Best College Football Bowl Game Bets December 30th: Our Top 3 Picks including Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Music City Bowl, and the Las Vegas Bowl

We’re 24 hours away from the start of the college football playoff, but don’t sleep on today’s slate! It’s a battle of the Carolinas in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Michigan State will attempt to run all over Pitt, even without Kenneth Walker III. Tennessee essentially hosts Purdue in the Music City, and Arizona State and the Wisconsin Badgers head to Vegas in the late game.

Some bettors might be inclined to sit out these games and save some bankroll for Alabama, Cincinnati, Michigan, and Georgia, but these two sides (plus one total) might be what your bankroll needs to go even heavier in the playoff semi-finals.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

North Carolina vs. South Carolina

The Bet: Under 57.5 Points (-115, DraftKings)

Which Carolina coach will get the privilege of being doused in mayonnaise at the conclusion of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Thursday in Charlotte? Odds are it will be Mack Brown, whose Tar Heels are a 9.5-point favorite against Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks. But the unit matchups between these two squads suggest we look to the under on the total for this game.

North Carolina’s quarterback Sam Howell somewhat surprisingly opted in for this game. He’s expected to be a first- or second-round pick in next year’s NFL draft, and by playing, you sort of assume he’s looking to show off and improve his stock.

So why the under? South Carolina has a stout pass defense – ranked 7th in the country in passing yards allowed per game and 10th in passes intercepted. Their rushing defense, meanwhile, is terrible (97th in yards allowed per game), and North Carolina runs the ball exceptionally (11th in yards per game).

At a certain point, Brown has to realize that his team is best suited to controlling the clock and keeping the ball on the ground. It also might serve Howell best, as he can force South Carolina to stack the box, opening things up later in the game for some passing fireworks. All that should be enough to prevent the teams from combining for a lofty 58+ points. Take the under.

Music City Bowl

Tennessee vs. Purdue

The Bet: Purdue +5.5 (-115, DraftKings)

When the Music City Bowl between the 7-5 Volunteers and the 8-4 Boilermakers was set, Purdue was a field goal favorite. Then, probable top ten NFL draft pick DE George Karlaftis, as well as WR David Bell, declared themselves out for this game, and the spread swung hard. Now, Tennessee is a 5.5- to 6.5-point favorite – a little aggressive for the absence of two players, as good as those two are.

Tennessee had a strong season under first-year coach Josh Heupel, but their biggest weakness is their pass defense, which ranks 103rd nationally. Purdue, meanwhile, is ninth in passing yards per game behind quarterback Aidan O’Connell.

The Boilermakers are battle-tested this year with outright wins against (at the time) top five teams in Michigan State and Iowa. Tennessee’s best victories are against ostensible SEC also-rans in Kentucky, South Carolina, and Missouri.

Purdue could win outright, but even if they don’t, they should be able to keep it close enough to cover.

Las Vegas Bowl

Wisconsin vs. Arizona State

The Bet: Wisconsin -6 (-105, DraftKings)

No team that hasn’t withdrawn from its bowl game is as shorthanded (between injuries and opt-outs) right now as the Sun Devils. In the Las Vegas Bowl, they’ll be without their two leading rushers, their starting center, and two cornerbacks, among others, and their backups get the privilege of trying to stop the 14th ranked rushing offense in the country.

WIsconsin’s true freshman back Braelon Allen averaged more than 100 rushing yards per game and scored 12 touchdowns on the year. He’ll likely enter 2022 with preseason Heisman buzz, and that will all start in Vegas against Arizona State.

The Sun Devils’ wins this year are far from impressive (Southern Utah, UNLV, Arizona, etc.) and they’re just 2-4 ATS in their last six, while Wisconsin comes in motivated and having covered in four of their final six contests. Their end-of-season loss against Minnesota prevented them from playing in the Big Ten title game and derailed what otherwise could have been a special season, but they ought to rebound well here and cover the six points.