Ricky Dimon
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You don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day (College Football Playoff semifinals) to immerse yourself in college football. Friday ushers in 4 more games, including the start of the New Year’s Six slate (the Cotton Bowl between Missouri and Ohio State). This presents us with another great opportunity to come up with a lucrative mega parlay. Below is my college football mega parlay for Friday’s action, and also be sure to check out all of our NCAAF picks throughout bowl season.
Kentucky ML (+164)
Oregon State ML (+188)
Memphis +10.5 (-110)
NCAAF parlay odds: +1352
For this college football parlay, we are going with 2 underdogs on the money line and 1 ‘dog against the spread. Let’s break down each of the 3 legs.
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Kentucky ML over Clemson (+164)
Kentucky running back Ray Davis will be suiting up for the Gator Bowl despite recently declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. That is, of course, a massive development for the Wildcats in this matchup (the suiting up for the Gator Bowl part; not the declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft part!). Davis is clearly the focal point of the Kentucky offense, which should find success against a depleted Clemson front 7. The Tigers are expected to be without 5 starters on the defensive side of the ball, including linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Meanwhile, Kentucky is 11th nationally in rushing explosiveness behind a fully healthy offensive line that ranks in the top 50 in tackles for loss allowed. Davis racked up 1,066 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns (13 on the ground, 7 receiving) during the regular season.
It’s also worth noting that there is projected to be 13 mph winds with gusts up to 29 mph and a chance of rain during the game. Both offenses will probably try to work their rushing attack, but the bad news for Clemson is that UK is much better against the run than it is against the pass. The ‘Cats limit opponents to 113.9 rushing yards per game (25th in FBS) and make 6.1 tackles for loss per game (39th in FBS). I’m rolling with a minor upset.
All eyes on our Clemson vs Kentucky Same Game Parlay at +951 odds
Oregon State ML over Notre Dame (+188)
Just about every postseason game outside of the College Football Playoff is impacted by opt-outs and the Sun Bowl is certainly no exception. Notre Dame is most depleted on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Sam Hartman, running back Audric Estime (1,341 yards, 18 touchdowns) and left tackle Joe Alt are getting ready for the NFL Draft.
Oregon State is without quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. However, the good news for the Beavers is that backup Ben Gulbranson started 8 games last season and went 7-1 – including a 30-3 beatdown of Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl that earned him MVP honors. Former head coach Jonathan Smith has bolted for Michigan State, but players may actually get up for a new coach (in this case Kefense Hynson) to a greater extent than they would for an otherwise relatively meaningless bowl game. In a matchup with all kinds of variables, the money line odds should not be so skewed. I’ll happily side with Oregon State at +188.
Get our college football best bet for today’s bowl action
Memphis +10.5 over Iowa State (-110)
Memphis will be at home for the Liberty Bowl. The Tigers compiled a 9-3 record during the regular season, losing only to Missouri, Tulane and SMU. They boast an explosive offense, averaging a 7th-best 39.7 points per game and a 25th-best 459.6 yards yards per contest. Their top-25 offense is led by quarterback Seth Henigan, who will be under center on Friday. In fact, Memphis has almost all of its skill players at its disposal. It is true that Memphis’ defense stinks, but Iowa State may not be able to take full advantage. The Cyclones are scoring just 26.3 ppg on 363.6 ypg. Running backs El Sanders and Cartevious Norton have both entered the transfer portal, too. With home-field advantage, the Tigers should be able to cover a lofty spread.
We have a Missouri vs Ohio State Same Game Parlay for the Cotton Bowl tonight
