So here we are: the final day of 2008. Was the last year good to you, dear readers? Yeah, I know there was that pesky recession and crappy economy to worry about, but think about it: just pick up a new offshore sportsbook and you might be able to break a new, tidy profit…think about it! (Just don’t bet your house or kids’ college funds or anything, okay? That’s not cool.)

Also, a source of good cheer to kick off the new year right: college bowl games by the dozen! Well, okay, there’s actually nine to choose from on New Year’s Day, but still — nine! Since I’m going to be preoccupied by the Blackhawks vs Red Wings line earlier that day, I’ll be picking up the action first with the Rose Bowl at 4:30 and then the Orange Bowl at 8 PM.

As far as Rose Bowl odds go, it’s a toughie — Penn State’s been looking great, and I think too many people have been writing them off. Yet the USC Trojans have had a bombastic year, and given the fact that they have a semi-homefield advantage, it’d be wise to bet on the Trojans — they’re a 10-point favorite, after all.

With the Orange Bowl odds, I’m going to have to retract my earlier pick and go with Virginia Tech. True, they’re not the best of the NCAAF teams and neither are Cincinnati, but this should be a defensive showdown for the agres. Virginia Tech will have a bit more of an edge in this matchup.

Oh yeah, and if you’re the industrious or imaginative sort, here are a couple of cute recipes to try out for tomorrow: football cupcakes and Rice Krispie mini-footballs. How cute!

They could also double for Super Bowl goodies — lest we forget, the big game’s only a month away! Be sure to keep checking up on the 2009 Super Bowl odds so you won’t be left out when February 1st rolls around.

Happy ‘09 to all of you, and see you in the new year!

As I mentioned earlier, there’s no better way to cut the post-holiday tension between inebrieted in-laws and relatives than with a little NCAAF bowl game action. Fortunately, we’ve got just the thing for you this year: Emerald Bowl betting!

Taking place on December 27th in San Franscisco, this year’s pairing features a Miami vs California line. And it should be an easy pick, just in case you’re having trouble waking up from a Christmas-feast-induced slumber: California Golden Bears all the way. Just take a look at the Miami Hurricanes: They’re young, and while that’s good for us female-types who like seeing sporting fit young men, it’s not the best advantage on the field. And although coach Randy Shannon has really turned them around, I don’t think it’s gonna be enough — especially considering that the Bears will have home advantage.

If you’re tempted by your favourite sportsbook here, I say raise the stakes with your man of choice and wager for a nice piece of emerald jewelry on this one. Hey, it’s only appropriate.

It’s Monday afternoon in early December, which means it’s time to get back down to business: NCAA football bowl game odds, of course. Bowl game matchups just appeared yesterday, and some of `em look to be doozies. Although I can’t speak for the amount of viewers who’ll be tuning in to the Meineke Car Care Bowl or the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, I DO know that there’s quite a few matchup gems in that list that I won’t be missing, and neither should you.

What does this mean for my fine readership? Picks and previews! And also, for my fellow bitchin-in-the-kitchen sportsfan ladies out there, I’m throwing in a Bowl-themed recipe for each matchup. While not really traditional bowl-snackin’ food, I am a vocal supporter of good food and fun cooking, so I urge you to try these out for either dinner on bowl day, or - why not? - as game-time munchies. Bowl games come but once a year, even though you’ll definitely have your pick. Here’s the best of the lot:

Rose Bowl odds: Penn State vs. USC
USC’s the familiar face in this matchup, having had the most Rose Bowl appearances in history at 32 — and the most wins at 23. For those reasons alone, it might be in your best interest to bet on USC for this New Year’s Day game.
Recipe: Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosted Cupcakes (via Open Source Cupcakes)

Sugar Bowl odds: Utah vs. Alabama
Again, another repeat champion appears: Alabama, who’ve won themselves eight Sugar Bowls in the past. Unsurprisingly, they are the favorite in this matchup, and look to leave Utah in the dust. Follow up your Rose Bowl betting with this game on January 2nd, 2009, and make sure you have some sugary goodies on hand to go with.
Recipe: Linzer Cutout Cookies (via Serious Eats)

Fiesta Bowl odds: Ohio State vs. Texas
Feeling spicy? We’ve got a red-hot Fiesta Bowl pick for you here between Ohio State and Texas. Appropriately, it’s the state closest to the southern border that has the edge in this gridiron battle, so pick the boys of Texas to take this one in Arizona.
Recipe: Fiesta Grilled Chicken (via Allrecipes)

Orange Bowl odds: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
Here’s another bowl game option for you on New Year’s Day, and one that has a more even matchup: Virginia Tech and Cincinnati laying the beats down in Florida. It’s a close one here, but put your money on Cincinnati U. They’ve been looking better this season.
Recipe: Mixed Green Salad with Oranges, Dried Cranberries and Pecans (via Epicurious)

Chick-fil-A Bowl odds: LSU vs Georgia Tech
One of the finer examples of “anybody can have a bowl game named after their franchise,” Atlanta’s bowl game (formerly known as the Peach Bowl) boasts LSU against Georgia Tech this year. As for a pick, I’m gonna go out on a limb (wing?) here and say LSU, if only because they’ve got a longer winning record at 4 victories so far.
Recipe: Peach-Spiced Chicken (via Southern Food)

It may be Thanksgiving today, but even a hundred crepe-paper turkeys couldn’t cover the mass amounts of Christmas decorations currently trussing up storefronts everywhere. The jolly old elf comes in less than one month, and when I think of the holiday season, you know what I think? College football bowl games, that’s what — especially Rose Bowl odds and Fiesta Bowl odds. Blame it on having football-loving cousins spending the holidays monopolizing the TV so they can yell at bad pigskin passes all day…Though I suppose I ought to thank my family for those times, as they served as a springboard for my own adult love of the game! It really is a time for family.

(You just know they’re watching the Chick-fil-A Bowl with bated breath)

Despite the wacky names and sponsors (though it IS only right that Tostitos hosts the Fiesta Bowl) and the fact that pretty much anybody can buy a bowl game if they’re a millionaire, the bowl games make for college football betting at their finest. What better way to try and earn money to pay off those massive credit card bills from the holidays? Your sportsbook holds all the answers. Maybe if you wager enough, the payoff will be so big you can buy your own bowl game next year! Wishful thinking, my friends — it’s what the holidays are all about.

But I digress — personally, I’m thinking Trojans and Penn State for my Rose Bowl pick, and of course Texas Tech to make an appearance in Fiesta Bowl lines (you DO know Texas is gonna run all over A&M tonight, right?) — but against who? That’s the question that the next month of NCAA football will hopefully answer. Pass the salsa.

Alright, so here’s the thing: No matter what my sportsbook record attests to, I love NCAA football almost more than the NFL.

Why, you ask? Hard to say. Maybe it’s because the college football players are closer to my own age (which will remain a secret, as I am first and foremost a lady — a lady who likes bloodsports, but a lady still). Maybe it’s because it’s heartening to see how much crazed, body-painted support these teams get from staff, fellow students and their communities, as well as across America. Maybe it’s because, unlike their big-league counterparts, college football players for the most part have not yet graduated to shooting up clubs, hotel-room brawling with bodyguards, repeated drug use offences, dogfighting organizing, and beating on women. (This does not include any less-than-savory behavior on the part of their cheerleaders.)

There are also about fifty kabillion NCAAF teams (including the unfortunately-named Alabama Crimson Tide) in a gazillion divisions, so it’s not so easy to keep `em straight. Here are two of the big ones, going head to head this Saturday: Texas Tech vs Oklahoma.

Mmmm, smells like barbeque! Good thing I’m not on a diet…

Anyway, despite the fact that the Red Raiders have been a huge surprise this season, it still looks like a David vs. Goliath story when they’re up against the massively powerful Sooners. Yet, as any faithful reader of the Bible knows, David gave Goliath a beatdown, and that’s precisely what’s gonna happen on Saturday. Texas Tech is coming off a better record for wins right now, and their defense is huge. NCAA football lines are saying it looks like the Sooners will get trounced, thus bringing TT a step closer to the BCS Championship.

Go get `em, Reds!