Boston College (10-3) vs. Michigan State (7-5)

Conference Matchup: ACC vs. Big Ten
Date: 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 28
Location: Orlando, Florida
Spread: Boston College -3.5

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Motivation and disappointment.

Those two issues are the Great Unknown when it comes to college bowl game handicapping and are really the key to determining which teams are going to pay out during the holiday run. They are intangibles and are open merely to speculation on the part of anyone without inside access to the team.

The Champs Sports Bowl pits two teams, Boston College and Michigan State, at the opposite end of the Motivation and Disappointment Spectrum against one another. Basically, one of these teams got a Lexus for Christmas while the other walked in on their wife cheating on them with their best friend, arms bound to the bedpost with dad's holiday necktie.

At one point last month the Eagles were No. 2 in the county and in control of their BCS destiny. Three losses later they're relegated to the Champs Bowl, a pre-New Year's bash where you have to BYOB. They blew a late lead against Virginia Tech in the ACC Title game, allowing the Hokies to move on to the BCS bowl. Adding salt into the wound is that Boston College was passed over for more prestigious bowls by two teams it finished higher in the standings than.

Conversely, Michigan State is ecstatic to be matched up against another nationally renowned program from a major conference. They won their last two games as underdogs at Purdue and at home against Penn State to become bowl eligible and are basically playing with House Money at this point.

There is no question that Boston College is the better team here. But the singular question surrounding this game is in regards to how much energy, enthusiasm, and motivation the Eagles come out with in this one. Michigan State is a team that scores a lot and allows a lot of points. They've become a trendy upset pick but I think that's less up to the Spartans than it is up to the Eagles.

Boston College can cover if: If the Eagles can avoid the letdown of missing out on a BCS Bowl game then I think their superior talent and experience should carry them to a relatively easy win here. They have the best player on the field (Ryan) and they match up perfectly with what the Spartans can and can't do.

Boston College's seniors are the winningest class in school history at 38-12, and the program has the longest current bowl-winning streak (seven) in the country. Certainly they're upset over missing out on a BCS game but once the pads start popping all that goes out the window. B.C. is 6-1 ATS in their last seven bowl games and 22-10 ATS after a loss. They've been a money bet this time of year and new coach Jeff Jagodzinski will want to pick up where his predecessor left off.

Michigan State can cover if: If the Eagles don't come to play then the Spartans can hang some big numbers on the scoreboard. A turnover here or there and all of a sudden the Spartans are up a couple scores and the disappointed Eagles mail it in.

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Michigan State is 5-1 ATS as an underdog. And much like Jagodzinski, first-year head coach Mark Dantonio is really motivated to get a statement win for the fan base in his first bowl game with the Spartans.

Notes: Michigan State is 7-19 ATS in its last 26 games on grass and 7-16 ATS in its last 23 nonconference games. … Boston College is 15-6 ATS against a team with a winning record. … The Eagles own the No. 1 rush defense in the country, allowing 68.1 yards per game and 2.23 yards per rush. Their opponent, Javon Ringer, ranks 21st nationally with 112.7 rush yards per game.

For more info on Robert's members picks, check out his Insider Page here.