The last week of December brings fans the best college football slates on a daily basis.
There are four games on Wednesday, including the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, which features ranked Oregon and the always-exciting North Carolina Tar Heels led by quarterback Drake Maye. After losing four of their last five, Ole Miss finds itself in the TaxAct Texas Bowl to face Texas Tech. The other two bowls are the AutoZone Liberty Bowl between Kansas and Arkansas (this could also be known as the Pronunciation Bowl) and the Military Bowl Presented by Peraton between Central Florida and Duke.
These four games have many betting options, and our model is showing value on a couple of totals. It’s much more fun to root for the over, so Wednesday should be exciting for bettors who follow the model’s projections.
Note: All college football odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All ratings are out of five stars. Please check numberFire's model to make sure you're seeing the most updated information.
Oregon Ducks vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Over 74.5: 4 Stars
Given each team’s offensive prowess, this could turn out to be the most exciting bowl of the season. Oregon is fourth in yards gained per game, and North Carolina is not far behind at fourteenth. Ducks quarterback Bo Nix had a great season after transferring from Auburn even though Oregon dropped two of its last three games. Maye received Heisman votes and finished third nationally in total passing yards. Clearly, on paper, this game projects to be a shootout.
Oregon’s offensive line is stacked, and two members -- T.J. Bass and Alex Forsyth -- were selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team. Additionally, the unit ranks first in sack rate, fourth in average line yards, and third in opportunity rate, according to Football Outsiders.
Backfield pressure is a major weakness for the Tar Heels, as they rank 130th in sack rate. Obviously, Nix and wide receiver Troy Franklin (another All-Pac-12 First Team selection) make for a dynamic duo, but the advantage Oregon has in the trenches will make for a high-scoring game.
Since we can expect the Ducks to move up and down the field at will, it can be assumed that North Carolina will have to throw the ball often to keep up. Maye’s top weapon, Josh Downs, has opted out of this game, but second option Antoine Green, who accumulated 798 receiving yards in 2022, will be ready to go. That should be enough for Maye to keep the chains moving for the Heels.
Our model projects that the final score will surpass the total with 69.7% likelihood, which is surprising given how high the total was set. This game just has too many factors that will lead to an abundance of points between the quarterbacks, receivers, and Oregon’s major offensive line advantage.
Even if you’re not betting, you’ll likely want to tune in for this one since it has the potential to be a barnburner.
Central Florida Knights vs. Duke Blue Devils
Over 62.5: 5 Stars
The Holiday Bowl isn’t the only bowl on Wednesday that should be a high-scoring affair. Central Florida is 10th nationally in yards gained per game because of their prolific rushing attack. The Knights’ offensive line is ninth in average line yards, and they have three (!) running backs who have gained at least 750 yards on the season: John Rhys Plumlee, R.J. Harvey, and Isaiah Bowser.
Duke isn’t quite as unstoppable as Central Florida on offense, but the Devils are fourth in yards gained in the ACC. Quarterback Riley Leonard was an honorable mention All-ACC selection, and he is fourth in total passing yards amongst ACC quarterbacks.
This bet will ultimately come down to how Central Florida plays. If they can establish the run and consistently score points that way, Duke will have to score quickly to make up for the time of possession deficit. That will put the game on Leonard’s shoulders for the Blue Devils, and he’s good enough to come through and lead Duke to a win.
According to our model, the score has a 72.5% probability of surpassing the total, which is good for a five-star rating. Assuming both games make good on their projections, fans and bettors alike can look forward to the exciting slate on Wednesday.