College football bowl action begins to pick up steam tonight when former conference rivals BYU and San Diego State clash in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego (8:00pm ET start time, ESPN). The latest 2012 Poinsettia Bowl BYU vs San Diego State Odds have the Cougars favored at -3 against the spread; the game total is set at 47 points. The Aztecs, who are making their third straight bowl appearance, are drawing +135 ($100 wins $135) as a moneyline selection.
BYU enters tonight’s game with a modest 7-5 record, but Bronco Mendenhall’s troops, as evidenced by the line in this game, are often viewed as being better than the seven wins they produced.
The Cougars faced a number of tough opponents and, while they went just 1-4 against winning teams, they were competitive in almost every loss. BYU fell to Notre Dame, Boise State, and San Jose State by an average of 3.3 points per game and they knocked off one of the nation’s more underrated teams in Utah State.
San Diego State produced a more spectacular 9-3 record and it earned wins over bowl teams in Boise State, Nevada, and Air Force; however, it also lost to bowl squads in Washington, San Jose State, and Fresno State.
The Aztecs offense, which averaged 35.1 points per game, will face a tremendous challenge in BYU’s defense. The Cougars rank third and fifth in yards and points per game allowed respectively, and they held nine of their 12 opponents to 17 or fewer points.
2012 Poinsettia Bowl Odds: BYU vs San Diego State
BYU Cougars -3 (-110), Over 47 (-110), -155 (Moneyline)
San Diego State Aztecs +3 (-110), Under 47 (-110), +135 (Moneyline)
College Football Free Picks: BYU vs San Diego State Betting
What college football bettors need to know about BYU Cougars vs San Diego State Aztecs on Thursday (12/20/12) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Chuck Edel, with Steve Fezzik and host Chris Andrews.
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