Christmas Bowl Preview: Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Colorado Picks
Merry Christmas Eve, you degenerates.
Four Big 12 teams play between December 26th and 27th, which means instead of focusing on family and presents and whatever, we’re gonna be glued to our phones checking scores. As God intended.
Lemme break down all four games so you can make terrible decisions with your holiday money.
First Responder Bowl: Kansas vs Syracuse
Date: Thursday, December 26th, 4:00 PM ET
Where: Dallas, TX (ESPN)
Line: Kansas -2.5 | O/U: 54
Kansas is FAVORED in a bowl game. I still can’t wrap my head around this. The Jayhawks. Favored. In postseason football. What a time to be alive.
Lance Leipold has these guys believing. 7-5 is a damn good season for a program that went 0-9 like five years ago. The culture’s real. Jalon Daniels is healthy. They can actually win games now.
Jake’s Pick: Kansas 31, Syracuse 24. Kansas -2.5.
Mike’s take: Agree with Jake. Syracuse’s defense has been inconsistent and Daniels is playing well. Kansas covers.
Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs Arkansas
Date: Friday, December 27th, 7:00 PM ET
Where: Memphis, TN (ESPN)
Line: Kansas State -1 | O/U: 47.5
Two physical, run-heavy teams. Two old-school programs that wanna impose their will. This game’s gonna be a rock fight and I’m kinda here for it.
K-State runs the ball. DJ Giddens is a monster. Their O-line is physical and mean. They wanna grind you down until you quit.
This total is TOO HIGH. 47.5 for two run-heavy teams in late December? Gimme the under all day.
Jake’s Pick: Kansas State 24, Arkansas 20. K-State -1, UNDER 47.5.
Mike’s take: The under’s the play here. K-State 21, Arkansas 17.
Armed Forces Bowl: Baylor vs Army
Date: Friday, December 27th, 3:30 PM ET
Where: Fort Worth, TX (ESPN)
Line: Baylor -3 | O/U: 44.5
Army runs the triple option. If you don’t know what that means, it’s basically three hours of watching guys run directly at each other with no forward passes.
Baylor has a physical defense. Dave Aranda’s a defensive coach. Should be a game where Baylor’s front seven sets the edge and forces Army into predictable situations.
Jake’s Pick: Baylor 24, Army 17. Baylor -3, UNDER 44.5.
Mike’s take: Same. Baylor’s defense handles the option. Low-scoring game.
Holiday Bowl: Colorado vs USC
Date: Friday, December 27th, 8:00 PM ET
Where: San Diego, CA (ESPN)
Line: USC -2.5 | O/U: 58.5
DEION VS USC. THE CONTENT. THE DRAMA. THE NARRATIVES.
I don’t even know who’s actually playing in this game. Travis Hunter’s probably sitting out for draft prep. Shedeur might be sitting out. Half of both rosters might be resting.
What I do know is that Colorado games are entertaining and this total’s set at 58.5 which means Vegas expects points.
Jake’s Pick: Colorado 35, USC 31. Colorado +2.5, Over 58.5. But don’t blame me if I’m wrong.
Mike’s take: If both teams have their full rosters, this goes over easily. Take the over.
Summary
| Game | Jake’s Pick | Mike’s Pick |
|——|————-|————-|
| Kansas vs Syracuse | Kansas -2.5 | Kansas -2.5 |
| K-State vs Arkansas | K-State -1, Under | Under |
| Baylor vs Army | Baylor -3, Under | Under |
| Colorado vs USC | Colorado +2.5, Over | Over |
We agree on more than usual. That’s either a good sign or we’re both about to be very wrong.
Merry Christmas. Go win some money.
— Jake
Related:
- Kansas Team Hub
- Kansas State Team Hub
- Baylor Team Hub
- Colorado Team Hub
- Big 12 Betting Guide
- Bowl Tracker
Gambling involves risk. Don’t bet the mortgage on bowl games. Call 1-800-GAMBLER if needed.