15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Ohio State -16.5 

I cashed in Ohio State last week against Michigan State, and style points was the theme.  They took care of business in a 26-6 win as only 3.5-point favorites.  The Buckeyes need style points this time of year because they are 10th in the latest playoff rankings.  And they’ll be looking for more style points this week against Maryland. 

Let’s just look at the last four meetings in this series, and you’ll love Ohio State as much as I do this week. The Buckeyes are 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings, winning by 48, 59, 21 and 28 points.  They have won those four meetings by an average of 39 points per game.  And we’re only having to lay 16.5 with the Buckeyes this week? Sign me up. 

The reason Maryland struggles against teams like Ohio State is because they can’t keep up with them offensively.  Maryland is a run-first team that struggles against teams that can stop the run.  That was on display two weeks ago when they lost to Michigan State 24-3 at home, the same Michigan State team Ohio State just beat by 20 on the road. 

Maryland only averages 131 passing yards per game, but 235 rushing.  Well, Ohio State has been good at stopping the run this season as they give up just 143 rushing yards per game and 4.2 per carry.  The only teams that Ohio State has really struggled against are teams that can throw the ball, which includes their narrow wins over Nebraska and Penn State, and their loss to Purdue.  They won’t struggle against this predictable Maryland outfit. 

Maryland is 0-8 ATS in its last eight games after gaining 350 or more rushing yards in their last game.  They ran all over Indiana last week and still lost 32-34.  Again, that’s the same Indiana team that lost by 23 to Ohio State.  The Terrapins are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games vs. good passing teams who complete 62% of their passes or better.  They are losing by 30.6 points per game on average in this spot.  Look for the Buckeyes to hang a big number on the Terrapins and cover this generous number with ease.  Roll with Ohio State Saturday. 

15* AAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Temple -13.5 

It was obvious that South Florida’s 7-0 start was a fraudulent one.  They were outgained by 176 yards by Georgia Tech and found a way to win.  They were also outgained by 116 yards by ECU and won 20-13.  They only beat Tulsa by one and UConn by 8, and those are two of the worst teams in the AAC. 

But once the competition ramped up in recent weeks, the Bulls were exposed for the frauds that they are. They lost 36-57 at Houston and were outgained by 215 yards.  They lost 15-41 to Tulane at home, getting upset as 6-point favorites.  And they lost 23-35 at Cincinnati last week.  It’s worth noting the Bearcats had the ball down to the USF 1-yard line in closing seconds and took a knee. 

Now they have to face Temple, which I believe is the best team in the AAC.  They beat Cincinnati earlier this season and have been playing great football.  They should have beaten UCF a few weeks ago as they outgained them by 40 yards but blew a late lead and lost 40-52 on the road.  And then last week they went on the road at Houston and won 59-49 as 3.5-point dogs.  South Florida was blasted by both Houston and Cincinnati, and they’d get blasted by UCF, too.  They’ll get blasted by Temple this week. 

This is a Temple offense that is hitting on all cylinders right now.  They put up 40 points and 670 total yards on UCF two weeks ago, and then 59 points and 537 total yards on Houston last week.  When I’m laying double-digit points like this, I want it to be with an offense that is going to put up a big number.  And there’s no question the Owls are going to hang a big number on this poor USF defense that has allowed an average of 38.2 points per game in their last six games.  That’s real bad when you consider UMass, Tulsa, UConn and Tulane were four of those six opponents. 

I have to believe Temple remembers their 7-43 road loss at South Florida last year.  The Bulls weren’t afraid to run up the score on them, and the Owls won’t be afraid to run of the score this season to return the favor.  Temple won 46-30 in their last home meeting in 2016 as 6-point underdogs.  And this is the first time in recent seasons that Temple actually has the better team between these two.  They should have no problem winning by two-plus touchdowns here on Senior Day, which is also extra motivation for them. 

The Owls are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 conference games.  The Bulls are 1-5 ATS in their last six conference games.  The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Temple is 8-0 ATS after scoring 37 points or more last game over the last three seasons.  The Owls are 7-0 ATS when playing against a good team that wins 60% to 75% of their games over the last three years.  The Owls are 9-1 ATS vs. poor defensive teams that allow 425 or more yards per game over the past three seasons.  These last four trends combine for a 28-1 system backing the Owls.  Take Temple Saturday. 

25* College Football GAME OF THE YEAR on Minnesota +3 

This game has everything I look for when seeking out a pick to use as my 25* College Football GAME OF THE YEAR.  We have one team who will be max motivated in Minnesota up against another team in Northwestern that is likely to just go through the motions.  And we’re getting the max motivated team as the underdog. 

The reason the Golden Gophers will be max motivated is because they sit at 5-5 and need a win to get to a bowl game.  And with a road game at Wisconsin on deck, this is their best chance to get it.  It’s also Senior Day for Minnesota here.  So they have every reason to want to lay it all on the line to win this game. 

Conversely, Northwestern just clinched everything with last week’s 14-10 win at Iowa.  They clinched the Big Ten West Division title, which means they will be going to the Conference Championship Game to face either Michigan or Ohio State.  And they clinched a bowl berth with their 6th win.   

I expect the Wildcats to fall flat on their faces this week as they don’t care one bit whether or not they win this game now.  They’ve been getting patted on the back all week at school and having everyone tell them how good they are.  They probably also partied more than usual this week leading up to the game.  It’s just not a spot where you want to be betting on the Wildcats this week. 

Plus, one of my favorite trends this season is that the underdog in Northwestern games is now 9-0-1 ATS on the season.  I used this trend last week when I backed the Wildcats as my 25* Big Ten GAME OF THE YEAR.  And I’m using it again this week to fade them in this horrific spot.  Pat Fitzgerald knows how to motivated his team when they are the underdog, but not when he has expectations and he is favored. 

Northwestern was favored by 3 at home against Duke and lost 7-21.  The Wildcats were favored by 21 against Akron and lost outright 34-39.  They were favored by 3.5 against Nebraska and won 34-31 only after a last-second miracle, but failed to cover.  And they were favored by 20 at Rutgers and barely escaped with an 18-15 victory. 

Minnesota’s 41-10 win over Purdue as 11-point underdogs last week was one of the best performances of the season.  The Golden Gophers came into that game knowing they needed to beat Purdue and Northwestern to make a bowl, and step 1 is completed.  They held that high-octane Purdue offensive attack to just 233 total yards in the win. 

The Golden Gophers have a huge home/road split this season.  They have yet to win a road game, but they are 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS at home this year, outscoring their opponents by 14.9 points per game in the process.  And home-field advantage has been huge in this series in recent meetings as the home team is 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings. 

Minnesota is 24-9-2 ATS in its last 35 November games.  The Golden Gophers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games following an upset win as a double-digit underdog.  Bet Minnesota Saturday.

Note: I know this line has flipped to Minnesota -2.5 as of this writing Saturday morning.  I still like Minnesota as a 25* up to -3 today.

20* TCU/Baylor Big 12 Early ANNIHILATOR on Baylor -2 

The books have been off on TCU all season.  They are just 4-6 SU & 1-9 ATS this year.  Yet they keep getting respect from the books week after week.  And they’re getting too much respect again this week as only 2-point road underdogs to the Baylor Bears. 

Things have gotten so bad for TCU that they lost outright to Kansas as 13-point favorites.  They have completely fallen apart since losing to Ohio State in Week 3.  They are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games since then and have failed to cover by a combined 101 points in those seven games!  Books haven’t even been close on this team. 

While TCU still has a respectable defense, though were forced for 52 points against Oklahoma and 47 against West Virginia.  But the defense isn’t the issue.  It’s the putrid offense that has been held to 17 points or fewer in five of their last seven games.  That’s just not going to cut it in the Big 12.  They lost starting QB Shawn Robinson to a season-ending shoulder injury on October 22nd, and then lost their best playmaker in KaVontae Turpin on October 23rd due to a suspension. 

I don’t even think TCU wants to make a bowl game at this point, they just want the season to be over.  The Horned Frogs lost 10-47 at West Virginia last week and looked to have quit.  We actually saw this a few years back in 2013 with the Horned Frogs as they finished 4-8.  Sitting at 4-6 on the season, a 4-8 finish is highly likely at this point. 

Conversely, Baylor wants to get to a bowl game.  The Bears are in the second year under Matt Rhule and have been one of the most improved teams in the country.  They sit at 5-5 on the season and one win shy of a bowl berth.  They’ll be highly motivated to clinch that bowl bid here at home Saturday instead of waiting until next week against Texas Tech. 

I was impressed with the way Baylor played against Iowa State on the road last week.  If they didn’t have struggles in the red zone and two missed chip shot field goals, they probably would have won that game.  They actually outgained the Cyclones 505 to 355 in that game, or by 150 total yards.  Iowa State has the best defense in the Big 12, so putting up 505 yards on them is no small feat. 

The Bears received good news early this week when it was announced that QB Charlie Brewer wouldn’t be suspended for this game after getting ejected against Iowa State.  Brewer is completing 61.6% of his passes for 2,164 yards with 14 touchdowns and only six interceptions on the season, while also rushing for 223 yards and four scores.  He has really taken a big step forward as a sophomore this season, as has the rest of this team under the guidance of Rhule. 

TCU is 0-6 ATS vs. good passing teams with a completion percentage of 58% or better this season.  The Horned Frogs are 0-7 ATS in conference games this season.  This is simply as obvious as it looks folks.  The Horned Frogs are once again getting respect from the books that they don’t deserve here.  Roll with Baylor Saturday. 

20* Memphis/SMU ESPN 2 Total DOMINATOR on OVER 72 

Get ready for plenty of offensive fireworks Friday night in this standalone game between Memphis and SMU in AAC action.  Both teams will be full speed trying to put up as many points as possible, and there will be very little defense being played in this battle between two teams known for offense and not so much for defense. 

Memphis is putting up 44.6 points and 531.9 yards per game this season behind a balanced attack that produces 270 rushing yards per game and 262 passing.  SMU is scoring 32.3 points per game this season and has improved as the season has gone on under Sonny Dykes.  The Mustangs put up 45 points against Houston and 62 points against UConn in their last two games coming in. 

The problem both of these teams have is that they cannot defend a lick.  The Mustangs are giving up 36.8 points per game, while the Tigers are yielding 30.5 points per game on the season.  The Tigers have gone OVER the total in three straight coming in, while the Mustangs have gone OVER in each of their last two contests. 

I think we get a similar output to last year when Memphis beat SMU 66-45 for 111 combined points and a total of 71.5.  The Tigers racked up 664 total yards in the win, while the Mustangs managed 477 themselves.  That was a similar total to this 72.5-point number we’re seeing here.  And I just think it’s two low as both of these teams get to at least 35 points in this one with Memphis likely topping 50.  After all, Memphis has scored at least 48 points in each of its last four meetings with SMU. 

Memphis is a perfect 7-0 to the OVER in road games vs. good passing teams with a completion percentage of 58% or better over the last three seasons.  We’re seeing 89.1 combined points per game on average in this spot.  The OVER is 9-1 in Tigers last 10 games after gaining 450 or more total yards in their previous game.  The OVER is 4-0 in Tigers last four November games.  The OVER is 5-0 in Mustangs last five November games.  These four trends combine for a 25-1 system backing the OVER.  Bet the OVER in this game Friday. 

20* FAU/North Texas CFB Late-Night BAILOUT on OVER 61 

I think we’re getting value on the OVER tonight between FAU and North Texas because both of these teams have been under teams of late, especially the Mean Green.  North Texas has gone under the total in all 10 of their games thus far, which is almost unheard of.  But that trend stops tonight. 

The problem recently with betting overs in North Texas games is all the poor offenses they’ve been up against this season.  But they have still combined for 61 or more points four times with their opponents this season, and most of those were against the best offensive teams the’ve faced in SMU, Arkansas and Old Dominion. 

FAU has gone under the total in three of their last four games coming in.  The one exception was against the best offensive team they faced in FIU, and they combined for 63 points with the Golden Panthers.  The fact of the matter is that these are two of the best offensive teams in Conference USA, and we’re going to see plenty of points between them as a result to top this 61-point total. 

North Texas boasts an offense that puts up 37.2 points and 464.7 yards per game this season.  Florida Atlantic’s offense is putting up 31.1 points and 476.5 yards per game on the year.  The Owls are getting better as the season goes on offensively.  They put up 49 points and 596 yards against FIU and 34 points and 576 yards against Western Kentucky in their last two games coming in. 

These teams met twice last year.  The first meeting was a 69-31 FAU blowout with 100 combined points and a total of 67.  The second meeting was in the Conference Championship Game with FAU winning 41-17 and 58 combined points with a total of 71.5.  So the fact that the total was 67 and 71.5 in the two meetings last year and now it’s only 61 in the rematch this year shows there’s clearly value with the OVER. I expect both teams to top 30 points in this one.  Bet the OVER in this game Thursday. 

15* Clemson/Boston College ACC No-Brainer on Boston College +20 

It’s time to ‘sell high’ on the Clemson Tigers this week.  Bettors are clearly being asked to pay a tax to back Clemson now after what they’ve done in recent weeks.  Not only are they 9-0 and the No. 2 ranked team in the country, but they’re 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall, winning by 60, 34, 49 and 61 points.  But that was against the bottom of the ACC in Wake Forest, NC State, FSU and Louisville. 

Now Clemson actually has to play what I believe is the second-best team in the ACC in Boston College.  The Eagles are 7-2 SU & 7-2 ATS this season and have been covering machines over the past two years.  Yet, they are getting absolutely no respect from oddsmakers this week as 20-point home underdogs. 

This will be a night game in the cold in Boston.  The Eagles are used to these conditions, while the Tigers are now.  And Boston College is 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS at home this season, outscoring opponents by a whopping 24.6 points per game on average.  They are outgaining their foes by 207 yards per game at home as well, averaging 504 yards per game on offense and giving up only 297 yards per game on defense. 

Clemson doesn’t need style points any more.  They just know that they need to win out to make the four-team playoff because they aren’t going to drop from the No. 2 ranking if they just keep winning.  They certainly wouldn’t drop all the way to No. 5 if they win out, but it’s ugly.  And so they can win this game and we can still win catching 20 points on the Eagles. 

One matchup I like here is this Boston College offensive line against Clemson’s defensive line.  The Tigers get all the accolades for having a NFL talent across their defensive line, but the Eagles have NFL talent on their offensive line as well.  In fact, I believe this is one of the Top 5 offensive lines in the country.  And they’re well-equipped to handle this Clemson defensive front.  The Eagles are rushing for 229 yards per game this season and have one of the better running backs in the country in A.J. Dillon.  Dillon and company can control the clock, move the chains and keep that Clemson high-powered offense off the field. 

Boston College is 11-1 ATS against ACC opponents over the last two seasons.  The Eagles are 6-0 ATS vs. good offensive teams who score 31 or more points per game over the last two years.  Boston College is 9-1-1 ATS in its last 11 games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings with Clemson.  Bet Boston College Saturday. 

20* SEC GAME OF THE MONTH on Arkansas +14 

I always like fading teams after they play Alabama.  This is the perfect spot to fade LSU.  Their dreams were crushed last week with their 29-0 loss to Alabama.  They could have won the SEC West and been a playoff contender if they had won that game, but they were thoroughly outplayed.  It was a bigger blowout than the 29-point margin suggests even as they were outgained by 380 yards and managed just 196 total yards on offense. 

Now the Tigers somehow have to try and get motivated to face a 2-7 Arkansas team, and I don’t think they will.  They certainly won’t be motivated enough to cover this 14-point spread.  The Razorbacks come in on two weeks’ rest fresh off their bye as well, so they should be sitting on a big effort here.  I’ll gladly back the more motivated home team in this matchup. 

Having a first-year head coach in Chad Morris, the Razorbacks won’t quit on their season, and they’ve shown no signs of doing so.  They have been undervalued here down the stretch, going 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.  They beat Tulsa 23-0, only lost by 4 to Ole Miss after blowing a late double-digit lead, and they only lost by 7 at Texas A&M as 19-point dogs.  They covered as 35-point dogs against Alabama and actually scored 31 points on the Crimson Tide, which is the most they have allowed to anyone all season. 

The Razorbacks also get some key players back healthy this week off their bye.  And LSU usually plays Arkansas the week after Alabama.  That helps explain the fact that the Razorbacks are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings, including 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Fayetteville.  Arkansas is 6-0 ATS off a home conference loss over the last three seasons.  The Razorbacks are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a loss.  The Tigers are 0-4 ATS int heir last four games following a double-digit home loss.  The Razorbacks are 16-6 ATS in their last 22 home games vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Arkansas Saturday. 

15* Conference USA PLAY OF THE DAY on Florida International -10 

I think this is a ‘buy low’ opportunity on the Florida International Panthers this week.  They are coming off a 14-49 loss to Lane Kiffin and the FAU Owls.  That was a 21-14 game going into the 4th quarter before the Kiffin and company decided to run up the score late, which they’ve been known to do.  So that misleading final has FIU laying less than they should be here as only 10-point favorites against UTSA. 

It won’t be hard at all for head coach Butch Davis to get his team refocused this week and over that loss to FAU quickly.  That’s because when you look at the standings, the Panthers are just a half-game behind Middle Tennessee for first place in Conference USA’s East Division.  They are 4-1 and Middle Tennessee is 5-1, but FIU holds the tiebreaker over MTSU after beating them 24-21 earlier this season.   

They control their own destiny.  Win out and the Panthers will be going to the C-USA Championship Game to face UAB.  They’ll be motivated to get back on the horse this week and picked up where they left off with a four-game winning streak prior to that FAU defeat.  And they should have no problem making easy work of an overmatched UTSA squad this week. 

The UTSA Roadrunners are just 3-6 on the season.  They still have FIU, Marshall and North Texas on the schedule, and will be huge underdogs in all three games, so they won’t be going to a bowl game.  And that realization has really sunk in over the last three weeks as the Roadrunners have been battered and bruises. 

UTSA lost three straight to open the season, then won three straight over bottom feeders Texas State, UTEP and Rice to get to 3-3.  But then the competition ramped up again and they haven’t even been competitive at all.  They lost 3-31 at home to Louisiana Tech, followed by a 17-27 loss at Southern Miss, and then the ultimate 3-52 embarrassment at home to UAB last week. 

It’s hard to fathom how UTSA is supposed to stay within 10 points of FIU with their offense.  The Roadrunners are averaging a paltry 15.8 points, 243 yards per game and 3.8 yards per play this season.  They are averaging 10.4 points, 132 yards per game and 1.9 per play less than their opponents average giving up on the season.  This is one of the worst offenses in the country folks.  Compare that to FIU, which averages 33.7 points per game and 6.2 yards per play this season, and it’s easy to see how the Roadrunners are going to have a hard time keeping pace. 

UTSA has zero home-field advantage, especially now that they are this bad and there’s likely only to be a few thousand fans in attendance.  The Roadrunners are 0-9 ATS in all home games over the last two seasons.  UTSA is also 0-6 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record over the last two years.    Roll with Florida International Saturday. 

20* Miami/Georgia Tech ACC ANNIHILATOR on Georgia Tech -3 

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have been a buzz saw lately.  They have gone 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall and now would love to clinch a bowl berth with a home win Saturday against Miami.  They have not only been winning, they’ve been dominating. 

The Yellow Jackets’ four wins during this stretch came by a combined 112 points and by an average of 28 points per game against Bowling Green, Louisville, VA Tech and UNC with three of those games on the road.  Their only loss was to a well-rested Duke team coming off a bye week, but they gave that game away with three turnovers.  They have outgained each of their last five opponents and eight of their last nine foes with the only exception being Clemson.  They are much better than their 5-4 record would suggest. 

What does Miami have to play for at this point?  The Hurricanes were the favorites to win the ACC Coastal this season and they fell flat on their faces.  With three straight losses, they now sit at 5-4 and in 6th place in the Coastal.  They will simply be playing out the string at this point.  They were upset 12-20 as 9-point home favorites against Duke last week.  Their offense has been held to just 13 points per game in their last three contests. 

Now, the Hurricanes go into this game against Georgia Tech knowing it’s going to be physical, and knowing they are going to get cut-block all game.  They don’t want any part of it.  I expect Georgia Tech, which averages 377 rushing yards per game and 6.2 per carry this season, to break the will of the Hurricanes.  This Yellow Jackets offense has really taken off since Tobias Oliver took over at quarterback.  He has rushed for 780 yards and 12 touchdowns on 5.9 per carry. 

Miami is 2-10 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record over the last two seasons.  The Hurricanes are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games off an upset loss to a conference opponent as a favorite of 6 points or more.  Miami is 0-7 ATS off a conference loss over the last three years.  The Hurricanes are 0-7 ATS in road games off one or more consecutive ATS losses over the last three seasons.  Georgia Tech is 10-1 ATS after gaining 125 or fewer passing yards in three straight games over the last three years.  The Hurricanes are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games.  Bet Georgia Tech Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Pittsburgh -3 

Don’t look now, but the Pitt Panthers are 4-1 in ACC and atop the ACC Coastal Division.  They control their own destiny and have certainly been rejuvenated by it.  It should be a great atmosphere for Senior Day in their final home game of the season Saturday at Heinz Field as they host the Virginia Tech Hokies. 

The resurgent Panthers have gone 3-1 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.  They beat Syracuse 44-37 as 3-point home dogs, only lost 14-19 at Notre Dame as 21-point dogs, upset Duke 54-45 as 2.5-point home dogs, and upset Virginia 23-13 as 7-point road dogs.  And I still don’t think they’re getting any respect here as only 3-point home favorites against Virginia Tech. 

The Hokies are a mess right now.  They just haven’t recovered since their 35-49 road loss at Old Dominion, a team that is just 2-7 on the season.  The Hokies are 2-4 SU & 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.  They were lucky to win 22-19 at North Carolina in a final seconds, a UNC team that is 1-7 this season.  They also lost by 22 at home to Notre Dame, by 21 at home to Georgia Tech and by 10 at home to Boston College.  It’s just not a team I trust at all right now. 

The key matchup here is Pitt’s running game against VA Tech’s young defense that just can’t stop the run. The Panthers are averaging 231 rushing yards per game and 5.8 per carry against teams that normally only give up 178 rushing yards per game and 4.5 per carry.  They are averaging 280 rushing yards per game in their last four, which is impressive considering they’ve faced some good run defenses in Notre Dame, Duke and Virginia during this stretch. 

Virginia Tech has allowed 178 rushing yards per game and 4.4 per carry this season.  But it’s gotten a lot worse for them of late.  In their last three games, the Hokies allowed 235 rushing yards to UNC, 465 to Georgia Tech and 219 to Boston College.  You can just imagine what this fierce Pitt rushing attack is going to do to them this week.  The Panthers should get 300-plus yards on the ground in this one. 

Virginia Tech is 0-6 ATS vs. excellent rushing teams that average 230 or more rushing yards per game over the last three seasons.  They are losing by 9.7 points per game on average against these power-running teams.  The Hokies are 0-5 ATS in their last five games after allowing more than 200 rushing yards in their previous game.  The Panthers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven conference games, and 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.  Finally, Pitt has owned VA Tech, going 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings, and 7-0 ATS in the last seven meetings at Heinz Field.  Take Pittsburgh Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Tennessee +6 

This is an awful spot for the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday.  They are coming off their ‘game of the century’ last week against Georgia.  It was for all the marbles to win the SEC East, and the Wildcats fell flat on their faces in a 17-34 defeat that really wasn’t even as close as the score.  And now what do they have left to play for? 

They’ve already clinched a bowl berth and they could win out and maybe snag a New Year’s Six Game, but it’s unlikely.  I think the most likely scenario is that the Wildcats fall flat on their faces this week at Tennessee.  This is clearly a ‘hangover’ spot for them, and I look for it to be one of their worst games of the season. 

I think we’re getting added value built into the line on Tennessee because the Vols are coming off a lackluster 14-3 home win over Charlotte last week.  Well, SEC teams who step out of conference right in the middle of the conference slate usually struggle to be motivated in these non-conference games. 

That was especially the case for Tennessee last week.  They were coming off five straight grueling conference games against Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina with three of those on the road.  They actually held their own in many of those games, winning outright at Auburn 30-24 as 15.5-point dogs, and only losing 24-27 at South Carolina as 10.5-point dogs. 

I think those performances against Auburn and South Carolina are more indicative of what Tennessee is capable of than their 14-3 win over Charlotte last week as 21-point favorites.  And you know first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt is going to rally the troops this week.  Tennessee still needs two wins in its final three games to make a bowl, and they have home games against Kentucky and Missouri, and a road game at Vanderbilt to finish, so it’s very doable.  It starts with an upset of Kentucky this week. 

The Wildcats just don’t have the offense to put away teams.  They are scoring just 24.7 points per game an averaging 356 yards per game this season.  This is a below-average offense with numbers comparable to that of Tennessee.  And the Vols have actually been pretty good defensively given the tough schedule, surrendering just 26.7 points and 368.4 yards per game this season.  This is a much more evenly-matched game than this spread would suggest, and that’s even before you factor in the awful spot for Kentucky. 

Kentucky has been thriving in the role of the underdog lately under Mark Stoops, but now they have expectations with a national ranking and a 7-2 record.  And they haven’t handled expectations very well at all.  That’s evident by the fact that Kentucky is 1-9 ATS as a favorite over the last two seasons.  Stoops is 0-6 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points as the coach of Kentucky having never covered a spread in this price range.  Roll with Tennessee Saturday. 

25* Big Ten GAME OF THE YEAR on Northwestern +11 

The Northwestern Wildcats have been one of the most underrated teams in the Big Ten this season.  Here they sit at 5-1 within the conference and with a one-game lead over both Purdue and Wisconsin in the West Division.  Yet they are getting no respect as 11-point underdogs, and you can bet that head coach Pat Fitzgerald will play the underdog card the disrespect cards to their fullest Saturday when the Wildcats take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

The Wildcats went on the road and beat Michigan State and Purdue, while also topping Wisconsin at home.  Their only conference loss this season came to Michigan by a final of 17-20.  And we’ve seen in recent weeks how good Michigan is.  They also hung tough against unbeaten Notre Dame last week in a 10-point loss.  Yet here they are needing to prove themselves again, and they’ll be up to the task Saturday. 

I like the mindset of the Wildcats right now because they still haven’t clinched a bowl berth at 5-4 because of their struggles outside the conference.  Fitzgerald said his message to the team Monday was ’20’.  “This squad is only guaranteed 20 days together,” Fitzgerald said. “What we learn every day will hopefully prepare us for those three Saturday’s we have left together.” 

I think that Iowa is in a very tough spot mentally.  It’s going to be very hard for them to recover from back-to-back gut-wrenching losses to Penn State and Purdue in which they had to a chance to win both games in the final minutes, but came up short.  The same thing happened against Wisconsin a few weeks back.  That leaves the Hawkeyes at 3-3 within the conference and with basically zero chance of winning the West, because they also trail both Purdue and Wisconsin, two teams that hold the tiebreaker over them.  So basically Iowa is just playing out the string now. 

My favorite trend for this game is that underdogs are 9-0-1 ATS in Northwestern games this season.  That just goes with my theory that Fitzgerald thrives preparing his team when they are the underdogs.  They don’t respond as well to him when they are expected to win.  And the Wildcats are a perfect 6-0 ATS as road underdogs over the last three seasons.  Northwestern is 20-5-1 ATS in its last 26 conference games. The Wildcats are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 road games.  Northwestern is 21-4-1 ATS in its last 26 games after allowing more than 280 passing yards in its previous game.  Bet Northwestern Saturday. 

15* Ohio State/Michigan State Big Ten No-Brainer on Ohio State -3.5 

The Ohio State Buckeyes are grossly undervalued right now.  They have gone 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall, which is why they are only 3.5-point favorites at Michigan State this weekend.  I bought Ohio State down to -3 personally and hit it hard, and I think you should too.  This is the perfect ‘buy low’ opportunity on the Buckeyes, which is rare. 

Ohio State still has everything to play for.  At 8-1, the Buckeyes are the lowest ranked (No. 10) one-loss Power 5 team in the latest playoff rankings.  They have some work to do, but with ranked matchups against Michigan State and Michigan on the horizon, they can make up some serious ground.  They know they need to do so with style points, too, which makes laying this small price a no-brainer. 

I’m just not that impressed with this Michigan State offense, and I don’t think they have the firepower to hang with the Buckeyes Saturday.  The Spartans are only averaging 23.4 points, 360 yards per game and 5.0 yards per play this season.  Compare that to the Buckeyes, who average 42.2 points, 547 yards per game and 6.7 per play, and you can see how they are going to have some issues trying to keep up. 

Ohio State crushed Michigan State 48-3 at home last season.  Sure, I don’t expect it to be that lopsided again, but you don’t need much to cover this 3.5-point spread.  Under Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes are 11-2 SU & 10-3 ATS as a favorite of 4 points or less or an underdog.  In these types of roles, the Buckeyes excel.  They just aren’t great at covering the massive spreads they’ve been asked to cover in recent weeks, which is why they are on an 0-5 ATS run.  That run stops today. 

The Buckeyes are 37-18 ATS in their last 55 games on grass.  Ohio State is 34-16-1 ATS in its last 51 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  The Spartans are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.  The road team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.  The Buckeyes are 5-2 ATS in their last seven trips to East Lansing.  Ohio State is 23-9 ATS in its last 32 games as a road favorite of 7 points or less.  Take Ohio State Saturday. 

20* CFB BLOWOUT GAME OF THE MONTH on Indiana -1.5 

I love the spot for the Indiana Hoosiers this week.  They are coming off a much-needed bye week after going through the gauntlet with four straight losses to Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State and Minnesota.  But they still sit at 4-5 on the season, and they still have two home games left against Maryland and Purdue, so they can still make a bowl game.  They’ll come in fresh and ready to go off their bye week as they seek their 5th win of the season. 

I just don’t like the feel of this Maryland program at all right now.  The Terrapins reinstated DJ Durkin then fired him again.  And the team has been drug through the media.  I think it showed last week in their lackluster 3-24 home loss to the Michigan State Spartans.  The Terrapins managed just 100 total yards of offense in an embarrassing effort.  Don’t expect them to fare much better this week, and I’m shocked Indiana is only a 1.5-point favorite Saturday. 

Indiana had won both meetings in 2015 and 2016 before losing 39-42 at Maryland last season.  They outgained the Terrapins 483 to 345 in that game, or by 138 yards and certainly deserved to win.  Now they’ll want revenge on the Terrapins, who probably just want this season to be over at this point and don’t even want to go to a bowl game. 

Maryland is 2-10 ATS in road games after the first month of the season over the last three seasons.  They are losing by 20 points per game on average in this spot.  The Terrapins are 1-8 ATS vs. excellent passing teams with a completion percentage of 62% or better over the last three years.  They are losing by 33.8 points per game in this situation.  The Terrapins are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 road games overall.  Roll with Indiana Saturday. 

15* Fresno State/Boise State ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Fresno State -2.5 

The Fresno State Bulldogs have been the single-most underrated team in the country over the past two seasons.  That’s evident by their success against the spread as they’ve gone 25-4-1 ATS in their last 30 games overall.  They’ve also gone 13-2-1 ATS in their last 16 road games. 

But because the Bulldogs play on the West Coast, they don’t get much national attention.  And they really should be 9-0, but their early season loss at Minnesota has them flying under the radar.  I get that they have had a lack of competition, but they have played everyone that’s on their schedule, and they’ve handled them all outside Minnesota. 

Indeed, Fresno State is 8-0 SU & 8-0 ATS in all games outside Minnesota.  They won all eight of those games by 18 points or more.  They are outscoring opponents by a ridiculous 28.1 points per game on the season.  Their offense is rolling at 40.4 points per game, and their defense would allow them to hang with anyone as they are giving up just 12.3 points per game on the season.  They have allowed 7 or fewer points in four of their last five games overall coming in, including exactly 3 points three times. 

Boise State has been one of the most overrated teams in the country since Brian Harsin took over.  They are just 2-4-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They stepped up in class and lost 21-44 at Oklahoma State and 13-19 at home to San Diego State.  They only beat Nevada by 4 and BYU by 5 recently.  And that BYU game they were thoroughly outplayed and fortunate to win. 

Fresno State clearly has the better defense between these teams, and it’s not really even close.  The Broncos have lost three of their best players on defense to season-ending injuries.  They were already without NT David Moa and S DeAndre Pierce, and now you can add leading tackler Riley Whimpey to the list as their LB suffered a torn ACL against BYU last week.  The Broncos are allowing 23.7 points per game this year. 

Fresno State wants revenge from a 14-17 loss to Boise State in the Mountain West Championship Game last season.  The Bulldogs held a 14-10 lead at half but were shut out after intermission and lost a heartbreaker.  I have no doubt Fresno State is the better team this year, and Boise State has taken a step back.  And the Bulldogs will be looking to prove that on the field Friday night. 

Fresno State is 12-1 ATS in conference games over the last two seasons.  The Broncos are 9-0 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record over the last two years.  Boise State is 0-8 ATS in its last eight home games vs. teams who commit one or fewer turnovers per game.  The Broncos are just 5-15 ATS in their last 20 home games overall.  Bet Fresno State Friday. 

20* MAC GAME OF THE WEEK on Ohio -3.5 

The Ohio Bobcats will be max motivated tonight to beat the Miami Ohio Redhawks.  They are in 2nd place behind Buffalo in the MAC East division, and they need a win to keep pace with the Bulls.  A win this week would mean a win next week at home against Buffalo would put Ohio in 1st place in the MAC East and a trip to the MAC Championship Game. 

Miami Ohio had its make-or-break game last week against Buffalo.  The Redhawks played well, only losing 42-51 in that contest, but it was a dream-crushing loss.  The Redhawks and now 2.5 games behind Buffalo in the MAC East with zero chance to win the division because they’ve already lost the tiebreaker.  And certainly it’s going to be tough to recover from back-to-back brutal losses to Army and Buffalo by a combined 10 points.  They won’t get back up off the mat in time to stop this Ohio freight train. 

Freight train, indeed.  The Bobcats are absolutely rolling right now.  They have gone 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Their only two losses straight up during this stretch came on the road at Cincinnati by 4 and at Northern Illinois by 3.  If you look at their last three games, you can tell the Bobcats are zoned in. 

Ohio beat Bowling Green 49-14 on October 20 as 16.5-point favorites and outgained them by 283 yards.  The Bobcats beat Ball State 52-14 as 10.5-point favorites on October 25th and outgained them by 312 years.  And then they went into Western Michigan last week and rolled 59-14 as 3-point favorites.  This team is simply on a mission right now and cannot be stopped. 

The Bobcats have probably the best quarterback in the MAC in Nathan Roarke, if it’s not Buffalo’s Tyree Jackson.  Roarked has a 17-to-5 TD/INT ratio this season while averaging 9.5 yards per attempt.  And he has been an unstoppable force on the ground, rushing for 637 yards and 7.3 per carry with eight touchdowns.  And his teammates will go to war with him any day. 

Ohio has made huge strides defensively after being awful on that side of the ball to start the season.  The Bobcats are holding their last three opponents to just 14.0 points and 275.3 yards per game.  Miami Ohio has been hit hard by injuries on defense, and that was on display last week with the 51 points and 505 total yards given up to Buffalo. 

Ohio has simply owned this series, going 5-0 SU & 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Bobcats have won four of those five meetings by 10 points or more.  Ohio is 4-1-1 ATS in its last six trips to Miami.  They won 45-28 at home last year as 6.5-point favorites, and 17-7 on the road as 2-point favorites in 2016.  I think this domination continues given that both teams are going in opposite directions both in the win-loss column and mentally right now. 

Plays against home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Miami Ohio) - after having lost two of their last three games against opponent after having won four of their last five games are 31-6 (83.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Plays on road favorites (Ohio) - after allowing 17 points or less in two straight games against an opponent that allowed 37 points or more last game are 40-11 (78.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet Ohio Wednesday.

20* Kent State/Buffalo MAC Tuesday No-Brainer on Kent State +21.5 

Buffalo (8-1, 5-0 MAC) plays Ohio (6-3, 4-1 MAC) next week in the game that will decide the MAC East title.  The Bulls will certainly have that game in the back of their minds, knowing they could actually lose to Kent State and win next week and still capture the MAC East crown.  That’s a precarious spot to be in mentally, and I certainly don’t think the Bulls are capable of covering this massive 21-point spread given the situation. 

Kent State is a vastly improved team this year.  I know the record shows 2-7, but this is a team that scored just 12.8 points per game last year, which was the second-worst mark in college football.  Former Syracuse offensive coordinator Sean Lewis has turned the Golden Flashes into a much more competitive team this year, with an improved offense and an improved defense. 

Kent State is two 1-point losses away from behind 4-5 this year instead of 2-7.  They lost 23-25 to Akron as 5-point home dogs and 26-27 to Ohio as 11.5-point home dogs.  That effort against Ohio showed they could play with anyone in the MAC, because Ohio is as good as any of these MAC teams.  The Bobcats have been steamrolling everyone else of late. 

The weather conditions also make me like the underdog Golden Flashes.  It’s going to be a windy night in Buffalo with the average wind at 30 MPH.  There will be gusts up to 50 MPH.  That’s why the total on this game has dropped from 52 all the way down to 43.  And getting 21 points with a team with a total of only 43 is usually a great proposition. 

Both teams will be running the football almost exclusively to keep the clock moving and avoid making mistakes.  And Kent State has been solid at running the ball this year.  They are averaging 178 rushing yards per game and 4.3 per carry.  And they’ve been respectable at stopping the run, giving up 4.2 yards per carry against teams that normally average 4.4 per carry. 

Buffalo rushes for 173 yards per game and 4.3 per carry, numbers similar to Kent State but actually worse.  And Buffalo allows 3.9 per carry against teams that normally average 4.0 per carry.  So they haven’t faced too many good rushing offenses yet, meaning their defensive numbers are a bit skewed.  Tyree Jackson is clearly the better quarterback in this matchup for Buffalo, but his passing will almost be a non-factor. 

The road team is 9-1-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  The Golden Flashes are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six trips to Buffalo.  Bet Kent State Tuesday. 

15* BYU/Boise State ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on BYU +13 

The Boise State Broncos are grossly overrated.  There’s no way they should be laying 13 points to a very good BYU team that is capable of hanging with the Broncos, and possibly pulling off the upset.  I’ll gladly take the value with the road underdog in this rivalry. 

The Broncos have gone just 4-2 SU & 2-3-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  They only had one real solid performance during this stretch, which was their 34-14 win at Wyoming as 15.5-point favorites where they outgained a bad Cowboys team by 211 total yards.  Other than that, they have actually been outgained in three of their last six games.  And they pushed in a 48-38 win at Air Force last week as 10-point favorites while only outgaining them by 87 yards.  And they won 31-27 at Nevada as 14.5-point favorites in a game where they only outgained the Wolf Pack by 120 yards. 

BYU comes in undervalued off its 6-7 upset home loss to Northern Illinois last week as 6.5-point favorites. But that’s a very good NIU team whose only losses this season have come to Iowa, Utah and Florida State.  And keep in mind that BYU had a bye heading into that game, so they will still be fresh and ready to go against Boise State this week. 

I also look for the Cougars to be max motivated against their rivals here needing two more wins to get bowl eligible.  They still have a road game at Utah in the season finale, so they’ll be playing with a sense of urgency, especially after blowing a golden opportunity to beat NIU last week.  They outgained the Huskies by 97 yards and really should have won. 

The Broncos have lost their home-field advantage.  They are just 5-14 ATS in their last 19 home games.  Boise State is 1-8 ATS in home games after committing zero turnovers in their previous game over the last three seasons.  Brian Harsin is 0-6 ATS as a home favorite of 10.5 to 14 points as the coach of Boise State, actually losing outright by 0.9 points per game on average in this spot. 

The Cougars are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games, which includes an outright win as 23.5-point dogs at Wisconsin earlier this year.  BYU is also 5-1 ATS in its last six games following a loss.  Bet BYU Saturday.  

15* Alabama/LSU CBS No-Brainer on LSU +14.5 

For starters, this is the largest home underdog role for a Top 4 team in the country ever.  LSU has lost by double-digits only once at home in the past decade.  And there’s nothing like a night game in Baton Rouge.  So the Tigers have everything going for them here as 14.5-point home underdogs to Alabama Saturday night. 

No question what Alabama has done so far has been mighty impressive.  They are not only winning, they are winning big.  But with that 8-0 record and all those blowout wins comes expectations from oddsmakers that are tough to live up to.  And we’ve seen that recently with the Crimson Tide going 2-3 ATS in their last five games overall coming in. 

The problem I have with Alabama is that they haven’t faced any real good teams yet.  The best opponent they played was Texas A&M, and they played them at home.  They won by 22 as 23.5-point favorites, failing to cove the spread.  Alabama has faced just two Top 50 teams all season and have played the 60th-toughest schedule in the country. 

Conversely, LSU has played the 6th-toughest schedule in the country.  They’ve already played five Top 30 teams.  And they have gotten through that gauntlet at 7-1.  What more does this team need to do to get some respect from oddsmakers?  The Tigers will certainly be playing the disrespect and underdog cards leading up to this game, which works in their favor big-time, especially with the home crowd on their side. 

This will easily be Alabama’s toughest test of the season to date, and it’s not really even close.  LSU has gone 4-1 against those five Top 30 teams with road wins over Miami and Auburn, and home wins over Georgia and Mississippi State.  That 36-16 beat down of Georgia was really impressive as they outgained the Bulldogs by 158 yards and gained 475 total yards on offense.  And they avoided the letdown the next week with an equally impressive 19-3 win over Mississippi State. 

No question the Crimson Tide have the edge on offense with better quarterback play, but this LSU offense is getting it done and has been better than in year’s past.  And the Tigers actually have the better defense this year because they’ve put up nearly identical numbers to Alabama despite facing the tougher schedule.  They are giving up just 15.1 points per game.  They are holding opposing quarterbacks to 50.6% completions and just 200 passing yards per game.  They have what it takes to slow down this Alabama offensive freight train. 

Ed Orgeron is 10-0 ATS vs. good passing teams who average 8 or more yards per attempt as the coach of LSU.  The Tigers are winning by 19 points per game in this spot having never lost against the spread.  That perfect record continues here this weekend as the Tigers get the cover and possibly pull off the upset.  Roll with LSU Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Louisiana Tech +23.5 

This could not be a worse spot for Mississippi State.  The Bulldogs are coming off a huge 28-13 home win over Texas A&M last week after playing LSU, Auburn, Florida and Kentucky in their previous five games.  And now they step out of conference to face LA Tech with a game against Alabama looming on deck next week.  This is a sandwich spot if I’ve ever seen one. 

We’ve seen these SEC teams fail to cover time and time again in these sandwich spots when they step out of conference.  And I don’t expect to get the best effort from Mississippi State here.  The Bulldogs will be just looking to get out of Starkville with a win.  They won’t be concerned at all about covering this massive 23.5-point spread. 

Louisiana Tech went into LSU and gave the Tigers a run for their money earlier this season.  They lost 21-38 as 19.5-point underdogs, covering the spread.  But that was a 21-24 game in the second half before the Tigers tacked on two late touchdowns to pull away.  And LSU beat Mississippi State 19-3 in their meeting just two weeks ago.  So LA Tech is catching more points here against Mississippi State than they were against LSU.  That fact alone shows there’s value, even without considering the awful situational spot for Mississippi State. 

And this is one of the better teams Skip Holtz has had at Louisiana Tech.  They are 6-2 this season with their only losses coming to LSU and UAB, which may be the best team in Conference USA.  Those teams are a combined 14-2 this season 

I love backing Skip Holtz as an underdog.  In fact, Holtz is 21-7 ATS in his last 28 games as a head coach as a road underdog.  LA Tech is 6-0 ATS in road games off a conference game over the last two seasons.  LA Tech is 8-1 ATS off two or more consecutive wins over the last three years.  LA Tech is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 vs. SEC opponents.  LA Tech is 37-17 ATS in its last 54 road games.  Take Louisiana Tech Saturday. 

15* Notre Dame/Northwestern ESPN ANNIHILATOR on Northwestern +9.5 

We see this year after year with Notre Dame.  They’ll get off to a hot start and get into the playoff conversation before shitting the bed down the stretch.  The Fighting Irish are now ranked No. 4 in the initial college football playoff rankings.  They have expectations now, and those expectations are very tough for them to live up to.  Notre Dame is just 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games in the month of November. 

That has proven to be the case in their last two games as the Fighting Irish have failed to cover the massive spreads.  They only won 19-14 as 21-point home favorites against Pittsburgh two games ago.  And last week they won 44-22 as 22.5-point favorites over Navy, failing to cover against a Navy team that is way down this year. 

And that Navy game also figures into this handicap.  Teams don’t tend to do well the following week after facing a triple-option team.  Those are physical games where the defense gets cut-blocked continuously.  That’s especially the case for Notre Dame over the years after facing Navy.  In fact, the Fighting Irish are just 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games after facing Navy. 

Just bet the underdog in Northwestern games this season and you’d be a perfect 9-0 ATS.  The Wildcats always rise to the occasion in the role of the dog, and fail to meet expectations as a favorite.  That could just be a reflection of head coach Pat Fitzgerald.  He’s able to get his players up for these big games, and that has been the case all season for the Wildcats. 

Indeed, Northwestern 4-0 ATS as an underdog this season, and 0-5 ATS as a favorite.  They won at Purdue 31-27 as 1-point underdogs.  They only lost 17-20 at home to Michigan as 14.5-point dogs.  They won 29-19 at Michigan State as 10.5-point road underdogs.  And last week they upset Wisconsin 31-17 as 4.5-point home dogs. 

The Wildcats have a strong defense that is holding opponents to just 23.6 points per game this season.  And Clayton Thorsen has put the offense on his shoulders and really improved his draft stock with what he has been able to do against these good teams.  He has led the Wildcats to four straight victories in Big Ten play and certainly will be relishing the opportunity of trying to knock off unbeaten Notre Dame. 

The Wildcats are 5-0 ATS in their last five games in the month of November.  Northwestern is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games following an ATS win.  Fitzgerald is 9-2 ATS off three straight conference wins as the coach of Northwestern.  Don’t be surprised if the Wildcats pull off another upset here, but 9.5 points is simply too much either way.  Roll with Northwestern Saturday. 

20* AAC GAME OF THE MONTH on SMU +14 

The Houston Cougars are coming off a huge win over ranked and previously unbeaten South Florida last week.  They now have a two-game lead for first place in the West Division.  This is now a massive letdown spot for the Cougars, and that’s not being priced into the line here.  They should not be 14-point road favorites over SMU this week. 

The Mustangs are the team that trails Houston by two games in the division, so they will be max motivated to get a win here and stay alive.  And I really like the way this SMU team is playing coming in.  They are 3-2 in their last five games with a home win over Navy and a road win at Tulane.  Their only two losses came to UCF and Cincinnati, who teams who are a combined 15-1 this season.  And they only lost in overtime to Cincinnati. 

SMU only lost 22-35 on the road at Houston last year.  And SMU pulled one of the biggest upsets of the season at home against Houston in 2016.  They came in as 23.5-point underdogs and won 38-16, covering the spread by 45.5 points.  The Mustangs are live underdogs in this game here Saturday as well. 

The Cougars are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games on field turf.  Houston is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.  The Cougars are simply overvalued right now and in a very tough spot here against the Mustangs.  They’re getting way too much respect for their win over an overrated South Florida team last week.  Roll with SMU Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Florida -6 

The Missouri Tigers beat up on weak competition and lose to good competition.  The Tigers went 1-13 in 2016 and 2017 against bowl teams.  And this year they have folded against the best competition.  They are 0-4 in SEC play this year and I’m not expecting them to pick up their first conference win of the season this week at Florida. 

Drew Lock has a 24-to-29 TD/INT ratio against Power 5 teams that make it to a bowl game, but a 61-to-8 ratio in all other games in his career.  Lock has a 1-to-5 ratio in SEC play this season and an 11-to-1 ratio against non-conference opponents.  Lock is also 0-9 SU against Top 25 teams in his career. 

I think this is a worse spot for Missouri this week than Florida.  The Tigers are coming off a gut-wrenching last-second loss to Kentucky.  The final score showed 14-15, but the Tigers were actually outgained in that game by 136 total yards.  Lock and the offense were held to just 239 total yards against a good Kentucky defense, one that’s similar to the one they will be up against this weekend at Florida. 

Certainly the Gators won’t be feeling too hot after tier 17-36 loss to Georgia in the Cocktail Party.  But they still have big aspirations and can have a 10-win season if they win out while making a New Year’s Six Bowl.  And they should be favorites in the rest of their games to do so. 

Keep in mind that Florida had a bye before the Georgia game, so they are still fresh.  And Dan Mullen is one of my favorite head coaches in the country.  Considering this is his first year with the program, he won’t let this team quit on their season.  He’ll get the most out of them and I expect the Gators to show up this week and handle their business against Missouri. 

Another reason they should show up is because they were embarrassed 16-45 at Missouri last year.  Obviously that was a completely different Florida team with suspensions and injuries, but many of these players have not forgotten that loss.  They want to put a beat down on Missouri similar to the 40-14 thrashing they put on the Tigers in Gainesville in 2016. 

Plays against underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Missouri) - with a good offense that averages 450 or more total yards per game, after being outgained by 125 or more yards in their previous game are 35-11 (76.1%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Tigers didn’t have a single first down in the second half against Kentucky last week.  They’ll struggle to get anything going against what may be the fastest defense in the SEC in the Gators this week.  Take Florida Saturday. 

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE MONTH on Texas -2 

The West Virginia Mountaineers are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers due to their 6-1 start this season.  They have played the 59th-toughest schedule in the country, and that easy schedule is the reason for their fast start.  But we’ve seen this time and time again with Dana Holorsen teams.  When the competition gets tougher, the Mountaineers fold. 

West Virginia still has Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State and TCU remaining on the schedule.  Their toughest game thus far was a trip to Iowa State.  They lost 30-14 in a game that was a bigger blowout than the final score even showed.  They were outgained by 346 yards by the Cyclones and held to just 152 yards of total offense.  They have played the rest of the worst teams in the Big 12 up to this point. 

Texas has been through the gauntlet already while facing the 18th-toughest schedule in the country.  They handed Oklahoma their only loss of the season.  I am not concerned with their loss to Oklahoma  State last week.  I think they’ll bounce back in a big way knowing that if they run the table, they will win the Big 12 regular season title and beat headed to the conference championship game.  They’ll be 100% focused and ready to go Saturday knowing that WVU is likely their biggest threat to play Oklahoma in the title game. 

The Mountaineers have played just two true road games this season.  They barely won at Texas Tech and were thoroughly outplayed by Iowa State.  Texas is 4-0 at home this season and holding opponents to just 17 points per game.  They have a defense the caliber of Iowa State’s that can give Will Grier fits as well.  This will be Grier’s stiffest test of the season to date. 

I also think West Virginia is getting too much respect from its home blowout win over Baylor last week.  But the Bears basically gave that game away by losing the turnover battle 4-0.  And Holgorsen is 5-19 ATS off a game where they forced three or more turnovers as the coach of West Virginia. 

Texas is 8-1 ATS vs. teams who average 8.5 or more passing yards per attempt over the last three seasons.  The Longhorns are 11-3 ATS vs. teams who score 37 or more points per game over the last three years.  They usually step up against good offensive teams like West Virginia.  That will be the case again this weekend.  West Virginia is 0-7 ATS as an underdog over the last three seasons.  Take Texas Saturday. 

25* Sun Belt GAME OF THE YEAR on Louisiana-Monroe +7.5 

Georgia Southern is coming off one of the biggest wins in program history.  They beat Appalachian State 34-14 to take the lead in their division last week.  And now they have a huge game on deck against Troy next week.  This is clearly a sandwich spot for them, and I don’t expect them to show up at all. 

That was a misleading win over Appalachian State, too.  The Eagles won outright as 11-point underdogs.  But they had a huge advantage after star App State QB Zac Thomas was knocked out with an injury on the first series.  Their backup quarterbacks combined for five turnovers the rest of the way to basically gift-wrap the victory for Georgia Southern. 

Louisiana-Monroe comes in at 4-4 on the season and in need of a victory if they want to get bowl eligible. Three of their losses have come to Troy, Texas A&M and Ole Miss.  They are coming off a bye week as well, so they’ve had two full weeks to prepare for Georgia Southern’s option offense.  I always like backing teams who have extra prep time against option offenses.  It’s safe to say that this couldn’t be a better spot for the Warhawks. 

Louisiana-Monroe is 6-1 ATS in its last seven November games.  The Warhawks are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games after allowing less than 275 total yards in their previous game.  This game really doesn’t matter to Georgia Southern at all because if they win next week against Troy, they will win the East division and head to the Sun Belt title game.  Conversely, Monroe is tied for first place in the West and needs this win more if they want to be serious contenders.  Bet Louisiana-Monroe Saturday. 

15* GA Tech/UNC ACC Early ANNIHILATOR on Georgia Tech -6 

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have really turned the corner here of late.  They have gone 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall with blowout wins over Bowling Green (63-17), Louisville (66-31) and Virginia Tech (49-28) with the latter two coming on the road.  Their only loss came to a Duke team that was coming off a bye week. 

I have a good feeling the Yellow Jackets are going to put UNC out of its misery here.  The Tar Heels are just 1-7 on the season with nothing to play for now.  They have suffered some tough close losses of late and I just don’t know how much more they can handle.  I think they’ve hit their breaking point now that they’ve officially been eliminated from bowl contention.   

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech still needs two more wins for bowl eligibility.  And with Miami and Georgia still on the schedule, the Yellow Jackets are looking at this like a must-win game here against the Tar Heels.  So they should be max motivated.  Plus, the Yellow Jackets get extra time to prep after playing last Thursday, while UNC played on Saturday.  That’s a hidden rest and prep advantage here for Georgia Tech. 

Georgia Tech beat UNC 33-7 as 8-point home favorites last season.  The Yellow Jackets have rushed for 300-plus yards in nine of their last 10 meetings with the Tar Heels.  They should have their way on the ground again against a UNC defense that is allowing 191 rushing yards per game and 4.7 per carry this season. 

Georgia Tech is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games following an upset win by 10 points or more as a road underdog.  The Yellow Jackets are 9-1 ATS after gaining 125 or fewer passing yards in three straight games over the past two seasons.  Georgia Tech is 6-0 ATS vs. bad defensive teams that allow 31 or more points per game over the last three years. 

Plays against home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (UNC) - after having lost five or six of their last seven games against an opponent that’s won three of their last four games are 25-4 (86.2%) ATS over the last five seasons. 

Plays on road favorites (Georgia Tech) - after outfighting opponent by 100 or more yards in three straight games against an opponent that was outrushed by 125 or more yards last game are 25-3 (89.3%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Bet Georgia Tech Saturday. 

20* Pitt/Virginia ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Pittsburgh +7.5 

Virginia is in a spot it is not used to here Friday night against Pitt.  The Cavaliers are now the hunted and not the hunters after a 6-2 start to the season.  They have already clinched bowl eligibility and are ranked for the first time since 2011.  That’s a huge accomplishment for a program that has had just one winning season since 2008. 

But now the Cavaliers have to deal with expectations.  And they will surely be getting serenaded in the media all week leading up to this game.  I can’t help but think they will not put forth their best effort given what they have just accomplished.  I look for them to come out flat, which is going to make it difficult for them to cover this 7.5-point spread against Pitt. 

The Pitt Panthers will show up because they are fighting to make a bowl.  They sit at just 4-4 this season with three road games in their last four to close.  They may not be favored in any of the four games.  So they have to give it their all to try and scrape out two wins to get to a bowl.  And it’s clearly to me they’ve already started to fight with how well they’ve played the last three weeks. 

Pitt is 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in its last three games overall despite being an underdog in all three games.  The Panthers upset Syracuse 44-37 as 3-point home dogs.  They then gave Notre Dame all they wanted in a 14-19 road loss at 21-point dogs.  And last week they beat Duke 54-45 as 2.5-point home dogs.  If that’s not an impressive run then I don’t know what is. 

The problem with asking Virginia to lay points is that they just don’t have that good of an offense.  They have been held to 28 or fewer points in five of their last seven games overall.  The only exceptions were the 45 they scored against an awful Ohio defense and the 31 against a bad UNC defense.  Pitt will offer some resistance here, and they’ll certainly be able to put up some points with an offense that is clicking right now. 

Pitt is 4-1 SU & 3-1-1 ATS in five meetings with Virginia over the past five seasons as ACC opponents.  The only loss came by 5 by a final of 19-24 as 5-point underdogs.  Pitt beat Virginia 31-14 at home last season, 45-31 on the road in 2016, and 26-19 at home in 2015. 

The Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their last six conference games.  Pitt is 7-2 ATS in its last nine vs. a team with a winning record.  Virginia is 14-28 ATS in its last 42 games after having won four of its last five games coming in.  I don’t think the Cavaliers will handle all the hype they’re getting right now very well.  And I know we’ll get a big effort from Pitt, which should be good enough to cover this 7.5-point spread regardless of whether or not Virginia shows up.  Bet Pittsburgh Friday.

20* Temple/UCF ESPN Thursday No-Brainer on Temple +11 

The UCF Knights are ranked 12th in the initial playoff rankings.  They are getting respect for going 13-0 last season and 7-0 this season for a 20-0 record over the past two years.  And with that record comes expectations from oddsmakers that are going to be tough to live up to moving forward.  I don’t think the Knights should be 11-point favorites over Temple in this game. 

The problem I have with UCF is that they have played nobody.  They have faced the 125th-ranked schedule in the country.  Their seven wins have come against UConn, South Carolina State, FAU, Pitt, SMU, Memphis and ECU.  They best opponent there was probably Memphis and they only won that game 31-30 as 4.5-point road favorites.  I have no doubt Temple is the best team they will have faced yet. 

The Temple Owls have been one of the most underrated teams in the country over the past few seasons.  That’s evident by the fact that they are 35-16 ATS in their last 51 games overall.  They have gone 6-0 ATS in their last six games this season as they have been a completely different team since their 0-2 start. 

Temple has won five of its last six games with its only loss coming at Boston College 35-45, but covered the 13-point spread.  The Owls outgained five of those six opponents, so there was nothing fluky about the run.  They also won outright as 16-point dogs at Maryland 35-14 while covering by 37 points.  They have played very well on the road this season and certainly will be up for this game to knock off an unbeaten, ranked squad in UCF here. 

UCF QB McKenzie Milton actually had to sit out last game against ECU with an ankle injury and is questionable to return this week.  All signs are that Milton will play but not at 100%.  The Tigers were outgained by ECU and they were also outgained the previous week by Memphis.  Their defense gave up 496 yards to ECU and 490 yards to Memphis.  It’s their defense that is the biggest reason it will be difficult to beat Temple by double-digits Thursday night. 

The Owls are 22-5 ATS in their last 27 conference games.  Temple is 41-18 ATS in its last 59 road games.  The Owls are 10-1 ATS vs. good rushing teams who average 230 or more yards per game over rate last three years.  Temple is 5-0 ATS in its last five road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  The Owls are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games off a game where they committed 3 or more turnovers.  The UCF winning streak may come to an end here this week.  Bet Temple Thursday.

15* Miami Ohio/Buffalo MAC No-Brainer on Miami Ohio +7.5 

The Miami Ohio Redhawks need a win here Tuesday to keep their bowl hopes alive.  They sit at just 3-5 on the season, but 3-1 in MAC play and only one game out of first place in the MAC East.  They can move into a tie with Buffalo, tonight’s opponent, with an upset win Tuesday.  It’s safe to say they will be ‘all in’ to try and win this game tonight given the situation. 

I like how this Redhawks team has responded following a tough start to the season with three consecutive non-conference losses to Marshall, Cincinnati and Minnesota.  They have gone 3-2 SU and a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  Their two losses came by a single point each with a 39-40 home loss to Western Michigan and a 30-31 road loss to Army.  And now they’re catching 7.5 points against Buffalo. 

The Bulls are 7-1 this season and getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers because of it.  But they do have a common opponent with Miami Ohio in Army, and Buffalo lost that game 13-42 at home as 7-point favorites.  As stated before, Miami Ohio only lost by a single point at Army when they played them last time out. 

While Buffalo may have a slight edge on offense, Miami has a clear edge on defense.  The Redhawks are holding opponents to 48 yards per game and 0.6 yards per play less than their season averages.  The Bulls are holding their opponents to just one yard less than their season average and are dead even in yards per play based on what their opponents average this season.  I think this is a much more evenly-matched game than this line would suggest. 

Miami Ohio is 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in its last three meetings with Buffalo.  The Redhawks won 24-14 as 3-point home favorites in 2017, 35-24 as 10-point road favorites in 2016, and lost only 24-29 as 7-point home dogs in 2015. 

The Redhawks are 5-0 ATS in their last five conference games.  Miami Ohio is 4-1 ATS in its lsat five road games.  The Bulls are 5-13-1 ATS in their last 19 games following a bye week.  Chuck Martin is 13-5 ATS in conference road games as the coach of the Redhawks.  Roll with Miami Ohio Tuesday. 

20* Georgia/Florida SEC No-Brainer on Florida +7 

I came into the season loving Florida with the OVER 8 wins as my favorite win total.  And they’ve done nothing to disappoint me.  They’ve gone 6-1 SU & 6-1 ATS this season as a hugely underrated commodity.    And they remain underrated as 7-point underdogs to Georgia here in the Cocktail Party. 

Just look at common opponents and it’s easy to see that Florida is the better of these two teams.  They’ve both played the same three teams this season.  Florida is 3-0 against them, outscoring them by 14.7 points per game.  Georgia is 2-1 against them, inly outscoring them by 11.4 points per game. 

The one game that really stands out is the LSU game.  Florida beat LSU 27-19 and held the Tigers to just 371 total yards.  Georgia lost 16-36 at LSU and gave up 475 total yards.  The Bulldogs were pushed around at the line of scrimmage, while the Gators stood their ground.  Georgia rushed for 275 yards on Georgia and 180 against Florida.  Florida rushed for 215 yards against LSU while Georgia rushed for just 113 yards.  And I think Florida winning the battle at the line of scrimmage is the key to their victory here. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Florida) - a good rushing team that gains 190 to 230 RYPG against a team with a good run defense that gives up 100 to 140 RYPG, after outrushing their last opponent by 150 or more yards are 30-9 (76.9%) ATS over the last 10 seasons. 

Dan Mullen is 15-5 ATS versus excellent rushing teams that average 5.25 or more yards per carry in all games he has coached.  Florida is 34-17 ATS in its last 51 road games when playing with two or more weeks’ rest.  The Bulldogs are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games following a bye week.  The Gators are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Roll with Florida Saturday.

15* CFB Saturday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Connecticut +5 

This young UConn team went through the gauntlet to start the season.  They are 1-6 with their six losses coming to UCF, Boise State, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Memphis and South Florida with four of those on the road.  They have played the 26th-toughest schedule in the country. 

I was all over UConn last week as 34-point underdogs at South Florida as my 25* AAC GAME OF THE YEAR.  They easily covered in a 30-38 loss.  A big reason I was on them was because of the difficult schedule, and also because they were coming off a bye.  And bye weeks are huge for young teams.  There’s no question this team took a big step forward on their bye week. 

And now they should still be fresh here with Mass coming to town this weekend, and a great chance for the Huskies to pick up their second win of the season.  These opportunities are few and far between for this team, so I look for them to take advantage and be playing with a lot of confidence following that 8-point road loss to unbeaten and ranked South Florida. 

I’m shocked UMass is a road favorite here.  This is a Minutemen team that is just 1-6 SU & 1-6 ATS on the season with their only win coming at home against Charlotte as favorites.  All six of their losses have come by double-digits, including their 13-24 home loss to Coastal Carolina last week as 2-point favorites.  They also have losses to Boston College, Georgia Southern, FIU, Ohio and South Florida.  As you can see, that’s a much easier slate than what UConn has been up against.  The Minutemen have played the 100th-toughest schedule in the country. 

Now UMass even has to deal with the loss of their best player in QB Andrew Ford, who is out for the season with a leg injury.  He has put up huge numbers over the past few seasons for the Minutemen.  Ford is completing 64.4% of his passes for 1,340 yards with a 9-to-5 TD/INT ratio for Mass this season.  There’s a big downgrade to their backup quarterback.  Without Ford, it makes even less sense that the Minutemen are favored here. 

UConn has actually put up solid offensive numbers this season despite the brutal schedule.  They hung 30 points and 455 total yards on South Florida last week.  And they should be able to do whatever they want to offensively against a UMass defense that is allowing 42.2 points and 500 yards per game.  UConn allowed a season-low in points last week and this defense certainly got a lot healthier over the bye week.  This defense will be much better the rest of the way than it was in the first half of the season, simply with experience and healthy, plus the fact that the schedule gets a lot easier. 

UConn is a perfect 9-0 ATS in its last nine games off two consecutive road losses.  The Minutemen are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games.  These two trends combine for a perfect 14-0 system backing the Huskies, who are simply undervalued right now because the betting public wants nothing to do with them.  There’s going to be value on the Huskies moving forward, including this week.  Take UConn Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Arkansas +1.5 

It was always going to take some time for Chad Morris to turn around this Arkansas program.  After a 1-6 start to the season, the Razorbacks had been through the gauntlet.  Their final four losses during that stretch came against Auburn, Texas A&M, Alabama and Ole Miss.  But there were parts of every one of those games that were good signs for Arkansas moving forward. 

The 3-34 loss at Auburn was one of the biggest misleading finals of the year.  Arkansas actually outgained Auburn by 65 yards in that game while holding the Tigers to just 225 total yards.  They only lost 17-24 at Texas A&M the next week and easily covered the 19-point spread.  Then they hung 31 points on Alabama and covered the 34.5-point spread.  And then they held a 10-point lead over Ole Miss late, but lost 33-37, covering as 6.5-point underdogs. 

The Razorbacks took out their frustration last week with a 23-0 win over Tulsa as 7-point favorites.  The defense has made major strides in recent weeks, and the offense is playing much better under QB Ty Story.  Quietly, the Razorbacks have gone 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.  And they’re once again getting zero respect as home underdogs to Vanderbilt here. 

We see this happen to Vanderbilt every season.  They’ll get off to a great start in non-conference play, but then get worked in SEC play.  And it’s been more of the same this year.  Vanderbilt is 0-4 SU & 1-3 ATS in SEC play this season.  In between the four losses was an ugly 31-27 home win over Tennessee State as 28.5-point favorites. 

Vanderbilt lost 14-37 at home to South Carolina as 1.5-point dogs and were outgained by 250 yards.  They were crushed 13-41 at Georgia as 25.5-point dogs and outgained by 239 yards.  They lost at home to Florida 27-37 as 9.5-point dogs and were outgained by 240 yards.  They did only lose 7-14 at Kentucky last time out as 10.5-point dogs, but that’s an overrated Kentucky team. 

The Commodores are 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 conference games.  The Razorbacks are 5-1 ATS in their last six conference games.  Arkansas is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven home games.  Vanderbilt is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games after gaining less than 100 rushing yards in its previous game.  The Commodores are 2-17 SU in SEC road games since 2013.  The Razorbacks are 5-1 SU in their last six meetings with Vanderbilt.  Bet Arkansas Saturday.

25* CFB BLOWOUT GAME OF THE YEAR on Iowa State -3 

The Iowa State Cyclones have played the toughest schedule in the entire country to this point according to the Sagarin ratings.  That explains why they are just 3-3 on the season, and they’ve done a great job of winning three games when you consider they’ve been an underdog in five of their six games this year.  And they were competitive in every game as they didn’t lose once by more than 10 points. 

Iowa State’s resurgence in its last two games have been a lot about freshman QB Brock Purdy.  He took over against Oklahoma State and led the Cyclones to a 48-42 victory as 10-point road underdogs.  And he also led them to a 30-14 home win over West Virginia as 4.5-point dogs. 

Purdy is completing 75% of his passes for 572 yards with a 7-to-2 TD/INT ratio and 11.9 yards per attempt.  He is a dual-threat with 122 rushing yards and a score as well in those two games.  Star RB David Montgomery is back healthy, and WR Hakeem Butler is a beast who is averaging 20 yards per reception with 5 touchdowns.  The run-pass option of Purdy, Montgomery and Butler is one of the deadliest trios in the country. 

But it’s this Iowa State defense that deserves the credit.  The Cyclones held Will Grier and the high-powered WVU offense to just 152 total yards and outgained them by 346 yards for the game.  Despite playing the toughest schedule in the country, the Cyclones are only giving up 22.7 points per game and 316.7 yards per game.  They are holding opponents to 115 yards per game and 1.5 per play below their season averages. 

I think the bye week came at a great time after the win over West Virginia.  Any team that plays a tough early schedule needs a bye, and the Cyclones got it at the perfect time.  Now they can refocus for the stretch run.  They have a legit shot to make the Big 12 title game because they will be favored in five of their final six games with the only exception being at Texas. 

Kliff Kingsbury learned his offense from WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen.  And Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has owned the Red Raiders in his two meetings against them.  The Cyclones won 66-10 as 3.5-point home dogs in 2016.  They also won 31-13 as 7-point road dogs in 2017.  They have covered the spread by a combined 85 points in their two games against Texas Tech under Campbell.  And their defense held held that potent Red Raiders offense to just 11.5 points and 321 yards per game in the two meetings. 

The Cyclones are 22-6-1 ATS in their last 29 games overall.  They have been way undervalued over the past three seasons under Campbell, and they continue to be here as only 3-point home favorites in a game I expect them to win in blowout fashion.  Iowa State is 8-1 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record over the last two seasons.  Texas Tech is 5-17 ATS in its last 22 games as a road underdog of 3 to 7 points.  Kingsbury is 2-9 ATS off a conference win by 10 points or more as the coach of Texas Tech.  Bet Iowa State Saturday.

20* Clemson/Florida State ACC Early ANNIHILATOR on Florida State +17 

For starters, this is the biggest home underdog role for Florida State since at least 1980.  That was the furthest I was able to look back.  So that fact alone show you there’s value with Florida State as 17-point home dogs to Clemson this week. 

It was always going to take some time for first-year head coach Willie Taggart to implement his systems.  And it was ugly to start this year as the Seminoles opened 1-2 with blowout losses to Virginia Tech and Syracuse, as well as a narrow home win over FCS foe Samford. 

But the Seminoles have gotten going in recent weeks.  They are 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall.  They beat Northern Illinois by 18 at home, won 28-24 at Louisville, and beat Wake Forest by 21 at home.  Their only loss was a 28-27 road loss at Miami as 14-point dogs, so they covered the spread with ease and actually led that game 27-7 before giving up 21 unanswered to close. 

I was impressed with the way the Seminoles came out of their bye week following that heartbreaking loss to Miami.  They swiftly took care of business against Wake Forest in that 21-point win.  And now they will be amped up to face the No. 2 team in the country in Clemson. 

I think Clemson comes in overvalued off its 41-7 win over NC State last week at home.  The Wolfpack were ranked coming into that game, so the win looks better than it was, but they were clearly overrated.  And most teams Clemson goes up against they have the better athletes, but that won’t be the case here against Florida State. 

Florida State hasn’t lost by more than 17 points to Clemson in any of the last 12 meetings in this series.  And the lone 17-point loss came last year at Clemson as 16.5-point dogs.  Well, that was a 17-14 game with only three minutes to go.  Clemson got two touchdowns in the final three minutes, including a 10-yard run with 35 seconds left when they could have simply kneeled.  I think these FSU players remember the way that Clemson kind of rubber their noses in at the end of the game and will be looking for revenge. 

The Seminoles didn’t have QB Deondre Francois for that game as he was lost for the season in the opener against Alabama.  Francois is starting to grasp Taggart’s offense, and his talents are really starting to show over the past four games.  He has a 10-to-2 TD/INT ratio in his last four games while throwing for at least 294 yards in three of the four. 

Plays against road favorite of 10.5 to 21 points (Clemson) - a team that outgains their opponents by 125 or more yards per game, after gaining 525 or more total yards per game in their last two games are 48-17 (73.8%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Th home team is 14-6 ATS in the last 20 meetings.  Clemson is 14-29 ATS in its last 43 games off three straight wins over conference opponents.  The Seminoles are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS win.  Take Florida State Saturday. 

20* Miami/Boston College ACC No-Brainer on Boston College +3.5 

The Boston College Eagles still have their sights set on an ACC title.  They sit at 5-2 on the season with one of their losses being a non-conference loss at Purdue, which looks better and better by the day.  And their other loss was a 23-28 road loss to NC State.  And now the Eagles get to host both Miami and Clemson in two of the next three weeks, so they have a legitimate shot. 

It should be a great atmosphere for the Eagles on a Friday night home game on ESPN.  The Eagles are 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS at home this year, outscoring opponents by 27.5 points per game.  They are scoring 50.0 points and putting up 521.2 yards per game at home this year, and giving up just 22.5 points and 294.5 yards per game. 

Boston College is remarkably healthy right now.  The only player listed on the injury report is RB A.J. Dillon, but he is probable.  And while Dillon (652 yards, 6 TD) is a special back, he is one of five players averaging at least 5.6 yards per carry for the Eagles.  BC has one of the best offensive lines in the entire country, and their ability to move Miami back will be the key to them winning this game. 

Maimi’s five wins this season have come against Savannah State, Toledo, FIU, UNC and FSU with four of those wins coming at home.  When they’ve stepped up in class, they haven’t performed well.  They lost 17-33 to LSU on a neutral in what was a 33-3 game before the Hurricanes tacked on two late garbage touchdowns.  They only beat Florida State 28-27 at home as 14-point favorites, and actually trailed 27-7 in that game.  And they lost 13-16 at Virginia as 7-point favorites. 

Miami does have a laundry list of injuries with 10 players out.  And they keep playing musical chairs at quarterback.  After a sluggish start to the season, Malik Rosier was benched.  But now after that 13-16 loss to Virginia, the Hurricanes are going back to Rosier this week.  He has held back this offense over the past two years and he won’t have much success against his stingy BC defense this week, either. 

Miami is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 games off an upset loss to a conference opponent as a favorite of 6 or more points.  The Hurricanes are 0-6 ATS in road games off one or more consecutive ATS losses over the last three years.  The Eagles are 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 conference games.  Boston College is 13-3-1 ATS in its last 17 games overall.  The Hurricanes are 1-6 ATS in their last seven vs. a team with a winning record. 

Plays against road favorite of 3.5 to 10 points (Miami) - off a road loss, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team are 30-8 (78.9%) ATS since 1992.  Bet Boston College Friday.

15* App State/Georgia Southern Sun Belt ANNIHILATOR on Georgia Southern +10.5 

Appalachian State just moved into the Top 25 for the first time in program history this week.  I always like fading teams who just reached the Top 25 that aren’t used to it.  They start getting national recognition and feeling fat and happy.  And they have extra expectations from oddsmakers that they simply cannot live up to. 

I’m shocked to see the Mountaineers as double-digit road favorites over Georgia Southern tonight.  There’s so much to like about this game, but it starts with the value perspective fading the Mountaineers because of their Top 25 ranking. 

The second-most important factor is that Georgia Southern runs a triple-option offense, and Appalachian State only has a few days to get ready for it after playing on Saturday.  Triple-option teams have a huge advantage on a short week every time.  It’s simply the most difficult offense to prepare for because defensive fundamentals are so important. 

This Georgia Southern team is one of the most underrated in the country.  They returned 18 starters this year, so this was already going to be a veteran bunch.  And they have come out guns-a-blazing with a 6-1 start and are legitimate threats to Appalachian State to win the Sun Belt.  Their only loss this season came on the road at Clemson. 

Georgia Southern is a perfect 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS at home this season.  They are outscoring their opponents 36.7 to 13.2 on average, or by 23.5 points per game at home.  The Eagles are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games dating back to last year.  Head coach Chad Lunsford is 6-0 ATS in games played on a grass field as the coach of Georgia Southern. 

Plays against a team with a winning percentage of 80% or better (Appalachian State) - after beating the spread by 49 or more points total in their last five games when playing another team with a winning record are 59-23 (72%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with Georgia Southern Thursday. 

15* Ball State/Ohio MAC ANNIHILATOR on Ball State +11 

Sitting at 3-5 on the season, the Ball State Cardinals need a win tonight if they want any chance of making a bowl game.  I look for them to lay it all on the line here against the Ohio Bobcats to get a win.  I love catching double-digits with this hungry Cardinals squad tonight. 

I have no doubt Ball State is better than is 3-5 record, too.  Three of the losses came by 8 points or fewer, including a 16-24 loss at Notre Dame as 33.5-point underdogs.  The only exceptions were a 10-38 loss at Indiana and a 20-42 loss to Eastern Michigan, which is probably the best team in the MAC.  And they’ve only been outgained by more than 69 yards once this season, and that was the 110 yards at Indiana. 

Many expected Ohio to compete for a MAC title this year, but this team looks far from a MAC title contender thus far.  The Bobcats opened the season with a 38-32 home win over Howard as 30.5-point favorites and were outgained by 220 yards in that game.  That was a sign of things to come for this team. 

The Bobcats have been outgained in five of their seven games this season, so they are very fortunate to be 4-3.  The only two teams they outgained were Bowling Green and UMass, and both of those games were at home.  Their other two wins came against Kent State 27-26 as 11-point favorites and that 6-point win over FCS foe Howard.  Ball State is much better than the four teams Ohio has beaten this year. 

I think we’re getting some extra value here on the Cardinals based on last week’s results.  Ball State lost by 22 to Eastern Michigan, while Ohio beat Bowling Green by 35.  Otherwise this line probably would have been a touchdown or less.  So now we’re catching double-digits on the Cardinals when we shouldn’t be. 

These are two evenly-matched teams when you look at the numbers, and if anything the Cardinals have been better.  Ball State has clearly played the tougher schedule having had to face Notre Dame and Indiana out of conference.  And the Cardinals are still outgaining opponents by 31 yards per game on the season.  Ohio is actually getting outgained by 9 yards per game.  This is an Ohio defense that can’t be trusted, giving up 465 yards per game and 6.7 per play. 

The Cardinals are 56-27 ATS in their last 83 road games.  The Bobcats are 5-16 ATS int heir last 21 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.  Ball State is 3-1 ATS in its last four meetings with Ohio.  Take Ball State Thursday. 

20* Baylor/WVU Big 12 No-Brainer on Baylor +14 

The Baylor Bears are 4-3 this season and have their sights set on a bowl game in Matt Rhule’s second season.  Their three losses have come to Duke, Oklahoma and Texas with the latter two coming on the road. 

But they showed they could play with the big boys in that loss to Texas.  They actually had the ball inside the Texas 20-yard line with only a few seconds left and a chance to win.  They lost 17-23 as identical 14-point underdogs. 

West Virginia came into the Iowa State game way overrated as the No. 6 team in the country.  I was on Iowa State +7 as my 25* Big 12 GAME OF THE YEAR in that game.  And the Cyclones dominated the Mountaineers 30-14.  They held Will Grier and WVU to just 7 points and 152 total yards.  Their other TD came on a blocked FG return TD. 

The reason they were so overrated is because they played such an easy early schedule.  They have still played just the 53rd-ranked schedule in the country, so their 5-1 start is fraudulent.  Baylor has already played Oklahoma and Texas, the two best teams in the Big 12, and West Virginia hasn’t played either yet. 

Baylor has had West Virginia’s number, too.  The Bears are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Their four SU losses during this stretch have come by 2, 3, 14 and 7 points.  So they haven’t lost once by more than two touchdowns.  And last year a 1-11 Baylor team only lost 36-38 at home to WVU as 10.5-point underdogs  In 2016 they only lost 21-24 as 17-point road dogs as well. 

Baylor has put up the kind of numbers that validate them being a good team.  They have outgained five of their seven opponents this season.  The only exceptions were the 114 yards they were outgained by at Oklahoma and the 61 yards at Texas.  They are averaging 475 yards per game on offense and giving up 408 yards per game on defense, outgaining opponents by 67 yards per game. 

West Virginia is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 home games off an upset loss to a conference opponent as a favorite.  Rhule is 26-13 ATS as an underdog in all games as a head coach.  Holgorsen is 0-6 ATS after being outgained by 225 or more yards in his previous game as the coach of West Virginia.  The Mountaineers are 7-22-1 ATS in their last 30 home games vs. a team with a winning record.  Bet Baylor Thursday.

20* Troy/South Alabama Sun Belt GAME OF THE WEEK on South Alabama +13 

The South Alabama Jaguars have been through the gauntlet this season.  They’ve played four road games against Oklahoma State, Memphis, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.  So they’ve already played the two best teams in the Sun Belt, plus Oklahoma State and Memphis out of conference.  It’s no wonder they are just 2-5. 

But South Alabama has played well at home this season.  The Jaguars are 2-1 SU & 2-0-1 ATS at home this year.  Their only loss came to a very good Louisiana Tech team from Conference USA by a final of 26-30 as 11-point underdogs.  They beat Texas State 41-31 as 10-point favorites and Alabama State 45-7 as 27-point favorites. 

I think Troy is getting too much respect from oddsmakers for what they did last season.  Quarterback Kaleb Barker had been very good, completing 73% of his passes for 1,013 yards with a 10-to-2 TD/INT ratio.  Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending ACL injury in a 37-20 home win over Georgia State on October 4th. 

The Trojans were forced to go with backup QB Sawyer Smith against Liberty last time out, and they were promptly upset 16-22 as 10.5-point road favorites.  Smith hasn’t been nearly as good as Barker, completing just 59.3% of his passes with a 4-to-3 TD/INT ratio.  I’m shocked the Trojans are double-digit road favorites here against the Jaguars again this week with Smith starting at QB. 

This is a rivalry game in the state of Alabama, and I think South Alabama takes it a lot more seriously than Troy.  South Alabama is actually 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings.  The Jaguars won outright 19-8 as 18-point underdogs last year.  They only lost by 7 as 9.5-point home dogs in 2016.  They won 24-18 as 6-point road dogs in 2015.  And they won 27-13 as 16-point home favorites in 2014. 

The Jaguars are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  The Trojans are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven October games.  The underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Jaguars are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet South Alabama Tuesday. 

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE MONTH on Purdue +13 

Purdue has put together a great turnaround this season.  The Boilermakers lost their first three games of the season by a combined 8 points.  But they have rebounded by winning their last three games in dominant fashion. 

They beat Boston College 30-13 as 6.5-point home underdogs to get their first victory of the season.  Then they went on the road and topped Nebraska 42-28 as 3.5-point favorites.  And last week they went into Illinois and won 46-7 as 10.5-point favorites.  And that’s a much-improved Illinois squad. 

The Boilermakers are really close to being 6-0 this season.  They have outgained five of their six opponents this season.  They are outgaining foes by nearly 100 yards per game.  The offense has taken off since David Blough took over at QB for good.  Blough is completing 68.4% of his passes with a 10-to-2 TD/INT ratio while averaging 9.1 yards per attempt.  They are rushing for 5.2 yards per carry as a team.  And the defense has improved dramatically over the last three weeks. 

Ohio State is way overvalued due to its No. 2 national ranking.  And that has shown in recent weeks as the Buckeyes are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.  They failed to cover against TCU, Penn State, Indiana and Minnesota.  I mean they only beat a terrible Minnesota team 30-14 at home as 29-point favorites last week.  And they even won the turnover battle 3-0 against the Gophers. 

The Buckeyes have played just two road games this season, and one true road game.  They failed to cover against TCU on a neutral field and only outgained the Horned Frogs by 15 yards.  They were outgained by 103 yards at Penn State and were very fortunate to win that game by a single point, 27-26.

The last time Ohio State was a road favorite of at least 13 points was at Iowa last year, and they lost that game 55-24 as 20.5-point favorites.  Purdue is 7-2 ATS as an underdog with four outright wins under Jeff Brohm.  That includes outright wins in three of their last four games as a dog with the only exception being losing on a last-second field goal against Missouri, but covering as 7-point dogs.

I think Purdue is ready to show that it can hang with a team like Ohio State.  The Buckeyes are 0-7 ATS off five or more consecutive wins over the last three seasons.  The more they win, the more overvalued they become.  They will struggle to win this game, let alone win it by two touchdowns over an improving Boilermakers squad.  Take Purdue Saturday. 

20* Oregon/Washington State FOX Saturday No-Brainer on Washington State -3 

ESPN College Game Day will be going to Pullman, Washington for the first time ever.  Tickets on the secondary market are expensive, which just shows how excited Cougar fans are for this game.  It’s safe to say that it will be perhaps the best atmosphere ever at Pullman on Saturday night when the Cougars host the Oregon Ducks. 

Washington State has been an undervalued commodity all season.  That’s evident by the fact that the Cougars are not only 5-1 SU but also a perfect 6-0 ATS this season.  Their only loss came on the road 36-39 as 4.5-point underdogs to USC.  And they led most the way in that game. 

Now the Cougars have had two full weeks to get ready for Oregon as they had a bye last week.  And the Cougars have been very tough to beat in Pullman.  In fact, they were currently in the midst of a 10-game home winning streak.  This is quickly becoming one of the more underrated home-field advantages in the country. 

Nothing has been fluky about this start for the Cougars, either.  They have outgained all six opponents the’ve faced.  And they are outgaining them by a massive 175.3 yards per game.  Their offense is hitting on all cylinders at 41.8 points and 485.5 yards per game, and their defense is underrated giving up just 23.8 points and 310.2 yards per game. 

Oregon is certainly in a bit of a letdown spot here off its 30-27 overtime victory over Washington last week.  The Huskies should have won that game as they missed a chip shot field goal at the end of regulation.  Prior to that, Oregon lost at home to Stanford in overtime and won 42-24 at Cal, but Cal gave that game away with 5 turnovers.  And that Cal win doesn’t look nearly as good now after Cal lost 37-7 at home to UCLA last week. 

Washington State simply has Oregon’s number.  I think it’s because the Cougars are used to going against a spread team in practice every day, so what Oregon does on offense doesn’t bother them.  But the Cougars are 8-0 ATS in their last eight meetings with Oregon with those eight covers coming by an average of 17 points per game.  They won the last three meetings outright with a 33-10 road win as 1.5-point favorites in 2017, a 51-33 home win as 2.5-point dogs in 2016, and a 45-38 road win as 15.5-point dogs in 2015.   

The Cougars are 8-0 ATS in their last eight home games.  The Ducks are 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 games following a SU win, and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win.  Oregon is 1-4 ATS in its last five road games.  Expect a fourth straight win in this series and a ninth straight cover here for the Cougars.  Roll with Washington State Saturday. 

25* AAC GAME OF THE YEAR on Connecticut +34 

I keep coming back to the fact that South Florida is way overvalued due to being unbeaten and ranking in the Top 25.  I’ve faded them with tremendous success all season, and I’m fading them again here as massive 34-point favorites over the UConn Huskies Saturday. 

South Florida lost a ton of talent from last year’s team with just 11 returning starters this year.  They lost all of their top playmakers on offense, and this offense hasn’t been the juggernaut it once was, which is why it’s making it difficult for them to cover spreads week in and week out. 

The signs were there starting in Week 1 as USF failed to cover as 27.5-point favorites in a lackluster 34-14 home win over FCS foe Elon.  They did cover in Week 2 in a 49-38 win over Georgia Tech, but that was a misleading final.  They trailed in the 4th quarter of that game and were outgained by 176 yards.  They also trailed in the 4th quarter against Illinois the next week and won 25-19, failing to cover as 14-point favorites.  And they only beat ECU 20-13 as 20-point home favorites the next week and were outgained by 116 yards. 

Then the Bulls had their bye week and returned to barely cover against an awful UMass team as 15.5-point favorites in a 58-42 win.  And last week they needed yet another 4th quarter rally to beat Tulsa 25-24 as 10-point favorites.  They trailed by 14 and outscored the Golden Hurricane 15-0 in the final period.  That’s a 1-5 Tulsa squad.  So they’re barely beating a bunch of bad teams like Tulsa, UMass, ECU, South Florida and Elon.  That makes me believe even UConn can hang with them. 

And this is the perfect spot for a young UConn team.  They are coming off their bye week, and bye weeks are much more useful with young teams.  It gives head coach Randy Edsall two full weeks to work on fundamentals and get this young squad ready for the stretch run.  It was also key to get a bunch of guys healthy, especially on defense. 

“We were able during the off week to get some guys healed up a little bit, take care of some of those bumps and bruises and catch our break a little bit,” Edsall said. 

There’s no question the Huskies’ brutal schedule has a lot to do with their rough start.  They have already played five teams that I have power rated higher than South Florida.  Their five losses have come to UCF, Boise State, Syracuse, Cincinnati and Memphis.  I think all five of those teams would beat USF on a neutral field.  So the Huskies are battle-tested having faced the gauntlet already.  They won’t be phased by this ranked USF squad that is nowhere near as good as their 6-0 record. 

UConn has played USF very tough through the years.  They have covered the spread each of the last two years losing by 17 as 23-point home underdogs last season and losing by 15 as 20-point road underdogs in 2016.  And those were two USF teams that were much better than this year’s version.  UConn hasn’t lost to USF by more than 22 points in any of the last 15 meetings, making for a perfect 15-0 system backing the Huskies pertaining to this 34-point spread.  The underdog is 6-1-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Bet Connecticut Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Line Mistake on Indiana +15 

Penn State is in a very bad spot mentally right now.  The Nittany Lions had not only Big Ten title aspirations, but also four-team playoff aspirations coming into the season.  And it’s like the 26-27 home loss to Ohio State zapped all of the life out of them. 

The Nittany Lions had a bye week to recover from that defeat, but they never did.  They promptly came out after the bye and were upset 17-21 at home by Michigan State as 13.5-point favorites.  All of their losses recently have come in gut-wrenching fashion.  And now they have nothing but pride to play for the rest of the way because they aren’t going to win the loaded Big Ten East with two losses.  I think we see a ‘hangover’ effect here at Indiana this week. 

I think Indiana is undervalued off its 16-42 home loss to Iowa last week.  But that is an Iowa team that is much better than it gets credit for.  And that has shown in the fact that teams that have lost to Iowa are now 4-0 ATS the following week.  Minnesota fit that role last week and nearly upset Ohio State on the road, only losing 14-30 as 29-point dogs in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate.  And Indiana only lost 26-49 at Ohio State as 27.5-point dogs in a game that was also closer than the final score, so they should be able to hang with Penn State at home this week. 

The Nittany Lions are 2-12-2 ATS in their last 16 games following a SU loss.  Penn State is 0-5-1 ATS in its last six games after scoring less than 20 points in its previous game.  The home team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  This is more of a play against Penn State due to the awful spot they’re in mentally than it is a play on Indiana.  I think the spot warrants grabbing 15 points with the Hoosiers at home here.  Take Indiana Saturday.

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Navy +11.5 

At 2-4 on the season, the Navy Midshipmen need a win this week over Houston if they want any chance of making a bowl game.  They have lost three straight coming in, including gut-wrenching losses to SMU (30-31, OT) and Temple (17-24).  The blew a 17-7 lead against Temple last week and were outscored 17-0 to close out the game.  They’ll have a sour taste in their mouth, and they’ll be looking to take it out on Houston this week. 

The reason this game is so important for Navy is because the next three games are all on the road against Notre Dame, Cincinnati and UCF.  They must win this game and pull off an upset in one of those three road games to get to a bowl.  They are putting all their eggs into one basket this week to get a win, I have no doubt about that. 

Houston has been very vulnerable this season.  They trailed in the third quarter against an awful Rice team and they trailed in the 4th quarter 26-17 at home against Tulsa, which is 1-5 this season.  And even last week their 42-20 win over ECU was misleading.  The Pirates had a 27-18 first down edge over the Cougars but lost the turnover battle 4-0, which was the difference.  And because Houston covered the spread against ECU, they are overvalued here this week. 

Houston came off a bye last year to face two triple-option teams in Tulane and Navy in back-to-back weeks.  So they had practice against the option before facing Navy.  Yet Navy did hang tough in that game in a 24-14 road loss.  But now the Cougars will be facing the triple-option for the first time this season, so they won’t be nearly as prepared for Navy as they were last year. 

Navy is an impressive 46-12 SU at home under head coach Ken Niumatalolo.  The home team is 3-0 ATS in this series since both Houston and Navy became AAC members.  Houston now has to go on the road in consecutive weeks for long trips out to the East Coast, and that’s a difficult spot.  The Cougars are just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games as a road favorite.  Navy is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven games as a home underdog.   

Houston is 1-8 ATS in its last nine games after having won four or five of its last six games.  The Cougars are 0-9 ATS in their last nine games on field turf.  Houston is 0-6 ATS in its last six games following a SU win of more than 20 points.  The Cougars are 3-9 ATS int heir last 12 road games.  The Midshipmen are 18-8-1 ATS in their last 27 home games.  Bet Navy Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Tulane -6.5 

I’m certain we get a big effort out of the Tulane Green Wave here Saturday as they host the SMU Mustangs.  That’s why I’m willing to lay the 6.5-points at home.  They’ll be not only fresh and rested coming off their bye week, but they’ll be revenge-minded, which is a great combination. 

Last year, SMU beat Tulane 41-38 in the final game of the regular season.  That was a more crushing loss than most for the Green Wave.  They were sitting at 5-6 and one win shy of a bowl berth.  And they drove all the way down to the SMU 1-yard line in the closing seconds before the clock expired.  It’s safe to say the Green Wave have not forgotten, and they are now primed for their best performance of the season. 

Tulane has played very well at home this season.  They are 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS at home this year.  They lost in overtime to Wake Forest in the opener 17-23 as 7.5-point underdogs.  They beat a good FCS opponent in Nicholls State handily 42-17 as 18-point favorites.  That’s a Nicholls State team that went on the road and beat Kansas earlier this year.  And they crushed Memphis 40-24 at home as 14.5-point underdogs, covering the spread by 30.5 points.  The other three losses all came on the road to Ohio State (7-0), Cincinnati (6-0) and UAB (5-1), three teams who are a combined 18-1 this season. 

Tulane is every bit as good as it was last season, while SMU has clearly taken a huge step back.  The Mustangs lost head coach Chad Morris to Arkansas, and Sonny Dykes just hasn’t had the same kind of effect on this team that Morris did.  SMU is 2-5 dating back to its blowout bowl loss under Dykes.  The two wins have both come at home against Navy (OT) and Houston Baptist. 

The four losses have all come by 23 points or more.  They lost 23-46 at North Texas, 12-42 at home to TCU, 20-45 at Michigan and 20-48 at UCF.  Certainly that’s a tough schedule as well, but the Mustangs weren’t even competitive.  They are getting outscored by 25.3 points per game on the road this season.  And now they’re only getting 6.5 points here against a revenge-minded Tulane squad.  It’s not enough. 

Tulane is 8-1 ATS at home over the last two seasons.  The Green Wave are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  The Mustangs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  SMU is 1-6 ATS in its last seven road games.  Roll with Tulane Saturday.

 15* UConn/Temple AAC Early ANNIHILATOR on Temple -3 

Temple has rebounded nicely from an 0-2 start.  The Owls have gone 4-1 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  The biggest reason has been the emergence of QB Anthony Russo, who has led this Temple offense to an average of 34.8 points per game over the last five weeks. 

The defense also deserves some credit.  The Owls have allowed 17 points or fewer in four of their last five gams.  The only exception was their 10-point loss at Boston College as 13.5-point underdogs in the only game they’ve lost during this stretch, but they did play a great game and covered. 

I think we get a big effort from Temple here this week.  They can see the finish line as they have a bye next week, so they’ll be all in and won’t be focusing on the fact that they will be playing for an 8th straight week.  I think that counteracts the fact that Cincinnati is coming off a bye.  The Owls will be able to match Cincinnati’s intensity, especially at home. 

Bye weeks can come at bad times.  Not all bye weeks are created equal.  And for Cincinnati, I think it’s a disadvantage.  The Bearcats were rolling to a 6-0 start and are currently ranked 20th ranked team in the country.  They had a ton of momentum and didn’t want a bye.  I think they’ll be feeling fat and happy on their bye week, especially with that Top 25 ranking, and they won’t work as hard as they did to get to 6-0. 

Let’s be honest, the 6-0 start isn’t all that impressive.  Cincinnati has faced the 118th-ranked schedule in the country.  Sagarin has them as the 49th-best team in college football, not the 20th.  So the Bearcats are clearly overrated, and I agree with Temple being the favorite in this matchup because they are simply the better team. 

Cincinnati’s six wins have come against UCLA, Miami Ohio, Alabama A&M, Ohio, UConn and Tulane.  Temple is better than all six of those teams.  And Cincinnati benefited from playing UCLA in the first week of the season under a first-year head coach in Chip Kelly.  UCLA is just 1-5 but is improving as the season goes on.  They were dreadful the first three weeks of the campaign. 

Temple has clearly had Cincinnati’s number the last three years.  The Owls are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in the last three meetings.  They won 35-24 as 3-point road favorites in 2017, 34-13 as 9.5-point home favorites in 2016, and 34-26 as 6-point road underdogs in 2015.  I think they get their 4th straight win and cover in this series Saturday. 

Temple is 10-0 ATS after allowing 125 or fewer passing yards in their last game over the last three seasons.  The Owls are 19-3 ATS off an ATS win over the last three years.  Temple is 21-5 ATS in its last 26 conference games.  The Bearcats are 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Owls are 11-1 ATS in weeks 5 through 9 over the last three years.  Temple is 9-1 ATS vs. good rushing teams who average 230 or more rushing yards per game over the last three years.  Bet Temple Saturday. 

20* Mountain West GAME OF THE MONTH on Colorado State +23.5 

This one is all about revenge for the Colorado State Rams.  Last year, Colorado State led Boise State 52-38 with under two minutes to go.  Boise State got a touchdown with 1:41 left, then got the onside kick and forced overtime with another touchdown.  The Broncos went on to win 59-52 in the first overtime. 

That came a year after the Rams lost 23-28 on the road to Boise State as 28-point underdogs.  So the Rams have been gutted by the Broncos each of the last two seasons, and Mike Bobo and company have not forgotten.  They will be upset-minded 23.5-point underdogs here at Boise State Friday night, and I think they’ll give Boise State more of a game than most are expecting. 

Colorado State hasn’t been as poor as its 3-4 record would suggest.  The Rams have rallied the troops after a 1-4 start by winning their last two games at San Jose State and at home to New Mexico.  And they also beat Arkansas earlier this year as 14-point underdogs.  Their 10-48 loss to Florida was very misleading as the Rams were only outgained by 28 yards in that contest, but special teams miscues and turnovers turned it into a blowout.  So this team is clearly battle-tested. 

Boise State is way overrated, and that has shown since season-opening wins over Troy and UConn.  The Broncos are just 2-2 SU & 1-3 ATS in their last four games.  They lost 21-44 at Oklahoma State, beat a bad Wyoming team 34-14, were upset by San Diego State 13-19 as 13-point underdogs, and barely escaped with a 31-27 win at Nevada as 14-point favorites. 

The Blue Turf is not the home-field advantage that it used to be.  The Broncos are just 4-14 ATS in their last 18 home games.  The Rams have been great in this big underdog role as they are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  The road team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Bet Colorado State Friday.

20* Stanford/ASU Pac-12 No-Brainer on UNDER 57.5 

Both Stanford and Arizona State are coming off bye weeks.  That means they’ve had nearly two weeks to prepare for one another.  And I think that extra preparation favors the defenses more than the offenses.  So I like the UNDER here in this Pac-12 matchup. 

I think this number is inflated because Stanford’s defense fell apart over their last three games, and they went over the total in all three.  But they played three great offenses in Oregon, Notre Dame and Utah with with first two on the road.  And they were simply out of gas by the time they faced Utah, so this bye week came at the right time. 

But Arizona State’s offense isn’t going to scare Stanford’s defense.  This is an ASU offense that has put up 21 or fewer points in the four games they’ve played that weren’t against UTSA and Oregon State.  They only scored 16 against Michigan State, 21 against San Diego State, 20 against Washington and 21 against Colorado.  And I think Stanford is a similar opponent to Michigan State, and ASU beat MSU 16-13 at home. 

But Arizona State’s defense has played admirably this season.  The Sun Devils haven’t allowed more than 28 points in any game this season, and one of those two teams is going to have to top 28 points for this game to go OVER.  I don’t see either team surpassing 28.  The Sun Devils are allowing 21.2 points and 385 yards per game this season.  The Cardinal are allowing 22.0 points per game this year. 

Stanford’s offense has been nothing special, averaging just 25.7 points per game this season.  The Cardinal just don’t have a very good offensive line this year.  In fact, it’s the worst that I can remember.  They are averaging just 86 rushing yards per game and 3.1 per carry this season.  It doesn’t help that Bryce Love has been banged up, and he remains hampered by an ankle injury this week. 

The UNDER is 7-2 in the last nine meetings.  Stanford and ASU have combined for 58 or fewer points in eight of those nine meetings.  They are averaging just 48.4 combined points per game in those nine meetings, which is nearly 10 points less than tonight’s posted total of 57.5.  I think we are getting great value here on this UNDER. 

The UNDER is 54-26-1 in Stanford’s last 81 games following an ATS loss.  The UNDER is 44-20 in Stanford’s last 64 games in October.  The UNDER is 5-1 in the last six meetings.  The UNDER is 4-1 in the last five meetings at Arizona State.  Stanford is 11-1 UNDER in its last 12 games off two straight losses by 17 points or more.  The UNDER is 19-3 in Cardinal’s last 22 games after a game with a turnover margin of -3 or worse.  Bet the UNDER in this game Thursday. 

20* ACC GAME OF THE MONTH on Virginia +7 

Bronco Mendenhall has this Virginia Cavaliers program on the rise in his third season.  They are off to a 3-2 start this year with their only losses coming on the road to Indiana (16-20) and NC State (21-35).  They also beat Ohio 45-31 on a neutral field, and dominated their two home games with a 42-13 win over Richmond as 14.5-point favorites and a 27-3 thumping of Louisville as 4.5-point favorites. 

Now the Cavaliers return home this week fresh off a bye, so they will be rested and ready to go.  And they have made this a night game in Charlottesville, so the atmosphere will be electric with nationally ranked Miami coming to town.  The Cavaliers are looking for that signature win under Mendenhall, and I think they have a great chance to get it given the situation Saturday night off the bye. 

I think Miami is massively overrated right now.  They lost their toughest game 17-33 to LSU in what was a 33-3 game until the Hurricanes tacked on two meaningless touchdowns late.  Since then, their five wins have come against suspect competition in Savannah State, Toledo, FIU, UNC and Florida State.  And they’ve had some lackluster efforts in there. 

Miami only beat Florida International 31-17 at home as 26-point favorites three weeks ago.  Then two weeks ago their 47-10 win over UNC was very misleading.  They only outgained UNC by 25 yards in that contest and were the beneficiaries of 6 turnovers, 3 that were returned for touchdowns.  And last week against Florida State they trailed 27-7 before rallying to win 28-27 as 14-point favorites. 

I think that comeback will certainly have taken a lot out of the Hurricanes emotionally and physically.  They are now in line for a hangover effect here against Virginia.  It’s never easy playing the next week off a win against one of your biggest rivals, and the nature of the way they won that game will make it even more difficult this week.  Virginia will simply want this game more than Miami. 

Virginia also wants revenge from blowing a 28-14 lead in the 3rd quarter on the road at Miami last season.  The Hurricanes scored the final 30 points in that game to win 44-28, but failed to cover the 20.5-point spread.  Virginia actually outgained Miami 439 to 358 in that contest, or by 81 total yards.  I think they’ll win the box score and the game this time around. 

Virginia has a great defense that is giving up just 20.4 points per game and 325 total yards per game this season.  Defense has always been a staple with Mendenhall-coached teams.  But the reason the Cavaliers are so improved this season is that the offense is so much better.  The Cavaliers are averaging 30.2 points and 418 yards per game this season.  QB Bryce Perkins is completing 63.5% of his passes, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt, and has an 11-to-4 TD/INT ratio.  He is a dual-threat who has also rushed for 341 yards and three scores this year. 

The Hurricanes are 1-5 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Cavaliers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 vs. a team with a winning record.  Virginia is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games following a bye week.  The underdog is 12-2 ATS in the last 14 meetings.  Don’t be surprised if the Cavaliers win this game outright.  Roll with Virginia Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on California -7 

This feels like a get right game for the Cal Golden Bears.  They have lost the last two weeks to Oregon and Arizona.  They gave both those games away by committing a combined 9 turnovers.  I can only think that the emphasis all week will be taking care of the football, because if they do they should roll UCLA at home Saturday night. 

The 17-24 loss at Arizona last week was particularly misleading.  Cal outgained Arizona by 211 total yards.  But the Wildcats got two defensive touchdowns to swing the game in their favor.  This elite Cal defense held Arizona to just 10 points and 265 total yards.  They will shut down a poor UCLA offense this week. 

UCLA is 0-5 this season.  The Bruins have played a tough schedule, no question, but they’re also not very good.  And they’ve rarely been competitive as all five of their losses have come by 7 points or more.  They trailed by 17 to Washington last week but made it interesting in the end, losing 24-31.  I think the fact that they kept the final score close is earning them too much respect now from oddsmakers this week.  And it was a deflating loss that they will probably suffer a hangover from. 

Turnovers shouldn’t be a problem for Cal against UCLA.  After all, the Bruins have only forced five turnovers in five games this season.  They aren’t big on takeaways.  And I just don’t know how UCLA is going to score against Cal’s defense, which is giving up just 331 yards per game and 4.9 per play.  UCLA’s offense is only averaging 18.4 points, 334 yards per game and 5.1 per play this season. 

The last time at Cal in 2016 the Bears rolled to a 36-10 victory as 3-point underdogs.  They outgained the Bruins 496 to 260 in that contest.  I think we see a similar beat down here, especially with the Bears coming off two straight losses and wanting revenge from a 27-30 road loss at UCLA last year. 

The Bruins are 14-34 ATS in their last 48 October road games.  UCLA is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 games following an ATS win.  UCLA is 2-7 ATS in its last nine road games.  The Bears are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.  Cal is 5-2-1 ATS in its last eight home games.  The Bears are 4-1 ATS in their last five vs. a team with a losing record.  The home team is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.  The Bears are 5-0 ATS int heir last five home meetings with the Bruins.  Bet Cal Saturday.

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on East Carolina +16 

The Houston Cougars have been an overvalued commodity this season.  They should not be laying 16 points on the road to an improved East Carolina squad that is fully capable of making a game out of this based off everything I’ve seen this season. 

Houston opened the season with a 45-27 win at Rice as 25-point favorites.  But the Cougars actually trailed in that game 27-17 midway through the second quarter before scoring the final 28 points.  Their win over Arizona doesn’t look that impressive now, and they lost 49-63 at Texas Tech.  A win over Texas Southern is nothing to brag about.  And last week they actually trailed 26-17 in the 4th quarter at home to Tulsa before scoring the final 24 points to win 41-26 as 17-point favorites.  Tulsa gave them two free touchdowns on turnovers late to turn a near-upset into a semi-blowout. 

East Carolina has beaten UNC 41-29 as 15-point underdogs, while also going on the road and giving South Florida all they could handle in a 13-20 loss as 19-point underdogs.  In fact, ECU actually outgained each of its first four opponents by 113 or more yards.  That’s why I’m saying their 6-49 loss at Temple last week was clearly the aberration, not the norm for this team.  And that blowout loss clearly has them undervalued heading into this matchup with Houston, catching more points than they should be. 

Last year, Houston won 52-27 at home over East Carolina as 24.5-point favorites, covering by a half a point.  But that was a misleading final as well.  ECU actually outgained Houston 504 to 472 in that contest.  But the Pirates lost the turnover battle 3-0.  And there’s no question the Pirates are a lot better than they were a year ago, while the Cougars aren’t nearly as good, especially with their leaky defense that is giving up 29.6 points and 488 yards per game this season.  ECU is only allowing 340 yards per game this year. 

Houston is 0-6 ATS off a home win over the last two seasons.  The Cougars are 1-8 ATS in road games after the first month of the season over the last three seasons.  Houston is 1-5 ATS in its last six road games.  The Cougars are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 conference games.  The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Take East Carolina Saturday. 

25* Big 12 GAME OF THE YEAR on Iowa State +7 

The West Virginia Mountaineers are way overrated right now.  They are off to a 5-0 start and currently ranked as the No. 6 team in the country.  With that ranking comes respect from oddsmakers that they simply cannot live up to.  They should not be laying a touchdown on the road to Iowa State this week. 

For starters, WVU has played a soft schedule.  The Mountaineers have played the 70th-ranked schedule in the country.  Their five wins have come against Tennessee, Youngstown State, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Kansas.  They have played just one true road game this season, which was their 42-34 win at Texas Tech in which they won the turnover battler 3-0 that was the difference. 

After covering the spread in each of their first four games, the Mountaineers came up short last week in a lackluster 38-22 home win over Kansas as 27.5-point favorites.  Now they will be facing their stiffest test of the season on the road against a Cyclones team that just thrives in these big games against nationally ranked opponents. 

Iowa State is undervalued after a 2-3 start to the season.  But the Cyclones have played the 2nd-toughest schedule in the entire country.  Despite this, they’ve had a chance to win all five games.  They only lost by 10 at Iowa, by 10 to Oklahoma and by 3 to TCU.  They went on the road and beat Oklahoma State 48-42 last week as 10-point underdogs.  They have been a dog in four of five games thus far, so to get through at 2-3 with a chance to win every game is actually a nice accomplishment. 

And now the Cyclones will be battle-tested here and not phased with No. 6 WVU coming to town.  After all, they beat two Top 10 opponents last season.  They beat Oklahoma on the road and TCU at home last year.  Matt Campbell is a tremendous coach who thrives in the underdog role.  Campbell is 16-5 ATS as an underdog in his last 21 games as the coach of Iowa State. 

Iowa State has a very good defense that is giving up just 350 yards per game and 5.1 yards per play against opponents that average 438 yards per game and 6.4 per play, holding them to 88 yards and 1.3 yards per play less than their season averages.  This is by far the best defense that WVU will have faced this season. 

After struggling a little on offense the first four games, the Cyclones made the switch at quarterback to freshman Brock Purdy against Oklahoma State.  And boy did it pay off.  Purdy led the Cyclones to 48 points in the upset of the Cowboys last week while completing several beautiful deep balls.  Purdy finished 18-of-23 passing for 318 yards with four touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing for 84 yards and a score.  It was the best freshman QB debut in Cyclone history, and the future is bright for this program with him at the helm. 

The Cyclones are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 vs. a team with a winning record.  Iowa State is 21-6-1 ATS in its last 28 games overall.  The Cyclones are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.  Iowa State is 9-1 ATS vs. excellent passing teams that average 8.5 or more yards per attempt over the last three seasons.  Dana Holgorsen is 0-8 ATS after covering the spread in three of his last four games as the coach of West Virginia.  He has never covered in this spot.  Bet Iowa State Saturday.

15* MAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Northern Illinois -3.5 

The Northern Illinois Huskies headed into MAC play grossly undervalued.  That’s because they went 0-3 in non-conference play against a brutal schedule.  They lost to the likes of Iowa, Utah and Florida State with two of those games on the road.  And I think they continue to be undervalued here as only 3.5-point home favorites over Ohio. 

It’s no surprise that NIU is 3-0 in MAC play this season because they are still one of the best teams in this conference.  They beat Central Michigan 24-16 at home before going not he road and topping Eastern Michigan 26-23 and Ball State 24-16.  And now they return home here against an Ohio team that has been getting way too much respect from oddsmakers. 

Ohio is 3-2, but it has been outgained in four of its five games this season.  The most concerning game was the 38-32 home victory over Howard as 30.5-point favorites in the opener.  The Bobcats were outgained by 220 yards in that game and should have lost.  They were also outgained by 188 yards in their 31-45 loss at Virginia.  And last week they only beat Kent State 27-26 as 11-point favorites and were outgained by 58 yards. 

The problem with backing Ohio is that they play no defense.  They are giving up 35.8 points, 509 yards per game and 7.2 yards per play this season against opponents that only average 435 yards per game and 5.8 per play.  They are allowing 74 yards and 1.4 yards per play more than their opponents average this season.  They simply cannot stop anyone, and even NIU is in line for its biggest offensive output of the season this week. 

Conversely, Northern Illinois has probably the best defense in the MAC.  The Huskies are only giving up 23.7 points, 356 yards per game and 4.4 yards per play this season.  That’s despite playing three elite Power 5 programs in Iowa, Utah and FSU already.  And they’ve also shut down two very good MAC offenses in EMU and Ball State while also holding a bad CMU offense to 16 points. 

Another concern for Ohio is that starting QB Nathan Rourke is banged up and battling a shoulder injury right now, leaving his status up in the air for this game.  He is the heart and soul of this team, averaging 8.7 has per pass attempt and 7.8 per rush attempt while rushing for 391 yards and three scores this season.  Early indications are that he will likely suit up, but he clearly won’t be 100%.  If he doesn’t play then this is an absolute certainty that NIU wins and covers. 

Ohio is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 road games vs. good rushing defenses that allow 3.25 or fewer yards per carry.  Northern Illinois is 10-2 ATS vs. poor passing defenses that allow 58% completions or worse over the last three seasons.  The Bobcats are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.  The Huskies are 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 after accumulating more than 200 rushing yards in their previous game.  Roll with Northern Illinois Saturday. 

15* Georgia/LSU SEC ANNIHILATOR on LSU +7.5 

The LSU Tigers just can’t get any love this season.  They have opened 5-1 with wins over the likes of Miami, at Auburn and home against Ole Miss.  They were up 33-3 on Miami on a neutral, they outgained Auburn by 42 yards in a 22-21 road win at 10-point dogs, and they crushed Ole Miss 45-16 as 11.5-point home favorites. 

Last week’s 19-27 loss to Florida has everyone writing off LSU.  I’m not one of those people.  I was on Florida in that game and felt it was a great spot for the Gators, and I’m on record saying that Florida was an SEC title contender coming into the season.  And that game was up for grabs in the final seconds before the Gators got a defensive touchdown.  Florida only outgained LSU by 19 yards. 

There’s no question LSU has played the more more difficult schedule between these teams.  In fact, the Tigers have played the 13th-toughest schedule this season.  Georgia has played just the 62nd-toughest.  I think the Bulldogs are way overvalued right now due to their No. 2 ranking and their 6-0 start.  Their six wins have come against Austin Peay, South Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. 

I would have to say their toughest game was at Missouri.  And they only won 43-29 as 14-point favorites.  Georgia only outgained Missouri by 52 yards in that contest.  I have no doubt that this road game at LSU is the most difficult game thus far on their schedule.  And there’s nothing like the home-field advantage the Tigers have in Death Valley. 

LSU is never more than a touchdown home underdog due to their home-field advantage.  The only times they’ve been priced in this range in the past decade was against Tim Tebow’s Florida team and two times against Alabama.  No question Georgia is a great team, but they are not good enough to be laying more than a touchdown on the road here to the Tigers in the Bayou. 

LSU is a perfect 9-0 ATS vs. good passing teams who average 8 or more yards per attempt over the last three seasons.  It is actually winning by 18.9 points per game in this spot and holding those teams to just 16.0 points per game.  The Tigers are 8-1 ATS in their last nine conference games.  Bet LSU Saturday. 

20* Washington/Oregon Pac-12 No-Brainer on Oregon +3.5 

The Oregon Ducks should be 5-0 this season.  They blew a 24-7 lead in the second half against Stanford a few weeks ago and eventually lost in overtime.  Several fluky things went against them, and they simply could have kneeled on the ball at the end and won.  Instead, they fumbled and Stanford scored to tie it, and the rest was history. 

Almost everyone was on California the next week against Oregon, thinking the Ducks wouldn’t be able to recover from that loss.  Instead, the Ducks showed a lot of heart, throttling California 42-24 on the road.  It was a Cal team that was coming off a bye, so it was a great performance for the Ducks. 

Now the Ducks have had a bye week to get ready for a Washington team that was in a dog fight last week in a 31-24 win over UCLA as 21-point favorites.  They only outgained the Bruins by 40 yards in that contest, and that’s a UCLA team that is currently 0-5.  The Huskies only beat Arizona State by 7 at home as 18-point favorites earlier this year.  And they lost at Auburn, and that loss looks a lot worse now after Auburn went on to lose to LSU at home and Mississippi State on the road. 

I think the Huskies are starting to run out of gas a little because they will be playing for a 7th consecutive week, and that started to show in the second half last week against UCLA.  Now the Ducks will put their fatigue to the test with their spread-option, up-tempo offense.  QB Justin Herbert is leading an Oregon offense that is putting up 46 points and 504 yards per game this season. 

The Ducks have been an elite team with a healthy Herbert under center.  Jake Browning is one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the country.  He leads a Washington offense that is averaging just 29 points pre game this season.  Running back Myles Gaskins is banged up, and Browning is lacking weapons on the outside.  Clearly Oregon has the supreme offense in this matchup. 

Washington’s defense is very good, there’s no question about it, but they did give up 24 points and 422 total yards to a very bad UCLA offense last week.  Again, it was a sign that they are starting to show some fatigue.  I think Oregon coming off a bye this week is a huge advantage, and it’s going to be a great atmosphere at Autzen Stadium with essentially the Pac-12 North title on the line in this matchup. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Oregon) - in a game involving two teams who are outgaining opponents by 100-plus yards per game, after gaining 475 or more total yards in two consecutive games are 29-7 (80.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take Oregon Saturday. 

15* USF/Tulsa AAC ANNIHILATOR on Tulsa +7.5 

It’s time to ‘buy low’ on Tulsa and ‘sell high’ on South Florida in this AAC showdown Friday night.  I like the Golden Hurricane catching more than a touchdown at home to the Bulls in a game that they have an excellent chance to win outright. 

Tulsa is better than its 1-4 record would indicate.  The Golden Hurricane are actually outgaining their opponents by 17 yards per game this season despite that record, and they have an improved defense that is allowing just 381 yards per game.  The problem with them has been turnovers as they’ve committed 16 already through five games and it will be a point of emphasis this week. 

South Florida is 5-0, but not nearly as good as its record would indicate.  The Bulls are only outgaining their opponents by 54 yards per game.  And they’ve played a much easier schedule than Tulsa as their five wins have come against Elon, Georgia Tech, Illinois, ECU and UMass.  They only beat Illinois by 6 and ECU by 7, they were outgained by Georgia Tech by 176 yards and by ECU by 116 yards.  And they needed a big 4th quarter comeback to beat Illinois. 

Tulsa’s four losses have come to Texas, Arkansas State, Temple and Houston.  They were competitive in all four of those games.  They only lost by 7 to Texas and by 9 to Arkansas State.  They outgained Temple by 103 yards despite losing by 14 thanks to a pair of defensive touchdowns.  And they led Houston on the road last week 26-17 in the 4th quarter before giving up 24 unanswered points in the final 12 minutes. 

Tulsa knows that if it is going to challenge for a bowl game, it starts with a win this week against South Florida.  And the Golden Hurricane have the rest advantage after playing last Thursday, so they have had seven days to get ready for this game.  USF played on Saturday in a 58-42 shootout at UMass and will be the more fatigued team here having just five days to get ready for Tulsa. 

Last year, Tulsa only lost 20-27 at South Florida as 23.5-point underdogs.  And that was a much better USF team that lost a lot from last year.  And Tulsa is certainly better this season than last with 15 returning starters from a squad that went 2-10.  The Golden Hurricane will be out for revenge at home this time around, and they’ll be excited welcoming a Top 25 team in a nationally televised Friday night game. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Tulsa) - off two consecutive losses by 10 points or more to conference opponents, in October games are 26-6 (81.2%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Golden Hurricane are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 vs. a team with a winning record.  They just come up big time and time again against teams they appear overmatched by.  Roll with Tulsa Friday. 

20* Texas Tech/TCU Big 12 No-Brainer on UNDER 62 

Both Texas Tech and TCU have quarterback injuries heading into this one that makes me like the UNDER quite a bit.  Tech starter Alan Bowman suffered a collapsed lung last game and is highly questionable, and his backed McLane Carter is also questionable with an ankle injury.  TCU starter Shawn Robinson is battling a shoulder injury, and even though he’s probable he may not start Thursday. 

Regardless, this has been an UNDER series the past two years.  TCU won 27-24 (OT) in 2016 for 51 combined points, but they scored 17 in overtime so there were just 34 combined points at the end of regulation.  And then last year TCU won 27-3 for 30 combined points.  It’s clear to me that this 62-point total has been set way too high Thursday night. 

I also like the fact that both teams come in off bye weeks and on extra rest.  That extra time to prepare certainly favors the defenses more than the offenses.  There will be no element of surprise for these two teams because they’ll know each other so well.  And Texas Tech has an improved defense this year, while TCU has one of the best defenses in the country once again. 

The Horned Frogs are giving up just 304 yards per game and 4.5 yards per play against opponents that average 380 yards per game and 5.5 yards per play.  Texas Tech has faced some great offenses this year, so the numbers haven’t been as good.  But they are giving up 6.2 yards per play against teams that average 6.5 yards per play, so they have actually been better than average.  And they should be able to contain a suspect TCU offense that is managing just 415 yards per game this season. 

TCU is 10-1 UNDER off a win against a conference opponent over the last three seasons.  The Horned Frogs are 11-1 UNDER vs. poor passing defenses that are allowing 250 or more passing yards per game over the last three seasons.  The UNDER is 4-1 in Red Raiders last five road games.  The UNDER is 21-6 in Horned Frogs last 27 conference games.  Bet the UNDER in this game Thursday. 

20* App State/Ark State Sun Belt No-Brainer on Arkansas State +10.5 

The Arkansas State Red Wolves are getting zero respect from oddsmakers here as 10-point home underdogs to the Appalachian State Mountaineers.  This is a team that has dominated the Sun Belt, winning at least a share of the conference title five of the last six years while going 40-7 in Sun Belt play over that time frame.  Simply put, they are better than everyone else in the Sun Belt. 

The Red Wolves have opened 3-2 against a tough schedule.  Their two losses came on the road at Alabama and at Georgia Southern 21-28 in the closing seconds.  And that means they are 0-1 in Sun Belt play to open the season, so they’ll be extra motivated here to avoid falling to 0-2.  They also went on the road and got a big win at Tulsa while also beating a good UNLV team at home. 

Appalachian State deserves some credit for taking Penn State to overtime in the opener.  But there’s no question they are overvalued now because of it, especially after three straight blowout wins over Charlotte, Gardner Webb and South Alabama since.  Well, Gardner Webb is an FCS school, and Charlotte and South Alabama are two of the worst FBS programs in the country.  This is a huge step up in class for the Mountaineers tonight. 

Arkansas State is a veteran squad that returned all of its top playmakers from an offense that put up 37.8 points and 495 yards per game last season.  They are still averaging 474 yards per game this season, but the points haven’t been there at 26.4 per game, and I think they’re undervalued because of it.  And their defense has been solid in giving up just 393 yards per game despite the brutal schedule. 

Senior QB Justice Hansen is probably one of the best quarterbacks you’ve never heard of for the Red Wolves.  He is completing 64.8% of his passes for 1,329 yards with an 11-to-2 TD/INT ratio this season.  He has also rushed for 192 yards and two scores.  He has a plethora of weapons outside with the top two receivers back from last year in Justin McInnis (23 receptions, 233 yards, 2 TD) and Omar Bayless (13, 216, 1 TD), as well as Oregon transfer Kirk Merritt (29, 238, 1 TD). 

The Red Wolves are 37-17-1 ATS in their last 55 conference games.  Arkansas State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games following a bye week.  The Red Wolves are 7-0 ATS in October games over the last three seasons, winning by 23.4 points per game on average.  Take Arkansas State Tuesday. 

20* Wyoming/Hawaii MWC Late-Night BAILOUT on Hawaii -3 

I faded Hawaii with success last Saturday as I backed San Jose State +10 at home against the Warriors.  And that game went into overtime as SJSU easily covered, but Hawaii won outright 44-41.  Well, that was a dream spot for SJSU coming off a bye and with Hawaii coming to the mainland. 

However, I think this is now a dream spot for the Warriors.  They will be playing with a ton of momentum from that OT win that improved them to 5-1 this season.  And now fans back home in Hawaii are excited, and it should be a great atmosphere for them at home against Wyoming this week. 

I certainly felt the Warriors were overvalued last week, and that has shown of late as they are just 0-3-1 ATS in their last four games overall.  Now the public is off of them, and I think the value is back with them now as only 3-point favorites here.  Plus, their only loss came on the road 21-28 at Army, and we’ve seen Army take Oklahoma to overtime as 28.5-point underdogs and crush Buffalo 42-13 as an underdog.  Clearly, that loss to Army doesn’t look so bad now. 

Hawaii is 3-0 at home this season with three double-digit wins over Navy (59-41), Rice (43-29) and Duquesne (42-21).  The Warriors boast an explosive offense that is putting up 42.0 points and 495.8 yards per game this season, including 48.0 points and 507.0 yards per game at home.  They clearly have a huge edge on offense over Wyoming. 

Wyoming is off to a 2-3 start this season.  Its two wins came against New Mexico State 29-7 and Wofford 17-14.  Well, NMSU is 1-4 this season with four double-digit losses and their only win coming against UTEP.  And that 17-14 win over FCS foe Wofford is clearly a concern for the Cowboys. 

Wyoming’s three losses have all come in blowout fashion.  They lost at home to Washington State 19-41, at Missouri 13-40 and at home to Boise State 14-34 last week.  They were even coming off a bye.  This is a Wyoming offense that is only averaging 18.4 points, 304 yards per game and 4.8 yards per play this season.  There’s no way they can keep up with Hawaii in this one. 

One key factor here that is certainly getting overlooked is Wyoming lost its punter to a season-ending injury in that loss to Boise State last week.  Tim Zaleski suffered a torn ACL.  He started all 18 games since the start of last season, averaging 39.9 yards per punt.  That leaves junior Ryan Galovich, who had not punted in a game until last week.  His lone career punt covered only 27 yards in the fourth quarter last week after Zaleski went down. 

“Losing your punter is a big, big hit,” Wyoming head coach Craig Bowl said. “We’re going to need to absorb that and make some plans.”  With how poor this Wyoming offense has been, they’re going to need their punter a lot this week against Hawaii.  And the Warriors should get plenty of short fields for their offense to take advantage of as a result. 

Plays against underdogs of 3 to 10 points (Wyoming) - after having lost two of their last three games against an opponent that’s won four of their last five games are 41-12 (77.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Warriors will improve to 6-1 Saturday night and get back in the ATS win column with ease.  Roll with Hawaii Saturday.

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Texas A&M -5.5 

The No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats are starting to get some accolades.  And now they will be looking to open a season 6-0 for the first time since 1950.  I don’t see it happening Saturday as they finally meet their match against Texas A&M and the 12th man at Kyle Field.  It will be a hostile atmosphere for the Wildcats for this Saturday night game under the bright lights. 

Kentucky has had the fortune of playing four of its first five games at home.  The Wildcats’ lone road game was an upset win at Florida, which was clearly impressive, but they caught the Gators in the second week of the season when they weren’t hitting on all cylinders under a new head coach.  And they simply wanted that game more as they had lost 31 straight previously to Florida. 

I’ve been a lot more impressed with Texas A&M despite just a 3-2 start.  Well, the two losses came to a pair of playoff contenders in Clemson and Alabama, and they covered the spread in both games.  They only lost 26-28 at home to Clemson as 11.5-point underdogs, and 23-45 at Alabama as 24-point dogs.  I’m willing to forgive them for their 24-17 win as 20-point favorites against Arkansas last week because it was a hangover spot from the Alabama loss. 

Jimbo Fisher has been quick to call out his team for that poor performance against Arkansas.  Look for them to respond in a big way here.  And Fisher will be going against his pupil in Mark Stoops, who was the defensive coordinator under Fisher as Florida State.  I give a big advantage to the teacher over the pupil in this head coaching matchup. 

Both teams have great defenses, but I give Texas A&M the edge on offense.  The Aggies are averaging 36 points, 512 yards per game and 6.7 yards per play this season behind a balanced attack that averages 232 rushing yards and 280 passing yards per game despite the brutal schedule.  Kentucky is only averaging 407 yards per game. 

This one-dimensional Kentucky offense will cost them this week.  The Wildcats are only averaging 153 passing yards per game this season.  They have relied heavily on Benny Snell and the running game, which has averaged 254 yards per game and 5.8 per carry.  Fisher will be locked in on trying to stop Snell, and there’s no question Texas A&M has the goods to do it. 

Indeed, the Aggies are only allowing 81 rushing yards per game and 3.1 per carry this season against teams that average 157 yards per game and 4.8 per carry.  Just look at what they did to Clemson and Alabama.  The Aggies held Clemson to just 115 rushing yards on 32 carries, and Alabama to 109 rushing yards on 28 carries.  They are 3rd in the country in stopping the run this season, and they’ve played some great running teams thus far.  It’s impressive to say the least. 

Texas A&M is a perfect 8-0 ATS off a home game over the last two seasons.  Plays against any team (Kentucky) - after beating the spread by 49 or more points in their last five games, a team that wins 80% or more of their games against a good team that wins 60% to 80% are 34-10 (77.3%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Wildcats are simply overvalued right now due to their 5-0 start and Top 25 ranking.  Roll with Texas A&M Saturday.

15* FSU/Miami ACC No-Brainer on Florida State +14 

It was going to take some time for Willie Taggart to get Florida State back to an ACC title contender.  The Seminoles were decimated by injuries last season and barely made a bowl game.  And they have started just 3-2 this season with ugly losses to Virginia Tech and Syracuse. 

However, now we are nearing the midway point of the season, and it’s clear Taggart hasn’t lost his team.  The fruits of his labor have started to show the past two weeks.  After crushing Northern Illinois 37-19 despite losing the turnover battle 4-0, they went on the road last week and pulled out a gutsy comeback victory at Louisville 28-24.  Taggart clearly hasn’t lost his players, and this team will be feeling good about themselves and 100% focused going up against rival Miami this week. 

I think Miami comes into this game way overvalued due to a four-game winning streak since their ugly 17-33 loss to LSU in the opener.  Well, the four wins have come against Savannah State, Toledo, FIU and UNC.  And they only beat FIU 31-17 as 26-point home favorites. 

I also believe Miami’s misleading 47-10 win over North Carolina last week has them overvalued as well.  That was a much closer game than the final score showed.  UNC committed six turnovers, three of which were returned for touchdowns.  Miami only outgained UNC by 25 yards in that game.  The Hurricanes deserved to probably win by two touchdowns, but not by 37 points.  And because of the misleading final, they’re now being asked to lay 14 points to an FSU team that will be the most talented squad they’ve faced since that 16-point loss to LSU. 

The recent series history shows that there’s no way Miami should be favored by 14 points.  Florida State is 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings with Miami’s two wins coming by 4 points each, including last year’s last-second 24-20 win that will have FSU out for revenge.  In fact, Miami hasn’t beaten Florida State by more than 8 points in any of the last 17 meetings, making for a 17-0 system backing the Seminoles pertaining to this 14-point spread.  The last time Miami won by this kind of margin was their 49-27 win in 2001. 

Mark Richt is 1-9 ATS in home games off two consecutive home wins in all games he has coached.  His teams are only winning by 5.9 points per game in this spot.  Taggart is 23-9 ATS as a road underdog in all games he has coached.  Taggart is 10-2 ATS off a win by 6 points or less in all games he has coached.  The underdog is 13-3 ATS in the last 16 meetings.  Bet Florida State Saturday.

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Minnesota +7 

Both of these teams are off a bye week.  While that would normally be a wash, it’s worth noting that Iowa is 2-8 ATS in road games off a bye under head coach Kirk Ferentz.  I think Iowa wouldn’t have been too focused during its bye week after pretty much losing its Super Bowl in a 17-28 home loss to Wisconsin that will likely decide the West Division.  So I like the spot for Minnesota better. 

And I just don’t think this Iowa team is very good.  The Hawkeyes have played four home games to open the season.  They beat Northern Illinois, Iowa State and Northern Iowa before losing to Wisconsin.  So their three wins were against some pretty bad teams.  And now they’ll be hitting the road for the first time this season. 

Well, Minnesota is 3-0 at home this season.  They mopped the floor with New Mexico State 48-10 in their opener.  Then they beat Fresno State 21-14 despite being underdogs in that game.  And we’ve seen Fresno State go on to basically blow everyone else out, so that win looks better and better by the week.  And the Golden Gophers easily covered as 13.5-point favorites in a 26-3 beat down of Miami Ohio. 

I think Minnesota comes into this game undervalued due to its 13-42 loss at Maryland last time out.  Well, that was a hungry Maryland team that was coming off an upset loss to Temple.  And the Golden Gophers were probably feeling fat and happy after their 3-0 start.  I think that loss will have humbled them, and it will be much easier to get over than Iowa’s loss to Wisconsin where they had every chance to win. 

These teams are pretty much mirror images of each other.  Both have sub-par offenses and elite defenses.  Minnesota is giving up just 17.2 points, 300 yards per game and 5.0 yards per play this season.  They are holding opponents to 12.0 points per game less than their season averages.  And it’s their defense that gives them a chance to win here against an Iowa offense that is only scoring 25.2 points per game despite such a soft schedule. 

Just looking at the recent series history it’s easy to see there’s value on Minnesota as 7-point home underdogs here.  Each of the last three meetings in this series were decided by 7 points or less.  Iowa won all three by 5, 7 and 7 points, so you can bet the Golden Gophers want some revenge.  They last beat Iowa 51-14 at home in 2014.  And the home team is 7-2 SU in the last nine meetings.  The underdog is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings. 

The Hawkeyes are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  The Golden Gophers are 10-2-3 ATS in their last 15 games following an ATS loss.  Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last five home games.   

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Minnesota) after a game with a turnover margin of -2 or worse against an opponent after a game with turnover margin of -3 or worse are 34-10 (77.3%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Take Minnesota Saturday.

20* SEC GAME OF THE MONTH on Florida +3 

There’s no question LSU came into the season undervalued.  I wasn’t very high on them coming into the season either, but fortunately I’ve only faded them once, and I won that bet when I did on Louisiana Tech +21 in Week 4.  And I’m now ready to fade them again this week. 

LSU is starting to get that respect now that they are 5-0 and ranked No. 5 in the country.  With that ranking comes expectations that are tough to live up to.  They are now being asked to go on the road and lay points to the Florida Gators.  Well, I believe Florida is the better team, and they’re at home. 

I was really high on the Gators coming into the season.  I thought they’d have a chance to win the SEC.  And with the way they are going right now, they certainly will have a chance.  They have gone 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in this season with their only loss coming to Kentucky, which doesn’t look that bad now. 

Florida beat Colorado State 48-10 as 21.5-point home favorites, won at Tennessee 47-21 as 4.5-point favorites, and upset Mississippi State 13-6 as 7-point road underdogs the past three weeks.  The Gators keep getting better with each game.  They are the most experienced team in the SEC with 19 returning starters, while LSU is the least-experienced team in the SEC with just 10 starters back. 

And those returning starters remember their 17-16 loss to LSU last season.  Florida was a much weaker team last year than they are this year due to all the injuries and suspensions.  But they’re a lot healthier this year and got most of those suspended players back.  They will be a force the rest of the way. 

Florida is averaging 6.4 yards per play on offense and giving up just 4.6 yards per play on defense, outgaining teams by 1.8 yards per play.  LSU hasn’t been nearly as dominant in that category, averaging 5.7 on offense and giving up 4.7 on defense, only outgaining opponents by 1.0 yards per play. 

Florida head coach Dan Mullen is making his mark already on this program.  And Mullen actually went 4-0 ATS in his final four meetings with LSU at Mississippi State, so he knows how to beat this team.  Mullen will push the right buttons here and let his team know that they are getting no respect while playing the underdog card.  Expect a huge effort from the Gators this weekend.  Take Florida Saturday.

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Arkansas +36 

These Alabama spreads are getting out of hand.  They are the No. 1 ranked team in the country and the public has been all over them.  Oddsmakers are forced to set the number higher than it should be to try and get even action on both sides.  And if you faded Alabama the last two weeks, you would have won. 

I did fade Alabama two weeks ago by cashing in Texas A&M +27 in a 23-45 road loss to the Crimson Tide.  I didn’t pull the trigger last week on UL Lafayette +49 but wish I would have.  Alabama actually jumped out to a 56-0 lead before allowing 14 points in the 4th quarter to win 56-14 and fail to cover. 

And that’s the problem with laying these kinds of numbers with Alabama.  They try for a quarter or two, jump out to a big lead, and then call off the dogs.  The back door is almost always open with the underdog.  But I don’t think we’ll need the back door with Arkansas this week. 

You can see that Arkansas is improving despite a misleading 1-4 record.  They have actually outgained three of their five opponents this Eason.  They won their opener 55-20.  They lost 27-34 to Colorado State after leading that game 27-9 in the second half.  They lost 17-44 to North Texas but were only outgained by 40 yards.  They lost 3-34 at Auburn but actually outgained Auburn by 65 yards in one of the most misleading finals of the year.  And they only lost 17-24 as 20-point underdogs at Texas A&M last week, which was their most impressive showing yet. 

The reason Arkansas has a chance to hang within the number is because they boast a defense that is much better than it is getting credit for.  The Razorbacks are only giving up 353 yards per game and 4.9 yards per play against opponents that average 430 yards per game and 5.6 per play.  They have been very good against the run, yielding just 106 rushing yards per game and 3.0 per carry. 

Arkansas held a good North Texas offense to just 376 total yards.  Then the next week in the misleading final of the year they held Auburn to just 225 total yards.  And then they held an explosive Texas A&M offense to just 377 total yards last week.  That’s a Texas A&M offense that put up over 500 yards on Clemson and 393 yards against Alabama.  The Razorbacks should be able to stop the run once Alabama gets ahead, and that will be key in them playing close to an even game with the Crimson Tide in the second half. 

Arkansas is 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings.  They lost by 1, 13, 19 and 32 points.  But even in that 32-point loss last year on the road they covered as 37-point underdogs.  And now they’re 36-point underdogs at home this time around.  It’s simply too much. 

The Razorbacks are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  The Crimson Tide are 2-6 ATS in their last eight vs. a team with a losing record.  Alabama is 1-5 ATS in its last six conference games.  Arkansas is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 home games vs. teams who average 275 or more passing yards pre game.  The Razorbacks are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games following three or more consecutive losses.   

Plays on underdogs of 31.5 or more points (Arkansas) - with 17 or more starters returning are 52-22 (70.3%) ATS since 1992.  Bet Arkansas Saturday.

20* Oklahoma/Texas Big 12 Early ANNIHILATOR on Texas +8 

It’s well documented how great Tom Herman has been as an underdog.  In fact, Herman is a ridiculous 22-1 ATS as an underdog in all games as a coach dating back to his time as an assistant at Iowa State and Ohio State, and most recently as the head coach of Houston and Texas. 

Herman has his best team yet at Texas.  I thought the Longhorns were a Big 12 title contender coming into the season, and nothing has changed my mind on that.  Sure, they were upset by Maryland in the opener, but they came into the season overvalued.  They have since reeled off four straight victories to get back in the discussion. 

They throttled USC 37-14 at home as 3-point favorites, and won outright as 2.5-point home underdogs over TCU in a dominant 31-16 win.  I think last week’s narrow 19-14 win at Kansas State has Texas undervalued coming into this week.  But that was a 19-0 game before the Wildcats tacked on two second half touchdowns.  And Texas held K-State to just 217 total yards in a dominant effort. 

Conversely, I think Oklahoma is coming in overvalued off its 66-33 win over Baylor last week.  Well, the Sooners were 21-point favorites in that game so it wasn’t expected to be close.  And it’s clear that Baylor is still another year or two away from really being competitive.

That effort against Baylor has folks quickly forgetting that Oklahoma needed overtime to beat Army as a 28.5-point favorite the week prior.  And the Sooners failed to cover their previous three spreads before Baylor, so they’ve been overvalued.  It’s just tough for Top 10 teams like the Sooners to live up to expectations every week because they are ranked so high and in the public eye.

Oklahoma's five opponents this season are a combined 1-10 against Power 5 opponents, so they haven't really played anybody compared to Texas.  The Longhorns already have wins over two ranked opponents in TCU and USC by a combined 38 points.  They have played the much tougher schedule, and that will have them a lot more battle-tested than the Sooners coming into this one.

Texas certainly wants some revenge after some heartbreaking losses to Oklahoma in recent years.  Oklahoma has won three of the last five meetings, including the last two, but all three victories came by only 5 points.  Texas is a perfect 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings, including two outright upsets as double-digit underdogs, covering the spread by an average of 15 points per game in those five contests.  I think there’s a ton of value getting the Longhorns as more than a TD dog here against the Sooners. 

This is an elite Texas defense that is giving up just 19.8 points, 333 yards per game and 4.8 yards per play this season with opposing QB’s completing just 54.9% of their passes.  Their defense is the reason they have a chance to upset the Sooners here.  Oklahoma has given up at least 21 points in four consecutive games, including the 33 to Baylor last week.  Their lackluster defense, which is allowing 30 points and 470 yards per game in two Big 12 games against Iowa State and Baylor, is going to make it difficult for them to put Texas away. 

Texas is 7-0 ATS vs. good passing teams who average 8.5 or more yards per attempt over the last three seasons.  The Longhorns are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.  The Sooners are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games.  The Longhorns are 10-2 ATS vs. good offensive teams that average 37 or more points per game over the last three seasons.  Bet Texas Saturday. 

20* Georgia Tech/Louisville ACC ANNIHILATOR on Louisville +4.5 

I’m surprised Georgia Tech is a road favorite at Louisville this week.  Both of these teams have been disappointing to this point, but for whatever reason the Yellow Jackets are getting respect, but the Cardinals are not.  I’m not buying it. 

I think Louisville’s potential is much greater the rest of the way than Georgia Tech.  This Cardinals team still has a ton of talent and they are relatively healthy.  They showed a lot last week when they led Florida State late in the 4th quarter and probably should have won that game, but lost 24-28.  They outgained the Seminoles by 51 yards and covered as 5-point underdogs. 

I think the Cardinals are going to be playing pissed off at home Friday night.  They need a win if they are going to make a bowl game because they cannot afford to fall to 2-4 with the tough schedule that lies ahead.  I expect them to get the job done, and for the offense to build on a solid effort in which they gained 421 yards against a good FSU defense. 

Louisville should be able to light up a Georgia Tech defense that gave up 49 points to South Florid and 49 points to Clemson in two of its three losses.  And this is a Georgia Tech offense that just hasn’t been the same since losing KirVonte Benson to a season-ending injury in the loss to USF.  Benson rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and they simply lack playmakers without him. 

Georgia Tech’s only two wins this season came against Alcorn State and Bowling Green.  They trailed Pitt 24-6 in the 4th quarter, and that’s a Pitt team that we’ve seen is absolutely awful.  They also lost 38-49 to a USF team that nearly lost to both Illinois and ECU.  It’s clear to me that the Yellow Jackets aren’t very good. 

Georgia Tech is 0-8 SU & 0-8 ATS in its last eight games as a road favorite, losing outright by double-digits four times during this span.  The Yellow Jackets simply cannot be trusted in the road favorite role, especially here on a short week against a talented Louisville team that is way undervalued right now after a poor start to the season.  The Cardinals have the bigger upside, and I think they show it Friday night.  Bet Louisville Friday. 

15* Tulsa/Houston ESPN No-Brainer on Tulsa +18.5 

I have no doubt Tulsa is better than an 18.5-point underdog to Houston today.  But the fact that the Golden Hurricane have opened 1-3 has them way undervalued.  I’ll back them here catching this big number in a rivalry game that they care more about than Houston does. 

All three of Tulsa’s losses have come by 14 points or less.  They only lost by 7 at Texas as 21-point underdogs to show what they are capable of.  They lost 20-29 to Arkansas State and were only outgained by 70 yards.  And they actually outgained Temple by 103 yards but lost 17-31 on the road due to giving up two defensive touchdowns. 

Tulsa has now had two full weeks to get right off their bye.  They are outgaining their opponents by 34 yards per game this season, so they are way better than their 1-3 record would suggest.  And the schedule has been tough to their credit, so they are battle-tested and ready to give Houston a run for its money. 

The Cougars have opened 3-1 and are overvalued.  Their win over Arizona doesn’t look that good now, and their other two wins came against Rice and Texas Southern.  They only beat Rice by 18 as 25-point favorites and actually trailed that game 24-17 at halftime.  They needed a big second half just to escape with that victory.  And they lost 49-63 to Texas Tech. 

It’s clear that Tulsa takes this game more seriously than Houston every year.  Tulsa is 2-3 SU but 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Houston hasn’t beaten Tulsa by more than 14 points in any of the five meetings.  Last year, Tulsa won 45-17 outright as 13.5-point home underdogs, and that was a bad Tulsa team.  In 2016, Tulsa only lost 31-38 at Houston as 21.5-point dogs. 

The Golden Hurricane are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning record.  Tulsa is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 road games.  The Cougars are 0-5 ATS in their last five games following a SU win of more than 20 points.  Houston is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 conference games.  The Golden Hurricane are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings in Houston.  The road team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Take Tulsa Thursday. 

20* CFB Saturday Late-Night BAILOUT on Oregon State +22 

I really question what the Arizona State Sun Devils have left in the tank for Oregon State this week.  They are coming off three straight physically taxing games against Michigan State, San Diego State and Washington over the past three weeks.  Those are three teams that will punch you in the mouth on both sides of the football. 

Now they must play an Oregon State team that will go up-tempo and spread you out.  It’s a completely different style than what they’ve seen thus far, and I think this Oregon State offense will certainly have some success against Arizona State’s defense. 

It’s an Oregon State offense that scored 31 points and had nearly 400 total yards against Ohio State in Week 1.  Then they scored 48 with 639 total yards against Southern Utah in Week 2.  And they lost scored 35 with 540 total yards against Nevada in Week 3 in a game they should have won. 

But Oregon State laid an egg in a 14-35 home loss to Arizona last week.  So this week I think we’re getting the opportunity to ‘buy low’ on the Beavers off that performance.  And we are ‘selling high’ on the Sun Devils after their 3-1 ATS start which included a cover as 18-point underdogs in a 20-27 loss at Washington last week.  The Sun Devils will also have a ‘hangover’ effect after facing ranked Washington, and they won’t be focused enough this week to put Oregon State away by more than three touchdowns. 

And Arizona State hasn’t been able to beat Oregon State by this kind of margin in recent years.  In fact, each of the last nine meetings in this series have been decided by 16 points or less.  And dating back further, Arizona State has not beaten Oregon State by more than 21 points in any of the last 23 meetings.  That’s a perfect 23-0 system backing the Beavers pertaining to this 22-point spread.  Bet Oregon State Saturday.

20* Ohio State/Penn State ABC No-Brainer on UNDER 71 

This total of 71 is simply too high.  For starters, it’s the highest total for any Penn State game in program history.  And it’s the third-highest total in Ohio State program history.  That alone shows that there has to be some value with this UNDER. 

This game not only has Big Ten title implications, but also national title implications as well.  It will be played closer to the vest, which is going to favor the defenses.  It will be a white out at Penn State Saturday night and the noise is going to affect both offenses.  It’s also on grass, which is ideal conditions for under bettors as compared to turf. 

A lot is being made about how well both offenses have played.  But they’ve both played extremely soft schedules to this point.  And the defenses have both been excellent.  The Nittany Lions are allowing just 19.5 points per game this season, holding opponents to 13 points and 1.3 yards per play less than their season averages.  The Buckeyes are giving up 17 points per game, holding opponents to 9.4 points and 0.5 yards per play less than their season averages. 

I think the fact that last year was a shootout between these two teams is also playing into this total being so high.  Ohio State beat Penn State 39-38 at home last year for 77 combined points.  But that was a huge misleading final.  Penn State only had 283 yards of total offense, yet scored 38 points.  And they barely topped 800 total yards between them. 

The previous three meetings between these teams were all low-scoring.  Penn State won 24-21 at home in 2016 for 45 combined points.  Ohio State won 38-10 at home in 2015 for 48 combined points.  And Ohio State won 31-24 (OT) on the road in 2014 for 55 combined points, but just 48 points at the end of regulation.  I think we see a combined score in the 50’s here, not the 70’s.  Take the UNDER in this game Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Middle Tennessee +3.5 

The betting public jumped on the Lane Kiffin train late in the season last year.  They beat up on a very weak schedule and kept on covering.  And they haven’t jumped off the train yet in 2018.  The Owls clearly came into this season overvalued, and that has shown with their 0-4 ATS start.  And now they’re once again overvalued as road favorites here against a very good Middle Tennessee squad. 

FAU opened its season with a 14-63 loss at Oklahoma as only 18.5-point dogs.  Then they failed to cover as 7.5-point home favorites in a 33-27 home win over Air Force.  They weren’t impressive at all in their 49-28 home win over Bethune-Cookman as 40.5-point favorites.  And they lost 36-56 on the road to UCF as 14-point favorites last week. 

That game against UCF sets FAU up for a big ‘hangover’ effect here.  The Owls wanted to prove they could beat UCF, a team that went undefeated last season and still hasn’t lost.  And instead they got embarrassed, giving up 56 points and 545 total yards and turning the ball over three times.  I don’t think they’ll get up off the mat in time to get ready for Middle Tennessee this week. 

This is a Middle Tennessee team that is rested and ready to go after getting a bye last week.  And it’s also one that is undervalued right now due to its 1-2 start to the season.  But both losses came on the road to a pair of SEC teams in Vanderbilt and Georgia.  Now they’ll be primed for a big performance in their Conference USA opener here against FAU with two weeks to prepare for them. 

Middle Tennessee is 9-1 SU in its last 10 meetings with FAU.  The Blue Raiders had their nine-game winning streak over the Owls snapped last year in a 20-38 road loss.  But they were without starting QB Brent Stockstill, and their backup QB three three costly interceptions.  Yet the Blue Raiders still outgained the Owls 454 to 413 in that game with a backup QB.   

Now Stockstill is back healthy and sitting on a big performance as he’s one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the country.  Stockstill is completing 69% of his passes with a 7-to-2 TD/INT ratio thus far in 2018 despite facing a brutal schedule.  He’ll have his way with an awful FAU pass defense that is allowing 67.3% completions and 10.1 yards per attempt to opposing quarterbacks.  This its an awful FAU defense in general. 

Middle Tennessee is 6-0 ATS off a loss by 21 or more points over the last three seasons.  It is bouncing back to win by 16.0 points per game on average in this spot.  The Owls are 3-11-1 ATS in their last 15 games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Blue Raiders are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a SU loss.  Middle Tennessee is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games following a bye week.  The Blue Raiders are 6-0 ATS in their last six games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.  Roll with Middle Tennessee Saturday. 

25* Mountain West GAME OF THE YEAR on San Jose State +10 

The San Jose State Spartans are coming off a bye week.  They have had two full weeks to prepare for Hawaii, and they’ll be desperate for a win after their 0-3 start to the season.  I think they’re sitting on a big game here against a Hawaii team that has to be tired after playing five games already without a bye in between. 

It’s easy to see why San Jose State is 0-3.  The Spartans opened the season with a very good FCS opponent in Cal Davis and lost 38-44 as 3-point favorites.  Then they went on the road to Washington State and lost 31-0 as 30.5-point underdogs.  It’s clear that Washington State is better than most expected. 

But most impressively, San Jose State only lost 22-35 at Oregon as 42.5-point underdogs in Week 3.  They covered the spread by 29.5 points in that matchup.  And we know how good Oregon looked at home against Stanford last week as they clearly should have won that game.  And SJSU held Oregon’s offense to just 35 points and 443 total yards, which is no small feat. 

Hawaii is overvalued off its 4-1 start to the season.  The four wins have come against Colorado State, Navy, Rice and Duquesne.  And it’s not like they are blowing anyone out as their biggest victory was a 21-point win over Duquesne as 36.5-point favorites.  Now the Warriors are being asked to lay double-digits on the road here to an improved, rested San Jose State squad, and it’s simply too much. 

Last year, San Jose State went into Hawaii and played a four-quarter game, losing 26-37 as 17-point underdogs.  They actually outgained the Warriors by 53 yards in that contest and racked up 504 total yards on Hawaii’s defense.  I think they’ll have their way with a Hawaii defense that is giving up 30.6 points, 428 yards per game and 6.3 yards per play against opponents that are averaging 25.7 points, 374 yards per game and 5.2 yards per play.  This is a bad Hawaii defense that can’t be trusted laying double-digits on the road here. 

Nick Rolovich is 1-8 ATS as a favorite as the coach of Hawaii.  Rolovich is 1-10 ATS off two or more consecutive ATS losses as the coach of the Warriors.  The Warriors are also 0-9 ATS in their last nine games off an ATS loss.  Hawaii is 6-21 ATS in its last 27 games vs. a team with a losing record.  Bet San Jose State Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Connecticut +17.5 

It’s time to ‘buy low’ on Connecticut and ‘sell high’ on Cincinnati this week.  Cincinnati has opened 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS this season, while UConn has opened 1-3 SU & 0-3-1 ATS.  As a result, you have to pay a tax to bet Cincinnati here as 17.5-point road favorites against the Huskies. 

I’ll admit the Huskies have a terrible defense and have been dreadful.  But a lot of that has to do with the schedule.  They have faced UCF, Boise State and Syracuse already, and those are three of the best offenses in the country.  It’s also a big reason why they are 1-3 as they have been 24-point underdogs plus in those three contests.  I don’t think Cincinnati is anywhere near as good as those three squads. 

Cincinnati has feasted on an easy schedule.  They beat UCLA, Miami Ohio, Alabama A&M and Ohio.  Well, UCLA is still winless, Miami Ohio is not nearly as good as they were expected to be, and the same can be said for Ohio.  No question the Bearcats are improved this season, but they are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers due to this 4-0 start. 

UConn does have a good offense that can put up enough points to stay within the number this week.  Despite the tough schedule, they are averaging 25.2 points and 412 yards per game.  Randy Edsall has allowed them to put in a more up-tempo offense that is starting to see the fruits of their labor. 

UConn was bad last season and still nearly beat Cincinnati, losing 21-22 as 6.5-point road underdogs.  They outgained the Bearcats 449 to 335 in that game.  And UConn won 20-9 as 3-point home underdogs against the Bearcats in 2016 as well, outgaining them 412 to 317 in the process.   

So, after being only 6.5-point road dogs to Cincinnati last year, the Huskies are now 17.5-point home dogs this year, basically an 18-point adjustment from 2017 to 2018 when you factor in home-field advantage.  There’s clearly a ton of value on the Huskies +17.5 here. 

Plays against road favorites of 10.5 to 21 points (Cincinnati) - who are outgaining their opponents by 125 yards per game, after gaining 525 or more yards in two consecutive games are 46-14 (76.7%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.   

Cincinnati is 1-8 ATS vs. poor pass defenses that allow 58% or more completions over the last three seasons.  The Bearcats are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 conference games.  The Huskies are 5-1 ATS in their last six conference games.  The home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings.  Take UConn Saturday. 

15* Syracuse/Clemson ACC Early ANNIHILATOR on Syracuse +25.5 

Clemson is getting way too much respect from oddsmakers as 25.5-point home favorites over Syracuse this week.  This line opened at -18.5 and has been moved seven full points to -25.5 as of this writing.  That was mostly due to Clemson announcing that freshman Trevor Lawrence will start at QB. 

No question Lawrence has the better long-term potential over the incumbent Kelly Bryant.  But I worry about the state of the Tigers in the locker room right now because Bryant immediately announced he was transferring after the decision to start Lawrence came out this week.  There’s no doubt that the team loved Bryant. 

And Clemson being a Top 5 team makes them overvalued most weeks.  They have opened just 1-3 ATS in their four games with their lone cover coming as 15.5-point road favorites over Georgia Tech last week.  I was on Clemson in that game as my free pick for Saturday because it was a great matchup for them, and they own the Yellow Jackets’ triple option.  And Georgia Tech simply isn’t any good. 

But this Syracuse team might be the most underrated team in the entire country.  Head coach Dino Babers has his best team yet this year.  The Orange have opened 4-0 SU & 3-0-1 ATS in their four games. Yet they are getting no respect from oddsmakers this week. 

Syracuse goes as QB Eric Dungey goes.  When healthy, they have been a dangerous team.  Last year they upset Clemson at home as 23.5-point underdogs.  And they were huge dogs against LSU, Miami and Florida State last year, but lost those three games by a combined 11 points. 

Dungey is healthy this year and engineering an offense that is putting up 49.5 points and 523 yards per game.  He is completing 62.4% of his passes with a 9-to-1 TD/INT ratio, while also rushing for 354 yards and four scores on 6.9 per carry.  Dungey gave Clemson’s defense fits last year.  They run a quick-strike passing game that will negate Clemson’s great D-Line, and Dungey’s ability to extend plays is exactly the recipe for having success against this Clemson D. 

After all, Clemson’s worst performance this season was against Texas A&M and mobile QB Kellen Mond, who torched the Clemson defense for 501 total yards, including 430 passing.  The Tigers only won that game 28-26 as 11.5-point favorites.  I’m not so sure Syracuse isn’t every bit as good as Texas A&M, and Dungey is a comparable QB to Mond, and probably better.  Clemson’s other three wins have come against Furman, Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech, three run-heavy triple-option teams who just didn’t have the athletes to match the Tigers.  Syracuse does. 

I have been impressed with the improvement Syracuse has made defensively this year, which I think is getting overlooked.  Not only can Syracuse score with Clemson, they can get off the field, too.  That was evident in Week 3 when they held Florida State to just 7 points and 240 total yards.  I know Western Michigan scored 42 points on them in Week 1, but Syracuse got a huge early 34-7 lead and was simply playing prevent defense the rest of the way.  They won’t be playing prevent against Clemson, they’ll be playing more aggressive like they did against FSU. 

Plays on road teams (Syracuse) an excellent offensive team averaging 6.2 or more yards per play against a team with an excellent defense allowing 4.2 or fewer yards per play, after gaining 525 or more total yards in their previous game are 34-9 (79.1%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.   

Clemson has only won three of its past 19 ACC games by more than 22 points.  The Tigers are also 1-8 ATS in their last nine ACC games as a favorite of 20-plus points.  The Orange are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games following a win.  The Orange are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games.  Roll with Syracuse Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Boston College -12.5 

A lot of bettors were high on Boston College coming into the season.  It made sense because they finished last season very strong and had 16 starters back this season, including 10 on an explosive offense led by QB Anthony Brown and RB AJ Dillon.  And their defense is stout year after year. 

The Eagles delivered for bettors the first three weeks of the season, opening 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS with wins and covers against UMass, Holy Cross and Wake Forest.  But then they laid an egg last week at Purdue, losing 13-30 as 6-point favorites.  And I think this is a perfect ‘buy low’ situation on the Eagles this week as only 12.5-point favorites over Temple. 

Look for the Eagles to be in a sour mood all week in practice.  They’re sitting on a big effort here.  I still believe this is one of the best teams in the ACC and a legit contender.  That loss to Purdue wasn’t as bad as it looked because Purdue was way better than the 0-3 record they had coming into that contest, losing three straight coin flip games.  Purdue simply wanted it more, and Boston College was feeling fat and happy being ranked in the Top 25.  They’ll be humbled this week, and a humbled team is a dangerous one. 

We’ll ‘sell high’ on this Temple team this week.  The Owls are coming off back-to-back wins and covers.  They beat Maryland 35-14 on the road as 16-point underdogs.  Then they beat Tulsa 31-17 as 6-point home favorites last week.  Those two efforts quickly allowed most to overlook the fact that Temple had already been upset by Villanova 17-19 at home in Week 1 and Buffalo 29-36 at home in Week 2. 

I think this Temple team is more like the one that lost to Villanova and Buffalo than the one that beat Maryland and Tulsa.  And that win over a 2-10 Tulsa team from last year could not have been more misleading.  Tulsa outgained Temple 403 to 300 for the game, or by 103 total yards.  But the Golden Hurricane turned the ball over 5 times, including a 36-yard INT return TD and a 50-yard fumble return TD.  I’m giving Temple zero credit for beating Tulsa at home in a game they should have lost.  Boston College will be by far the best team that they’ve faced yet. 

Boston College is 10-1 ATS when playing with 6 or less days’ rest over the last two seasons.  The Eagles are 11-2-1 ATS in their last 14 games overall.  Boston College is 8-0-1 ATS in its last nine games on field turf.  The Owls are 1-4 ATS in their last five vs. ACC opponents.   

Boston College is 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in its last five meetings with Temple, winning all five games by 17 points or more and by an average of 23.0 points per game.  The Eagles get right this week with a blowout victory by two touchdowns or more.  Bet Boston College Saturday. 

20* UCLA/Colorado Pac-12 Late-Night BAILOUT on UNDER 61 

Both Colorado and UCLA have had two weeks to prepare for this game as each is coming off a bye week. I actually think that strongly favors the defenses in this game getting that extra time to prepare for these offenses.  And as a result, I expect a lower-scoring game than the oddsmakers are anticipating, so I’ll take the UNDER 61 here. 

Colorado is putting up some big offensive numbers thus far, but that’s only because they’ve faced such a soft schedule of opposing defenses in Colorado State, Nebraska and New Hampshire.  And despite playing a decent schedule of opposing offenses, the Buffaloes are only giving up 18.3 points, 373 yards per game and 4.9 yards per play. 

This isn’t the Chip Kelly offense we saw at Oregon.  UCLA has an atrocious offense and is seriously lacking talent.  The Bruins have only averaged 17.3 points, 320 yards per game and 4.8 yards per play this season.  That’s the biggest reason why they are 0-3 because their offense has been woeful, plus they’ve played a tough schedule. 

But I have been impressed with what UCLA has done defensively despite facing Cincinnati, Oklahoma and Fresno State.  The Bruins are holding those three offenses to an average of just 403 yards per game and 5.2 yards per play.  Those three offenses average 6.3 yards per play on the season, so the Bruins are holding them to 1.1 yards per play less than their season averages. 

The last two meetings in this series have gone well UNDER the total.  Colorado beat UCLA 20-10 at home in 2016 with total of 56.5, going 26.5 points UNDER the number with only 30 combined points.  Then last year UCLA won 27-23 at home for 50 combined points with a total of 66.5, going UNDER by 16.5 points.  Now we’re seeing another total that is too high here at 61. 

UCLA is 10-2 UNDER in its last 12 games after allowing 37 points or more in two straight games coming in.  The Bruins are 32-13 UNDER in their last 45 games after a game where they committed four or more turnovers.  The UNDER is 6-0 in Colorado’s last six Friday games.  Bet the UNDER in this game Friday. 

15* UNC/Miami ACC ANNIHILATOR on North Carolina +18 

Certainly the start to the season was not a good one for North Carolina.  They lost 17-24 at California and were trailing by three touchdowns at one point in their opener.  Then they lost 19-41 at East Carolina as a 15-point favorite. 

But I think those two results had this team undervalued moving forward.  And they pulled off the upset as 3-point home underdogs to Pittsburgh last week.  And that game was a bigger blowout than the final score showed as the Tar Heels outgained the Panthers by 84 yards.  They racked up 486 total yards on a good Pitt defense. 

Miami had a big season last year during its 10-0 start, but it got very lucky in close games.  And the Hurricanes went on to lose their next four games to quality competition, including their 17-33 season-opening loss to LSU.  They have rebounded with three straight wins since, but those have come against Savannah State, Toledo and FIU.  And they only beat FIU 31-17 as 26-point home favorites last week.  Now they’re laying an even bigger price here to UNC as 18-point favorites. 

Plus, this is a UNC team that is going to be vastly improved this week from the simple fact that they get seven players back from suspension who missed the first three games this year.  One of those is sophomore QB Chazz Surratt, who started for them last year.  Senior DE Malik Carney is also back.  He had two sacks against Cal in Week 1 and has had his suspension staggered.  OL Brian Anderson was the No. 12 center in the country coming out of high school.  If nothing else, these seven players will add some depth. 

UNC has clearly had Miami’s number in recent years.  The Tar Heels are just 2-3 SU but 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  They covered as 21-point home underdogs in a 19-24 loss to Miami last year and actually outgained the Hurricanes.  They won outright as 6-point road dogs in 2016 by a final of 20-13 and outgained the Hurricanes by nearly 100 yards.  Larry Fedora and company just seem to get up for Miami every year. 

Plays against home favorites of 10.5 to 21 points (Miami) - with a good run D that allows 100 or fewer rushing yards per game, after allowing one or less rushing yards per attempt last game are 42-13 (76.4%) ATS since 1992. 

The Tar Heels are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games after allowing 17 points or more in the first half of two straight games.  Fedora is a perfect 7-0 ATS vs. good punt return teams who average 12 or more yards per return as the coach of UNC.  The Tar Heels are 4-0 ATS in their last four vs. a team with a winning record.  UNC is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven games overall.  The Hurricanes are 1-6 ATS in their last seven conference games.  I simply believe Miami is overvalued right now, while UNC is undervalued.  Take North Carolina Thursday. 

15* Eastern Michigan/SDSU Late-Night BAILOUT on Eastern Michigan +12 

This is a very bad spot for the San Diego State Aztecs.  They are getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers now after their upset win over Arizona State last week.  But it was a Sun Devils team in a flat spot off their own upset win over Michigan State the week prior.  And now SDSU won’t be able to help but look ahead to their huge showdown with Boise State on deck.  This is the classic sandwich game, and I expect the Aztecs to be flatter than a pancake.  That will make it very difficult for them to cover this 12-point spread, let alone win the game. 

Eastern Michigan has flown under the radar over the past few seasons under Chris Creighton.  The Eagles made their first bowl game since 1987 in 2016 and went 7-6.  They were better than their 5-7 record showed last year.  And now they have 13 starters back this season and have already outperformed expectations. 

Eastern Michigan opened with a resounding 51-17 win over Monmouth.  Then they went on the road in Week 2 and upset Purdue 20-19 as 15-point underdogs.  Last week they were on the road again and lost to a very good Buffalo team 28-35 as 3-point dogs.  But they weren’t overmatched in that game as they actually outgained Buffalo in that contest.  I had Buffalo last week and had to sweat that one out. 

That’s the thing about this Eagles squad, they just don’t get blown out.  In fact, each of their last 10 losses have come by 12 points or less, including nine by 7 points or fewer.  And each of their last 14 losses have come by 15 points or less.  They aren’t going to be intimidated by this San Diego State squad after beating the likes of Rutgers and Purdue on the road over the past few seasons. 

Eastern Michigan is 8-0 ATS when playing against a good team with a winning percentage between 60% and 75% over the last three seasons.  The Eagles are 10-2 ATS as road underdogs over the last three years.  Eastern Michigan is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 non-conference games.  The Eagles are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS loss.  The Aztecs are 1-5 ATS in their last six vs. a team with a winning record.  Roll with Eastern Michigan Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on East Carolina +21 

South Florida is being priced like the team that went a combined 21-4 over the previous two seasons.  But that team was loaded, and Charlie Strong now has mostly his players instead of Willie Taggart’s.  And Strong has an inexperienced bunch that returned just 11 starters this season.  I have not been impressed with USF thus far, and they certainly shouldn’t be laying three touchdowns to East Carolina here Saturday. 

USF opened with an underwhelming 34-14 win over Elon as 27.5-point favorites.  Their 49-38 home win over Georgia Tech as 3.5-point dogs in Week 2 was a fluke.  They were outgained by 176 yards and gave up 602 yards to the Yellow Jackets, trailing through three quarters and needing a miracle finish to pull off the upset.  Then last week they trailed by 12 in the fourth quarter against a bad Illinois team and needed to score the final 17 points to win 24-19 as 14-point favorites. 

Scottie Montgomery is in Year 3 at East Carolina, which is when teams usually show their most improvement under a new head coach.  And I think it’s safe to say this team is Montgomery’s best yet after upsetting North Carolina 41-19 as 15-point underdogs in Week 2, covering the spread by 37 points.  They racked up 510 total yards and held the Tar Heels to 395 in a dominant effort. 

Now the Pirates have had two full weeks to prepare for South Florida after their game against Virginia Tech was cancelled last week.  Look for a big effort from them because of it.  And they have a knack for playing South Florida tough.  Four of the last five meetings have been decided by 17 points or less.  In their last two trips to USF, ECU lost by 16 but only trailed by 2 with under seven minutes left in 2016.  And they won outright 28-17 back in 2014.  I believe the Pirates will  keep this one closer than expected.  Take East Carolina Saturday.

15* Stanford/Oregon ABC ANNIHILATOR on Stanford -2 

This used to be a great rivalry with Stanford and Oregon trading blows every year back when Chip Kelly around.  But that’s no longer the case.  Stanford has dominated the last two meetings.  They won 52-27 on the road as 3-point favorites in 2016.  They won 49-7 at home as 9.5-point favorites last year. 

Now, Stanford is only a 2-point favorite in 2018 as oddsmakers are expecting a close game.  I’m just not seeing it.  Stanford is a legit contender to win the Pac-12.  The Cardinal have been tested already and have passed with flying colors. 

The Cardinal beat San Diego State 31-10 as 14-point home favorites.  They shut down USC 17-3 as 4.5-point home favorites as well.  So, they have been battle-tested, and it’s clear they have an elite defense.  Offensively, star RB Bryce Love sat out last week and is now healthy and fresh for this huge game against Oregon.  He will easily have his best game of the season here. 

No team has faced an easier schedule than Oregon through the first three weeks.  They beat Bowling Green in the opener.  Then they beat Portland State, an FCS team that is 1-13 dating back to last season.  Most concerning was Oregon’s 35-22 home win over San Jose State as 42.5-point favorites last week.   

That mere 13-point win is a big concern considering San Jose State is one of the worst teams in the country. Now, the Ducks won’t be prepared to get smacked in the mouth like they will against Stanford this week due to their lack of competition up to this point.  It’s going to be a big eye-opener for them. 

This is also a big coaching mismatch with David Shaw over Mario Cristobal.  I believe Cristobal is in over his head here.  Also, Autzen Stadium isn’t what it once was back when Oregon was actually good.  Stanford is 21-8-1 ATS in its last 30 games following an ATS loss.  The Cardinal are 5-1 ATS in their last six vs. a team with a winning record.  The Ducks are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games following a win.   

Cristobal is 0-7 ATS in home games off a home game in all games he has coached.  Oregon is 0-6 ATS after allowing 100 or less rushing yards last game over the past two seasons.  The Ducks are 0-7 ATS vs. teams who commit one or fewer turnovers per game over the last three seasons.  Oregon is 1-9 ATS versus good offensive teams that average 5.9 or more yards per play over the last three years.  Stanford is 6-0 ATS vs. good offensive teams that average 5.9 or more yards per play over the last two seasons.  These last five trends combine for a 35-1 system backing the Cardinal.  Bet Stanford Saturday. 

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE MONTH on Texas Tech +14 

Many expected Oklahoma State to be down this season because they lost a ton of talent on offense.  But they have proved their doubters wrong thus far by opening 3-0.  The Missouri State and South Alabama wins were nothing to be proud of, but their 44-21 win over Boise State at home last week was certainly a statement game.  Keep in mind that Oklahoma State only outgained Boise State by 8 yards in that contest, though. 

Now, after ‘upsetting’ Boise State as 1-point underdogs, the Cowboys are back to getting respect from oddsmakers.  And I think it’s too much respect.  I still question how good this team really is.  And Boise State isn’t the program it once was under Chris Petersen.  I think the Cowboys are getting way more credit for that win than they deserve.  They’re being asked to lay two touchdowns in their Big 12 opener against Texas Tech this week. 

Texas Tech was written off after its 27-47 season-opening loss to Ole Miss.  But this team has shown some big-time resiliency the last two weeks.  They throttled Lamar 77-0, which OK it’s Lamar.  But then last week was their real impressive win against Houston 63-49.  They racked up a whopping 704 total yards, including 605 passing, against a good Houston defense. 

Clearly Texas Tech has the offensive firepower to keep up with Oklahoma State.  That has shown in recent meetings, too.  Texas Tech is 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings despite going 0-4 SU.  They lost 34-41 at home as 10-point dogs in 2017, 44-45 on the road as 10.5-point dogs in 2016, 53-70 at home as 2-point dogs in 2015, and lost 35-45 on the road as 14.5-point dogs in 2014. “Last year we had our chances, so we feel like we’ve closed the gap some compared to when we first got here.” Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. 

Kingsbury is on the hot seat and needs a signature win.  The Red Raiders have shown they are behind him 100% with their effort over the last two weeks.  And now they want some revenge after losing nine straight to the Cowboys in this series.  I think they can not only cover, but pull off the upset as well.  This is a Texas Tech team that returned 16 starters from last year, including 10 on defense.  This should be one of their best chances to actually beat Oklahoma State in recent years because of all the Cowboys lost with just 5 starters back on offense and all of their key playmakers gone from last year. 

The Red Raiders are 21-6-1 ATS in their last 28 September games.  Texas Tech is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.  Kingsbury is 8-1 ATS off two straight non-conference games as the coach of Texas Tech.  The Red Raiders are 6-0 ATS off a home game where both teams scored 31 or more points over the last three seasons. 

Plays on road teams (Texas Tech) with an excellent offense that averages 6.2 or more yards per play against a team with a defense that allows 4.2 or fewer yards per play, after gaining 525 or more yards in their previous game are 33-9 (78.6%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Bet Texas Tech Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Louisiana Tech +21 

This is a bad spot here for the LSU Tigers.  They have overachieved thus far with two upset wins over top-10 teams in Miami and Auburn.  And after their big win at Auburn last week, this is going to be a flat spot for them hosting Louisiana Tech as 21-point favorites.  I think the Tigers are way overvalued right now due to their 3-0 start. 

We saw them fall pretty flat in Week 2 with their 31-0 win over SE Louisiana, failing to cover as 41.5-point favorites.  Their offense is still an issue as they only managed 31 points and 335 total yards against that Southern Utah squad.  And they will be hard-pressed to top those numbers here against a much better Louisiana Tech team. 

Skip Holtz is one of my favorite coached in college football.  He got has gotten Louisiana Tech to at least 9 wins in three of the past four seasons.  After a 7-6 season last year with just 11 returning starters, Holtz brought back 15 starters this season and has one of the best teams in Conference USA. 

Louisiana Tech opened its season with a. 30-26 win at South Alabama.  That game was a bigger blowout than the final score showed as the Bulldogs outgained USA by 132 yards.  And then they beat Southern 54-17 at home in Week 2 before getting a bye last week.  So now they’ve had two full weeks to prepare for this game against LSU.  And you can tell from the press clippings that this team is hungry to beat their in-state foe. 

Tech cornerback Amik Robertson, sho said he chose the Bulldogs over the Tigers when he was recruited out of Thibodaux High School in Louisiana, call this a ‘statement game’.  “It’s a huge game, not just for me, but for everyone on the team,” Roberston said.  “I probably wasn’t the only person on my team that had interest from LSU.  LSU has passed on a lot of players on this team and they also have a point to prove.  And not just proving to LSU, but proving to Louisiana Tech that we can play with anybody.” 

Last season, the Bulldogs proved they could play with another SEC school when they led at South Carolina until the Gamecocks prevailed 17-16 on a field goal with four seconds remaining.  In fact, the Bulldogs are 9-4 ATS in in their last 13 games as underdogs against Power 5 schools. 

“I’m not really proud that we lost that game, but I’m king of happy that it did happen,” Roberston said.  “Now we know what it takes - finishing at the end, make those important plays.  We had a lot of busted players toward the end, not at the beginning.  That’s why we got to go into this game and play 60 minutes of Louisiana Tech football.” 

Those are some quotes I can certainly get behind.  Not only does Louisiana Tech think they can be competitive in this game, they think they can win it.  And LSU lost outright to Troy in a similar spot last year as 20.5-point home favorites.  LSU is now 2-7 ATS in its past nine games as a 20-plus point favorites.  The Tigers just don’t have the kind of offensive firepower it takes to cover these massive spreads. 

LSU is 8-19 ATS in its last 27 games as a home favorites of 14.5 to 21 points.  The Tigers are 0-6 ATS in September home games over the last three seasons.  Holtz is 30-15 ATS as a road underdog in all games as a head coach.  The Bulldogs are 7-2 ATS in their last nine vs. SEC opponents. 

Plays on road underdogs (Louisiana Tech) - off a home win, with 4-plus more returning starters and their QB returning against a team with a new QB are 27-7 (79.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet Louisiana Tech Saturday.

20* CFB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Oregon State +7 

Many expected Oregon State to be one of the worst Power 5 teams in the country this season.  After all, this was a team that was coming off a 1-11 season last year and with a new head coach in former Beaver QB Jonathan Smith.  Well, Smith is getting the most out of this team, and I believe the Braves are vastly underrated right now entering Week 4. 

Losing 31-77 at Ohio State in the opener wasn’t that bad of a loss.  And I came away impressed that they could put up 31 points on that defense.  They then beat Southern Utah 48-25 and covered as 13.5-point favorites.  And they should have beaten Nevada last week, losing 35-37 as 4-point underdogs.  But they committed three turnovers in that game and missed two field goals, including a chip shot that would have won it in the closing seconds.  They outgained Nevada by 183 yards in that contest. 

This is a talented Oregon State offense that can hang with mediocre teams like Arizona.  The Beavers are averaging 38.0 points and 527.0 yards per game.  That’s bad news for an Arizona defense that has been torched this season, giving up 34.7 points and 469 yards per game.  I don’t know how Arizona can be laying a touchdown on the road here with that defense. 

Kevin Sumlin is one of the worst coaches in college football.  He recruited great talent at Texas A&M, but could never get anything out of it after Johnny Manziel left.  And now he’s been a big disappointment at Arizona thus far.  The Wildcats are 1-2 SU & 1-2 ATS.  They lost 23-28 at home to BYU as 11.5-point favorites, and were blasted 18-45 at Houston as 3.5-point dogs.  They also beat Southern Utah at home 62-31, the same team that Oregon State faced and beat handily. 

Arizona is 5-16 ATS in its last 21 road games, while Oregon State is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 home games.  The Beavers are 13-4 ATS in the last 17 meetings, including 7-2 ATS in their last nine home meetings.  The Wildcats are 1-8 ATS in conference road games over the last three seasons.  The Beavers are 6-0 ATS in home games vs. teams who commit 60 or more penalty yards per game over the last three seasons.  Roll with Oregon State Saturday. 

20* SEC GAME OF THE MONTH on Texas A&M +27 

The Alabama Crimson Tide are the defending national champs.  They are also the No. 1 team in the country.  The betting public has been all over this team in the early going, and it has paid huge dividends.  Alabama is off to a 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS start this season.  The public is going to continue to back them this week, and I think this is finally the game where the market has over-corrected itself.  There’s value with Texas A&M as 27-point dogs in this matchup. 

I question that strength of schedule to this point for Alabama, though.  The win over Louisville doesn’t look any good now after Louisville nearly lost to Western Kentucky at home last week.  They were outplayed badly in that game and won 20-17.  And Ole Miss clearly isn’t that good, especially defensively.  A win over Arkansas State is nothing special, either.  This is a huge step up in class for Alabama this week. 

Texas A&M has already played a team the caliber of Alabama and passed with flying colors.  They only lost 26-28 at home to Clemson as 11.5-point underdogs.  And you could argue that they should have won that game.  They racked up 501 total yards against a very good Clemson defense, a defense that is probably better than this Alabama unit.  QB Kellen Mound threw for 430 yards and three touchdowns without an interception against that Clemson defense. 

No team upgraded at head coach more than Texas A&M this offseason.  Kevin Sumlin could recruit talent to college station, but he didn’t know what do to with it.  And now Sumlin is struggling at Arizona.  Jimbo Fisher was a home run hire after winning a national championship at Florida State.  He is already getting the most out of this talent as Texas A&M is 3-0 ATS this season and hitting on all cylinders.  The cupboard certainly wasn’t bare as 16 starters returned from last year’s squad. 

Mond has already thrown for 824 yards with a 6-to-0 TD/INT ratio.  This is an offense that is putting up 44.3 points, 596.3 yards per game and 7.5 yards per play.  The defense is also playing very well, limiting opponents to 15.0 points and 331 yards per game.  I think this team really believes they can hang with Alabama, and few teams have been as competitive against Alabama as Texas A&M over the past several years. 

Alabama and Texas A&M have played in six consecutive seasons since the Aggies joined the SEC.  Well, Alabama has only beaten Texas A&M by more than 19 points once in those six meetings.  Texas A&M only lost 19-27 at home to Alabama as 25-point dogs last year.  I think getting them as 27-point road underdogs is an absolute gift from oddsmakers this week.  Fisher will have his team ready to go Saturday. 

Plays on road underdogs of 21.5 or more points (Texas A&M) - after outgaining an opponent by 175 or more total yards in their previous game, with an experienced QB returning as a starter, in the first month of the season are 30-9 (76.9%) ATS over the last 10 seasons. 

Texas A&M is 9-1 ATS in the first month of the season over the last three seasons.  The Aggies are 7-0 ATS after playing a home game over the last two years.  Texas A&M is 20-5-1 ATS in its last 26 September games.  Alabama is 1-4 ATS in its last five conference games.  It’s time to ‘sell high’ on the Crimson Tide this week.  Take Texas A&M Saturday. 

20* Pac-12 GAME OF THE MONTH on USC -3.5 

This feels like a ‘rally the troops’ game for USC.  And that has been evident in practice this week.  Clay Helton has stated that this has been the best week of practice this season.  Players are fired up and ready to show that they aren’t as bad as their 1-2 record would suggest.  They simply need a win here. 

It’s easy to see how USC is 1-2.  After all, they were road underdogs in each of their last two games with a 3-17 loss at Stanford as 4.5-point dogs, and a 14-37 loss at Texas as 3-point dogs.  Those are two very tough places to play, so they are forgivable.  I think we are getting a discount on USC this week because the betting public wants nothing to do with them now after those two losses. 

But those two games weren’t the blowouts that they seemed.  USC was only outgained by 10 yards at Stanford and simply couldn’t capitalize on a handful of trips to the Stanford side of the 50.  And they were only outgained by 77 yards at Texas.  They actually led that game 14-3 and played well defensively.  But Texas got a special teams TD on a blocked FG return that really changed the course of that game. Also, Texas should have been called for a safety that wasn't called.  And USC was stopped on 4th-and-goal from the 1.

Washington State hasn’t played anyone.  But they’re 3-0 and getting a lot of respect now.  They beat Wyoming 41-19 but they only led 20-19 going into the 4th quarter before outscoring Wyoming 21-0 in the final period.  And Wyoming clearly isn’t very good because they were blown out 13-40 at Missouri and barely beat Wofford 17-14 at home.  Then they beat San Jose State 31-0 and Eastern Washington 59-24.  Big deal.  You won’t find many teams with easier schedules thus far than that. 

So, USC is clearly the more battle-tested team.  They will be ready for this game.  And they have an advantage playing on a short week at home not having to travel.  Plus, USC wants revenge from a 30-27 loss at Washington State last year as 4.5-point favorites.  But the Cougars only return 10 starters from that team and are one of the least-experienced teams in the country. 

USC is now a perfect 14-0 straight up at home over the last three seasons.  In fact, Clay Helton is 17-0 SU at home as the coach of USC.  They have a better home-field advantage than they get credit.  I think after two tough road tests, freshman QB JT Daniels will have his coming out party here in front of his home fans against a suspect Washington State defense.  The Trojans will be playing with a chip on their shoulder in this one.  Bet USC Friday. 

15* Tulsa/Temple ESPN ANNIHILATOR on Tulsa +7 

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane are a vastly improved team this season over a year ago.  They returned 15 starters this year.  It’s a team that went 10-3 in 2016 but just 2-10 in 2017.  I think they’re somewhere in between this year. 

Tulsa beat Central Arkansas in the opener 38-27 as 11.5-point favorites.  But that was a bigger blowout than the final score showed as the Tulsa outgained them by 223 total yards.  Then in Week 2 Tulsa went toe-to-toe with Texas and only lost 21-28 as 22.5-point road underdogs. 

I think the Golden Hurricane are undervalued this week due to their 20-29 home loss to Arkansas State as 2-point favorites last week.  A lot of money came pouring in on Tulsa for that game as they flipped favorites because they opened as dogs.  And now all that money wants nothing to do with them this week.  I like getting a full touchdown with the Golden Hurricane here. 

This Tulsa defense has played two really good offenses in Texas and Arkansas State and have held their own.  This was the weakness of the team last year, but it’s a strength now.  The Golden Hurricane are only allowing 377 yards per game and 5.3 yards per play.  That’s way down from the 529 yards per game and 5.9 per play they allowed last season.  And the offense is better than it has shown to this point. 

I think Temple comes in overvalued due to its shocking 35-14 win at Maryland as 16-point underdogs last week.  But keep in mind this is a Temple team that was upset 17-19 by Villanova as 14.5-point home favorites in Week 1.  They were even outgained by 154 yards in that contest.  They were also upset 29-36 as 4-point home favorites to Buffalo in Week 2 while getting outgained by 72 yards. 

Temple has some serious injury issues coming into this one.  They are without starting DL Dana Levine.  Starting QB Frank Nutile, DL Quincy Roche, K Aaron Boumerhi, TE Kenny Yeboah, and LT James McHale are all listed as questionable for this game.  That’s six potential starters they could be without for this game.  Meanwhile, Tulsa is extremely healthy with only two players on the injury list, and only one is a starter in LB Robert Revels III who is questionable. 

Philip Montgomery is 12-3 ATS as a road underdog as the coach of Tulsa.  Montgomery is 10-1 ATS after a game where they forced one or fewer turnovers as the coach of Tulsa.  Montgomery is a perfect 6-0 ATS after a game where they committed three or more turnovers as the coach of Tulsa.  The Golden Hurricane have committed eight turnovers this season thus far otherwise they could easily be 3-0.  Don’t be surprised if they pull the upset in this game tonight.  Take Tulsa Thursday. 

20* USC/Texas FOX Saturday No-Brainer on Texas -3 

I believe we are getting Texas at a great value here as only 3-point home favorites over the USC Trojans.  They would be bigger favorites if not for a sluggish start to the season.  They were clearly overvalued coming into the season, being asked to lay 12 points on the road at Maryland and 21 points at home to Tulsa. 

They lost to Maryland 29-34 outright.  That’s a Maryland team that I feel was underrated coming into the season.  They also only beat Tulsa 28-21 at home, but that was a 21-0 game late in the 3rd quarter before the Longhorns let their foot off the gas.  Those two scores now have the Longhorns undervalued. 

Texas is still one of the best teams in the Big 12.  They have 14 starters back in Tom Herman’s second season and should only get better as the season goes along.  And they have had this game against USC circled all offseason after losing 24-27 (OT) at USC last season.  It’s revenge time for the Longhorns as they get the Trojans at home this time around. 

USC is a team that is due to regress this season after some key losses on offense and defense.  They lost QB Sam Darnold (4,143 yards, 26 TD), leading rusher Ronald Jones (1,550 yards, 19 TD) and leading receiver Deontay Burnett (1,114 yards, 9 TD) to the NFL.  They have clearly not been good through the first two games and will struggle against Texas as well. 

USC only outgained UNLV by 96 yards in the opener in what was a closer game than the final 43-21 margin would suggest.  Then they lost 3-17 at Stanford last week and couldn’t get anything going offensively.  Freshman QB JT Daniels was put in his place by that Stanford defense, and he won’t have much more success here against Texas, either. 

Daniels hit only 16 of 34 passes for 215 yards with two fourth quarter interceptions against Stanford last week.  He sustained a bruise to his right (throwing) hand during the loss, which is obviously a concern for any quarterback.  He will play this week, but he won’t be 100%. 

USC is 0-6 ATS in September road games over the last three seasons.  Texas is 6-0 ATS off a home game over the last two years.  The Longhorns are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games as a home favorite of 3 to 7 points.  Clay Helton is 1-9 ATS as an underdog as the coach of USC, and his teams are losing by 16.9 points per game in this spot.  Helton is 0-6 ATS as a road dog of 7 points or less as the coach of the Trojans.  Roll with Texas Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Purdue +7.5 

This just feels like a ‘rally the troops’ game for Purdue.  It’s a team that had high expectations following a bowl win in Jeff Brohm’s first season last year.  But the Boilermakers are off to an 0-2 start with losses to Northwestern and Eastern Michigan by a combined 5 points.  So they could easily be 2-0, and now they’ll be extra motivated for a win to save their season. 

The Boilermakers have had 15-yard penalties to keep drives alive late in their losses to both Northwestern and Eastern Michigan.  It’s something that Brohm has harped on all week leading up to the game.  I believe Purdue will have an excellent week of practice and put their best foot forward against Missouri this week. 

Purdue outgained Northwestern by 71 yards and Eastern Michigan by 60 yards and clearly should have won both games.  But they lost the turnover battle 5-1 combined in those two games, which has also been a point of emphasis.  The offense, which returned nine starters this year, has been explosive in averaging 474 yards per game and 6.9 yards per play.  Avoid the turnovers and this is going to be a scary bunch. 

While Purdue is undervalued right now due to its 0-2 start, Missouri is clearly overvalued due to its 2-0 start.  They have blowout wins over Tennessee-Martin and Wyoming.  Big deal.  We saw Wyoming get blown out at home by Washington State the week prior to playing Missouri, and that’s a rebuilding Cougars team. 

No question the Tigers have a good offense, but their defense was one of the worst in the country last year and won’t be much improved.  It’s a Missouri team that went 7-0 against teams with losing records last year, but 0-6 against teams with winning records.  Every time they stepped up in class they couldn’t win.  And they’re stepping up in class here against a capable Big Ten foe. 

Purdue went into Missouri and won 35-3 last year as 6-point underdogs.  The Boilermakers gained 477 yards on offense and allowed just 203 yards on defense, outgaining the Tigers by 274 yards in a dominant effort.  Now we are seeing basically the same spread here with Purdue as a touchdown underdog, but the Boilermakers are at home this time around.  That clearly shows what public perception is doing here, and it’s working in our favor. 

Sure, Missouri will want revenge, but Purdue will match or exceed their intensity after an 0-2 start.  I’m not even sure Missouri is the better of these two teams, but I am certain they are not good enough to justify being a 7.5-point road favorite here. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Purdue) - in a game involving two dominant teams who outgain their opponents by 1.2-plus yards per play, after gaining 450 or more total yards in two consecutive games are 32-9 (78%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Boilermakers are 5-1 ATS in their last six non-conference games.  Bet Purdue Saturday. 

15* MAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Buffalo -3 

The Buffalo Bulls are one of the better Group of 5 teams in the country this season.  They went 6-6 last year in Lance Leipold’s third season and got better as the season went on, winning each of their fina three games.  And all six of their losses came by 10 points or less, including a 10-point loss at Minnesota as 24-point dogs and a 4-point loss to Army as 15-point dogs.  They went 8-2-2 ATS last season and were a very undervalued commodity. 

The Bulls returned 14 starters this year, including eight on offense from a unit that average 432 yards per game last year.  Tyree Jackson is back at QB after only starting half the games last year due to injury.  He has stud WR Anthony Johnson back as well, and Johnson had 1,356 yards and 14 touchdowns last year.  Leading rusher Emmanuel Reed (840 yards, 9 TD) is back as well. 

This Buffalo offense is hitting on all cylinders with a 48-10 win over Delaware State in the opener and a 36-29 win at Temple as 4-point dogs in Week 2.  The defense is only giving up 19.5 points and 315 yards per game and 4.5 per play while forcing seven turnovers thus far.  This defense is solid again after allowing just 24.8 points per game last season. 

No question Eastern Michigan has been an undervalued commodity as well over the past couple seasons.  And they are off to a 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS start this season, including their shocking 20-19 upset win at Purdue last week.  However, its that win that has me liking Buffalo here.  There’s no question Eastern Michigan is in line for a huge letdown after a road win over a Big Ten opponent.  They won’t be on their ‘A’ game this week because of it. 

The Eagles are 9-22 ATS in their last 31 games following a win.  Eastern Michigan is 11-32 ATS in its last 43 games after allowing less than 20 points in its previous game.  The Bulls are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games overall, including 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games.  Buffalo is 6-0 ATS in its last six home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  Bet Buffalo Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Virginia -3.5 

The Virginia Cavaliers are in Year 3 under Bronco Mendenhall.  They went 6-7 last year and made a bowl game, already ahead of schedule.  And they have 13 starters back this season, including eight on defense.  This should be his best stop unit yet. 

I’ve been impressed with this Virginia outfit thus far, especially defensively.  They beat Richmond 42-13 in their opener as 14.5-point favorites and outgained them by 267 yards in a dominant effort.  Then they only lost 16-20 at Indiana and covered as 5-point road underdogs against a solid Big Ten squad.  It’s a team I believe to be flying under the radar. 

Ohio has only played one game because they had an open date Week 2.  They have that advantage plus this game has been moved from Virginia to Nashville, so it will essentially be a neutral site game.  But I think that’s why we are getting a shorter price on Virginia than we should be here as only 3.5-point favorites. 

And that opener by Ohio was shocking, and it’s a sign of things to come for this team this season.  Ohio only beat Howard 38-32 as 30.5-point home favorites.  The Bobcats were actually outgained by 220 yards by Howard! But they won’t the turnover battle 4-0, which is the only reason they were able to pull out the win. 

The Bobcats gave up a whopping 645 total yards to Howard.  It’s a defense that has problems because they only returned four starters on D this year.  They have to replace six of seven starters along the front seven.  And get this, Howard lost 14-54 at Kent State in Week 2!  I don’t need to say it but Kent State is not very good. 

Mendenhall is 8-1 ATS off a non-conference game as the coach of Virginia.  Mendenhall is 6-0 ATS in road games in the first half of the season as the coach of the Cavaliers.  The Cavaliers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a winning record.  Roll with Virginia Saturday.

15* CFB Saturday Big Chalk BLOWOUT on Florida -20 

The Florida Gators are a team I’m very high on coming into the season.  They had 19 returning starters and Dan Mullen is one of the most underrated head coaches in the country.  And they looked the part in their season-opening 53-6 win over Southern.  But they were upset 16-27 by Kentucky last week, ending their 31-game winning streak over the Wildcats. 

I think because they were upset they are laying fewer points than they should be this week against Colorado State.  And because Colorado State upset Arkansas at home last week, the Rams are getting too much respect from oddsmakers.  It’s the perfect storm and a great situation to back the Gators this week.  They’ll be motivated to bounce back, while the Rams could fall flat and will get beat up playing two SEC teams in consecutive weeks. 

This is a Colorado State team that couldn’t look any worse in their first two games.  They trailed Hawaii 37-7 and lost 34-43 as 17-point home favorites in their opener.  They lost 13-45 to Colorado as 7-point underdogs on a neutral field in Week 2.  And they were down 27-9 late against Arkansas before scoring 25 unanswered points to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.  I still don’t believe this team is any good, and that will show this week as the Gators keep their foot on the gas for four quarters. 

This Colorado State defense is giving up a whopping 38.3 points and 550 yards per game this season while yielding 7.7 yards per play.  Florida should be able to score at will on them.  And this Florida defense is one of the best in the country and has been one for years.  Colorado State only managed 13 points against Colorado, and I’d be surprised if they top that total this weekend. 

The Gators are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games following a double-digit home loss.  The Rams are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  Off a rare cover against Arkansas last week in a miracle comeback, the Rams will get back to their losing ways against the number here.  Take Florida Saturday.

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Pittsburgh +4 

I liked Pitt coming into the season and took their OVER 5.5 wins as part of my Top 10 NCAAF Season Win Totals bets.  This was a game I expected the Panthers to win, and I still do.  And I think it’s a great time to back them as they are undervalued off their misleading 6-51 loss to Penn State last week. 

That was a 7-6 game against Penn State with only a few seconds left before halftime.  The Nittany Lions scored right before half, and proceeded to roll in the second half.  But Pitt was only outgained by 90 yards in that contest and held the Nittany Lions to 390 total yards, which is no small feat against that offense.  I believe this is the best defense that Pat Narduzzi has fielded at Pitt with nine returning starters from last year. 

Georgia Tech gave up a whopping 49 points in their loss to South Florida last week.  That loss and defensive effort is a big concern considering USF lost most of their studs from last season and isn’t nearly as good as they have been over the past few years. 

Georgia Tech has some key injuries heading into this one.  For starters, QB TaQuan Marshall is nursing a toe injury that will slow him down.  And the Yellow Jackets lost their stud B-Back in KirVonte Benson to a season-ending knee injury in the lost to USF.  He rushed for 1,053 yards and six touchdowns last year.  Their next leading back had 271 yards on the ground, so it’s a huge blown.  And center Kenny Cooper has a foot injury as well and is questionable for this one.  He made 11 starts last year and would be a big loss if he can’t go. 

I simply feel that the wrong team is favored here Saturday.  Georgia Tech is 0-7 SU & 0-7 ATS in its last seven games as a road favorite, including four losses by double-digits.  The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Take Pittsburgh Saturday. 

20* FSU/Syracuse ESPN Early ANNIHILATOR on Syracuse +3 

The Syracuse Orange are in the 3rd year under Dino Babers.  They have 14 returning starters including eight on an explosive offense that could hang with anyone when QB Eric Dungey was healthy last year.  That showed by how they performed against their best competition last year. 

Syracuse handed Clemson its only regular season loss last year in a 27-24 upset at home as 23-point dogs.  The Orange hung with LSU for four quarters and only lost 26-35 on the road as 21-point dogs.  They only lost at NC State 25-33 as 13-point dogs.  They only lost at Miami 19-27 as 17-point dogs.  And they nearly upset Florida State in a 24-27 road loss as 6-point dogs. 

Once Dungey got hurt last year, the Orange folded in their final three games.  Dungey is back healthy and has this Syracuse offense hitting on all cylinders.  The Orange have averaged 58.5 points and 508 yards per game in wins over Western Michigan and Wagner.  Dungey has a 7-to-1 TD/INT ratio while also rushing for 244 yards and a score on 9.4 per carry thus far through two games. 

Florida State is a team in transition under first-year head coach Willie Taggart.  It has been an ugly start for the Seminoles.  They lost 3-24 at home to Virginia Tech as 7.5-point favorites in their opener and committed five turnovers.  Even worse was their 36-26 home win over lowly Samford as 31-point favorites in Week 2.  Samford actually gained 525 total yards on this suspect FSU defense and committed 5 turnovers, otherwise they probably would have pulled off the upset.   

You can just imagine what Dungey and company will do against this FSU defense.  And the Orange want revenge from that 27-24 loss at Florida State last year.  I simply believe the wrong team is favored in this matchup as Syracuse has the better team this year. 

The Seminoles are 0-7-2 ATS in their last nine conference games.  Florida State is 0-6 ATS in the first half of the season over the last two seasons.  Syracuse is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games overall with its only non-covers coming without Dungey under center.  Bet Syracuse Saturday.

15* Boston College/Wake Forest ACC ANNIHILATOR on Wake Forest +7 

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons just get no respect.  They went 8-5 last season and 8-3-2 ATS in their 13 games.  Dave Clawson has now gotten the Demon Deacons to back-to-back bowl games.  They are well on their way to another bowl game after their 2-0 start in Clawson’s 5th season. 

The Demon Deacons returned 14 starters this season.  Eight starters are back on an offense that set a school record with 454 points last year while averaging 35.3 points and 466 yards per game.  They were competitive in every single game last season due to the offense and did not get beat by more than 14 points all season. 

All five starters and a whopping 132 career starts returned along the offensive line in what will be one of the ACC’s top O-Lines.  Each of the top two receivers are back from last year in Greg Dortch (53 receptions, 722 yards, 9 TD) and Scotty Washington (45, 711, 3 TD), as is leading rusher Matt Colburn (904 yards, 7 TD).  That has helped ease the transition of highly touted freshman QB Sam Hartman. 

The offense is in high gear already as the Demon Deacons have averaged 37 points and 565 yards per game in wins over Tulane and Towson.  They beat Tulane 23-17 in a game that was a bigger blowout than the final score showed.  They outgained Tulane by 112 yards, and that’s a Tulane team that went on to beat FCS power Nicholls State 42-17 the following week.  Nicholls State upset Kansas on the road in Week 1.  Wake Forest then handled Towson 51-20 in Week 2. 

Hartman is completing 61.5% of his passes for 620 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions, while also rushing for 128 yards and a score on 5.8 per carry.  And he hasn’t even had the services of Washington yet, who missed the two games with a shoulder injury and is questionable tonight.  Dortch leads the way with 19 receptions for 243 yards and Sage Surratt has 15 receptions for 213 yards. 

Boston College is a team that everyone and their brother has jumped on this season as being a team that could contend in the ACC.  While I agree they should be good, the love has gotten out of control, especially after a 2-0 start against weak competition in UMass and Holy Cross.  Now the Eagles are being asked to go on the road and win by a touchdown or more to cover this spread this week, and I feel like it’s too much.  I think Wake wins this game outright. 

That’s precisely what happened last year as Wake Forest dominated Boston College 34-10 on the road.  The Demon Deacons forced four turnovers and held Boston College to 305 total yards.  Boston College has only beaten Wake Forest by more than 6 points on the road once in the last seven trips to Winston-Salem.  That was a 10-point victory back in 2010. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Wake Forest) - in a game involving two dominant teams that are outgaining their opponents by 100-plus yards per game, after gaining 475 or more total yards in two consecutive games are 28-5 (84.8%) ATS over the last five seasons. 

Wake Forest is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games as an underdog.  Clawson is 14-3 ATS off a win by 21 or more points in all games he has coached.  Clawson is 9-1 ATS off two consecutive games with a turnover margin of -1 or worse in all games he has coached.  They only had 13 turnovers all of last season, and now they have 5 already this season.  It has been a point of emphasis in practice this week for Clawson.  Look for a big effort from the Demon Deacons at home tonight.  Take Wake Forest Thursday. 

15* CFB Saturday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Minnesota -1.5 

I’m buying Minnesota being vastly improved this season in Year 2 under P.J. Fleck, who is one of the most underrated head coaches in the country.  What he did at Western Michigan two years ago goes without saying.  And now he’s trying to rebuild Minnesota football into a Big Ten contender. 

Fleck now has more of his players in place after a 5-7 campaign in his first season.  He has 14 returning starters to work with.  The Gophers can only be better offensively as they return seven starters, their leading rusher, top two receivers and four starters along the offensive line.  That makes life on freshman QB Zack Annexstad much easier. 

Fleck turned an inexperienced defense that returned just five starters last year into one of the Big Ten’s best units.  The Gophers only allowed 22.8 points and 347 yards per game in 2017.  Now they return seven starters, led by leading tackler Thomas Barber (115 tackles, 10.5 for loss last year) at linebacker.  This is an experienced unit that has nine junior and senior starters.  One of the sophomores is Antoine Winfield, who got a medical redshirt and will be one of the best safeties in the Big Ten. 

Minnesota was sharp in its 48-10 season-opening victory over New Mexico State as 21.5-point favorites, covering the spread by 16.5 points.  Annexstad threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start.  The Gophers rushed for 300 yards and 6.5 per carry.  Winfield made his presence felt with a 76-yard punt return TD that blew the game wide open. 

I backed Fresno State several times last season.  I saw the improvement coming from Jeff Tedford, the former Cal coach, and he did a remarkable job.  The Bulldogs finished 10-4 and lost to Boise State by only a field goal in the Mountain West Championship Game.  They went on to beat Houston 33-27 in their bowl game. 

Now Fresno State returns 15 starters and is on everyone’s radar.  The betting public is quick to back this team, but I think the love for them is too much right now.  That’s especially the case off a 79-13 win over FCS bottom feeder Idaho.  That game was much closer than the final score as the Bulldogs only outgained them by 181 yards but shockingly won the turnover battle 7-0. 

Now Fresno State is basically being asked to go into enemy territory against a quality Big Ten opponent and win the game straight up just to cover.  I’m not buying it.  I’ll gladly take Minnesota at this price and watch the Golden Gophers steamroll this Group of 5 squad. 

Minnesota is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games after allowing 40 or less rushing yards last game.  Fleck is 17-6 ATS in non-conference games as a head coach.  Tedford is 10-23 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 in all games as a head coach.  Bet Minnesota Saturday. 

15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Florida -13.5 

Florida should be one of the most improved teams in the country in 2018.  The Gators are coming off a 4-7 disaster.  They lost their starting RB, top WR and eight other players to suspension prior to the season.  None of those suspended players returning.  They were also decimated by injuries and had no depth.  They were without 28 scholarship players and their head coach by the end of the season. 

Now Dan Mullen steps into a great situation.  Florida has 19 returning starters and gets some of those suspended players back.  Mullen did an underrated job at Mississippi State, taking the Bulldogs to seven bowl games in his nine seasons.  He was the perfect hire for Florida and exactly the guy that can get them back into SEC title contention. 

Florida owns the longest series win streak in the nation with 31 consecutive wins over Kentucky.  That streak was in jeopardy last year as the Gators trailed 24-14, but Felipe Franks took over for an injured Luke Del Rio at that point.  Franks led two touchdown drives in the final eight minutes and Kentucky missed a potential game-winning field goal, with the Gators prevailing 28-27. 

Last time in Gainesville, Florida rolled Kentucky 45-7.  The Gators led 45-0 until garbage time and outgained the Wildcats 564-149.  I think we get back to seeing the kind of dominance we expect from Florida in this rivalry in 2018.   

Kentucky is just 2-10 in its last 12 SEC road openers.  Kentucky lost their left tackle Landon Young in the season opener and don’t have much of a veteran presence this season.  The Wildcats are only the 102nd-most experienced team in the country, so this is a young roster.  Dan Mullen went 8-1 against Kentucky while at Mississippi State, playing them every year. 

Kentucky wasn’t very impressive in its opener, failing to cover as 17.5-point favorites in a 35-20 home win over an inexperienced, rebuilding Central Michigan team.  The quarterback play was very shaky as the Wildcats break in a new QB this year.  The combo of Terry Wilson and Gunnar Hoak went 15-of-27 passing for just 128 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the win.  They have more questions than answers heading into Week 2 at QB.  Whoever is under center is going to have to make plays with their arm to hang with Florida, and I just don’t think they are capable. 

Conversely, Florida handled its business, winning 53-6 as 43-point favorites against Charleston Southern.  Franks threw for 219 yards and 5 touchdowns in the win.  He suddenly looks like a star in the making as a sophomore.  Charleston Southern QB’s went just 5-of-16 passing for 3 yards against Florida. 

Kentucky is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games overall.  The Gators are 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  Plays on favorites of 10.5 to 21 points (Florida) - after gaining 6.25 or more yards per play in their previous game, with 9 or more offensive starters returning are 57-25 (69.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with Florida Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Big Chalk BLOWOUT on Baylor -16 

Baylor should be one of the most improved teams in the country in 2018.  Matt Rhule enters his second season and is another year removed from the tumultuous offseason from 2016.  Rhule loves a challenge, and I think he starts seeing some of the fruits of his labor in 2018. 

Baylor went just 1-11 last season, but took both Oklahoma (41-49) and West Virginia (34-38) to the wire.  The Bears were more competitive than their record showed.  Now they have a whopping 17 starters and 52 lettermen returning this season, while losing just 15 lettermen.  Rhule has cleaned house and now has his players in place moving forward. 

Baylor rolled Abilene Christian 55-27 in its opener.  The Bears racked up 606 total yards, including 295 rushing and 8.2 per carry.  QB Charlie Brewer, who completed 68.4% of his passes with an 11-to-4 TD/INT ratio last season, got banged up in the win.  They took him out for precautionary reasons, but he is expected back healthy this week. 

UTSA had a solid team the last two years, going 6-7 in 2016 and 6-5 in 2017.  But they lose a lot of players from those teams as they have just 10 returning starters this season.  They had to replace a ton of seniors from last year and are actually just the 128th-most experienced team in the country this season. 

I think we saw that inexperience in the opener.  UTSA was blitzed 7-49 by Arizona State.  They managed just 220 total yards and committed three turnovers in the loss.  And that was an Arizona State team going through change and a new head coach in Herm Edwards.  I think Baylor is better than Arizona State this season, and the Bears should be much bigger than 16-point favorites in this matchup. 

Plays on road favorites (Baylor) - after gaining 275 or more rushing yards last game against an opponent that was outrushed by 125 or more yards last game are 42-13 (76.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Rhule is a perfect 7-0 ATS all-time after leading in their previous game by 17 points or more at the half in all games as a head coach.  Take Baylor Saturday. 

25* CFB Non-Conference GAME OF THE YEAR on Ball State +34.5

Ball State has the makings of one of the most improved teams in the country.  They went just 2-10 last season with 11 starters back, but now they have 16 starters back in 2018 and should challenge for a bowl game. 

The biggest problem for Ball State last year was that QB Riley Neal started the first three games but then was knocked out with a season-ending injury.  And the Cardinals opened 2-1 with their only loss coming 21-24 at Illinois as 6-point underdogs.  They also lost RB James Gilbert after two games.  Well, Neal and Gilbert are both back healthy to guide the offense this season. 

Both players were on their game in their season-opening 42-6 victory over Central Connecticut State as 19.5-point favorites, covering by 16.5 points.  Neal went 23-of-30 passing for 259 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 37 yards and a score.  Gilbert had 100 yards rushing and a touchdown on 14 carries.  This is certainly a team to look out for this season. 

This is an awful spot for Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish opened the season with arguably their biggest game of the year, and they beat Michigan 24-17.  Now they are primed for a letdown the falling week as they will have been patted on the back all week leading up to this game.  They won’t have 100% focus for Ball State. 

But the Fighting Irish only managed 302 total yards in the win, and their offense is going to hold them back again this year.  They don’t have the kind of offense that is built to cover massive numbers like this 34.5-point spread.  They are a power-running team that needs to control time of possession because Brandon Wimbush isn’t a very good passer.  He only completed 49.5% of his passes last season for 1,870 yards despite making 12 starts.  He managed just 12-of-22 completions against Michigan. 

The Cardinals are 8-1 ATS in their last nine non-conference games.  Ball State is 7-1 ATS in its last eight vs. Independent opponents.  The Cardinals are 54-26 ATS in their last 80 road games.  The Fighting Irish are 1-4 ATS in their last five vs. a team with a winning record. 

Plays on underdogs of 31.5 or more points (Ball State) - after outgunning their opponent by 175 or more total yards in their previous game are 32-7 (82.1%) ATS since 1992.  This is way too many points.  Bet Ball State Saturday. 

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE WEEK on Rutgers +35.5 

Rutgers is a team I’m looking to back early and often.  In fact, when I did my Top 10 season win total bets, Rutgers OVER 3.5 was high up on my list.  I won with them last week as 16-point favorites in a 35-7 win over Texas State.  I’m back on them for many of the same reasons this week. 

Rutgers went 4-8 last year, but was more competitive and now enters Year 3 under head coach Chris Ash, which is when teams usually make their biggest improvements.  The Scarlet Knights return 15 starters this season.  They have seven back on offense and will be better, simply because freshman QB Artur Sitkowski is one of the top recruits in the country.  He ran away with he job this fall and is one of the better young QB’s that not many folks know about. 

The defense improved a ton last year, going from allowing 37.5 points per game in 2016 to 28.3 points per game in 2017.  Now the defense returns eight starts and five of the six tacklers.  Not only will this be Ash’s best defense yet, it will also be one of the better units in the Big Ten. 

Rutgers outgained Texas State 423 to 169, or by 254 total yards.  Sitkowski threw for 205 yards and a touchdown, but he was also picked off three times.  Now that he has a game under his belt, he should be much more comfortable in Week 2.  And the Scarlet Knights ran for 218 yards as a team, led by Boston College transfer Jon Hillman, who had 60 yards and two scores and adds a punch to this rushing attack. 

I think Ohio State comes in overvalued off its 77-31 victory over Oregon State as 40-point favorites.  Well, Oregon State is the worst team in the Power 5 outside of perhaps Kansas.  And they managed to hang 31 points on the Buckeyes.  Ohio State isn’t going to score 77 on Rutgers in this one.  I’m anticipating Rutgers is good enough to hold the Buckeyes below 50, which will make it very difficult for them to cover this massive 35.5-point spread. 

Ohio State is also in a big lookahead spot.  The Buckeyes have a huge game at TCU on deck in their biggest non-conference game this season.  I think they’ll be more than happy to get a win and pull the starters early in this one.  They won’t be looking to run up the score like they were against Oregon State, especially since defensive coordinator Greg Schiano owes Rutgers a big thanks for getting his coaching career kick-started.  Schiano and company will call off the dogs if necessary. 

Ash is 6-0 ATS off a win as the coach of Rutgers.  Urban Meyer teams are 4-12 ATS as a favorite of 31 or more points as the coach of Ohio State.  Plays against home favorites of 31.5 or more points (Ohio State) who outgained their opponents by 1.5 or more yards per play, with 5 defensive starters returning are 23-5 (82.1%) ATS since 1992.  Plays on underdogs of 31.5 or more points (Rutgers) - after outgaining their last opponent by 175 or more total yards are 32-7 (82.1%) ATS since 1992.  Take Rutgers Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Arkansas State +36.5 

This is a situational play for me.  Alabama just doesn’t cover these kinds of game.  Since 2011, in their last 13 games as a favorite of at least 28 points against non-conference FBS opponents, Alabama just just 1-10-2 ATS.   

I have cashed going against the Crimson Tide several times in this same scenario.  I was also against them the one time they actually did cover two years ago as 43-point favorites in a 48-0 win over Kent State.  But Kent State had a TD overturned on review late, otherwise they wouldn’t have covered that game, either. 

The reason for their struggles in this spot is because they are usually in a letdown situation or a lookahead spot.  In this case, it’s a letdown situation after their big win over Louisville last week, and they could be looking ahead to Ole Miss.  Plus, Nick Saban just isn’t the type of coach to run it up on an opponent.  He shows mercy, unless it’s an SEC rival. 

Arkansas State is one of the better Group of 5 programs in the country.  The Red Wolves have won five Sun Belt titles in the past seven seasons.  They fell just short last year with a 25-32 loss to Troy.  In fact, they went 7-5 last year and four of those five losses came by 7 points or fewer.  They were in every game they played. 

Now the Red Wolves welcome back 12 starters, and they biggest key is that they get their top three playmakers back on offense.  Leading rusher Warren Wand and leading receiver Justin Mcinnis both return.  But the key is getting senior QB Justice Hansen back.  He threw for 3,967 yards and 37 touchdowns last year, while also rushing for 422 yards and seven scores.  He will give Alabama some problems. 

Arkansas State’s 48-21 win over SE Missouri State last week was a bigger blowout than the final score showed.  The Red Wolves outgained them by 400 yards.  They racked up 685 yards on offense, including 423 passing yards and six touchdowns from Hansen.  They also gave up just 285 yards on defense.  But they lost the turnover battle 3-0 to keep the score closer than it was, and gave up a meaningless TD with only 37 seconds left. 

Plays on underdogs of 31.5 or more points (Arkansas State) - after outgaining opponent by 175 or more total yards in their previous game are 32-7 (82.1%) ATS since 1992.  The Red Wolves are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 vs. a team with a winning record.  The Crimson Tide are 0-5 ATS in their last five vs. Sun Belt opponents.  Bet Arkansas State Saturday.