2019 College Football Bowl Picks – Belk Bowl, Sun Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Arizona Bowl and Alamo Bowl: The College Football bowl season helps close out 2019 with a five-game slate that features some of the country’s most explosive players, some power programs and a couple of ranked trams. Utah and Texas will close things out in the Alamo Bowl in the night cap, but in the meantime, Virginia Tech, Florida State and ranked Navy quad will all be in action.
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2019 College Football Bowl Picks: Belk Bowl, Sun Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Arizona Bowl and Alamo Bowl
Belk Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky (-3)
All eyes will be on Kentucky receiver-turned-quarterback Lynn Bowden Jr., who will try to put on one more memorable performance against a solid Virginia Tech defense before making the jump to the NFL. The Wildcats were going nowhere fast, but once Bowden was installed at quarterback in a wildcat-based attack, they won five of their final seven games. He ran for at least 99 yards in all seven games, scoring 11 times and topping 190 yards three times. In fact, Bowden closed the regular season with a 284-yard, four-touchdown performance in a win over Louisville, and Kentucky finished with the fourth-best rushing offense in the country. Yes, the Hokies actually rank just outside the top 25 when it comes to stopping the run, but this defense was just shredded by dual-threat Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins, who ran for 164 yards and two scores and piled up 475 yards of offense overall. Good luck slowing down Bowden in this one.
Prediction: Kentucky Wildcats (+3) Cover the Spread
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Florida State vs. Arizona State (-3)
Neither side is going to have its best weapons available for this one, and while Florida State saw running back Cam Akers declare for the NFL Draft, Arizona State has lost running back Eno Benjamin and receiver to Brandon Aiyuk. As a result, I think the focus shifts to the quarterbacks, and I like Jayden Daniels to lead a scrappy Sun Devils squad to the win over a Seminoles group that has struggled with consistency all season. The ASU freshman has thrown for 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions, adding more than 300 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the Sun Devils have just been better as a team. They pulled the upset of Oregon, and they held their own in losses to Utah and USC. ASU is the better team in this one.
Prediction: Arizona State Sun Devils (-3) Cover the Spread
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: No. 23 Navy (-2.5) vs. Kansas State
If you like old-school, physical football, this is the game for you. Both Navy and Kansas State love to pound opponents with the run and control the pace of games, and while the Wildcats do it a little more conventionally with dual-threat quarterback Skylar Thompson and running back James Gilbert leading the way, the Midshipmen use a triple-option attack that is fueled by quarterback Malcolm Perry. Perry and company own the nation’s best rushing attack, averaging 363.7 yards per game, and their 51 rushing scores are also the most. Equally as important, Navy ranks 17th in the country at stopping the run, allowing just 110.8 yards per game. Yes, Kansas State had that memorable upset of Oklahoma, but I think the Midshipmen are built to beat a team like the Wildcats.
Prediction: Navy Midshipmen (-2.5) Cover the Spread
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Wyoming (-7) vs. Georgia State
Led by quarterback Dan Ellington and 1,300-yard running back Tra Barnett, Georgia State has been explosive on offense this year, but Wyoming knows how to take the air out of the ball and win in the trenches. The Cowboys rank 11th in points allowed nationally, allowing just 17.8 points per game, and they rank sixth in the country in rushing defense. Wyoming also ranks in the top 30 in the country in rushing offense, and the Panthers have really struggled slowing down opposing backs. Georgia State is allowing 211.6 rushing yards per game and 36.1 points per game. The Cowboys will control the pace and run to an easy win.
Prediction: Wyoming Cowboys (-7) Cover the Spread
Valero Alamo Bowl: No. 11 Utah (-7) vs. Texas
From dynamic quarterback Tyler Huntley and bruising back Zack Moss to a dominant defensive front, Utah is the more talented team in this matchup. However, there could be a motivational problem after the Utes coughed away a chance to make the College Football Playoff by laying an egg in the Pac-12 title game. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger always comes to play, but we have seen all year that he can’t carry the Longhorns by himself, especially against tougher competition, and Utah has the defense to make Ehlinger’s life miserable. The Utes rank sixth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 13.2 points per game, and third in total defense, ranking first against the run. On the flip side, the Texas defense has been gashed all year, allowing 28.9 points per game and more than 300 yards per game through the air. I don’t think the Longhorns have the firepower on either side of the ball to pull this one out.
Prediction: Utah Utes (-7) Cover the Spread
