College Football Bowl Games This Week: Best Bets and Predictions

It’s the beginning of the end for the 2025-26 College Football season. Bowl season is upon us, and we’ll spend the next few weeks embracing the final snaps of the season.

Check out what bets we’re targeting in this week’s bowl games!

Where to Watch (10) Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs (7) Texas A&M Aggies

Stadium: Kyle Field
Location: College Station, TX
Where to Watch: ABC
Time: Saturday 12:00 p.m. ET

(10) Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs (7) Texas A&M Aggies Betting Odds

Spread: MIA +3.5 (-120) | TA&M -3.5 (-102)
Total: Over 51.5 (-106) | Under (-114)
Moneyline: MIA +132 | TA&M -160

(10) Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs (7) Texas A&M Aggies Kalshi Odds

Chance: MIA 41% | TA&M 59%
Spread: TA&M -3.5 Yes 49¢ | No 53¢
Total: Over 51.5 Yes 49¢ | No 52¢

Note: All odds are subject to change after article publication. Get the most up-to-date odds here.

The College Football Playoff kicks off this weekend with a highly anticipated clash between the tenth-ranked Miami (FL) Hurricanes and the seventh-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies are priced as modest home favorites, but the betting odds are quickly shifting in Miami’s favor.

Offense was the name of the game for the Aggies throughout the regular season, but they’ve hit a wall toward the end of the campaign. Texas A&M has put up just 337 yards in its regular-season finale versus Texas, casting the formerly top-ranked Aggies from the SEC Championship Game. The week prior, they fell short against FCS Samford. A 48-0 win may be noteworthy for some, but Texas A&M fell short of the spread and put up a less-than-expected 475 yards.

Those issues will be compounded by a mighty Hurricanes’ defense. The ACC representatives haven’t allowed more than 17 points in any of their last four games, limiting opponents to an average of 10.3 points per game across that sample. That defensive acumen has been present throughout the campaign, as the Hurricanes rank 11th in total and sixth in scoring defense.

Texas A&M will have a hard time gaining any offensive traction versus the Hurricanes. At the same time, we don’t trust their defense to limit Miami’s potent attack. Carson Beck is big-game tested and will be ready to lead his squad to an upset victory at College Station.

Best Bet: Miami +132

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Where to Watch Missouri State Bears vs Arkansas State Red Wolves

Stadium: Ford Center at The Star
Location: Frisco, TX
Where to Watch: ESPN2
Time: Thursday 9:00 p.m. ET

Missouri State Bears vs Arkansas State Red Wolves Betting Odds

Spread: MOSU +1.5 (-120) | ARST -1.5 (-102)
Total: Over 54.5 (-110) | Under (-110)
Moneyline: MOSU -102 | ARST -116

Missouri State Bears vs Arkansas State Red Wolves Kalshi Odds

Chance: MOSU 50% | ARST 50%
Spread: ARST -2.5 Yes 48¢ | No 55¢
Total: Over 53.5 Yes 54¢ | No 49¢

Far from the most prestigious bowl game on the weekend slate, the Missouri State Bears take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the Xbox Bowl on Thursday night. Arkansas State is priced as the betting chalk, but everyone should be riding the Bears in this Group of Five showdown.

It was a hot-and-cold season for Arkansas State. The Red Wolves alternated winning and losing streaks throughout the campaign, but are back on the downswing heading into bowl season. They’ve dropped two of their last three, despite being favorites in two of those contests. An ineffective defense has been their undoing, as both Louisiana and Appalachian State hung at least 29 points on the Red Wolves while averaging north of 400 yards per game.

Missouri State is more than capable of exposing Arkansas State’s defensive shortcomings. In their first season in the FBS, the Bears put up 391.8 yards and 25.4 points per game. Moreover, they’ve eclipsed those benchmarks in three straight, averaging 462.3 yards and 34.0 points per game. While their defense leaves a lot to be desired, we don’t think the Red Wolves’ 90th-ranked scoring offense will be able to keep pace in the Xbox Bowl.

The betting odds continue to teeter toward Missouri State. Kalshi gives the Bears a 50% chance of winning, which is contraindicated in the -2.5 spread favoring Arkansas State. We’re using that to our advantage, backing Missouri State to upset the Red Wolves on Thursday night.

Best Bet: Missouri State -102