CFB DFS Cheat Sheet for Today: Boca Raton Bowl & LA Bowl Predictions
The 2024 College Football Bowl Season has begun. Not only do we get a full slate of bowl games, but now, we have an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, which kicks off on Friday.
We’ll kick off the bowl season schedule with predictions for two games for December 18 — the Boca Raton Bowl and the LA Bowl.
The Boca Raton Bowl will feature Western Kentucky vs. James Madison and the Art of Sport LA Bowl brings us California vs. UNLV. Although some players have opted out of each game, there are plenty of opportunities in these matchups.
Let’s get into top players and their potential impact for each of these college football bowl games on Wednesday, December 18.
For more college football picks and predictions, stay tuned to the Playbook for predictions on all the bowl and CFB Playoff games.
Western Kentucky vs. James Madison Picks for Boca Raton Bowl
Here are the top picks and player predictions for Western Kentucky vs. James Madison in the Boca Raton Bowl for CFB DFS on PrizePicks for Wednesday, December 18. Click to read more analysis.
- James Madison QB Billy Atkins 179.5 Passing Yards – Less
- James Madison RB George Pettaway 62.5 Rushing Yards – More
- Western Kentucky QB Caden Veltkamp 1.5 Passing Touchdowns – More
Western Kentucky vs. James Madison: Where to Watch the Boca Raton Bowl
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN
Where: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla.
James Madison QB Billy Atkins 179.5 Passing Yards – Less
The Dukes will be without QB Alonza Barnett III, so it will be the backup Billy Atkins getting the starting duties. He hasn't played much in his four years at JMU, and his little experience has not brought positive results, going 29-of-59 with 293 passing yards and a 4:5 TD:INT ratio.
He will be facing a shell of a Western Kentucky team that will miss most of their star players, especially on defense, but that won’t equate to success for Atkins. The forecast calls for rain and ugly conditions, and a wet ball for a quarterback won’t lend itself to passing.
James Madison RB George Pettaway 62.5 Rushing Yards – More
James Madison will also keep the playbook simple and lean on the run game. The good news is RB George Pettaway will play. His first year as the starter couldn’t have gone better as he finished sixth in the Sun Belt in rushing yards (840) and led the conference with 5.9 yards per carry (min. 140 carries).
Regardless, this would have been a great matchup because the Hilltoppers were 129th in rushing yards allowed per game (221.5). Now, they don’t have most of their starters on that side of the ball, and James Madison is only missing one member of their offensive line.
This could be a game where Pettaway sees 20 carries, making this rushing yards number well within reach.
Western Kentucky QB Caden Veltkamp 1.5 Passing TDs – More
Despite being in the portal, QB Caden Veltkamp will play in this game. He was one of the top quarterbacks in Conference USA as he was second in passing yards per game (149.9) and leading with 23 passing touchdowns; he also had a team-leading seven rushing touchdowns.
The weather conditions won’t be great for him to throw a lot, but they will count on him when they get those scoring situations. He will also want to look impressive for the teams considering bringing him over for next season.
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California vs. #24 UNLV Picks for LA Bowl
Here are the top picks and player predictions for California vs. #24 UNLV in the LA Bowl for CFB DFS on PrizePicks for Wednesday, December 18. Click to read more analysis.
- UNLV QB Hajj-Malik Williams 244.5 Pass+Rush Yards – More
- California QB Chandler Rogers 210.5 Passing Yards – Less
California vs. #24 UNLV: How to Watch the LA Bowl
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Time: 9 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN
Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
UNLV QB Hajj-Malik Williams 244.5 Passing + Rushing Yards – More
There are a lot of changes coming for UNLV, with head coach Barry Odom leaving to take the job at Purdue, with former Florida head coach Dan Mullen coming in.
QB Hajj-Malik Williams will stay put and will benefit next year with Mullen coming. He got the starting job after Matthew Sluka left the program because of an NIL issue, and it worked out as he led the Rebels to the Mountain West Championship.
He is the better passer of the two, with a 62% completion rate compared to Sluka’s 43%. He also led the team with nine rushing touchdowns and was second with 824 rushing yards.
Cal’s lost a lot of players on both sides to the portal and this could turn into a highlight film for Williams, who should have no problem moving the ball on this defense.
California QB Chandler Rogers 217.5 Passing Yards – Less
The Golden Bears will not have their 2024 starter at QB, as Fernando Mendoza hit the portal after the regular season's conclusion. Rogers will get the atart, and the most action he saw this year was in the finale against SMU, where he threw for 85 yards on eight completions.
He showed at Louisiana-Monroe and North Texas that he can sling it with 241 yards per game, a 64% completion rate, and a 44:12 TD: INT ratio.
However, this will be a tough matchup against UNLV, which had 22 takeaways this season and ranked 15th with a 90.0 PFF coverage grade, with most of the starting defense playing in this game.
Win Money During College Football Bowl Season
On Wednesday, we’ll see California vs. UNLV and Western Kentucky vs. James Madison to start college football bowl season, but that’s only the beginning. There will be plenty more bowl games and the CFB Playoffs.
Use these player picks to help you build your CFB DFS Lineups on PrizePicks. You can win real money on PrizePicks throughout the bowl season and College Football Playoffs by choosing more or less on player projections. Pick more on Demon projections to win up to 1000x your money.
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