Top 5 Underdogs to Bet on for 2022-23 College Football Bowl Season

If I'm not mistaken, this is my first college football article for AthlonSports.com. I don't mean to go all Troy McClure on you, but you might know me from my NFL work here on Athlon. The point is, this is not my first time giving you a gambling article.

So, the lines are out for the college football bowl season. They certainly might shift between submission and kickoff. And there's always plenty of time for some controversy to push a line in one direction or another.

Related: Ranking All 41 College Football Bowl Games: From Must-See to Must-Miss

Perhaps it's best to place your bets on the underdogs below and, if the line moves even further, perhaps bet them again. I can tell you that I have not only bet each of these underdogs individually but have also parlayed a few together.

Because I promise you that there will be some upsets. We never have had a college bowl season free of them.

So here are my top five underdogs.

Note: All times are ET and games are listed in chronological order.

Top 5 Underdogs for the 2022-23 College Football Bowl Season

Frisco Bowl: North Texas (+9) vs. Boise State

Sat., Dec. 16 – ESPN at 9:15 p.m. (Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas)/live stream on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

Is Boise State the better team? Yes. Do I think Boise State wins this game? Yeah, they probably do. But by much more than a TD? No way. I wish North Texas was a little better than 4-4 ATS, but I'm still willing to take the points here.

Boise State will be traveling from one of the more northern parts of the country all the way to one of our most southern states. North Texas, meanwhile, will be traveling less than 45 minutes. This is essentially a "home game" for North Texas. Nine points might be an OK line on a neutral field, but not in the Mean Green's backyard.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Eastern Michigan (+4.5) vs. San Jose State

Tues., Dec. 20 – ESPN at 3:30 p.m. (Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho)/live stream on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

This one is not that complicated. Eastern Michigan has a better record overall than San Jose State. Even more importantly, they have a better record ATS than San Jose State (EMU: 8-4 SU; 6-5-1 ATS / SJSU: 7-4 SU; 4-7 ATS).

I'll bet on senior defensive end Jose Ramirez, coming off a 12-sack season, doing enough to keep this game close and the Eagles beat the spread here if not win out.

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse (+7) vs. Minnesota

Thurs., Dec. 29 – ESPN at 2 p.m. (Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y.)/live stream on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

One of my favorite underdogs on the board. This line is just way too high for way too many reasons. For one, Minnesota is 1-4 ATS when favored by 10 points or fewer.

Syracuse, meanwhile, got off to a 6-0 start thanks to a relatively soft early schedule. In their seventh game, they faced No. 5 Clemson and were up 21-10 going into the fourth quarter. During that game, they lost starting QB Garrett Shrader and allowed Clemson to score 17 unanswered points to remain atop the ACC. Following that game, Syracuse went into a tailspin, losing the next four. However, the Orange were able to finish the season with a decisive victory over Boston College.

The talent levels are about even in this game. The Syracuse faithful is not known for traveling well but do come out in swarms when postseason games remain in-state. Syracuse will have the benefit of playing at Yankee Stadium, enough so that I'm willing to pick them outright. If that scares you too much, I do understand, but I strongly recommend taking the points.

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: South Carolina (+5.5) vs. Notre Dame

Fri., Dec. 30 – ESPN at 3:30 p.m. (TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.)/live stream on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

South Carolina might be the most schizophrenic team in the whole country. When they are bad, they are bad. They got absolutely thumped by Florida and lost to Texas A&M. But they also knocked off both Tennessee and Clemson ... soundly.

If the former team shows up, the Irish should run away with this game. If the latter shows up, expect those gold helmets to turn green and brown after being buried by QB Spencer Rattler and the rest of the Gamecocks who have covered in four of their last five games as underdogs.

Capital One Orange Bowl: Tennessee (+4) vs. Clemson

Fri., Dec. 30 – ESPN at 8:30 p.m. (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.)/live stream on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

Speaking of getting beat by the Gamecocks, this game is brought to you by Beamer Ball. Had either team been capable to beat the Gamecocks, they probably would be playing a game after the first of the year instead of before it.

As much as I love the Syracuse line, it does make some sense to me, at least directionally. This one does not. Before this game opened, I guessed that the Vols would be favored by a point or two. The Vols finished as No. 6 and the Tigers finished as No. 10. Tennessee is ranked higher for a reason.

And as I mentioned above, Clemson SHOULD have lost to Syracuse, as they tried to give that game away. However, Syracuse is just not strong enough of a program this year to do so. Clemson also seems to suffer from coming up small when it matters most. (HINT: Don't ask Dabo Swinney about his postseason record at the Superdome!)

Tennessee senior QB Joe Milton III is always good for a few spectacular plays and will keep this game close. I humbly suggest this will be one of the best games of the bowl season, but in the end, this comes down to the SEC just being better than ACC. In a barnburner, Clemson loses at the end by less than a field goal.

Podcast: Remembering Mike Leach, Preview of Bowl Games Dec. 16-21, Recapping the Heisman Race and Purdue's Hire of Ryan Walters

— Written by Mark Strausberg, a member of the Athlon Network Contributor, who despite his youthful exuberance and good looks has been playing fantasy sports before Wildcats or Hoosiers even made it to VHS. Got a fantasy sports question or thought? Hit him up on Twitter @MarkStrausberg.