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Georgia (-9.5) vs. Hawaii (Tuesday, Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. ET) – This is definitely one of the hardest games on the card in my  mind. On one hand, doing well in the SEC gets more credit than going undefeated in the WAC. On the other hand, Hawaii has always found a way to win, and I think it would be a mistake to underestimate their offense. I have gone back and forth many times, but ultimately I think that the game means more for Hawaii, and so I think the smart move is to take the points. Pick: Hawaii.

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Three college football games intrigue me on Friday:

Central Michigan (-2.5) at Akron – The Akron offense has been struggling for the most part recently. Central Michigan never seems to falter offensively against teams of this caliber. I’ll take the explosive offense to win by less than a field goal. Pick: Central Michigan

Texas (-6) at Texas A&M – Texas has an outside shot of winning the Big 12 and earning the conference’s prime BCS spot. To do that they will  need Oklahoma to lose, and they will need to win themselves. That, coupled with seeking to avenge an A&M victory last year, should be motivation enough to win this game handily. A&M is slumping badly, and Texas has won five in a row. The Longhorns don’t always win by much, but they are clearly the better team here and should do just fine.  Pick: Texas

Boise State (+3) at Hawaii - I hate picking against an undefeated team, but the visitor is the better team here. The Broncos have been winning in dominating fashion, while Hawaii has been surviving one close call after another. It’s to their credit that they keep finding ways to win, but Boise State is by far the best team they have faced this year, and I’m not sure they will be able to come back again here. Taking the better team and the points is always a value play. Pick: Boise State

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My picks:

Hawaii at Nevada – There are only two football games tonight, and this one is the interesting one to me. We saw last night what can happen when a star QB gets hurt early. Colt Brennan is fragile, and he had a concussion last week. If he goes down again then Nevada could have a big win at home. I also think that this one will be lower scoring than some expect. Nevada runs the ball a ton and will slow the game down. That coupled with Brennan at less than 100% could keep the score down. Bets: one unit on Nevada moneyline +190, one unit on under 79.

St. Bonaventure (-3) at Loyola-Marymount – I don’t love St. Bonaventure, but they do play a reasonably up-tempo game. Loyola, on the other hand, is just plain bad right now. I think the Bonnies match up well here, and I was a bit surprised by the line. Bet: two units on St. Bonaventure

Fordham (+11) at Syracuse – The Rams had a rough game against Missouri last time out, but I am willing to give them a mulligan. Their shooting was horrible, and the Tigers were hot. Fordham is an improving team full of seniors and they will bounce back well. Syracuse has two wins, but neither has been as strong as it should have been. Bet: one unit on Fordham (+11)

What bets do you like tonight?

UPDATE: Soooo close. Hawaii hit a long, late field goal to squeak out a win. I’d have cashed in if I had settled for taking Nevada and the points, but I took a shot at the moneyline instead. No regrets. Hawaii backup QB Tyler Graunke deserves a serious medal – he played very well when called into duty. In the end I cashed on the total play in the football game, and easily won on St. Bonaventure. That means I ended up about 3/4 of a unit on the night. Could certainly be worse.

As for other contestants – we had just one. Kris had a very good night, missing only with Hawaii and the spread, and winning his other four picks. He bet six units in total, but I’ll let that slide . I like the idea of a contest and I will be sure to post it earlier next Friday and give more details. Be forewarned.

Post from: Ultra Sports Bet