USC vs. Texas A&M in the 2024 Las Vegas Bowl. (Craig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via ... [+]
The post Christmas bowls continue with 21 college football bowl games Dec. 26-31. Ahead of the four College Football Playoff quarterfinal games Dec. 31-Jan. 1, the Las Vegas Bowl is one of the best matchups with the USC Trojans vs. Texas A&M Aggies. The Big Ten vs. SEC battle will draw more watch and wager action as the last of five bowl games on Dec. 27.
College Football Bowl Games And Odds
College football odds from FanDuel and top online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. All times Eastern (ET) and betting favorites (-) listed on college bowl games.
Dec. 27
- Armed Forces Bowl- Navy vs. Oklahoma (-2.5), game total 43.5 points
Amon G. Carter Stadium - Fort Worth, TX, 12 p.m. | ESPN
- Birmingham Bowl - Georgia Tech (-3) vs.Vanderbilt, 50.5
Protective Stadium - Birmingham, AL, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
- Liberty Bowl - Arkansas vs.Texas Tech (-1.5), 51.5
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium - Memphis, TN, 7 p.m. | ESPN
- Holiday Bowl - No. 21 Syracuse (-17.5) vs.Washington State, 59.5
Snapdragon Stadium - San Diego, CA, 8 p.m. | FOX
- Las Vegas Bowl - USC vs. Texas A&M (-4), 52.5
Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas, NV, 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
College Football Bets And Added Insight
USC-Texas A&M
The USC Trojans (6-6) opened their 2024 season with a 27-20 victory over LSU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Now the Trojans will try to beat another SEC team as their season concludes in Las Vegas. Southern Cal beat LSU in the Vegas Kickoff Classic as a 4-point underdog - the same spread and role they’ll play against Texas A&M (8-4).
This Trojans-Aggies matchup is expected to be competitive with backup quarterbacks at the start of the season now leading their teams. While the opening college football playoff matchups were engaging and (somewhat) entertaining, they were not too competetive as the favorites went 4-0 straight up and against the spread (ATS) with all four wins by double digits.
The transfer portal has more than 2,000 players since the end of the regular season, and USC quarterback Jayden Maiava will make his fourth start for the Trojans this season after taking over as starter the final three games (two Big Ten wins). Maiava transfered from UNLV to USC after leading the Rebels to the 2023 Mountain West Conference Championship Game, and then his final game in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
“There’s a lot to learn from within these past three games that I’ve played,” Maiava said at a news conference after a 49-35 regular season-ending loss to Notre Dame. “Obviously you can’t turn the ball over in these big moments and let the team down, especially the seniors, but I’m grateful for the opportunity that coach gave me. I’m looking forward to moving forward.”
USC head coach Lincoln Riley liked how Maiava and the offense played even in defeat as Maiava passed for 360 yards and 3 touchdowns with the Trojans running game adding 197 yards and outgaining Notre Dame by more than 120 total yards.
“Especially the way (Maiava played against Notre Dame), that was the best we’ve played offensively all year,” Riley said. “That’s a really good defense that we did some pretty good things against, so I thought he stepped up and played some really good ball. I was impressed in how he handled the whole way and how he handled our team in terms of being a leader and being a steadying presence. That’s what that position asks you to do, and I thought he answered the call.”
USC played one of the toughest schedules in the country and suffered a number of close losses while posting a +0.6 yards per play margin (A&M +0.5). Unfortunately, we won’t see the best in potential and talent from these two teams as Texas A&M will be down 5 starters including 3 on the defensive line. USC will be down 6 starters including 3 at wide receiver plus two other seniors on offense with the Trojans losing a total of 19 players since the transfer portal opened Dec. 9. But freshman RB Bryan Jackson had a strong showing in relief against Notre Dame rushing the ball six times for 71 yards to balance USC’s offense.
“Bryan I think earned the trust of us, knowing that he can handle all of the different jobs of a running back in this offense and he knows what to do and excited for him to continue to get further opportunities because I do believe he’s going to be a very good player here,” Riley said.
Transfer portal, Name Image and Likeness (NIL) and “the new world we live in.”
Texas A&M’s offense exploded in their second to last game at Auburn and overcame a 21-0 deficit before taking a late 4th quarter lead. Auburn forced overtime with a last second field goal and then beat the Aggies 43-41 in four overtimes. The next week the Aggies offense and duel-threat QB Marcel Reed were shut down at home by the Texas Longhorns talented, top team and defense, 17-7. That contest was one of the most watched and wagered rivarly games to close the regular season with fans paying record ticket prices to see the action live at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
More scoring than projected was expected in this year’s Las Vegas Bowl matchup, but that was if Aggies QB Marcel Reed could hold up his end for the A&M offense. The portal and player personnel changes make handicapping and picking many of these bowl games more difficult. But with USC finding more rhythm and offense in their finale against Notre Dame and playing such a strong schedule of opponents, the Trojans are the prefered play as there’s really not enough separting these two teams for the Aggies to be more than a field goal favorite.
You can bet on it.
