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The 2025-26 bowl season will kickoff this Saturday night, and college football fans will be treated to full month of college football action, running through the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 19, 2026. 

This year's bowl schedule features a few notable absences, as Notre Dame, Kansas State and Iowa State all opted out of bowls due to the Irish's CFP snub and coaching changes in Manhattan and Ames. The result was a bit of a scramble to fill out the bowl schedule, and for all the consternation about the future of bowl games amid an ever-expanding playoff, we still have 35 non-playoff bowl games to look forward to over the next month. 

The CFP, which begins on Dec. 19, will take up most of the oxygen in the college football discussion, but part of the joy of bowl season is the sheer volume of college football action available over the coming weeks. 

Betting on bowl games always requires a bit of a deeper dive into who is playing in this current era of opt outs and the transfer portal, and the constant question about which team in any given matchup is motivated to be there. Still, there are opportunities abound throughout December and into early January to get a little more action, and the early lines provide some edge potential if you have a good initial read on a matchup. 

This year, there are some marquee bowl matchups outside the playoff games, with Michigan vs. Texas in the Citrus Bowl, Georgia Tech vs. BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl and Penn State vs. Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl all featuring major programs and intriguing matchups. 

Below you can find the schedule and betting lines (via FanDuel Sportsbook) for every bowl game and first-round Playoff game. 

All times Eastern

Saturday, Dec. 13

LA Bowl -- 8 p.m., TV: ABC

Boise State vs. Washington (-8.5) 

Tuesday, Dec. 16

Veterans Bowl -- 9 p.m., TV: ESPN

Jacksonville State vs. Troy (-3.5)

Wednesday, Dec. 17

Cure Bowl -- 5 p.m., TV: ESPN

Old Dominion vs. South Florida (-6.5)

68 Ventures Bowl -- 8:30 p.m., TV: ESPN

Delaware vs. Louisiana (-2.5)

Thursday, Dec. 18

Xbox Bowl -- 9 p.m., TV: ESPN2

Missouri State vs. Arkansas State (-2.5)

Friday, Dec. 19

Myrtle Beach Bowl -- 11 a.m., TV: ESPN

Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan (-4.5)

Gasparilla Bowl -- 2:30 p.m., TV: ESPN

Memphis vs. NC State (-5.5)

College Football Playoff first-round game -- 8 p.m., TV: ABC

No. 8 seed Oklahoma vs. No. 9 seed Alabama (-1.5)

Saturday, Dec. 20

College Football Playoff first-round game -- 12 p.m., TV: ABC

No. 10 seed Miami (FL) vs. No. 7 seed Texas A&M (-3.5)

College Football Playoff first-round game -- 3:30 p.m., TV: TNT

No. 11 seed Tulane vs. No. 6 seed Ole Miss (-16.5)

College Football Playoff first-round game -- 7:30 p.m., TV: TNT

No. 12 seed James Madison vs. No. 5 seed Oregon (-21.5)

Monday, Dec. 22

Potato Bowl -- 2 p.m., TV: ESPN

Washington State vs. Utah State (-3.5)

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Boca Raton Bowl -- 2 p.m., TV: ESPN

Toledo vs. Louisville (-8.5)

New Orleans Bowl -- 5:30 p.m., TV: ESPN

Southern Miss vs. Western Kentucky (-4.5)

Frisco Bowl -- 9 p.m., TV: ESPN

Ohio vs. UNLV (-4.5)

Wednesday, Dec. 24

Hawaii Bowl

Hawaii vs. Cal (-2.5)

Friday, Dec. 26

GameAbove Sports Bowl -- 1 p.m., TV: ESPN

Central Michigan vs. Northwestern (-13.5)

Rate Bowl -- 4:30 p.m., TV: ESPN

New Mexico vs. Minnesota (-3.5)

First Responder Bowl -- 8 p.m., TV: ESPN

FIU vs. UTSA (-9.5)

Saturday, Dec. 27

Military Bowl -- 11 a.m., TV: ESPN

East Carolina vs. Pittsburgh (-5.5)

Pinstripe Bowl -- 12 p.m., TV: ABC

Penn State vs. Clemson (-2.5)

Fenway Bowl -- 2:15 p.m., TV: ESPN

UConn vs. Army (-2.5)

Pop-Tarts Bowl -- 3:30 p.m., TV: ABC

Georgia Tech vs. BYU (-2.5)

Arizona Bowl -- 4:30 p.m., TV: CW 

Miami (OH) vs. Fresno State (-3.5)

New Mexico Bowl -- 5:45 p.m., TV: ESPN

San Diego State vs. North Texas (-4.5)

Gator Bowl -- 7:30 p.m., TV: ABC

Virginia vs. Missouri (-7.5)

Texas Bowl -- 9:15 p.m., TV: ESPN

LSU vs. Houston (-3.5)

Monday, Dec. 29

Birmingham Bowl -- 2 p.m., TV: ESPN

Appalachian State vs. Georgia Southern (-2.5)

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Independence Bowl -- 2 p.m., TV: ESPN

Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech (-8.5)

Music City Bowl -- 5:30 p.m., TV: ESPN

Illinois vs. Tennessee (-5.5)

Alamo Bowl -- 9 p.m., TV: ESPN

TCU vs. USC (-6.5)

Wednesday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl -- 12 p.m., TV: ESPN

Iowa vs. Vanderbilt (-4.5)

Sun Bowl -- 2 p.m., TV: CBS

Arizona State vs. Duke (-1.5)

Citrus Bowl -- 3 p.m., TV: ABC

Michigan vs. Texas (-5.5)

Las Vegas Bowl -- 3:30 p.m., TV: ESPN

Nebraska vs. Utah (-13.5)

Friday, Jan. 2

Armed Forces Bowl -- 1 p.m., TV: ESPN

Rice vs. Texas State (-9.5)

Liberty Bowl -- 4:30 p.m., TV: ESPN

Navy vs. Cincinnati (-1.5)

Holiday Bowl -- 8 p.m., TV: FOX

SMU vs. Arizona (-2.5)

Duke's Mayo Bowl -- 8 p.m., TV: ESPN

Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State (-3.5)