally motivated squad for this sport, and it seems that MJ Morris shall be wholesome sufficient to start out at quarterback, which I feel provides Dave Doeren’s group the perfect shot at a win sans Devin Leary.

Not solely will NC State maintain a training benefit right here, however it’s going to even have the perfect unit on the sphere with its protection.

I feel that’s finally the distinction in opposition to a Maryland staff that shall be lacking a couple of key receivers and defensive starters.

Maryland vs. NC State

By Patrick Strollo

Questions abound heading into this sport as to what every offensive unit will appear like after opt-outs and switch portal exercise.

NC State shall be with out the providers of former beginning quarterback Devin Leary and second-leading receiver Devin Carter. True freshman MJ Morris seems to be on observe to get the beginning after struggling an harm in mid-November.

Whereas the standing of the offense is up within the air, the Wolfpack protection seems primed to toe the road within the title of mayonnaise after ending the season tied for 14th within the nation in scoring protection (19.4 PPG).

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa will take the sphere with out his high three route runners after Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus and Jacob Copeland all declined the provide to take part.

It’s exhausting to check Tagovailoa having a productive afternoon with the fourth, fifth and sixth receiving choices being on the high of the depth chart.

On protection, the Terrapins shall be with out their high cornerback, Deonte Banks. Whereas Maryland’s protection isn’t pretty much as good as its counterpart, it does rank thirty sixth within the nation in Ending Drives and has a good matchup in opposition to an NC State staff that ranks 94th in the identical metric offensively.

Based mostly on a season-long knowledge set, my mannequin tasks the full for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl at 43.5 factors. That is three factors underneath the full in out there markets proper now, and most significantly, doesn’t mirror the aforementioned absences at talent positions for each groups.

I like to recommend taking the underneath, because the questions loom massive for each groups on offense, whereas protection stays a supply of stability for each applications heading into the season finale.

Play this to 44 factors.

Pitt vs. UCLA

Zach Charbonnet Over 100.5 Speeding Yards

By Cody Goggin

I feel I took Zach Charbonnet overs in our participant props articles greater than every other guess this season. So, what higher technique to shut out the season than taking our outdated good friend yet one more time?

That is going to be the final hurrah for Charbonnet, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the remainder of the Bruins as they transfer on with their careers after this weekend.

UCLA has the entire motivation it might need, and as 7.5-point favorites, there’s a great likelihood it’ll discover itself in a constructive sport script, which means its star working again ought to obtain loads of alternatives.

This season, Charbonnet ran for 1,359 yards and 14 touchdowns on a formidable 7.0 yards per carry. In eight of the ten video games he has performed this season, he went over 100 dashing yards and has persistently seen a heavy workload, averaging 19.5 carries per sport.

Pitt’s protection has been fantastic this season, rating twelfth in Defensive Success Fee and 14th in Speeding Success Fee Allowed.

Whereas UCLA doesn’t have a single reported opt-out, Pittsburgh has been hit exhausting. The Panthers shall be lacking their two highest-graded defensive gamers from this season in Calijah Kancey and SirVocea Dennis. These are the one two gamers on the protection with PFF grades over 85. Dennis’ 92.1 PFF run protection grade is the second-highest in FBS amongst certified linebackers.

Defensive finish Deslin Alexandre and security Brandon Hill are additionally opting out for Pitt on the defensive aspect of the ball.

On the offensive aspect, it is going to be with out each Gabe Houy and Carter Warren on the offensive line, in addition to working again Israel Abanikanda. Quarterback Kedon Slovis is transferring as properly, leaving Pitt with a pair of quarterbacks who mixed for 32 go makes an attempt this season.

UCLA has the second-highest run-blocking grade within the nation, and every part strains up properly for it to return out of this sport victorious.

I’d count on Thompson-Robinson and Charbonnet each to have robust showings of their final faculty video games.

Choose: Zach Charbonnet Over 100.5 Speeding Yards (Play to 114.5)

South Carolina vs. Notre Dame

By Mike McNamara

Notre Dame shall be with out two of its greatest gamers in Michael Mayer and Isaiah Foskey as they put together for the 2023 NFL Draft. That appears to elucidate why this line has moved in favor of the Gamecocks.

If you look deeper into the matchup, nevertheless, it turns into evident that South Carolina is definitely the staff that shall be extra affected by personnel losses.

MarShawn Lloyd and Austin Stogner, two of a very powerful items in Shane Beamer’s offense, have entered the switch portal. Moreover, Zacch Pickens, Cam Smith, Darius Rush and some different key defensive items for the Gamecocks have chosen to opt-out of the Gator Bowl.

Except for Mayer and Foskey, Marcus Freeman ought to have most of his roster out there, and Tyler Buchner is definitely anticipated to return again and begin this sport at quarterback for the Irish.

Notre Dame ought to have the ability to have its means on the bottom on this sport behind probably the greatest offensive line teams within the nation, going up in opposition to a South Carolina entrance that received’t be at full energy.

On the opposite aspect of the ball, search for Al Golden to dial up some strain to get Spencer Rattler off schedule and create some adverse performs.

In the end, I count on Audric Estime to feast on this sport, and South Carolina will be unable to maintain tempo with out a few of its greatest playmakers.

Notre Dame will get it completed in Jacksonville, giving Marcus Freeman his first bowl win as a head coach within the course of.

Clemson vs. Tennessee

By Cody Goggin

Clemson and Tennessee each come into the Orange Bowl off of robust seasons, however the groups enjoying within the bowl sport will look totally different than the groups that acquired them right here, particularly at quarterback.

Cade Klubnik took over for DJ Uiagalelei in the midst of the primary quarter within the ACC Championship. From the time he got here into the sport, Clemson’s offense regarded immensely higher and cruised to a 39-10 win.

On this sport, Klubnik accomplished 20 of his 24 go makes an attempt for 279 yards and a landing, averaging a formidable 0.77 EPA per play on dropbacks.

Even with Myles Murphy and Trenton Simpson opting out of this sport, Clemson nonetheless has one of many strongest defensive fronts within the nation. Its general effectivity scores for the season don’t totally mirror what this unit is due to the variety of accidents it handled, particularly early within the yr.

Clemson has the No. 12 protection, per PFF, due largely to the nation’s sixth-best go rush and Sixteenth-best run protection.

Sadly for the Volunteers, when their storybook season stalled in opposition to South Carolina, additionally they misplaced star quarterback Hendon Hooker for the yr.

Joe Milton, who beforehand performed at Michigan, took over for Hooker in that sport and began their finale in opposition to Vanderbilt. He didn’t must do an excessive amount of in that sport as Tennessee rolled to a 56-0 victory, however Milton put up an unimpressive stat line of 11-of-21 for 147 yards and a landing.

Milton may also be coping with an absence of assist. The Vols have struggled on the offensive line this yr, as they rank ninetieth in PFF pass-blocking grade and seventieth in run-blocking grade.

Two of their high receivers, Jalin Hyatt (1,267 yards, 15 TDs) and Cedric Tillman (417 yards, 3 TDs), are each opting out of this sport.

To make issues worse for the Vols, Tennessee may also be with out offensive coordinator Alex Golesh, who was employed away to USF as its subsequent head coach.

With Klubnik getting his first profession begin underneath middle in opposition to a depleted Tennessee staff, every part aligns completely to take Clemson.

By the top of Friday evening, I feel that we’ll see Dabo Swinney take residence his fourth Orange Bowl title in convincing style.

Clemson vs. Tennessee

By Thomas Schlarp

Within the all-too-appropriately-named Orange Bowl that includes a matchup of various hues of orange, each offenses shall be missing a little bit of juice.

Tennessee is with out the providers of Hendon Hooker on the quarterback place and can flip to Joe Milton because the starter for the second time this yr.

Within the regular-season finale in opposition to Vanderbilt — the SEC’s second-worst go protection — Milton went simply 11-of-21 for 147 yards and a lone rating. That was with main receiver Jalin Hyatt, who has opted out of this sport alongside fellow wideout Cedric Tillman with the intention to put together for the NFL Draft.

With Milton in opposition to the Commodores, Tennessee leaned on its floor assault, dashing for 362 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Volunteers aren’t going to search out that kind of success in opposition to a Clemson protection that can have 9 of its regular starters on a unit that ranked second within the ACC in run protection.

Clemson’s offense, in the meantime, may also be turning to a backup quarterback after Cade Klubnik makes his first profession begin within the wake of DJ Uiagalelei’s switch to Oregon State.

The general public typically views Klubnik as an improve, and whereas he regarded nice in opposition to one of many worst passing defenses within the nation in North Carolina, the freshman struggled in restricted motion in opposition to Syracuse and Notre Dame this season. Uiagalelei was removed from the one drawback on this offense.

Klubnik is getting an excessive amount of love as some kind of offensive panacea, and the Vols are with out some critical items from their offense.

This sport will seemingly be shut with each groups most likely scoring within the mid-to upper-20s, so I’m comfy taking this all the way down to 61.