Lion tamers?
There were four no-doubters in the first round of the College Football Playoff, but we know what’s past is not necessarily prologue in sports betting.
Or is it?
Penn State is favored by double digits over Boise State in tonight’s CFP quarterfinal, aka the Fiesta Bowl in Glendate, Ariz.
One handicapping wrinkle in the new CFP: As the Mountain West champion, Boise is coming off a bye, so Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty and the Broncos haven’t played since Dec. 6. Penn State beat SMU 38-10 in Happy Valley in the first round 10 days ago.
Zach Cohen previews tonight’s game (7:30 ET, ESPN):
This is a huge step up in class for Jeanty and the Boise State offensive line. The Broncos did have 6.7 yards per carry and Jeanty had 25 carries for 192 yards in the game against Oregon. Of course, we also saw Penn State have 8.7 yards per carry against the Ducks in the Big Ten Championship Game. Maybe Oregon’s run defense just isn’t that good. We know that Penn State’s is, sitting 12th in the nation with 3.11 yards per carry allowed.
Tyler Shoemaker and Matt Youmans offer the case for Boise, at least to cover the spread.
Writes Tyler: TSI [power ratings] projects a much tighter game than anticipated by the market, but still has Penn State advancing to the semifinals to take on the Georgia/Notre Dame winner. Projected score: Penn State 30, Boise State 26
>>More quarterfinal projections from Tyler.
Writes Matt: Penn State’s most impressive performance was probably its loss to Oregon, and the same goes for Boise. There does not appear to be a big gap between these teams and my number is Nittany Lions -8, so I’ll take the points.
Today’s bowl previews
There are four bowls on the undercard before tonight’s main event.
Adam Burke has previews and Best Bets:
ReliaQuest Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan, Noon ET (ESPN)
Sun Bowl: Louisville vs. Washington, 2 p.m. ET (CBS)
Citrus Bowl: South Carolina vs. Illinois, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Texas Bowl: Baylor vs. LSU, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Previews for the New Year’s Day quarterfinals from Adam and Jonathan Von Tobel:
Peach Bowl: Texas vs. Arizona State, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon, 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Georgia, 8:45 p.m. ET (ESPN)
All of our upcoming bowl and CFP previews are listed here, including more Best Bets from Steve Makinen and Will Hill.
If you entered the VSiN Road to Jansanity Contest, the window for quarterfinals selections closes tonight at 7 ET. >>Enter your picks here.
Handicapping the always-tough NFL Week 18
Adam Burke goes through the various factors that come with handicapping the Week 18 menu — playoff berths, seeds, draft position and resting for the playoffs.
MNF Recap: The Lions (-4) tuned up for their winner-take-all game vs. the Vikings in Week 18 by defeating the 49ers 40-34 to finish off Week 17.
Grin and Bear it
I received this text from The VSiN Godfather Brent Musburger late Sunday night . . .
I just noticed:
Bears 4 wins
Raiders 4 wins
Hmm. I will have to fly to Vegas next weekend for a burger 🍔!
Indeed, I now owe Brent two dinners because of our Bears vs. Raiders season win bet. He paid off a few months ago when the Bears had four wins and the Raiders had two. I spotted him a win and a half, so it doesn’t matter what happens in Week 18.
Today in college basketball
Greg Peterson has posted his Best Bets for today’s menu.
Quick Hits
NBA: Zach Cohen will post his Best Bets by mid-morning.
NHL: Look forJonathan Davis‘ picks by mid-day on our NHL page.
This is The VSiN Daily newsletter for Tuesday, December 31. Sign up for this free email and get picks and insights delivered to your in-box every morning.
