College Football Saturday Odds Preview

College football bowl season kicks into high gear this weekend, which starts out with several teams you may not have paid much attention to during the regular season.

That likely rings true for the Boca Raton Bowl, which takes place at FAU Stadium in Florida on Saturday with a matchup featuring the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Appalachian State Mountaineers. At Bovada Sportsbook, the Mountaineers are 3-point favorites.

Appalachian State was 10-3 straight up and 8-5 against the spread this season. The Mountaineers failed to capture the Sun Belt championship, falling to the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns 24-16 as 2.5-point favorites in the title game. They are 11-1 SU and 7-5 ATS in their last 12 games when favored. In bowl games, they’ve won six in a row SU with a 4-2 ATS record.

The Hilltoppers were 8-5 SU and 9-4 ATS this season. They had a seven-game SU winning streak and five-game ATS winning streak snapped in the Conference USA championship game as they lost to the UTSA Roadrunners 49-41 as 3.5-point favorites. As an underdog, the Hilltoppers are 1-9 SU and 4-5-1 ATS in their last 10. They are 4-3 SU and 2-4-1 ATS in their last seven bowl games, which includes winning the 2016 Boca Raton Bowl 51-31 over Memphis as 6.5-point favorites.

Beavers favored over Aggies in first LA Bowl

Also on Saturday is the debut of a brand new bowl game, the LA Bowl. The inaugural LA Bowl will be played at SoFi Stadium and pits the Oregon State Beavers against the Utah State Aggies. At Bovada, the Beavers are 7-point favorites.

Oregon State was 7-5 SU and ATS this season. The Beavers have been awful on the road lately at 1-9 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10, which includes losing four in a row ATS. In their last 11 bowl games, the Beavers are 7-4 SU and ATS.

The Aggies were 10-3 SU and 9-4 ATS this season. In their last eight games, they’re 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS. They’ve also won seven straight road games at 6-1 ATS. In their last nine bowl games, the Aggies are 4-5 SU and 4-4-1 ATS.

Ragin’ Cajuns have won 12 games in a row

Our Saturday bowl games preview concludes with the New Orleans Bowl. It will be played at the Superdome and features the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. At Bovada, the Ragin’ Cajuns are 5-point favorites.

Louisiana-Lafayette was 12-1 SU and 6-7 ATS this season. The Ragin’ Cajuns head into bowl season on a 12-game winning streak with a 6-6 ATS record. When favored, they’ve won 15 in a row while going 6-9 ATS. In their last eight bowl games, they’re 6-2 SU and 4-4 ATS, which includes losing four straight ATS.

Marshall was 7-5 SU and 6-6 ATS this season. On the road, the Thundering Herd have won three in a row SU and ATS, and they’re 7-1 ATS in their last eight. In their last 11 bowl games, the Herd are 8-3 SU and ATS.