College Football Bowl Game Projections & Predictions: Week 1 (2023)
It’s never too early to talk about college football bowl games. And this season, I’ve developed a system to take a practical look ahead each and every week. I’ve reviewed the requirements and stipulations for every single bowl game, and I’m leveraging my projections, power rankings, and adjusted totals for all 133 FBS schools to come up with comprehensive college football bowl game projections. See below for my updated projections ahead of Week 1.
- College Football Week 1: Early Lines, Odds & Predictions
- Thor Nystrom’s College Football Power Rankings: Week 1
- More NCAAF Betting Advice
- Expert Game Picks for College Football
College Football Bowl Game Projections: Week 1
| Game | Location | Team | Team | Date |
| Bahamas Bowl | Nassua, Bahamas | Louisiana Tech | Northern Illinois | 12/16 |
| New Orleans Bowl | New Orleans, LA | Liberty | South Alabama | 12/16 |
| Cure Bowl | Orlando, FL | Mississippi St. | Troy | 12/16 |
| New Mexico Bowl | Albuquerque, NM | Western Kentucky | Fresno St. | 12/16 |
| Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl | Inglewood, CA | Nebraska | San Diego St. | 12/16 |
| Independence Bowl | Shreveport, LA | UCF | Washington St. | 12/16 |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | Conway, SC | Ball St. | Marshall | 12/18 |
| Frisco Bowl | Frisco, TX | Temple | Georgia Southern | 12/19 |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Boca Raton, FL | Louisiana | Army | 12/21 |
| Gasparilla Bowl | Tampa, FL | Southern Miss | Florida | 12/22 |
| Camellia Bowl | Montgomery, AL | Miami (OH) | Appalachian St. | 12/23 |
| Birmingham Bowl | Birmingham, AL | UTSA | South Carolina | 12/23 |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Boise, ID | Eastern Michigan | Air Force | 12/23 |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Fort Worth, TX | Florida Atlantic | Oklahoma St. | 12/23 |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | Mobile, AL | Ohio | Coastal Carolina | 12/23 |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Las Vegas, NV | Wisconsin | Oregon St. | 12/23 |
| Hawai’i Bowl | Honolulu, HI | North Texas | Boise St. | 12/23 |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Detroit, MI | Illinois | Toledo | 12/26 |
| First Responder Bowl | Dallas, TX | Kansas | Missouri | 12/26 |
| Guaranteed Rate Bowl | Phoenix, AZ | Kansas St. | Maryland | 12/26 |
| Military Bowl | Annapolis, MD | Wake Forest | SMU | 12/27 |
| Duke’s Mayo Bowl | Charlotte, NC | Syracuse | Auburn | 12/27 |
| Holiday Bowl | San Diego, CA | North Carolina | Washington | 12/27 |
| Texas Bowl | Houston, TX | Baylor | Tennessee | 12/27 |
| Fenway Bowl | Boston, MA | Boston College | Memphis | 12/28 |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Bronx, NY | Pittsburgh | Minnesota | 12/28 |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | Orlando, FL | Texas Tech | Miami (FL) | 12/28 |
| Alamo Bowl | San Antonio, TX | Oklahoma | Utah | 12/28 |
| Gator Bowl | Jacksonville, FL | North Carolina St. | Ole Miss | 12/29 |
| Sun Bowl | El Paso, TX | Duke | UCLA | 12/29 |
| Liberty Bowl | Memphis, TN | TCU | Arkansas | 12/29 |
| Cotton Bowl | Arlington, TX | Alabama | Oregon | 12/29 |
| Peach Bowl | Atlanta, GA | LSU | Tulane | 12/30 |
| Music City Bowl | Nashville, TN | Iowa | Kentucky | 12/30 |
| Orange Bowl | Miami, FL | Florida St. | Notre Dame | 12/30 |
| Arizona Bowl | Tucson, AZ | Buffalo | Wyoming | 12/30 |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | Tampa, FL | Louisville | Penn St. | 01/01 |
| Fiesta Bowl | Glendale, AZ | USC | Texas A&M | 01/01 |
| Citrus Bowl | Orlando, FL | Ohio St. | LSU | 01/01 |
| Rose Bowl (CFP Semi) | Pasadena, CA | Michigan | Texas | 01/01 |
| Sugar Bowl (CFP Semi) | New Orleans, LA | Georgia | Clemson | 01/01 |
| CFP Championship | Houston, TX | Georgia | Michigan | 01/08 |
What is Betting Against the Spread?
Betting "against the spread" refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.
What is an Over/Under Bet?
Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.
What is a Moneyline Bet?
A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.
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