Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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10-31-17 | Bowling Green -2.5 v. Kent State | Top | 44-16 | Win | 100 | 7 h 52 m | Show |
301 Bowling Green at Kent State The Falcons have owned this series as of late winning by margins of 35, 48, 10 and 19 points the past four seasons. While BG is just 2-5 SU vs FBS competition, this team has been very competitive when not stepping up in class. Kent State has the worst scoring offense in college football. Only twice did the Flashes reach double digits this year. Scoring 13 hosting Buffalo and 17 hosting Miami Ohio. Strictly looking at first half scoring Kent State has amassed 28 total points in 7 games. That’s an average of 4 points in the first half this season. What is even more astounding in that Kent has had 7 first half drives starting in opponent territory. Bowling Green can score and Kent has no answer, road favorite takes the cash here. PLAY BOWLING GREEN |
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10-07-17 | California +27.5 v. Washington | Top | 7-38 | Loss | -100 | 36 h 47 m | Show |
375 California at Washington The last time the Bears traveled to Seattle it came away with a 30-24 victory. While we aren’t calling for the outright win, a cover is easily in its site. We’ve been very impressed with this Golden Bears defense which has allowed just 9 explosive plays in four BFS contests. That includes Oregon, USC and an SEC squad in Mississippi. Justin Wilcox has this team pointed in the right direction off a 5-7 season a year ago under Sonny Dykes. Washington has feasted on bad or rebuilding teams so far. Rutgers, Fresno State, Colorado and Oregon State won’t scare many. Now fat and happen these Huskies will be severely tested for the first time this season. PLAY CALIFORNIA |
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09-30-17 | Akron v. Bowling Green +3 | Top | 34-23 | Loss | -110 | 49 h 31 m | Show |
130 Akron at Bowling Green What the hell have the Zips done to be installed as a road favorite against a team it hasn’t beaten since 2006? BG has won this series by margins of 10, 49, 17, 17, 14, 16, 4 and 24 points covering the last decade. In its first three FBS games this season Akron has been outscored 35-0, 41-14 and 22-17. The Zips are 2-7-1 ATS as a road favorite under Terry Bowden. Bowling Green has played three games vs FBS competition, all on the road. And as expected were beaten soundly in all three matchups as double digit dogs. But now this team returns home for the first time all year against an FBS opponent. This is the second year in the program for Mike Jinks. In his first season in BG, in conference action the Falcons averaged 29.6 ppg while permitting 29.9 ppg. Bowling Green brings a three game MAC winning streak into this contest. We expect that to be extended. PLAY BOWLING GREEN |
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09-30-17 | New Mexico State +17 v. Arkansas | Top | 24-42 | Loss | -110 | 18 h 53 m | Show |
171 New Mexico State at Arkansas The Aggies are a perfect 4-0 ATS to start the season and none of it has been a fluke. NMSt has equalled or beaten every opponent in explosive plays of 20 or more yards. This is a team that has 25 explosive plays in its first four games. What we want out of a live underdog. Arkansas had an extra week to prepare for A&M last week and lost in overtime 50-43. Now it takes on a non-conference opponent before facing South Carolina and Alabama. Can’t trust the Razorbacks at all in this situation. PLAY NEW MEXICO STATE |
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09-23-17 | UTSA v. Texas State +14 | Top | 44-14 | Loss | -110 | 32 h 46 m | Show |
390 UTSA at Texas State The last three plus seasons the Roadrunners are 6-14 straight up on the road. They are 1-4 ATS as a road favorite and 1-4 ATS as a double digit favorite regardless of location. Too much is being made of the 17-10 win earlier at Baylor, a team completely changing systems. We’ve been very impressed by Texas State despite losses to Colorado and Appalachian State. The Bobcats have only lost the explosive play battle 9 to 8. In first half action they have been outscored just 21-10. When looking at first half yards per play it lost to Colorado on the road 4.7 to 4.1, while outgaining App State 5.2 to 3.6. While this team entered the season as a bottom feeder in a lot of power ratings, the Bobcats have looked like a team on the rise. Keep in mind this team won as a 20 1/2 point underdog at Ohio U in the opener last year before injuries took a major toll. Nice value here with the home dog. PLAY TEXAS STATE |
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09-23-17 | San Diego State -3 v. Air Force | Top | 28-24 | Win | 100 | 31 h 3 m | Show |
391 San Diego State at Air Force How many points is it worth in the line after winning back to back games against two PAC12 opponents? Certainly not as much as the current betting numbers would have you believe. Under Rocky Long the Aztecs have held Air Force to point totals of 24, 14, 20, 9, 27 and 25 points in his seven seasons at San Diego State. That’s 19.8 ppg under one of our favorite coaches. During those seven seasons Air Force averaged 30.5 points per game on the season, more than 10 points per game more than what it averaged against San Diego State. With both teams off physical Big Five teams, we will side with the simply better squad in a low priced contest. The Aztecs have won outright the past six meetings. PLAY SAN DIEGO STATE |
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09-16-17 | Cincinnati +5.5 v. Miami-OH | Top | 21-17 | Win | 100 | 31 h 32 m | Show |
123 Cincinnati at Miami Ohio This is a major rivalry game that most people don’t know about. Xavier, Miami and Cincinnati are all close to each other and take special pride in knocking off its neighbors. Here we find a Cincinnati team catching points for the first time in over a decade in this rivalry. Not only are they an underdog for the first time since 2005, the Bearcats have been significant favorites. Starting last year and going backward Cincinnati has been favored by 16, 20, 28.5, 24, 20.5, 15.5, 17, 28.5, 12, 7 and 11 points. That’s an average of over 18 points per game the past 11 seasons. Cincinnati played pretty well at Michigan last week with the spread never in doubt. The Bearcats are down by prior standards but this overlay is way too large. Based on the current line we are looking at a 21 or more point adjustment in one season, way too high. Keep in mind that Miami at the half against Marshall had a turnover advantage and still was outscored 21-13. The Redhawks were outgained 5.1 to 4.0 ypp at the half in a game it lost 31-26. We like this Miami team but this is rare territory for Chuck Martin’s club. PLAY CINCINNATI |
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09-16-17 | Georgia State +37.5 v. Penn State | Top | 0-56 | Loss | -110 | 30 h 49 m | Show |
125 Georgia State at Penn State The Panthers haven’t played a game since taking on Tennessee State on August 31st. That gives them plenty of time to try to keep this Penn State team under control. Since joining the FBS the Panthers are 11-3 ATS as an underdog of 20 points or more, 21-10 ATS catching double digits. Last year against a fellow Big 10 team the Panthers caught 34 1/2 at Wisconsin and only lost by 6. Penn State had last weeks contest against Pittsburgh circled, as the team felt losing to the Panthers last year cost them a chance to play in the final four. With that game having so much emotion in a rivalry contest along with the Big 10 season starting next week at Iowa, we can see the Nittany Lions going through the motions here. PLAY GEORGIA STATE |
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09-09-17 | Western Michigan +7.5 v. Michigan State | Top | 14-28 | Loss | -110 | 45 h 0 m | Show |
309 Western Michigan at Michigan State The Spartans were very good to us last week against Bowling Green. Running our three year MAC record to 12-2 with the cover. But this week we go against a Michigan State team that is overpriced in this matchup. Being a directional school in Michigan means the Broncos take special pride when playing instate competition. Thus they are 4-1 ATS the past three plus years when facing fellow Michiganders. Western Michigan is also in its best role of road underdog. Under PJ Fleck this team was 12-4 ATS in that role, and a perfect 1-0 under Tim Lester after the Broncos gave the Trojans of USC all it could handle last week. We talked about Michigan State last week being a team with something to prove off a terrible 3-9 season. They would not overlook Bowling Green and they certainly didn’t. This game is a different story. The next contest on the agenda is taking on rival Notre Dame, followed by Iowa and then instate rival Michigan. The Spartans are just 13-21 ATS as home favorites the past 5+ seasons. We look for the Broncos to take this one to the wire. PLAY WESTERN MICHIGAN |
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01-09-17 | Clemson v. Alabama -6.5 | Top | 35-31 | Loss | -109 | 21 h 48 m | Show |
152 Clemson & Alabama in Tampa We played Clemson in this game last year and walked away with the cash. But we’ve watched every Tigers game this year and this team isn’t as strong as a year ago. The defense remains solid but the offense has been very inconsistent. The line advantage that the Tigers had over Ohio State will not be repeated here as Clemson and Alabama have the two best combined offensive and defensive lines in college football. On the season Clemson is 1-4 ATS when losing the turnover battle while Alabama is 4-1 ATS. That’s a sizable edge for the Tide in a game where turnovers will determine the winner. Going in to last week the consensus line on this game was anywhere from 9 to 11. Based on Clemson playing its best game of the season this line has dropped about three points. The line value is on the favorite and we will lay the points with the Tide. PLAY ALABAMA |
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01-02-17 | USC v. Penn State +8 | Top | 52-49 | Win | 100 | 6 h 16 m | Show |
280 USC & Penn State Both teams finished the regular season as two of the hottest teams in the nation. Both as we often see that hot streak no longer exists this far between games. It happens all the time in the NFL with a bye week, so you can imagine what happens in a January Bowl Game. USC played Stanford, Utah, Colorado and Washington this year. None of those teams in the PAC12 covered the number in its bowl game. We have these two clubs rated about as close as two bowl teams could be, with Southern Cal gaining a small home edge because of the location. In the key numbers we use we have the following: In season long explosive plays Penn State has the edge 3.0 per game to 1.6. In the last four regular season games Penn State is also ahead 17-5. When comparing the teams spread records when losing the turnover battle USC is 3-2 and Penn State is 2-2. When losing the sack battle Penn State is 0-1 ATS and USC comes in at 1-2. So as you can see these two clubs are almost identical in our power ratings. With the Nittany Lions knowing it can finish the season ranked #3 with the losses of Washington, Michigan and Ohio State. We will take the generous points with Penn State. PLAY PENN STATE |
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12-30-16 | Florida State +7 v. Michigan | Top | 33-32 | Win | 100 | 25 h 58 m | Show |
265 Florida State & Michigan at Miami We had Florida State ranked second in the country in our preseason power ratings. We were asking too much from this team with a freshman starter. After being blown out by upstart Louisville the Seminoles were put on the back burner by many. But as the season transpired the Seminoles started to get noticed again in the betting markets, finishing the regular season cashing 4 of 5. Michigan has a solid defense but played one of the weakest offense opponent slates in the country. This will be the best offensive unit the Wolverines have faced all year. And we worry about this Michigan offense who put up big numbers against weak opposition. The best defenses it faced were Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State. In those three games the Wolverines tallied 54 points and that included two overtimes against Ohio State. This one comes down to the wire and we will side with the better skill players of Florida State. PLAY FLORIDA STATE |
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12-30-16 | TCU -3.5 v. Georgia | Top | 23-31 | Loss | -101 | 17 h 54 m | Show |
257 TCU & Georgia in Memphis Much prefer the Horned Frogs here who are 30-21-2 ATS when Gary Patterson has extra time to prepare. This is a team that took a great deal of money in the Game of the Year lines down at the Golden Nugget Sportsbook. It was the most bet on team by the wise guys with a maximum bet of $1,000. Unfortunately this team underperformed all season with a 3-8 ATS mark against FBS opposition. The other two teams with three or less covers were Baylor and Southern Miss, both spread covering teams in the bowl season. With time to reflect on this disappointing season we expect the Horned Frogs to come to play on Friday. Georgia can’t be too excited for this bowl draw after back to back ten win seasons. Kirby Smart has a quality defense in his first season in Athens, but the offense is lacking. There than Alabama the rest of the SEC was really down this year. We’ve already seen Mississippi State struggle with a middling MAC team, and Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and South Carolina lose outright. The line moved towards the Horned Frogs late, and we agree with the move. PLAY TCU |
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12-29-16 | South Florida v. South Carolina +10.5 | Top | 46-39 | Win | 100 | 3 h 49 m | Show |
252 South Florida & South Carolina at Birmingham Willie Taggart is off to Oregon with his top assistants, Charlie Strong will not be involved in this game. Therefore you have a sizable favorite here with an inexperienced coaching staff. South Carolina is a sizable SEC underdog, something rarely seen. It also owns the far better defensive unit. We like the job Will Muschamp has done here and this bowl game is a nice reward for a team expected to finish in last place in its division. Take the generous points with the Gamecocks. PLAY SOUTH CAROLINA |
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12-27-16 | Washington State v. Minnesota +10 | Top | 12-17 | Win | 100 | 9 h 33 m | Show |
240 Washington State & Minnesota This line has risen based on the suspension of 10 Golden Gophers, two of them starters. Our line with the full lineups would have been Washington State -4. Therefore we are getting six extra points for a team playing with purpose. We always like to play on teams with suspensions as it galvanizes the squad. We will take the generous points here with a quality defensive unit. PLAY MINNESOTA |
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12-23-16 | Eastern Michigan v. Old Dominion -5 | Top | 20-24 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 50 m | Show |
222 Eastern Michigan & Old Dominion at Nassau Not surprised by Old Dominion money coming in as of late as we made this line 5 points higher than the opener. Eastern Michigan won 7 total games the past four seasons, and have really improved this year under Chris Creighton. While web really like this team and have made quality money on them this season, Old Dominion has major edges. The Monarchs take care of the ball much better, only losing the turnover battle once all season. Old Dominion also only lost the sack battle once, all the way back on September 17th against NC State. We prefer the favorite here in what should be a double digit straight up victory. PLAY OLD DOMINION |
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12-17-16 | Southern Miss v. UL-Lafayette +4.5 | Top | 28-21 | Loss | -110 | 101 h 51 m | Show |
New Orleans Bowl 212 Southern Miss & UL Lafayette in New Orleans The Golden Eagles won 4 total games from 2012-2014, but bounced back with a solid 9-5 record last year. So the team entered the 2016 season with high hopes. After beating Kentucky on the road in the season opener things looked great for first year coach Jay Hopson. But the only FBS victories since then came against UTEP, Rice, Marshall and Louisiana Tech. Three very bad teams an a Bulldogs team that was looking past Southern Miss to the CUSA Championship the following week against Western Kentucky. QB Nick Mullens is reportedly healthy, which is a positive. But that’s the only thing going in the Golden Eagles favor here. The team has struggled along the lines the latter part of the year, and is a negative 15 turnovers on the season. The Ragin’ Cajuns have played in the New Orleans Bowl in 4 of the last 5 seasons. ULL is 4-0 straight up and against the spread in those games. While this isn’t a true home game for Lafayette it’s a game the team shoots for every season. One major reason we like the Ragin’ Cajuns chances here are how these two teams perform when losing the turnover battle. When you are able to cover a game despite losing the turnover battle it tells us the true heart of a team. ULL was a perfect 4-0 ATS in that department this season, the best in the FBS, just ahead of Alabama at 4-1. Southern Miss on the other hand was 0-7 ATS when losing the turnover battle. PLAY UL LAFAYETTE |
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12-17-16 | Houston v. San Diego State +4 | Top | 10-34 | Win | 100 | 95 h 28 m | Show |
Las Vegas Bowl 204 Houston & San Diego State in Las Vegas Houston will be without coach Tom Herman as he has moved on to Texas. The offensive coordinator has been named new head coach, so the team does know who it will be playing for next season. While the move is a positive for the players, we can’t help but see this bowl as a disappointment for the team. This was a club expecting to play in a much more prestigious bowl, and we expect the players to treat this as more of a vacation spot than a proving ground. Houston has been very inconsistent all season in turnovers and along the lines. The +10 sack margin against Louisville was unbelievable, but other than that game the Cougars were -6 on the season in sacks. In 4 of the last 5 games of the season this team averaged less than 4.7 yards per play. San Diego State is very familiar with this location playing in Vegas every other year. The game will take precedence over the festivities for the Aztecs. San Diego State rarely turns the ball over and is formidable along the lines. Donnel Pumphrey is going for the all-time rushing record so the offensive line will be extra motivated. PLAY SAN DIEGO STATE |
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12-17-16 | Texas-San Antonio v. New Mexico -6.5 | Top | 20-23 | Loss | -115 | 94 h 9 m | Show |
New Mexico Bowl 202 UTSA at New Mexico Tough draw in the first bowl game for the Roadrunners. Not only does UTSA have a first year coach in Frank Wilson, but the team is playing on the New Mexico home field. UTSA has had terrible line play all season posting a -21 net sack number in FBS games. In fact, it had just one positive sack game on the season. New Mexico is a team that will run the ball down your throat and gets stronger as the game progresses. On the season the Lobos have a +14 sack margin, which has been even better as of late. In the last seven games New Mexico has dominated in the trenches with a +14 sack margin. Twice this season the Lobos reached double digits in yards per play, 10.0 vs ULM and 13.5 against Wyoming. UTSA is in for a very physical contest. PLAY NEW MEXICO |
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12-03-16 | Penn State +3 v. Wisconsin | Top | 38-31 | Win | 100 | 57 h 35 m | Show |
333 Penn State & Wisconsin in Indianapolis Much prefer the red hot Nittany Lions here who have produced an outstanding 3.0 explosive plays per game average, as opposed to Wisconsin’s +1.2 per game advantage. Over the last month Penn State has outperformed the Badgers by 14 explosive plays. Penn State struggled in the trenches through the opening month of the season with a negative two sack margin. Since that time Penn State has a + 15 margin in sacks. Better line play is one of the reasons why this team has put up scoring numbers of 45, 39, 45, 41 and 62 points down the stretch. Wisconsin has relied on forcing turnovers the second half of the season, with a +11 margin the past four games. In those four games the yards per play numbers for the Badgers were not overly impressive. Despite playing the likes of Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois and Northwestern, the ypp numbers were 0.7, 0.3, 1.4 and minus 0.3. Penn State is a strong 2-2 ATS on the season when losing the turnover battle. Wisconsin better rely on more than turnovers to win this Big10 Championship. PLAY PENN STATE |
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12-03-16 | Oklahoma State +11 v. Oklahoma | Top | 20-38 | Loss | -106 | 49 h 20 m | Show |
317 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma These two teams are much closer in talent than this current line is showing. On the season the Sooners have a +1.9 explosive play advantage, while the Cowboys sit at +1.5. Over the last four games Oklahoma State has a +6 margin over Oklahoma. Keep in mind that while the Cowboys have two official losses on the season, the defeat against Central Michigan was later ruled an officials mistake. The only other defeat was at Baylor in the first road game of the season . The road team has won outright the last three meetings in this series, and the past two meetings in Norman produced three point overtime finals. Oklahoma is up 7 net turnovers over the last five games which has helped the team go undefeated over that span. But even with that turnover advantage the Sooners are just 3-2 ATS. On the season the Sooners are 2-4 ATS when losing the turnover battle while the Cowboys sit at 2-1 on the year. As mentioned earlier this line is inflated and we will gladly take the visitor here with35 point home field revenge from a year ago. PLAY OKLAHOMA STATE |
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12-03-16 | Temple +3 v. Navy | Top | 34-10 | Win | 100 | 49 h 33 m | Show |
325 Temple at Navy Tough to go against the red hot Owls here in an underdog role. On the season Temple is +2.5 explosive plays per game while Navy sits at 0.2. Over the last month Temple is +19 explosive plays compared the Navy. Temple has cashed 10 straight games heading into this contest, but the Midshipmen are off offensive performances of 75 and 66 points. Temple has its bye on November 12th, while Navy hasn’t had a break since September 24th. The last four Owl opponents produced 3.7, 3.1, 3.3 and 3.8 yards per play. Navy the past three weeks have 10.5, 8.1 and 7.0 yards per play from the offense. So it’s a red hot offense against a red hot defense, something has to give. While Navy has won 6 of 7 as of late, the yards per play stats show a different story. Since October 1st Navy has lost the ypp battle in 6 of 8 games with the only wins coming against SMU and Memphis. We would much rather trust this Temple team who has won the ypp battle 8 of its last 9 games. Defense wins over offense on Saturday. And the huge Army/Navy matchup is on deck for the Midshipmen. PLAY TEMPLE |
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12-02-16 | Ohio +19 v. Western Michigan | Top | 23-29 | Win | 100 | 77 h 22 m | Show |
303 Ohio U & Western Michigan in Detroit The Bobcats biggest loss on the season was by a margin of 9 points at Tennessee. This is a team that has been competitive in every game played and we don’t expect anything to be different come Friday. In the last ten games against FBS opposition the Bobcats held every opponent to 28 points or less. Even in games in which Ohio U lost the turnover margin this defense has permitted 27, 10, 27 and 3 points. Ohio U has great line play with a + 21 sack margin on the season. Last weeks game against Toledo was considered the must have game for Western Michigan. While the Broncos won by 20 it lost the yards per play battle 8.4 to 6.1. It was a +3 turnover margin which led to the WM victory. Western has beaten Ohio by margins of 35 and 21 points the past two seasons, so we can see the Broncos having a bit of a letdown here. Between beating Toledo last week and a possible New Years Day bowl, this game against Ohio U is a flat spot for the Broncos. Keep in mind that ESPN came to Kalamazoo the week before against Buffalo and we can see how Western Michigan would overlook the opposition here. The advantages of turnover margin and sack advantage will not be extreme against this Ohio U squad. Look for a much closer game here than projected. PLAY OHIO U |
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11-26-16 | Tennessee -7.5 v. Vanderbilt | Top | 34-45 | Loss | -105 | 31 h 24 m | Show |
11-26-16 | Michigan State v. Penn State -12 | Top | 12-45 | Win | 100 | 28 h 17 m | Show |
160 Michigan State at Penn State Not buying into the Spartans improvement as this team has lost outright to Maryland and Illinois in the past five games. Michigan State is -11 in sacks on the season while Penn State is up 12 sacks in just the past seven games. We expect the Nittany Lions to dominate the line play on both sides of the ball. And Penn State has extra motivation off losses by margins of 39 and 27 points the last two years. PLAY PENN STATE |
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11-26-16 | Mississippi State v. Ole Miss -8 | Top | 55-20 | Loss | -110 | 27 h 16 m | Show |
214 Mississippi State at Mississippi This line has really surprised us. We have a bigger disparity between our line and the current line on this game than any other this weekend. On the season Ole Miss has a 1.9 explosive play advantage between these two, and over the last month its a +23 advantage for the Rebels. Ole Miss has won 3 of the last 4 with the lone loss coming in overtime in 2013. The Bulldogs over the past seven games have given up an average of 39.7 points per game. Mississippi has played the toughest schedule in the country this year. Games against Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, Memphis, Arkansas, LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M. You can understand how this team has underperformed on the scoreboard. But after an embarrassing loss last week at Vanderbilt you can be sure Hugh Freeze will have his team fired up for this one. Now 13-8 ATS here off a straight up loss in his tenure at Ole Miss, Freeze and company win this by double digits. PLAY MISSISSIPPI |
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11-25-16 | Texas Tech +5.5 v. Baylor | Top | 54-35 | Win | 100 | 31 h 16 m | Show |
139 Texas Tech at Baylor The Red Raiders enter this game of an absolutely embarrassing loss at Iowa State. That broke a four game winning streak in the series, and marked the lowest offensive output in any game since 2011. All the quotes out of Lubbock suggest the team is excited to put that game behind them, and beat the hell out of the downtrodden Bears who crushed them last year 63-35. Baylor is simply put a dumpster fire right now with all the off-field issues taking over this program. Baylor has dropped four straight games and the offense is nowhere near as potent as in prior seasons. Over the last month Texas Tech has a +4 explode play advantage over the Bears and we actually have Texas Tech rated as the favorite here. Can’t understand the line move for a team that has not won the penalty advantage in any game, and is -6 in sacks the last month. PLAY TEXAS TECH |
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11-25-16 | Toledo v. Western Michigan -7 | Top | 35-55 | Win | 100 | 19 h 54 m | Show |
118 Toledo at Western Michigan Now that we’ve had some line movement towards the dog we will step in and lay the points with the Broncos. Toledo has been impressive on the road this year but other than the trip to BYU the opponents have been less than stellar. The coaching edge also favors the host here as Jason Candle is in his first year while PJ Fleck will be highly sought after following this season. This is also the ninth straight game for the visitor while Western had a bye just two weeks ago. In looking at explosive plays Western Michigan has been dominant. Up 2.7 per game as opposed to Toledo’s 0.4. Over the last month the Broncos have a +12 advantage over the Rockets. Western Michigan hasn’t lost the turnover battle in any game this year and have won the yards per play battle in 10 straight games. The Broncos are the clear class of this league and it will show on the field on Friday. PLAY WESTERN MICHIGAN |
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11-25-16 | TCU v. Texas -3 | Top | 31-9 | Loss | -115 | 48 h 29 m | Show |
128 TCU at Texas The Horned Frogs were highly thought of in the betting marketplace before the season. But I, along with many others were simply wrong about TCU. The defense has been pretty good but this offense has only surpassed last years average points of 42.1 just twice all season. While Gary Patterson has been magical off a bye posting a 24-12-1 ATS mark in his career. In two games after byes this season TCU lost by margins of 24 and 25 points. Losing ATS by a combined 49 1/2 points. This will be an extremely emotional game for the host. Charlie Strong is coaching his last game in Austin after losing outright at Kansas last week. While his won/loss record here has been a disappointment, he is beloved by his players. There is no doubt in my mind that the Longhorn players will leave everything on the field in this game. These type of contests don’t come up very often. But in retrospect the club with the added emotion has great success. PLAY TEXAS |
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11-22-16 | Ball State v. Miami (OH) -7 | Top | 20-21 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 13 m | Show |
104 Ball State at Miami Ohio Last game of the season for the Cardinals who are not eligible to go bowling. The team is -1.8 explosive plays a game as the offense has struggled to throw the ball downfield. Defensively Ball State has allowed every FBS opponent 21 points or more this season. Turnovers have been a problem with a -10 margin on the season. Nothing that we have read points to any special meaning for the Cardinals here. Miami Ohio lost the first six games of the season but are now undefeated with Gus Ragland behind center. Last year and this year combined Ragland has a 15 to 0 touchdown to interception ratio. The defense has been solid all year but now the offense is playing with confidence. The last four games the Redhawks have produced 35, 37, 28 and 40 points. Miami can win the MAC East with a victory here and a loss by Ohio U tonight against a banged up Akron team. Regardless of what happens in Athens, this Miami team is on the rise. Lay the cheap number with the Redhawks. PLAY MIAMI OHIO |
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11-19-16 | Air Force v. San Jose State +10.5 | Top | 41-38 | Win | 100 | 34 h 54 m | Show |
414 Air Force at San Jose State Very tough scheduling situation for the Falcons here who are playing its third road game in the last four weeks. With a Friday showdown with Boise State on deck. Air Force has underperformed the last couple months having lost ATS in 5 of 6 contests. The lone spread victory was against Army in winning the Commander in Chief Trophy. Air Force beat San Jose State by 21 last year so there is little motivation here. San Jose State has performed better over the last month in explosive plays, despite facing the tougher of the two schedules. Over the last three games the Spartans played Boise State and San Diego State, the two top teams in the Mountain West Conference. San Jose also is coming off a needed bye after falling to the Boise State team 45-31 in a game it won the yards per play stat. San Jose State really struggled out of the gate but this team is starting to find itself, and best of all its doing so under the publics eye. PLAY SAN JOSE STATE |
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11-19-16 | Oklahoma v. West Virginia +2.5 | Top | 56-28 | Loss | -100 | 80 h 55 m | Show |
342 Oklahoma at West Virginia As well as the Sooners are playing winning seven straight games heading into this week, the list of teams it has beaten all have major flaws. The best two teams on the conference schedule are West Virginia and Oklahoma State, which is the same two teams it ends the season against. A telling sign when handicapping football is how teams do when losing the turnover battle. Oklahoma is 2-4 when that happens, which is about what you would expect. West Virginia on the other hand is 3-1 when losing the turnover battle. The only team better is the consensus best team in the nation, Alabama who is a perfect 4-0. Backing these type of teams gives you a full game of intensity, something the Sooners have lacked all season. The Mountaineers are on an 11-1 straight up run at home, yet have been installed as the underdog here. While Oklahoma is up 2.4 explosive plays per game to West Virginia and its 2.0, the Mountaineers have been better over the last month. We think the wrong team is favored here. PLAY WEST VIRGINIA |
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11-16-16 | Northern Illinois v. Eastern Michigan | Top | 31-24 | Win | 100 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
307 Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan With news of the quarterback change a Northern Illinois the line has dropped three points during the week. That’s way too much of an adjustment in our eyes as the change is at most a single point. Keep in mind that the Huskies lost its true starter early in the season and these two signal callers were rated equal at that point. Another reason for the Eastern Michigan love is that the Eagles are now bowl eligible while the Huskies won’t be bowling for the first time in nine years. We actually find that to be a detriment to Eastern Michigan who have had extra time to celebrate. With all the boosters and fans giving them praise all week we can see a team that’s not used to success coming out flat tonight. Northern on the other hand have beaten the Eagles 14 of 15 games, including the last four by a combined margin of 120 points, 30 points per contest. Despite the late loss last week to Toledo this team has outscored the opposition 113-58 the past three games. Rod Carey will not let this team get down on itself and the talent level isn’t a huge drop-off from last year. PLAY NORTHERN ILLINOIS |
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11-12-16 | Appalachian State +1 v. Troy | Top | 24-28 | Loss | -115 | 49 h 22 m | Show |
159 Appalachian State at Troy The Mountaineers have won both meetings with the Trojans by margins of 3 and 39 points the last two years. The 44-41 triple overtime game from a year ago was with the Mountaineers as a 24 point favorite. That game was sandwiched between two Thursday games with contenders Georgia Southern and Arkansas State. You can bet coach Satterfield will remind his team of that situation from a year ago. With only ULM and New Mexico State remaining on the schedule Appalachian State can focus fully on Troy here. Troy has put together a really good season, but this team hasn’t played a good team since the September 10th meeting at Clemson. The Trojans have been a 9 point or larger favorite in each of the last five games. App State has the much more explosive team despite playing a slightly tougher schedule. This team knows how to win on the road and we expect a solid victory over the Trojans. PLAY APPALACHIAN STATE |
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11-12-16 | Kentucky +14 v. Tennessee | Top | 36-49 | Win | 100 | 41 h 42 m | Show |
165 Kentucky at Tennessee Not buying into the line movement here as Kentucky has been every bit as good as Tennessee the last month. The Wildcats have a sizable explosive play advantage on the season of 1.4 per game over the Volunteers. In matching up similar opponents and using 3.5 as home field advantage we see Kentucky fares very closely to Tennessee. The Wildcats were -34.5 against Florida while Tennessee was +6.5. That was the clear outlier when looking at these games. Against South Carolina it was +3.5 for the Wildcats and +0.5 for Tennessee. Against Alabama it was -24.5 for KY and -42.5 for TN. Versus Georgia it was -6.5 for the Wildcats and +6.5 for the Volunteers. With Tennessee expected to be the SEC East Champions coming into the season, we can fade this team down the stretch. Off three straight losses there is no way Tennessee deserves this much credit in the betting marketplace. PLAY KENTUCKY |
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11-08-16 | Eastern Michigan +1 v. Ball State | Top | 48-41 | Win | 100 | 23 h 1 m | Show |
101 Eastern Michigan at Ball State The Eagles have dropped five straight in this series, but keep in mind this team posted a 13-47 overall record during that time. This Chris Creighton squad is far superior to any of those teams. In fact, a win here and the Eagles will become bowl eligible. After back to back losses to Western Michigan and an improving Miami Ohio, a victory here is paramount before heading into the bye week. Ball State has dropped 4 of 5 overall with the lone victory coming at Buffalo in a non-covering affair. The running game for the Cardinals is quality but this Eastern Michigan run defense is much tougher than in past years. We can see the Eagles putting a lot of pressure on the Ball State signal caller, making the offense one dimensional. Eastern has the much more explosive team averaging +1.1 explosive plays per game while Ball State sits at a -1.6. PLAY EASTERN MICHIGAN |
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11-05-16 | Nebraska +17 v. Ohio State | Top | 3-62 | Loss | -104 | 78 h 35 m | Show |
415 Nebraska at Ohio State Only one team all season has scored more than 22 points in regulation against the Huskers. That was Oregon way back in week three who tallied 32. The last five games Nebraska has permitted 17, 14, 22, 16 and 13 points in regulation. Tough not to like a sizable underdog with a defense like that. Ohio State is really struggling offensively. Without JT Barrett being 100% it takes away the ability for the QB to run from the pocket. The last four games Ohio State has produced 5.9, 5.0, 5.6 and 5.4 yards per play. These two clubs faced two good conference opponents this year, Northwestern and Wisconsin. In regulation Ohio State outscored those two by 4 total points, Nebraska outscored the same two teams in regulation by 11 points. So why are the Buckeyes such a prohibitive favorite? Public perception. PLAY NEBRASKA |
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11-05-16 | Charlotte +20 v. Southern Miss | Top | 38-27 | Win | 100 | 74 h 38 m | Show |
357 Charlotte at Southern Miss Charlotte was a team getting a lot of press in the offseason with 16 returning starters. After facing Louisville, Eastern Michigan and Temple that hype dissipated. But looking back we see that all three of those teams are much improved, which gives us value on the 49ers now. The last three games Charlotte has outscored the opposition 81 to 74 despite playing two of those games on the road. The 49ers also have a slightly better explosive plays per game average than does the Golden Eagles, despite playing a little tougher schedule. Charlotte is off a bye after winning at Marshall by 3, while Southern Miss just beat the Thundering Herd at home by 10. There is no way the Golden Eagles deserve to be favorites of this magnitude. The Golden Eagles own just one FBS victory by more than this spread, and that was over UTEP, in a game it only had a 0.9 yards per play advantage. PLAY CHARLOTTE |
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11-05-16 | Fresno State +15.5 v. Colorado State | Top | 0-37 | Loss | -106 | 73 h 9 m | Show |
371 Fresno State at Colorado State Don’t look now but the Bulldogs have become major money makers after the firing of head coach Tim DeRuyter. Four straight covers by a combined total of 16 1/2 points. After blowing a huge lead and losing in overtime to Tulsa, followed by a 25 point loss at UNLV, this team was left for dead. Not anymore as this club is playing with new enthusiasm. Colorado State has three FBS wins on the season, against UTSA, Utah State and UNLV. In two of those three games the Rams lost the yards per play category. In all three of those games Colorado State won the turnover battle. This is the first time all season this club has been a double digit favorite. The last time in that role was against these very same Bulldogs last year, and the Rams only won that game 34-31. We look for more of the same here. PLAY FRESNO STATE |
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11-03-16 | UCLA +12 v. Colorado | Top | 10-20 | Win | 100 | 58 h 17 m | Show |
315 UCLA at Colorado The Bruins have beaten the Buffaloes all five times since Colorado joined the PAC12. In every meeting UCLS has been a double digit favorite. Just last year Colorado was getting 23 points in Los Angeles. Now the Buffalos have been installed as a double digit favorite Thursday at home. While there is a drop-off at quarterback without Rosen, this line is saying its an eight point line adjustment. With last week off for the Bruins, the team can make the needed adjustments at quarterback. Just three weeks ago the Buffaloes gave Arizona State 11 1/2 points here. We have UCLA a full 10 points better with a healthy Rosen. Once again the line here has been overblown. Too many points to not back the Bruins here off its worst defensive effort of the year. PLAY UCLA |
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11-01-16 | Bowling Green +17 v. Northern Illinois | Top | 20-45 | Loss | -110 | 26 h 7 m | Show |
301 Bowling Green at Northern Illinois What a difference a year makes with these two schools. The last three seasons these programs played for the MAC Championship. Now neither will be making the big game. Mike Jinks took over for Dino Babers this season and the club was overwhelmed from the start, much like what happened to Northern Illinois this season. But both clubs have settled down now that conference action is underway. Just three weeks ago Bowling Green traveled to Ohio U and were installed as a 12 point underdog, in a 30-24 Bobcats win. Now the line is 5 points higher against a Huskies team that we have power rated as equal to Ohio U. That gives us plenty of value with the Falcons on Tuesday. Bowling Green still turns the ball over way too often, but the offense is starting to click. Bowling Green has produced 24 points or more in its last four games, against some of the better defenses in the MAC no less. Last time out Northern Illinois crushed Buffalo 44-7. But the offensively challenged Bulls lost the turnover battle by 4 in the first half in that game. The Bulls never had a chance to compete. Northern is the better team but this line is outrageous. PLAY BOWLING GREEN |
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10-29-16 | Tulsa v. Memphis -6.5 | Top | 59-30 | Loss | -106 | 56 h 32 m | Show |
162 Tulsa at Memphis The Golden Hurricane has lost to Memphis by 24 and 20 points the past two seasons. The only FBS victories this season for Tulsa have come against San Jose State, Fresno State, SMU and Tulane. The middle two games coming in overtime. Memphis has suffered just two losses on the year, at Mississippi and at Navy. Two teams much better than Tulsa. The Tigers have a +1.5 explosive plays per game more than the Golden Hurricane while playing almost identical strength of schedules. Look for another double digit victory for Memphis. PLAY MEMPHIS |
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10-29-16 | Arizona State v. Oregon -8 | Top | 35-54 | Win | 100 | 52 h 57 m | Show |
202 Arizona State at Oregon The Sun Devils have dropped 3 of 4 as of late with the offense averaging just 22.8 points per game. The quarterback position has been hampered with injuries and the starting center is out for this game. In three road games this season Arizona State is 0-3 ATS with spread losses of 12 1/2, 12 and 17 1/2 points. Oregon looked good coming out of the bye giving California all it could handle in a double overtime loss. On the season the Ducks have played a 5 point tougher schedule and still owns a 2.4 explosive play per game average over the Sun Devils. With the Ducks being winless on the season ATS there is tons of value on this Oregon squad. PLAY OREGON |
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10-29-16 | Army v. Wake Forest -5.5 | Top | 21-13 | Loss | -115 | 53 h 8 m | Show |
132 Army at Wake Forest The Black Knights gained a lot of attention in knocking off Temple 28-13 as a 13 1/2 point underdog to start the season. But since then Army is 2-3 vs FBS competition with the only wins coming against Rice & UTEP. In fact, This team has played one of the weakest schedules in the entire FBS. How about facing North Texas, Duke, Buffalo, UTEP and Rice the past five FBS games. This team has dropped three straight ATS by a combined margin of 53 points. Army is an overrated squad right now in the betting markets. Wake Forest has beaten Army each of the last four seasons and has already faced an option team in Tulane in the season opener. The Demon Deacons are off a bye and have cashed 4 of 5 games heading into this clash. The last two games Wake held Florida State and Syracuse to a combined 26 points. This line is cheap based on the perceived improvement from Army. Keep in mind there is a huge strength of schedule edge here for the host as Wake Forest has played a 14 point tougher schedule than the Black Knights. PLAY WAKE FOREST |
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10-22-16 | Georgia Southern v. New Mexico State +14 | Top | 22-19 | Win | 100 | 77 h 21 m | Show |
396 Georgia Southern at New Mexico State The Eagles are 2-3 SU vs FBS competition on the season and 1-4 ATS. It has been out gained in yards per play in 4 of 5 games. Yet for some reason Georgia Southern has been installed as a double digit road favorite. It’s also the fourth straight road game for the Eagles and third straight since its bye week. The Eagles also have to play on Thursday hosting Appalachian State in a revenge matchup. Needless to say this is a terrible spot for the visitor. New Mexico State is just 2-4 SU vs FBS competition but did beat another ground oriented attack in in-state rival New Mexico. Coming off an embarrassing 55-23 loss at Idaho after a bye, you can be assured Doug Martin and his crew will be fired up for this home battle. The Aggies are undefeated in Aggie Memorial Stadium this year and have double revenge against this opponent. When looking at explosive plays the Aggies are +0.5 per game while the Eagles are -2.0 on the season. Georgia Southern just doesn’t have the breakout backs it has had in prior seasons. PLAY NEW MEXICO STATE |
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10-22-16 | Old Dominion +13.5 v. Western Kentucky | Top | 24-59 | Loss | -106 | 69 h 23 m | Show |
385 Old Dominion at Western Kentucky We’ve been very impressed by the job Bobby Wilder has done with the Monarchs. Three straight victories with the only FBS losses coming at Appalachian State at North Carolina State. With an extra week to prepare we look for Old Dominion to avenge two straight losses to the Hilltoppers. Western Kentucky has failed to cover the number in five straight games but it’s gone unnoticed because of a 3-3 straight up record. But this team could come in here a bit suggest after going to the wire against Middle Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Vanderbilt and Miami Ohio. All games decided by seven points or less including two contests involving a total of three overtimes. Now it’s homecoming week with the team knowing it has dispatched the Monarchs by 17 and 15 points the previous two years. When looking at explosive plays the visitor has the edge at +1.2 per game as opposed to a -0.5 for the host. This one is decided very late. PLAY OLD DOMINION |
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10-22-16 | Ohio v. Kent State +3.5 | Top | 14-10 | Loss | -110 | 71 h 43 m | Show |
362 Ohio at Kent State The Bobcats are 3-3 SU on the season against FBS competition with a turnover margin advantage of plus 9. As we know turnovers for the most part are random and therefore the Bobcats have been very fortunate. In fact, last week was the first time Ohio U lost the turnover battle and in turn lost the game outright to Eastern Michigan. This team is rated higher by the gambling community than anyone who has watched this team play. Kent State is 1-4 SU on the season but has covered 3 of 5 games against the FBS. The offense obviously struggled against Penn State and Alabama but has averaged over 28 ppg against league opponents. That’s far better than the 9.1 ppg the Golden Flashes averaged a year ago. Speaking of a year ago, Kent State is looking to avenge a 27-0 shutout at the hands of this Bobcat team in Athens. With this being just the second home game against FBS opposition we can see the team fired up to exact some revenge. PLAY KENT STATE |
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10-15-16 | Temple +4 v. Central Florida | Top | 26-25 | Win | 100 | 52 h 58 m | Show |
123 Connecticut at South Florida The last nine games in this series have been decided by 8, 3 , 3, 7, 6, 3, 2, 4 and 7 points. So why is this line so much higher? Connecticut won outright in four of those nine games. This is a very tight series and this line is highly unusual. UConn isn’t going to dazzle you with a potent offense but this team knows how to play against superior competition. Just last year this club beat Houston outright as a double digit underdog and only lost 9-6 at Missouri catching 21 1/2 points. USF has a short week ahead as it takes on Temple on Friday. The Bulls only loss this season came against Florida State, as this is a very good football team. But we haven’t seen enough out of this squad to lay this type of number. PLAY CONNECTICUT |
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10-15-16 | Connecticut +20 v. South Florida | Top | 27-42 | Win | 100 | 51 h 25 m | Show |
123 Connecticut at South Florida The last nine games in this series have been decided by 8, 3 , 3, 7, 6, 3, 2, 4 and 7 points. So why is this line so much higher? Connecticut won outright in four of those nine games. This is a very tight series and this line is highly unusual. UConn isn’t going to dazzle you with a potent offense but this team knows how to play against superior competition. Just last year this club beat Houston outright as a double digit underdog and only lost 9-6 at Missouri catching 21 1/2 points. USF has a short week ahead as it takes on Temple on Friday. The Bulls only loss this season came against Florida State, as this is a very good football team. But we haven’t seen enough out of this squad to lay this type of number. PLAY CONNECTICUT |
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10-15-16 | Ball State v. Buffalo +10.5 | Top | 31-21 | Win | 100 | 48 h 6 m | Show |
122 Ball State at Buffalo The Cardinals are 2-3 straight up against FBS competition and haven’t been favored by double digits in ten games. The last time the Cardinals were such a big favorite it lost outright to Georgia State, failing to cover the spread by 25 points. When we break down explosive plays we find the host having the better numbers than this high priced road favorite. Buffalo is 1-3 vs FBS competition and are off back to back blowouts to Kent State and Boston College. But this line movement is too extreme as Kent State was favored by just 3 points last week. We only rate Ball State three points better than the Golden Flashes. So we are getting an additional four points here with a fired up home dog looking to make amends. An outright upset wouldn’t surprise. PLAY BUFFALO |
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10-15-16 | Eastern Michigan +7 v. Ohio | Top | 27-20 | Win | 100 | 49 h 45 m | Show |
117 Eastern Michigan at Ohio U Been very impressed with the job Craig Creighton has done at Eastern Michigan this season. Since 2009 this team had been 15-69 and the laughingstock of the MAC. But this year his Eagles have been very competitive with a 3-2 SU record against FBS competition. What’s been especially good is that transpired despite a -4 turnover disadvantage. The last four games when looking at yards per play the Eagles have held their own. +1.9 ypp against Charlotte, +1.5 vs Wyoming, +1.2 against Bowling Green and were only outgunned by 20 point favorite Toledo by 0.2 yards per play. Ohio U is 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS vs FBS opposition. But keep in mind that this team has a turnover advantage of +10 and a sack advantage of +17 on the year. Teams that dominate those two stats should be much more successful. Coming off unimpressive victories over Miami Ohio and Bowling Green, we can clearly see the sell sign on the Bobcats. PLAY EASTERN MICHIGAN |
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10-15-16 | Vanderbilt +14 v. Georgia | Top | 17-16 | Win | 100 | 43 h 48 m | Show |
179 Vanderbilt at Georgia Second straight road game for the Commodores who are off a 20-13 loss at Kentucky. But teams who fail to cover in the first game of a back to back are an excellent play the following week. We saw this earlier in the season as the Commodores won outright at Western Kentucky after failing at Georgia Tech. That makes Vandy 5-0 ATS in that situation the last five years. Despite dropping game at Kentucky and Florida the past two weeks the Commodores beat both teams in yards per play. Georgia enters this game 3-2 SU against FBS members. Beating North Carolina by 9, Missouri by a single point and South Carolina by 14 when running back the onside kick at games end last week. We just haven’t seen enough out of this Georgia team to lay this type of number. Our explosive play chart rates Vandy much higher than the Bulldogs. Tough to lay this big of number without long touchdowns. PLAY VANDERBILT |
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10-08-16 | Washington v. Oregon +9 | Top | 70-21 | Loss | -104 | 53 h 33 m | Show |
386 Washington at Oregon Coming into this season we were already aware of how good this Washington team would be, along with the expected drop-off of the Ducks. Yet all three of our power ratings made Oregon a 1 1/2 point favorite in this game. So what has happened this season to make this game 11 points higher? Virtually nothing other than a nationally televised blowout win over Stanford. A Cardinal team that had just beaten USC and UCLA the previous two weeks before taking on the Huskies on a short week. We take nothing away from this Washington team but keep in mind it had to go to overtime to beat Arizona the prior week. Oregon enters this game on a three game losing streak, dropping contests to Nebraska, Colorado and Washington State, three bowl worthy opponents. Over the last 10+ years the Ducks are 61-10 straight up in Autzen Stadium. Oregon enters this contest knowing it has beaten the Huskies 12 straight games, yet is installed as a sizable home underdog. This team has been a home dog just twice in this last decade plus. Winning both games outright and covering the spread by a whopping combined margin of 74 1/2 points! PLAY OREGON |
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10-08-16 | Northern Illinois +19.5 v. Western Michigan | Top | 30-45 | Win | 100 | 77 h 10 m | Show |
321 Northern Illinois at Western Michigan It’s a huge matchup of series history against current form. Northern Illinois has beaten Western Michigan seven straight times with the closest outcome being by 7 points. Western Michigan on the other hand have beaten the likes of Northwestern, Illinois and Central Michigan. PJ Fleck is a highly sought after coach who will likely be offered the Purdue job at years end. But this is not a very good spot for the Broncos. Last weeks blowout of Central Michigan was the legitimizer win for this program. After winning eight games each of the last two years the Broncos are now on the edge of the Top 25, and are talked about being a possible undefeated squad. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves Western Michigan fans, keep in mind you are +9 in turnover margin against FBS competition. In fact, the Broncos haven’t turned the ball over all season. That type of luck isn’t likely to continue as this team, coming into this season, were -4 in turnovers in the first three years of the PJ Fleck era. Northern Illinois is 1-4 on the season but a perfect 1-0 in MAC action. Losses at Wyoming in altitude, along with defeats at South Florida and San Diego State are excusable. Both those teams are Top 30 worthy. This is a veteran team with 58 lettermen returning along with a starting quarterback who transferred in from Western Michigan. That knowledge of the system can only help the Huskies. While Western is the clearly better team in the public eye, Northern Illinois knows how to beat this team. PLAY NORTHERN ILLINOIS |
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10-07-16 | Boise State v. New Mexico +17 | Top | 49-21 | Loss | -104 | 57 h 32 m | Show |
316 Boise State at New Mexico Many will look towards the revenge angle in this one as Boise State was shocked 31-24 last year, losing as a 31 point favorite. But a quick look at history shows that the Broncos have a terrible time against the option. When going against Air Force and New Mexico the past five years Boise State is 6-3 straight up but 0-9 ATS. In fact those spread losses have been by margins of 18, 38, 8, 27, 9, 1.5, 22.5, 3.5 and 18. That’s over 16 points per game against the spread. The Broncos played Utah State last week so it has no extra time to practice for the option. Bob Davie has done a tremendous job here in Albuquerque since taking over the program in 2012. After consecutive single win seasons from 2009 thru 2011 this club has posted win totals of 4, 3, 4 and 7 the past four seasons. That may not sound overly impressive to most, but people in the know are well aware of his coaching ability. An outright upset here would really not be out of the realm of possibility. PLAY NEW MEXICO |
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10-01-16 | Oregon v. Washington State +2.5 | Top | 33-51 | Win | 100 | 11 h 39 m | Show |
216 Oregon at Washington State This Oregon program is on the decline under Mark Helfrich. His teams performed well in 2013 and 2014 with the Chip Kelly recruits. But last year the Ducks broke a streak of 7 straight seasons of double digit victories with a 9-4 record including losing its bowl game. The last two weeks the Ducks lost to both Nebraska and Colorado despite winning the turnover battle in each game, which is hard to do. Washington State and Mike Leach has played Oregon tough over the years. The last five games the Cougars have covered by margins of 23 1/2, 16, 15 1/2, 5 1/2 and 20 points. Last year Washington State won in straight up fashion in Eugene. The wrong team is favored here. PLAY WASHINGTON STATE |
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10-01-16 | Memphis v. Ole Miss -14.5 | Top | 28-48 | Win | 100 | 103 h 50 m | Show |
116 Memphis at Mississippi The Tigers have been impressive thus far with dominate wins over SE M and Bowling Green. But the first win came against an FCS team and the Jayhawks and Falcons are two of the weaker teams in the FBS this season. That said, Mike Norvell has inherited a team that won 9 and 10 games the previous two years with Justin Fuente at the helm and Paxton Lynch behind center. Mississippi has had this game circled after losing at Memphis last year 37-24 as a 10 1/2 point road favorite. While Memphis has played a very weak schedule Ole Miss has taken on the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Florida State. Under Hugh Freeze the Rebels are 14-7-1 when installed as home favorites and the team has a bye week on deck. We look for an inspired effort from the host as the step up in defenses faced for Memphis will be too much to overcome. PLAY MISSISSIPPI |
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10-01-16 | Akron v. Kent State +7 | Top | 31-27 | Win | 100 | 73 h 9 m | Show |
154 Akron at Kent State Tough to lay points on the road in a rivalry game when your defense is allowing 577.7 yards per game the last three contests. Akron hasn’t beaten the Golden Flashes in regulation the past five times here. The only victory was a double overtime 30-27 win here in 2008. In three games against FBS competition the Zips have permitted 45, 38 and 54 points. No way this team should be a touchdown favorite. Due to injuries the Golden Flashes are down to its third string quarterback, but like the Cleveland Browns last week the drop-off is virtually nonexistent. Kent is coming off a physical Alabama game last week but the two previous contests were vs FCS squads. Kent is also playing with shutout revenge for a 20-0 defeat last year at Akron. In two FBS games Kent has played at Penn State and Alabama, the drop-off in defensive faced is huge. PLAY KENT STATE |
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09-24-16 | Miami (OH) +17 v. Cincinnati | Top | 20-27 | Win | 100 | 50 h 19 m | Show |
375 Miami Ohio at Cincinnati Terrible scheduling situation for the host who played Houston on National Television last week and have major revenge against South Florida on deck. USF led Cincy 51-3 at halftime in what would become an embarrassing 65-27 loss. The Bearcats have dominated this one way rivalry series winning ten straight. We can’t see them getting up to play this lesser MAC team. Miami on the other hand is much improved this year and has already faced the likes of Iowa and Western Kentucky, two spread covering contests. While conference action starts next week as the Redhawks host Ohio, this game has more meaning to the players. A win over their close rival would build major confidence heading into MAC action. Under Chuck Martin Miami is 9-4 ATS as a road underdog and they have enough talent to take this one to the wire. PLAY MIAMI OHIO |
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09-17-16 | Akron +17.5 v. Marshall | Top | 65-38 | Win | 100 | 66 h 23 m | Show |
165 Akron at Marshall Classic overreaction here as the Zips were heavily bet last week only to be blown out at Wisconsin. The line went from +25 to +21 1/2 at close and the Zips were never in the game. But Terry Bowden and the Zips are always a dangerous road dog and because of last week this line is highly inflated. Akron has won 6 of its last 7 games dating back to last year. Bowden always brings in high quality transfers, so despite bringing back only 7 starters this year the team has talent. As opposed to the Zips, Marshall has played just one game this year, a blowout of Morgan State. The team has back to back huge recruiting rivalry games on deck against Louisville and Pittsburgh. Because of last week’s results this line is at least 4 points higher than it should be, the lookahead for the Thundering Herd adds to our advantage. PLAY AKRON |
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09-15-16 | Houston v. Cincinnati +7 | Top | 40-16 | Loss | -101 | 77 h 54 m | Show |
104 Houston at Cincinnati The Cougars shocked Oklahoma in the opener 33-23 and made a major jump up in the standings. Last week without injured QB Greg Ward the team beat Lamar in a non-covering victory. While we agree this is talented team, there is no way this team should be a touchdown favorite here. First off in the win vs Oklahoma the Sooners won the yards per play battle 6.0 to 5.0. This is a team traveling on a short week to play on ESPN against a divisional rival. The last three years Houston won at home by 3, lost at Cincinnati by 7 and lost at home to Cincinnati by 7. The Cougars were a combined 29-11 the last three years but just 1-2 vs the Bearcats. Cincinnati dominated a Big 10 team on the road last week winning by 18 over Purdue. In the last decade this team is 8-2 ATS as a home dog, winning outright the past two occurrences. This is the biggest game of the season for the host. The fans will be primed and we expect this game to come down to the wire. PLAY CINCINNATI |
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09-10-16 | Akron +24 v. Wisconsin | Top | 10-54 | Loss | -106 | 75 h 4 m | Show |
329 Akron at Wisconsin You couldn’t ask for a better spot for Akron to take on the Badgers. Not only was Wisconsin looking to avenge a season opening loss to LSU from two years ago. But the game was a historic contest played in Lambeau Field. Even before the game was actual played you could see the excitement in the faces of the Wisconsin players who would step on this historic field to play a football game. After pulling the upset the players celebrated as if winning the national championship. Now with Akron and Georgia State on deck before the Big 10 season gets underway, do we really expect the Badgers to show the same type of emotion? Akron was the top MAC school last year against the run, allowing just 2.9 yards per carry on the season. Even when stepping up in class against Oklahoma the team managed just 3.0 ypc, Pittsburgh was more of the same at 2.8 ypc. Terry Bowden always brings in a lot of transfers which is why this team is always so goo on the lines. We expect the Zips to give the Badgers all it cab handle on Saturday. PLAY AKRON |
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09-10-16 | Central Michigan +21 v. Oklahoma State | Top | 30-27 | Win | 100 | 113 h 32 m | Show |
327 Central Michigan at Oklahoma State The Chippewas are going to make us money this year and our first chance to cash is on Saturday. The John Bonamego era started last year with a 7-6 mark and he brings back 16 returning starters after just 9 a season ago. While this isn’t the best team in the MAC it’s the most balanced as the Chips are solid on both sides of the ball and has a possible NFL QB in Cooper Rush behind center. This team is 6-1 as a road dog the last two years and covered by 12 1/2 points last year hosting these Cowboys in the opener. The 24 points Oklahoma scored in last years meeting was just a point more than the 23 it scored against Oklahoma last year, a season low for the Cowboys. Oklahoma State crushed SE Louisiana last week but turnovers were the key. The Cowboys average starting field position was its 46 yard line. Oklahoma State has lost 3 of its last 4 games played including the Sugar Bowl loss to Mississippi. This team doesn’t deserve to be a 3 touchdown favorite here against a solid Central Michigan squad. PLAY CENTRAL MICHIGAN |
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09-01-16 | South Carolina +4.5 v. Vanderbilt | Top | 13-10 | Win | 100 | 9 h 33 m | Show |
141 South Carolina at Vanderbilt Because of off field concerns Steve Spurrier lost interest in the game the last few years on his tenure. In comes a hungry Will Muschamp to pick up the pieces and bring this program back to previous levels. After seven straight winning seasons the Gamecocks managed a 3-9 record a year ago. We expect a rebound season from South Carolina despite only 9 returning starters.To go from beating Vanderbilt 7 straight games by double figures to now being a dog is just a huge overreaction in our eyes. Vanderbilt has won just 7 total games in the last two years under Derek Mason. The team is 4-7 straight up at home vs FBS programs, with two of those victories coming against Old Dominion and Massachusetts. Under Mason the Commodores have averaged 15.2 and 17.2 points. Hard to lay over a field goal with teams that can’t score. PLAY SOUTH CAROLINA |
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12-30-15 | NC State v. Mississippi State -6.5 | Top | 28-51 | Win | 100 | 16 h 40 m | Show |
Belk Bowl
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12-26-15 | Southern Miss v. Washington -8.5 | Top | 31-44 | Win | 100 | 265 h 8 m | Show |
Heart of Dallas Bowl
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12-26-15 | Connecticut +5 v. Marshall | Top | 10-16 | Loss | -104 | 20 h 28 m | Show |
St Petersburg Bowl |
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12-22-15 | Toledo v. Temple -2.5 | Top | 32-17 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 56 m | Show |
Boca Raton Bowl
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11-27-15 | Missouri v. Arkansas -14 | Top | 3-28 | Win | 100 | 24 h 23 m | Show |
132 Missouri at Arkansas Revenge game for the Razorbacks who dropped the final game of the regular season last year to the Tigers. QB Brandon Allen has been on fire as of late throwing a school record 7 touchdowns last week in a one point overtime loss. Missou has failed to reach the end zone in its last two road contests, and has only 15 offensive touchdowns in 11 games. The Tigers are averaging just 14.5 points per game. The Tigers need a win to become bowl eligible, and it’s the last regular season game under Pinkle. But this team went all out the last two weeks at home against BYU and Tennessee and we feel the tank is getting mighty low for Missouri.PLAY ARKANSAS |
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11-21-15 | Texas A&M v. Vanderbilt +7 | Top | 25-0 | Loss | -120 | 33 h 25 m | Show |
400 Texas A&M at Vanderbilt |
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11-21-15 | Old Dominion v. Southern Miss -21 | Top | 31-56 | Win | 100 | 41 h 38 m | Show |
378 Old Dominion at Southern Miss |
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11-21-15 | Louisiana Tech -24.5 v. UTEP | Top | 17-15 | Loss | -110 | 29 h 12 m | Show |
411 Louisiana Tech at UTEP |
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11-18-15 | Central Michigan -10 v. Kent State | Top | 27-14 | Win | 100 | 6 h 18 m | Show |
307 Central Michigan at Kent State |
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11-14-15 | Wyoming v. San Diego State -24 | Top | 3-38 | Win | 100 | 36 h 34 m | Show |
216 Wyoming at San Diego State |
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11-14-15 | Oklahoma v. Baylor -2.5 | Top | 44-34 | Loss | -110 | 46 h 51 m | Show |
188 Oklahoma at Baylor |
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11-11-15 | Bowling Green -3 v. Western Michigan | Top | 41-27 | Win | 100 | 31 h 33 m | Show |
105 Bowling Green at Western Michigan Big MAC showdown on ESPN2 on Wednesday as Bowling Green & Western Michigan get ready for a shootout. BG has won the yardage battle in all but one game this season, the opener against Tennessee which had a 47 yard difference. Going into the last game for each BG had a 54-33 explosive yard edge over the opposition while WM sat at 35-38, allowing three more plays of 20+ yards than it achieved. Both teams had permitted 5 drives of 80 yards or more, but while the Broncos had just 9 themselves the Falcons produced 17. This game means more to the visitor as Western still has division opponents Northern Illinois and Toledo remaining on the schedule. The winner of that three team race plays in the MAC Championship game. Bowling Green on the other hand finishes the regular season with a non-divisional Toledo team and Ball State. Those two contests as well as this one are the only MAC regular season revenge games for Dino Babers and his crew. We expect him to emphasize that fact to his team as a motivating factor. The Broncos just played the dregs of the conference Ohio, Miami, Eastern Michigan and Ball State. This is a huge step up game for the host.PLAY BOWLING GREEN |
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11-05-15 | Baylor -17 v. Kansas State | Top | 31-24 | Loss | -106 | 29 h 21 m | Show |
307 Baylor at Kansas State |
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11-01-15 | Air Force v. Hawaii +7 | Top | 58-7 | Loss | -125 | 26 h 11 m | Show |
206 Air Force at Hawaii |
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10-24-15 | Bowling Green -13.5 v. Kent State | Top | 48-0 | Win | 100 | 25 h 19 m | Show |
321 Bowling Green at Kent State |
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10-13-15 | Arkansas State v. South Alabama +4 | Top | 49-31 | Loss | -108 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
102 Arkansas State at South Alabama Have not been impressed with the Red Wolves who have failed by 21 points or more to the spread in 3 of 4 FBS contests. This is a team that went 1-3 ATS in the road favorite role in the first season of Blake Anderson’s tenure and was pounded at both USC and Toledo this year. Stepping down in class didn’t help them against Idaho last time out.South Alabama was beaten at Arkansas State last season 45-10, it’s worst defeat of the year. The last time the Jaguars played in Ladd-Peebles Stadium it was crushed by NC State 63-13. This will be a team on a mission here tonight and despite just 5 returning starters from a year ago we find value in the home dog. Despite being a substantial underdog in every game, this is a club that has been able to be competitive in explosive plays, something the Red Wolves have lacked. PLAY SOUTH ALABAMA |
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10-10-15 | Washington State +17 v. Oregon | Top | 45-38 | Win | 100 | 49 h 47 m | Show |
359 Washington State at Oregon |
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10-10-15 | UMass v. Bowling Green -13 | Top | 38-62 | Win | 100 | 48 h 48 m | Show |
348 Massachusetts at Bowling Green |
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10-03-15 | UNLV v. Nevada -6.5 | Top | 23-17 | Loss | -106 | 50 h 46 m | Show |
216 UNLV at Nevada |
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10-03-15 | Northern Illinois v. Central Michigan +3 | Top | 19-29 | Win | 100 | 46 h 53 m | Show |
170 Northern Illinois at Central Michigan |
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09-26-15 | Central Michigan v. Michigan State -26.5 | Top | 10-30 | Loss | -110 | 69 h 36 m | Show |
316 Central Michigan at Michigan State Very surprised by the shortness in this line as we have two sets of power ratings supporting numbers of 35 and 38. Central Michigan has faced Oklahoma State who had struggled offensively until last week, Monmouth and Syracuse which has been very injury prone at quarterback. While it’s an in-state game the Chippewas do have Northern Illinois on deck and the Huskies have major revenge for a home field loss a year ago. The last time Central played a Top 20 team on the road it lost at Michigan by 50 points in 2013. That team is very similar to the squad John Bonamego took over this year.Michigan State is 8-3 ATS installed as a double digit favorite, and 8-2 ATS when facing opposition from the state of Michigan. The Western Michigan Broncos stayed under the number opening week here but that was the game prior to Oregon for the Spartans. With only Purdue on deck there is no lookahead for Michigan State. Last week in a post Oregon situation the Spartans were favored by 24 1/2 vs Air Force. Now the line is only slightly higher against a team we rate 8 points worse than the fly boys. Big edge here for the host.PLAY MICHIGAN STATE |
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09-19-15 | Texas-San Antonio v. Oklahoma State -24.5 | Top | 14-69 | Win | 100 | 50 h 4 m | Show |
156 UTSA at Oklahoma State |
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09-12-15 | Pittsburgh v. Akron +12 | Top | 24-7 | Loss | -106 | 31 h 14 m | Show |
368 Pittsburgh at Akron |
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09-12-15 | San Diego State +14 v. California | Top | 7-35 | Loss | -105 | 30 h 24 m | Show |
357 San Diego State at California |
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09-12-15 | Bowling Green +7.5 v. Maryland | Top | 48-27 | Win | 100 | 25 h 54 m | Show |
369 Bowling Green at Maryland |
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09-05-15 | Mississippi State v. Southern Miss +21 | Top | 34-16 | Win | 100 | 80 h 11 m | Show |
204 Mississippi State at Southern Miss Two teams heading in opposite directions yet the betting line hasn’t caught up to the changes. Southern Miss had an excellent program not too long ago but fell on hard times. Now we look for SM to continue the better play from a year ago. The Golden Eagles bring back 15 starters as well as three transfers from the power five conferences. Overall 9 of 10 offensive linemen return along with much better depth all around, including the quarterback position. It’s the third year of coach Todd Monken’s system which should be a big plus. Mississippi State was once the top rated team in the nation last year but consistently faded as the season unfolded. Excellent QB Prescott returns along with a talented offense, but this defense has many question marks. It wore down as the season unfolded and the true depth of this team is a mystery. Manny Diaz is back as defensive coordinator after leaving Louisiana Tech. He will get the best of these players as the season unfolds but we’re not sold at this point. A lack of depth in the front seven tells us that the Golden Eagles can keep the chains moving.PLAY SOUTHERN MISS |
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09-03-15 | TCU v. Minnesota +14.5 | Top | 23-17 | Win | 100 | 78 h 44 m | Show |
142 TCU at Minnesota |
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12-20-14 | Utah -2.5 v. Colorado State | Top | 45-10 | Win | 100 | 49 h 54 m | Show |
205 Utah at Colorado State A bit surprised by the line movement on this one as the head coach-less Rams have been taking money, knocking this line down to 3 in the process. Colorado State gets to play in Las Vegas every other year and the holiday travel of this game could be a chore for Rams backers. Playing in the Mountain West Conference also means Colorado State played the weaker of the two schedules.Utah on the other hand has sold out its allotment of tickets as the Top 20 ranked basketball team is also playing in Vegas this weekend. That adds to the excitement for the Utes faithful. While Colorado State throws the ball well it rarely sees the pressure Utah will bring defensively. Utah has always traveled well to this location in past years as part of the Mountain West and we expect them to have a solid advantage in the stands. We know Utah is excited to be here, not so sure with a Colorado State team with a coach that left for Florida.PLAY UTAH |
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12-06-14 | Wisconsin v. Ohio State +4.5 | Top | 0-59 | Win | 100 | 55 h 27 m | Show |
128 Wisconsin at Ohio State |
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11-29-14 | Michigan State -13.5 v. Penn State | Top | 34-10 | Win | 100 | 5 h 22 m | Show |
399 Michigan State at Penn State |
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11-28-14 | Northern Illinois +8 v. Western Michigan | Top | 31-21 | Win | 100 | 47 h 33 m | Show |
319 Northern Illinois at Western Michigan Experience counts and that’s a big edge for the Huskies players and coaches. Northern Illinois has dominated this league the past number of seasons, playing and winning big games on a consistent basis. After a slow start to the season as expected, the Huskies are right back where they normally are, playing a huge game late in the season.Western Michigan has been a big money maker for backers this season with some spots showing the Broncos undefeated against the spread. While on the surface that would be a terrific thing based on the past, but just the opposite when looking towards the future. Everyone who has been riding the Western Michigan money machine will be back for more here, which will and has pumped up this line. That gives a pointspread advantage to the much more experienced team. The Broncos had a great recruiting class this year and the future looks extremely bright. But this team just doesn’t have the experience to play in this type of game against a club who expected to be here where the season started. PLAY NORTHERN ILLINOIS |
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11-15-14 | Utah v. Stanford UNDER 43 | Top | 20-17 | Win | 100 | 31 h 48 m | Show |
356 Utah at Stanford |
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11-15-14 | Rice v. Marshall -21 | Top | 14-41 | Win | 100 | 27 h 60 m | Show |
376 Rice at Marshall |
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11-13-14 | East Carolina v. Cincinnati OVER 68 | Top | 46-54 | Win | 100 | 8 h 3 m | Show |
311 East Carolina at Cincinnati |
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11-08-14 | Florida v. Vanderbilt +14.5 | Top | 34-10 | Loss | -106 | 32 h 21 m | Show |
136 Florida at Vanderbilt |
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11-01-14 | Oklahoma State v. Kansas State -11 | Top | 14-48 | Win | 100 | 31 h 28 m | Show |
368 Oklahoma State at Kansas StateNow that the line has gone down a bit it’s time to jump in with one of our favorite money makers, Bill Snyder and the Kansas State Wildcats. K State is our long shot pick to make it into the Final Four as they currently sit at #9 at the moment. This is a team with a stout defense and an offense that’s dynamic but stays under the national radar. With the playoff structure in view it wouldn’t surprise us if any of the top 20 teams tack on an extra score to impress the pollsters.Oklahoma State is known as a high flying offensive squad but once the starting QB went down this team imploded. A major drop off at the quarterback position has made this team ordinary at best. The Cowboys have scored just one offensive touchdown in the last ten quarters and the going will be tough on Saturday against this stop unit. The number looks to be at least six points too low.PLAY KANSAS STATE |