New Year’s Eve has never been so sweet, as the NCAA College Football Playoff has its annual semifinal games on December 31. The 2022 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl could both be blowouts, but neither defending champion No. 1 Georgia nor No. 2 Michigan should have an easy time. The Bulldogs are facing the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes, who would love nothing more than to have the chance at revenge against their rival Wolverines in the national championship game. The first of the two semifinal games that day will be No. 2 Michigan against No. 3 TCU. For the Fiesta Bowl, it should be nice weather for the game at State Farm State Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Let us take a look at the spread, key players, and the betting preview.
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What is the Spread of the Fiesta Bowl?
The 2022 Fiesta Bowl will feature undefeated No. 2 Michigan (13-0) and No. 3 TCU (12-1). The Michigan Wolverines (-7.5) are the favorites in this contest. For those interested in betting the moneyline, Michigan (-300) is a heavy favorite, while you can get value on TCU’s moneyline (+240).
The over/under for the game is 58.5 points.
Who are the Key Players in the Fiesta Bowl?
TCU’s quarterback Max Duggan exploded for 3,321 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes this season. He also added six rushing scores, bringing his career total to 25 rushing touchdowns. Michigan’s signal caller J.J. McCarthy is just a sophomore, and he tallied 2,376 passing yards with a total of 24 touchdowns. They are primed to have a tremendous battle in this contest.
Unfortunately, Michigan’s rushing leader Blake Corum suffered a meniscus tear against Illinois and is out for the remainder of 2022. Donovan Edwards will look to fill the void. He has 872 yards on 117 carries (7.5 yards per rush) heading into the Fiesta Bowl. On the other side of the football, TCU will feature running back Kendre Miller. The junior out of Mount Enterprise, Texas has had a career year: 216 attempts, 1,342 yards, and 17 rushing touchdowns.
On the defensive side, TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is one of the best defensive players in college football. He became the second Horned Frog to take home the Jim Thorpe Award for the top defensive back in college football. Current Las Vegas Raiders free safety won the award in 2020.
Fiesta Bowl Betting Preview
Regarding the spread, it is important to note that the spread is more than seven points. This Michigan team has been very dominant all season, while TCU showed its flaws in its loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship. The Wolverines are primed to make it to the national championship, but their offense will have to be firing on all cylinders to win by more than a touchdown.
As far as the point total goes for this contest, we remember that last year was not too kind to over bettors in the semifinals. However, TCU brought the offense for a lot of this season. If Michigan keeps tallying the points and plays a back-and-forth battle, we could see the over hitting.