College Football Bowl Game Projections & Predictions: Week 5 (2023)
It’s never too early to talk about college football bowl games. And this season, I’ve developed a system to take a practical look ahead each and every week. I’ve reviewed the requirements and stipulations for every single bowl game, and I’m leveraging my projections, power rankings, and adjusted totals for all 133 FBS schools to come up with comprehensive college football bowl game projections. See below for my updated projections ahead of Week 5.
- College Football Week 5: Early Lines, Odds & Predictions
- Thor Nystrom’s College Football Power Rankings: Week 5
- More NCAAF Betting Advice
- Expert Game Picks for College Football
College Football Bowl Game Projections: Week 5
| Game | Location | Team | Team | Date |
| Bahamas Bowl | Nassua, Bahamas | New Mexico St. | Texas St. | 12/16 |
| New Orleans Bowl | New Orleans, LA | Colorado St. | Marshall | 12/16 |
| Cure Bowl | Orlando, FL | Rice | South Alabama | 12/16 |
| New Mexico Bowl | Albuquerque, NM | Western Kentucky | Fresno St. | 12/16 |
| Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl | Inglewood, CA | Colorado | Boise St. | 12/16 |
| Independence Bowl | Shreveport, LA | Cincinnati | Oregon St. | 12/16 |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | Conway, SC | San Diego St. | Appalachian St. | 12/18 |
| Frisco Bowl | Frisco, TX | Tulsa | Georgia Southern | 12/19 |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Boca Raton, FL | Army | Louisiana | 12/21 |
| Gasparilla Bowl | Tampa, FL | Arizona | South Carolina | 12/22 |
| Camellia Bowl | Montgomery, AL | Central Michigan | Georgia St. | 12/23 |
| Birmingham Bowl | Birmingham, AL | Auburn | South Florida | 12/23 |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Boise, ID | Miami (OH) | Wyoming | 12/23 |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Fort Worth, TX | UTSA | Brigham Young | 12/23 |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | Mobile, AL | Ohio | Troy | 12/23 |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Las Vegas, NV | Minnesota | UCLA | 12/23 |
| Hawai’i Bowl | Honolulu, HI | Memphis | Air Force | 12/23 |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Detroit, MI | Rutgers | Toledo | 12/26 |
| First Responder Bowl | Dallas, TX | Coastal Carolina | Missouri | 12/26 |
| Guaranteed Rate Bowl | Phoenix, AZ | West Virginia | Maryland | 12/26 |
| Military Bowl | Annapolis, MD | Arkansas | Tulane | 12/27 |
| Duke’s Mayo Bowl | Charlotte, NC | Nebraska | Florida | 12/27 |
| Holiday Bowl | San Diego, CA | Louisville | UCLA | 12/27 |
| Texas Bowl | Houston, TX | Kansas | Texas A&M | 12/27 |
| Fenway Bowl | Boston, MA | Mississippi St. | SMU | 12/28 |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Bronx, NY | North Carolina St. | Illinois | 12/28 |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | Orlando, FL | UCF | Duke | 12/28 |
| Alamo Bowl | San Antonio, TX | Kansas St. | Utah | 12/28 |
| Gator Bowl | Jacksonville, FL | Clemson | Ole Miss | 12/29 |
| Sun Bowl | El Paso, TX | Syracuse | Washington St. | 12/29 |
| Liberty Bowl | Memphis, TN | TCU | Tennessee | 12/29 |
| Cotton Bowl | Arlington, TX | Oklahoma | Oregon | 12/29 |
| Peach Bowl | Atlanta, GA | USC | Liberty | 12/30 |
| Music City Bowl | Nashville, TN | Iowa | LSU | 12/30 |
| Orange Bowl | Miami, FL | Notre Dame | Miami (FL) | 12/30 |
| Arizona Bowl | Tucson, AZ | Eastern Michigan | UNLV | 12/30 |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | Tampa, FL | North Carolina | Wisconsin | 01/01 |
| Fiesta Bowl | Glendale, AZ | Michigan | Washington | 01/01 |
| Citrus Bowl | Orlando, FL | Penn St. | Alabama | 01/01 |
| Rose Bowl (CFP Semi) | Pasadena, CA | Texas | Ohio St. | 01/01 |
| Sugar Bowl (CFP Semi) | New Orleans, LA | Georgia | Florida St. | 01/01 |
| CFP Championship | Houston, TX | Georgia | Texas | 01/08 |
What is Betting Against the Spread?
Betting "against the spread" refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.
What is an Over/Under Bet?
Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.
What is a Moneyline Bet?
A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.
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