New Year's Six Bowl Games - Our Best Bets for College Football This Weekend

Welcome to Bowl Season! It's the pinnacle of the college football season and we're dialed in from the seemingly nonstop action between now and the College Football Playoff Semifinals set to kick off with the New Year on Monday, January 1.

This is a charged-up time to be a sports bettor with so many choices to bet on, so we're firing up our predictive analytics model's best bets from the New Year's Six games to capitalize on all of the best boosts and promos of the weekend.

What is the New Year's Six?

The New Year's Six features six top-tier college football bowl games, including the Rose, Orange, Sugar, Cotton, Peach, and Fiesta Bowls. These historic bowls have witnessed significant moments and played a role in determining national champions.

The New Year's Six also hosts the College Football Playoff semifinals in a rotating three-year schedule: Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl (this year), Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. With the upcoming expansion of the Playoff to 12 teams, the New Year's Six will take on an even more crucial role by hosting both the quarterfinals and semifinals next year. This shift reflects the enduring significance of the New Year's Six in the evolving landscape of college football.

New Year's Six Bowl Game Schedule

Bowl Game	Date
Cotton Bowl: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri	Fri, Dec. 29
Peach Bowl: No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss	Sat, Dec. 30
Orange Bowl: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia	Sat, Dec. 30
Fiesta Bowl: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty	Mon, Jan 1
CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama	Mon, Jan 1
CFP Semifinal at the Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas	Mon, Jan 1

How to Bet on the New Year's Six Games

You can bet on these bowl games anywhere legal sports betting is allowed and where offered on the books available. To bet on college football, you need an account at the sportsbook available in your state. which you can find in Dimers' Best U.S. Sportsbooks section, complete with detailed reviews and insights on teh best promos.

New users can score unique sign-up bonuses, like $150 for betting just $5 at DraftKings or up to $1,500 back on their first bet at BetMGM Sportsbook. For some added fun, you can even combine all of these best bets with DraftKings' Stepped-Up Parlay Boost and earn a scaled-up parlay boost, up to 100% for 10 legs.

For the best college football bets, player props and more to make this weekend, check out Dimers' array of betting resources, or read up on our model's best bets below.

Best Bets for New Year's Six Bowl Games

Cotton Bowl: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri | Friday, December 29, 8:00PM EDT

Best Bet: Missouri ML (+150 on bet365)

Originally nearly a touchdown underdog, Missouri has steamed closer to three points with news out of Ohio State. QB Kyle McCord will transfer to Syracuse and Devin Brown who has barely played will start this game. Star wideout Marvin Harrison Jr.'s status is up in the air but with a projected top-five draft spot, it's unlikely he suits up to catch passes from someone he hasn't played with. 

Our model loves Missouri to cover with a 58% probability of doing so, granting us a 6.8% edge in the odds. That's nice and great value on its own, but let's go for the plus money and take Mizzou to win at +150 for nearly the same edge. DimersBOT gives the Tigers a 46% probability of an outright victory while their odds simply just a 40% chance. Get their best odds at bet365 here, where new users can score a $150 bonus by betting just $5.

MORE: Cotton Bowl Betting Preview

Peach Bowl: No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss | Saturday, December 30, 12:00PM EDT

Best Bet: Ole Miss ML (+164 on DraftKings)

Kickstart your Saturday with some early bowl game action and back the Rebels to cover the 4.5-point spread against the Nittany Lions. Penn State will deploy a new defensive playcaller after DC Manny Diaz left for Duke and will face a Lane Kiffin-led offense which could bode poorly for Penn State.

Our model is projecting a big-time cover for Ole Miss. In fact, it's the highest college football betting edge of the weekend. At a 60.7% probability, there's a massive 9.5% edge in the spread odds for Ole Miss, which if it doesn't sound like much, is big for a spread, especially in a game between ranked teams. On the moneyline, we see a 45% probability of an outright win for Ole Miss and at +164 odds, we're getting another great value of 6.9% +EV.

Bet these odds at DraftKings for the highest value and where new users can score $150 in bonus bets with their first $5 wager.

MORE: Peach Bowl Betting Preview

Orange Bowl: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia | Saturday, December 30, 4:25PM EDT

Best Bet: Georgia -19.5 (-110 on FanDuel)

These two teams meet after heartbreaking ends to the season. For Georgia, a loss to Alabama sealed their fate as they were bumped from the final four. For FSU, it was losing their starting QB that seemed to doom the Seminoles, as despite their perfect 13-0 record, they were left out out of the College Football Playoff. Nevertheless, they must look forward and so are we.

Florida State is sending out an absolute shell of an offense featuring their third-string QB and missing their top two running backs and their top three receiving targets. Georgia isn't thrilled about playing in this game but they should simply be too much for a team trotting out nobodies. DimersBOT projects a smackdown with a 20-point victory for the Bulldogs. If you're feeling adventurous, explore some alternate spreads at plus money, or consider a parlay with FSU's team under as well.

MORE: Orange Bowl Betting Preview

Fiesta Bowl: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty | Monday, January 1, 1:00PM EDT

Best Bet: Liberty +16.5 (-105 on DraftKings)

This is the biggest spread of New Year's Day but DimersBOT isn't buying the favorite to cover. Don't let the records fool you either; 13-0 Liberty is good at what they do but the 11-2 Oregon Ducks are an offensive powerhouse. Their losses both came against Washington, a current CFP team, and they were just three-point losses. 

Still, our model is expecting Liberty to compete in this one, projecting them for a 13-point average losing margin, covering the spread with ease in the majority of simulations. Furthermore, if you really want to have some fun, Liberty is out to +550 on the Moneyline at DraftKings. Meanwhile, our model projects them with a 24% probability of winning, well above the implied probability of 15.4% in the odds. Regardless of whether you take the longshot bet, it suggests Liberty can contend with Oregon enough to cover the 16.5 points.

MORE: Fiesta Bowl Betting Preview

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama | Monday, January 1, 5:00PM EDT

Best Bet: Michigan ML (-105 on DraftKings)

Now for those main events! The First CFP Semifinal to kick off will be Alabama vs. Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Michigan dominated this season, and is it their time to dominate the CFP? The Wolverines have overcome plenty of headlines and media chatter to secure the No. 1 overall spot, powered by an elite scoring defense and turnover margin. If Michigan can replicate what Texas managed to do to Alabama, although they're a different team now, they can control this game all the way through.

DimersBOT says Michigan runs this one, giving them a 58% probability to win outright and a 52% probability of covering the -1.5-point spread. The difference between these two is -120 and -110, but you're actually getting a slightly better value on the longer odds of -120, as they imply just a 55% probability. Back the Wolverines to win this one straight up and punch their ticket to the National Championship.

MORE: Rose Bowl Betting Preview

Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas | Monday, January 1, 8:45PM EDT

Best Bet: Washington +4 (-110 on DraftKings)

After downing Texas in last year's Alamo Bowl, can Washington do it again with even bigger stakes this time around? Our model is giving Washington a favorable chance on the money line in this game, but at a 58% probability of covering the four points, we get some nice value in the spread. That's good enough for a 5.6% edge in the odds. 

Washington quieted the haters with a resounding win over Oregon after being double-digit underdogs and will look to follow a similar formula against the Longhorns, who will not be an easy test for the Huskies. A lack of defense is probably going to define this game so keeping possessions alive is going to be critical for both teams. 

MORE: Sugar Bowl Betting Preview

 

Please remember to enjoy gambling responsibly. Responsible gambling means setting limits, staying in control, and understanding that luck is just part of the game. Make informed choices, set a budget, and know when to take a break. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.