Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Northern Illinois vs Fresno State: NCAA Football Odds & Best Bets

College Football doesn't sleep as we go to Idaho for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday afternoon. The Northern Illinois Huskies face the Fresno State Bulldogs as both teams have a long list of potential opt outs for this matchup. Let's dive in!

Northern Illinois is famous for beating Notre Dame in South Bend in Week 2. They finished 7-5 on the season, winning 3 of their L4 down the stretch in order to make a postseason bowl game! The Fresno State Bulldogs finished 6-6 playing in the Mountain West conference. They stumbled down the stretch, losing 3 of their last four contests, however one of those was on the road against UCLA.

Neither team can be super thrilled playing in this bowl game, and neither starting QB will be taking the field tonight. However, we've still got to dig and and see if there are some edges worth betting!

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Northern Illinois Huskies vs Fresno State Bulldogs: Potato Bowl

Matchup Information – Northern Illinois vs Fresno State

• Venue & Location: Albertsons Stadium (Boise, ID)
• Date: Monday, December 23rd, 2024
• Kick Off: 2:30pm Eastern
• Broadcast: ESPN

Betting Odds

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Spread

• Northern Illinois -2.5 (-113)
• Fresno State +2.5 (-107)

Money Line

• Northern Illinois -143
• Fresno State +123

Total

• Over 40.5 (-110)
• Under 40.5 (-110)

Back Ups get the Nod in Idaho

Like I said, neither team will have their starting QB in this game. Fresno State currently has 10 starters with their names in the portal, who do not appear on the depth chart. QB Mikey Keene, WRs Jalen Moss, Raylen Sharpe, and Tim Grear, as well as RB Malik Sherrod will all be on the sidelines for this game with their names in the portal. Defensively, they'll be missing 3 starting DBs, 2 starting D-Linemen, and a starting LB, all of whom are transferring. On top of all that, WR Mac Dalena and CB Cam Lockridge have declared for the NFL draft, and are not suiting up.

As for the Huskies, starting QB Ethan Hampton and WR Trayvon Rudolph are not on the offensive depth chart. Defensively, starting safety Santana Banner and a couple starts on the line will not suit up either. Basically a majority of starters on both sides of the ball for both teams are simply not playing in this postseason bowl game.

What happened to the sport I love?

Northern Illinois Huskies vs Fresno State Bulldogs Best Bets

Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Prediction: NIU Wins & Covers, Over 40.5

Best Bets: NIU/Fresno Over 40.5 (-110) Bovada

My honest opinion? Save your money. Betting bowl games is getting harder and harder each year, as the portal ramps up, rosters have tons of question marks, and no one really knows who's taking the field until it happens. However, I'll admit, we are all little degenerates who want something to sweat this afternoon. So how about backing both teams to put points on the board?

Are we getting both back up QBs? Sure. But these guys still know the offense, and they've been yearning for the opportunity to show their stuff in front of a meaningful crowd. In a stand alone bowl game on a Monday afternoon, I think we see offenses come alive and give us some excitement!

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