Big 12 Bets: Best Bets for First Card of Bowl Games
Merry Christmas and welcome back to another edition of Big 12 Bets. This week, we take a look at two of the best lines available for Big 12 action, with Kansas taking on UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl and Oklahoma State taking on Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl.
Here’s how our betting expert Jeff Parles sees the lines, as we wait patiently for the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day.
Let’s get to it.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas (8-4) vs. UNLV (9-4)
Tuesday, December 26th at 8:00 p.m, CT | Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ | ESPN, ESPN+
Kansas -12.5, Total: 64.5 (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Back-to-back bowl appearances for the Jayhawks is quite an accomplishment for the program but now they need to get a win in Phoenix the day after Christmas. All things considered, the Jayhawks are going to be close to full strength despite most teams being depleted because of opt-outs and the transfer portal. The Jayhawks will be without Andy Kotelnicki who left to be the Offensive Coordinator at Penn State. I expect Jason Bean to be fully healthy and to have the full ability to use his legs against a UNLV defense that has lost its way over the last few weeks of the regular season. UNLV’s offense is led by freshman QB Jayden Maiava at times this year Maiava looked like the best player in the Mountain West but over the last two games of the season when the lights got brightest, Maiava struggled in a big way. I expect Kansas’s turnover-happy defense to force multiple turnovers in this one. This is the perfect matchup for Kansas, an overmatched non-Power 5 team that has struggled on defense against the better offense they have played. I expect the Jayhawks to roll to their first bowl victory in over a decade behind a high-scoring offensive attack. Lay the lumber with KU.
PICK: Kansas -12.5
Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State (9-4) vs. Texas A&M (7-5)
Wednesday, December 27th at 8:00 pm CT | NRG Stadium in Houston, TX | ESPN, ESPN+
Texas A&M -2.0, Total: 53 (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
An all-Big 12 matchup in Houston for the Texas Bowl. The last time we saw the Pokes, they were getting run out of the building in Arlington by the Longhorns. It was not a surprise at all to see the Cowboys have a season’s worth of regression happen against the best team they played all season. Meantime, Ollie Gordon will play for the Cowboys in this one which is obviously a huge boost. Gordon will be the best player on the field in this game as the Aggies roster is in flux due to the transfer portal. Of course, Texas A&M is in the process of changing the guard from Jimbo Fisher to new hire Mike Elko. Betting these bowl games can be a very difficult process because of the unknown factor of motivation and which players will actually suit up for their respective teams. I feel pretty good about Oklahoma State’s motivation in this one. The Pokes will be out to prove that their Big 12 Championship Game appearance was not an accident and they were actually still a very good team in 2023. And for that reason, I am going to be on OSU in this one.
PICK: Oklahoma State +2.0
