The 2025-26 college football bowl season kicks off on Saturday with a matchup between Boise State and Washington, where Washington enters as an 8.5-point favorite. With 39 bowl games this year, college football bowl confidence pools have gained significant popularity. The most substantial spreads are seen in the CFP First Round, with Oregon heavily favored by 21 points against James Madison, while Ole Miss holds a 17.5-point advantage over Tulane.
Choosing to back large favorites is a common strategy in bowl confidence pools, yet predicting upsets can distinguish you from the competition. Notable matchups outside the CFP include Penn State facing Clemson with a spread of 3.5 points, Georgia Tech vs. BYU at 4.5 points, Tennessee against Illinois at +5.5 points, and Michigan going up against Texas at -5.5 points.
While college football odds provide insights into favorites and underdogs, they are just one piece of the puzzle. Before finalizing your picks for the bowl season, consider the latest confidence picks from SportsLine“s proven computer model. New users can also take advantage of an Underdog promo code, offering $75 in site credits when placing a $5 bet using the code CBSSPORTS2 in select states.
The model has accurately simulated every FBS game 10,000 times and has shown profitability on its top-rated money-line and over/under selections since the beginning of the 2024 season. Those who have followed its betting advice at sportsbooks have enjoyed solid returns. Now, the focus shifts to the current college football odds and betting strategies for confidence pools during the 2025-26 bowl season.
One of the model”s strongest predictions is that Houston, ranked 21st and a 3.5-point favorite, will achieve a double-digit victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl on December 27. The game”s location in Houston gives the Cougars a notable home-field advantage, especially since LSU has lost its last four contests away from its home stadium. This season, the Cougars have won 5 out of 6 games when favored, while LSU is struggling, having scored only four touchdowns in its last four games—equal to what Houston managed in its previous outing alone. The model predicts an 80% chance of a Cougars victory.
Another solid prediction from the model indicates that USC, ranked 16th and favored by 5.5 points, is set to have a convincing win against TCU in the Alamo Bowl on December 30. With a regular season record of 9-3, all three losses for USC were against ranked opponents. In contrast, TCU only reached the Top 25 once—back in September—finishing the Big 12 schedule with a mediocre record of 5-4. Despite competing in a less challenging conference, USC outperformed TCU in both scoring and defense throughout the season. The model suggests a nearly 70% chance of a Trojans victory.
The model has also provided insights on the outcomes of all other bowl games. There are 11 teams that are predicted to win at least 70% of the time, making these matchups particularly valuable for confidence points, along with 15 underdogs expected to win outright. For the complete list of predictions, including every bowl game, visit SportsLine.
Check the college football bowl schedule below, and make sure to visit SportsLine to optimize your selections, all based on a reliable computer model that has simulated each game extensively.
College Football Bowl Schedule:
- Saturday, Dec. 13: LA Bowl – Boise State vs. Washington, 8 PM ET
- Tuesday, Dec. 16: Veterans Bowl – Troy vs. Jacksonville State, 9 PM ET
- Wednesday, Dec. 17: Cure Bowl – Old Dominion vs. South Florida, 5 PM ET
- 68 Ventures Bowl – Louisiana vs. Delaware, 8:30 PM ET
- Thursday, Dec. 18: Xbox Bowl – Missouri State vs. Arkansas State, 9 PM ET
- Friday, Dec. 19: Myrtle Beach Bowl – Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan, 11 AM ET
- Gasparilla Bowl – Memphis vs. NC State, 2:30 PM ET
- CFP First Round: Alabama at Oklahoma, 8 PM ET
- Saturday, Dec. 20: CFP First Round: Miami at Texas A&M, noon ET
- CFP First Round: Tulane at Ole Miss, 3:30 PM ET
- CFP First Round: James Madison at Oregon, 7:30 PM ET
- Monday, Dec. 22: Potato Bowl – Washington State vs. Utah State, 2 PM ET
- Tuesday, Dec. 23: Boca Raton Bowl – Toledo vs. Louisville, 2 PM ET
- New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss, 5:30 PM ET
- Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio, 9 PM ET
- Wednesday, Dec. 24: Hawaii Bowl – Cal vs. Hawaii, 8 PM ET
- Friday, Dec. 26: GameAbove Sports Bowl – Central Michigan vs. Northwestern, 1 PM ET
- Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. Minnesota, 4:30 PM ET
- First Responder Bowl: FIU vs. UTSA, 8 PM ET
- Saturday, Dec. 27: Military Bowl: Pitt vs. East Carolina, 11 AM ET
- Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson, noon ET
- Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army, 2:15 PM ET
- Pop-Tarts Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. BYU, 3:30 PM ET
- Arizona Bowl: Miami (OH) vs. Fresno State, 4:30 PM ET
- New Mexico Bowl: North Texas vs. San Diego State, 5:45 PM ET
- Gator Bowl: Virginia vs. Missouri, 7:30 PM ET
- Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Houston, 9:15 PM ET
- Monday, Dec. 29: Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. App. State, 2 PM ET
- Tuesday, Dec. 30: Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech, 2 PM ET
- Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois, 5:30 PM ET
- Alamo Bowl: USC vs. TCU, 9 PM ET
- Wednesday, Dec. 31: ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa vs. Vanderbilt, noon ET
- Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke, 2 PM ET
- Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Texas, 3 PM ET
- Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs. Utah, 3:30 PM ET
- Friday, Jan. 2: Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State, 1 PM ET
- Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati, 4:30 PM ET
- Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. SMU, 8 PM ET
- Duke”s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State, 8 PM ET
