By Nick Bartlett, SuperWest Sports
December 31, 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 2-4 in my first postseason picks, bringing my season record to 110-48, good for 70 percent.
Now it’s on to the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals, starting with today’s Fiesta Bowl.
As always, my selections include incredibly accurate game scores and just enough commentary to keep me from eating too many pretzels here in the South Shore District of Seattle.
My bowl is almost empty, so let’s get on with the picks!
No. 6 Penn State vs No. 3 Boise State
CFP Quarterfinal
Tuesday, December 24
4:30 pm PT, ESPN
The 12-team playoff was created for this type of matchup
Boise State hopes to represent the Group of Four and the West Coast well.
The key to this contest should be whether the Broncos can hang with Penn State in the trenches. The Nittany Lions boast the 17th-best rushing attack in the country, led by the duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
The Broncos have the country’s 12th-best rushing defense in yards per game, but this will be their staunchest test since Oregon. The Nittany Lion offense wasn’t stellar in the First Round against SMU, so Boise should look to contain them early.
On offense, Boise State will go as far as Maddux Madsen takes them. The Penn State defense will lock in on Ashton Jeanty, so the redshirt sophomore quarterback must hit some deep shots and limit turnovers.
He’ll also need a few receivers to step up against the Nittany Lion secondary, which ranks 11th in passing yards allowed per game.
On offense, PSU is led at quarterback by Drew Allar, who has thrown for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions this season.
Even if the Broncos can hang with the Lions in the trenches, Tyler Warren could prove unguardable for Boise State, giving Penn State enough “yak em’s” to win the game.
State gets it done in Glendale.
Penn State 35, Boise State 27
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