College Football Bowl Betting Tips from Jim Feist

When it comes to late season football, both college and pro, many times you will find teams that will be super-motivated for a big game, while others will just go through the motions. This is particularly true of some bowl games. Bowl games are different from pro playoff games, as no one advances to another round after participating in a bowl. The season ends. You have to assess very carefully whether a team wants to play in that bowl, as it could be a disappointment.

Sometimes teams have higher aspirations than a bowl game they end up going to. This is true if a team gets snubbed from a more prestigious bowl, or settles on a lesser one. This can happen if a team starts the season 8-0, then suffers one or two upset losses. Their sights at 8-0 might have been set on a BCS bowl, or perhaps even a national championship, but after getting upset, the team may have to "settle" on a less noted bowl game. It's important to check what players and coaches are saying, and check recent history to see if there is a pattern. Does this coaching staff get the kids up for a bowl? Or are there consistent let-downs?

For instance, a year ago Alabama was 11-0 and No. 1 in the nation, then lost to rival Auburn on a crazy 109-yard kickoff return on the final play. Just like that they went from playing in the national championship game for another title, to facing No. 6 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.  Bama didn't appear into it in a 45-31 loss as a favorite.

Other times, a team can be fired up for a bowl, almost as if it is a redemption game. One season Bowling Green got upset in the MAC Championship game by Toledo, 49-41. Their next game was in a bowl, where they took out their frustration on Memphis, winning 52-35 as a +3 dog. Wyoming had suffered through four straight losing seasons and hadn't been to a bowl in years before a surprise team slipped into the Las Vegas bowl. Cougar fans were delighted and flocked to Vegas to support their team. The players and fans were thrilled to be in a bowl, and played like it, upsetting UCLA 24-21 as a two-touchdown dog.

Often times good coaches have the fire and enthusiasm to get their teams up for a bowl. It will be interesting to see Notre Dame this year's bowl games. Notre Dame has a fiery, passionate head coach in Brian Kelly, but had a late season slide. TCU just missed playing in the first football Final Four and has to play Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. Wonder if those Frogs will be fired up to show the college football world they made a mistake?

You may recall a terrific 10-1 Cal team that got snubbed with an invitation to the Holiday Bowl instead of a BCS game. The Golden Bear players were disappointed and played like it in a 45-31 upset loss to Texas Tech. Interest, focus and motivation are essential this time of year.

Check out all of Jim's football selections for tonight and all weekend long, off a 6-2 NFL Sunday, 15-6 the last two Sundays. Jim is also 17-7 with NBA Inner Circle releases online at DonBest.com.

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