As the State’s Bowl Games Begin, Arizona Betting Apps Adapt to Altered Schedule
Arizona’s college football bowl season will kick off on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the second half of the season.
Over the past few weeks, college and professional sports teams have been dealing with challenges caused by COVID-19 precautions, leading to missing players and game postponements. These issues have now affected the Arizona bowl schedule, which was impacted on Monday.
Boise State’s withdrawal from the Barstool Arizona Bowl on Monday led to the cancellation of the game due to a surge in COVID cases. Central Michigan opted to play Washington State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso on Friday instead of heading to Tucson. Miami had previously pulled out of the Sun Bowl, allowing Central Michigan to step in and participate.
Even with the disruptions from COVID, coaching changes, and transfers, the betting odds for the final two bowl games in Arizona and the game featuring Arizona State have stayed steady on Arizona sports betting apps.
Take a look at our newest bowl guide showcasing everything Arizona has to offer!
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
The West Virginia vs. Minnesota game is scheduled for December 28th at 8:15 p.m. at Chase Field and will be aired on ESPN.
The first bowl game in Arizona will showcase a game between the Mountaineers and Golden Gophers, representing the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences, respectively.
The odds for the upcoming game have stayed the same for the last three weeks. Both BetMGM Arizona and DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona have Minnesota as the favorite with a spread of -5 and odds of -110.
Both BetMGM Arizona and DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona are offering Minnesota at -200 odds for those looking to place a moneyline bet.
BetMGM Arizona and DraftKings are both offering the game at 44.5 (-110), with the over/under decreasing by half to a full point.
The hiring of Kirk Ciarrocca as the new offensive coordinator is the most important recent development for the 8-4 Golden Gophers. Ciarrocca, who previously held the same position from 2017 to 2019, returned to Minnesota shortly after the bowl announcement. Despite spending time at Penn State and West Virginia in 2021, he will not be coaching in the Guarantee Rate Bowl.
With a record of 6-6, the Mountaineers averaged 256.9 passing yards per game. Due to the absence of top rusher Leddie Brown on Tuesday night, they may need to lean heavily on their passing game. Brown, a senior who exceeded 1,000 rushing yards in 2021, opted out of the December game to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Bowl presented by SRS Distribution
The Arizona State vs. Wisconsin game is set for December 30th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with a kickoff time of 8:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
After missing out on a bowl game in the shortened 2020 season, the Sun Devils are back for the fourth time in five years. They will face off against the Badgers in Las Vegas.
BetMGM Arizona is giving the Badgers a 6.5-point advantage with odds of -110, while DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona has Wisconsin as a 6-point favorite.
Recent changes in Arizona sportsbooks have seen the moneyline odds for Wisconsin decrease from -300 to -250 at BetMGM, and for ASU drop from +230 to +200. DraftKings now has Wisconsin at -220 and ASU at +180. The over/under for total points remains at 42 (-110) on both sites.
The Sun Devils (8-4) have emerged victorious in three of their last four games, including a dominant 38-15 win over rival Arizona in the season closer. Unfortunately, they will be without crucial players in Las Vegas.
ASU senior running back Rachaad White, with 1,006 rushing yards, is one of six key players missing from the bowl game. White opted to sit out to prepare for the draft, while DeaMonte Trayanum, the second-leading running back with 402 yards and 6 touchdowns, is transferring to another program.
Chase Lucas and Jack Jones, the Sun Devils’ primary cornerbacks who excelled in passes defensed, will be absent from the upcoming games. Jones, who also contributed three interceptions and a sack this season, is preparing for the NFL Draft alongside Lucas. Furthermore, Darien Butler, the team’s second-leading tackler, has also decided to opt out of playing.
The Badgers (8-4) came up short with a 23-13 loss to Minnesota, ending their seven-game winning streak and dashing hopes of contending for a Big Ten title. Fullback John Chenal is the sole expected starter absent for the next game, but Wisconsin will also be without numerous key players due to injuries.
Barstool Arizona Bowl
The game between Central Michigan and Boise State has been canceled.
Before Monday’s cancellation, the primary spotlight on Tucson’s sole bowl game was centered on its title sponsor. The bowl had joined forces with Barstool Sports for sponsorship and had organized for the game to be broadcasted live on the Barstool website and mobile app.
Following their game in Arizona, the Chippewas with a record of 8-4 will travel to West Texas to face a team from the Pac-12 conference.
Central Michigan fans in Arizona will find slightly better odds betting on their team against Washington State than against Boise.
Boise State is currently favored by 7.5 points over the Chippewas according to DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona, with the Chippewas as the underdog. Boise State originally opened as an 8-point favorite last week at -110 odds before the line moved to -10.
Central Michigan is the underdog with odds of +220, while Washington State is the favorite with odds of -280. The total points over/under for the game is set at 56.5.
Coach Jim McElwain is leading the Chippewas in their quest to win their first bowl game in almost ten years.
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
The Oklahoma State and Notre Dame football teams are set to play each other on January 1st at 11 a.m. at State Farm Stadium. The match will be shown live on ESPN.
This year’s Fiesta Bowl is not included in the College Football Playoff lineup, but it has not experienced the same transfer problems as other non-playoff bowl games.
With the Marcus Freeman effect in full force, 11-1 Notre Dame is gearing up for their first game under his leadership. Freeman has stepped in for Brian Kelly, who recently left for LSU.
Freeman was promoted to head coach after serving as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator for one year, bringing a wave of excitement to the program.
Notre Dame remains the favorite in the game, with the odds shifting back to -2.5 after briefly dropping to -1.5 (-110) last week at BetMGM Arizona. The Irish have now extended their lead to -2.5 (-110) at DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona.
The moneyline odds for Notre Dame stay steady at -135 on both BetMGM Arizona and DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona.
Following their defeat in the Big 12 championship to Baylor, the 11-2 Cowboys leaned heavily on their defense throughout the season, limiting opponents to 20 points or less in eight games. However, Oklahoma State will be without defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who left for the same role at Ohio State shortly after the bowl matchups were revealed.
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Author
Peterson Christopher has over seven years of experience covering sports and sports betting in Arizona, with previous positions at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News. He currently holds the role of lead writer at yengols.com.
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