Holiday Bowl 2022 Betting Guide

The Holiday Bowl is a college football bowl game played yearly in San Diego since 1978. Since 2017, the game has been sponsored by San Diego Credit Union.

This year, the game features the top-25 ranked Oregon Ducks and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Here, we’ll look at the best bets to make for this game as the Pac-12 and ACC square off, and also look back at some previous winners in this Holiday Bowl 2022 betting guide. 

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Holiday Bowl 2022 Teams and News

The reason the Holiday Bowl came into existence in 1978 was to give the Western Athletic Conference an automatic bowl bid after the Fiesta Bowl ended its ties with the league. 

The most important game in the bowl's history came in 1984, when Brigham Young defeated Michigan 24-17 to remain undefeated and win the national championship.

The Ducks will be without 11 players in this one. The production of these players ranges, but the notable opt-outs include linebacker Justin Flowe, wide receiver Dont’e Thornton, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez. 

Flowe and Thornton weren’t big-time starters, but they had their role.

Thornton wasn’t utilized much at the beginning of the season but finished the year with 10 targets, seven receptions, 217 yards, and a touchdown over the last three games. 

He had just 17 receptions on the season. Still, his 21.4 yards per reception illustrates his big play ability, which could have come in handy this week. 

Flowe played 178 snaps, finishing the year with seven pressures and 21 tackles.

Gonzalez is the most notable player as he heads off for the NFL Draft. He was an All-Conference player, allowing just 39 receptions for 495 yards and three touchdowns this year. He also had four interceptions. 

The team’s starting quarterback, Bo Nix, will play in this game. 

As for the coaching staff, offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham leaving become the head coach for Arizona State. In his absence, Junior Adams and Drew Mehringer will take over play-calling duties. 

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Like Oregon, North Carolina is faced with 11 players missing this game.  

• Transfer Portal: Six players
• Injury: Four players
• Opt-Out: One player

The lone opt-out, wide receiver Josh Downs, is quarterback Drake Maye’s top target, but he’s sitting out to get ready for the NFL Draft. Maye was the Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Offensive Rookie of the Year in the ACC. 

Four of the players hitting the transfer portal are defensive players, which doesn’t help an already lousy Tar Heels defense. 

The coaching staff for UNC will be impacted in this one as Phil Longo is going to to Wisconsin to become Luke Fickell’s offensive coordinator. Offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. is also headed to Wisconsin.  

The new passing game coordinator is Lonnie Galloway, and John Lilly will take over as run-game coordinator. 

Who won the Holiday Bowl in the Past 

The Holiday Bowl dates back to the late 1970s with Navy crowned as the inaugural winner in 1978. The game was not played in 2020 or 2021 because of COVID-19.

Below is a list of winners dating to 2011. 
 

Established 2018

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This college football bowl game has a reasonably lopsided spread, so getting the extra 0.5 or full point can make a big difference. This is where researching the best US mobile sports betting apps comes in handy. 

Below is a table of multiple sportsbooks with the odds for this game at each. 

Holiday Bowl Betting Tips

Before finalizing any bets for this game, check out the best sports betting bonus codes to see what you can utilize to win even more money. 

With a game like this that’s right around two touchdowns on the point spread, be sure to look for the hook — the extra half-point. This can be a massive difference-maker when deciding who to wager on. 

Holiday Bowl Bowl Predictions: Moneyline Betting Pick

There’s overwhelming belief that Oregon will win this game. The Ducks are the No. 15 passing offense in the country, and the Tar Heels rank 121 in the country in passing yards allowed at 276.4. 

The Tar Heels are without some defenders and will have difficulty stopping this offense. 

Moneyline Betting Pick: Oregon -500

Holiday Bowl Predictions: Point Spread Betting Pick

While the Ducks should win this one, the Tar Heels should also be able to score. 

Oregon allows 260.6 passing and 125.5 rushing yards per game. Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye played well this year, throwing over 4,000 yards, 34 touchdowns, and completing 66.7% of his passes. 

The absence of Downs will be felt in this one, but the Tar Heels offense should also be able to move the ball a bit on Oregon. 

Point Spread Betting Pick: UNC +14.5 

Holiday Bowl Projections: Over/Under Betting Pick

As mentioned, both teams have great passing offenses, and each has a poor passing defense. 

These teams should be able to move the ball up and down the field on one another with minimal resistance. Expect a high-scoring game. 

Over/Under Betting Pick: Over 73