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Howard vs Florida A&M (2023 Celebration Bowl) Prediction & Picks: Will the Rattlers Roll in Atlanta?

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Howard vs Florida A&M 2023 Celebration Bowl Prediction, Odds & Picks 12/16/2023 cover

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College football bowl season kicks off today with seven games, including the Cure Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, and Independence Bowl. Of those seven games, six are on the FBS level. In the lone FCS bowl contest, Howard and Florida A&M will meet in Atlanta in the 2023 Celebration Bowl (12:00 pm ET, ABC).

The Bison (6-5) shared the MEAC title with North Carolina Central, but the Bison earned the opportunity to play for the black college national championship with a 50-20 win over the Eagles on November 11.

The Rattlers of Florida A&M (11-1) have lost only to South Florida this season, and they went on a perfect run through the SWAC, culminating in a conference championship game win over Prairie View A&M two weeks ago.

Picks in this piece are courtesy of BetOnline, where you can get great odds on every FBS bowl game, the College Football Playoff, and FCS games, including the 2023 Celebration Bowl.

Since the inception of the Celebration Bowl in 2015, the MEAC has dominated, taking the win in six of seven matchups. The lone win for the SWAC came in 2016, when Grambling defeated North Carolina Central.

In each of the previous two seasons, Deion Sanders and Jackson State were heavily favored entering the Celebration Bowl but were upended by South Carolina State in 2021 and North Carolina Central last year.

Once again, odds favor the SWAC squad, as FAMU is favored by a touchdown in their first appearance in the Celebration Bowl. But will the Rattlers back up those odds, or will the Bison mark their own Celebration Bowl debut with an upset win?

Howard vs Florida A&M Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our BetOnline review.

Spread

Howard +7 (-105)
Florida A&M -7 (-125)

Over/Under

Over 49.5 (-115)
Under 49.5 (-115)

Moneyline

Howard +215
Florida A&M -275

2023 Season Results for Howard (6-5)

at Eastern Michigan: lost 33-23
vs Morehouse: won 65-19
vs. Hampton: lost 35-34
at Robert Morris: won 35-10
at Northwestern: lost 23-20
at Harvard: lost 48-7
vs Norfolk State: won 27-23
at Delaware State: won 17-10
at South Carolina State: lost 27-24
vs North Carolina Central: won 50-20
vs Morgan State: won 14-7

2023 Season Results for Florida A&M (11-1)

(Miami Gardens, FL – Orange Blossom Classic) vs Jackson State: won 28-10
at South Florida: lost 38-24
vs West Florida: won 31-10
vs Alabama State: won 23-10
at Mississippi Valley State: won 31-7
at Southern University: won 26-19
at Texas Southern: won 31-21
vs Prairie View A&M: won 45-7
at Alabama A&M: won 42-28
vs Lincoln University: won 28-0
(Orlando, FL – Florida Classic) vs Bethune-Cookman: won 24-7
(Tallahassee, FL – SWAC Championship Game) vs Prairie View A&M: won 35-14

Howard vs Florida A&M Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Florida A&M to win

Howard may have five losses, but the Bison throttled a North Carolina Central team that was ranked the top ten at the time and went on to finish with nine wins and an FCS playoffs appearance.

They also held their own in both of their games against FBS competition. Against Eastern Michigan, they trailed 30-6 less than six minutes into the second quarter but rallied to pull within a touchdown in the second half.

And in their loss at Northwestern, they trailed 16-0 at halftime and 23-7 in the third quarter before giving the Wildcats quite the fright.

So, FAMU will need to bring A+ effort if they want to end the SWAC’s Celebration Bowl losing streak.

Two wins by ten or fewer points this season says a lot about the effort that the Rattlers have put in on both sides of the ball this season, and I feel very good about backing them here.

Howard vs Florida A&M Pick: Florida A&M -7 (-125 at BetOnline – Bet These Odds & Get a 100% Bonus on Your First Cryptocurrency Deposit)

The Rattlers have one of the best defenses in the FCS, ranking first in tackles for loss per game, second in scoring defense, total defense, team passing efficiency defense, and third-down conversion defense, sixth in sacks per game, eighth in red zone defense, and tied for 24th in takeaways.

Just as in the FBS, every conference doesn’t have the same level of competition in the FCS.

But it is worth noting that the lone team ranking ahead of the Rattlers in total defense and scoring defense is #1 South Dakota State, who will be playing for a second consecutive FCS championship on January 7 after they demolished Albany in the semifinals.

Howard has a lot of experience at the quarterback position in senior Quinton Williams, who has accounted for nearly 8,400 yards and 75 touchdowns in his Bison career. So, he is unlikely to be overawed by the occasion or the opponent.

But after the MEAC representative scored 64, 31, and 41 points across the last three Celebration Bowl wins, I think yards and points will be much harder to come by for Howard.

FAMU may not have the most fluid day offensively either against a defense that has done a lot of good things this season, but I expect the Rattlers to cover without any serious late-game stress, with the aid of strong defense and efficiency and timely playmaking on offense.

Where to Bet on College Football

Most top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of college football odds throughout the season, including on the two CFP semifinal matchups between Michigan and Alabama and Washington and Texas.

In addition to being able to make weekly college football picks all the way from Week Zero to the College Football Playoff National Championship, you can also bet on Heisman Trophy odds, conference championship odds, win totals, and much more.

There are plenty of sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for college football betting. Below are some of the books that we highly recommend:

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

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Howard vs Florida A&M (2023 Celebration Bowl) Prediction & Picks: Will the Rattlers Roll in Atlanta?