Pop-Tarts Bowl Odds, Predictions & Bowl History

NC State +3 (-102) +130

Kansas State -3 (-118) -155

NC State +3 (-102) over Kansas State

DraftKings Sportsbook

Best Bet

Bet $5, Win $150 Instantly

Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+

NC State +3 (-102) +130

Kansas State -3 (-118) -155

• NC State has won five games in a row coming into the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
• The Kansas State Wildcats are without starting quarterback Will Howard for this contest after he put his name in the transfer portal.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl has advertised itself as the only game on the college football bowl schedule that features an edible mascot. Why anyone would want to eat a mascot is beyond me, even if that mascot is made out of Pop-Tarts. Here, we will take a look at the upcoming edition of this bowl game, along with a history that goes way further back than when this game was named after a subpar breakfast food.

2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl Analysis

In this year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl, it will be NC State and Kansas State facing off in a battle of power conference teams that did not accomplish what they had hoped they would this season even if they ended up ranked going into bowl season. NC State went 9-3, winning their last five regular season games, while K-State went 8-4. But in this game, the key is likely to be the the absence of K-State quarterback Will Howard.

Howard has entered the transfer portal and has been linked to some much bigger programs going into the offseason. That will cause problems for a K-State team that relied on Howard to throw for over 2,600 yards this season. Expect NC State to take advantage of Howard’s absence en route to a win in Orlando.

Pop-Tarts Bowl History

The Pop-Tarts Bowl started in 1990 as the Blockbuster Bowl. Between then and now, this game has gone by the CarQuest Bowl, MicronPC Bowl, Tangerine Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, Russell Athletic Bowl, Camping World Bowl, and Cheez-It Bowl. Gnarly corporate sponsorship history aside, this game has produced some fun matchups, with tie-ins to the ACC and Big 12, and previous tie-ins to the Big East and Big Ten. Below is the full list of Pop-Tarts Bowl results dating back to the 1990s.

Bowl Game MVPs

The list of Pop-Tarts Bowl MVPs features well over 30 names since the first edition of the game in 1990s. Among those MVPs are players who went onto have productive professional careers such as Russell Wilson and Philip Rivers. Below is the full list of MVPs for this bowl game over the last few decades of college football bowl action.