B/R College Football 2023 Betting Locks with Adam Kramer: Bowl Season Part 2

The college football bowl season doesn't rush. Like most great things, it moves along deliberately and with care. It takes its time. It gains momentum, picks up steam and culminates in style.

As we move into the holiday portion of the bowl season, things escalate quickly. The teams become more familiar to many, the stakes become more significant, and the gambling opportunities become more robust.

Our second installment of Locks of the Week for the bowl season is ready for all that it has to offer. After touching on some early games, we're focusing now on all bowls that will be played between December 26 and December 30.

Celebrate the holidays in style…with winners.

For the latest spreads on these games, go to DraftKings.

Motivation, of course, is a tough element to handicap.

One can never truly know if a program is "flat" until the game begins, although certain clues and moments can be deciphered. In the instance of Tulane, there is a cupboard full of reasons why this team might not be anywhere close to full force.

Former head coach Willie Fritz, a staple of the school's recent success, is now the head coach at Houston. Starting QB Michael Pratt is also no longer available, as Pratt opted out of the bowl to begin his preparation for the NFL.

Not only that, but Tulane will be without a good chunk of its starters in this game. In short, the vibes aren't tremendous.

For Virginia Tech, it has momentum. After struggling for so long, the Hokies won four of the final six games this season. The offense found new life in the second half of the season, and that life should translate directly into this game.

Let's address something important out of the gate. Mayo is a completely overrated condiment, and the fact that we celebrate it in this bowl game has always been strange. With that being said, long live the Mayo Bowl.

This particular installment is somewhat fascinating. Quarterback Drake Maye won't play for North Carolina, and his absence is enormous. Redshirt freshman Conner Harrell will get the start in his absence, and he has fascinating potential.

He played limited snaps this season, although he's a tall, athletic passer who should be able to sub in quite nicely.

West Virginia, meanwhile, needs to do what it did many weeks this year. The Mountaineers finished with a top-40 offense, and they should find success against a defense that finished No. 74 nationally.

In short, don't let Maye's absence scare you. There will be points.

The Sooners finished with the No. 3 scoring offense during the regular season. Arizona, after a slow start, finished at No. 22.

Given the way these two teams played, the general thought is that a matchup between both will lead to plenty of offense. Although that outlook, especially with a total north of 60, feels slightly off.

Oklahoma will replace Dillion Gabriel with 5-star freshman Jackson Arnold. It's an exciting moment for both Arnold and the program, and they likely will manufacture points. The same could be said about the Wildcats, which found new life when Noah Fifita came under center.

Still, both of these defenses are better than many believe. Each finished ranked in the top 40 in most scoring metrics, and those performances could make for a lower scoring game than many expect.

Of course, we're betting on the Pop-Tarts Bowl, as if there was any doubt.

This is one of the more underrated games on the card, even with roster movement playing a significant role. Will Howard, Kansas State's dependable QB, has moved on from the school.

That means freshman Avery Johnson will get the start, and there is a ton to like about his ability to create. North Carolina State's defense, however, was ranked No. 25 in scoring during the regular season. It should be able to hold its own.

Offensively, the very experienced Brennan Armstrong will get the start for NC State. After a strong close to the year, he's well positioned to score enough to secure the win.

(And cover.)

For Ole Miss, the question is pretty simple. How will this potent offense, led by quarterback Jaxson Dart, play against one of the best defenses in college football?

Although Dart is still up in the air about his decision to declare for the draft, it sounds like he will be all systems go for this game. Despite that news, which ultimately could change, Penn State's defense should be well positioned to slow him down.

On defense, Ole Miss could have issues. The Rebels ranked No. 69 in rushing defense during the regular season, and Penn State has one of the better rushing attacks in college football.

That, more than anything, could create the kind of game flow that suits the Nittany Lions. Expect Penn State to wear down Ole Miss and cover the spread in the process.

Fenway Bowl: SMU vs. Boston College (Over 50.5)

Can Boston College score 20? If so, this one should hit with relative ease. SMU will do much of the heavy lifting.

Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State (+2.5) vs. Texas A&M

New coaches, transfer portal and more, this game has massive variables attached. With that said, in Mike Gundy we trust.

Sun Bowl: Notre Dame (-6.5) vs. Oregon State

There's just too much change at Oregon State. While Notre Dame has many moving parts as well, the Beavers are going to struggle to get up for this one.