Bowl season is upon us — 40 extra college football games in December and January make for festive holiday betting opportunities, particularly for parlay card players.
The first bowl games kick off on Friday, in Frisco, Texas, and Nassau, Bahamas. Then on Saturday are seven more.
While successful sports bettors generally rely on exploiting small edges for incrementally increasing their bankroll, parlay cards present the possibility of much bigger payoffs.
“Parlay cards are always very popular whether it is bowl or regular season,†MGM Resorts Director of Trading Operations Jeff Stoneback said to OG News. “About a third of all tickets written on football are parlay cards.”
A look at the complete college bowl game schedule, with odds, is essential for identifying the games you’ll want to pick together.
2019-20 Bowl Game Calendar
Dec. 20
Bahamas Bowl
Nassau, Bahamas
Buffalo (-5) vs. Charlotte
Frisco Bowl
Frisco, Texas
Utah St. (-9) vs. Kent St.
Dec. 21
Celebration Bowl
Atlanta, Georgia
Alcorn St. vs. N. Carolina AT&T (PK)
New Mexico Bowl
Albuquerque, New Mexico
San Diego St. (-4) vs. Central Michigan
Cure Bowl
Orlando, Florida
Liberty vs. Georgia Southern (-6)
Boca Raton Bowl
Boca Raton, Florida
SMU (-4) vs. Florida Atlantic
Camellia Bowl
Montgomery, Alabama
Florida International vs. Arkansas (-3)
Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas, Nevada
Boise St. vs. Washington (-4)
New Orleans Bowl
New Orleans, Louisiana
Appalachian St. (-17) vs. UAB
Dec. 23
Gasparilla Bowl
St. Petersburg, Florida
Central Florida (-17) vs. Marshall
Dec. 24
Hawaii Bowl
Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii vs. BYU (BYU-1)
Dec. 26
Independence Bowl
Shreveport, Louisiana
Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (-7)
Quick Lane Bowl
Detroit, Michigan
Pitt (-11) vs. Eastern Michigan
Dec. 27
Military Bowl
Annapolis, Maryland
North Carolina (-5.5) vs. Temple
Pinstripe Bowl
The Bronx, New York City
Michigan St. (-3) vs. Wake Forest
Texas Bowl
Houston, Texas
Oklahoma St. vs. Texas A&M (-5.5)
Holiday Bowl
San Diego, California
USC vs. Iowa (-1)
Cheez-It Bowl
Phoenix, Arizona
Air Force (-2.5) vs. Washington St.
Dec. 28
Camping World Bowl
Orlando, Florida
Notre Dame (-3.5) vs. Iowa State
Cotton Bowl
Arlington, Texas
Memphis vs. Penn St. (-7)
Fiesta Bowl
Glendale, Arizona
Clemson (-2) vs. Ohio State
Peach Bowl
Atlanta, Georgia
LSU (-13) vs. Oklahoma Dec. 30
First Responder Bowl
Dallas, Texas
W. Kentucky (-2.5) vs. W. Michigan
Music City Bowl
Nashville, Tennessee
Mississippi St. (-4) vs. Louisville
Redbox Bowl
Santa Clara, California
Cal (-6.5) vs. Illinois
Orange Bowl
Miami Gardens, Florida
Florida (-13.5) vs. Virginia
Dec. 31
Belk Bowl
Charlotte, North Carolina
Virginia Tech (-2.5) vs. Kentucky
Sun Bowl
El Paso, Texas
Florida St. vs. Arizona St. (-5.5)
Liberty Bowl
Memphis, Tennessee
Navy vs. Kansas (PK)
Arizona Bowl
Tucson, Arizona
Wyoming (-7) vs. Georgia
Alamo Bowl
San Antonio, Texas
Utah (-7) vs. Texas
Jan. 1
Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida
Michigan vs. Alabama (-7)
Outback Bowl
Tampa Bay, Florida
Minnesota vs. Auburn (-7.5)
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Oregon vs. Wisconsin (-2.5)
Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, Louisiana
Georgia (-7) vs. Baylor
Jan. 2
Birmingham Bowl
Birmingham, Alabama
Cincinnati (-7.5) vs. Boston College
Gator Bowl
Jacksonville, Florida
Indiana vs. Tennessee (PK)
Jan. 3
Potato Bowl
Boise, Idaho
Ohio (-6.5) vs. Nevada
Jan. 4
Armed Forces Bowl
Fort Worth, Texas
S. Mississippi vs. Tulane (-7)
Jan. 6
LendingTree Bowl
Mobile, Alabama
Louisiana-Lafayette (-14) vs. Miami (Ohio)
Since 1992, $1.7 billion has been bet on parlay cards with Nevada sportsbooks, according to UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research
The standard payout for three-game parlays ranges from 6/1 to 7/1, with most falling at 6.5/1. The most popular parlay bets, Stoneback says, are on five teams or more, with payouts starting at 20/1 and going up to 3,000/1 for 12-team cards, and even as much as10,000/1 for picking 15 games correctly.
“There are a few times a year when a 10 or 11-teamer hits for a nice payday,†Stoneback said. “Well it’s nice for the guest of course.â€