Plus some kind of Championship Playoff Challenge
It's time to bowl once again. The LOTW Holiday Chicken Salad Bowl returns for 2025-2026 in some form or fashion to spice up your holidays. The Chicken welcomes any and all sufficiently committed to holiday idleness. Last year's straight-up winner was "PAC-2 Champion!" with 12500. The against-the-spread and overall winner was "DH-Write Me A Belichick" with 20250 ATS and 28250 overall.
For those who are not familiar, here is how it works: First pick 36 bowl and first-round playoff games straight-up; Next pick 3 "locks" at increasing point levels with a bonus for karma; Finally, run up your score with a bonus for correctly picking the college football champion. Here are the levels and point values:
We will pick 36 games (that leaves out some bowl games but makes the numbers work out). You get 500 eggs for each correct pick. That makes the straight up section worth 18,000 eggs.
The against-the-spread values are 3000, 6000, and 9000 eggs. That makes the against-the-spread section worth 18,000 eggs + a potential karma bonus based on margin of win.
There is a "bonus section" where you can win additional eggs by correctly predicting the championship game winner. You risk 2500 of your eggs to make a prediction on one of the twelve potential champions. If your pick wins you get a bonus equivalent to the (as of now) odds of winning the championship (odds shown below at the bottom of the lines section). If your pick does not win you lose 2500. You may also "no pick" the bonus section and win/lose 0.
ALL SELECTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE CURE BOWL STARTS ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17 (about 5 PM EST).
All The Chicken Salad LOTW Bowl Rules
To demonstrate your C-to-I, just read and follow the rules. It provides opportunity for amusement at those who screw up. Some of these rules have been handed down from LOTW generation to LOTW generation.
Picking
There are 3 contests that will be scored for eggs (points). First is for the straight up (no spread) winner of each of the
36 bowl games listed. YOU SHOULD PICK A WINNER FOR ALL 36 GAMES IN THIS SECTION.
Each correct selection will be worth 500 eggs. On Part 1 of the pick form, select the button next to the team you predict will win for each game. Any game without a selection will be treated as picking the game will end in a tie.
The next 3 areas give you chances to pick against the spread (regular LOTW style). The pick form has a section titled Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4, respectively, for each of the three choices. YOU SHOULD MAKE ONE PICK IN EACH SECTION.
Select the radio button next to your choice (Favorite minus line, Dog plus line, Over or Under) in the FIRST LOCK (gold), SECOND LOCK (silver), and THIRD LOCK (bronze) sections of the pick form.
For any game against the spread you may only make one of the four possible choices. You can't say the #1 lock is Clemson -3 and also use the Clemson/Penn State Over or Under as the #2 or #3 lock.
Your #1 pick is worth 9000 eggs, your #2 is good for 6000 eggs, #3 is worth 3000 eggs. In addition, if you have positive karma for your pick you may receive bonus eggs:
0.5 to 9.5 points karma = 0 bonus eggs
10 to 14.5 points karma = 10% bonus
15 to 19.5 = 15% bonus
20 to 24.5 = 20% bonus
25 to 29.5 = 25% bonus
etc
For example, if your #1 pick is South Florida -6 and they win 32-10, your karma is +16.0. You would receive 9000 eggs + 1350 (15% of 9000) bonus = 10350. Had this been your #2 pick, you would receive 6000 eggs + 900 bonus = 6900.
The Championship Bonus is the last contest. Part 5 of the pick form gives you the opportunity to select "No Pick" or one of the national championship contenders. Selecting "No Pick" you will neither gain nor lose bonus points. Selecting any of the other potential champions gives you the opportunity to win the bonus amount shown if they win out. However, if your pick does not win the championship you lose 2500 of your hard-earned eggs.
The Chicken will declare a straight-up winner, a karma winner and a total combined winner. The total combined winner includes straight-up + against-the-spread-karma + championship bonus. The Chicken will also randomly select for the contest and those who finish with less points than The Chicken may view The Chicken's exceptionally festive holiday butt.
This link takes you to the entry form
Include the name you will play under (for example, your LOTW initials or a witty moniker), a real name (will not be published) so The Chicken can tell who won, and your email address in the boxes at the top of the form to ensure your picks are properly recorded. Please note, the form does not have a lot of validation (we can only be so committed to idleness) so double check your picks are correctly recorded in the summary area at the bottom of the form, and that you have included the intended names and email address before hitting the "submit" button.
The Chicken will send you a confirmation of the picks received to the email address you enter on the form. A summary of all picks will be posted after Wednesday, December 17, once the first bowl game in play has started.
ALL SELECTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE CURE BOWL STARTS ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17.
(about 5 PM EST)
If you submit more than once, the latest entry received before deadline will be in play.
If for some strange reason you have email but no web access, or if there's a problem submitting through the web, you may email your picks to The Chicken.
Here is a copy of the lines that are shown on the pick form.
================== CHICKEN SALAD 2025-2026 LINES ===================
College Football
Favorite Line O/U Underdog
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17
STAFFDNA CURE BOWL - Camping World Stadium - Orlando FL
101 SOUTH FLORIDA 3.5 53.5 Old Dominion
THURSDAY DECEMBER 18
XBOX BOWL - Ford Center at The Star - Frisco TX
102 Missouri State 1.5 56.5 ARKANSAS STATE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 19
MYRTLE BEACH BOWL PRESENTED BY ENGINE - Brooks Stadium - Conway SC
103 WESTERN MICHIGAN 3.5 49.5 Kennesaw State
UNION HOME MORTGAGE GASPARILLA BOWL - Raymond James Stadium - Tampa FL
104 NO CAROLINA STATE 5.5 58 Memphis
CFP FIRST-ROUND GAME - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium - Norman OK
105 Alabama 1 40.5 OKLAHOMA
SATURDAY DECEMBER 20
CFP FIRST-ROUND GAME - Kyle Field - College Station TX
106 TEXAS A&M 3.5 51.5 Miami Florida
CFP FIRST-ROUND GAME - Vaught-Hemingway Stadium - Oxfor MS
107 MISSISSIPPI 17.5 56.5 Tulane
CFP FIRST-ROUND GAME - Autzen Stadium - Eugene OR
108 OREGON 21.5 50.5 James Madison
MONDAY DECEMBER 22
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL -Albertsons Stadium - Boise ID
109 UTAH STATE 3 52.5 Washington State
TUESDAY DECEMBER 23
BUSH'S BOCA RATON BOWL OF BEANS - Flagler Credit Union Stadium - Boca Raton FL
110 LOUISVILLE 9 45 Toledo
NEW ORLEANS BOWL - Caesars Superdome - New Orleans LA
111 Western Kentucky 4 55.5 SOUTHERN MISS
SCOOTER'S COFFEE FRISCO BOWL - Ford Center at The Star - Frisco TX
112 Unlv 4.5 62.5 OHIO U
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24
SHERATON HAWAI'I BOWL - Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex - Honolulu HI
113 California 1.5 54.5 HAWAII
FRIDAY DECEMBER 26
GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL - Ford Field - Detroit MI
114 NORTHWESTERN 11 43.5 Central Michigan
RATE BOWL - Chase Field - Phoenix AZ
115 MINNESOTA 2.5 47 New Mexico
SERVPRO FIRST RESPONDER BOWL - Gerald J. Ford Stadium - Dallas TX
116 UT SAN ANTONIO 8.5 60 Florida Intl
SATURDAY DECEMBER 27
GO BOWLING MILITARY BOWL - Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium - Annapolis MD
117 Pittsburgh 6 59.5 EAST CAROLINA
BAD BOY MOWERS PINSTRIPE BOWL - Yankee Stadium - Bronx NY
118 CLEMSON 3 48.5 Penn State
WASABI FENWAY BOWL - Fenway Park - Boston MA
119 ARMY 4 50 Connecticut
POP-TARTS BOWL - Camping World Stadium - Orlando FL
120 BYU 4.5 56 Georgia Tech
SNOOP DOGG ARIZONA BOWL PRESENTED BY GIN & JUICE BY DRE AND SNOOP - Arizona Stadium - Tucson AZ
121 FRESNO STATE 3.5 42.5 Miami Ohio
ISLETA NEW MEXICO BOWL - Branch Field at University Stadium - Albuquerque NM
122 North Texas 3 55.5 SAN DIEGO STATE
TAXSLAYER GATOR BOWL - EverBank Stadium - Jacksonville FL
123 MISSOURI 6.5 48 Virginia
KINDER'S TEXAS BOWL - NRG Stadium - Houston TX
124 HOUSTON 3 41.5 Lsu
MONDAY DECEMBER 29
JLAB BIRMINGHAM BOWL - Protective Stadium - Birmingham AL
125 Georgia Southern 3.5 60 APPALACHIAN STATE
TUESDAY DECEMBER 30
RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL - Independence Stadium - Shreveport LA
126 LOUISIANA TECH 8.5 50.5 Coastal Carolina
LIBERTY MUTUAL MUSIC CITY BOWL - Nissan Stadium - Nashville TN
127 Tennessee 5.5 60.5 ILLINOIS
VALERO ALAMO BOWL - Alamodome - San Antonio TX
128 Southern Cal 6 59 TCU
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31
RELIAQUEST BOWL - Raymond James Stadium - Tampa FL
129 VANDERBILT 6 47 Iowa
TONY THE TIGER SUN BOWL - Sun Bowl Stadium - El Paso TX
130 DUKE 2 49 Arizona State
CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL - Camping World Stadium - Orlando FL
131 TEXAS 7 46 Michigan
SRS DISTRIBUTION LAS VEGAS BOWL - Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas NV
132 UTAH 16 50.5 Nebraska
FRIDAY JANUARY 2
LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL - Amon G. Carter Stadium - Fort Worth TX
133 TEXAS STATE 10 59.5 Rice
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL - Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium - Memphis TN
134 Navy 4 55.5 CINCINNATI
DUKE'S MAYO BOWL - Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte NC
135 MISSISSIPPI STATE 2.5 56.5 Wake Forest
TRUST & WILL HOLIDAY BOWL - Snapdragon Stadium - San Diego CA
136 Arizona 3 52 SMU
====================================================================
Odds for Championship Bonus. Lose 2500 eggs or win:
Ohio State 5000
Indiana 7500
Georgia 15000
Oregon 20000
Texas Tech 23750
Texas A&M 47500
Ole Miss 55000
Alabama 62500
Miami Florida 67500
Oklahoma 112500
James Madison 1750000
Tulane 1875000
====================================================================
Good LOTW Luck
Woo Hoo!