After taking a year off, the Military Bowl finally makes its return to Annapolis, Maryland.
Due to COVID-19, organizers had to cancel last year’s bowl game due to a lack of available teams.
But now, all is in order, as the Boston College Eagles and East Carolina Pirates get ready to show down in the 2021 Military Bowl.
Origins of the Military Bowl
The Military Bowl is a college football post-season bowl that debuted 14 years ago. It currently features a matchup between teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
On Dec. 20, 2008, the first Military Bowl, known as the EagleBank Bowl at the time, kicked off at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, DC.
The D.C. Bowl Committee, a group that Marie Rudolph and Sean Metcalf founded, created the bowl game. Their goal was to bring a bowl game to the DC area in hopes boosting the region’s economy.
But in 2013, organizers moved the game to the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, which is located near the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Maryland. Officials said the Annapolis stadium was the perfect place to reflect the bowl’s mission of supporting military members.
As a result, all proceeds from the Military Bowl benefit the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore, a nonprofit organization that assists our nation’s current and former service members along with their families.
2021 Military Bowl preview
On Monday, Dec. 27 (2:15 p.m., ESPN) Boston College will face off against East Carolina for the first time as part of this year’s Military Bowl.
Since the betting lines opened, not much has changed. According to Caesars Sportsbook, which is now taking in-person bets at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, Boston College remains a 3-point favorite heading into next week’s Monday-afternoon matchup.
With the moneyline set at -160, the Eagles have an implied 61% chance of winning this game (you’d need to bet $160 to profit $100 on BC). The over/under is 51.5, up from the original opening total of 49.
🏆 2021 #MilitaryBowl presented by @PeratonCorp, benefiting @the_USO 🇺🇸
📅December 27
⏲2:30 p.m.
🏟 Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
📍Annapolis, MD
📺@espn🎟https://t.co/kNRMX50Y7n
📲https://t.co/cj8ZJ8mRGV pic.twitter.com/AMUM0mz5LA— Military Bowl (@MilitaryBowl) December 6, 2021
How to bet on the 2021 Military Bowl
In Maryland, four MD casinos are taking in-person wagers on the Military Bowl.
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore (partnered with Caesars Sportsbook), MGM National Harbor (partnered with BetMGM Sportsbook Maryland) and Live! Casino & Hotel (partnered with FanDuel Sportsbook Maryland), Ocean Downs Casino (partnered with TwinSpires) all launched their sports betting operations earlier this month.
However, online sports wagering isn’t expected to launch in MD until late next year.
Hollywood Casino Perryville (partnered Barstool Sportsbook) is expected to launch on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.
Thankfully for Maryland sports bettors, they don’t face the types of wagering restrictions that some states do. For example, in nearby Virginia, bettors can’t wager on in-state colleges or universities – or on any college games or events that take place within state borders.
If Maryland lawmakers had enacted such restrictions, MD bettors wouldn’t be permitted to bet on the Military Bowl.
How to attend/watch this bowl game
Luckily, there are still Military Bowl tickets available if you plan to attend this year’s game. Prices for this game range from $40-$100.
You can buy tickets for this game online, or you can call (410) 639-8241. Parking passes can also be purchased online.
The stadium gates open at 1 p.m. with pre-game festivities to start at 2 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m., the Military Bowl officially kicks off.
Lastly, if you’re like me and prefer to watch football games from the best seat in the house – the couch – ESPN will have full coverage.
