Best bets for Dec. 28 college football bowl games with ESPN BET
Another set of exciting Bowl Games is on tap for College Football fans as this season has been quite a special one. Launched in November 2023, the ESPN BET promo code brings an entirely new way to enjoy Bowl Game action with a generous sports betting bonus.
Thursday’s slate of games boasts four intriguing matchups, and while users have multiple ways to wager, there are two picks we especially like. First-time bettors on ESPN BET can click the linked offers on this page and enter promo code AJC to score a $250 bonus when they make any of the best bets for today’s College Football Bowl Games.
Best bets for today’s Bowl Games on the ESPN BET app (Dec. 28)
Thursday’s slate of CFB Bowl Games features four terrific matchups to wager on using all the best gambling apps. The action begins with #17 SMU (-10) vs. Boston College (+10) in the Fenway Bowl at 11:00 am EST. At 2:15 pm EST, the Pinstripe Bowl hosts a matchup of Rutgers (-2.5) vs. Miami (+2.5). Next up is the Pop-Tarts Bowl at 5:45 with NC State (+2.5) vs. Kansas State (-2.5) unfortunately, North Carolina online sports betting did not launch in time for this game. And finally, Arizona (-2.5) vs. Oklahoma (+2.5) in the Alamo Bowl at 9:15 pm EST.
North Carolina State (9-3) vs. Kansas State (8-4) - Pop-Tarts Bowl
The Pop-Tarts Bowl kicks off at 5:45 pm EST, live from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL, and features an awesome matchup between the NC State Wolfpack and the Kansas State Wildcats. While both teams enter the game with a nearly identical record, they have been disproportionally affected by opt-outs and the transfer portal.
Kansas State will play today’s game without the services of starting quarterback Will Howard, who has entered the transfer portal. The Wildcats will also be without their top pass catchers Phillip Brooks and Ben Sinnot (NFL Draft preparations), as well as their top cornerback Will Lee III and starting safety Kobe Savage, who transferred to Texas A&M and Oregon respectively. It’s also worth mentioning that Kansas State’s offensive coordinator, Colin Klein, has departed the program. In their stead, the Wildcats will be trotting out true freshman QB Avery Johnson, and calling the plays will be the newly promoted assistant coach Conor Riley.
NC State will have the services of their starting signal-caller, Brennan Armstrong, who finished the season strong and will look to carry that momentum into this Bowl Game. On paper, this matchup looks like it could be a big game for the Wolfpack’s leading receiver, Kevin Concepcion. The true freshman emerged as a playmaker in the second half of the season and NC State got him involved in multiple ways averaging better than 50 yards rushing across his last four contests. Now facing a defense that will be without two key starters on the back end, Concepcion and the Wolfpack offense could feast today.
With the Wildcats missing so many important pieces from their 8-4 season, and NC State being largely unaffected by opt-outs and the transfer portal, the Wolfpack +2.5 feels like a smart bet in this spot.
Pick: NC State +2.5 (-115)
Arizona (9-3) vs. Oklahoma (10-2) - Alamo Bowl
At 9:15 pm EST it’s the Alamo Bowl, live from the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. This Bowl Game plays host to the Arizona Wildcats vs. the Oklahoma Sooners, in a matchup that could prove to be an exciting one. And while the Sooners enter the game with an impressive 10-2 record, they will be without starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel who has transferred to Oregon, and former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby who departed the program for the head coaching job at Mississippi State.
That sets up freshman Jackson Arnold to lead Brent Venables’ squad against an Arizona team that earned a 9-3 record good enough for a 3rd place finish in the Pac 12′s final season. The Wildcats will have their QB under center, as Noah Fifita has been everything Arizona fans could’ve asked for, winning Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year after taking over for Jayden de Laura.
Finishing the season with 23 Touchdowns and only five Interceptions, Fifita should be set for a big day through the air as he faces an Oklahoma Sooners defense that ranked 97th in the country against the pass allowing over 240 yards per game. While the Sooners defense did improve over the second half of the season, it struggled mightily against top passing attacks including Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Texas.
Given the state of flux for the Oklahoma program vs. the growing confidence and ability of Arizona’s young offensive maestro, the Wildcats -2.5 is the play to make here.
Pick: Arizona -2.5 (-110)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not an online gambling operator or gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.
