By Nick Bartlett, SuperWest Sports
December 23, 2024
Bowl season is here and it’s time for my No-Nonsense Postseason Betting Tips.
I may not always be perfect, but if you’ve followed my advice in the past, you’re already ahead of the game.
I went 4-0 in my Championship Week picks, bringing my record to 108-42 on the season, good for 72 percent.
Now it’s on to the postseason, starting with the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and the Hawai’i Bowl.
As always, my selections include incredibly accurate game scores and just enough commentary to keep me from drinking too much eggnog in the South Shore District of Seattle.
My glass is almost empty, so let’s get on with the picks!
Fresno State vs. Northern Illinois
Monday, Dec 23
11:30 am PT, ESPN
Quarterback Mikey Keene is out for Fresno State, which means Joshua Wood or Jayden Mandal will get their opportunity. Whoever starts this contest should throw the ball to Mac Dalena on a regular diet.
Northern Illinois features the sixth-best passing defense in the nation and Dalena is the Bulldogs’ most reliable weapon with a team-leading 58 catches, 947 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.
The Huskies will also be without their starting signal caller. Ethan Hampton will be replaced by Josh Holst, who has seen limited playing time this year.
Holst started against Toledo but the Huskies only scored six points in a low-scoring loss.
The key to this matchup should be whether Fresno State can rally around Tim Skipper in his last game as interim head coach. Several players probably wanted Skipper to be the guy, so I’d expect Fresno State to come out ready to go.
Northern Illinois’ defense is legit, but Valley Joe will win for their captain.
The Bulldogs in a tight one.
Fresno State 27, NIU 24
San Jose State vs. South Florida
Tuesday, December 24
5:00 pm PT, ESPN
The biggest notable aspect of this Christmas Eve matchup is the absence of San Jose State wideout Nick Nash, arguably the best receiver in the country. The Spartans will need someone to step up for one day.
The most likely candidate is Justin Lockhart, SJSU’s second-best wideout, he has 52 catches, 973 yards, and five touchdowns on the season. It should prove interesting to see what he can do when he’s the number one target.
For South Florida, the main storyline is whether starting quarterback Byrum Brown will return.
Brown has been out since the game against Tulane and his return makes this contest pretty interesting. He had over 4,000 yards combined and 37 touchdowns in 2023.
But his first game back might not benefit the Bulls; Cam Rising looked like Grandpa Rising in his one start with Utah.
Another key factor in this contest is the return of Spartans Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo to Hawai’i. His energy should make this a home game for SJSU, which figures to give them enough pep to pull out a weird victory.
San Jose State 35, USF 30
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