Holiday Bowl Betting Preview: Nebraska vs. Arizona

Normally when you mention the Holiday Bowl you think of high-scoring games and a lot of excitement.

The excitement might be there on Wednesday but the high scoring probably won’t be as No. 22 Arizona faces No. 20 Nebraska (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN). Both teams have stout defenses, so scoring should be at a minimum.

Nebraska is a 1-point favorite and the total for the game is set at 40.5 at online sportsbook SBG Global.

Both Nebraska and Arizona missed out on making it to BCS bowl games after losing nailbiters to two BCS contenders. The Cornhuskers nearly beat Texas before losing 13-12 in the Big 12 title game while Arizona led Oregon late before losing 44-41.

Nebraska comes into Wednesday’s game with the second best defense in the country, allowing just 11.2 points per game. The Cornhuskers are led by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.

Suh had 82 tackles and 12 sacks this season despite being double-teamed most of the time.

Arizona also has a good defense that was No. 21 in the country. The Wildcats held four of their last five opponents to two touchdowns or less. They may not have much trouble against a Nebraska offense that simply isn’t very good. The only threat for Nebraska is running back Roy Helu, who had 1,139 yards this season.

Arizona’s offense is led by quarterback Nick Foles who was the Pac-10’s fourth-rated passer. Arizona also has running backs Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin, who combined for 1,100 yards this year.

Here are the college football betting stats for Wednesday’s game:

The Cornhuskers are 5-0 ATS in their last five non-conference games. The Cornhuskers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games in December. The Cornhuskers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as a favorite.

The Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last four games in December. The Wildcats are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games as an underdog. The Wildcats are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall. The Wildcats are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games

The under is 5-1 in the Cornhuskers’ last six bowl games. The under is 11-3 the in Cornhuskers’ last 14 games overall. The under is 5-1 in the Wildcats’ last six games overall.

Up to 295% in Total Bonuses from SBG Global!
Up to 200% Casino Deposit Bonus
Up to 60% Deposit Bonus
20% Buddy Referral
10% Casino Rebate
5% Horse Rebate