The Foster Farms Bowl has been around since 2002. You may remember it as the Emerald Bowl or Fight Hunger Bowl and will be played at Levi Stadium for the third consecutive year. This year’s matchup features the No. 19 Utah Utes and the Indiana Hoosiers. Utah finished third in the Pac-12, while Indiana was in the middle of the pack in the Big 10. The Utes are favored by 7.5 points with a game total of 54. Early action is on the underdog but the heavy hitters won’t come in until gameday when they can bet the full limits.
Utah Utes 8-4 vs Indiana Hoosiers 6-6
December 28, 2016
Levi Stadium, Santa Clara, California - 8:30 p.m., ET - FOX
Indiana had to beat cross-state rival Purdue to become bowl eligible and is going bowling for the second season in a row. A bottom feeder in the Big Ten for a long time, the Hoosiers made progress under head coach Kevin Wilson and finished 6-6. Surprisingly, Wilson resigned earlier this month due to “philosophical differences” and defensive coordinator, Tom Allen was promoted to lead the Hoosiers. Allen did a great job putting the teeth back in the Hoosiers defense. The Hoosiers defense was ranked 140th in 2015 and improved to 40th this year. If Indiana wants to pull the upset, running back Devine Redding, who ranks near the top in league rushing yards, will need a huge game.
Indiana’s last bowl win was at the 1991 Copper Bowl.
Utah was in the mix to get to the PAC-12 Championship game but critical losses to Oregon and Colorado in their last two games ruined their run. Still, the Utes finished 8-4 and are tough as nails in bowl games. Head coach Kyle Whittingham is 9-1 in bowls, winning their last three postseason tilts. Quarterback Troy Williams leads the Utes offense and had a solid year, throwing for 2,579 yards and 15 TDs, but the key to the game will be if Utah can run the ball all over the Indiana’s defense. The Utes averaged 210 yards a game on the ground in PAC-12 play and if they get anywhere near their average, it will be a long day for Indiana.
Indiana and Utah have played three previous times, with the Hoosiers winning in 1975, and the Utes prevailing in 2001 and 2002.
Opening Line: Utah -8.5, Total 54
Current Line at BookMaker Sportsbook: Utah -7.5
Utah opened up as a 8.5-point favorite and it’s slowly gone down to 7.5. The game total is solid at 54 and holding steady. With an improved defense, Indiana was an UNDER team this year hitting paydirt 8 of 12 times. The Utes had a mixed bag throughout the year, going 6-6 on totals.
THE PLAY
I don’t like what happened at Indiana when head coach Kevin Wilson abruptly resigned before the end of the season. Too many unknowns for IU heading into this game with Utah who thrives in postseason games. The Hoosiers were a mediocre team that barely squeaked into a bowl, while the Utes are a proven team that with a little luck could have been a top ten team. Don’t let the high number influence or scare you off your pick. Utah ROLLS by three TDs!
The College Football betting odds and props for this week’s games were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. Live wagering during commercials offers adjusted moneylines, totals and spreads. Log in and start gambling during the game now! The Utah Utes and Indiana Hoosiers square off in the Foster Farms Bowl on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 at 8:30 p.m., ET. FOX will televise the game live.
