Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10-13-18 | Wyoming +19.5 v. Fresno State | Top | 3-27 | Loss | -110 | 149 h 46 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Wyoming (10* MWC GAME OF YEAR) Wyoming comes in focused and hungry here after dropping its second straight, most recently a 17-13 road setback to a much improved Hawaii team last weekend. Fresno State comes in complacent after its third straight win, most recently edging Nevada 21-3 on the road last Saturday. Last year’s match-up was battle as well, with the Bulldogs holding on for the 13-7 win. These teams are completely mismatched on paper, but note that Wyoming is 9-5 ATS in its last 14 against teams with winning records and 5-2 ATS off a loss against a conference rival. I look for the Bulldogs to go up early and then to take the foot off the gas in the second half. T.M. Prediction: 25-17 Fresno State. | |||||||
10-13-18 | Baylor +17 v. Texas | 17-23 | Win | 100 | 141 h 29 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Baylor (8*) I think Texas takes a step back here and comes in a bit flat after five straight wins. The Longhorns most recently needed a last second nail-bitter to beat Oklahoma this past weekend. Baylor most recently got the better of K-State 37-34 this past weekend: “I told our guys at halftime that we statistically dominated,” Bears’ head coach Matt Rhule assessed afterwards. “We just weren’t able to put all the points on the board that we probably would like to. But I thought our guys didn’t panic. We found a way to fight down the stretch and found a way to win in the fourth quarter.” “We were pretty bad offensively a lot of the game,” Brewer admitted. “We were by no means perfect. But when it mattered the most we battled it out. Good teams do that–find a way. And we found a way in the end. The more you can get used to that and build your confidence up late in the game in the fourth quarter, I think it’s really important for the team.” As mentioned off the top, after their massive 48-45 win over Oklahoma, I think Texas takes a predictable step back here (note that the Longhorns are just 3-4 ATS in their last seven after two or more consecutive SU wins and just 1-3 ATS in their last four as a favorite in the 10.5 to 21 points range.) T.M. Prediction: 35-25 Horns. | |||||||
10-13-18 | Temple v. Navy +4.5 | 24-17 | Loss | -106 | 141 h 29 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Navy (8*) Temple comes in a tiny bit complacent here after starting league play 2-0, most recently demolishing ECU 49-6 this past weekend. It’s going to be “all hands on deck” for the Mids though after they were smashed 35-7 at Air Force last weekend. Note that this is a “revenge” game as well for Navy after the Owls upset the Midshipmen 34-26 as a 6.5 point favorite last year. Tample’s weakness on defense is against the run as well, allowing 165.7 YPG, which clearly doesn’t bode well facing Navy’s option attack. Navy head coach Ken Niumatololo believes his team will be better on both sides of the ball this week: “I thought we were playing well on defense, but we just got worn down because we couldn’t get anything going offensively,” Niumatalolo said about last week’s loss. “Defensively, our guys just ran out of gas because they were out on the field so much. We’re not going to put that game on the defense. We have to play better on offense.” The Owl have been an ATS covering machine the last two seasons, but the chance for a “letdown” here remains. Also note that Navy is still 8-4 ATS in its last 12 at home and 3-1 ATS in its last four after two or more consecutive SU losses. T.M. Prediction: 25-24 Navy. | |||||||
10-13-18 | Washington v. Oregon +3.5 | 27-30 | Win | 100 | 141 h 28 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Oregon (8*) Washington comes to town off a much tougher than expected 31-24 road win over UCLA last weekend and now the Huskies are being asked to cover another spread as the favorite on the road this Saturday. The Ducks will look to take advantage and to build off their 42-24 road win over Cal two weeks ago. Note as well that this is a “revenge” game after the Huskies demolished Oregon 38-3 last year. Washington’s offense isn’t as explosive this season as it was last, ranked 45th in the country with an average of 442.7 YPG. The Huskies’ defense took a step back as well a last week, allowing 422 total yards to a week Bruins team. Note as well that Washington is just 1-5 ATS in its last six on the road, while Oregon is 4-1 ATS in its last five following its bye week. T.M. Prediction: 30-27 Ducks. | |||||||
10-13-18 | Iowa v. Indiana +6 | Top | 42-16 | Loss | -106 | 138 h 8 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Indiana (10* BANKROLL BUILDER) Iowa comes in complacent here in my opinion after its first conference win of the year lats week against Minnesota. Indiana has struggled to open conference play though and it’ll be eager to atone itself after getting killed by Ohio State last weekend. The Hawkeyes enter off the 48-31 upset win over Minnesota. Note though that Iowa has now allowed 59 points over its last two games. Indiana opened the season 3-0, but it’s since gone 1-2 in Conference action, with its lone victory coming over Rutgers. However, the Hoosiers are still very much in contention for a bowl spot and I expect the home side to leave everything on the field of play this afternoon. One player to keep your eyes one for the Buckeyes is RB Stevie Scott, who leads the team with 528 yards and five TD’s on the ground. Additionally note that Iowa is still just 5-6 ATS in its last 11 on the road, while Indiana is 6-3 ATS in its last nine against teams with winning records. T.M. Prediction: 27-25 Hoosiers. | |||||||
10-12-18 | Air Force +9 v. San Diego State | Top | 17-21 | Win | 100 | 124 h 33 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Air Force (10* BANKROLL BUILDER) Outright upset? The books certainly don’t want us to think that. However, I do indeed think you should “sprinkle a little” on the money line here as well as I look for the hungry Air Force Falcons to keep this one competitive against the complacent Aztecs. Air Force broke a three-game slide with an impressive 35-7 destruction of Navy at home last Saturday, while SDSU won its fourth straight in a 19-13 upset victory over Boise State on the blue turf of Boise Stadium last weekend. Can anyone say “letdown/trap” game?! Note as well that to say this is a “revenge” game would be a bit of an understatement, as note that SDSu has won seven straight in the series, including a 28-24 victory on the road last September 23rd. Air Force is averaging 31.4 PPG and it’s allowing 22. SDSU is averaging 21.6 PPG and it’s allowing 19.8. Additionally note that the Aztecs are 0-2 ATS in their last two as a home fav in the 10.5 to 14 points range. T.M. Prediction: 25-20 Aztecs. | |||||||
10-11-18 | Texas Tech v. TCU -8.5 | Top | 17-14 | Loss | -105 | 98 h 12 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: TCU (10* BLACK-LABEL BLOWOUT) TCU smashed Texas Tech 27-3 last year and I believe the Horned Frogs will have their way with the Red Raiders this season as well. Texas Tech comes to town dejected off a 42-34 home loss to WVU, while TCU comes in confident after it’s tougher than expected 17-14 home win over Iowa State in its latest action two weeks ago. Off its bye and with the extra time off to prepare, I’m absolutely expecting a lop-sided destruction once it’s all said and done. TT also enters off its bye week after getting destroyed by the Mountaineers, allowing 489 yards of offense, including 370 through the air. Overall the Red Raiders allow 31 PPG while averaging 48.4 PPG. The Horned Frogs though are giving up just 20.8 PPG, while averaging 31.6. QB Shawn Robinson had 182 yards and two TD’s in the win over Iowa State two weeks ago. Note as well that TCU is 19-7 ATS in its last 26 following its bye week, while Texas Tech is interestingly just 1-5 ATS in its last six games on grass. T.M. Prediction: 40-23 Horned Frogs. | |||||||
10-09-18 | Appalachian State v. Arkansas State +7 | Top | 35-9 | Loss | -115 | 51 h 58 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Arkansas State (10* MONEY-MAKER). Appalachian State is putting up some ridiculous numbers on both sides of the ball right now, but I think it’ll have its hands full tonight against this hungry Red Wolves team, which I do indeed believe has a legitimate shot at taking this one outright. The Mountaineers are averaging 51.8 PPG and allowing only 17. Last week App State hammered South Alabama 52-7. The competition level has definitely skewed the Mountaineers numbers and I think some major “correction” is in store here. And that’s because the Red Wolves are allowing a decent 29.2 PPG on average. Arkansas State comes in off a tough 28-21 loss to Georgia Southern. QB Justice Hansen is a difference maker for sure though in my opinion, as he come sin sporting an elite 11/2 TD:INT. Note as well that App State is interestingly just 1-4 ATS in its last five after accumulating more than 450 total yards of offense in its previous game, while the Red Wolves are a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five against schools with winning records. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 31-27 App State. | |||||||
10-06-18 | California +1.5 v. Arizona | Top | 17-24 | Loss | -110 | 149 h 6 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: California (10* TRADE-MARK) Arizona’ QB Khalil Tate was a dual threat QB last year and he pretty much dominated, but this season he’s been turned into a pocket passer and to this point, he’s struggled under the new system. So far he’s passed for under 250 yards in three of his first five games and he’s not rushed for over 38 yards in any of his starts this year, one season after posting 1,411 yards on the ground. The Golden Bears will look to take advantage and to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the year in a 42-24 home setback to No. 19 Oregon. Cal averages 28.5 PPG and it allows 25. Arizona is averaging 31.6 PPG and allowing 28.4. Note as well that the Wildcats are just 4-11 ATS in their last 15 after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous contest, while the Golden Bears are 4-0 ATS in their last four against teams with losing records. I think Tate continues to struggle against Cal’s above average defense. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 30-27 Cal. | |||||||
10-06-18 | Auburn v. Mississippi State +3.5 | Top | 9-23 | Win | 100 | 147 h 42 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Mississippi State (10* SEC GAME OF THE YEAR). Auburn enters off a 24-13 win over Southern Miss last week, while Mississippi State will be desperate to get back to its winning ways after a tight 13-6 loss to Florida in its last outing. Note that this is a big time revenge game as well for the home side after it was embarrassed 49-10 in this matchup on the road last year. Auburn got the win last time out, but QB Jarrett Stidham completed just 57 percent of his passes. So far he has a 5/2 TD:INT. Overall the Tigers are averaging 32.6 points and allowing 12.6. Mississippi State is averaging 32.6 PPG and it’s allowing 13.4. QB Nick Fitzgerald had just 98 passing yards last week against a tough Florida defense. Overall he has 640 passing yards and a 4:2 TD/INT. Note though that Mississippi State is 23-6 ATS in its last 29 at home against teams with winning road records, while Auburn is 0-4 ATS in its last four following a SU victory. In a game that I expect to come down to the wire, I’m grabbing the points. T.M. Prediction: 25-17 Mississippi State. | |||||||
10-06-18 | Arizona State +3 v. Colorado | 21-28 | Loss | -105 | 143 h 8 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Arizona State (8* SIT. BLOWOUT) Colorado hasn’t started 5-0 in 20 years and I think that trend continues here. The Buffaloes come in off a 38-16 win over UCLA. ASU is 3-2 after destroying Oregon State 42-24 at home last Saturday. RB Eno Benjamin finished with a school-record 312 rushing yards in that one and I have a hard time seeing Colorado slowing down the dynamic back here either. “It was a great feeling,” Benjamin assessed afterwards. “Honestly we had a game plan and we knew we were going to run the ball on them. We went through practice and we executed. If you saw the way we practiced this week you would have known it was going to happen and it’s just a testament to our offensive line.” ASU’s achilles heel has been its play on the road, but I think that trend finally comes to an end here. Colorado finally broke into the AP Top 25 after scoring at least 33 points in all four victories, while limiting opponents to just 195.8 passing yards. The Sun Devils catch a break as their offense is so run oriented. Note as well that ASU is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 against teams with winning records, while Colorado is just 4-6 ATS in its last ten against teams with winning records. I think the Buffs have a letdown finally. T.M. Prediction: 35-30 Sun Devils. | |||||||
10-06-18 | Northern Illinois v. Ball State +5 | 24-16 | Loss | -120 | 142 h 9 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Ball State (8* BLOWOUT) I think NIU comes in a tiny bit complacent here after it’s 2-0 start in the West Division of the MAC. The Huskies enter off an exhausting 26-23 Triple OT win over EMU and I look for Ball State, who ended a three-game skid by downing Kent State last week. NIU holds teams to just 348.6 YPG so far, but its offense ranks near the bottom of the nation in most statistical categories. Ball State lost to heavyweights Notre Dame and Indiana and while it lost to WKU at home, the Cardinals finally bounced back with a big 52-24 win over Kent State last week, the offense rolling up 606 yards. NIU may have won nine straight in this series, but I think it finally comes up short here. T.M. Prediction: 27-24 Ball State. | |||||||
10-06-18 | East Carolina +13 v. Temple | 6-49 | Loss | -115 | 139 h 10 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: East Carolina (8* BANKROLL BUILDER) East Carolina enters off a confidence building 37-35 win over ODU. The ECU Pirates are averaging 293.2 YPG passing, good for 24th nationally. ECU QB Reid Herring already has 1,161 yards. Temple is getting treaty play from RB Ryquell Armstead, but overall the offense has stalled, averaging just 357.4 YPG. Note that ECU is 3-1-1 ATS in its last five against teams with losing records. Temple has issues on both sides of the ball. Expect a competitive battle here. T.M. Prediction: 26-25 Temple. | |||||||
10-05-18 | Middle Tennessee State v. Marshall -7.5 | Top | 34-24 | Loss | -110 | 123 h 23 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Marshall (10* BANKROLL BUILDER) Middle Tennessee State was destroyed by Georgia and then it bounced back last week with a come-from-behind win over FAU for the 25-24 victory. MTSU’s numbers are likely better than what they’d indicate considering the competition (averages 25 PPG and allows 36.2) I still think the Blue Raiders are in over their heads here. Marshall is averaging only 26.8 PPG this year, but it’s allowing just 24.5. Most of the damage is done through the air by QB Isaiah Green with an average of 277 YPC. Additionally note that MTSU is just 2-5 ATS in its last seven off a win against a conference rival. I’m laying the points and expecting a blowout! T.M. Prediction: 35-20 Herd. | |||||||
10-04-18 | Tulsa +15.5 v. Houston | Top | 26-41 | Win | 100 | 100 h 56 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Tulsa (10* GAME OF WEEK). Tulsa comes in off a 31-17 loss to a pretty good Temple team on the road. Am I predicting an outright upset here? Of course not. I do think that the Golden Hurricane though can catch the high-powered Cougars “looking past” to its more difficult upcoming road games at ECU, Navy and then at home against UCF. It’s not going to get any easier unfortunately for Tulsa though, with a game at home against 4-0 USF next weekend. I think Tulsa though comes in focused as its offense takes advantage of this suspect Houston secondary. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 40-30 Houston. | |||||||
09-29-18 | USC -3.5 v. Arizona | Top | 24-20 | Win | 100 | 148 h 59 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: USC (10* PAC-12 GAME OF YEAR) Arizona comes in off off back-to-back wins, most recently a 35-14 victory over Oregon State last Saturday. USC is 2-2, but it looked pretty good in its 39-36 win over Washington State last week. QB JT Daniels had 241 passing yards and three TD’s: “This week in practice you could feel the chemistry coming,” Trojans’ coach Clay Helton assessed afterwards. “I told Tyler (Vaughns) that their chemistry was that far away. You could feel it practice and I was hoping it was going to show up in the game. Both JT and the wide receivers did a tremendous job with our PO game.” USC has won nine straight games against the division and it’s also won five straight over the Wildcats. Arizona’ QB Khalil Tate has completed just 54.3 percent of his passes (he does have 1,039 yards, eight TD’s and two INT’s.) Tate had 1,411 rushing yards last year, but he has just 32 this season. The Wildcats are just 7-19 ATS in their last 26 as an underdog, while USC is 5-2 ATS in its last seven after allowing fewer than 100 rushing yards. T.M. Prediction: 33-25 Trojans. | |||||||
09-29-18 | Virginia Tech +4.5 v. Duke | 31-14 | Win | 100 | 21 h 5 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Virginia Tech (8* BLOWOUT) Virginia Tech is out to atone for a 49-35 upset at the hands of lowly ODU last Saturday. Duke is the prime opponent to get back on track against as I think the Blue Devils comes in complacent after their 55-13 home destruction of North Carolina Central. The Hokie have won two straight in the series, including a 24-3 victory last year. Despite last week’s “brain fart,” note that Virginia Tech is averaging 40.3 PPG and allowing 23. Duke is averaging 37.5 PPG and it’s allowing 15.2. Those numbers are skewed though because of the level of competition, so I’m not reading too much into them quite yet. In fact note that the Blue Devils are just 1-4-1 ATS in their last six following an ATS loss, while VT is 6-1 ATS in its last seven after allowing 40 or more points in its previous contest. Duke’s down to its backup QB and I think it’ll have a hard time producing much offense against this focused Hokies’ defense. Play on VT. T.M. Prediction: 27-24 Hokies. | |||||||
09-29-18 | Northern Illinois +3 v. Eastern Michigan | Top | 26-23 | Win | 100 | 144 h 6 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Northern Illinois (10* TRADE-MARK) Both teams have struggled to open the year. These schools are evenly matched, a sentiment shared by oddsmakers. EMU has lost two straight to Buffalo and San Diego State, while the Huskies are just 1-3, most recently falling to Florida State 37-19: “We’re obviously disappointed with the outcome of the game,” NIU head coach Rod Carey assessed. “We got it to the fourth quarter and I think we had our opportunities at the end with a missed field goal and a missed two-point conversion. We were in a fight, we kept on swinging, but we didn’t land enough punches. You can’t fault our effort.” NIU QB Marcus Childers had 215 yards passing and an 11-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. The Huskies looked good defensively as well, forcing four turnovers, led by ten tackles from Lance Deveaux. EMU lost 23-20 to SDSU last weekend. The Eagles though are having issues at QB right now. Last week Tyler Wiegers was pulled for junior Mike Glass early in the game and he’d go 9 of 16 for 53 yards with one TD and one INT. There were many positives for NIU in its loss to the Seminoles last week and I look for it to build off that against an EMU team searching for an identity on offense. T.M. Prediction: 25-21 Huskies. | |||||||
09-29-18 | Army +6 v. Buffalo | 42-13 | Win | 100 | 138 h 7 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Army (8* BANKROLL BUILDER) Note that when these teams played last year, it was the Black Knights which pulled off the 21-17 victory. Army comes in off a hard-fought 28-21 road loss to Oklahoma, while Buffalo looks poised for a letdown here in m opinion after its 42-13 road victory over Rutgers. Last week Army’s option posted 339 yards on 78 carries. The Knights’ defense looked sharp as well, allowing just 335 yards to the Sooners. Army had a whopping 44:41 to 15:19 possession edge, but it wasn’t quite enough. It’ll be more than enough against the Bulls though in my opinion. Buffalo is so far averaging 40.2 PPG and allowing 20. However, those numbers are skewed considering the level of competition its played. Army presents a much more difficult challenge and I think the Bulls get caught “off guard” here. Note that Amy is 5-1 ATS in its last six as an underdog in the 3.5 to ten points range. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 30-27 Buffalo. | |||||||
09-29-18 | Temple v. Boston College -14.5 | 35-45 | Loss | -112 | 138 h 7 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Boston College (8* BLACK-LABEL BLOWOUT) Temple comes in complacent after two straight victories, most recently a 31-17 him evictor over Tulsa last Thursday. BC on the other hand comes in razor focused after suffering its first loss of the year, a 30-13 setback on the road at Purdue. Temple is averaging 28 PPG and it’s allowing 21.5. QB Frank Nutile has 401 yards, four TD’s and four INT’s. RB Ryquell Armstead has 364 yards and a TD. BC is averaging 42.8 PPG and it’s allowing 24.8. QB Anthony Brown has 722 yards with ten TD’s and four INT’s. RB AJ Dillon has 491 yards and four TD’s. Note that the Eagles are 4-0 ATS in their last four following a straight up loss, while the Owls are interestingly just 1-5 ATS their last six after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game. Temple is averaging just 3.7 YPC and only completing 50 percent of its passes. The Owls have committed eight turnovers, while BC has forced nine. This one has “blowout” written all over it. T.M. Prediction: 40-15 BC. | |||||||
09-28-18 | Memphis v. Tulane +13.5 | Top | 24-40 | Win | 100 | 122 h 22 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Tulane (10* BANKROLL BUILDER) Everything’s going right for Memphis to open the season, while Tulane is coming off a 49-6 loss to Ohio State in Columbus last week. But I think the 3-0 Tigers do come in complacent here. Note as well that to say this is a “revenge” game would be a bit of an understatement, as Memphis has won 11 straight in the series, including 56-26 last year. The Tigers beat South Alabama last week, but it was in fact far from easy. Giving up 35 point to the Jaguars is not a good thing and the hungry Green Wave are going to have their chances. Most team’s struggle against Ohio State, so I’m not reading too much into last week’s setback. Green Wave QB Jon Banks has 792 yards, five TD’s and just one INT this season. Last year he had 1,800 yards passing with 12 TD’s and five picks. Additionally note that Tulane is 6-2-1 ATS in its last nine conference contests and 7-1 ATS in its last eight at home. The Tigers’ weak defensive play comes back to bite them here. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 35-27 Memphis. | |||||||
09-27-18 | North Carolina +19.5 v. Miami-FL | Top | 10-47 | Loss | -110 | 98 h 23 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: North Carolina (10* GAME OF WEEK) Outright upset? Of course not. But I absolutely expect the hard-fighting Tar Heels to keep this one a lot closer than what the bookmakers would like us to think. UNC got a much needed 38-35 win over Pitt at home on Saturday, while Miami Florida beat FIU 31-17 at home, the victory much more lop-sided than what the final score would indicate. Miami Florida played its backups for the most part in the second half and FIU scored 14 points in the final ten minutes of the game, long after it was decided. These teams played to a competitive affair last year though, with Miami winning 24-19 at Chapel Hill on October 28th, 2017. I think a similar hard-fought and close battle will occur in 2018 as well. It’s an important game for UNC, which is going to be looking for an upset and to avoid the 1-3 start. Will 3-0 Miami Florida get caught looking past the Tar Heels to the Seminoles at home next week? Very possible of course, as the Hurricanes were already guilty of taking the foot off the gas in their last game after going up big early. Give me the hungry underdog and all those points. T.M. Prediction: 30-23 Hurricanes. | |||||||
09-22-18 | Eastern Michigan v. San Diego State -10 | Top | 20-23 | Loss | -106 | 135 h 37 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: San Diego State (10* TRADE-MARK) SDSU comes in with confidence after it’s win over Arizona State last week. On the other side of the field, EMU comes in deflated after suffering its first loss of the season in a 35-28 MAC Opening setback to Buffalo. The Eagles continue to split time at the QB position between Tyler Wiegers and Mike Glass and the in-decision is clearly starting to bog down the chemistry of the offense. SDSU will look to take advantage, last week it held ASU to just 36 rushing yards on 24 carries. The Aztecs would themselves rush for 311 yards. Note that SDSU is 18-6-2 ATS in its last 26 after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in its previous game. The EMU offense is one-dimensional, which doesn’t bode well facing an Aztecs unit allowing just 46.3 rushing yards per game this season. This one has blowout written all over it. T.M. Prediction: 35-15 SDSU. | |||||||
09-22-18 | Florida International +27 v. Miami-FL | 17-31 | Win | 100 | 128 h 53 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Florida International (8* SITUATIONAL BLOWOUT) Miami lost to LSU to open the year, but it’s since won back-to-back games. FIU smashed UMass 63-24 last week, as James Morgan had 207 yards and two TD’s. Morgan has a 63 percent pass completion percentage over the first three games. Overall the Panthers had 329 rushing yards in the win over the Minutemen. Miami destroyed Toldeo 49-24 last week. The Hurricanes defense leads the nation in several categories, but I think the unit will be tested by this under the radar Panthers’ offense. Note that FIU is 6-2 ATS in its last eight against teams with winning records, while Miami is just 5-8 ATS in the same position. Give me the hungry dog and all those points! T.M. Prediction: 35-21 Miami Florida. | |||||||
09-22-18 | Miami-OH -4.5 v. Bowling Green | Top | 38-23 | Win | 100 | 127 h 18 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Miami Ohio (10* MAC GAME OF YEAR) This is the opener of the MAC campaign for each team. Likely each is happy that Conference action is underway as they come in a combined 1-5 to open the 2018/19 campaign. Miami Ohio opened with a slim loss to Marshall, but since then it’s been shut down offensively, scoring just three points combined against Cincinnati and Minnesota. The good news is though, is that those are two of the toughest defensive units in the entire country and clearly the Green Falcons don’t possess nearly the defensive talent. Miami Ohio has itself been tough defensively though, allowing just 27.3 PPG so far. Bowling Green is a disaster, allowing 46 PPG so far (522.3 YPG conceded) I like the Redhawks’ defense in this matchup and I believe it’ll be the difference maker. Look for Miami Ohio to get back on track offensively as well against BGSU’s atrocious secondary. T.M. Prediction: 35-20 Miami Ohio. | |||||||
09-22-18 | Pittsburgh v. North Carolina +4 | 35-38 | Win | 100 | 124 h 29 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: North Carolina (8* BANKROLL BUILDER) Pittsburgh got the better of Georgia Tech 24-19 in its most recent action. UNC comes in rested after its game against UCF was put off because of the Hurricane last weekend. Previous to that though the Tar Heels were upset 41-19 by East Carolina. If recent history is any precedence though, then UNC has to be loving its chances today, as note that in last year’s matchup the Tar Heels scored the 34-31 road win. In Week 2 the Panthers fell 51-6 to Penn State, but they clawed back with the victory over the Yellow Jackets last Saturday. Pittsburgh is averaging just 21 PPG so far, while allowing 25.7. North Carolina has averaged 18 points and allowed 32.5. UNC had a big mental letdown against the Pirates, but I think it’ll bounce back here with the extra week off to prepare. The Panthers have been nothing special and I have a hard time seeing them pulling away in this one. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 25-23 UNC. | |||||||
09-22-18 | Boston College v. Purdue +7 | 13-30 | Win | 100 | 124 h 10 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Purdue (8* BLACK-LABEL BLOWOUT) Boston College is undefeated. Purdue is winless. While those facts may remain the same at the end of this one, I think it’s going to be a tight battle. Note that the Boilermakers have lost their first three games by a combined eight points. These teams are actually evenly matched, with competent direction under center, but from a trend based stand point, there’s no doubt that this one favors the Boilermakers, as Purdue is 6-2 ATS in its last eight non-conference games and 4-1 ATS in its last five as an underdog in the 3.5 to ten points range. I think desperation leads Purdue to another tight cover (if not a win!). Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 35-30 Purdue. | |||||||
09-21-18 | Washington State v. USC -4 | Top | 36-39 | Loss | -110 | 111 h 19 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: USC (10* BANKROLL BUILDER) A great overall “situational” pick. Washington State comes in unbeaten and complacent, most recently thrashing Eastern Washington 59-24 at home on Saturday. USC on the other hand will be desperate here after losing its second straight, most recently a 37-14 drubbing at Texas Saturday. Now throw in the fact that the Cougars took the lone match-up in the series last year 30-27, and this one has all the makings of a big time home side blowout in my opinion. Washington State’s early season offensive and defensive numbers are tremendous, but let’s take them with a “grain of salt” at this point. The Cougars face their stiffest test of the season today and in my estimation, they’re primed for a classic “letdown” here. It’s “all hands on deck” for USC though. Note that Washington State is in fact just 2-3 ATS in its last five as an underdog in the 3.5 to ten points range as well. Lay the points and expect a rout. T.M. Prediction: 35-20 Trojans. | |||||||
09-20-18 | Tulsa v. Temple -6.5 | Top | 17-31 | Win | 100 | 84 h 24 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Temple (10* GAME OF MONTH) Tulsa lost 29-20 at home to Arkansas State on Saturday, while Temple shook off an 0-2 start with a big 35-14 road win at Maryland to end its non-conference schedule last weekend. I think the Owls are going to build off that impressive victory in front of the home town crowd and to open AAC action. And if recent history is any precedence, then Temple has to be loving it chances today as the Owls wiped the floor with the Golden Hurricane in last year’s match-up, 43-22. Tulsa is averaging 26.3 points and it’s allowing 28. Last week the Golden Hurricane turned it over three times, including a pick six INT. Last week Temple had a decisive 429-195 yardage edge over Maryland. The Owls are averaging 27 PPG, but allowing only 23. That’s 58th in the nation. Temple is also 8-2 ATS in its last ten against teams with losing records, while Tulsa is just 1-6 ATS in its last seven after allowing 200 or more yards rushing in its previous game. Temple held the Terps to just 63 passing yards last week and I look for the defense to build off that impressive performance. Lay the points. T.M. Prediction: 37-21 Owls. | |||||||
09-15-18 | Washington -5.5 v. Utah | 21-7 | Win | 100 | 148 h 53 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Washington (8* BAIL-OUT BLOWOUT) It’s an inter division clash in the Pac-12 conference and I think the No. 10 Huskies come to play tonight. Washington is so far 1-1, losing its opener at then No. 9 Auburn, before then demolishing North Dakota State 45-3 last weekend. QB Jake Browning had 313 yards and two TD’s in the win and in all the Huskies posted 632 total yards of offense. Utah is 2-0 after getting the better of NIU 17-6 last Saturday. WR Britain Covey had eight catches for 129 yards. The Utes’ defense looked strong, holding Northern Illinois to 228 total yards. The offense though has been lack-lustre and to add insult to injury, leading rusher Zack Moss left last week’s game with injury himself. Also note that while Utah QB Tyler Huntley was 20 of 31 for 286 yards last week, he was also sacked six times. The Utes have lost five straight games to ranked opponents since 2015 and they’re also only 3-11 in their last 14 games against Top 10 rivals since 2014. Additionally note that Washington is a superb 18-4 ATS in its last 22 as a favorite in the 3.5 to ten points range. I like the visitors to win decisively. T.M. Prediction: 30-17 Huskies. | |||||||
09-15-18 | Eastern Michigan v. Buffalo -3 | Top | 28-35 | Win | 100 | 144 h 43 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Buffalo (10* TRADE-MARK) This is the opener of MAC play for both teams and I think home field will prove critical for the Bulls tonight. EMU comes in off an upset 20-19 win on the road in Purdue last week. Can anyone say “letdown” spot?! Buffalo will look to take advantage and move to 3-0 after defeating Temple on the road last week. EMU converted just 3 of 13 third downs last week and rushed for just 69 yards. The Eagles have also given up a lot of yards in the early going (431 YPG average conceded.) Buffalo’s offense comes in firing on all cylinders and the defense has given up an average of just 315 yards per game so far. Note that the Bulls are 3-0 ATS in their last three after two or more consecutive victories as well. I think Buffalo’s run game will prove to be too much for EMU to handle. Lay the points. T.M. Prediction: 30-23 Buffalo. | |||||||
09-15-18 | UTEP v. Tennessee -29 | 0-24 | Loss | -106 | 138 h 46 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Tennessee (8* BANKROLL BUILDER) This one has “blowout” written all over it in my opinion. Tennessee has won 26 non-conference home games against unranked opponents and all signs point to that trend continuing. Tennessee will be looking to fine tune a few things before the start of league play. And what better team to destroy than lowly UTEP? The Miners have the longest active losing streak among FBS Schools, having dropped 14 in a row, most recently a dismal 52-24 setback at UNLV last Saturday. Overall UTEP allowed four TD plays of 20 or more yards and 414 rushing yards overall. UTEP QB Kai Locksley has so far been a disappointment with just 177 passing yards between the two games. The Vols will look to take advantage of a UTEP side which has lost ten consecutive road games by a combined 390-141. Tennessee is 1-1, losing 40-14 to WVU, before then bouncing back with a 59-3 destruction of East Tennessee State last weekend. Tennessee still has a lot to prove it would seem at this point before SEC play begins: “I thought we did eliminate some of our errors from the previous week, offensively,” Vols’ coach Jeremy Pruitt said earlier in the week. “We didn’t turn the ball over which was a plus, and we scored in the red area. Defensively, we minimized the big plays and got off the field on third downs. We created a score on defense and special teams, so that is always good. We had another turnover to set up an offensive touchdown.” QB Jarrett Guarantano has 326 yards over the first two games. Now throw in the fact that UTEP is 0-7-1 ATS in its last eight following a SU loss of more than 20 points, and I think this spread could in fact be a lot larger. Great value on what will prove to be a big time blowout. T.M. Prediction: 40-7 Vols. | |||||||
09-15-18 | Ball State v. Indiana -14 | 10-38 | Win | 100 | 138 h 45 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Indiana (8* BLACK-LABEL BLOWOUT) Indiana hasn’t started a season 3-0 since 2015, but I think it’s going to accomplish that feat today. It’s the Hoosiers final tune-up before Big Ten play and I look for the home side to make the most of this opportunity. Ball State is 1-1 and most recently fell 24-16 at then No. 8 Notre Dame last week. With that “oh-so-close” opportunity still in their front of their minds, I think the Cardinals come in flat and distracted here: “I am proud of my guys because we prepared all week to make sure that we’d just fight, scratch and claw, and make sure that you just leave everything you’ve got on the field for 60 minutes,” Ball State head coach Mike Neu assessed afterwards. “I know without a doubt after looking at those guys in the locker room and as we left the field that we left everything we had on the field.” There you have it, they left everything they had on that field and still came up short (note that Ball State has lost eight of its last ten non-conference road games.) Indiana is getting unreal play from RB Stevie Scott, who had 204 yards in last week’s rain soaked victory: “You’ve got to believe in them, and you’ve got to let them go,” Hoosiers coach Tom Allen said of Scott . “The bottom line is that you grow up really fast when you’re forced to. He’s our biggest, strongest back … he’s got huge hands. And he’s really strong and I think that helps with ball security. It was a little unnerving because he is a true freshman, he is green, but I think we saw a guy grow up tonight in front of all of us. Really proud of him. And the O-line made it all happen … we ran the ball really good against a good defense.” Note that Ball State is just 7-8 ATS in its last 15 as an underdog. I think the stage is set for the Cardinals to take a step back after last week’s disappointing setback, while I do expect the Hoosiers to build off their recent success with a full four quarter effort here. Lay the points. T.M. Prediction: 45-15 Indiana. | |||||||
09-14-18 | Georgia State v. Memphis -24 | Top | 22-59 | Win | 100 | 121 h 53 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Memphis (10* GAME OF THE WEEK) Memphis had a 21-9 half-time lead at Navy last week, but it stumbled in the second half and eventually lost 22-21. As difficult as that setback was, I do indeed look for the Tigers to use that disappointment as “fuel” tonight to crush the Panthers hopes. And speaking of getting crushed, after scoring the first 7 points last week at NC State, Georgia State would then give up 41 unanswered points. It’s not going to get any easier for the lowly Panthers this week either, who are a poor 1-3 ATS in their last four as an underdog of 21.5 points or more. Look for the home side to take full advantage and lay the points. T.M. Prediction: 45-15 Memphis. | |||||||
09-13-18 | Boston College v. Wake Forest +4.5 | Top | 41-34 | Loss | -106 | 95 h 25 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Wake Forest (10* BANKROLL BUILDER) Both teams won big over their first two games. Last year Wake Forest posted a 34-10 road win over the Eagles and I think another victory in front of the home town crowd is in order here as well. BC QB Anthony Brown only played one quarter in his team’s 62-14 win over Holy Cross last week. RB AJ Dillon had 149 rushing yards and the defense limited its lowly opponent to under 200 total yards earned. Wake Forest held Towson to just 65 rushing yards in its 51-20 win last week, a victory which saw QB Sam Hartman go for almost 250 passing yards and two TD’s. Note that BC is still just 7-12 ATS in its last 19 as a road favorite in the 3.5 to 7 points range, while Wake Forest is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 as an underdog. Give me the hungry and confident home dog in a very tight battle. T.M. Prediction: Demon Deacons 30-25. | |||||||
09-08-18 | Arkansas v. Colorado State +12 | Top | 27-34 | Win | 100 | 142 h 54 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Colorado State (10* GAME OF MONTH) Colorado State comes in desperate as it’s already 0-2 with losses to Colorado and Hawaii. Arkansas though comes in contented after opening the season with a win over Eastern Illinois. Razorbacks QB Cole Kelley struggled in his limited time to begin the game and Storey was put in midway through and he’d go 12 of 17 for 261 yards and three TD’s in just two quarters of action. “Storey was the story,” Eastern Illinois head coach Kim Dameron lamented afterwards. “He came in and hit us on the big plays down the field…. I thought just the way he handled the passing game was impressive.” I think Storey will have his hands full though with a hungry Rams team looking for any type of spark to turn things around. Colorado State has had to play from behind in each of its first two games and QB KJ Carta-Samuels so far has a respectable 537 yards, five TD’s and one INT. The defense has been a disaster, but the Rams catch a break facing the run heavy offense of Arkansas this week. With a game at home against North Texas next weekend, it’s not to hard to imagine the Razorbacks in some small way coming in complacent to this one either. I think the desperation in which Colorado State plays with today turns out to be the difference. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 41-35 Razorbacks. | |||||||
09-08-18 | Ball State +33.5 v. Notre Dame | Top | 16-24 | Win | 100 | 138 h 5 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Ball State (10* TRADE-MARK) Notre Dame comes in off a win and cover over Michigan at home last week and I think it’ll suffer enough of a mental letdown here to let lowly Ball State sneak in through the back door down the stretch with the massive spread that it’s been afforded. Ball State was 2-10 last year, mostly due to injury to key players. The Cards were handed a “cream puff” in their opener and they smashed FCS school Central Connecticut State 42-6. Riley Neal and James Gilbert only played three combined games last year, but they’d go on to lead an offense which posted 652 total yards. Neal was 23 of 30 for 258 yards and three TD’s. “We’ve been waiting for this,” Cardinals coach Mike Neu assessed afterwards. “The credit has to go to the offensive line because they give the running back the holes to do what they do. It was good to see 34 (Gilbert) back out there. He’s a warrior. I thought Riley was in control. He made some big throws and checks at the line of scrimmage. I thought he did a good job out there, it was great to have number 15 back out there.” Clearly the Ball State defense, which gave up over 40 PPG last year, will have a much more difficult time today, but regardless it was a huge step in the right direction for the unit. The Irish knocked off the Wolverines 24-17, as the defense would go on to force two turnovers while also limiting Michigan to just 58 rushing yards. QB Brandon Wimbush was just 12 of 22 though for 170 yards, one TD and one INT. I think Notre Dame gets caught looking ahead to its interesting home match-up with Vanderbilt next week. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 40-25 Irish. | |||||||
09-08-18 | North Carolina -14.5 v. East Carolina | 19-41 | Loss | -112 | 138 h 56 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: North Carolina (8* BANKROLL BUILDER) UNC fell to Cal this past weekend, while East Carolina was embarrassed by FCS school North Carolina AT&T. The Tar Heels clearly have issues, but not nearly as many as the Pirates. UNC came out on the short end of a lower-scoring 24-17 setback to California on Friday, QB Nathan Elliot had only 137 yards through the air: “Turnovers and penalties, that’s the game right there,” Tar Heels’ head coach Larry Fedora lamented. “Self-inflicted wounds is what those are…. Whether you get pressure or not you have to make the right decision. If you turn it over like we did you’re going to have a hard time winning the game.” The Pirates looked even more pathetic though and against the lowliest of opponents, falling 28-23 to North Carolina AT&T. “We put the ball on the ground way too many times since I’ve been here,” said ECU head coach Scottie Montgomery afterwards (note the Pirates turned the ball over on three occasions while forcing no turnovers.) “We just can’t have that happen. And all that goes directly to me. There’s no way that I can point the finger at any of these kids. They prepared harder than any group I’ve ever been around and did exactly what we asked them to do.” Note that East Carolina is just 2-7-1 ATS in its last ten at home, while UNC is 7-3-1 ATS in its last 11 on the road. Losing to Cal is one thing, but losing to an FCS school is quite another. Lay the points and expect a rout. T.M. Prediction: 40-17 Tar Heels. | |||||||
09-08-18 | Western Michigan v. Michigan -26.5 | 3-49 | Win | 100 | 135 h 33 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Michigan (8* BLACK-LABEL BLOWOUT) WMU opened with a 55-42 home loss to Syracuse last Friday and it now it travels to the Big House to face the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday afternoon, a team which comes in off a disappointing 24-17 setback to No. 12 Notre Dame last weekend. The Broncos looked decent offensively last week, but downright terrible on the defensive side of the ball. QB Jon Wassink was a bright spot in the setback to the Orange, going for 379 yards, three TD’s and two INT’s though. Shea Patterson was 20 of 30 for 227 yards, an INT and a fumble in his Wolverines debut. Dylan McCaffrey was four of six for 22 yards. Karan Higdon was a bright spot on the ground with 72 yards. While they fell flat in Week 1, I think the Wolverines will get it together in Week 2. Note that Michigan is 4-1 ATS in tis last five home games against teams with a losing road record, while the Broncos are just 1-4 ATS In their last five home games against a team with a losing road record. I think Patterson settles down and the Wolverines defense does the rest. Lay the points. T.M. Prediction: 45-10 Wolverines. | |||||||
09-08-18 | Eastern Michigan +15 v. Purdue | 20-19 | Win | 100 | 134 h 27 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Eastern Michigan (8* BLOWOUT) The EMU Eagles come in off a confidence building 51-17 victory over lowly Monmouth last Friday, while Purdue comes in stunned after it’s 31-27 home opening loss to Northwestern. Clearly the Boilermakers will be eager to get into the winners circle, but the Eagles won’t be going down without a fight. I’m not calling for the upset, but I do think Purdue comes in still collectively hung up over its season opening loss. And with upcoming home games against Missouri and Boston College, it’s not to hard to imagine the home side in some small way also getting caught “looking ahead” to those much more important/difficult contests. Last week EMU QB Tyler Wiegers was 18 of 21 for 238 yards and two TD’s. Purdue QB Elijah Sindelar was 18 of 30 for 196 yards, one TD and three INT’s last week, while David Blough was 12 of 16 for 74 yards. I understand that beating Monmouth is one thing, while beating a pissed off Purdue team at home is quite another. But as I mentioned above, I’m not calling for an outright upset. I do definitely think though that the stage is set for a competitive battle. Grab the points. T.M. Prediction: 35-25 Boilermarkers. | |||||||
09-03-18 | Virginia Tech v. Florida State -7 | Top | 24-3 | Loss | -102 | 33 h 7 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Florida State (10* GAME OF WEEK) FSU was 7-6 last year, while Virginia Tech went 9-4. VT averaged 28.2 PPG in 2017 and the unit should be decent again this season with the return of QB Josh Jackson, who had 2,991 passing yards and a 20/9 TD:INT ratio last year. The biggest difference though is on the defensive side this season. Last year the Hokies allowed just 14.8 PPG, but that unit now features many new faces in 2018/19. FSU QB Deondre Francois is ready to step up and take advantage. While Francois missed most of last season to injury, he had a 20/7 TD:INT ratio in 2016. The Seminoles had a strong defense as well last year which allowed only 21.2 PPG and it should only be better this season with most of the key/skill players returning. I think FSU wears down the new look VT defense. Lay the points, play on the Seminoles. T.M. Prediction: 35-20 Seminoles. | |||||||
09-02-18 | Miami-FL v. LSU +3.5 | 17-33 | Win | 100 | 34 h 2 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: LSU (8* BLACK-LABEL BLOWOUT) Miami comes in ranked No. 8, while LSU is No. 25. The Tigers won’t be going down without a fight today in this neutral site game and while the outright win is clearly not out of the question, the prudent move is the points in my opinion as I’m expecting a “nail-biter” until the end. Miami was 10-3 last year, while LSU was 9-4. Miami returns’ starting QB Malik Rosier, who had 3,120 yards passing and 468 yards rushing. Overall the Hurricanes averaged 29.1 points and allowed 21. LSU averaged 27.2 points and it allowed just 18.9. The offense has to replace QB Danny Etling, so expect to see a fight between Myles Brennan and Joe Burrow. But the LSU defense returns its core and I ultimately think the unit is going to keep it in this game late. Grab the points and then grab some popcorn! T.M. Prediction: 25-20 LSU. | |||||||
09-01-18 | Bowling Green v. Oregon -32 | Top | 24-58 | Win | 100 | 26 h 56 m | Show |
T.M. Selection: Oregon (10* TRADE-MARK) Bowling Green went 2-10 last season, and while some returning starters should see that record go up this tar, it’s still going to be an uphill battle for the Falcons. Jarret Doege only played half the season for Bowling Green and he had 1,381 yards, 12 TD’s and three INT’s. Doege is going to be given the green light today to throw to Scott Miller, who had 63 catches for 722 yards last year. Bowling Green was weak defensively though and it’s a major question mark for the team this season as well. The Ducks are led by QB Justin Hebert, who had almost 2,000 yards passing last year in eight games. In fact, in the seven regular season games that Hebert played in, Oregon was 6-1 and averaged 52.1 points, compared to going just 1-4 and averaging a paltry 15 without him under center. The Ducks were tough defensively last season and they should be again this year as well. Note that Oregon is 5-2 ATS in its last seven at home as a favorite, while Bowling Green is 0-9 ATS in its last nine non-conference contests. I look for Hebert and the Ducks to roll this score up. Lay the points. T.M. Predicted Score: 60-15 Oregon. | |||||||
09-01-18 | UMass v. Boston College -17.5 | 21-55 | Win | 100 | 19 h 57 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Boston College (9* SUPER-PLAY) I’m expecting a rout from start to finish in this one. Note that the last time these met back in 2016 BC won 26-7. Massachusetts played last week and hammered Duquesne 63-15, but I think it’s going to stumble here with the step up in competition. The Minutemen were just 4-8 last year, so they got a “cream puff” on Opening weekend. QB Andrew Ford was 13 of 19 for 186 yards and two TD’s, while Bilal Ally had 109 yards on the group and a TD. The defense looked good, but obviously the unit faces a much stiffer test this week. Overall UMass averaged 30.6 PPG last year and it allowed 31.8. BC went 7-6 last season. The Eagles averaged 25.7 PPG and they allowed 22.8, which was ranked 37th in the nation. Ten starters return on offense for BC and the defense is also expected to be a strength this year as well. Sure UMass looked great last week against an FCS team, but seriously, who cares. While the UMass offense looked pretty good last season, the Eagles’ defense is elite and I think it’ll be the difference maker in the end. Lay the points. T.M. Predicted Score: 50-15 Boston College. | |||||||
09-01-18 | Houston v. Rice +26.5 | 45-27 | Win | 100 | 18 h 9 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Rice (8* BANKROLL BUILDER) This is a quick trip for Houston to take on the Rice Owls on Saturday. The Cougars finished with a 7-5 record last year (and then lost to Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl 33-27). Rice was just 1-11 last season, which led to a coaching change. Now, I’m not predicting an outright upset here or anything, but I certainly believe this is a few too many points to be giving up here. Note as well that the “revenge” factor does come into play as Houston has won four straight in the series, including 38-3 in the most recent back on September 16th, 2017. Houston averaged 28.2 PPG game last year and it allowed 23.8. D’Eriq King is the man under center and he finished with 1,260 yards, seven TD’s and two INT’s last season. Rice averaged only 16.2 PPG and it allowed 35.8. QB Jackson Tyner had 600 yards, two TD’s and 44 rushing yards and another rushing TD as well. The Owls aren’t going to win this game, they’re just going to be desperately trying not to get blown out. Houston has a few question on the defensive side of the ball coming into the season and because of that, I think this game’ll be a little closer than this spread would indicate. Great value, play on Rice. T.M. Predicted Score: 35-20 Houston. | |||||||
09-01-18 | Oregon State +39 v. Ohio State | 31-77 | Loss | -110 | 18 h 8 m | Show | |
T.M. Selection: Oregon State (8* BLACK-LABEL BLOWOUT). Oregon State was just 1-11 last year, while Ohio State went 12-2. This is a match-up of David vs. Goliath and while I’m not going to predict Goliath coming through with a TKO here, I do expect the lowly Beavers to do just enough to cover with this sizeable spread. Oregon State averaged 20.7 PPG and allowed 43. The worst in the entire FBS. Jake Luton had 853 yards, four TD’s and four INT’s before going down with injury, but he’s back and ready to go in 2018/19. Several starters return in key positions on both sides of the ball, so some small amount of progression seems imminent to me. Last year Ohio State averaged 41.1 PPG and allowed just 19. QB Dwayne Haskins led the team to a win over Michigan last year and he’s been named the starter this season. He has a wealth of talent surrounding him, but there’s no question that the pressure is on Haskins’ young shoulders now. I think Ohio State comes out a little flat footed and gets caught looking past. No upset, but closer than expected. Grab the points. T.M. Predicted Score: 40-24 Ohio State. |
Service | Profit |
---|---|
William Burns | $846 |
Ross Benjamin | $790 |
Dan Kaiser | $545 |
Joey Tron | $511 |
Sean Murphy | $430 |
Sean Higgs | $352 |
Ricky Tran | $301 |
Ray Monohan | $263 |
Matt Fargo | $220 |
Kyle Hunter | $71 |