College football bowl season? It’s wild, unpredictable, and honestly, a blast for anyone into betting or just watching the drama unfold. Steve Makinen, who’s been around the block with sharp predictions, just dropped his top picks for the next round of bowl games.
He’s coming off a strong championship week and a pretty solid bowl start, so there’s some weight to his words. From December 22 to December 29, 2025, he’s got a breakdown of what to watch for—and maybe where to throw your support if you’re feeling lucky.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – December 22, 2025
Washington State and Utah State square off at Albertsons Stadium in Boise. The Cougars are in another interim coaching stretch, while Utah State, with Bronco Mendenhall at the helm, seems more unified and fired up.
Washington State’s been a bit of a mess, especially with Jimmy Rogers leaving after just one year. Utah State, on the other hand, has been resilient and sits at 10-2 ATS this season.
- Washington State’s Disarray: The Cougars end their season in chaos, losing their head coach again.
- Utah State’s Motivation: The Aggies want to cap off a strong season under Mendenhall.
- Bowl Trends: The over is 14-4 in the last 18 Famous Idaho Potato Bowls. That’s not nothing.
College Football Best Bet: Utah State -1.5 and/or Over 49.5.
Boca Raton Bowl – December 23, 2025
Toledo faces Louisville at Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida. The Boca Raton Bowl has a habit of turning into blowouts, and with Toledo running an interim coach against veteran Jeff Brohm, that pattern could stick.
- Historical Trends: Home teams have dominated, with an 8-1 SU and 9-0 ATS streak in this bowl.
- Coaching Experience: First-time bowl coaches are just 41.7% ATS over the last eight seasons. Not great.
- Opt-Outs and Transfers: Toledo’s missing key players to opt-outs and the transfer portal.
College Football Best Bet: Louisville -6.5 and Over 44.5.
New Orleans Bowl – December 23, 2025
Southern Miss and Western Kentucky clash at Caesars Superdome. Southern Miss may not have had the best year, but they’re backed by some solid bowl trends and interim coach Blake Anderson, who’s no stranger to these games.
- Motivational Factors: Teams that won 0-3 games the year before and made a bowl are 72.1% ATS over the last decade.
- Coaching Experience: Blake Anderson’s coached nine bowls. That’s a lot more than Tyson Helton.
- Scoring Trends: The over’s hit in 16 of 20 New Orleans Bowls since 2005.
College Football Best Bet: Southern Miss +2.5 and Over 57.5.
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl – December 24, 2025
UNLV meets Ohio at Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. Dan Mullen brings his SEC experience to UNLV, while Ohio’s been dealing with coaching shakeups.
- Coaching Stability: Mullen’s no rookie, but Ohio’s staff is in flux.
- Defensive Strength: Both defenses have been stingy—UNLV’s allowed just over 20 PPG lately, Ohio not far behind.
- Bowl Performance: Ohio’s won six straight bowl games. Not too shabby.
College Football Best Bet: UNLV -6.5 and Under 65.5.
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl – December 24, 2025
Cal takes on Hawaii at Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu. Cal’s interim coach Nick Rolovich is back on the island, but Hawaii, with Timmy Chang, gets to play at home—never a bad thing.
- Home Field Advantage: Hawaii’s 6-1 SU and ATS at home this year.
- Motivational Factors: Win number nine would be a big deal for Chang and the team.
- Line Movement: The line’s swung from Cal -2.5 to Hawaii -1.5. Interesting, right?
College Football Best Bet: Hawaii -1.5 at home vs. Cal.
Game Above Sports Bowl – December 26, 2025
Northwestern faces Central Michigan at Ford Field in Detroit. Northwestern’s got Big Ten pride on the line against a MAC squad.
- Conference Pride: Big Ten teams are 5-1 SU and ATS against the MAC in bowls.
- Motivational Factors: Northwestern’s gone 5-1 ATS in their last six bowls. They usually show up.
- MAC Struggles: MAC underdogs of 8+ points are 6-12 ATS. Not ideal.
College Football Best Bet: Northwestern -10.5.
Rate Bowl – December 26, 2025
Minnesota and New Mexico meet at Chase Field in Phoenix. PJ Fleck leads the Gophers, while Jason Eck gets his first taste as a bowl head coach.
- Coaching Experience: Fleck’s 6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS in bowls. That’s hard to ignore.
- First-Time Coaches: New bowl coaches are just 41.7% ATS the last eight years.
- Big Ten Dominance: Big Ten favorites of 2+ points are 43-12 SU and 38-16-1 ATS since 2007.
College Football Best Bet: Minnesota -2.5.
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl – December 26, 2025
UTSA and Florida International match up at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. This one’s tough to call—both teams have been all over the place.
- Historical Trends: Favorites are 13-0 SU and 9-3-1 ATS in this bowl.
- Momentum: FIU finished the season on a four-game SU and ATS win streak.
- Defensive Inconsistencies: UTSA’s defense has allowed 42+ points four times this year.
College Football Best Bet: Florida International +6.5 or Over 59.5.
Go Bowling Military Bowl – December 27, 2025
East Carolina and Pitt meet at Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. ECU’s missing their starting QB, Katin Houser, who’s hit the transfer portal, and motivation seems a bit low.
- Motivational Factors: ECU’s playing in the same bowl as last year, which doesn’t exactly fire up the team.
- Quarterback Absence: No Katin Houser for ECU.
- Conference Trends: AAC bowl favorites are 37-14 SU and 33-17-1 ATS in their last 51 bowls.
College Football Best Bet: Pitt -9.5.
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl – December 27, 2025
Penn State and Clemson battle it out at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Penn State’s dealing with coaching changes and a rough patch, while Clemson, led by Dabo Swinney, is aiming to keep their postseason streak alive.
- Recent Trends: Big Ten teams are 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS versus ACC teams in this bowl over the last decade.
- Coaching Experience: Dabo Swinney’s got the edge over PSU’s interim Terry Smith.
- Quarterback Advantage: Clemson’s Cade Klubnik is playing, which is a big plus.
College Football Best Bet: Clemson -3.
Wasabi Fenway Bowl – December 27, 2025
UConn and Army face off at Fenway Park in Boston. UConn’s got a lot to figure out with coaching changes and a handful of key players opting out.
Key Points to Consider
- Coaching Changes: UConn’s head coach, Jim Mora, Jr., has left for Colorado State.
- Player Opt-Outs: UConn’s star QB Joe Fagnano, plus almost a dozen other key contributors, have entered the transfer portal.
- Line Movement: The line jumped from Army -3 to Army -10. That’s a pretty dramatic swing.
College Football Best Bet: Army -10 in the Fenway Bowl.
If you want to dig deeper into the analysis or just see what Steve Makinen thinks, check out the full article on VSiN. Worth a look if you’re on the fence.
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