Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 2022 (Defense is Key)

Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 2022 (Defense is Key)

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Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State Game Info

2022 NCAA College Football Game — Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Eastern Michigan Eagles (8-4) vs. San Jose State Spartans (7-4)
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Albertsons Stadium — Boise, ID
Coverage: ESPN

The 2022 NCAA college football bowl game matchups have been revealed, including the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The latest installation of the event will pit the Eastern Michigan Eagles against the San Jose State Spartans.

Eastern Michigan has won three straight games heading into this showdown, picking up a 38-19 victory over Central Michigan on Nov. 25. Standing in the Eagles' way is none other than a San Jose team that snapped a two-game skid with a 27-14 win against Hawai'i in its last outing.

Can Eastern Michigan win its first bowl game since 1987? Or will San Jose State find a way to win its first bowl event in its last six tries?

Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State Odds & Spread

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: EMU: (+146) | SJSU: (-178)
Spread: EMU: +3.5 (-110) | SJSU: -3.5 (-110)
Total: 54.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

San Jose State enters this contest as a slight favorite on the spread and moneyline. This Famous Idaho Potato Bowl clash also features a total of 54.5, which is average compared to this year's bowl games. 

Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State Prediction & Pick

Even though the momentum is on Eastern Michigan's side, I see San Jose State winning this one. The Eagles simply don't show up when it comes to bowl games, losing four straight appearances — including a 56-20 loss to Liberty at the 2021 LendingTree Bowl.

Eastern Michigan is also going up against a San Jose State defense that surrenders the 15th-fewest points (20.6 PPG) in the nation. The Eagles also get most of their offense done on the ground, however, that's going to be tough to pull off against the Spartans, who allow the 11th-fewest rushing yards per carry (3.3) and 24th-fewest yards on the ground overall (123.0).

Thanks to a strong defensive effort, look for San Jose State to be victorious.

Final Score Prediction: San Jose State: 26 | Eastern Michigan: 23

Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State Betting Trends

- Eastern Michigan is 6-2 straight up in its last eight games.
- San Jose State is 0-6 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games.
- The total has hit the under in five of Eastern Michigan's last seven games.
- The total has hit the over in four of San Jose State's last seven games.

Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State Best Bet

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Although I expect San Jose State to win the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, don't count on the team covering the 3.5-point spread. After all, the Spartans — win or lose — have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games, whereas the Eagles are at least 5-2 ATS in their last seven outings.

Eastern Michigan's offense has also been picking up in recent weeks and if San Jose State's defense isn't as strong as it usually is, an upset could be on our hands. Keeping that in mind, Eastern Michigan at +3.5 is the way to go.

Bet: Eastern Michigan +3.5 (-110)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.