New Years Day Bowl Betting – Northwestern vs. Auburn in the Outback Bowl

Northwestern and Auburn Kick Off New Year’s College Betting

Northwestern will make its first January bowl appearance. Too bad it’s against a very sneaky Auburn Tigers team that puts up 32.9 points per game. While Auburn struggled late in the season, going 2-5 SU in their last 7 games, they were almost able to derail the SEC Champion Crimson Tide in their last game. The final step in their 2009 college football betting season will be notching their seventh bowl victory in nine years over the Wildcats.

After losing initially to Syracuse and Minnesota to start the season, Northwestern was able to fight back from obscurity and go 4-1 SU down the stretch. Had they put up a 10-2 SU season, they might very well be making more noise in the bowls than with an Outback Bowl appearance on New Year’s Day. It’s been 60 long years without a bowl victory for Northwester, and despite some very admirable efforts late in the season, that’s  a stretch that I see continuing as we kick off the 2010 football betting season.

Auburn -7 1/2 vs Northwestern >> Join to Bet Now!

Auburn is simply a team that loves to finish strong in bowl games, and with this game serving as the final appearance o quarterback Chris Todd and running back Ben Tate for the Tigers a storybook ending for both seniors is well within the cards. Todd has thrown for 2,377 yards this season and ranked fourth in the SEC with 21 touchdowns. Tate had a great year as well, running for 1,254 yards on the ground.

Northwestern ranks 48th in defense with 23.3 points allowed and gives up an average of 220.8 yards through the air. For a team that plays the spread offense themselves, stopping a far more developed and mature version of the spread offense in Auburn is going to be an unusually difficult task.

Northwestern Wildcats (8-4) vs. Auburn Tigers (7-5)

Friday, January 1st
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa — 11:00am EST

NCAAF Betting Line: Auburn -7.5 (55)

The Tigers have hardly given you a reason to doubt them in a bowl game, and keeping the faith against a surging Northwestern band of upstarts is key to your betting success. Get your sports betting year off to the best start possible. Auburn and Northwestern will raid the scoreboard with points, but its Auburn’s defense that will make the decisive plays in The Outback Bowl. Bet Auburn and start things right in the New Year.

Furious Free Pick: Auburn -7.5 (OVER)