College football odds, picks, predictions for 2020-21 bowl games: Model backing North Carolina, Indiana

Gary Cosby Jr / USA TODAY Sports

The College Football Playoff title matchup between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Ohio State is now set for Jan. 11. But there's still one more day of bowl action to go before turning attention to that game. Saturday's college football bowl schedule features a handful of intriguing matchups, including two Top-25 showdowns that bettors will certainly target. No. 5 Texas A&M, who's only loss came against top-ranked Alabama earlier this season, squares off against No. 13 North Carolina in the 2021 Orange Bowl. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Aggies as 7.5-point favorites in the latest college football bowl odds.

Meanwhile, No. 10 Iowa State is favored by five points against No. 25 Oregon in the 2021 Fiesta Bowl. Which of those lines carry value for college football bowl bets? Before locking in any college football picks for those games or others, be sure to see the latest college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It enters bowl season a sizzling 56-36 on all top-rated picks, returning over $400. Anybody who has followed it is way up.

Now, it has turned its attention to the latest college football odds for bowl season from William Hill and locked in picks for every FBS matchup. Head here to see every pick.

Top 2020-21 college football bowl predictions

One of the top college football bowl picks the model is recommending: No. 13 North Carolina (+7.5) stays within the spread against No. 5 Texas A&M in the 2021 Orange Bowl on Jan. 2. Texas A&M thought that it had a compelling case to surpass Notre Dame for the final spot in the College Football Playoff with its only loss coming early in the season against Alabama. However, the Aggies were relegated to a New Year's Six bowl outside the playoff.

That's a classic letdown spot for big-time programs and the Tar Heels, despite missing some players who opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft, should be extremely motivated to close with a big win in just their second season under Mack Brown. North Carolina averaged a whopping 556.6 yards of total offense per game this season, which ranked fourth in the country.

The Tar Heels, who averaged 43.0 points per game, are led by quarterback Sam Howell. The sophomore signal caller averaged 10.6 yards per pass attempt this season and the Aggies gave up 747 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns against the two most prolific passing offenses they faced (Alabama and Florida). The model predicts that Howell will throw for well over 275 yards and two touchdowns on average to help the Tar Heels cover in well over 50 percent of simulations.

Another one of the top college football predictions from the model: No. 11 Indiana (-8.5) covers the spread when it takes on the Ole Miss Rebels in the Outback Bowl at 12:30 p.m. .ET. Saturday's matchup will feature one of the nation's most prolific offenses facing off against an extremely stingy defense.

The Rebels average 562.4 yards per game on offense this season, which ranks third in the country. However, Ole Miss will be without two of its most explosive playmakers on Saturday. Wide receiver Elijah Moore, who ranks second in the nation with 1,193 receiving yards, and tight end Kenny Yeboah, who averages 19.4 yards per reception, both opted out to focus on the 2021 NFL Draft.

Indiana, meanwhile, is giving up just 19.4 points per game this season. The Hoosiers have given up 11 or fewer points in three of their last four games, and SportsLine's model predicts Indiana will hold the Rebels to just 26 points on Saturday, well under their season total average (40.6). The model shows Indiana covering the spread in well over 60 percent of simulations, while the over (65.5) hits more than 50 percent of the time.

How to make 2020-21 college football bowl picks

The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every game, and it is calling for a surprising upset on Saturday. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.

So what college football picks can you make with confidence during bowl season? And which underdog should you be all over? Check out the latest college football odds from William Hill below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $3,500 in profit over the past four-plus seasons, and find out.