College football picks, predictions against the spread for Cotton, Citrus, Rose Bowl games
College football bowl season moves into its final act on Monday with a quartet of games to help bring in the new year and lead us into the national championship.
Georgia and TCU won their College Football Playoff semifinal games, setting up the national title, but before then there's some more business to settle on the field with the final bowl games to close out the 2022 football season.
First up is the ReliaQuest Bowl between Illinois and Mississippi State, which comes into the game with heavy hearts after the sudden death of coach Mike Leach.
Schedule: College football bowl game schedule for today
LSU and Purdue, runners-up in their respective conference championship games, square off in a Big Ten vs. SEC matchup in the Citrus Bowl. LSU is looking to end Year 1 under Brian Kelly on a high note while Purdue hopes to lay a more solid foundation for when Ryan Walters takes over as coach for next fall.
USC, led by Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams at quarterback, is back in the New Year's bowl rotation in a game against AAC champion Tulane, one of college football's biggest turnaround stories, in this year's Cotton Bowl Classic.
And it all leads into the Granddaddy of 'Em All when the annual Rose Bowl Game kicks off with a traditional Big Ten vs. Pac-12 matchup featuring Penn State and Utah live from Pasadena.
Here's your look at our latest predictions for the bowl games today.
College football picks, predictions against the spread for bowl games
ReliaQuest Bowl: Mississippi State (-3) vs. Illinois. MSU lost top receiver Rara Thomas to Georgia and the Illini won't have running back Chase Brown on the field, either. Illinois also lost the mind behind its No. 2 ranked defense as Ryan Walters is heading to Purdue, plus two pieces in the secondary. That's all enough to go with the Bulldogs' pass-first offense to open things up. College Football HQ ATS pick: Mississippi State -3
Mississippi State vs. Illinois game picks, predictions by proven model
Citrus Bowl: LSU (-15) vs. Purdue. This line more than doubled in LSU's favor after news that the Boilermakers wouldn't have their starting quarterback, top two receivers, or head coach. Not having to contend with Purdue's offense could move LSU to play conservative, and though the Tigers could cover this spread by halftime, they may lose interest and let the Boilers back in it late. LSU wins, but it'll be closer than expected. College Football HQ ATS pick: Purdue +15
LSU vs. Purdue Citrus Bowl game predictions, picks
Cotton Bowl: USC (-2) vs. Tulane. A reunion of sorts for Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch back when both were at Oklahoma and played a close, five-point game against the Green Wave. Michael Pratt is back at QB with a history of putting up numbers on Grinch's defense; he had 4 TDs in that first game and can imitate that production against a sloppy USC defense that has issues tackling. But if Williams is back from his injury, he should have enough to match Tulane score for score. College Football HQ ATS pick: USC -2
USC vs. Tulane Cotton Bowl game prediction, preview
Rose Bowl: Utah (-1) vs. Penn State. The Nittany Lions averaged 41 points per game the last month of the season, but also absorbed two losses to College Football Playoff entrants Ohio State and Michigan and have consistently struggled against top 10 teams under James Franklin. PSU can run the ball and get to the QB, but the Utes are elite defending third downs and appear to own the athleticism edge. College Football HQ ATS pick: Utah -1
Penn State vs. Utah Rose Bowl game prediction, preview
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