We’re in that “what day is it?” time of the Christmas break for most people.
If you’re looking to regain your focus and lock back into something, why not make that something a minor bowl game with some player prop action?
I’m hoping that Georgia Tech-Vanderbilt turns into Army-Navy and that Syracuse-Washington State resembles an Arena Football League game.
For those specific narratives, I'm looking to fade Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King and back Syracuse wide receiver Trebor Pena.
Let's dive into my college football player props and picks for Friday, Dec. 27.
College Football Player Props
In the table below, you'll find each of Mike Calabrese's top player prop picks from Friday's slate of NCAAF bowl games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 3:30 p.m. | |
| 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt Player Prop
Haynes King Under 195.5 Passing Yards
This game has major “Spiderman Pointing at Spiderman” meme energy.
Both of these Power Four programs feature Service Academy offenses dressed up in shotgun trappings. These two teams love third-and-manageables, playing keep-away and shrinking a game down to size.
Georgia Tech finished the regular season 84th in plays per second. Vanderbilt played considerably slower, ranking in the bottom 10 of FBS football in plays per game.
Tech won football games this season with seven or fewer offensive drives. When you’re dealing with so few opportunities, an empty drive for King, from a passing perspective, has the potential to kill his passing over.
Speaking of King, let’s start with the fact the Yellow Jackets don’t need him to produce through the air to win. In three separate starts in which he played the entire game, King went below 170 yards through the air. Georgia Tech won all three of those games.
The blueprint for this under is there before you even get into the personnel issues for the Jackets.
Wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. is off to Auburn, which is a major blow to this passing attack. In his final two games for GT, he hauled in 13 passes for 192 yards and a score.
Georgia Tech is also thin on the line, relying on Ethan Mackenny at left tackle. He played just 50 snaps all season long. Buster Faulkner will protect King by dialing up designed runs, RPOs and quick hitters in the passing game.
Georgia Tech was really balanced this season from a run/pass perspective, with 54.4% of its offensive snaps resulting in a rush.
But in this game, against a porous Vandy front that ranks 91st in Success Rate against the run, I foresee a 65/35 split from the Yellow Jackets.
I would play this one down to 189.5 at -110.
Pick: Haynes King Under 195.5 Passing Yards (Play to 189.5)
Syracuse vs. Washington State Player Prop
Trebor Pena Over 64.5 Receiving Yards
Three members of the Wazzu secondary hit the transfer portal. Were the Cougs any good against the pass with a full deck? No. In fact, Wazzu finished the regular season ranked 117th in pass defense, allowing over 255 yards per game through the air.
And it’s not just the secondary that's struggling to find warm bodies. Three defenders in the box are missing (two DTs and a LB), as well as a rotational pass rusher. This is an FCS roster right now — and not a good one.
Syracuse is locked in on this game for a few reasons. It’s the exclamation point on Fran Brown’s first season. He took over a program stuck in neutral and is now one game away from a 10-win season, which would be the Orange’s first since 2018.
The second reason to believe in SU is that this one matters to the players because Cuse got blasted 45-0 in last year’s Boca Raton Bowl.
When asked if he expected his starters to give it a go against Wazzu, Brown said, “We don’t opt out around here.” This is a coach and program that's ready to roll.
Kyle McCord’s passing props are a little too rich for my blood with the potential for a blowout on the table. I’m opting for a receiving prop instead, and I was pleasantly surprised to see such a reasonable number attached to Pena.
Pena led the Orange in receptions (79) and targets (104) and finished second in receiving yards (871). He reached 65-plus receiving yards in eight of his 12 starts this season. Two of those lower-production games came during blowouts, one a runaway win over Holy Cross and the other a humbling 41-13 defeat to Pitt.
Down the stretch, when Wazzu faced a team with a pulse through the air, props were cashing like crazy for opposing pass-catchers.
Oregon State’s top two wideouts finished with 136 and 92 yards, respectively. New Mexico, a run-centric team, had its top target, Luke Wysong, hit 71 yards on just five receptions. Even San Diego State, a team that finished 91st in passing yardage, had two receivers go for north of 70 yards receiving against WSU.
If you can ladder Pena, it’s a great look. I would play him all the way up to 90-plus if you can get north of +250 on your money.
Pick: Trebor Pena Over 64.5 Receiving Yards
