College Football Betting Picks for Wednesday 12/27/23

If you've not hopped on December's bowl-season train already, fret not! The college postseason action is really only just beginning.

With games firing off all throughout the week, this Wednesday offers four CFB contests to keep bowl season churning strong. Of that bunch, I am most thrilled for a clash between the USC Trojans and Louisville Cardinals in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl.

There is quite a bit to unpack here, and I know you value your time. Prior to Wednesday, let's dive into the odds and lines for the upcoming bowl slate, emphasizing the most valuable of the traditional betting markets where applicable. Also, be sure to check out our piece for Thursday's bowl action, as well.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

College Football Betting Picks for 12/27/23

Wednesday's Full Slate

Mayo Bowl

North Carolina vs. West Virginia

• Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN/ESPN+
• Spread: WVU -6.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: UNC +202/WVU -250
• Total: 54.5 (-115/-105)

In 2023, the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-4) did well to finish above .500 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2018. Overall, WVU has built significant steam in five seasons under head coach Neal Brown. The Mountaineers now have a consistent running game to lean on, going for 234.3 rushing yards per game (YPG). Dual-threat junior quarterback Garrett Greene leads the unit with 13 scores with his legs.

Meeting West Virginia in the Duke's Mayo Bowl will be the North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4). In the current campaign, the Heels were guided by (likely) future NFL first-round draft pick Drake Maye. However, with Maye's professional stock soaring right now, he will sit out of Wednesday afternoon's game in Charlotte. Can freshman signal-caller Conner Harrell save the day for UNC?

The Heels have gone bowling every year since Mack Brown took over as head coach. Through that span, North Carolina is 1-3 in bowl games. Still, Neal Brown has only one bowl win at WVU, himself. Simply, a win here for either school will give the program its best season of the current era.

Best Bet: North Carolina +6.5 (-105)

Despite UNC's change at quarterback, I like the Heels getting six points with a hook at Duke's Mayo Bowl. The freshman Harrell does not boast a ton of college experience, but having tailback Omarion Hampton beside him in the offense should help with both confidence and scheme -- Hampton produced a whopping 6.2 rushing yards per carry through the regular season.

The defenses on hand stack up rather closely, as WVU is allowing 27.5 points per game (PPG) compared to North Carolina at 27.1 PPG. With that in mind, the fact that the Tar Heels will still be able to lean on a dynamic ground game while playing so close to Chapel Hill has me eager to take the points. In the neighborhood of a touchdown (+6.5), I'm on UNC against the spread (ATS).

Holiday Bowl

Louisville vs. USC

• Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN/ESPN+
• Spread: LOU -7 (-115)
• Moneyline: LOU -275/USC +220
• Total: 58.5

Along with a handful of other CFB postseason contests, the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl is a fun example of football within an MLB venue. Kicking off Wednesday afternoon from Petco Park (home of the San Diego Padres) in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, Louisville (10-3) and Southern Cal (7-5) face off in a game that will be without the talents of projected first overall draft selection Caleb Williams.

This clash will feature a couple of old quarterbacks in head coaching positions. For the Trojans, Lincoln Riley fell short of expectations in 2023 after USC dazzled in his first year as head coach. Across the field for UL, head coach -- and former XFL star -- Jeff Brohm has won 10 games with his alma mater Cardinals in his first campaign with them. That's something Louisville had not accomplished since their final season in the American Conference (2013).

With Williams heading for the NFL, USC will "fight on" under signal-caller Miller Moss. The sophomore does not have much experience, having tossed only three collegiate touchdowns. Naturally, that offers some juxtaposition to Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer, who is on the heels of throwing for 3,000 yards at his second school in as many years.

Best Bet: Louisville -7.0 (-115)

After watching Southern Cal spiral for much of the conference schedule's back half, I am confident the Cardinals can cover a touchdown. Notably, the Trojans lost five of their final six games in 2023, earning just a one-point win (50-49) over the California Golden Bears through that stretch.

USC still has playmakers on offense, such as Tahj Washington (18.5 yards per catch) and Brenden Rice (12 TDs), but we could see fewer explosive plays without their ringleader Williams. With the Trojans going against Plummer (a QB with significant experience in three different Power Five conferences), I feel more comfortable on the chalk in San Diego.

Louisville has averaged 30.9 PPG this year, a number which will likely inflate against USC's porous defense; the Trojans have allowed an abysmal 438.8 YPG to opponents in 2023. At numberFire, the game projections yield an estimated score of 34.49-26.98 in favor of UL. That provides a scoring differential of 7.51 points.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.