It’s the final leg of a six-game bowl bash on the first Saturday of bowl season. Get settled in for the Appalachian State Mountaineers and UAB Blazers on Dec. 21.
Appalachian State is going into the bowl game without its head coach for the second straight season. This year, Eliah Drinkwitz took advantage of a big season to take the Missouri job. This is a ranked Appalachian State team that is no fluke after beating South Carolina and North Carolina this season on the road.
UAB finds itself in its second straight bowl game after eliminating the football program for a couple years. The Blazers are coming off a 49-6 loss to FAU in the Conference USA title game.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
The New Orleans Bowl will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET in New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday, Dec. 21 and can be seen on ESPN and WatchESPN.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Spread: Appalachian State (-16.5) vs. UAB
Point Total: 48 O/U (-110)
Money line: Appalachian State (-770), UAB (+510)
- Appalachian State is 4-1 in its last five games against the spread.
- The under has hit in six of Appalachian State’s last nine games.
- UAB is 2-4 against the spread in its last six games.
- The total has gone under in four of UAB’s last six games.
The Best Bet
I struggle to put money on teams going into a bowl game without its head coach, so that number might be too large to bet on Appalachian State. On the other hand, Appalachian State is a much better team than UAB, so I’m not even confident in the Blazers getting the cover. I typically go after the over in games with high spreads, especially when this one is set so low at 48. Appalachian State has scored at least 35 points in its last four games.
Pick: Over 48
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ) or 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN)
21+. NJ/PA/IN Only. Eligibility restrictions apply.
Odds and lines subject to change. See website for details.