This is an 8* play on BAYLOR

Baylor is 9-0, but they're also a home dog to Oklahoma this week. Not only that, they are a double-digit home dog. That's pretty rare territory for a team to be in. The only other time in the last 40 years that a 9-0 team was a home dog of at least 7 points was Notre Dame's famous upset of Florida State in 1993. Only six 9-0 or better teams have EVER been a home underdog. Four of the six wound up winning their games outright. It should be pointed out that 9-0 Minnesota is also an underdog this week, but they're playing on the road. Speaking of the Golden Gophers, they were in a pretty similar spot last week (were 8-0) vs. Penn State and won. Bottom line is you shouldn't be writing off these unbeatens just because you didn't expect them to be unbeaten at this point. Baylor has won plenty of close games this year. But they are also 6-0 ATS their last six games as an underdog, winning five of them straight up. Coach Matt Rhule is 32-14 ATS in his career getting points and has won 16 of those games straight up. That includes 13-5 ATS as a home dog with seven straight up wins. Oklahoma's defense has been bad the last two games, giving up 48 and 41 points. They lost at Kansas State and then needed to stop an Iowa State 2-point try in the final minute to win last week. Baylor has allowed more than 21 points in regulation only two times all year. They can certainly win this game. Play on BAYLOR

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This is an 8* on WASHINGTON STATE

The loser of this game is going to see their postseason hopes take a major hit. Both Stanford and Washington State enter at 4-5 meaning whomever loses here will then need to win out just to get to a bowl game. Fortunately for Wazzu, the game is in Pullman where they have lost only two times in the last three seasons. Once was last year's Apple Cup (vs. Washington). The other was earlier this season in that wild 67-63 game against UCLA. Stanford isn't about to score 27 points, let alone 67. Consider the Cardinal "offensively challenged" as they could manage only 13 points last week against a Colorado defense that is probably the Pac 12's worst. Stanford averages only 21.6 points/game and has been held below that average five times. Washington State has scored at least 30 in every Pac 12 game besides Utah and Cal, who are the league's two best defensive teams. In the last three years, Mike Leach's offense has put up 107 points on the Stanford defense. This year, the Cardinal are missing two key players in their secondary. Despite losing five of six, the Cougs are still a formidable group. They get back on track in a big way Saturday afternoon. Play on WASHINGTON STATE

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This is a 10* play on the UNDER

Hawaii games have seen a spike in scoring over the last month with five straight games going Over. Every one of those five games saw at least 79 total points scored. Oddsmakers have been slow playing catchup as not even an absurd 78.5 could keep the Warriors and San Jose State Under last week (Hawaii won 42-40). But this week should finally be the time where the scoring subsides. UNLV is the opponent this week. The Rebels don't have any chance of making a bowl and Tony Sanchez may be coaching his final games out in the desert. The Rebels just can't seem to put it together offensively. Six of the last eight games have seen them held to 17 points or less. If UNLV is held to anything close to 17 points this week, then this will be an easy Under. Hawaii can't go Over themselves. They've scored more than 45 points only one time in 2019. Hitting the mainland, we expect Hawaii's offense not to be as prolific as recent weeks. The home team is on a 9-1 run in the series and that includes a 35-28 Hawaii win in Honolulu last year. Four of the last five meetings have seen 72 points or less scored. UNLV is off a bye, but that hardly matters. They are going nowhere fast. Redshirt freshman Kenyon Oblad isn't the answer at quarterback. Play UNDER Hawaii-Nevada

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This is a 10* play on BALL ST

Sometimes, handicapping a particular matchup (in any sport) can come to down to one simple factor. In the case of this game, it's all about homefield advantage. Ball State has it and that should be enough for the Cardinals to move one step closer to being bowl eligible on Saturday afternoon. Lay this short number with confidence. Ball State comes in averaging 40.2 points in their four games at Scheumann Stadium. They lost their last time here, 34-21 to Ohio, so that right there should tell you what they did offensively in the other three. The 40.2 points/game scoring average is well above what the Cardinals average in road games (27.5 points/game). Again, homefield advantage matters. It matters not just for Ball State, but for Central Michigan as well. The Chippewas home vs. road split is even wider than their opposition's. While Central Michigan averages 43.0 points/game at home, they average just 17.0 points/game on the road. The Chippewas have lost four of their five road games this year. The win was over Bowling Green, who is 3-7. In the other three road games, Central Michigan scored 0, 12 and 15 points. Central Michigan is already bowl eligible. Ball State is not. The Cardinals need to win two of the next three games and could be underdogs in the next two. The Cardinals won in Mount Pleasant last year 24-23 as a two-point dog. Play on BALL STATE

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This is a 10* on MARSHALL

Since losing 52-17 to Texas in the first game of the season, Louisiana Tech has won eight in a row. They are 5-1-1 ATS the last seven games and since a Week 6 bye, the Bulldogs have averaged an amazing 52 points/game. They hit that number on the nose last week with a very impressive win over North Texas. That performance last week was definitely not what we were expecting. The Bulldogs are one of seven teams left without a conference loss. But they are underdogs this week at Marshall and for good reason. Marshall's defense has been excellent over the last five games, giving up just 20.4 points/game. So the Thundering Herd have what it takes to slow this La Tech attack down. The Herd have won four straight themselves and control their own destiny over in the East Division of Conference USA. This is just the third all-time meeting, so Huntington is not a place Louisiana Tech is all too familiar with. Their last visit here was the 2014 Conference USA Title Game, which they lost 26-23. Marshall is 48-18 SU its last 66 home games. Louisiana Tech's ascent is not something that was expected. At least to this height. Marshall is primed to win 8+ games for the 5th time in 6 seasons and they are off a bye. Play on MARSHALL

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This is a 10* on NORTH CAROLINA

Mack Brown's has certainly made North Carolina better. But in order for this season to be considered a success, the Tar Heels need to get to a bowl. To do that, they'll need to win two of their next three games. Next week vs. Mercer is a lock. But they'll also need to win one of two road games, this week at Pitt or the regular season finale at NC State. North Carolina has beaten Pittsburgh six straight times. Yet they are the underdog Thursday night. With the game being at Heinz Field, that makes sense. But even when UNC was struggling the last couple years, they still managed to beat the Panthers. The Tar Heels were a combined 5-18 the last two years with just two ACC wins. Both were against Pitt. Brown brings a better team in this year, one that started its season with upsets over South Carolina and Miami FL. Since then, the Heels are just 2-5. But it's worth pointing out that all five losses were one-score games. Three of those losses were by a total of six points. Pitt won the ACC Coastal last year, but still lost seven games. At 6-3 this year, they're already assured of a bowl. Were they to win out, they'd have a shot at repeating as division champs. But they haven't won a game by more than 10 points all year and half of their wins have been by a field goal or less. Brown definitely wants that bowl bid his first year back in Chapel Hill. With the success North Carolina has had in the past vs. Pitt, we've gotta grab the points in this matchup. UNC is already 3-1 ATS as a dog this year. Honestly, they may be the better team here. A Pitt offense averaging just 20.9 points/game can't really be trusted as a favorite, can it? Play on NORTH CAROLINA

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This is an 8* play on AKRON

Akron isn't just the worst team in the country on the field, they are also the worst team in the country at the betting window. The winless Zips have matching 0-9 straight up and against the spread records. Despite this dubious distinction, we will "take the bait" on Tuesday and grab the points with the "ugly" home dog.Eastern Michigan isn't exactly a world-beater itself. The Eagles come into this game at 4-5, needing two more wins to gain bowl eligibility. While they've got to feel good about their chances of winning tonight, them laying so many points on the road is unfamiliar. Over the last 10 seasons, EMU has been a road favorite just four times, all four coming in the last three seasons. Just one of those four times were they asked to lay more than a field. It was last year's regular season finale where bowl eligibility was on the line. They won 28-20 at Kent State, but did not cover as 13-point favorites. It's not like the Eagles have played well lately. They've lost four of five. Ten days ago, they were blown out 43-14 by Buffalo and that was at home. They haven't won a game here in Akron since the 90's. Making a case for Akron is kind of tough. But this is more of a fade on Eastern Michigan anyway. None of the Eagles four wins this year have been by more than seven points. Plus weather will be a factor tonight (snow) as the kickoff time had to be moved up two hours. Play on AKRON

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This is a 10* on the OVER

Tennessee has shown it still has a pulse by scoring 71 points the last two weeks. (They also won both games) Kentucky is off a bye, so their offense should be as healthy and ready as its been in some time. With a low total, we like this game to go Over. Part of Kentucky's problem this year has been at quarterback. But they have found a solution in the most unique of ways. Receiver Lynn Bowden Jr was moved over to QB and has dazzled with back to back virtuoso performances. Bowden has RUN for 400 yards in two starts. It's something the Tennessee defense is going to have trouble prepping for. The Wildcats haven't exactly faced the most impressive slate of offenses recently and the game vs. Missouri two weeks ago took place in a downpour. It's worth noting that before UK's last five games went Under, the first three all went Over. Tennessee has shown it can score the last two weeks. The 41-point effort against South Carolina was especially impressive. This is the third year in a row that Kentucky is favored to beat Tennessee. Before that, they'd been favored just once in 50 years! The Vols are 3-0 ATS in those three games as dogs and they've also scored at least 24 points the last five meetings, including three games with at least 49 points. Play OVER Tennessee-Kentucky

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This is a 9* on NORTH TEXAS

Most of the teams without a conference loss should be familiar to you as they are also unbeaten on the year. There are a few exceptions to this "rule," and the one you probably know the least about is Louisiana Tech out of Conference USA. The Bulldogs are 4-0 against the rest of the conference and coming off a bye this week. Their only loss this year was against Texas, which was the first game of the season. They've since won seven straight games against what we'd have to call one of the weakest schedules in the entire country. Here is who La Tech has beaten this year: Grambling, Bowling Green, FIU, Rice, UMass, Southern Miss and UTEP. Take Southern Miss and FIU out of the equation and that's some of the worst teams in the country. Grambling is a FCS team while the other four opponents have a combined 5-30 SU record. North Texas just clobbered UTEP last week, 56-22, which snapped a 4-game ATS losing streak. The Mean Green were favored to win the West Division in C-USA this year, so this is a huge game for them. They are two back of La Tech in the loss column. The home team has not fared in this rivalry, losing six of the last eight matchups. The underdog has won outright four straight times. North Texas QB Mason Fine threw 7 TD passes last week and he could be the difference in this one. Play on NORTH TEXAS 

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This is an 8* on TROY

Last week saw Georgia Southern pull off a big upset over Applachian State, the second year in a row they beat the Mountaineers. Troy, another team from the Sun Belt, wasn't quite as fortunate as they lost by one point at Coastal Carolina. Having to come back and lay points on the road seems like a trap for a team that is off its biggest win of the season. Georgia Southern has won four in a row, but three of those wins were by exactly three points. Three of their four road games this season have been three-point games. The other was a 55-3 loss to LSU. The only other time the Eagles were favored on the road, they failed to cover (-10 at South Alabama). Troy lost on a 2-point conversion last week. Coastal Carolina scored a touchdown in the final 30 seconds to make it a 35-34 game, then converted the 2-pt play for the win. Troy lost despite 500 yards of offense and trailing for just over three minutes of actual game time.If this scenario sounds familiar, last week we took a team that was coming off a loss as a favorite (South Carolina) against a team that had just pulled an upset the previous week (Vanderbilt). The final score there was 24-7. Troy had won 10 or more games three years running, so at 3-5 this can be classified as a disappointing season. The Trojans may need to win out just to get to a bowl. It's Homecoming. They've beaten Ga Southern two years in a row. They should win here. Play on TROY

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This is a 10* on BAYLOR

Given where this number opened, there still seems to be a real lack of faith in Baylor. The Bears are unbeaten (8-0), but were ranked only 12th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. There are six teams with at least one loss ranked ahead of the Bears and two with two losses! We're here to say that we do have faith that Matt Rhule's team can win the Big 12 this year. The schedule has set up nicely so far and looking forward, both Oklahoma and Texas have to come to Waco. There have been some close wins along the way (three by a field goal or less), including last week. But off the previous two close wins, Baylor came back to win the next game by 19 and 18 points. Over the last 40 years, there have been only nine times where a team that was 8-0 or better found itself favored by a field goal or less on the road. Those nine unbeatens have responded by going 7-2 ATS! That's the situation Baylor is in here. TCU is 4-4 with three losses by seven points or less. The last time they were at home, they beat Texas 37-27. But in last week's 34-27 loss at Oklahoma State, they lost two quarterbacks to injury! A third QB on the roster decided to transfer out of the program this week! The expectation is that starter Max Duggan will play Saturday, but he fell to the turf hard last week, injuring his shoulder. He won't be at 100%.  Baylor didn't look that great last Thursday against West Virginia. They won 17-14, which was the fewest points scored in any game all year for them. But getting extra time to prepare for an opponent they know well should help. TCU has beaten Baylor four years in a row, so that's even more motivation for the Bears besides wanting to stay unbeaten. Play on BAYLOR

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This is an 8* on WASHINGTON

Washington is off two gut-wrenching defeats, both at home. They were underdogs against both Oregon and Utah. What's interesting about that is that prior to those two games, the Huskies had not been a home dog since 2015, which was Chris Petersen's 2nd year here in Seattle. They led Oregon by two touchdowns in the second half (lost 35-31) and then were up going into the 4th quarter last week against Utah (lost 33-28). Now the Huskies go from home dog to road favorite. It's a bit of a dangerous spot facing a suddenly hot Oregon State team. But this is a game Washington should win big. They are 5-2 ATS in the games they've been favored to win this year. Washington is 8-1 this decade vs. OSU including seven straight wins. Six of those wins have been by double digits. Oregon State's resurgence has largely come at the expense of the bottom of the Pac 12. The Beavers have beaten UCLA, Cal and Arizona, all of those wins coming on the road, ironically enough. Washington may not be a Top 25 team in the eyes of the committee, but they still are to us. They are 3-0 SU and ATS off back to back losses under Petersen, two of the wins coming against Oregon State. Play on WASHINGTON

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This is a 10* on the UNDER

These schools have met just one time. It was last year and Coastal Carolina won 30-28 as a three-point underdog. That was on the road. This year, the Chanticleers get to host the Ragin Cajuns, but are actually much bigger underdogs. Louisiana has been one of the best ATS teams in the country this year. They are 7-1 ATS. The only game they didn't cover was against Appalachian State, a 17-7 loss. The only other team to beat them was Mississippi State back in the first game of the season. While this won't be the highest total for either team, ULL has gone Under in three straight games. They also haven't allowed more than 25 points in any game since that loss to Mississippi State. Coastal Carolina has been quite the opposite with five of their last six games going Over the total. Their defense hasn't been great. Home games, on average, have tended to be lower scoring though. Look for Louisiana to run the ball a lot in this game. They'll be effective at doing so, but it will also keep the clock moving. Play UNDER Louisiana-Coastal Carolina

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This is a 10* on MIAMI

Miami and Ohio meet Wednesday in the 96th "Battle of the Bricks." Ohio has won this rivalry game 11 of the past 14 years under coach Frank Solich, including six straight times at home. But last year it was Miami pulling a 30-28 upset as four-point home underdogs. Both teams are 3-1 in conference play. In each case, the teams won their respective MAC openers, lost the next game, then have followed with two wins in a row. Neither played this past Saturday, obviously.Miami has gone 19-7 straight up its last 26 MAC games as coach Chuck Martin is doing a good job here. The last two wins have both been upsets as the Redhawks beat Northern Illinois 27-24 at home than Kent State 23-16 on the road. They've actually been favored only one time all season! Ohio was an underdog its last time out (+2), a 34-21 win at Ball State. Unlike past years, the Bobcats have not been invincible at home here in 2019. They've already lost twice, once to Louisiana and then to the Northern Illinois team that Miami recently defeated.  We expect this to be a close game that could go either way. Ohio's defense has been more than just a little "leaky" at home as they've given up 45, 39 and 38 points the last three times playing here. Is it any wonder that the Bobcats are 0-5 ATS as favorites this season? Play on MIAMI

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This is an 8* play on OVER

This will be the first time since 2010 that Toledo hasn't had to lay double digits to Kent State. It's only the fourth meeting since then for the in-state rivals, but the short price shouldn't come as a total shock. Toledo has suffered some bad losses this year while Kent State looks improved. They've been outscored by 41 points in four MAC games, but if Toledo wins out they could very well win the West Division for the second time in three years. The problem is a leaky defense that has given up 86 points the last two weeks. After getting lambasted by Ball State (52-14), the Rockets barely beat Eastern Michigan last week, winning 37-34 in overtime. Toledo averages 35.2 PPG at home, which is two full touchdowns more than what they average outside the Glass Bowl. Kent State's defense is giving up nearly 500 yards/game on the road, so this easily could turn into a shootout Tuesday night. Last year was a 56-34 game, won by Toledo, who was an 11.5-point favorite. The Under is 6-0 in Toledo's last six Tuesday games. That's about to change. Take away the dreadful effort against Bowling Green (on the road) and the Rockets have scored plenty in almost every other game. Kent State took some lumps against Power 5 teams, but is an improved team on offense. Play OVER Kent State-Toledo

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This is an 8* on SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina is 3-5 and off a surprising loss while Vanderbilt is 2-5 and off a surprising win. We believe last week's results set up a nice play on the favorite. Despite losing 41-21 to Tennessee last week, South Carolina actually led at halftime. That makes it three times this year that they've lost a game in which they led in the second half. They are better than their record. Vanderbilt has had all sorts of trouble covering the spread this year. They are 1-6 ATS and that one cover was two weeks ago, a stunning 21-14 upset of Missouri as three touchdown underdogs. The Commodores have only been favored two times, so it's mostly been them getting blown out. Despite being off a bye, QB Mo Hasan still has not been cleared to return from a concussion. Monitor his status. Three weeks ago, South Carolina stunned all of College Football by upsetting Georgia. They haven't won since! A loss to Florida wasn't that big of a deal but getting beat last week by Tennessee was certainly disappointing. The Gamecocks were actually four-point road favorites in the 41-21 loss. Because of what happened last week, look for South Carolina to come out very motivated Saturday night. They will be playing without RB Dowdle, but should still move the ball just fine against a Vandy defense that's giving up an average of 33.6 points per game. Stopping a Vandy offense that averages an SEC low 18.4 points/game shouldn't be a problem either. Vandy lost at home to UNLV for crying out loud. South Carolina is 23-4 all-time vs. Vanderbilt and has won 10 straight by an average of 11 points/game. Last year was a 23-point game in Columbia. Nothing changes this year. Play on SOUTH CAROLINA

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This is a 10* play on MEMPHIS

SMU (8-0) heads to Memphis (7-1) this week looking to stay undefeated. But they are underdogs to a team they haven't beaten in five years. Furthermore, the Mustangs have lost those five games by an average of 30 points/game. SMU is undoubtedly improved this year. But they've won a lot of games they easily could have lost. Wins over Arkansas State and TCU were decided by 7 and 3 points respectively. They needed overtime to beat a 2-win Tulsa team. Last week saw them get outgained by 125 yards in a 34-31 win at undermanned Houston. Memphis is also ranked and we feel they are pretty clearly the better team. While the Tigers did lose at Temple a few weeks ago and barely survived Tulsa last week, they've posted five double digit victories so far and also beat an SEC team (Ole Miss). We are calling for an end to SMU's unbeaten season as they should lose this game by double digits. Memphis is simply better, which is why they are the favorite. Well, that and they are at home. The Tigers have won 17 of the last 19 home games. A big key is that they allow just 18.5 points/game here at the Liberty Bowl. This is the end of the line for SMU, at least when it comes to their hopes of playing in the Cotton Bowl. We're seeing unbeaten teams drop like flies the past few weeks and this is going to be a rabid crowd they're in front of as this is a primetime, national TV game. Memphis is 7-0 ATS in November the last two years. Play on MEMPHIS

AAA

This is a 10* play on the OVER

This rivalry may not mean what it used to, but the games are generally closely contested and emotions still run high. Florida State won a series record seven straight from 2010-16, but has lost the last two. The road team has won 9 of the last 13 matchups and 15 of the last 17 have been one-score games. Despite this, the favorite is 7-1 the last eight years. Neither team is ranked right now. But Miami is off a big upset win over Pitt, bringing them to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC. They beat Pitt 16-12 despite gaining only 208 total yards. That was the third time this season that the Hurricanes won a game in which they scored 17 points or fewer. Their four losses have all been by seven points or less with the difference being they've allowed an average of 30.5 points in the four losses as opposed to 8.25 in the four wins. Florida State is off a 35-17 win over Syracuse. They too are 4-4 overall, but they're 3-3 in conference play. The Seminoles have scored 31 or more points in all four wins this year while being held to just over 22 points/game in the four losses. With FSU being favored in this game, we should expect one of the better offensive showings. It's just the way it seems to work. It's interesting that their last five games have all stayed Under. But totals for those five games were all much higher than this one. This will be the lowest total for any Florida State game this season. While quarterback is a question mark for both teams, the running game isn't. Cam Akers has run for more than 300 yards in the last two games for Florida State. Miami RB DeeJay Dallas, who didn't play last week, averages 6.7 yards per carry. It is important to note that Jarren Williams is starting at QB for Miami. He began the season as the starter before hurting his shoulder. Williams is better than N'Kosi Perry, whom he replaced last week and then led the come from behind victory. Play OVER Miami-Florida State

AAA

This is an 8* play on NEBRASKA

So much for that Nebraska improvement this year. Well, to be fair, the Cornhuskers are probably going to win more games in 2019 than they did in 2018. They've already equaled last season's win total of 4. But anyone thinking the Big 10 West would run through Lincoln has to be severely disappointed as the 'Huskers won't be winning the division this year. But Purdue won't either. The Boilermakers have been hit hard by injuries, specifically QB Elijah Sanders and WR Rondale Moore, which is most of their offense. Moore is questionable for Saturday after missing the last four games. Sindelar probably isn't coming back at this point. Backup Jack Plummer was a disaster last week vs. Illinois, going 7 of 19 for only 69 yards. He was benched twice, both times after turnovers that led to Illini scores. There was some thought to benching Plummer permanently, but coach Jeff Brohm changed his mind. So there's no clear direction in West Lafayette. Meanwhile, Nebraska is going to get back their starting QB back. Adrian Martinez should be the difference. Before the year, no one would have thought Nebraska would lose this game. They won't. Play on NEBRASKA

AAA

This is an 8* play on SYRACUSE

Syracuse has lost three straight. Talk about a dropoff. The Orange were 10-3 last year, their best season in years. Losing a four-year starting QB meant they were probably going to struggle this year. But it's not necessarily been Tommy DeVito's fault that the team is 3-5. The offensive line has failed to protect him, giving up the most sacks in the country. The Cuse don't have a win over a Power 5 team yet. But that should change this week hosting Boston College. B.C. lost 59-7 at Clemson last week. That was their 4th loss in 6 games. While there have been seven upsets in the last nine meetings here and the visitor has won the last three, we don't see it happening again here. Boston College is giving up a lot more points than usual, including 38.7 points/game on the road. The defense is last in the ACC in third downs and at stopping the pass. The offense is totally one-dimensional with a backup QB. Syracuse remains a good home team, so they should cover this small number. They are also 8-3 ATS coming off a game where they scored 20 points or less. Play on SYRACUSE

AAA

This is an 8* play on the UNDER

Northern Illinois is having a down year. Really, so is the entire MAC. Central Michigan has been one of the few pleasant surprises in the conference. After going 1-11 last season, the Chippewas are 5-4, but they did lose badly last week 43-20 at Buffalo. That came after three straight games scoring at least 38 points. The game at Buffalo still did go Over though, so that's four Overs in a row for CMU. Northern Illinois has gone Over three straight as they did all the scoring last week against Akron in a 49-0 win. But that was Akron. The Huskies aren't exactly a high-scoring outfit. They average just 21.2 points/game at home. They had only 71 yards passing against Akron, but didn't need any more than that as they had two defensive scores. Central Michigan also allowed a defensive score in its game last week. They also gave up two more touchdowns on drives that started inside their own 25-yard line. Take those defensive scores away and all of a sudden the games are a lot more low scoring. Play UNDER Northern Illinois-Central Michigan

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This is a 10* on BAYLOR

Baylor is 7-0 and ranked #12 in the country heading into Thursday night's clash with 3-4 West Virginia. Normally, this might be a spot you'd want to fade the undefeated team, but Baylor is well rested and out for revenge. They've lost the last three times they've played the Mountaineers, but obviously circumstances were a lot different. It was WVU ranked each of those three years while Baylor has been rebuilding under Matt Rhule. That rebuild is now over as the Bears are the only Big 12 team without a conference loss. West Virginia is now the one rebuilding under a first year coach and several freshman are playing in key positions. While there have been a fair number of close calls for Baylor, they sure impressed us when they went into Stillwater two weeks ago and beat Oklahoma State 45-27. Aside from an upset over NC State, West Virginia has not impressed anybody. They've lost three straight - all by double digits - and the last two weeks have seen the offense do next to nothing. They scored 14 points against both Iowa State and Oklahoma while the defense gave up 90. QB Kendall is averaging just 10 yards per completion and has 7 interceptions. The running game is really bad, averaging only 88 yards/game, which is sixth worst in the entire country. The Baylor offense ranks 12th in the country, averaging 38.9 points/game. The defense allows just 19.1 points/game. We are surprised to see WVU is just 2-11 SU and 3-9-1 ATS as an underdog the past three seasons (1-4 in 2019). Expect a blowout. Play on BAYLOR

AAA

This is an 8* play on WASHINGTON STATE

Did you know that Washington State has covered nine times in a row against Oregon? Or that they've beaten the Ducks on the field each of the last four years? Most people probably don't know the answer to both of those questions is "yes" and will happily lay the points here. Not us. Now this play is not being made solely out of anger over our loss with last week's "Game of the Year" play. But what we witnessed in that Oregon-Washington game does obviously have some bearing. The Ducks ran 13 more plays in that game, yet gained only 20 more total yards. At one point, Washington (the underdog) led by 14 points. Oregon was in the lead for only one-quarter of actual game time. They led 7-0 for about nine minutes in the first quarter and then the final 5:10 after the go-ahead score. The defense was exposed a little bit in giving up 6.8 yards per play to Washington. Say what you will about Washington State, but we know the Cougs can score. They are 4th nationally in total offense. Getting points is a luxury they've gotten to have only other time this year. While that game (at Utah) didn't go well, the amount of points they were getting in that game was far less than what they are getting here. Oregon is just 4-12 the last 16 times they've been off an ATS win. Play on WASHINGTON STATE

AAA

This is a 10* play on the OVER

Playing the Over here is the ultimate contrarian call seeing as Cal is 6-1 to the Under and so is Utah. Cal's last three games have all gone Under. So have Utah's last five. But this is a REALLY low total for a College Football game being played in 2019. Utah has had some games with totals in the 60's. This will be the lowest total in any game for either team this season and could close as the lowest total all year in College Football the way things are going. Only two Utah games this year have seen less than 42 points scored. One was a shutout of Idaho State, who is a FCS team. The other was last week's 21-3 win over Arizona State. Cal definitely struggles to put points on the board and will probably struggle here too. But they can score enough to get this one Over. Yes, we know they may have to turn to an untested starter. But this number is just too low not to bet it Over. Play OVER Cal-Utah

AAA

This is an 8* play on CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Central Michigan is now 5-3 after winning its last three games. Two of their three losses have come against Power 5 teams and one of them was by just five at Miami. This Saturday, the Chippewas are getting points from a Buffalo team that hasn't exactly been impressive. The Bulls are 3-4, but two of the wins were against Robert Morris and winless Akron. The other was a real shocker vs. Temple as they were 14-point underdogs heading into that contest. But that game saw them catching Temple off its own big upset the week prior against Maryland. Bottom line is we feel CMU is the better team here. Buffalo has has lots of trouble scoring this year. The Temple win marked the only time in 2019 that the Bulls scored more than 21 points against a FBS team. They failed to gain even 250 yards last week vs. Akron, a game where they were gifted four turnovers. They've yet to cover off a straight up win this year. Central Michigan had almost 600 yards of offense in its 38-20 win over Bowling Green last Saturday. They are 4-0 ATS vs. teams with losing records this year. This is a major revenge game for the Chippewas too as they haven't forgotten losing to UB 34-24 at home last year. Play on CENTRAL MICHIGAN

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This is an 8* play on AKRON 

If you think Akron is the worst team in the country, we can't blame you. The Zips aren't just 0-7 straight up. They are also 0-7 against the spread! Only two other teams (Rice, New Mexico State) don't have a win of the straight up variety. Every team besides the Zips have covered at least once. They've even lost to a UMass team that many would consider the worst team in the country. But while most have given up on Akron, we'll back them this week at Northern Illinois. Obviously, you won't be shocked to learn they are getting a ton of points here. Northern Illinois is not the same juggernaut they once were though. They are 2-5 with one win coming by three points and the other against a FCS team. Last week, as two-point favorites, the Huskies lost at Miami. Consider that NIU doesn't even average enough points/game to cover this spread. They are averaging just 21.4 points/game for the year. Even though the offense was shutout, Akron's defense played pretty well last week. They held Buffalo under 250 yards. They lost 21-0 but that would be a cover with this pointspread. Only two of the Zips losses have been by a larger number than this pointspread. You know they won't go the full season without covering a game. Last year's game was close. Akron was an extra point away from tying, but had that blocked and returned for two points the other way. Northern Illinois would then intercept a pass and return that for a TD, making it a misleading 36-26 final. Play on AKRON

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This is a 10* on NORTHWESTERN

At 5-2 and 1-5 respectively, it would seem that Iowa and Northwestern are "worlds apart" this season. However, this is still a conference rivalry. Neither record should be surprising as Iowa has won the five times it has been favored and lost the two times it has been an underdog. Northwestern has only been favored in one game this year (UNLV) and that's their only win (30-14). The Wildcats are coming off a brutal gauntlet of Michigan State, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Ohio State. The two road games (Wisconsin, Nebraska) were actually the tighter games, but let's not go disregarding Pat Fitzgerald's record as a home underdog just yet, okay? Northwestern has beaten Iowa three years in a row including a 14-10 win last year in Iowa City that clinched the Big 10 West. The Wildcats were 10-point road underdogs in that game, now they're getting a near identical number in Evanston. Iowa has not scored more than 26 points in any of its last four conference games. So you have to wonder if they are built to cover double digits on the road. The only other time the Hawkeyes were a road favorite this year (at Iowa State), they did not cover. They've actually only covered two games all year and those were against Rutgers and Middle Tennessee. The memory of Northwestern getting killed by Ohio State last Friday is what set this line. The Wildcats are 21-7 ATS following a double digit loss at home. Play on NORTHWESTERN

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This is a 10* on COLORADO

USC is coming off a 41-14 win over Arizona where they were 10.5-point home favorites. But let's not forget that this team is still only 4-3 and has used three different quarterbacks in 2019. All three losses have taken place out on the road and this Friday finds them in Boulder taking on Colorado. Quarterback isn't the only position where USC is dealing with injuries either. Three running backs are injured. The top two definitely won't play in this game. As impressive as the Trojans looked last week, it was just their second win of the season by more than eight points. They were also a little lucky to beat Utah (also on a Friday) early in the year and have lost as road favorites before (at BYU).  We will concede the point that Colorado hasn't played well recently. The Buffaloes have lost three in a row and four of their last five games. The last two games were both blowout losses, but those losses were at Oregon and Washington State, which are two tough places to play. Often, it can be something as simple as homefield advantage that can sway things in a positive direction. Colorado has already pulled one upset this year in Boulder, beating Nebraska. Their two losses (at home) were both one score games. Bet on the Buffaloes being motivated as they've never been able to beat USC in 13 all-time tries, including eight as Pac 12 rivals. It's not like they needed any added motivation already being on a 3-game losing streak. USC is just 1-4 ATS the L5 times they've been off an ATS win and they are 1-6 ATS their last seven Friday games. This is all about value as Southern Cal is favored by too many points. Play on COLORADO

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This is a 10* play on the OVER

SMU is one of the highest scoring teams in the country at 44.3 points per game. The fewest points they've scored in any game this year was 37 and that was in the very first game. Since then, it's been at least 41 in every game. With a range of 37 to 49 points scored in all games, the Mustangs have certainly been consistent. All seven of their games have gone Over so far. No other team has gone Over in every game. In all four of Houston's losses this year, they've allowed at least 31 points. If you take away Houston's two weakest opponents this year, which would be Prairie View A&M and Connecticut, the defensive numbers get real ugly. But help is on the way offensively as QB Clayton Tune is set to make his return to field. The last game Tune started and finished, the Cougars scored 46 points. They may not be as high-powered as they were when D'Eriq King was the quarterback, but Houston should still be respected offensively. They should score in the 30's while SMU should top 40 and that means the Over will hit again for the favorite. Play OVER SMU-HOUSTON

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This is a 10* play on UNDER

It's the usual late start out in Hawaii (11 PM easter) with Air Force making the trip out to Honolulu. Both teams enter this game with a 4-2 record. However, one won last week (Air Force) while the other (Hawaii obviously!) lost. The only thing the last two Hawaii games have in common is the winner scored a lot of points. It was them putting up 54 in thrashing of Nevada on September 28th. But then they gave up 59 last week to Boise State. Air Force obviously runs a much different offense than most teams with the triple option. While the Flyboys have scored 40 or more in every home game, they are averaging just under 25 PPG on the road. The run first approach should theoretically shorten this game. Last week, the Falcons attempted only three passes in their 43-24 win over Fresno State. They did run for 340 yards. But this total is much higher than all their other games this year. Hawaii has been involved in some wild ones so far, but they've also faced three Pac 12 teams + Boise State. Most of the offenses they go up against the rest of the way will be weaker than what they've already gone against. Don't discount the effect the trip itself might have on the Air Force offense. Hawaii has one of the most unique home field advantages in the sport. These two high-powered offenses should each "slow down" a bit Saturday night. Play UNDER Air Force-Hawaii

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This is an 8* play on RICE

Let's get this out right away. UTSA is 0-14 ATS its L14 home games where the total falls into the range of 42.5 to 49 points. Maybe that trend doesn't sound so meaningful to you, but what should be meaningful to everyone is the fact that 0-6 Rice is giving points on the road. That, right there, should be a signal as to how bad this UTSA team is. The Roadrunners are 2-4, but their two wins were against UTEP and Incarnate Word. The way we see it, there are only three FBS that UTSA would be favored against regardless of locale ... UTEP, Akron and UMass. They already faced UTEP and won't see the other two on the schedule. So don't expect UTSA to win another game. Rice has not won many games the last few years, but even they've beaten UTEP twice since 2016 and did so by margins much greater than what UTSA pulled off two weeks ago. While winless in 2019, Rice has played two good teams - Army and Baylor - tough. They probably should have beaten Army (lost 14-7 on a late TD). Last week at UAB was a one-point game at halftime before the Blazers scored back to back touchdowns, the second coming off a turnover. Three of Rice's six losses have been by eight points or less. With the season now half over, the Owls have to figure this is their best shot at winning (they will play at UTEP in the final regular season game). Having lost four straight times to UTSA, the motivation is going to be really high on the Rice sideline. Can't say the same for UTSA. Play on RICE

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This is an 8* play on KENTUCKY

Georgia is off one of the most shocking losses of the year (to South Carolina) and dropped to #10 in the rankings as a result. The Bulldogs were 20.5 point favorites and outgained the Gamecocks 468-297. But they still lost, primarily due to four turnovers (one was a pick-six) and finally a missed FG by the uber-reliable kicker Rodrigo Blankenship in double overtime. After a loss like, the expectation will be for Georgia to come out with a vengeance. But be wary of laying this big number against a dangerous Kentucky team. While the Wildcats aren't quite the same caliber as they were a year ago (when they won 10 games), they'll relish being big underdogs in this spot. They beat Arkansas last week, despite having a backup quarterback. In Lexington, they are hoping that starter Sawyer Smith is back this week. But if he isn't, backup Lynn Bowden has proven himself serviceable. Remember South Carolina beat Georgia last week despite being down to its THIRD string QB. The Wildcats are 4-0 ATS off their previous four victories. Georgia is just 1-4 ATS its last five home games. The Bulldogs have covered six in a row in this SEC East rivalry, but their confidence is shaky right now as is the offense. Look for UK to stay within the number. Play on KENTUCKY

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This is a 10* play on WASHINGTON

The biggest game of the season in the Pac 12 North is set to go down this Saturday in Seattle and it just so happens to be our biggest play of the entire College Football regular season. Washington hosts Oregon in a battle of top 25 teams. Washington just found its way back into the polls after 51-27 win over Arizona last week. The Huskies had been upset the previous week, on the road, as 17-point favorites by Stanford. It was their second time losing outright as a double digit favorite as Cal also got them back in Week 2. Oregon comes in flying high off a 45-3 beatdown over Colorado last Friday night. Since that game was on national television, the perception of this Ducks team is probably the highest its been all year. Oregon has lost just one time, the season opener vs. Auburn, and that was a game they led for 59 minutes. Since then, they've allowed 25 points in five games, beating both Stanford and Cal along the way. But this will clearly be the Ducks toughest test since the Auburn game and probably the rest of the season. Oregon had seized control of this rivalry for a long time, but then it was Washington winning convincingly in both 2016 and 2017 by a combined 84 points. Last year's game went to overtime with Oregon winning 30-27 as three-point underdogs - in Eugene. So its a revenge game for Washington, not to mention also a must-win seeing as a third conference loss would all but kill their chances of winning this division. The game taking place in Seattle is very meaningful. Washington is 13-2 its previous 15 Pac 12 home games. Oregon is 4-11 its last 15 Pac 12 road games. The Huskies can also play some defense as the 27 points given up last week, in a 24-point victory, ironically were a season-high. Led by QB Jacob Eason, the offense also happened to score a season-high in points. This is going to be a much tougher game than what Oregon has been experiencing over the last month and it will be interesting to see how they react, especially on the road. It has been a long time since Washington was an underdog at home. The year was 2015, just Chris Petersen's second as head coach here. So this opportunity doesn't arise very often. We love the value here on a team that hasn't been beaten by more than one possession in three years. Play on WASHINGTON

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This is a 10* on UNLV

UNLV shocked a lot of people when they beat Vanderbilt last Saturday. It wasn't just that the Rebels won; they did so by 24 as a 16-point underdog. Something to keep in mind is that this was a 1-win team that went across the country and beat an SEC team. UNLV's only prior win was against Southern Utah. The four losses that followed had many questioning the future of coach Tony Sanchez. In none of those four losses did the Rebels score more than 17 points. Two unheralded players led the offensive resurgence. QB Oblad, only starting because of an injury to Armani Rogers, had an efficient game as he threw for 10.8 yards per attempt. RB Chad Maygar went for a career-best 116 yards. While this UNLV team obviously still has a way to go, this week's opponent appears to be on a downward trajectory after winning 22 games the last two years. Fresno State lost 43-24 against Air Force last week, which dropped them to 2-3 on the year. Now the Bulldogs were underdogs in all three losses. But they were only a three-point dog last week. Their two wins have been by 13 and 14 points, so oddsmakers are asking FSU to do something this week that they have not been able to do all season and that's win a game by more than two touchdowns. The Bulldogs defense got gashed on the ground last week by Air Force as it clearly wore down late. This is just a lot of points to lay for a team that hasn't looked all that good this season. UNLV is 10-5 ATS its past 15 road games. Play on UNLV

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This is an 8* play on SYRACUSE

Syracuse seems to have taken a bit of a step back this year. The Orange are 3-3, so unless they win out, they're going to end up with a worse record than last season. A horrible showing against Maryland will probably haunt them the rest of the season, but there was no shame in losing to either Clemson or at North Carolina State. We actually faded the Orange in last Thursday's trip to Raleigh. They only lost 16-10 though despite allowing eight sacks and rushing 37 times for only 41 yards. The NC State defense is pretty special, which is something we're not sure we can say about Pitt's. The Panthers have allowed at least 30 points in half their games this year. They did hold Penn State in check, but this is a team that's had to hit the road only one other time and that was two weeks ago when they beat Duke by a field goal. Pitt has won three in a row, but those three wins have been by seven total points. Against Duke, they blew a 23-point lead and needed a last minute touchdown for the 33-30 win. The Blue Devils certainly helped by turning the ball over six times. Remember that Syracuse started the year ranked in the top 25. QB DeVito has 9 TDs vs. 1 INT the L3 games, so he's played well despite being under constant pressure. The Orange lost this game last year, in overtime, 44-37 as a three-point road favorite. Time for them to turn the tide.  Play on SYRACUSE

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This is a 10* play on the UNDER

Louisiana was the last team in the country to lose a game ATS. The loss happened last week at home to Appalachian State (who is still undefeated straight up), 17-7. It was quite the departure offensively for a Ragin Cajuns team that had scored 35 points or more four games in a row. They were held to just over 250 total yards as well. Appalachian State had the answer for what had been a dominant Louisiana run game, holding them to just 123 yards on 33 carries. For us, the game was a 45-point win on the Under! You'd hope that game at least provided a blueprint for Arkansas State, who has struggled defensively in 2019. Virtually all of the Red Wolves games this year have been high-scoring. The fewest total points scored in any ASU game is 55 and that ironically saw them allow all 55 (shutout loss to Georgia). Oddsmakers have taken note, however, and jacked up the O/U for this game. The Red Wolves have scored 90 points the last two years against Louisiana, but this game promises to be lower-scoring. The Ragin Cajuns defense has allowed more than 25 points in just one game and that was vs. Mississippi State. They are the top Sun Belt defense in terms of points allowed and just outside the top 30 nationally. While most are going to anticipate this being a shootout, you can look for it to stay Under as that's what 11 of ASU's last 16 conference games have done. Play UNDER UL Lafayette-Arkansas State

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This is a 10* on SOUTH ALABAMA

At 2-3, Troy has the same number of losses as they had all of last year. They haven't lost more than three games in any season since 2015, which was Neal Brown's first. Brown is gone to West Virginia and he obviously he took the program's mojo with him. The new coaching staff is struggling here as the Trojans have already lost twice as favorites (Southern Miss, Arkansas St) and then 42-10 to Missouri. All 42 points were allowed in the first half before Missouri lost its starting QB to injury. Troy also lost its starting QB in the first half with Kaleb Barker going down with an undisclosed injury. Barker was averaging 341.8 YPG passing going into the Missouri game. His absence would be significant. On the other side of the ball, Troy's defense gave up a touchdown on six consecutive drives vs. Missouri. While South Alabama's offense has not been particularly good this year, we think they are going to find success here through the air. Troy's defense is 10th in the Sun Belt in pass efficiency. The Trojans are just 4-10 ATS their L14 home games and the home team has lost this in-state rivalry game four straight years. They've already lost outright as favorites twice this year. South Alabama has covered six of the last seven times it has been a road underdog of 14.5 to 21 points and 8-2 ATS off back to back losses. Play on SOUTH ALABAMA

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This is a 10* play on the OVER

This is an insanely low total for a College Football game in 2019. Consider that Wyoming is averaging 31 points/game on its own, which would be basically just a touchdown shy of the number. Now we don't expect the Cowboys to score that many against San Diego State. This team is a very misleading 4-1 as they have been outgained in four of five games. Before beating UNLV 53-17 two weeks ago, the Cowboys had trailed by double digits in all four games. The defense gives up over 400 yards and is lucky to be allowing only 20.4 points/game. San Diego State has seen all five of its game stay Under so far and their participation is what has this total so low. Going back to last season, the Aztecs have had their issues scoring. But they should rediscover the end zone multiple times against this Wyoming defense. The Aztecs have scored at least 23 points in all three wins this year and are off nice road win against Colorado State. QB Agnew threw three touchdowns in the 24-10 win.  The Over has hit 8 of the last 11 times these schools have met and not once was the total lower than it is here. By kickoff, there's a strong chance that this total will be the lowest for any NCAAF game played so far this season. Let's be honest here. It won't take much to send the game Over and with the game taking place in San Diego, you know the weather will not be a factor. Play OVER Wyoming-San Diego State

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This is an 8* play on USC

Notre Dame has had a couple close calls with the pointspread the last two weeks. That may seem like an odd statement for a team coming off a 52-0 victory last week, but they were actually favored to beat Bowling Green by 45.5. The week prior they took advantage of some late turnovers to down Virginia 35-20 as 10.5-point favorites. Believe us when we saw that the Fighting Irish wouldn't have won that game had they not been +5 in turnovers. The week before that was the loss to Georgia. So it's been a bit of an exhausting stretch for Brian Kelly's team and now USC comes to South Bend for a Saturday night battle. The Trojans were off last week and we love the spot for them getting this many points. Two weeks ago, they upset Utah despite having to turn to third string QB Matt Fink. Fink threw for 381 yards in that game but came back down to Earth against Washington, throwing three costly interceptions in a 28-14 loss. Despite the final score, USC slightly outgained Washington in that contest. The same was true in the Trojans other loss, which was by three at BYU in overtime. Kedon Slovis has been cleared to return from a concussion this week and will get the start. Though Fink had the big game vs. Utah, consider Slovis an upgrade at the position. The Fighting Irish have covered four straight games, but their "luck" runs out here. You should expect Slovis and the USC offense to take better care of the football than previous ND opponents have. Play on USC

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This is a 10* on NEBRASKA

Minnesota has managed to stay unbeaten, but four of its five wins have been by no more than seven points. Last week's 40-17 triumph over Illinois is the outlier. At the start of the year, we certainly didn't envision Nebraska being a seven-point underdog in this game. No one did. But the Cornhuskers have suffered two defeats already, one to Ohio State, and are dealing with some uncertainty at quarterback heading into Saturday. Adrian Martinez had to leave last week's game vs. Northwestern with a knee injury and did not return. The team is preparing as if backup Noah Vedral is going to get the call and that's fine by us. Vedral followed coach Scott Frost to Lincoln as a UCF transfer. It's telling that Minnesota still isn't ranked despite its 5-0 start. We've got these teams rated pretty evenly and that's even after factoring in the Gophers homefield advantage. This line seems to be an overreaction to the Nebraska QB situation, which we feel is unwarranted. The Cornhuskers are 8-4 ATS their previous 12 road games. Last year, they were winless coming into the Minnesota game and won 53-28. Again, the Gophers struggled to get by the likes of South Dakota State, Fresno State and Georgia Southern. They only beat Purdue by 7 despite the Boilermakers losing both their starting QB and top receiver in that game. It would be great if Martinez could play, but we're prepared to roll with Vedral if necessary. Play on NEBRASKA

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This is an 8* play on MICHIGAN STATE

Sparty simply didn't have the horses to keep up with Ohio State last Saturday night in Columbus. The game got away from them late in the second quarter when the Buckeyes put 10 points on the board in the final 2:24 to go into halftime with a 27-10 halftime advantage. It is worth pointing out that - absent the second quarter - they held Ohio State to one touchdown in the other three quarters. Having to play Ohio State and Wisconsin back to back weeks on the road almost seems unfair, but this matchup should be more friendly from the Michigan State perspective. Wisconsin is less athletic and less dynamic in the passing game. We know the Badgers will lean heavily on the road, but that plays right into the hands of Mark Dantonio's defense, which ranked 1st in the country at stopping the run last year and is 21st so far this year. The Spartans haven't had many bad years under Dantonio. Really, an injury-riddled and unfortunate 2016 (where they went 3-9) was the only one. Take that season away and they've gone 10-1 SU the week after suffering a double digit loss and the only loss in the situation was by a field goal. This is a lot of points for Wisconsin to lay in what should be a methodical, grind it out type game. They've been blowing out lesser teams so far (including Michigan), but struggled to get by Northwestern here in Madison and this should be a similar kind of game against a more talented opponent. Three of the last four meetings have been decided by six points or fewer. Though currently unranked, we think the Spartans are still a Top 25 team. We don't see them being blown out back to back weeks. Play on MICHIGAN STATE

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This is an 8* play on TENNESSEE

Mississippi State (3-2 SU) comes in as the favorite here in Knoxville against a struggling 1-4 Tennessee team. Though it's not a surprise that the Bulldogs are favored, two weeks ago they looked completely incompetent in getting run off the field by Auburn. They lost the game 56-23 and while they got a week off to recoup, we still would want no part of laying points on the road with them. In another competitive environment, they lost to Kansas State and that was at home. Tennessee obviously has its own set of issues after being blown out by Florida and Georgia. But they did play Georgia tough in the first half as they were up 14-13 with under two minutes left in the first half. From there, they were outscored 30-0. But this is a game the Vols think they can win. If there's still any hope of making a bowl game, they may need this one. Mississippi State hasn't won in Knoxville since 1986 (0-4 since) so expecting them to win by more than a touchdown, in a down year, seems unlikely. Tennessee has won 9 of the last 11 meetings overall. Freshman Maurer remains the starting QB on Rocky Top after making his debut in the role vs. Georgia. Miss State's QB situation is a little more murky as Tommy Stevens and Garrett Shrader are both banged up. Tennessee has covered only 3 of its last 17 home games, which is pretty incredible when you think about it, but Miss State is only 1-6 ATS its past seven road games. This is a spot where taking the points should come in handy. Play on TENNESSEE

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This is a 10* on the OVER

Once again, the Pac 12 is not looking very strong. Oregon is probably the best the conference has to offer and they are ranked #13. The Ducks only loss was to Auburn, a game they led virtually the entire time. Since that loss, they've battled back to win four in a row, even though QB Justin Herbert really hasn't been as good as advertised. Last week, the Ducks were held to a season low 17 points in a win over California. That was a good defense they were up against though and Herbert did extend his streak of games with at least one touchdown pass to 33. The Ducks also gained over 400 yards and had double the first downs Cal did. So it was a pretty impressive win. Expect them to find more offensive success this week against a struggling Colorado defense that hasn't seemed to keep anyone in check. Five games have seen the Buffaloes be remarkably consistent, giving up between 30 and 35 points. We project it to be very likely Oregon scores more than 35 in this game. The Ducks defense has also been consistent - consistently good that is. They've allowed a total of 22 points the last four games, giving up no more than 7 to any one opponent. But Colorado can score. They average nearly 35 points/game. All but one of Colorado's games have seen 65 or more total points scored. There's likely to be a lot of Overs involving Colorado moving forward and this should be one of them. The have a QB in Steven Montez who is on pace for 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns. Play OVER Colorado-Oregon

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This is a 10* Play on NEW MEXICO

This rivalry in the Mountain West Conference has squarely belonged to Colorado State in recent years. The Rams have beaten New Mexico nine straight times and covered five of the last six. However, it's not like the Lobos haven't been getting closer. They lost by only two points (20-18) in Fort Collins a year ago and then by only three the last time CSU came to Albuquerque. Losing by double digits to San Jose State last Friday wasn't a good look for New Mexico, who continues to play "quarterback roulette."  Bob Davie has had six different QB's start the last 25 games, none of which have had very much success. But Colorado State coming in as a road favorite just reeks. The Rams haven't even beaten a FBS opponent this year. Their only win was 38-13 over Western Illinois. They've lost four straight since their own QB, Colin Hill, was lost for the season against Arkansas. New Mexico has won both home games this year. There was an excuse for the Lobos losing 32-21 at San Jose State last week and that excuse was six turnovers. Take better care of the football this week and they can pull the upset. Colorado State has turned it over 16 times in six games. They've also lost outright three of the previous six times they've been a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. Another disadvantage the Rams face here is their last game was Saturday while New Mexico played last Friday. Play on NEW MEXICO

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This is an 8* play on NC STATE

Syracuse and North Carolina State are both 3-2 entering Thursday night's ACC matchup, but it feels like whomever loses this game is going to see their season go south in a hurry. Syracuse won 10 games last year. But having to replace the school's all-time passing leader was going to be a chore. After opening the season with a 24-0 win over Liberty (whose coach Hugh Freeze was literally laying in bed), the Orange were subsequently squeezed by both Maryland and Clemson. They lost those games by a combined score of 104-26. They've since beaten Western Michigan and Holy Cross, but that doesn't mean much given the nature of the opponents. They're dealing with a lot of injuries right now, especially on defense, but they're also still using a backup center. Six freshman started the game vs. Holy Cross. QB DeVito had to leave that game with an upper body injury, but will play in this game. Speaking of quarterbacks, NC State turns to a new one Thursday as Bailey Hockman replaces the ineffective Matthew McKay. The Wolfpack like to throw and McKay simply wasn't getting the ball downfield the way coach Doeren wanted. NC State is on a three-game ATS losing streak and was beaten soundly by both West Virginia and Florida State. But they are 3-0 in Raleigh this year and 14-2 their last 16 at home. Syracuse is 4-16 SU on the ACC road since 2014. A change in quarterback should lead to better results for the home team this week as NC State actually played better than you think in the 31-13 loss to Florida State as total yardage and first downs were basically dead even. Play on NORTH CAROLINA STATE

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This is a 10* play on the UNDER

This is an early season showdown in the Sun Belt and we're glad to see it get the national spotlight it deserves. Appalachian State is a team you probably are aware of as the Mountaineers first made their presence felt over a decade ago (then as a FCS team) by upsetting Michigan. It's been a successful transition to FBS and the Sun Belt Conference as they are 35-6 their last 41 league games. They have won or shared the SBC regular season title each of the last four seasons. Already this year, the Mountaineers upset one Power 5 team (North Carolina), part of a 4-0 SU start. But Wednesday is probably their toughest test of the season as they are facing a Louisiana team that has covered the spread in all five of its games so far, beating the oddsmakers expectations by about 70 points. The only loss for the Ragin Cajuns this year was the opener 38-28 to Mississippi State. Since then, they've scored 35 or more in every game, their last three all going Over. Similarly, App State has scored 34 or more in all four of its games and the last three have been Overs. But with a high total and high stakes, we're gonna call for the game Wednesday night to be lower-scoring than expected. Last year, this was a 27-17 game, won by Appalachian State. The Under is 5-1 the last six meetings. The Under is 14-5 the last 19 times App State scored more than 40 points their previous game (beat Coastal Carolina 56-37). The Under is 4-1 the last five times Louisiana has been coming off a bye. Play UNDER Appalachian State-Louisiana

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This is an 8* play on MICHIGAN STATE

Right about now, you won't find many takers willing to step up and get in front of this Ohio State juggernaut as the Buckeyes have rolled through their first five opponents. Those five opponents have been outscored 262-43. Half of the points allowed came in the first game, a 45-21 over Florida Atlantic. Nebraska was no match last week, even with the game in Lincoln, as OSU won there 48-7. But one team we're banking on "stepping up to bat" is Michigan State. The Spartans will be Ohio State's toughest test yet in what promises to be the first game the Buckeyes don't score at least 40 points. Michigan State did give up 31 last week to Indiana, but continues to have one of the best defenses in the entire country as they allow just 15 points game. A straight up win is probably out of the realm of possibility Saturday night in Columbus, but the underdog should be able to keep this game relatively tight. How often do you see Michigan State getting this many points? Not often. In the past five seasons, the Spartans have been an underdog of 20 or more points only two times. Those games were against Michigan and Ohio State in the forgettable 2016 season and both times Sparty covered, losing by only a total of nine points. They were a double digit dog once last year (at Penn State) and took the game on the field. Dantonio has won twice in Columbus before. The last two meetings haven't gone well, but we expect a focused effort from the underdog Saturday night that will lead them to covering the spread. Play on MICHIGAN STATE

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This is an 8* play on TENNESSEE

You probably won't be seeing anyone pick Tennessee on College GameDay Saturday morning on ESPN. The Vols come into this game with Georgia as massive underdogs at Neyland Stadium and that can't come as a shock given their early season losses to Georgia State and BYU. Georgia is a top three team in the country having been to the playoff each of the past two years. But with the pointspread, there's hope for UT as Georgia is just 3-9-1 ATS the L13 years in this rivalry game. This will be among the biggest pointspreads ever for Georgia-Tennessee. While there's no defending those first two games for Tennessee, or the last one against Florida, they are certainly capable of staying within the number. Before being blown out each of the last two years by UGA, the previous five meetings were decided by a total of 23 points.  Both teams are off a bye, which makes this an interesting handicap. We played against Georgia two weeks ago when they hosted Notre Dame. That was a winner for us. This game now means more to Tennessee as their season could snowball rather quickly. It's hard to wrap your head around the fact the Vols are just 3-13 ATS their previous 16 home games. But rarely are they getting a number of this magnitude. They failed to cover a similar spread last year vs. Alabama, but they're a better team now (despite the record). Coach Jeremy Pruitt is being coy with his quarterback situation, which may provide an early advantage. Bottom line is that the number is just too large here to pass up. Play on TENNESSEE

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This is a 10* on the OVER

UAB will be looking to rebound from a disappointing loss it suffered last week at Western Kentucky. The Blazers were three-point favorites, but went down by a score of 20-13 thanks in no small part to turning the ball over four times. All four turnovers were interceptions thrown by QB Tyler Johnston III. They led to just six points (two field goals) by WKU, but it could have been worse as one came at the end of the first half. It was a big step back for Johnston, who had thrown for over 300 yards each of the previous two games. It was also UAB's 1st Conference USA loss since the meaningless regular season finale against Middle Tennessee last year. Before that, the Blazers had won 11 straight conference games. They are unbeaten at home since the program returned to the field in 2917 (14-0 SU). Rice meanwhile is still searching for its first win of the year as they are 0-5 against what has been a challenging schedule. The Owls have just three wins going back to 2017, but have generally been more competitive in 2019. They took Louisiana Tech to OT last week, for example. But the defense is still giving up a 68.3% completion rate to opposing QB's and 6.3 yards per play. So sfter scoring a season-low 13 points last week, we look for the UAB offense to rebound here. This was a 42-0 game last year. Look for Rice to definitely get on the board Saturday and them doing so should be enough to help this one get Over a low number. The Over has hit each of the last four times the teams have met here in Birmingham. Play OVER Rice-UAB 

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This is a 10* play on NEBRASKA 

Northwestern's reputation as a dog seems to precede itself here. While the Wildcats did cover last week as road dogs, they did so thanks to a huge number at Wisconsin. The Badgers couldn't possibly match the intensity from the previous week against Michigan and that showed right from the opening kickoff. But don't forget about what happened two weeks ago when Northwestern hosted Michigan State. They were the rare instance of the public being on the dog and got waxed by Sparty 31-10. We took MSU in that one, saying that Pat Fitzgerald's ATS record as an underdog didn't hold any water with us this year. Well, that still holds true. Northwestern was very lucky to win 10 games last year. Whatever their final record in 2019 ends up being will reflect that as luck won't be so good this season. In three losses so far, the Wildcats have scored 7, 10 and 15 points. Yes, Nebraska got manhandled last Saturday night at home by Ohio State. But the Buckeyes are manhandling everybody right now. The Cornhuskers can score (31+ points in each of the first four games) and will score enough here to cover this spread with room to spare. Lay it! Play on NEBRASKA

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This is an 8* play on WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia is an ugly 3-1, but their record is nevertheless 3-1. The fact that they've won ugly doesn't make them any less dangerous this week in Morgantown. Yes, they only beat James Madison by 7 despite being +3 in the turnover margin. They also needed some good fortune to win at Kansas last week. But let's not forget the only other time they've been a home dog. A highly touted NC State team came to Morgantown and got beat 44-27. Texas best be on high alert here or the same fate could be awaiting them Saturday afternoon. The Longhorns do have a perceived advantage in that they are coming off a bye week. Before the bye, they picked up a big win over Oklahoma State, 36-30 in Austin. But this is a team that often struggles to cover when its favored. Last year, they were 1-4 ATS as an away favorite. Two of those games - at Maryland and Oklahoma State - resulted in outright defeats. West Virginia is not a home dog all that often that and this will be the first season it's happened twice since 2014. Maybe that's a sign of the times in Morgantown, but don't make the mistake of laying this number when history suggests the game will be close. The Mountaineers have beaten the Longhorns three of the last four seasons, including 42-41 last year in Austin. Play on WEST VIRGINIA

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This is a 10* play on NEW MEXICO

Truthfully, neither of these teams should have covered last week. San Jose State, getting 19.5 against Air Force, was still down 41-10 with just under four minutes to go in the game. They scored a touchdown to make it 41-17. What happened next is the kind of gift/horror that only those fully entrenched in the betting community can lay claim to experiencing. Air Force decided to go for it on 4th & 1 from their own 22! They failed to pick up the yard and San Jose State quickly responded with another TD (just 52 seconds remaining) to steal the cover. New Mexico did something similar in its game vs. Liberty, scoring a TD with just 43 seconds remaining. While they still lost 17-10, the Lobos happened to be getting 7.5 points. Who will be lucky enough to cover this week? For us, this comes down to the simple fact that San Jose State should never be bet as a favorite. The last time the Spartans were favored by more than a field goal against a FBS team was 2015! New Mexico might be bad, but they're not THAT bad. San Jose State is only 8-12 straight up its last 20 conference home games and has lost 24 of its last 29 games overall. New Mexico has covered four of the last five times it's been an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points. Take the Lobos and the points here. Play on NEW MEXICO

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This is a 10* play on SOUTH ALABAMA

South Alabama is just trying to stay competitive, let alone win a game at this point. The Jaguars are 1-4 with all four losses being by double digits. The only team they beat (Jackson State) is a FCS school. But you can say the same exact thing about Thursday's opponent, Georgia Southern. The Eagles only win was against Maine and that was by just eight points. Otherwise, they are 0-3 against FBS competition. One of those losses was close. Minnesota beat them 35-32 three weeks ago, but in that game GSU gained less than 200 total yards of offense. They gained less than 100 yds of total offense in a 55-3 loss to LSU. Now those are big time schools they were facing. But at home last week, the Eagles lost 37-24 to Louisiana and that was after a bye. With these kind of paltry offensive numbers, Georgia Southern should not be laying this many points in a road game, even if it is against a team perceived to be as bad as South Alabama is right now. Our call is that the Jaguars figure it out enough to at the very least keep this one competitive. Back in the season opener, they were able to stay within 14 points of Nebraska, in Lincoln. Certainly then, they should be able to stay within double digits of a conference opponent, at home? Play SOUTH ALABAMA

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This is an 8* play on UTAH

Both Washington State and Utah suffered crushing defeats last week. Utah's came first and was not all that out of the ordinary. It's the kind of upset we see at least once a week. While having a 27-16 edge in first downs over your opponent and still losing is disappointing, there's no shame in losing to USC at the Coliseum. In fact, it's been over 100 years since Utah last won there. One thing is for certain and that's it won't be another 100 years until they finally win at the Coliseum. What happened to Washington State late Saturday though was something you'll rarely, if ever, see again. Despite 63 points, 750 yards of total offense and NINE touchdown passes from QB Gordon, the Cougars LOST to UCLA - at home. They blew a 32-point lead in the second half in what was the third largest comeback (in terms of point margin) in NCAA history. Washington State was the first team to allow 50 points in a second half in 15 seasons. Only one team can bounce back from these two horrible defeats. We think it will be Utah and that they'll cover the spread to boot. The Utes have lost four in a row to Wazzu - by an average of 6 points/game. But this year's team is better irregardless of what we saw last Friday night in LA.  And they are still the better team here even if RB Moss can't suit up. Washington State was a pointspread juggernaut last season, but has now failed to cover three straight games. Playing on the road after allowing 50 points in 19 minutes is hardly ideal. Lay it! Play on UTAH

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This is an 8* on FLORIDA STATE

It took four tries, but Florida State finally looked impressive for an entire game in 2019. They jumped on Louisville last week, racing out to a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. They held on to win 35-24 and cover as a 6.5-point favorites. Of course, starting well hasn't actually been an issue this year for the Seminoles. They led Boise State 31-13 (lost 36-31), UL Monroe 21-0 (won 45-44) and Virginia 24-17 (lost 31-24). They easily could be 4-0 and the narrative surrounding the program and coach Taggart would certainly be a whole lot different, wouldn't it? We're going to call for the turnaround to continue this week, facing North Carolina State, who is a suspect 3-1 team. They've beaten East Carolina, Western Carolina and Ball State. But the only time they've ventured off campus, they were beaten 44-27 by West Virginia, a game they were actually expected to win by seven. The Wolfpack are only 1-5 ATS their last six road games and 1-7 ATS following a straight up win. The home team has won this game 9 of the past 13 times. Florida State has big-time revenge after losing 47-28 in Raleigh. Play on FLORIDA STATE 

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This is a 8* play on KANSAS STATE

Under normal circumstances, this would set up as a very even affair between two teams looking to move up the Big 12 pecking order. But the circumstances are not normal this week in Stillwater as Oklahoma State is off a tough loss (to Texas) and visiting Kansas State is off a bye. The latter certainly seems to be underrated right now. Kansas State has already beaten Mississippi State on the road and is 3-0 ATS. Oklahoma State not only lost in Austin last week, they also struggled (for a half) in Tulsa the week before. The underdog brings the better defense, giving up 12.7 points/game to OSU's 26.8. Also, the Wildcats are 7-3 ATS as underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points while the Cowboys are 2-7 ATS as favorites of -3.5 to -10 with five outright losses. Kansas State is also 11-4 ATS as a single digit road underdog since 2016.  Though the home team has won 13 of the previous 16 meetings, Kansas State has won the last two - as a 20-point underdog and as an eight-point underdog. It may say something that the unranked team (Oklahoma State) is favored here, but they are at home. Or it may mean the oddsmakers simply haven't caught onto the fact that Kansas State is a lot better than expected for first year coach Chris Kleiman, who built an empire at the FCS level with North Dakota State and is translating well (so far) to the FBS level. Play on KANSAS STATE

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This is a 10* play on OVER Virginia-Notre Dame

After suffering a tough loss to Georgia last Saturday night, Notre Dame should resume scoring in bunches against a Virginia team that comes in ranked a highly questionable 18th overall. The Fighting Irish scored 101 points in their first two games including 66 in the only one played so far in South Bend. They were held to 17 by Georgia, but that's an elite defense they were facing there. Virginia certainly doesn't have a bad defense as they've yet to allow more than 24 points in a 4-0 start. But this number is too low based on what we see for most Notre Dame games. Even against Georgia, the total was 58. Virginia has scored at least 28 points in every game, so it may take a big number from Notre Dame to win this one comfortably, let alone win it at all. The Over is 7-3 in Virginia's last 10 non-conference games. Last week's vs. Old Dominion featured a slow start, but once the Cavaliers offense got going, it wasn't going to be denied. The Over is also 6-1 the last seven times Virginia has played on the road against a team with a winning home record. Notre Dame isn't about to score 66 again this week, like they did two weeks ago vs. New Mexico. But they should score plenty as they look to bounce back from the loss to Georgia. Virginia won't go quietly though. Play OVER Virginia-Notre Dame

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This is a 10* on MIAMI (OH)

Miami of Ohio did not fare well in the non-conference portion of the schedule, winning just one of four games and that one victory came against a FCS opponent. But the three losses were to: Iowa, Cincinnati and Ohio State, all games where they were an underdog of at least 17 points. So really, we can't say we're all that surprised to see the RedHawks coming into Saturday with a 1-3 record. But what we are surprised about is that Buffalo beat Temple last week, 38-22, as a two-touchdown underdog. Over was our call in that game, but we certainly didn't expect the Bulls to win it on field. Then again, the week before they lost at Liberty as a 5.5-point favorite. Because most of the country saw Miami lose 76-5 to Ohio State last week, there certainly won't be a rush to bet the RedHawks this week. But we love the spot. Over its last 22 MAC games, Miami is actually 16-6 straight up AND against the spread. Buffalo has not played nearly the kind of schedule that Miami has and averaged just 15 points in two road games. Miami has gotten to play just once at home and scored 48 on Tennessee Tech. Buffalo had only 279 total yards of offense last week, but Temple turned it over four times, so that's how the Bulls won that one. One touchdown came from the defense and two more came on drives that started in the red zone. Miami will take better care of the football and win this one. Play MIAMI OH

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This is a 10* play on the UNDER

After two games, the Maryland hype train was in full effect. They'd put up 142 points in a pair of wins, one of them 63-20 over Syracuse. But that hype train then got stuck in the station in a 20-17 road loss to Temple two weeks ago. We'll now get to see how Mike Locksley gets his team to perform off a loss. The Terrapins will face a Penn State squad that had its own impressive first two weeks on offense before playing a game vs. Pitt that they easily could have lost. They only beat the Panthers 17-10 and that came on the heels of a lackluster first half the week prior against Buffalo. The Nittany Lions have destroyed the Terps each of the last two years, outscoring them 104 to 6. No you didn't read that incorrectly. We think the last game for each team showed that neither offense is invincible here. We're not going to be seeing the video game-like numbers from the first two weeks. Both defenses might be underrated as Penn State has given up only 30 total points in three games while Maryland has given up just 40. The Terps last four Friday games have all stayed Under. Play UNDER Penn State-Maryland

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This is a 10* Play on VA TECH

While you may not yet be sold on Virginia Tech this year, don't be surprised if Friday in Blacksburg proves to be the Hokies "coming out party." They turned it over five times in their only loss, which was on the road. But they have won 15 of the last 21 games at Lane Stadium. With 10 starters back from last year, the defense should be solid in Bud Foster's final season as coordinator. This team won 19 games in Justin Fuente's first two years. They dropped to six wins in 2018, but that included one over a Duke team that had a future NFL starting quarterback in Daniel Jones. The game was in Durham and not close as VT won 31-14 as a three-point dog. The Blue Devils aren't as good this year despite easily defeating their last two opponents. (They lost 42-3 to Alabama in the opener). Virginia Tech has won 16 of the last 18 meetings overall including three straight. The last two wins have been by a combined 38 points. The Hokies have covered their last five Friday night games. Play on VIRGINIA TECH

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This is a 10* play on MEMPHIS

Memphis quickly established itself as the potential "Group of 5" team to get a New Year's Day Bowl slot when they beat Ole Miss in Week 1. The Tigers are now 3-0 and surprisingly it's been the defensive side of the ball that's been more impressive. Sure, the offense scored a combined 97 points against Southern and South Alabama the last two games. But the defense has given up only 40 points all year, thereby reducing the total PPG scored in Memphis' games to just under 51, which is down from 75 a year ago. This Thursday they welcome in Navy for a key AAC West showdown. Navy has played only two games, both against lesser competition (Holy Cross, East Carolina). As you would expect, the Midshipmen didn't struggle to win either game. They beat Holy Cross by 38 and ECU by 32. After a down year last season (finished 3-10 SU!), Navy is back to running the ball effectively as they're averaging 371 yards/game on the ground. But we look for them to get slowed down here by this vastly improved Memphis defense. This group held Ole Miss, an SEC team, to 10 points and 173 yards. The most yards gained by any Memphis opponent so far is 258 and that was, surprisingly, Southern. But even there, the Tigers defense performed better than you think. Southern gained 58 yards on its first two snaps, than only 200 the rest of the game on 3.6 yards per play. Southern also scored a defensive TD in that game. While conference play will ultimately determine if this Memphis' D is the "real deal" or not, we think it is and the Tigers closed last year by covering six of their last seven games against American opposition. They are simply the much better team here. Play on MEMPHIS

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This is an 8* play on NOTRE DAME

Notre Dame is taking on a top five opponent (Georgia) here and we know what happens when that's the case. The Fighting Irish, more often than not, fold like a cheap tent in this situation as they are 4-13 ATS. The last 19 times the Irish faced a top five foe that is outscoring its opponents by at least 20.6 points/game, they've lost 18 of those games. All but four of those 18 losses have been by double digits. Ten of them have come by at least 20 points. Four of the losses have come during the Brian Kelly regime and three were by two touchdowns or more. We all remember that CFP semifinal game last January against Clemson right? The Irish lost that 30-3. So the Irish might as well not even leave South Bend right? Wrong! Because of that poor reputation in these kind of games, this number is inflated this week. Notre Dame catching two touchdowns, even on the road, is a bargain as this spread should be no higher than 10 points in our estimation. Georgia will likely come in overconfident and struggle early. The Dawgs have yet to be tested this year and say what you will about Notre Dame, they're a whole heck of a lot better than Vanderbilt, Murray State and Arkansas State. The Irish have only played twice, so they're the fresher of the two teams. Two years ago, they lost by only a point in South Bend to UGA. It'll be another close one Saturday night. Play on NOTRE DAME

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This is a 10* play on ILLINOIS

Saturday night finds Illinois looking to do what Big 10 rival Nebraska did only a week ago. That being bounce back from an outright loss as a favorite. Two weeks ago, Nebraska suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Colorado, 34-31 as a four-point favorite. The Cornhuskers came into 2019 with a ton of hype and that loss shattered it a bit as they blew a 17-point lead and lost in overtime. They did bounce back last week by trouncing Northern Illinois 44-8. They'll stay in the Land of Lincoln this week, moving from DeKalb to Champaign and open up conference play. Illinois lost last week to Eastern Michigan, 34-31 (sound familiar?) as a seven-point favorite here at home. The good news here is they don't have to win like Nebraska did last week. The Illini only need to cover and the oddsmakers have obliged with a generous spread that we've seen the public already bet up. This number shows us that the hype train is still moving a bit too fast with Nebraska. Can't say we're huge fans of what Lovie Smith has done here at Illinois, who has not been to a bowl since 2014. Smith has had a young team each of his first three seasons here, but this is easily his most experienced - and best - group yet. They should be highly motivated following last week's loss while Nebraska could be prone for another letdown. By the way, Scott Frost is 0-6 in road games as the 'Huskers coach. Play on ILLINOIS

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This is an 8* play on STANFORD

Already with two losses, Stanford would seem to have its back against the wall here vs. Oregon, a game in which few, if any, will expect the Cardinal to win. The defenses in Palo Alto have usually been very solid under David Shaw, but the last two games have seen them shredded for 90 points as they've given up 45 to both USC and UCF. Now Oregon comes to town. Despite what many perceive as being a mismatch, Stanford has always given the Ducks fits and we expect that to be the case again this year. They are 5-2 the previous seven matchups and 0-3 the last three. While that run involves teams a lot more talented than this one, the same can be said for the Oregon side as well. Winning by double digits on the conference road is difficult. After two straight blowouts over Nevada and Montana, it's easy to see the Ducks coming into this one too overconfident. As for that Cardinals defense, they allowed just seven points in the lone home game, which was a win over Northwestern. After taking on two talented teams the past two weeks, the Cardinal will be more battle tested and prepared to give Oregon another fight to the end. Play on STANFORD

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This is a 10* play on the OVER

Temple is going to have to guard against a letdown here as last week they upset a heavily hyped Maryland team, 20-17 as 5.5-point home dogs. That game set up pretty well for the Owls as they were off an open date. Now let's see how they perform having to play in consecutive weeks for the first time this season. While Temple has covered both of its games, Buffalo is 0-3 ATS. Two weeks ago, they actually led Penn State at the half, 10-7. Since then, it's been all downhill as they've been outscored 73-20. That includes a bad 35-17 loss at Liberty last week where the Bulls were favored by 5.5 points. We figured UB would struggle early on this year as they lost their starting QB and two receivers from last year. That they have with just 30 total points the last two games. But both were on the road. They actually gained 429 and 373 yards in those two games. So they've moved the ball. Back at home this week, they should start finding the end zone more. Temple's defense turned in a tremendous performance last week vs. Maryland, but that's the side of the ball where the letdown could take place. The Owls offense has averaged 561 yards/game so far. The Over is 10-4-1 in Buffalo's last 15 home games. Last year was a 36-29 win by Buffalo at Temple. Play OVER Temple-Buffalo

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This is an 8* Play on MICHIGAN STATE

This is a rare situation where everyone is piling on the underdog. That's because, admittedly, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald has been excellent in the role. His Wildcats teams have gone 13-4-1 ATS the last 18 times they've gotten points and won 10 of the game straight up. Last year alone, they were an amazing 7-1-1 ATS getting points and won six of the games straight up. One of those upsets came against Michigan State, 29-19 (+11). Yet despite all of what you just read, a curious thing has happened here and that's the line has moved up (by several points) even though the majority of bets have come in on the Wildcats. We trust Mark Dantonio, off a loss last week to Arizona State, to get the job done here in this revenge spot. His Spartans actually have triple revenge here as they've been upset by Northwestern each of the last three seasons. Northwestern can't do it again, can they? This Wildcats team is nowhere near as strong as the one that pulled the upset last year in East Lansing. This Michigan State team is also much stronger than the one that lost its last trip into Evanston two years ago. Sparty's defense should rule the day in this one as they've given up just 34 points in three games. Northwestern was off a bye last week when it beat UNLV 30-14. In the first game, they could score only 7 points in a loss at Stanford, which now looks even worse. The road team is 12-4 SU and 14-2 ATS the last 16 meetings. Play on MICHIGAN STATE

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This is an 8* on BOISE STATE

Boise State is back in the top 20 of the polls, but doesn't feel like its getting the respect it deserves here vs. Air Force. This is a home game, remember. The Broncos are 59-7 SU their L66 games on the blue turf. Maybe the win over Florida State that opened the season isn't as impressive now, considering how bleak things look down in Tallahassee. But you can bet Boise won't be taking Air Force lightly. While they've beaten the Flyboys each of the last two seasons, before that they'd actually lost three straight times to them. One of those was among the seven home losses that have occurred on this field in the past decade. This is going to be a tough spot for Air Force as they played an overtime game last week in Colorado, which saw them upset the favored Buffaloes. Boise State, meanwhile, had a virtual layup against Portland State. Air Force is obviously going to look to run the ball in this game, but so far the Boise State run defense has been very good. We like what we've seen from true freshman QB Hank Bachmeier as well. He's thrown 13 touchdown passes in three games while averaging 343 yards per game through the air. Rough spot on a short week for the underdog here and they are just 7-18-1 ATS their last 26 Mountain West games. Play on BOISE STATE

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This is a 10* play on the OVER

Houston and Tulane have combined to play six games this year. The Under is 6-0. Houston is 1-2 straight up, thanks to a tough schedule to open the season, which has seen them already face Oklahoma and Washington State. The Cougars only win was against a FCS team and a bad one at that (Prairie View A&M). Tulane lost to Auburn in Week 2, but won its other two games, one of which was against a FCS foe. They also opened the season by beating FIU 42-17. Given that kind of scoring output, we think it's pretty reasonable for the Green Wave to score a lot this week. They also hung 58 on Missouri State last week. Houston not surprisingly is no offensive slouch either as they're averaging over 30 points/game. But a defense that has given up 80 points to its two FBS opponents is a cause for concern. This is a really low total for a game involving Houston. The first three all saw totals in the 70's. That the number has been bet down is a break for us. Play OVER Houston-Tulane

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This is a 10* on UCLA

The vultures are circling Chip Kelly right now as UCLA is 0-2 and the school is reportedly having to give tickets away for this home game, even though it's nationally televised and against Oklahoma. Now the matchup all but guarantees the Bruins will be 0-3. But while their fans may have given up on them, we will not. This is a lot of points, at home, for a team that many thought would be 2-0. Oklahoma might be a top five team, but they have a suspect defense that has really yet to be tested. In this situation, Kelly has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Expect him to go deep into his bag of tricks. The Sooners might have won the last seven games where they were road favorites. But they are also just 1-5-1 against the spread in those seven games. Before last week's loss to San Diego State, UCLA could usually be counted on for a solid performance in the Rose Bowl. This is an experienced team that Kelly brought back with more of his recruits. It's been incredible to see UCLA getting so many points when they were "only" getting 29 last year in Norman. They covered in that loss by a single point. Here they are at home, desperate, and should play better than we've seen the last two weeks, even though they are facing a superior side. Last year, the Bruins were getting 3 touchdowns at home against Top 10 Washington and only lost by seven points. Maybe its not that close here, but UCLA will stay within the number. Play on UCLA

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This is an 8* play on NEW MEXICO STATE

A week after a completely unimpressive 6-0 win over Weber State, San Diego State went to the Rose Bowl and upset UCLA 23-14 as 7.5-point underdogs. Explain that. It's tough to, though UCLA repeatedly shot itself in the foot. This week, the Aztecs will be the favorite, on the road. That's tricky for a team that scores so few points. It's a big number too. In its last 15 games, San Diego State has scored more than 24 points just four times and never more than 31. A big home game vs. Utah State next week promises to divert the Aztecs attention from this week's opponent. New Mexico State may not bring in a stellar resume, but after playing Washington State and Alabama to start its season, they definitely won't be intimidated. This is the home opener as well. The Aggies are a respectable 5-5 SU in Las Cruces the last two years. Even after last week's win, San Diego State is still just 4-8 its last 12 non-conference road games and that's straight up! Being -6 in turnovers vs. Alabama and Washington State did New Mexico State no favors. Let's assume they clean that up a bit and it's easy to see them being more competitive this week. Play on NEW MEXICO STATE

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This is a 10* Play on the OVER

For the second year in a row, Cal beat Washington and both times they did it with defense. Last year, it was a 12-10 win without an offensive TD. Last week, it was 20-19 on a last-second FG, a game that was delayed nearly 2 1/2 hours because of weather. This defense, led by one of the better secondaries in the country, is quite clearly pretty good. But this week we feel it will be the offense's turn to show what it can do as it faces a North Texas defense that isn't the least bit good. The Mean Green gave up 52 in the bowl to end last year and lost some key players from that defense. That poor bowl performance looks to have carried over into 2019. The first game, they gave up 31 points and 456 yards to Abilene Christian. It got worse last week in a visit to SMU where they got torched for 49 points and 503 yards. Luckily, UNT does have an offense with a senior QB Mason Fine that can put points on the board. While it's the worst defense Cal has faced yet, it's also the best offense. Fine has guided the offense to 78 points in two games. He's thrown for nearly 8000 yards the last two seasons and is the school's all-time passing leader. This O/U has been bet down several points. While its understandable because of Cal's defensive effort last week, it's too low. Take the OVER

AAA

This is an 8* play on NAVY

Navy had an uncharacteristic season last year. They went 3-10, its worst record since 2002. You have to think the Midshipmen are shoo-ins to improve in 2019 and they've already gotten the season off to a positive start with a 45-7 win over Holy Cross. In that game, they ran for 428 yards. But perhaps more promising with them throwing for 103 yards. That's nothing for most teams. But Navy, who has run the triple option for years, was last in the country at 72.8 passs yards/game last year. They've promised to add elements of a run-and-shoot offense this year. Ken Niumatalolo totally retooled his coaching staff this year. Having a bye last week is another nice early season edge. East Carolina is a program in transition with a first year coach in Mike Houston. The Pirates also won three games last year, just like Navy, but there's no real history here of winning, at least recently. They've won just three games each of the last three years. They've gone 1-16 SU on the road, so this line being so short is a definite surprise. ECU has covered just 6 of the last 22 times it has been an underdog. They were beaten 34-6 at NC State in the opener. A 48-9 win last week over Gardner-Webb means little in the grand scheme. They've lost by an average of 24.5 points/game the last two times they played Navy. Play on NAVY

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This is an 8* play on INDIANA

So much for Urban Meyer. Ryan Day has Ohio State rolling at 2-0 with wins over Florida Atlantic (45-21) and Cincinnati (42-0). The Buckeyes defense obviously played better than the second game and QB Justin Fields, a transfer from Georgia, has looked great. But consider the talent gap between the Buckeyes and those first two opponents. Now OSU opens Big 10 play. Sure, it's against Indiana, but it's also on the road. The Hoosiers were actually more competitive in last year's game at Ohio Stadium than the final score shows. They did cover as 26-point dogs (final score was 49-26), but it was only an eight-point game at half and IU led in the second quarter. The Hoosiers are also off a shutout, 52-0 over Eastern Illinois, and beat Ball State 34-24 in the opener. So their offense is humming too. Last week was Indiana's biggest margin of victory in 25 years. After missing out on a bowl the last two years, you know this team is going to be motivated. They've come close to pulling a major upset in Big 10 play the last few years, but never finished the job. They have lost 10 times by seven points or less the four years in Big 10 play. Every year, at least one of those losses was to a Top 20 team. We're taking the points, especially with new starting quarterback Michael Penix, a freshman, looking so good. Play on INDIANA

AAA

This is a 10* play on KANSAS

Les Miles knew it would be a tall mountain to climb when he took on the job at Kansas. After all, this is a program that had suffered through a miserable 6-42 record the previous four years under David Beatty. Through two games, Miles is 1-1 in Lawrence. The Jayhawks first game saw them rally (after blowing a double-digit lead) to beat an FCS opponent, Indiana State. Last week, they were competitive, but ultimately lost 12-7 to Coastal Carolina. Interestingly, KU scored on its opening drive, but never again. While there's obviously still a ton of room for growth here, no longer look for the Jayhawks to be the pushover they once were. Miles will have them playing hard. That's what makes this week's line at BC so interesting. The Eagles have scored more than anticipated the first two games. They hung 35 on Va Tech in a bit of an upset, then 45 more on Richmond last week. But the defense hasn't been as sound as it usually is. They allowed 442 yards vs. Va Tech, but got the benefit of five Hokies turnovers. Last week, even Richmond was able to attain 364 total yards. Yes, BC will be able to run the ball with the best of 'em. But so can Kansas with Pooka Williams Jr (99 yards last week) now back from suspension. With that BC defense, it's worth mentioning they have only three returning starters from last year. The Eagles have not been favored by more than three touchdown over a FBS team in the last five years. Play on KANSAS

AAA

This is a 10* play on the UNDER

Minnesota and Fresno State met last year and it was a 21-14 win for the Golden Gophers at home. Fresno State would lose just one other time the rest of the season, to Boise State, and would later avenge that defeat in the Mt West Champ Game. Now they get a shot at avenging the other loss and this time they get the Gophers at home. We expect it once again to be a low-scoring affair. Minnesota barely gained 300 total yards in an unimpressive win over South Dakota State in the opener. Fresno State scored 23 in its loss to Southern Cal. The only games they scored fewer last season were the two losses and the win over Boise State. Minnesota has one of the better defenses they'll see all year and the Bulldogs have just three starters back on offense. The Under is 19-7 in Fresno's last 26 games overall. It's also now cashed in Minnesota's last five games. This should be a late-night slugfest. Play UNDER Minnesota-Fresno State

AAA

This is a 10* play on OLE MISS

Ole Miss takes on Arkansas here in the SEC opener for the both teams. The way each team chose to open its season was very different. Ole Miss went on the road to play a Memphis team that may be as good as any in the Group of Five. They lost, 15-10, but looked a lot better in the second half. Arkansas, fresh off a 2-10 year, opened against Portland State and only won 20-13. So despite winning, the Razorbacks were probably the less impressive side in Week 1. That's certainly affected our read on this Week 2 matchup, which takes place in Oxford and that's not a good deal for the Hogs. They have lost their last eight SEC openers by an average of three touchdowns. They didn't win a single time on the road last year and lost to Ole Miss 37-33 at home. They've lost eight of their last nine road games as well. Despite only gaining 173 yards of offense last week, the Rebels need not hang their heads as the defense pitched a shutout in the second half. The offense got the ball back down 13-10, but got hit with a safety and never saw the ball again. Don't expect them to take Arkansas lightly here. Before last year, the Rebels had lost four straight times to the Hogs and they've lost the last three times to them at home. Not this year. We believe in the new coordinators in Oxford (Rich Rodriguez, Mike MacIntyre) and they'll get their first win this week. Play on OLE MISS

AAA

This is an 8* play on MISSISSIPPI STATE

Mississippi State is expected to take a step back this season. They lost a lot of talent (to the NFL) from a defense that allowed just 13.2 points/game a year ago. It doesn't help that they have two holdovers currently suspended as well. Last week, they gave up 28 points to a Louisiana Lafayette team that quite frankly isn't very good. 28 points was the most allowed in any game by MSU last year. They allowed more than 20 just two times. But on the bright side, the defense forced five turnovers last week, the offense scored 38 points and the team won. We look for the defense to play a lot better this week against Southern Miss. Something to consider is that last week's game was played in New Orleans. Mississippi State is 11-3 ATS its last 14 games in Starkville. Southern Miss played a tune-up game against Alcorn State, but that will hardly have them ready for this step up in class. The Golden Eagles only could run for 96 yards on 31 carries and thus actually lost the time of possession battle. If they can't push around an FCS opponent, how are they going to get a surge against a SEC defense? The answer is "they won't."  Play on MISSISSIPPI STATE

AAA

This is an 8* on PITT

Ohio might not be a program you pay much attention to, but the Bobcats have achieved plenty of success in the 15 years Frank Solich has been here in Athens. Solich is actually the third longest tenured head coach in College Football, trailing only Gary Patterson (19 years) at TCU and Kirk Ferentz (21 years). The Bobcats have actually gotten some run as the team to come out of the Group of Five this year, but this week's game is one of two where they'll definitely be the underdog (the other is next week's game at Marshall). The key to this team is QB Nathan Rourke. The offense averaged 40 points/game with him at the helm last year. But only three other starters from that offense are back. Despite losing 30-14 to Virginia last week, Pitt is going to be an improved team this year. The Panthers led that game at halftime, only to get shutout in the 2nd half. It was a sloppy effort, one that saw them turn the ball over twice, get a punt blocked and not protect the QB well. We look for Pat Narduzzi's team to clean things up a bit as they can't afford to start the year with consecutive losses at home as there's game at Penn State looming next weekend. Ohio won't be able to pressure Pitt QB Pickett as much as Virginia did and thus it'll be a lot better day for the Panthers offense. Play on PITT

AAA

This is a 10* play on RICE

Wake Forest came into the year with some hype and made good on it to some degree by winning its season opener 38-35 over Utah State. The spread closed at -4.5, so the Demon Deacons ended up not covering the number and now they find themselves in even rarer territory. It's three scores that they are laying to the Rice Owls Friday night, on the road. Wake Forest has only been a road favorite three times for current coach Dave Clawson, who is in his sixth-year at Winston-Salem. Their ATS record in those games is 0-3. This will be the first time they are laying double digits on the road since the 2008 season opener against Baylor, who went into that game with a first year starter named Robert Griffin III.  So it's been awhile. Rice obviously isn't very good, but they held their own last week against Army, losing only 14-7 as a 23-point underdog. They did give up 231 yards rushing, but that came on 56 carries. Wake Forest ran for 178 yards last week, on 58 carries, or just 3.1 yards per attempt. That's not very good. If Rice was able to defend Army's triple option, then they should stymie Wake Forest's ground game too and stay well within the number. Play on RICE

AAA

This is a 10* play on LOUISVILLE

Notre Dame is laying a lot of points in this season opener, but based on how they and Louisville performed in 2018, that's no surprise. The Fighting Irish finished 12-1, the only defeat coming at the hands of Clemson in the CFP. Louisville won just two games (lost 10!) with one of those coming against a FCS program. The other was by three over Western Kentucky, a game that they were favored to win by 17 points. Nine straight losses to end the season means there's a new coach on campus as Scott Satterfield comes over from Appalachian State. Perhaps the biggest indictment on Louisville's 2018 season is that they finished 1-11 ATS, the worst such mark in the country. They'll obviously be better in 2019 as Sattefield has a lot of returning talent to work with, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but also at quarterback. Meanwhile, you should look for Notre Dame to slip a bit this year. They had a really lucky record in close games last year, going 7-0 in those decided by eight points or less. While we would be shocked if Louisville won this game, it is a hefty number the Cardinals are getting due mainly to last year's poor effort. But it's a new coach, a new season and we expect them to perform a lot better at the betting window. The Irish were never asked to lay more than 11 points away from South Bend last year. Play on LOUISVILLE

AAA

This is an 8* play on AUBURN

The lone battle of ranked teams this weekend pits #11 Oregon against #16 Auburn in Arlington, Texas. Typically, these Pac 12 vs. SEC matchups have not gone well for the former conference and that's a trend we expect to continue Saturday night. Auburn seems like it's being slightly underrated coming into the year. It was just the opposite last year and they still opened by beating Washington in the first game. Washington was regarded as being the Pac 12's best last year and now that distinction probably falls on Oregon. But we're not convinced the Ducks are the 11th best team in the country, despite QB Justin Herbert and almost the rest of the offense returning. Consider this: Oregon has lost 13 of its last 18 games away from Autzen Stadium. Auburn is probably being underrated because of its five losses last year, but three of those were upsets and the other two against Georgia and Alabama. The season ended on a high note with a 63-14 demolition of Purdue in the bowl game. The Tigers have won six straight neutral site games vs. the Pac 12 including the 2010 National Championship vs. Oregon. Not as much on the line this time, but it'll be the same result with the SEC reigning surpreme. Play on AUBURN

AAA

This is a 10* play on VIRGINIA TECH

The ACC didn't waste anytime getting the conference play going as this is one of three games on the slate this weekend. The conference is considered to be "Clemson and everyone else" this year and we saw that Thursday with the Tigers thumping Georgia Tech as expected. But Saturday's two games are expected to be a lot closer. This one, we think might not end up being so close. Virginia Tech is a team that should be better in 2019 after slipping to 6-7 last year. Boston College, not so much, even though they return both QB Brown and RB Dillon. The key to us in this game is on the defensive side of the ball. For his 23rd and final season as the defensive coordinator in Blacksburg, Bud Foster has 10 starters back from last year. After allowing 31 points/game last year, the Hokies defense should get back to business in 2019. On the flip side, Boston College has just three defensive starters back. This is a revenge game for VT as they lost 31-21 last year to the Eagles. Boston College scored 28 unanswered points to end the game. ACC road openers have gone well for the Hokies as they've won 13 of their past 15 as well as three consecutive season openers. The road team is actually on a 4-1 run in this rivalry. Play on VIRGINIA TECH

AAA

This is a 10* play on the UNDER

Alabama plays Duke Saturday afternoon in Atlanta as part of the Chic Fil-A Classic. We do not expect the game to be close, nor do the oddsmakers, but we're not in the business of laying this many points in a season opener either. With Duke breaking in a new starting QB, they are really going to struggle to score points here. Making matters more challenging is that the Blue Devils lost a starting wide receiver (Jake Bobo) to injury three weeks ago. So expect very few points to be scored on the Duke side against what is still one of the best defenses in College Football. As for the other side, Alabama scored at will (until running into Clemson in the Championship Game) last season, but often called off the dogs late when the game got out of hand. We can see a similar situation arising here, which obviously helps when holding an Under ticket. Also, Duke does have eight of last year's starters on defense back, plus a former All-ACC CB (Mark Gilbert) that missed virtually all of last season.  "I'm more excited about this defense than any defense we've had in the 12 seasons," head coach David Cutcliffe said. That defense won't be enough to keep Duke in this one, but this will be a lower-scoring affair than anticipated. Play UNDER Duke-Alabama

AAA

This is a 10* play on OREGON STATE

Oregon State isn't exactly well-regarded, so the fact they are taking more than two touchdowns from Oklahoma State can't be too surprising. But this could be the year the Beavers at least make some sort of "mini-leap" forward after winning a total of just three games the previous two seasons. This is the second season for coach Smith in Corvallis. The Beavers are one of the 10 most experienced teams in the country coming into 2019. Not that we think Oregon State wins here, but OK State probably isn't as good as they're being made out to be. The Cowboys slipped to seven wins in 2018 as they were upset five different times. Laying this many to a Power 5 opponent from a different conference seems tricky. In fact, the last time OK State traveled to face a Pac 12 team was 2012 and they lost 59-38 at Arizona. Again, there are probably going to be a lot of points scored in this game. OK State's defensive line is a concern, so that's something the Beaver offense should take full advantage of. The Cowboys offense has no experience at QB with a freshman (Spencer Sanders) likely starting, on the road no less. Jake Luton is back in his second year starting for Oregon State. This game will end up being close. Play on OREGON STATE

AAA

This is a 10* play on the UNDER

It might be unheard of to lay this many points in a season opener against a conference opponent. But if ever there were a time for it, it would be here with #1 Clemson facing Georgia Tech. The Tigers are defending National Champions and will be favored by double digits in every game this season. The Yellow Jackets are going through a transition. They're going from the triple option to a more pro scheme, run by 1st year coach Geoff Collins. Expect growing pains and for Ga Tech to be the worst team in the ACC this year. Clemson beat Ga Tech by 28 last year and that was in Atlanta with Kelly Bryant at quarterback against a team running the triple option. Now its Trevor Lawrence in at QB for Clemson and a Ga Tech offense with pieces fit for a different scheme. The Yellow Jackets simply aren't going to score many points here and with the game in little doubt in the 4th quarter, expect Dabo Swinney to call his dogs (or Tigers as it may be) off. Play UNDER Georgia Tech-Clemson

AAA

This is an 8* Play on UCLA

You may be surprised by how short this line is, not to mention the way it has been bet, but don't be. Yes, UCLA won just three games in year one under Chip Kelly. But Kelly can take solace in the job his colleague Luke Fickell did last year with Cincinnati, taking them from 4 to 11 wins. No one saw that coming from the Bearcats and while they look good on paper entering 2019, UCLA has the most returning starters in the country (19) and should be a whole lot better in Kelly's 2nd year. The Bruins have had problems winning away from the Rose Bowl in recent season, but look for that to change this year. Something to keep in mind is that these teams opened last season against one another as well. Cincinnati won 26-17, as a 14-point underdog. A couple key differences here for UCLA is that Dorian Thompson-Robinson is the starting QB (wasn't the case last year) and the emergence of RB Joshua Kelley. Look for the Bruins to put up a lot more points in this year's meeting. Similarly, their defense is better than it was a year ago now that 10 starters are back. Cincinnati's offensive line is down two starters from last season. The Bearcats have failed to cover six of the last seven times they've been a home favorite of three points or less. Play on UCLA

AAA

This is a 10* play on the UNDER

Florida had a big jump in wins under Dan Mullen, going from 4 to 10 in his debut year in Gainesville. Mullen had some fortuitous things go his way though, such as inheriting 19 starters from the Jim McElwain regime and a +12 turnover margin. This year's Gators look like they'll be stronger on the defensive side of the ball. The same holds true for the opening week opponent, Miami, who sees Manny Diaz making the jump from defensive coordinator to head coach, replacing the retired Mark Richt. The Hurricanes only gave up 19.5 points/game last year as it is and didn't allow more than 21 in any of Diaz's three years here as the defensive coordinator. Florida enters #8 in the country. Miami is breaking in a new starter at QB with transfer Tate Martell coming over from Ohio State. This isn't an easy first start. Mullen engineered a tremendous offensive turnaround in his first year with the Gators jumping 86 spots in points/game, the second largest jump ever in FBS. Even with QB Franks back, we're not confident they match last year's number (just five offensive starters return). The Under is 7-1 in Miami's last eight neutral site games and 6-0-1 in the last seven games overall. Play UNDER Florida-Miami

AAA

These are easily the two best teams in the country and I think the gap between the two isn't nearly as large as the oddsmakers seem to, if it even exists at all. 14-0 Clemson has been unstoppable since Trevor Lawrence took over as the quarterback. They have all nine games by at least three touchdowns, including a 30-3 beatdown of Notre Dame in the semifinal. Sound familiar? Alabama (14-0) hasn't lost a game since making its own famous QB change, to Tua Tagovailoa, in last year's National Championship Game. That was of course the game AFTER the Crimson Tide last faced Clemson, a 24-6 win. Expect this one to be along the lines of the two Championship Games these teams played in 2016 and 2017. This Clemson team is a lot better than last year, not only because of Lawrence, but the defense as well. The Tigers are only giving up 12.9 points per game, the fewest in the nation. They also allow just 274.7 yards per game. That's 93 on the ground and only 182 through the air. Not saying they'll hold Bama to those totals, but Clemson's defense isn't about to let this turn into a blowout. This game should be much closer to a pick 'em. Play on CLEMSON

This is a 10* play on the OVER in Eastern Washington-North Dakota State.

The FCS Championship Game features a matchup of 12-2 Eastern Washington and 14-0 North Dakota State. The Bison are prohibitive favorites here and for very good reason; they'll be gunning for a record-tying seventh National Championship. Just like Alabama has owned the FBS under Nick Saban, NDSU has owned this level with all six championship wins coming since 2011. I don't think there's much value to be had playing the pointspread, but I do like the total as this should be a high-scoring affair at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. North Dakota State is a machine running the football as South Dakota State found out in the semifinals three weeks ago. The Bison ran for 439 yards in that game and now face a EWU defense that is only so-so against the run and may even have its starting nose tackle. There were only three games this year where the Bison did not score 34 points. They've scored at least 44 four times in the last five games. Meanwhile, Eastern Washington just put up 50 in its semifinal win over Maine. It was the sixth time this year they scored at least 48 points in a game. Will they get that many here? Probably not, but playing catchup, they'll score enough to help get this one past the number. Play the OVER in Eastern Washington-North Dakota State

AAA

This is a 10* play on the Under in Texas-Georgia

#15 Texas (9-4) meets #5 Georgia (11-2) in the Sugar Bowl, one of this year's better bowl matchups. I'm expecting a low-scoring game tonight in NOLA. Without a doubt, Georgia is going to be the best defense that the Longhorns will have faced all year. The Bulldogs allow just 18.2 points per game. Yes, they'll be missing their top corner (declared for NFL Draft) and coordinator Mel Tucker took the head coaching job at Colorado. But it's not like the Horns have the most explosive offense. On the other side, the Texas defense has had to deal with some very high-powered offenses this year in the Big 12. So they won't be intimidated here. The Under is 48-23 in the Longhorns last 71 games overall, including 19-7 the L26 games on field turf. They held Oklahoma below its season scoring average in the Big 12 Championship Game. Georgia has gone Under in 7 of its last 10 bowl games. Play TEXAS-GEORGIA UNDER 

AAA

This is an 8* play on Washington in the Rose Bowl.

I'll be taking the points with Washington in the Rose Bowl as they are the better defensive team and an all-around undervalued side. While Ohio State (12-1) has the better won-loss record (Washington 10-3), the Huskies' three losses were all close games and they could have won all of them. They were basically three plays away from being unbeaten. While a lot of focus here is on how the Buckeyes finished their regular season (destroyed rival Michigan), Washington was pretty impressive in its own right, holding Washington State and Utah to just 18 total points. The Huskies have one of the top defenses in the country (15.5 PPG allowed), so that will keep them in this game. With this being Urban Meyer's final game patrolling the sidelines, everyone is loading up pn the Buckeyes, but that's inflated the number. Washington was an underdog only twice this year, vs. Auburn and at Washington State. They won in Pullman and lost to Auburn by only five, a game they easily could have won. Play WASHINGTON

AAA

This is an 8* WINNER on Iowa in the Outback Bowl.

In my eyes, this Outback Bowl matchup of 8-4 Iowa and 8-4 Mississippi State pits two very underrated teams against one another. But in the end, I feel the favorite's inability to score consistently will cost them here, laying so many points. The Iowa defense gives up just 17.4 points per game. Mississippi State gives up the fewest in the country (12.0), so it should be a low-scoring game all around. With points likely at a premium in a matchup such as this, the underdog just seems like the right move. There were four times this year that Miss State was held under 10 points. Most of the Bulldogs dominant performances were against non-bowl teams. Of Iowa's four losses, three were by six points or fewer and the other (28-17 vs. Wisconsin) saw them give up two touchdowns in the final minute. Miss State was generally dominated in its losses. Oddsmakers agree that this is going to be a low-scoring game and taking points in the way to go. Play IOWA.

AAA

This is a 7* TOTAL BLOWOUT on the OVER Northwestern/Utah.

Northwestern finished 8-5 and the Utes were 9-4. Northwestern went to the Big Ten title game, but it would then lose to Ohio State. Utah also advanced to its conference final, but they’d suffer a setback (Washington.) With a chance to redeem themselves here, we’re expecting each of these hungry sides to keep the foot on the gas from start to finish. Wildcats’ QB Clayton Thorson had 267 passing yards in the loss to the Buckeyes. He also had two TD’s. Utah will be hungry to erase a 10-3 loss to the Huskies with a better effort offensively in this one. Previous to that the Utes had scored at least 30 points in three straight outings. Note that Northwestern has seen the total go OVER the number in five of its last six off a loss vs. a conference rival, while Utah has seen the total go OVER in three of four this year as a favorite in the 3.5 to ten points range. This number is a little low, play the OVER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* TOTAL BLOWOUT on the OVER South Carolina/Virginia.

Virginia opened the year 6-2, but it finished 7-5. The Cavaliers can erase the stink of “what could have been” with a big victory today though and we’re fully expecting them to push the pace from start to finish. In their final regular season loss, QB Bryce Perkins had 259 passing yards and three TD’s, along with 112 rushing yards. The Gamecocks are coming off a 7-5 season and they hold on for an easy win over Akron in their finale. Note that the Cavs have seen the total go OVER the number in their last five neutral site games, while the Gamecocks have seen the total go OVER in seven of their last nine when playing with three weeks or more rest on a neutral field. This number is a little high, play the OVER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SUPER-BLOWOUT on Syracuse.

We think WVU goes through the motions today. The Mountaineers ended their regular season on a two-game losing streak. Syracuse is 9-3 overall and it’s 5-1 in its last six. The Orange have scored at least 40 points in each of their last five victories with extra time off to prepare, we think Syracuse is the “hungrier” team here. WVU enters without starting QB Will Grier, who skips the bowl to enter the NFL draft. Backup Jack Allison has only attempted ten passes in 2018. Note that WVU is just 1-6 ATS in its last seven neutral site games as well, while Syracuse is 4-1-1 ATS In its last six non-conference games. Play on SYRACUSE.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* TOTAL OF THE WEEK on the OVER Duke/Temple.

Temple was 8-4 on the year, including 7-1 in AAC play, while Duke went 7-5, and 3-5 in ACC action. The Owls come in on top form having won three straight, outscoring their opposition 143-73 in those games. Overall Temple averages 35.6 PPG and it allows 24.7. Duke will be hungry here to get back into the winners circle after back-to-back “duds” to finish the season, falling 35-6 to Clemson and 59-7 at home to Wake Forest. The defense has been a problem for the Blue Devils, allowing 504 yards and 43 points per game average over its final three games. Note that Duke has seen the total go OVER the number in three of four non-conference games already this year, while Temple has seen the total go OVER in eight of its last ten played on “turf.” This number is low; play the OVER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SUPER BLOWOUT on TCU.

These teams are evenly matched as far as the points per game (Cal averages 22.8 PPG, and TCU averages 24.4) and in points allowed (Cal concedes 21.2 and TCU allows 24.4). However, TCU comes in with considerable momentum and we think it’ll carry over here after a 31-24 home win over Oklahoma State pushed them to eligibility. Cal on the other hand hand won four of five before a date with Standford in its finale, a game which saw it fall 10-6. Note that TCU is 7-2 ATS in its last nine non-conference games following a win in which it scored 30 or more points in and also earned the cover, while Cal is just 1-5 ATS in its last six neutral site games. Play on TCU.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* TOTAL BLOWOUT on the UNDER between Louisiana Tech and Hawaii.

Hawaii had a great year, finishing 8-5, while Louisiana Tech was 7-5. Louisiana Tech backed its way into the bowl season with back-to-back losses to Southern Miss and WKU, while Hawaii won its final two games of the year over UNLV and SDSU. The Bulldogs will be leaning heavily on their run game while on offense to keep the Warriors offense off the field of play. The Warriors averaged 32.1 PPG, but Louisiana Tech allowed just 23.8. The longer time off throws a “monkey wrench” into the Warriors offensive chemistry in our opinion. Note as well that LT has seen the total go UNDER the number in four of five already this year as a road underdog, while Hawaii has seen the total go UNDER in four of its last five when playing with two weeks or more of rest. This number is a little high, play the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOWOUT on the UNDER Houston/Army.

Houston’s star QB D’Eriq King went down in mid-November against Tulane with a knee injury and the Cougars ended the regular season with a dud in Memphis. Army finished 10-2 and it gets the job done with tough defensive play and one of the best rushing attacks in the nation. The Black Knights won’t be changing anything up here as they’ll be looking to control the pace of this one from the outset (in their most recent out the Knights held on for a 17-10 win over Navy). Note that Houston has seen the total go UNDER the number in four of its last five when playing with two weeks or more of rest, while Army has seen the total go UNDER in interestingly five of its last six vs. the AAC. This one has defensive battle written all over it; play the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SUPER BLOWOUT on BYU.

Both teams were forced to change up their starting QB’s half way through the season. We think that BYU’s tough defensive play though will prove to be the difference today. Kaleb Eleby got the 28-21 win over NIU in the Broncos regular season finale, but he’ll have his handful today with a Cougars’ defense which allowed just 21.7 PPG, ranked in the top 20 in the country. BYU is still 3-0 ATS in its last three as a favorite in the 10.5 to 21 points range, while WMU is just already 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season. Lay the point; play on BYU.

AAA Sports