Tonight’s game will mark the 5th straight time the Cougars invade Sin City looking to pick up a bowl win. They lost a tough one to an Arizona squad 31-21 as 3-point pups a year ago. FYI: underdogs in the same bowl who lost the previous year are a bankroll bursting 29-19 ATS. BYU has held its own in this bowl series going 2-2 SU & ATS the L/4 years with wins against UCLA & Oregon. With the BYU program used to the bright lights and big city of Las Vegas after paying it a visit each of the L/4 years, distractions will be at a minimum.
I really just don’t see Oregon State being able to see this one through the whole way. If they do, which isn’t entirely out of the question, a tip of the cap will be in order for HC mike Riley who will have done a fabulous coaching job to get his kids up for this. Last we saw the Beavers, they just missed out on a chance to go to the Rose Bowl losing 37-33 as 9.5-point underdogs to Oregon in the Civil War. When teams come so close to going to a major bowl, but just miss out, you usually see a hangover effect occur. Rewind to last season where a proud Alabama team lost the 4th quarter of the SEC Championship Game to Florida and missed out on playing in the BCS championship Game because of it. They then went on to play in the Sugar Bowl against Utah and got trounced 31-17 as 9-point favorites. Lack of interest might be just the ingredient that gets some of these Beavers in trouble in the adult Disneyland otherwise known as Las Vegas.
BYU has defeated 4 of the L/6 Pac10 opponents it’s faced outright. They’ve also been a lucrative investment against P10 foes going 9-4-1 ATS the L/14 times they were installed dogs or chalks of 4-points or less. Oddsmakers expected them to be the victor in this one as they opened the Cougars up as 1.5-point choices before JQB got their hands on the line. I believe they were right, and firmly expect BYU to snap the Beavers bowl winning streak at five in a row.
Alex Smart - 12/22
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