Bowl odds roundup: Ohio, BYU among betting favorites
The Mid-American Conference will get some nice publicity PokerBoya early this week with three of its schools playing in bowl games televised by ESPN.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Bowl Odds Roundup: Ohio, BYU Among Betting FavoritesOn Wednesday, Ohio University is a 3-point favorite over San Diego State of the Mountain West in the Frisco Bowl from outside Dallas. Ohio closed the season strong in winning five of six but finished tied for second behind Buffalo in the MAC’s East Division. The Bobcats had one of the MAC’s best offenses in averaging 41.2 points per game and put up at least 49 points in five of the final six games. Nathan Rourke is a dual-threat under center. He has thrown for 2,225 yards and 22 scores while rushing for 816 yards and 13 touchdowns.
San Diego State closed the year with three straight losses. The Aztecs did play one MAC school this season, beating visiting Eastern Michigan 23-20 in overtime on September 15. Ohio didn’t play EMU. SDSU is not a strong offensive team in putting up just 22.3 points, but is great on defense in allowing 21.8. Ohio has won nine of its past 10 as a betting favorite.
No MAC schools in Wednesday’s bowl game as Conference USA’s Marshall (a former MAC school) visits the AAC’s South Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl. Yep, visits. USF is playing on its home field of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, also home of the NFL‘s Buccaneers. USF is a 3-point underdog because it closed the season with five straight losses after a 7-0 start.
Still not clear if USF QB Blake Barnett will play. He missed two of the final three with an injury and is being called day-to-day. Marshall is 2-6 ATS in its past eight as a road favorite.
Two games on Friday with the MAC’s Toledo facing Florida International in the Bahamas Bowl, the only postseason game outside the United States, and MAC school Western Michigan taking on BYU in the Potato Bowl on the blue turf in Boise.
Toledo is a 5.5-point favorite over FIU of Conference USA – that conference is 0-4 ATS all-time in the Bahamas Bowl. FIU quarterback James Morgan played Toledo two years ago while at Bowling Green and threw for five TDs in a 42-35 loss.
BYU, an independent, is easily the biggest bowl favorite of the week at -12. The Cougars closed the season blowing a 27-7 third-quarter lead and losing in the Holy War at rival Utah. WMU hasn’t been the same since losing starting QB Jon Wissink to a season-ending injury but did knock off MAC champion Northern Illinois in the regular-season finale. The Broncos have lost their past 26 games as double-digit underdogs.
Champions League Draw: City’s odds shorten; Liverpool in the tie of the round
The draw for the Round of 16 of the Champions League Poker 88 is over with the favourites Man City picking up one of the most comfortable ties of the round, and Liverpool v Bayern Munich, the pick of the bunch.
Champions League Draw: City's odds shorten; Liverpool in the tie of the roundThere was a time when I took my wife’s placenta, and placed it into a Pyrex square container, and left it in the fridge for 24-hours. I had a kip, took it out, removed the blood clots by running it under the tap, and then steamed it. I took it out of the steamer, cut a piece off and ate it {it tasted like liver}, before slicing it, dehydrating it, and then grinding the contents in my Nutribullet before emptying the ashes into vegetarian capsules like an extra in Narcos.
So I can guess the winner of the UEFA Champions League.
The draw for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 took place on Monday during a ceremony in Nyon, Switzerland, giving us the opportunity to take a peek at the potential winners.
The last five Champions League winners have come from La Liga with Real Madrid winning four of the previous five with Barcelona breaking up the monopoly with their 2014-15 victory over Juventus.
Los Blancos are not the same side that beat Liverpool in last year’s finals to become the first team since Bayern Munich in the 1970s to win the event three times in succession.
Cristiano Ronaldo left.
Zinedine Zidane left.
Madrid currently sits fourth in La Liga, having lost five times, but did win their Champions League group at a canter despite losing twice to CSKA Moscow, and now face Ajax in the knockout stages.
Ajax currently sits second in the Dutch Eredivisie behind PSV Eindhoven, and qualified for the knockout stages unbeaten finishing second to Bayern Munich. They are a young and useful side, but they don’t have enough experience to squeeze past Real Madrid no matter how raggedy their performances may be in their domestic league. At 12/1, Real Madrid is one of three clubs who have the minerals to win the thing, and if I were a betting man, I would lob a few quid on them.
Man City’s odds shortened when they drew Schalke 04. The Germans qualified in the weakest group of all, finishing runner-up to Porto, and are currently sitting 13th in the Bundesliga. City won their group despite a little aggro from Lyon, and I believe the bookies are bang on, making them favourites to lift the trophy.
If City or Real Madrid don’t win it, then you have to give the nod to FC Barcelona or Liverpool. The Spanish champions qualified with ease from one of the tightest groups without losing a match, and you can’t see Lyon progressing over two legs.
That leaves Liverpool, who were unfortunate enough to end up in the plum tie of the round where they will face Bayern Munich. The German juggernaut qualified without losing a game and with Robert Lewandowski in fine fettle, but they sit third in the Bundesliga nine points behind the leaders Dortmund. Liverpool sits on top of the Premier League, yet to lose a game in 17-matches, but they did lose all three away games in their qualification group and are without Virgil van Dijk for their opening game, thankfully at home. It’s a tough tie, but one I think Liverpool have the pedigree to overcome.
Here is the draw in full:
The Draw
Roma v Porto
Man Utd v Paris St Germain
Spurs v Dortmund
Ajax v Real Madrid
Lyon v Barcelona
Liverpool v Bayern
Atlético Madrid v Juventus
Schalke 04 v Man City
The Odds
Man City 3/1
FC Barcelona 9/2
Juventus 6/1
PSG 7/1
Liverpool 10/1
Real Madrid 12/1
Bayern Munich 14/1
Atlético Madrid 20/1
Spurs 25/1
Dortmund 33/1
Man Utd 50/1
Ajax 80/1
Roma 100/1
Porto 100/1
Lyon 125/1
Schalke 04 – 250/1