Friday, December 22
UAB @ Ohio
Game 217-218
December 22, 2017 @ 12:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
UAB
76.334
Ohio
79.872
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ohio
by 3 1/2
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ohio
by 8
57 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
UAB
(+8); Under
Central Michigan @ Wyoming
Game 219-220
December 22, 2017 @ 4:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Central Michigan
83.665
Wyoming
80.740
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Central Michigan
by 3
48
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Central Michigan
Pick
45 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Central Michigan
Over
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Friday, December 22
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UAB (8 - 4) vs. OHIO U (8 - 4) - 12/22/2017, 12:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UAB is 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
OHIO U is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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C MICHIGAN (8 - 4) vs. WYOMING (7 - 5) - 12/22/2017, 4:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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Friday, December 22
ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM @ OHIO
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Alabama-Birmingham's last 8 games
Alabama-Birmingham is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Ohio is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
Ohio is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
CENTRAL MICHIGAN @ WYOMING
Central Michigan is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Central Michigan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wyoming's last 5 games
Wyoming is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
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December 22
Ohio (-7.5) vs UAB, Bahamas Bowl
UAB didn’t even field a team the last two years, after briefly dropping the sport. Blazers went 6-2 in last eight games after a 46-43 loss to North Texas; UAB is 5-2 as an underdog this year, 5-1 in games with single digit spread. Ohio U lost its last two games after an 8-2 start; Bobcats are 5-3 as a favorite this year, 6-2 in games with a single digit spread. MAC teams are 5-18 in their last 23 bowls, but they’re 7-1 vs spread when opposing a C-USA team. MAC squads are 5-4 as a non-conference favorite this year. C-USA underdogs are 8-23 vs spread. UAB is in its 2nd bowl; they lost 59-40 to Hawai’i in the 2004 Hawai’i Bowl. Ohio lost its last three bowls, giving up 32 ppg; they’re 2-8 all-time in bowls. C-USA is 2-1 vs MAC in the Bahamas Bowl, with average total of 72.3— underdogs covered two of the three games.
Wyoming vs Central Michigan, Idaho Potato Bowl, Boise
Wyoming QB Allen (shoulder) missed last two games; Wyoming lost both, 13-7/20-17. He is expected to play here, to quiet doubts of NFL scouts. Cowboys were 7-3 when he got hurt; they are 5-1 vs spread this season in games with single digit spread. Wyoming lost its bowl 24-21 LY, its first bowl in five years. Central Michigan lost bowls the last three years, allowing 41.7 ppg; they lost 55-10 in a bowl LY. Chippewas won their last five games after a 3-4 start; they’re 5-3 vs spread in games with single digit spread- they scored 37.2 ppg in last five games. Underdogs won last three Potato Bowls SU; average total in last five, 69.2. Since 2011, Mountain West teams are 14-10 vs spread when playing a MAC opponent.
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Spread to bet now
Appalachian State (+7.5) vs. Toledo
This line for the Dollar General Bowl opened at +8 and was quickly bet down to +7.5. Play it now while it remains above the key number of +7. Appalachian State enters with solid offensive momentum as they scored 31 points or more in three of their final four regular season games. Overall, the Mountaineers averaged 33.4 points per game on 6.5 yards per play this year, while allowing just 21.9 points per game on 5.5 yards per play.
Toledo also enters off three straight wins, but might be a little flat after winning the MAC championship game. Toledo probably was hoping for a better bowl bid after a solid 11-2 SU season. The Rockets were strong offensively this year, but weak on defense as they allowed 5.6 yards per play versus a schedule of weak offensive opponents that averaged just 5.3 yppl overall. Toledo's defense is now taking a substantial step-up in class. The Rockets lost last year, 31-28, versus Appalachian State in the Camellia Bowl.
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NCAAF
Friday, December 22
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Bahamas Bowl Betting Preview and Odds: UAB vs. Ohio
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Dual threat quarterback Nathan Rourke leads a Bobcats' offense that ranks 14th in the nation at 38.9 points per game.
UAB Blazers vs. Ohio Bobcats (-7.5, 59)
Game to be played at Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
Two years after the school shut down its football program amidst financial concerns, UAB won a school-record eight games to earn its second-ever bowl berth. The Blazers, guided by National Coach of the Year candidate Bill Clark, will face Ohio in the Bahamas Bowl on Friday, Dec. 22. UAB earned its invitation to the island paradise by finishing second in the West Division of Conference USA, thanks in part to a ground attack which produced 27 touchdowns.
Ohio finished second in the MAC's East Division, one game behind Akron. The Bobcats lost to the Zips 37-34 in the penultimate game of the regular season, snapping their four-game winning streak, and capped the campaign with another narrow setback at Buffalo. Despite the consecutive defeats to end the season, the speedy Bobcats still finished the slate ranked 14th in the nation in scoring with an average of 38.9 points.
Under Clark, who was named the conference's top coach, the Blazers went 6-0 at home and revitalized their fan base to lead the league in attendance. Defensive back Darious Williams earned All-American Honorable Mention laurels after leading the squad with five interceptions, including one pick in four straight games. Ohio is paced by dual threat quarterback Nathan Rourke, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more in a 45-28 win over Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 1.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE HISTORY: The Bobcats opened between 7 and 7.5-point faves depending on the shop and have bounced back and forth between those two numbers since hitting the board. The total opened around 57 and has been bet up to the current number of 59.
INJURY REPORT:
UAB - No injuries to report.
Ohio - QB N. Rourke (Probable Friday, undisclosed), OL J. McCray (Questionable Friday, concussion), DL S. McKnight (Questionable Friday, knee), RB D. Brown (Questionable Friday, knee), WR B. Cope (Questionable Friday, ankle), WR K. Harris (Questionable Friday, foot), RB A. Ouellette (Doubtful Friday, shoulder).
WEATHER REPORT: It should be a beautiful day for football in Nassau. The forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with temperatures reaching the low 80's during game time and minimal wind.
ABOUT UAB (8-4, 8-3-1 ATS, 4-8 O/U): The last time the Blazers played in a bowl game was in 2004, when they participated in the Hawaii Bowl, and getting back was not an easy endeavor after the program was shut down in 2014. Quarterback A.J. Erdely passed for 2,077 yards with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions while rushing for 289 yards and 13 more scores. Spencer Brown carried the ball 237 times for 1,292 yards and 10 TDs while Andre Wilson was the team's top receiver, hauling in 48 passes for 619 yards and six touchdowns.
ABOUT OHIO (8-4, 8-4 ATS, 8-3-1 O/U): The Bobcats have won exactly eight games for three straight seasons but suffered bowl losses to Troy last campaign and Appalachian State two years ago. Rourke, who relished the time off to recover from several nagging injuries, racked up 2,018 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 882 yards and 21 scores. A.J. Ouellette finished the regular season with 980 yards and seven scores on 184 carries.
TRENDS:
* UAB is 5-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Ohio is 12-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 7-1 in UAB's last eight games overall.
* Over is 5-0 in Bobcats last five non-conference games.
CONSENSUS: Bettors are giving a slight edge to the underdogs, with 54 percent of wagers on the Blazers. The total is almost split down the middle, with 52 percent of bets on the Over.
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NCAAF
Friday, December 22
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Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Betting Preview and Odds: Central Michigan vs. Wyoming
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Central Michigan Chippewas vs. Wyoming Cowboys (-3, 45.5)
Game to be played at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Will this be Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen's swan song? The rifled-armed 6-5, 233-pound junior had what many consider a disappointing season, completing just 141-of-251 passes (56.2 percent) for 1,658 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while also rushing for 207 yards and five scores on 84 carries. Although only an Honorable Mention All-Mountain West pick, Allen comes in at No. 6 on ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.'s top 20 list for 2018 NFL Draft prospects.
Will Allen, who missed Wyoming's final two games after spraining his right shoulder in a 28-14 win at Air Force on Nov. 11, be healthy enough to play? "The shoulder is getting better day to day," Allen told Wyosports.net on Dec. 5. "I've been getting back in the swing of things with some 7-on-7 and some plays in the team sessions the last couple days of practice. It felt good. (The shoulder) still isn't where I want it to be or it needs to be. There are some throws I still feel some pain, and some I don't feel anything." As far as skipping the bowl to avoid the possibility of further injury should he decide to turn pro, Allen said: "If I'm 100 percent, I'm playing in the game. I owe that to this university and to this team."
Which team can avoid turnovers? Both clubs thrived on forcing opponents to turn over the ball, with Central Michigan leading the FBS by creating 31 turnovers while Wyoming was right behind with 30. The Cowboys also had a turnover margin of plus-16, which was second-best in the FBS, while the Chippawas finished at plus-eight.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE HISTORY: The game opened as a Pick 'Em at most books and has moved to Wyoming -3. The total hit betting boards at 46.5 and has dropped slightly to 45.5.
INJURY REPORT:
Central Michigan - DL M. Steinhauer (Questionable, Undisclosed), TE L. Hessbrook (Out Indefinitely, Concussion), WR B. Childress (Out For Season, Knee).
Wyoming - QB J. Allen (Probable, Shoulder), DL J. Jackson (Questionable, Knee), FB J. Watson (Questionable, Concussion), OL J. Webb (Doubtful, Concussion), G K. Jackson (Doubtful, Knee), T B. Jolly (Out For Season, Pectoral), WR J. Okwoli (Out For Season, Knee), DL R. Holt (Out For Season, Knee), CB D. Watson (Out Indefinitely, Undisclosed), DT C. Cain (Out For Season, Ankle), CB A. Hull (Out For Season, Thigh), DE S. Windsor (Out Indefinitely, Concussion), DL T. Meader (Out For Season, Knee).
WEATHER REPORT: 37 and partly cloudy at kickoff - winds at 4mph with 11% chance of precipitation
ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (8-4 SU, 7-5 ATS, 6-6 O/U): The Chips, who had a 45-27 nonconference win at Kansas of the Big 12, bounced back from a 3-4 start to earn their fourth straight bowl appearance after finishing second to eventual champ Toledo in the MAC's West Division. Sophomore running back Jonathan Ward (988 yards, nine touchdowns, 5.9 yards per carry) and senior wide receiver Corey Willis (42 catches, 625 yards, nine TDs) both were All-MAC Second Team picks while senior quarterback Shane Morris finished second in the conference in passing, completing 226-of-407 attempts for 2,908 yards with 26 TDs and 13 interceptions. Senior linebacker Joe Ostman (12 sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss) and defensive backs Amari Coleman (10 passes defended, three interceptions) and Josh Cox (six interceptions) lead a defense that ranks second in the FBS with 19 interceptions.
ABOUT WYOMING (7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS, 2-10 O/U): If Allen doesn't play, it could be a long afternoon for the Cowboys, who ranked 10th in the Mountain West in scoring (22.3 points) and last in rushing (107.8 yards). Backup quarterback Nick Smith struggled, completing just 54.1 percent of his passes (40-of-74) for 471 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in setbacks against Fresno State (13-7) and lowly San Jose State (20-17), which snapped a 10-game losing streak. Wyoming's defense was one of the best in the conference, allowing just 17.8 points and 332.8 yards while featuring three All-Mountain West First Team picks in defensive linemen Youhanna Ghaifan (five sacks, 13 tackles for loss) and Carl Granderson (7.5 sacks) and safety Andrew Wingard (111 tackles, four interceptions).
TRENDS:
* Chippewas are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Cowboys are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. MAC.
* Over is 5-0 in Chippewas last 5 games overall.
* Under is 12-2 in Cowboys last 14 games overall.
CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the favorite Wyoming Cowboys at a rate of 55 percent and the Over is getting 57 percent of the totals action.