The 2012 Las Vegas Bowl picks are going to be difficult to make, as the Washington Huskies and Boise State Broncos are set to do battle with one another in a Pac-12 vs. Mountain West battle. Check out our Las Vegas Bowl predictions and the keys to the game for Washington vs. Boise State.

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2012 Las Vegas Bowl: Washington Huskies vs. Boise State Broncos
2012 Las Vegas Bowl Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
2012 Las Vegas Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 22nd, 3:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Las Vegas Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: Both teams need to win the turnover battle
It’s definitely cliché in football, but in this case, it clearly is something that is true. The team that wins the turnover battle is going to win the Las Vegas Bowl this year. The Broncos were ranked No. 4 in the country in turnover margin at +18, and they were the leaders in the nation in recovered fumbles with 17, and tied for 17th in picks with 16. Washington meanwhile, in spite of its horrifying schedule chock full of great defenses, still managed a +7 turnover margin for the year, which is something that you wouldn’t have expected from a team that featured a quarterback in QB Keith Price that tossed 11 interceptions on the campaign. One of these teams is going to end up with a minus in the turnover margin in this game, and it is going to be a rare happening for either one. The loser will be the one with the big, fat minus marking in their turnover column on December 22nd.

Famous Las Vegas Bowl Odds at Diamond Sportsbook
Washington Huskies +5.5
Boise State Broncos -5.5
Over/Under 44
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Key #2: Points cannot be left on the field
There were only a total of 31 field goals attempted all year long by both the Broncos and the Huskies, while there were just a total of 77 touchdowns. It’s just not all that great for either team. That means that, especially Washington, which averaged just 2.92 touchdowns per game this year, cannot afford to let opportunities slip away. RB Bishop Sankey has a real nose for the end zone, as he had 15 scores this year, and when he gets close, he has no choice but to pound the ball into the end zone. The same could be said for a Boise State outfit that has gotten spoiled by QB Kellen Moore over the course of the last four years. Now, with QB Joe Southwick in the fold, Head Coach Chris Petersen is relying a lot more on his defense, which is one of the best in America statistically. Again, it’s up to RB DJ Harper to get the job done, as there wasn’t another player on this team that had a better nose for the end zone. Harper scored 15 times on the campaign. No one else scored more than five.

Key #3: Boise State has to prove that it belongs here and wants to be here
Those are two totally different points of contention that we have to discuss. The Broncos did win 10 games again this year, but few think that this 10-win team is anywhere near as good as some of the 10, 11, and 12 win teams that have come off of the Smurf Turf in the past. The losses this year against the San Diego State Aztecs and Michigan State Spartans turned out to be as bad of losses as the program has had in years and years, and there weren’t those dominating 65-0 victories littered all over the schedule. As a result, this is the third straight season playing in the Las Vegas Bowl, and it has to get tiresome, especially for some of the upperclassmen that have been here before. Were the Broncos really the best team in the Mountain West this year? That’s probably still partially to be determined. That loss to the Aztecs at home with a backup quarterback under center really didn’t sit well at all with the Boise State faithful. Don’t blame the Broncos if they don’t really feel like showing up for this game, something that certainly will not be a problem for a U-Dub team that has earned every single victory that it has gotten since Head Coach Steve Sarkisian has taken over as the man in charge in Seattle.

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Our 2012 bowl predictions continue on Saturday, December 22nd with the New Orleans Bowl, and we are set to make our New Orleans Bowl predictions, tips, and keys to the game for the duel between the East Carolina Pirates and the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns.

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2012 New Orleans Bowl: East Carolina Pirates vs. Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
2012 New Orleans Bowl Location: Mercedes Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
2012 New Orleans Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 22nd, 12:00 p.m. (ET)
2012 New Orleans Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: Terrance Broadway has to make big plays
There aren’t many players in this game that can truly bust things open, but Broadway is one of them. He took over as the Cajuns’ quarterback three games into the season, and he really did a remarkable job with this team. The only bad loss of the bunch was a road game against the North Texas Mean Green, but when you consider that the “worst” offense performance of the year was putting up 20 on the Florida Gators, that’s pretty darn impressive. Broadway averaged 8.9 yards per pass attempt this year, and he was also a real winner on the ground with 661 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He accounted for a total of 24 touchdowns to boot. There are a number of players at this level that are dynamic, but few that have dominated as much as Broadway has in the Sun Belt, and that has to continue against the Pirates.

New Orleans Bowl Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
East Carolina Pirates +5
Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns -5
Over/Under 66
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Key #2: The ULL defense has to find a way to mark Justin Hardy
Hardy led Conference USA this year with 83 receptions, and he was third in the conference with 1,046 yards. The key to winning games this games this year for the Pirates has been getting the ball in Hardy’s hands. ECU lost four games this year, and in those games, Hardy averaged 5.8 receptions and 71.5 yards per game. He averaged 7.5 receptions and 95.0 yards in eight victories. The sophomore had five 100+ yard games this year, and he finished out the regular season with 16 catches and 171 yards against the Marshall Thundering Herd. Louisiana Lafayette ranked just 115th in the nation against the pass, allowing 283.9 yards per game. This secondary has a lot of problems all year long, allowing six different receivers to have at least 100 receiving yards against it, including in the last game of the year when Florida Atlantic’s WR William Dukes had nine catches, 204 yards, and two TDs.

Key #3: East Carolina has to prove that it can beat a solid team
When you look at the 8-4 Pirates, a team that has won 13 games over the course of the last two years, you would think that there would be at least one win somewhere against a team that made it to a bowl game. Alas, out of all of those wins, not a single one came against a team that qualified for a bowl that year. The last victory came against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles way back on October 9, 2010. There have been some bad losses in the bunch too, including the last bowl game when the team was beaten 51-20 by the Maryland Terrapins in 2010, and dropping this year by 20 to the UCF Knights, 28 by the Navy Midshipmen, 21 by the North Carolina Tar Heels (who would have been bowl eligible had they not been banned from the postseason), and 38 by the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Cajuns meanwhile, with the same 8-4 record, beat the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, and they challenged the Florida Gators, losing by just seven points in a game that they were leading deep into the fourth quarter and ultimately only lost on a blocked punt returned for a score with a few ticks left in the game.

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Our 2012 bowl predictions kick off on Saturday, December 15th with the New Mexico Bowl, and we are set to make our New Mexico Bowl predictions, tips, and keys to the game for the duel between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Arizona Wildcats.

2012 New Mexico Bowl: Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Arizona Wildcats
2012 New Mexico Bowl Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
2012 New Mexico Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 15th, 1:00 p.m. (ET)
2012 New Mexico Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

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Key #1: Stefphon Jefferson cannot wear down
It’s really tough to imagine just how many times Jefferson has carried the ball this year for the Wolf Pack. He is averaging touching the rock over 30 times per game in the Pistol offense, and he is going to have be going full bore against this Arizona defense from start to finish. The Wildcats allowed 189.8 yards per game this year on the ground to opponents, and the only comparable teams to this Nevada club that they played were the Oregon Ducks (228 rushing yards allowed), Oklahoma State Cowboys (200 rushing yards allowed), and UCLA Bruins (308 rushing yards allowed). We know that it isn’t just Jefferson that is going to be carrying the ball on Saturday, as QB Cody Fajardo is going to be doing so as well, but it is Jefferson that has to keep those chains moving on a regular basis, and he is also going to be tabbed with making sure that the Wolf Pack stay on schedule with down and distance. They’ll make their big plays, and Jefferson will be part of that, but Jefferson has to keep running the ball and running it hard for the full 60 minutes.

New Mexico Bowl Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Nevada Wolf Pack +9
Arizona Wildcats -9
Over/Under 77
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Key #2: Austin Hill must stretch the field
The Wildcats are a team that can run the football and run the heck out of it, too. We already know that RB Ka’Deem Carey will get his yards and his touchdowns from in close, but to move the pigskin in chunks, it’s going to require a solid effort from WR Austin Hill. QB Matt Scott averaged 7.2 yards per pass attempt this year, including 24 touchdowns. Hill was not just the leading receiver for the team with 73 catches, 1,189 yards, and nine scores, but he also led the team in yards per catch with 16.3. Hill had a few absolutely massive games this year, including 139 yards against Toledo, 125 yards against Okie State, 165 yards against Stanford, and 259 yards against USC. He hasn’t had a 100+ yard game since the end of October, but this could be the secondary that he could torch. The Wolf Pack did only allow 218.3 passing yards per game this year, but there were a lot of games that were played against teams that run it more than they throw it. The last truly excellent quarterback/receiver tandem that Nevada saw this year was against the Fresno State Bulldogs when QB Derek Carr threw for 220 yards and two TDs and WR Davante Adams had nine catches, 120 yards, and trip to the end zone.

Key #3: The Wolf Pack have to be a bit unpredictable
Predictability has been a major problem for Nevada over the course of the last several bowl games. The team has only won one bowl game since the 2005 Hawaii Bowl, and a lot of these games have featured terrible offensive showings. For example, Nevada has averaged just 17.0 points per game in its last six bowl games this year. The problem the Wolf Pack have is that they run a unique offense that is just too darn simple. It doesn’t take all that long to figure out this offense if you study enough game tape, and though there isn’t always enough time to figure out in preparation for this offense in just one week’s time, getting ready for a bowl game with 16 extra practices is a totally different story. The Pack have to be thrilled that they are playing one of the first bowl games of the year this year though, as it only gives Head Coach Rich Rodriguez two weeks to figure out how to counter this fantastic offense. Still, Fajardo and the gang are going to have to show some more creativity in this one, or once the Arizona defense gets settled, it could really figure out how to wreck havoc on this Pistol attack.

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The 2012 Idaho Potato Bowl picks are going to be difficult to make, as the Utah State Aggies and Toledo Rockets are set to do battle with one another on the Smurf Turf. Check out our Idaho Potato Bowl predictions and the keys to the game for Utah State vs. Toledo.

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2012 Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State Aggies vs. Toledo Rockets
2012 Idaho Potato Bowl Location: Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID
2012 Idaho Potato Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 15th, 4:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Idaho Potato Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: Kerwynn Williams has to continue to be a star in every facet of the game
You’re not going to find a man who can do more for his team than what Williams can and will do for the Aggies. This is a man that will run the ball 15-20 times and catch at least five or six passes as well, and we wouldn’t bet against him scoring multiple touchdowns to boot. With a total of 200 carries and 43 receptions this year, Williams leads the team in both categories, and he was also the leading receiver in terms of yardage (663 yards) as well. Obviously, the main threat for Williams is his running ability, and he has rumbled for 1,277 yards and 12 TDs. Last year, in spite of the fact that he was splitting the backfield with two other backs, including RB Robert Turbin, who is now in the NFL, Williams had 62 yards on just nine carries. He can do it all, and he frequently will, and he is going to need to come up with the big plays in order to win this game.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Odds at Diamond Sportsbook
Utah State Aggies -10.5
Toledo Rockets +10.5
Over/Under 58.5
Click Here to Bet Your Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Utah State needs to get over the fact that it didn’t make the big play last year
Utah State would have had its second ever bowl victory last year if not for the fact that QB Tyler Tettleton scored for the Ohio Bobcats in the dying seconds of the game to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The Aggies had a defense all that year remembered that moment, especially with so many players that were on the field for that one returning all year long. What we have to remember though, is that Toledo DID make the play in its bowl game, winning the Military Bowl over the Air Force Falcons by stuffing up a two-point conversion to win the game. The Aggies haven’t been tested in all that many games this year that came down to the wire, so if this one is close, as it has the distinct potential to be, the Aggies will need to come up with the big play on one side of the ball or the other to be able to walk away with a ‘W’ this time around from Boise.

Key #3: David Fluellen has to be healthy and post a consistent YPC average
In the regular season finale against the Akron Zips, both QB Terrence Owens and RB David Fluellen sat out with injuries. Both are considered probable on the Idaho Potato Bowl injury report, so there aren’t worries there. What is bothersome though, is the fact that the Rockets really didn’t run the ball well without Fluellen in there. The team averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in that game against a bad Akron team that had a terrible defense this year. That’s a sharp contrast from the 5.8 yards per carry that Fluellen averaged for the season. Granted, there were some games that proved to be problematic for the Rockets when Fluellen didn’t have a great YPC average. He rushed for just 3.6 YPC against the Northern Illinois Huskies and 3.6 YPC against the Arizona Wildcats. These were the only games this year in which he was below 3.9 YPC, and needless to say, they were two of the team’s three losses on the campaign. Utah State is allowing just 111.4 yards per game this year on the ground, and there have been some stout rushing teams in the fold as well. Don’t be all that shocked if Fluellen’s YPC turns out to be the most important number in this game.

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Our Army vs. Navy keys to game are all set to go here at Bankroll Sports, as the Navy Midshipmen look for their 11th straight victory over the Army Black Knights. Will they get it? Check out our Army vs. Navy picks & analysis, and get our college football predictions for the game!

Army/Navy Game: Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen
Army/Navy Game Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Army/Navy Game Date/Time: Saturday, December 8th, 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Army/Navy On TV: CBS

Key #1: The Black Knights cannot get outrushed badly
You would figure that there wouldn’t be all that much of an issue getting outrushed when you’re a triple option offense, but alas, that happened this year against the Temple Owls, it almost happened against the Kent State Golden Flashes, and it almost happened against the Stony Brook Seawovles. Needless to say, the club just has to find some defense from somewhere. Temple’s RB Montel Harris rushed for 351 yards and seven TDs against the Cadets, and there was very little that could be done to stop it. Heck, not only that, but the Owls ended the day with 534 yards on 57 rushes. The Black Knights have the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in America at 369.8 yards per game, but this defense is allowing 238.3 yards per game on the ground to go with 37.0 points per game. That just doesn’t cut it to say the least, and there is going to have to be someone step up against another triple option offense here to keep Army on track and with a shot to win this one. It’s not so much the yards as it is the points, but it is going to be a clear indication in this game if one team beats the other by 100+ yards on the ground who is going to win and cover.

Army vs. Navy Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Navy Midshipmen -7
Army Black Knights +7
Over/Under 56
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Key #2: Trent Steelman has to leave a legacy
This one is all about Steelman. He’s the team’s quarterback and has been for the last four years. He’s going to go down as one of the most important quarterbacks in the history of the program, knowing that he already holds the record for the most touchdowns scored in a career (44) with the Black Knights. However, what’s looming over his head are three straight losses — losses No. 8, 9, and 10 in a row to the Middies. Winning this game would cement his legacy for sure, and it would send him out on the top of his game before he goes off to serve our great country. Steelman has 1,152 yards and 16 TDs this year on the ground, but he never really did develop into a quarterback that could successfully put the ball in the air even 10 times per game. He does have 619 yards throwing this year, and he’s got a solid receiver in WR Chevaughn Lawrence to work with, but in the end, regardless of how he is going to do it, Steelman has to be “The Man” if Army is going to sink Navy.

Key #3: Keenan Reynolds has to stretch out the Army defense
It’s easy to say that whichever team in the triple option runs the ball with more efficiency is going to ultimately win, but in the end, it’s not necessarily all about the run. Granted, throwing the ball isn’t necessarily going to make things better either, but the Middies have to keep the ball on the edges of the Army defense. The Black Knights have had all sorts of problems in the middle of their defense this year, and that has inevitably been a focal point over the course of the last few weeks of prep for this one. Whether it’s SB Gee Gee Greene, Reynolds, or WR Shawn Lynch doing the deed, someone is going to have to consistently use some sort of speed on the edges of this Army defense as well, and that’s been a problem all year long for the Midshipmen. Reynolds can throw the ball better than the average Navy quarterback, as he has 754 yards and eight TDs against just one pick since taking over for QB Trey Miller. Since SB John Howell was knocked out for the season with a leg injury though, this offense just hasn’t looked overly dynamic, but it should be able to get back on track against a porous Army defense if, and really only if, the outside game is working in some form.

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2012 Poinsettia Bowl picks are going to be entertaining to make this year, as we have a de facto host of this game in the San Diego State Aztecs. Head Coach Rocky Long’s team will look to avenge last year’s bowl defeat in the New Orleans Bowl when SDSU battles it out with former Mountain West rivals, the BYU Cougars. Join us for our Poinsettia Bowl keys to the game and our BYU vs. San Diego State predictions.

2012 Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego State Aztecs vs. BYU Cougars
2012 Poinsettia Bowl Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
2012 Poinsettia Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 20th, 8:00 p.m. (ET)
2012 Poinsettia Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

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Key #1: San Diego State has to figure out how to move the ball on the ground
QB Adam Dingwell has done a great job this year for the Aztecs, stepping in for the injured QB Ryan Katz and leading the team to a perfect record since getting the starting gig. The problem that the Aztecs might have in this one though, is that they could struggle on the ground. Take out the game against the No. 1 team in the land, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and BYU only allowed 67.3 yards per game this year, and that includes a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and their triple option offense. Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall has himself a heck of a defense that has stood up to just about every test it has faced this year. San Diego State though, has two great backs in RB Adam Muema and RB Walter Kazee. These two men just have to keep the ball moving for a SDSU team that averages 229.2 yards per game on the ground. If not and Dingwell has to throw the ball to keep it moving against the Cougars, there could be massive problems. For as well as Dingwell played when he had to this year, he did only average 6.9 yards per pass attempt, and he had just an 8/4 TD/INT ratio.

Poinsettia Bowl Odds at BetGuardian Sportsbook
San Diego State Aztecs +3.5
BYU Cougars -3.5
Over/Under 48
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Key #2: BYU cannot lose ground in the special teams department
Mendenhall will tell you just how badly his special teams units have played this year. The kicking game has been absolutely atrocious, as the team has made just nine of its 17 field goal attempts on the campaign. The return game hasn’t produced a single touchdown all year long, and there hasn’t been a return of a punt or a kick go longer than 44 yards all year either. The one aspect that this team has really capitalized on this year though, has been in the punting department. P Riley Stephenson finished out the year ranked second in the country in yards per punt at 47.3, and he is a real weapon for the team to have. That being said, punting is one very tiny aspect to the game on a regular basis, and without a kicker to rely upon on a regular basis, it is going to make this a difficult game for the Cougs to try to play. This one had better not boil down to a crucial kick, knowing how bad both Stephenson as a field goal kicker and K Justin Sorensen have been all year long.

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Key #3: Riley Nelson has to work the ball up the field
First off, Nelson has to be healthy, and that’s first and foremost. The fifth year senior has been dealing with all sorts of problems all year long, and now, it’s his back that is bothering him. He admits that he isn’t at 100%, but regardless of whether he is or he isn’t, Thursday is going to be the day that he has to take the field against a San Diego State defense that has been deceptively solid all year long. Yes, the team showed that it was prone to some big plays by allowing a pair of 40+ yard touchdowns against the Wyoming Cowboys, but those were the only scores beyond 25 yards that the team allowed since September 29th against the Fresno State Bulldogs. Nelson averages just 6.6 yards per pass attempt, and there isn’t a receiver on the team that averages more than 12.6 yards per catch this year. That’s why RB Jamaal Williams and the gang have struggled getting things going in the running game. There just isn’t all that much of a deep threat on a regular basis. Parlay the fact that the Aztecs haven’t gotten burned by the big play with the fact that BYU doesn’t seem to really have the ability to strike for those long touchdowns with regularity makes this a dangerous spot for the Cougs to be in.

Here at Bankroll Sports, college football picks aren’t just our experts’ specialty. Our writers and bloggers are also massive NCAA football junkies and fanatics.  There’s a slew of exciting matchups on the 2012 college gridiron schedule.  In becoming a successful football handicapper, being prepared and taking advantage of early line mistakes is extremely vital.  Our bloggers are ready to help you get a look at the best games of 2012.  We’ll help you break them down and get a look at the early NCAA football odds for these big matchups in 2012.  Check out the links below as our writers break down and rank the Top 25 NCAA Football Games of 2012. In the August weeks leading up to the 2012 season, we’ll be counting down the Top 25 college football games on the 2012 schedule. Check back as we update this page & count down 2012’s Top 25 NCAA football matchups!