College Football Betting Info. Week 1

[TheGame]

College Football Weather Report

Could be a Sloppy Saturday

Find out how weather will impact your college football bets for Saturday's matchups:

**Southern Illinois Salukis at Illinois Fighting Illini (-17)

Temperatures will be in the mid-80s but there is a 21 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Wind will blow across the field at 6 mph.

**Elon Phoenix vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-45.5)

Rain looms in Atlanta with a 44 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast.

**Villanova Wildcats at Boston College Eagles (-16.5)

Temperatures will be in the low-80s but there is a 36 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Wind will blow at 11 mph SW.

**Buffalo Bulls at Ohio State Buckeyes (-34.5, 55.5)

Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms.

**William & Mary Tribe at West Virginia Mountaineers (-34.5)

Mountaineer Field looks to get drenched as there is a 58 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast.

**Purdue Boilermakers at Cincinnati Bearcats (-10.5, 49.5)

A 40 percent chance of rain for this matchup at Nippert Stadium in Cincy.

**Toledo Rockets at Florida Gators (-23.5, 56)

Temperatures will be in the low-90s, but there is a 50 percent chance of rain in the forecast for Gainesville.

**FIU Golden Panthers at Maryland Terrapins (-21, 49.5)

The weather could start out dry in this game, but there is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms which could hit in the second half.

**Colgate Raiders at Air Force Falcons (-26.5)

Temperatures will be in the low-80s with a 27 percent chance of thunderstorms.

**Central Michigan Chippewas at Michigan Wolverines (31.5, 52)

The Big House could get hit with rain as there is a 25 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast.

**Penn State Nittany Lions at Syracuse Orange (+8.5, 51.5)

This one is played at MetLife Stadium and there is a 36 percent of rain in the forecast.

**BYU Cougars at Virginia Cavaliers (pick, 51)

Temperatures will be in the mid-80s and there is a 36 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

**Austin Peay Governors at Tennessee Volunteers (-50)

Neyland Stadium could get sloppy as there is a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for Knoxville.

**Howard Bison at Eastern Michigan Eagles (-18)

A 25 percent chance of thunderstorms is in the forecast at Rynearson Stadium.

**UAB Blazers at Troy Trojans (-3.5, 63)

There is a 36 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for Troy.

**McNeese State Cowboys at South Florida Bulls (-20.5)

Temperatures will be in the low-80s with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast.

**Kentucky Wildcats at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+3.5, 56)

Temperatures will be in the low-90s with a 42 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast.

**Miami RedHawks at Marshall Thundering Herd (-19, 66.5)

There is a 47 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for Huntington.

**Washington State Cougars at Auburn Tigers (-15.5, 62)

Conditions at Jordan-Hare Stadium could get sloppy as there is a 35 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

**Georgia Bulldogs vs. Clemson Tigers (+1.5, 71)

Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with a 46 percent chance of thunderstorms.

**UNI Panthers at Iowa State Cyclones (-9.5)

Conditions should be okay as this game starts, but the threat of a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms is in the mix as this game progresses.

** Weather forecasts and odds as of 9:00 p.m. ET Friday.

[TheGame]

Sunday's Betting Notes
VegasInsider.com

Ohio at Louisville

Line Analysis

Point-Spread: Louisville -21
Money Line: Louisville -1600 Ohio +1000 Total: 58

This line has been hovering between 20 and 21 points since it opened in early August.
The total hasn’t received much attention either, hovering between 57 ½ and 58 ½.
Louisville hasn’t been favored by this many points since the 2007 season when Steve Kragthorpe was making his debut as head coach after Bobby -- Petrino left for the NFL.
Ohio hasn’t been a double-digit underdog since 2010. The team caught 10-plus points twice that season, going 1-1 both straight up and agaisn the spread.

Total Notes

Ohio saw the ‘under’ go 6-5-1 in 2012.
Louisville watched the ‘over’ go 7-5 last season.

Week 1 Notes

Since Frank Solich arrived in 2005, Ohio has gone 5-3 in season openers. In his debut season, the Bobcats were humbled 38-14 at Northwestern. The other two opening season losses were by a combined eight points. Last year, the Bobcats beat Penn State 24-14 in Happy Valley as five-point road underdogs, which was Ohio’s third straight season-opening win.

Louisville has gone 2-1 in season openers under head coach Charlie Strong, the victories coming by 12 and 18 points. Last year, the Cardinals beat Kentucky 32-14 at home in their opener, which was also played on a Sunday afternoon.

Non-Conference Notes

Ohio went 5-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in non-conference games last season, which included a 45-14 dominating win over Louisiana-Monroe in the Independence Bowl.

Louisville went 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS in out of conference games last season. The pair of point-spread losses for the Cardinals came as double-digit favorites on the road. The biggest win came in the Sugar Bowl, as Louisville outclassed Florida 33-23 as a 14-point underdog.

Tech Trends from Bruce Marshall

OHIO at LOUISVILLE...Solich 4-1 vs. spread against non-MAC LY and 7-3 in role past two years. Solich 18-9 last 27 as dog since late 2007 and 5-1 as DD dog that span. Solich has also covered last three openers and six of last seven first games on the board. Charlie Strong only 5-8 as Papa John's chalk since 2010 and just 3-6 vs. spread vs. non-conf. at home that span. Cards 3-7 laying DDs since 2010 and 0-3 laying 20 or more that span. Ohio, based on team trends.

Expert Analysis

Andy Iskoe - Louisville is a fashionable choice to be this season’s BCS Buster with a talented roster and favorable schedule. They are the clear favorite to win the watered down American Athletic Conference (formerly the Big East) and may well not face a ranked team until they travel to Cincinnati to end the regular season. They are well coached with coach Charlie Strong producing winning seasons in each of his three seasons at the helm, including 11-2 last season. They have an experienced QB with Teddy Bridgewater mentioned as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate. But unlike past seasons when Louisville was the hunter the Cardinals are now the hunted, burdened by the weight of those lofty expectations. Ohio also has a talented QB (Tyler Tettleton) and a coach (Frank Solich) who won a National Title back in the day (Nebraska). Ohio was on the verge of an outstanding season in 2012 before numerous injuries took a great toll. Still, the Bobcats went 9-4 which followed up their 10-4 2011 campaign. They’ve been to four straight Bowls, winning the last two and are projected to again be a contender in the MAC. Louisville deserves to be solid favorites in this game but Ohio will compete with a well balanced offense and competent defense.

[TheGame]

NCAAF Week 1

Louisville QB Bridgewater (22 starts) is one of best QBs in country, but Ohio U's QB Tettleton (son of former big leaguer Mickey) is damn good too- he has 26 career starts . Since 2006, Bobcats are 13-9-1 as dogs on road- they covered seven of last ten non-MAC games. Cardinals have 10 starters back on defense; since '07, they're 10-17 as home favorites (7-10 under Strong), 9-9 in last 18 non-league games. Ohio lost three starters on OL (55 returning starts); Louisville has three OL starters back, but only one is a senior (64 returning starts).

Colorado won seven of last ten games vs Colorado State,. with faves 5-2 vs spread in last seven; both teams have experienced defenses and QBs with very little experience. Buffs are 9-20-1 vs spread as underdogs last three years, but former San Jose State coach MacIntyre is huge upgrade over previous regime- he was 16-7 as underdog at San Jose. Over last 10 years, Rams are 1-12 vs spread as favorite away from home- they're 4-9 vs spread in last 13 non-league games. State upset Buffs LY; its been 13 years since they beat Colorado two years in row. Rams have 94 starts back on OL (4 starters back), Buffs have 3 OL starters back (51 starts).

[TheGame]

Sunday's NCAAF Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com

Ohio Bobcats at Louisville Cardinals (-20.5, 58)

With Heisman Trophy hopeful Teddy Bridgewater under center and a schedule that bodes well for the potential for an undefeated campaign, No. 9 Louisville begins the season with national championship aspirations when the Cardinals host Ohio in Sunday's season opener. The Cardinals enter the season with their highest preseason ranking ever, looking to build off a Sugar Bowl victory over Florida last January. The Bobcats, who are picked to win the Mid-American Conference East Division, might be Louisville's toughest non-conference test.

The Bobcats have opened the season with victories the past three years, including an upset of Penn State last year, but they haven't played a top-10 team since taking on then-No. 2 Ohio State in 2010. "This may be the most complete football team (we've played) since I've been here," Ohio coach Frank Solich told reporters. "They have a combination of things that I think we have not faced before in our time here at Ohio." The teams have split four all-time meetings but haven't clashed since Ohio's 22-15 victory in 1959.

Key betting stat: The Bobcats are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.

Weather watch: The forecast is calling for temperatures in the low-90s with a 45 percent chance of thunderstorms in Louisville.


Colorado Buffaloes at Colorado State Rams (-3, 48.5)

Mike MacIntyre, who led San Jose State to a 11-2 record and a Military Bowl victory over Bowling Green, makes his Colorado head coaching debut against Colorado State on Sunday in what is called “The Rocky Mountain Showdown.” MacIntyre, who replaced Jon Embree, takes over a Buffaloes’ team that finished just 1-11 a year ago with the only victory by one point - 35-34, at Washington State. The Buffaloes bring an eight-game losing streak into the contest, the fourth longest in the FBS.

Colorado State begins its second season under Jim McElwain, who was the offensive coordinator for Alabama’s 2011 national championship team before leaving to take over in Fort Collins. The Rams won last year’s meeting, 22-17, and are attempting to record back-to-back wins over their in-state rivals for the first time since 1999-2000. The Sunday afternoon contest is played at a neutral site, Sports Authority Park at Mile High in Denver, home stadium for the NFL's Denver Broncos.

Key betting stat: The under is 5-0 in the last five meetings.

Weather watch: Temperatures in Arvada will be in the high-80s with a 21 percent chance of showers.

[TheGame]

OHIO U (9 - 4) at LOUISVILLE (11 - 2) - 9/1/2013, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.


COLORADO (1 - 11) vs. COLORADO ST (4 - 8) - 9/1/2013, 6:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO ST is 1-1 against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO ST is 1-1 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


OHIO vs. LOUISVILLE
Ohio is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Ohio is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Louisville is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Louisville's last 6 games


COLORADO vs. COLORADO STATE
Colorado is 5-17 ATS in its last 22 games
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado State's last 5 games when playing Colorado
Colorado State is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Colorado


Ohio at Louisville
Ohio: Bobcats 7-3 ATS last two years in non-conference games
Louisville: Cardinals 1-5 ATS in first two games of season over past three years

[TheGame]

Pittsburgh enters ACC on Monday vs. No. 11 FSU
By: Brian Graham

Kickoff: Monday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Florida State -10, Total: 49.5

Pittsburgh will make a loud entrance into the ACC when it hosts No. 11 Florida State on during Monday's Labor Day holiday.

FSU and Pitt haven’t played in 30 years with the Seminoles having lost three straight to the Panthers since beating them in 1980. Florida State believes redshirt freshman QB Jameis Winston can live up to his potential, as he’ll be surrounded by playmakers in the receiving corps. He'll also have a great ground game to rely on, as RBs Devonta Freeman and James Wilder combined for 1,300 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns last year. FSU has an impressive back seven, but is replacing its entire defensive line. Pitt’s offense is a mess, with Rutgers and Arizona reject Tom Savage replacing Tino Sunseri under center, no experience at running back and a dicey offensive line. However, the Panthers' nasty defense returns nine starters, and should be a strength in 2013. Florida State really struggled last year, both away from home (1-6 ATS) and in the favorite role (5-9 ATS), and is just 13-21 ATS (38%) in ACC play since 2009. In the past two seasons, Pittsburgh has been a strong home wager (9-5 ATS) and has also enjoyed the underdog role (8-4 ATS).

FSU tallied 39.3 PPG last season, good for 10th in the nation. Last year's QB EJ Manuel, who is now playing in the NFL, won’t be easy to replace, but some people think QB Jameis Winston (13-of-15, 205 yds, 2 TD in spring game) could eventually be even better than Manuel. FSU’s best WR Rashad Greene (741 rec. yds, 6 TD) is also a star punt returner (15.4 avg, 3rd in FBS), while WRs Kenny Shaw (532 rec. yds) and Kelvin Benjamin (495 rec. yds, 4 TD) are both very reliable. Green has been bothered by an injured finger, but he is expected to play on Monday night. The ‘Noles will remain run-heavy (206 YPG, 24th in FBS) with junior RBs Devonta Freeman (660 rush yds, 8 TD) and James Wilder Jr. (640 rush yds, 11 TD) rumbling behind an experienced offensive line. New defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt did a fantastic job coaching Alabama’s secondary, and has plenty of talent in the back seven, such as DBs Lamarcus Joyner and Terrence Brooks (51 tackles each), and LB Christian Jones (95 tackles). The Seminoles led the nation in pass defense (162 YPG), finished second in total defense (254 YPG), third in rushing defense (92 YPG) and sixth in scoring defense (14.7 PPG). But FSU lost top CB Xavier Rhodes plus all four D-Line starters, including ACC sack leaders Bjoern Werner and Cornellius Carradine. This is not a team that forces too many turnovers, tying for 90th in FBS with a mere 1.5 takeaways per game.

Pittsburgh enters its first ACC campaign with an offense in shambles. The team's top two offensive players, QB Tino Sunseri and RB Ray Graham, both graduated. Then over the summer, highly-touted RB Rushel Shell, who this offense was supposed to revolve around, transferred to UCLA. After feeling homesick and wanting to be closer to his twin children, he asked to return to Pittsburgh, but wasn't accepted back so he landed with West Virginia. Not all is dire though, as WR Devin Street (975 rec. yds, 5 TD) is a star, and he will be catching passes from 23-year-old senior QB Tom Savage (16 TD, 10 INT at Rutgers) who hasn't played a down in almost three years. Unproven junior RB Isaac Bennett (87 carries, 4.3 YPC in career) should get the bulk of the carries. The nation’s 17th-best defense (331 YPG) is in great shape for new defensive coordinator Matt House, as nine starters return. House oversaw Pitt’s excellent secondary last year (194 pass YPG, 20th in FBS). DT Aaron Donald (18.5 TFL) is a beast, MLB Shane Gordon (6 PD) does it all, and S Jason Hendricks rarely makes mistakes (90 tackles, 6 INT).

[TheGame]

Florida State at Pittsburgh
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider

Matchup: Florida State Seminoles at Pittsburgh Panthers
Venue: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (grass)
Date: Monday, Sept. 2 , 2013
Time/TV: 8:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
Line: Florida State -10.5, Over/Under 49

Florida State hasn’t had an elite quarterback since Chris Weinke won the Heisman Trophy and led the 2000 team to the BCS Championship Game. Chris Rix and E.J. Manuel may rank second and third, respectively, in career passing yards at FSU, but they failed to lead the Seminoles to any accomplishments of merit compared to teams of the 1980s and ‘90s.

That’s right, this space isn’t passing out any love notes to Manuel for leading FSU to an ACC title last season. And why would we? The ‘Noles may have won 12 games last year, but they only faced two ranked teams, beating one (Clemson at home) and losing to another (at home to arch-rival Florida by double digits), and barely knocked off a seven-loss Ga. Tech team (21-15) to win the conference.

But for the first time in more than a decade, FSU may have found its man in redshirt freshman QB ‘Famous’ Jameis Winston. He hasn’t even taken his first collegiate snap yet has already been compared to Charlie Ward.

There’s zero doubt that Winston has a strong arm, which was on full display while throwing heaters from the mound for the FSU baseball team this past spring. There’s no question about his speed, either, which dazzled MLB scouts while running the bases for the ‘Noles.

Can Winston live up to the hype? We’ll start to get an idea Monday night when Pittsburgh plays host to FSU at Heinz Field. ESPN will have the telecast at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

As of early Sunday night, most betting shops had FSU installed as a 10-point favorite with a total of 49. Gamblers can take Pitt to win outright for a +320 payout (risk $100 to win $320). For first-half wagers, the ‘Noles are favored by six with a total of 24.5.

Jimbo Fisher’s team finished 2012 with a 12-2 straight-up record, but it limped to a 5-8 against-the-spread mark. FSU returns seven starters on offense and four on defense.

FSU was expected to have one of the nation’s best and deepest group of wide receivers. However, that depth has taken a major hit over the last month. Greg Dent (27 catches, 355 yards & 2 TDs in 2012) has been suspended indefinitely, while Jarred Haggins and Willie Haulstead have been lost to season-ending injuries.

Junior Rashad Greene remains healthy, though, and appears poised for a monster campaign. As a sophomore, Greene hauled in a team-high 57 receptions for 741 yards and six touchdowns. He is probably the ACC’s third-best WR behind only Sammy Watkins and Maryland’s Stefon Diggs.

FSU had a salty defense last season that gave up only 14.7 points per game, but seven starters are gone and, perhaps most important, defensive coordinator Mark Stoops left to become the head coach at Kentucky. The new DC is former Alabama defensive backs coach Mark Pruitt, who is just the third man to hold this post at FSU in the last 28 years.

Pittsburgh will be making its ACC debut after going 6-7 SU and 8-5 ATS in its farewell season in the Big East. The Panthers bring back five starters on offense and eight on defense for Paul Chryst’s second year in the Steel City.

Pitt suffered a pair of costly losses with the departures of two of the school’s all-time best in QB Tino Sunseri and RB Ray Graham. Sunseri had a banner senior season, completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 3,288 yards with an outstanding 21/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Sunseri finished his career ranked third in school history with 8,590 passing yards.

Graham had 11 rushing TDs in 2012 and completed his career behind only Tony Dorsett in career rushing yards with 3,271.

Tom Savage will take over under center for Sunseri after sitting out the last two seasons. Savage was considered one of the biggest recruits in Rutgers history when he signed with the school in 2009. As a true freshman, he had a 14/7 TD-INT ratio for the Scarlet Knights.

But Savage lost his starting job as a sophomore and decided to transfer to Arizona. Then he didn’t like it in Tucson and elected to come to Pitt where he has only one year of eligibility.

Savage’s favorite target will be WR Devin Street, who garnered second-team All Big East honors after making 73 catches for 975 yards and five TDs in 2012. RB Isaac Bennett will replace Graham and he has been upgraded to ‘probable’ after missing some practice time with a knee injury. Since 2008, Pitt owns a 6-2 spread record in eight games as a home underdog. During Fisher’s tenure in Tallahassee, FSU has compiled a 5-7 spread record as a road favorite. The ‘Noles went 0-5 ATS in road ‘chalk’ situations last season.

[TheGame]

NCAAF Week 1

Pitt's ACC debut is a primetime home game with Florida State, which was 0-5 as a road favorite LY; since 2005, they're 10-15 when favored on foreign soil. Seminoles are breaking in new QB and lost seven starters on defense, so they'll lean heavily on OL with four starters back (96 career starts). Pitt has senior QB (15 starts) but only one senior starter on OL (60 starts); Panthers covered six of last eight tries as a home dog and are 28-14 vs spread in last 42 conference games (albeit in a different league). FSU is just 30-45 vs spread in its last 75 ACC games.