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Central Florida Knights versus Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Bookmaker Sportsbook Reviews Odds: Rutgers -3

The Central Florida Knights will take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the St. Petersburg Bowl this weekend. Geographically speaking, Central Florida should have somewhat of a home field advantage with this contest being played at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, whereas the Scarlet Knights will have to travel across the country for this game.

Sports gambling experts are curious to see how this Big East-Conference USA game plays out as the sportsbook odds makers have set up a small spread. The Scarlet Knights are favored by three points, mostly because they come from a stronger conference.

Central Florida should be very pleased with themselves this year and they have already had a successful year regardless of whether they win a bowl or not. They were 4-8 in 2008 so an 8-4 year was a pleasant surprise. One of the biggest changes for George O’Leary’s squad is the fact that their offense is producing significantly more.

The biggest change was senior quarterback Brett Hodges, who was a Wake Forest transfer. The Knights were 7-2 with Hodges as a started. Overall, the offense produced nearly 120 more yards and 10 more points per game from this year to last year.

One thing bettors will have to take into account is just how hot this UCF team is heading into the bowl season. They won their last six Conference USA games to finish the season and their only loss came to No. 2 Texas on November 7th.

For Rutgers, they are bowling for a fifth straight year and are just one of nine FBS teams to win their last three bowl games overall.

Overall, Rutgers is a very young team and while they are likely to have a bright future, they might show some nerves in this contest. Quarterback Tom Savage has played like a rookie, which means he’s been excellent at times and at others, he has struggled mightily. He completed just 52.3% of his passes this year.

The real boiling point of this game will be the Rutgers offensive line. They allowed 39 sacks this year and the UCF defense can get pressure. If they rattle Savage, they’ll win this game outright.

College Football Betting Picks: Central Florida +3