Opening Lines For Every College Football Bowl Game


Opening lines for every college football bowl game in 2016-17. This year’s crop of bowls has some of the best matchups, top-to-bottom, in recent history.


The college football bowl schedule was unveiled on Sunday, and from the top down it might be one of the best in recent history. Among the top four teams are the game’s past two champions – Alabama and Ohio State – last season’s national runner-up, Clemson, and a balanced Washington team that ascended one year before many expected it to be great.

Elsewhere, traditional powerhouses will do battle across the country. FSU and Michigan will fill the stands in what should be an exceptional Orange Bowl; Oklahoma and Auburn will get rowdy down in The Big Easy; and USC and Penn State will face off for the third time ever in the Granddaddy of Them All.

Pepper in intriguing games like TCU-Georgia, Nebraska-Tennessee, LSU-Louisville, Oklahoma State-Colorado and UNC-Stanford, and this Bowl Season is, most assuredly, appointment television.

In the tradition of prepping for the games, here is a look at the opening lines for all of the college football bowls for 2016-17.

College Football Bowl Game Opening Lines

Saturday, December 17

Gilden New Mexico Bowl

Matchup: New Mexico vs. Texas San Antonio
Opening Line: New Mexico -7.5

Las Vegas Bowl presented by Geico

Matchup: Houston vs. San Diego State
Opening Line: Houston -4

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl

Matchup: Appalachian State vs. Toledo
Opening Line: Toledo -2.5

AutoNation Cure Bowl

Matchup: UCF vs. Arkansas State
Opening Line: UCF -7

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Matchup: Southern Mississippi vs. Louisiana Lafayette
Opening Line: Southern Miss -2.5

Monday, December 19

Miami Beach Bowl

Matchup: Central Michigan vs. Tulsa
Opening Line: Tulsa -12

Tuesday, December 20

Boca Raton Bowl

Matchup: Memphis vs. Western Kentucky
Opening Line: Western Michigan -5.5

Wednesday, December 21

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Matchup: BYU vs. Wyoming
Opening Line: -8

Thursday, December 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Matchup: Idaho vs. Colorado State
Opening Line: Colorado State -13

Friday, December 23

Popeyes Bahamas Bowl

Matchup: Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion
Opening Line: Old Dominion -3

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Matchup: Louisiana Tech vs. No. 25 Navy
Opening Line: No line until after Army/Navy game

Dollar General Bowl

Matchup: Ohio vs. Troy
Opening Line: Troy -5

Saturday, December 24

Hawai’i Bowl

Matchup: Hawai’i vs. Middle Tennessee
Opening Line: No line as of post

Monday, December 26

St. Petersburg Bowl

Matchup: Miami (OH) vs. Mississippi State
Opening Line: Mississippi State -11

Quick Lane Bowl

Matchup: Maryland vs. Boston College
Opening Line: Boston College -2

Camping World Independence Bowl

Matchup: NC State vs. Vanderbilt
Opening Line: NC State -4

Tuesday, December 27

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl

Matchup: Army vs. North Texas
Opening Line: No line until after Army/Navy game

Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman

Matchup: No. 24 Temple vs. Wake Forest
Opening Line: Temple -12

National Funding Holiday Bowl

Matchup: Minnesota vs. Washington State
Opening Line: Washington State -4.5

Motel 6 Cactus Bowl

Matchup: Boise State vs. Baylor
Opening Line: Boise State -9.5

Wednesday, December 28

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Matchup: No. 23 Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern
Opening Line: Pitt -3.5

Russell Athletic Bowl

Matchup: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Miami
Opening Line: PK

Foster Farms Bowl

Matchup: Indiana vs. No. 19 Utah
Opening Line: Utah -6.5

Advocare V100 Texas Bowl

Matchup: Texas A&M vs. Kansas State
Opening Line: Texas A&M -2

Thursday, December 29

Birmingham Bowl

Matchup: South Florida vs. South Carolina
Opening Line: USF -11

Belk Bowl

Matchup: Arkansas vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech
Opening Line: Virginia Tech -6

Valero Alamo Bowl

Matchup: No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Colorado
Opening Line: Colorado -2

Friday, December 30

Autozone Liberty Bowl

Matchup: Georgia vs. TCU
Opening Line: TCU- 1.5

Hyundai Sun Bowl

Matchup: No. 18 Stanford vs. North Carolina
Opening Line: UNC -1

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Matchup: Nebraska vs. No. 21 Tennessee
Opening Line: Tennessee -3

NOVA® Home Loans Arizona Bowl

Matchup: South Alabama vs. Air Force
Opening Line: Air Force -15

Capital One Orange Bowl

Matchup: No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Florida State
Opening Line: Michigan -7

Saturday, December 31

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl

Matchup: No. 20 LSU vs. No. 13 Louisville
Opening Line: PK

Taxslayer Bowl

Matchup: Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky
Opening Line: Georgia Tech -5

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – College Football Playoff Semifinal

Matchup: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Washington
Opening Line: Alabama -14

Playstation Fiesta Bowl – College Football Playoff Semifinal

Matchup: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Opening Line: Ohio State -3

Monday, January 2

Outback Bowl

Matchup: No. 17 Florida vs. Iowa
Opening Line: Florida -2

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Matchup: No. 15 Western Michigan vs. No. 8 Wisconsin
Opening Line: Wisconsin -7.5

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual

Matchup: No. 9 USC vs. No. 5 Penn State
Opening Line: USC -7.5

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Matchup: No. 14 Auburn vs. No. 7 Oklahoma
Opening Line: Oklahoma -5

MORE: College Football Bowl Picks For Every Game