The No. 17 Arizona Wildcats take on the SMU Mustangs on Friday in the Holiday Bowl. The game kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET in San Diego, California.
The Wildcats are listed as 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 52.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction, and best bet for the Holiday Bowl.
Arizona Preview
The Arizona Wildcats were one of the most underrated teams in college football this season. Last season, Brent Brennan was put into a very tough situation to start his tenure as the head coach. Nick Saban’s retirement late in the offseason cycle set off a chain of events that saw Kalen DeBoer go to Alabama, Jedd Fisch then go to Washington, and finally, Brennan get hired at Arizona. Brennan was not able to take over the job until it was far too late to construct the roster the way that he would have wanted. This season, Brennan showed what he could do with a full offseason, leading Arizona to nine wins. Veteran quarterback Noah Fifita had an exceptional season leading the offense. This well-rounded group won five straight games to close out the season and should be ready for the Holiday Bowl.
SMU Preview
It was a disappointing end to the season for SMU. Last season, Rhett Lashlee’s squad made it to the College Football Playoff after a fantastic season. While this year’s team was not as solid as last year’s squad, it still had a real chance to get back to the CFP for the second straight season. After upsetting Miami, SMU controlled its own path to the ACC title game. However, a loss in the final week of the season to Cal knocked them out of the championship game. SMU will be disappointed to be playing in the Holiday Bowl after making the CFP last season and nearly making it again this season.
Arizona vs. SMU pick, best bet
This game is hard to gauge properly due to the fact that both coaches are playing coy about who will be playing. Brennan stated that opting out was a “personal choice,” so he wouldn’t disclose which players were planning on skipping the game. However, the whole Arizona team travelled to the game, and only one starter has hit the transfer portal. That would indicate that the Wildcats are planning on going out there and trying to win this game at nearly full strength. Lashlee has also been cloak-and-dagger about which players will be participating in this game for SMU. It was announced that quarterback Kevin Jennings would start, but the door was left open for him to not even play the full game. Meanwhile, star tight end RJ Maryland and other key offensive pieces are also potential opt-outs.
My best bet for this game is Arizona on the Moneyline. The Wildcats were the better team in the regular season and are the more likely team to play at full strength for the duration of this game. Noah Fifita is a very experienced quarterback and was phenomenal in his only other career bowl game. In 2023, Fifita threw for over 350 yards in a 38-24 Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma. Arizona is the more talented and more motivated team, so I’ll happily back them to get the win on the short Moneyline.
