Florida State +4.5 (-110)
Mon Dec 31 ‘07 4:00p
Much has been made of the fact that the Florida State Seminoles have 36 players that are suspended for the Music City Bowl vs. the Kentucky Wildcats, but most of the suspended players are reserves, so this line move looks like an overreaction.

Sure, the Noles now have practically zero depth, but that is more of a concern over several games than it is for one bowl game at the end of the year. They did have one key suspension on defense in cornerback Patrick Robinson, who had six interceptions this season, but the other 10 starters remain in tact, and the only notable suspension on offense is that of backup quarterback Xavier Lee, who has been coming in for a few situational plays each game. That just means that starting quarterback Drew Weatherford won’t get any relief this game, but truth be told, he has actually been steady if not spectacular, with just one interception in 10 games.

Kentucky was having a dream season, and the were actually ranked in the top 10 at 6-1 after upsetting LSU, but the Wildcats promptly went out and lost four of their last five games to finish at 7-5. The problem down the stretch was the Kentucky defense, which allowed 45, 31, 24 and 52 points respectively in the four late-season losses.

Also in Florida State’s favor is the fact that ACC underdogs have been surprisingly excellent bets in bowl games, going a stunning 19-6, 76.0 percent against the spread since 2000!

Music City Bowl Free Pick: Florida State +4.5 - CLICK HERE FOR EXPERT BOWL GAME PICKS