New Year's Eve College Football Bowl Picks

We're closing out 2021 in style with four bowl games, including the College Football Playoff semifinals. Here are our New Year's Eve college football bowl picks.

The country's four best teams get back into action after a month off. The road to the national championship begins with Alabama facing Cincinnati and Georgia meeting up with Michigan.

Here are my picks and predictions for the New Year's Eve's college football bowl games (odds via SI Sportsbook, DraftKings, Barstool, and Caesars, and pick confidence is based on a one-to-five star scale).

New Year's Eve College Football Bowl Schedule

Gator Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Rutgers, 11 a.m. ET, ESPNSun Bowl: Washington State vs. Central Michigan, 12 p.m. ET, CBSCotton Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Alabama, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNOrange Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

New Year's Eve Top College Football Bowl Picks

Wake Forest first-half point spread -4.5 (-188 via SI Sportsbook) ????Washington State second-half moneyline (-140 via DraftKings) ???Alabama -13 (-113 via Barstool) ???Georgia-Michigan Under 45.5 (-110 via Caesars) ????Michigan +7.5 (-110 via Caesars) ??

SEE ALSO: College Football Bowl Odds, Betting Lines, and Picks

New Year's Eve Top College Football Bowl Predictions

Wake Forest 1st-half point spread -4.5 (-188)

Perhaps the biggest mismatch of bowl season is the matchup between 10-3 Wake Forest and its high-octane offense against a 5-7 Rutgers squad that's stepping in for Texas A&M on short notice.

Rather than bet on the line with Wake Forest the two-touchdown favorite, SI Sportsbook offers shorter odds on the first-half point spread.

The Demon Deacons average 41.2 points per game, the fifth-highest mark in the country. Quarterback Sam Hartman ranked eighth in passing after throwing for 3,924 yards. Expect him to light up Rutgers' 79th-ranked defense from the opening kickoff and enter halftime with at least a one-touchdown lead.

Washington State second-half moneyline (-140)

Another matchup featuring a replacement team. Central Michigan steps in for Miami and will face Washington State in the Sun Bowl.

The Cougars are -290 moneyline favorites, but the second-half moneyline offers much better value. Expect both teams to feel each other out in the first half, and Washington State will pull away after halftime.

Alabama -13 (-118)

College football's juggernaut takes on the first Group of Five school to make the CFP. Cincinnati's undefeated regular season was impressive, but Alabama is still heavily favored, and for good reason.

The Tide hung 41 points on Georgia's top-ranked scoring defense during the SEC Championship Game, so they shouldn't struggle to break through against the Bearcats' top-10 unit.

Cincinnati hasn't faced an offense like Alabama's this season. Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Young and fellow All-American Jameson Williams at wideout lead the group.

Georgia-Michigan Under 45.5 (-110)

This clash of titans in the other CFP semifinal features two of the nation's best rushing offenses and two top-five defenses. Scoring won't be easy.

Though both Georgia and Michigan also field top-15 scoring offenses, each team will be going up against a break wall.

Rather than ask Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett or Michigan passer Cade McNamara to win the day, victory will be earned in the trenches, and the game script should favor the Under.

Michigan +7.5 (-110)

This figures to be the closer of the two semifinals, as Georgia and Michigan rank similarly in key categories.

The spread is simply too wide. The Wolverines are capable of pulling out an outright victory, and their defensive front can keep the score close.

Michigan is the second-best team Georgia will see this season, and that will be reflected in the final score.

SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

College football bowl picks made 12/29/2021 at 3:30 p.m. ET