Michigan State (-3) & Pittsburgh Are Both Missing Their Best Player

Shoutout to Solomon Allen who cashed in on our last parlay 😉 — Dabo Swinney won his 150th game yesterday in just his 15th season. Let’s talk Peach Bowl 👇

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Peach Bowl Preview

Blowouts, upsets, COVID cancellations — this bowl season has had it all so far, and we’re only getting started 😎  

Thursday’s slate of action feature four games, kicking off at 11:30am EST with a battle of the Carolinas in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and continuing all day long. On paper, the matchup of the day is in Atlanta at the Peach Bowl, featuring #10 Michigan State and #12 Pittsburgh. Here’s how the lines are looking👇

Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh Betting Preview

• Spread: Michigan State -3

• Moneyline: Pittsburgh +120 (bet $100, win $120), Michigan State -140 (bet $140, win $100)

• Over/Under: 55.5

These are the two highest-ranked teams in bowl action thus far, but the showdown will be lacking some major star power; Heisman finalist QB Kenny Pickett (Pitt) and unanimous All-American RB Kenneth Walker (MSU) will both skip the game to prepare for the NFL Draft 😔

Big Shoes To Fill

It’s tough to decide whether the absence of Pickett or Walker is a bigger blow to their respective team. Simply put, they were two of the best players in college football this season

• Pickett finished third in Heisman voting, following a season that saw him throw for over 4,300 yards and 42 TDs, compared to just 7 INTs. He added another 241 yards and 5 TDs on the ground, and even changed the rules of college football with the fake slide

• Walker just missed a Heisman invite, despite winning the Walter Camp Award (given to the best player in college football) and the Doak Walker Award (given to the nation’s best RB). He’ll finish the year with 1,636 yards on the ground and 19 total TDs, while leading the country with 89 broken tackles

• Both have seen their draft stock soar and should hear their names called early in April

As good the two have been this year, Pitt and MSU are a pair of talented teams who will surely have a next man up mentality

• Nick Patti will be making his second career start at QB for the Panthers and his first since 2019. He won his only previous start (against Delaware) and has been solid in mop-up duty

• Fortunately for the unproven backup, he’ll still have Jordan Addison at his disposal. The sophomore wide receiver caught 93 balls for 1,479 yards and a nation-best 17 TDs this year. He also won the Fred Biletnikoff Award (college football’s best WR)

• With Walker out, MSU will likely divvy up carries between sophomore Jordon Simmons and junior Elijah Collins. Of the two, Simmons has gotten more action this season with 255 rushing yards, but neither has found the endzone yet

Pitt is not an ideal team to face with inexperienced backs; they rank sixth in the nation in run defense, allowing just 91.8 yards per game. Spartan QB Payton Thorne will surely be asked to shoulder more of the load than usual, and this game could be dictated by whether or not the sophomore is up to the task

Trivia question: prior to this year, 7 of the last 8 winners of the Walter Camp Award (best player in college football) went on the win the Heisman. Who was the exception?

Looking Elsewhere 

🎸 Music City Bowl: Purdue vs. Tennessee

• Spread: Tennessee -6

• O/U: 64.5

• Both teams outperformed their preseason expectations this year; the Boilermakers are a victory away from their first nine-win season since 2003, while the Volunteers more than doubled their win total from last year

🎲 Las Vegas Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State

• Spread: Wisconsin -6

• O/U: 41

• Wisconsin entered the season as a trendy dark horse pick to win the Big Ten, and they had a shot to reach the title game prior to falling to Minnesota in their regular season finale. The Badgers have gone bowling in 20 straight seasons, and they’ve won six of their last seven

For My Parlay Gurus

I mentioned earlier that the Peach Bowl will likely come down to the performance of MSU QB Payton Thorne. Call it a hunch, but I think the sophomore gets the job done. I’m riding with the Spartans, and going with Wisco as well in this Big Ten parlay👇

• MSU -3 vs. Pitt: -110

• Wisconsin -6 vs. ASU: -110

$100 on this bet would win you $264 — if we hit, make sure to email [email protected] for $100*. First come, first serve 😉

Trivia answer: Tua Tagovailoa won the Walter Camp Award in 2018, but he finished second in Heisman voting to Kyler Murray in one of the tightest races in recent memory