NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

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Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Baylor Bears (6-0) at Texas Longhorns (3-4)


Date: October 29, 2016 3:30 PM EDT


There will be plenty at stake when No. 8 Baylor travels to Texas for a Big 12 showdown on Saturday afternoon at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, but the roles predicted for the two rivals in the preseason have changed a lot.


Baylor (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) had been expected to take a step back from the top of the conference in the wake of the firing of coach Art Briles and the sexual assault allegations against the school that rocked the college football world in the offseason.


Instead the Bears have kept their swagger, closed ranks under interim coach Jim Grobe, reeled off nothing but wins over the first half of their season and moved steadily up the rankings.


Conversely, great things were expected of Texas (3-4, 1-3 Big 12), especially after the Longhorns won their first two games, one of which was a season-opening victory against then-No. 10 Notre Dame.


Since then, Texas has lost four of five contests, including a 24-21 defeat at Kansas State last Saturday. Coach Charlie Strong, who was crowd-surfed by his players after the win over the Fighting Irish, is just trying find a way to uncork the Longhorns' potential while fighting to keep his job.


Texas and Baylor have met 105 times through the years, with the Longhorns holding a 75-26-4 edge. Lately, the Bears have controlled the series, winning four of the past six editions.


Baylor has started 6-0 in each of the last four years, a program first and the only FBS program to do so.


The rivalry has become testy in the past few years, with plenty of animosity on display between the two teams -- and even a fistfight -- in Texas' 23-17 win in Waco last year.


"We expect it to be a little more intense than the other games," Baylor quarterback Seth Russell said. "So we are expecting that going into it and just trying to focus on winning the game. We can't control the outside distractions, so there's no reason to really worry about them."


Baylor linebacker Aiavion Edwards said the Bears will approach this game like they would any other opponent despite the recent fireworks between the two teams.


"We just have to focus on the next win, the next game, so it's huge anyway you look at it," Edwards said. "We're trying to focus on taking care of business and going down there and getting a win. After playing here, and playing in the Big 12, you respect all the teams. (Texas is) the next team up."


The Bears are the most complete team in the Big 12, averaging 549.2 yards of offense (third most in the conference and fourth nationally) while allowing just 320.3 yards per game (best in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in total defense).


Things have to change, and in a hurry, if Texas is going to salvage this year from the scrap heap.


"We just haven't played well and we have to be better," Strong said Monday in his weekly media availability. "We'd like to see more (improvement), would like to be better and we are so close, maybe just a few plays away each game. Everyone's tired of hearing me say that, including the players, but that's where we are."


The Longhorns had every opportunity to snatch a victory last week at Kansas State but couldn't take advantage of the Wildcats' rare show of generosity that included eight penalties and three turnovers as well as forgetting to cover Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay on a deep pass that went for the Longhorns' first touchdown.


"You just get sick because you see all the points you left out there on the field," Texas wide receiver Dorian Leonard said. "We're still just trying to put our finger on that one thing that's just holding us back. I'm so ready for this game. Going into practice this week, I'm going to try to be the 'hype man' all week, try to keep everybody up."


Texas junior running back D'Onta Foreman has been a key cog in the Longhorns' offense and ranks third in the country with an average of 142.5 rushing yards per game. Foreman has carried the ball 141 times for 855 yards (11th nationally) and eight touchdowns, despite missing a game earlier in the year.

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Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Northwestern Wildcats (4-3) at Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)


Date: October 29, 2016 3:30 PM EDT


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the first time in five seasons under Urban Meyer, Ohio State lost a Big Ten regular-season road game. And its 20-game road winning streak also ended last Saturday night in State College, Pa., when Penn State pulled off a 24-21 upset.


After a rare conference loss and a narrow overtime win on the road the previous week, the Buckeyes dropped from No. 2 to No. 6 in the latest Associated Press poll. They now trail Michigan by a game in the Big Ten East Division standings.


It was the first defeat for Ohio State in October under Meyer, whose record dipped to a still-spectacular 56-5 with the Buckeyes.


The good news for Ohio State (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) is the loss doesn't damage its title aspirations. Win out the rest of the way, including a victory over Michigan in the traditional regular-season finale, and the Buckeyes will go to the Big Ten championship game in December in Indianapolis.


"Every goal is still alive," Meyer said after the loss. "We're not a great team right now."


Ohio State returns home this weekend to face Northwestern (4-3, 3-1) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the first of two straight games in Ohio Stadium that could define the season. The following Saturday, the Buckeyes play host to No. 7 Nebraska.


Neither game figures to be easy. Northwestern brings a three-game winning streak to Columbus. Nebraska, which plays at Wisconsin this weekend in his first reason test of the season, is unbeaten.


"Wow, that is as improved a team as I've ever seen from beginning to now," Meyer said of Northwestern. "They've had three big wins with two on the road. Their defense is outstanding."


While the Wildcats are on a roll, the Buckeyes are licking their wounds after falling at Penn State. Though the Buckeyes have lost only five times since Meyer's first season in 2012, they do have some experience bouncing back from tough losses.


Last year, they fell at home to Michigan State late in the season but responded the following week with a win over Michigan. In 2014, after the stunning early-season loss to Virginia Tech at home, Ohio State ran the table and won the College Football Playoff national championship.


Meyer's Ohio State teams have lost two straight only once -- in 2013 when the Buckeyes were beaten by Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game and Clemson in the Orange Bowl.


"We have to move forward," Meyer said. "You have to let it hurt for a while. If you lose a game, you're not a loser. If you lose a game, you accept it. That was the message to our players. ... It happened, so move on and get ready for a very good team coming in here."


Northwestern has rebounded after losing three of its first four games to start the season, winning three straight Big Ten games against Iowa, Michigan State and Indiana.


Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald realizes the Buckeyes are a little different animal than their previous opponents.


"Now the heavy lifting starts," Fitzgerald said. "Nobody has a stiffer challenge than us. We have to take on the Buckeyes."


Northwestern has some weapons on offense to throw at Ohio State. Justin Jackson leads the Big Ten in rushing with 792 yards, Austin Carr is the conference's leading receiver with 50 catches for 720 yards and nine touchdowns, and Clayton Thorson is the third-leading passer, averaging 240.9 yards per game with 14 touchdowns.


On defense, Columbus-area native Godwin Igwebuike is sixth in the Big Ten in tackles and Ohio native Ifeadi Odenigbo leads the conference in sacks with eight.


Odenigbo definitely will catch Ohio State's attention after the offensive line struggled against Penn State's pass rush, giving up six sacks.


The Buckeyes uncharacteristically let a 21-7 lead slip away against the Nittany Lions, when they were outscored 17-0 in the fourth quarter.


Ohio State outgunned Penn State 413-276 in total yards and had a 17-minute advantage in time of possession, yet still couldn't come away with a win.


The loss raised questions about Ohio State's passing games -- in particular its offensive line play -- that had been bubbling toward the surface the past two games. Quarterback J.T. Barrett doesn't believe it's a catastrophic issue.


"Overall, the passing game, I think we put our O-line in bad spots early on in drives, so we were second-and-long," said Barrett, who is closing in on a Big Ten career record with 90 combined touchdowns rushing and passing. "I think that harmed us."


Meyer doesn't expect any personnel changes this week on the offensive line, which gave up two sacks at the end of the game that stopped Ohio State's final drive.


"There are a multitude of things (that went wrong)," Meyer said. "We did not play very well in a couple of areas on offense. What do you do? You identify it and work on it.


"(The offense) has regressed a little bit. Certainly there were plays to be made. If we hook up on those plays, we go on and win the game."


Ohio State is a three-touchdown favorite to get back on track against Northwestern, which hasn't visited Columbus since 2007 and has lost 29 of the last 30 games between the teams.

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Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Georgia Bulldogs (4-3) at Florida Gators (5-1)


Date: October 29, 2016 3:30 PM EDT


For just the fifth time in the long-time series, both teams will be coming out of a bye week when Florida and Georgia meet at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. (CBS).


The 14th-ranked Gators (5-1, 3-1 SEC) spent the time to prepare for a stretch run they hope ends in an East Division title and berth in the SEC Championship Game. The Gators gained 530 yards of offense in their last outing, a 40-14 win over Missouri, but also turned the ball over four times.


"We're nowhere where we need to be, and yet, we're getting guys to realize how good they can be," Florida coach Jim McElwain said. "You can really be good if you allow yourself to be good."


Georgia coach Kirby Smart is taking a wait-and-see attitude before giving his assessment of what progress his Bulldogs (4-3, 2-3 SEC) might have made during the break.


"I'll answer that question Saturday, because I certainly think we worked towards it," Smart said. "I thought that we got to attack some areas that we needed, and I really thought the kids had good energy and attitude to go out and practice the way they did, physical, hitting each other, with toughness."


There will be plenty of storylines entering the game, including the relationship between the two coaches. McElwain and Smart worked together at Alabama under Nick Saban from 2008 to 2011. McElwain served as offensive coordinator while Smart worked the other side of the ball as defensive coordinator.


"His ability to see the game and put a plan together is really, really good," McElwain said.


McElwain is concerned about Georgia's offensive potential, led by junior running back Nick Chubb and freshman phenom quarterback Jacob Eason. Chubb was held to 40 yards on 16 carries in the 17-16 loss to Vanderbilt in Georgia's last game, but despite that and despite missing most of one game to injury, the junior still has rushed for 586 yards.


Eason took over as starter in the second game of the season and drove the Bulldogs to the late decisive touchdown the next week in a one-point win at Missouri.


He completed 27 of 40 passes with a touchdown against Vanderbilt and on the season has completed 54.3 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. A five-star recruit out of Lake Stevens, Wash., Eason was recruited by both Florida and Georgia.


"This guy in my opinion is the future of the SEC," McElwain said. "He's that good. His ability to push the ball downfield is something that's impressive."


The Bulldogs did get some good news this week on the defensive front as their two leading tacklers, linebackers Natrez Patrick and Roquan Smith, have been cleared of possession of marijuana charges and are eligible to play Saturday.


Florida's offense has not been particularly overwhelming this season, but the Gators do have quarterback Luke Del Rio back. He missed three weeks to a knee injury and was a bit rusty in his first game back -- "I played terrible. I didn't take care of the ball," he said of his play against Missouri -- but has completed 80 of 139 passes for 998 yards and seven touchdowns for the season.


Wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland also is starting to emerge as a threat downfield. The true freshman caught his first career touchdown pass against Missouri and finished with three catches for 79 yards.


"He's a talented guy," McElwain said.


For the season, Cleveland is averaging 20.7 yards per reception.


With 84 of the meetings between the two teams in Jacksonville, the game has a special air about it, which is not lost on the coaches.


"When you walk in that stadium and see it half and half, half Florida fans, half Georgia fans," McElwain said, "I get goosebumps just thinking about it."


Smart called it the best "neutral site" game in college football.


"I think when you get recruited to go to Georgia and Florida, that's a game that you always point to you want to play in," Smart said. "I know historically I was that way as a player.


"But I know our players are that way. It's considered to them one of the biggest games we have each year, especially because of where it's played."

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Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Washington Huskies (7-0) at Utah Utes (7-1)


Date: October 29, 2016 3:30 PM EDT


The unbeaten and fourth-ranked Washington Huskies are enjoying their best ranking since the end of the 2000 season, but they are heading into what their coach calls their toughest test of the season.


Washington (7-0, 4-0 Pac-12) plays at 17th-ranked Utah (7-1, 4-1) on Saturday afternoon, and Rice-Eccles Stadium will be rocking, further fueled by the energy of having ESPN's "College GameDay" program on campus.


"Rice-Eccles has been a great venue this year," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose team is tied atop the Pac-12 South with Colorado. "We have had great support from our fans that makes it a tough place to play for opponents. We need that to be the case this weekend, and we know they will be loud."


Washington is coming off its 10th consecutive victory, a 41-17 win over Oregon State at Husky Stadium last week. The Huskies have defeated every opponent this season by at least 24 points, except for an overtime victory at Arizona.


Washington has the top-rated defense in the Pac-12 (14.6 points allowed per game), leads the country with in turnover margin (plus-2.0 per game), has the nation's No. 2-rated passer (Jake Browning, 199.6 efficiency rating) and the top rusher in the conference (Myles Gaskin, 103.9 yards per game).


The Huskies have outscored their opponents 200-24 in the first half.


"This will by far be our toughest test so far," Washington coach Chris Petersen said of Utah.


"I know their fans will be really excited. That's usually what happens. I think there was going to be really good energy in that stadium whether 'GameDay' came or not. This probably just pours a little more energy into the stadium."


A prime storyline is first-year starting Utah quarterback Troy Williams. He began his career at Washington, but transferred after the 2014 season, which was Petersen's first in Seattle.


"I told them I'd be back. I kept my promise," Williams said of when he left the Huskies.


"But I built everlasting friendships ... those are my brothers up there. I have the utmost respect for all of them. I just want to show people what I can do and continue to showcase my talents. It just gives it a little extra fire. It was hard going through everything I went through up there.


"I'm just real, real excited to get out there this weekend."


Williams has passed for only 221 yards in the past two games -- in a wet-and-windy day at Oregon State and last Saturday at UCLA -- but he hasn't had to do much, other than keep the defense honest with some deep passes.


Utah senior running back Joe Williams has become one of the best stories in college football, coming out of a five-week retirement due to injuries, rushing for 179 yards against the Beavers and a school-record 332 vs. the Bruins. The coaching staff convinced him to come back after other injuries ravaged the position.


"We were down to our last running back and all of a sudden he's back in the lineup and a huge plus for us," Whittingham said. "He pulled away from those UCLA defenders, and they have fast guys. They hand-pick who they want for that secondary and he outran them all."


Browning, a sophomore, has completed 118 of 172 passes for 1,709 yards, with 26 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Wide receivers John Ross (115 yards receiving against Oregon State) and Dante Pettis (112) last week became the first pair of Husky wideouts to go over 100 yards receiving in the same game since 2002.


Gaskin, a sophomore, already has more than 2,000 career rushing yards.


Utah's offense hasn't been dynamic for much of the season, but the Utes are coming off a 52-point effort against a talented UCLA defense. Washington's is even better. The Huskies have future NFL guys all over their defense -- including free safety Budda Baker, cornerback Sidney Jones and defensive tackle Vita Vea.


UW defensive end/outside linebacker Joe Mathis (team-high five sacks) missed last week's game because of a foot injury and doesn't seem likely to play this week. Utah free safety Marcus Williams, a 2015 first-team all-conference pick, did not play last week at UCLA because of an undisclosed injury and is not listed on this week's depth chart.


If the Huskies still have skeptics, it is because they have not played a team that is currently ranked (Stanford was No. 7 at the time of the meeting but has since fallen way off).


"I think this has been a pretty focused crew all along," Petersen said.


"They go to work and practice hard. I will tell you, we expect a lot out of these guys when they come in this building. We do not go through the motions."

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Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Kansas Jayhawks (1-6) at Oklahoma Sooners (5-2)


Date: October 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops found himself playing defense earlier this week, something his team has failed to do miserably at times this season.


The 16th-ranked Sooners (5-2, 4-0 Big 12), who host Kansas (1-6, 0-4) in Big 12 play on Saturday night, come in off a video-game like 66-59 victory over Texas Tech that saw OU allow 854 total yards, including an astonishing 734 through the air. That's more than a lot Sooner defenses would yield in a month not too far back.


Oklahoma ranks 127th out of 128 FBS team in pass defense allowing an average of 342.6 yards per game. Only Arizona State (386.1) is worse. The Sooners are also allowing 36.7 points per game, just slightly better than the last place Jayhawks (36.9).


Not surprisingly, Stoops defended his defensive coordinator. That would be his brother, Mike.


"It's the same coordinator that also we led the league in every defensive category a year ago and made it to the final four," he said. "We're not running a new defense. He didn't bring in something different. It's the same defense. If it's worked before, it'll work again, and I've got confidence in it. And I'm also part of what we're doing."


Stoops spread the blame around even more, mentioning each of his defensive assistants by name.


"It's all of us, too. It isn't just my brother and I," he said. "Didn't complete a sack, ball caught between the two linebackers, ball caught on a secondary guy. It's all of us together."


Luckily for Stoops and the Sooners, the next two games are against the Big 12's worst teams -- at home against Kansas on Saturday and at Iowa State on Nov. 3.


So this stretch could be a chance to work on things to get better or could give Oklahoma's defense a false sense of improvement.


Monday morning on the Big 12 coaches' media teleconference, a reporter asked Kansas coach David Beaty if seeing the OU defense give up so many yards and points gave him examples of areas where the Sooners might be vulnerable. He didn't bite, saying Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who finished with 819 yards of total offense (734 passing and 85 rushing) obliterating the old NCAA record of 751 set by Washington State's Connor Halliday in 2014, and the Red Raiders deserved more credit for their showing.


"That would've been a challenge for the Dallas Cowboys, I believe it," Beaty said. "(Mahomes) played his rear end off, he really did. He made some throws I've never seen before."


Beaty has his own problems to worry about. Kansas has dropped 16 consecutive Big 12 games and has lost 11 in a row to Oklahoma. The Sooners have outscored the Jayhawks by a combined 106-14 in the last two meetings.


After a 44-20 loss to Oklahoma State last week, Beaty announced that quarterback Montell Cozart would continue on as the starter, a role the junior earned at the start of the season before his erratic play led to the promotion of sophomore Ryan Willis.


Cozart completed 24 of 40 passes for 250 yards, all season-bests, with two interceptions and one touchdown as the Jayhawks trailed the Cowboys by just four points at halftime before Oklahoma State used a 27-7 second-half barrage to pull away.


"Montell, I thought, did a workman's job," Beaty said. "Neither one of those picks were actually his fault."


The Jayhawks have committed 25 turnovers this season, tops in the FBS, and are minus-13 in turnover margin. No matter how shaky Oklahoma's defense may be, that is the recipe for a serious butt-kicking against an explosive Sooners offense led by Heisman Trophy candidate Baker Mayfield at quarterback, running back Joe Mixon and wide receiver Dede Westbrook.


Mayfield, who finished fourth in Heisman balloting a year ago, ranks sixth in the country with 23 passing touchdowns and 335.4 passing yards per game and leads the pass-happy Big 12 in pass efficiency (194.9), completion percentage (.714) and yards per completion (15.45). He threw a school-record seven touchdowns and finished with 545 passing yards last week in the wild win over Texas Tech.


Westbrook had nine catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns against the Red Raiders while Mixon finished with 377 all-purpose yards, the most by an FBS player this season and second most in OU history. He also registered a career-high 263 yards rushing and scored five touchdowns.

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Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-0) at Wisconsin Badgers (5-2)


Date: October 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


Most college football teams circle the calendar when they face a team ranked in the Top 10. But for No. 11 Wisconsin, it's become the norm.


For the fifth time in eight games this season, the Badgers (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) will face a team ranked in the Top 10, this time unbeaten and seventh-ranked Nebraska (7-0, 4-0) on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.


Wisconsin opened the season with a 16-14 win over then-No. 5 LSU at famed Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Three weeks later, it took down then-No. 8 Michigan State 30-6 in East Lansing, Mich.


The Badgers have lost their last two games against Top 10 foes, a 14-7 defeat at then-No. 4 Michigan and a 30-23 overtime setback to then-No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 15.


The brutal schedule has taken its toll physically on Wisconsin, which announced Monday that standout inside linebacker Jack Cichy will miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle suffered in last week's 17-9 victory at Iowa. Cichy, who leads the team in tackles with 60, suffered the injury late in the second quarter but still finished the game.


"There were times where Jack actually threw himself into the quarterback with one arm," outside linebacker Vince Biegel said. "As a competitor, it really speaks upon the character he is to not let an injury like this drag him down and bring him down."


Biegel made his return to the lineup Saturday after missing Wisconsin's losses to Michigan and Ohio State with a fractured foot. Inside linebacker Chris Orr also is out for the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee on the Badgers' first defensive play of the year against LSU. Inside linebacker T.J. Edwards missed the beginning of the season because of a fractured foot suffered in the summer, meaning four of Wisconsin's top five linebackers have missed time due to injury.


Nebraska, meanwhile, is off to its best start in 15 seasons, will get star receiver Jordan Westerkamp back from a back injury suffered late in an Oct. 3 win at Illinois. Westerkamp led the Cornhuskers with 65 catches for 918 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago.


Quarterback Tommy Armstrong is excited to get his roommate and number one target back.


"It's going to help a lot," Armstrong said. "I think the whole team is excited about just having another threat out there on offense. Just getting back to having a full unit even though we have guys that rotate in and out, here and there. But having Jordan back is going to be an important key for us."


The trip to Camp Randall brings back some bad memories for the Nebraska. Nineteen players were on the field at some point during the last trip there in 2014, a 59-24 loss that played a big part in coach Bo Pelini getting fired two weeks later. The Cornhuskers actually held a 17-3 lead in the second quarter before the Badgers and Melvin Gordon got rolling. Gordon finished with 408 yards rushing, breaking the NCAA single-game record.


"I'm not really focused on that now," said Armstrong, who finished 6 of 18 for 62 yards with an interception and was sacked four times in that loss. "This is a totally different team than it was in 2014. There's nothing to compare about that. We've got different coaches, different players. You really can't compare that offense to this offense."


Armstrong has started to thrive in his second year of Mike Riley's offense. He has completed 103 of 186 passes for 1,611 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for another 380 yards and six TDs. He'll be tested by a Wisconsin defense that has surrendered just eight total touchdowns -- four rushing and four passing -- this season, fewest in the FBS. The Badgers have given up just nine plays of 20-plus yards in seven games.


"All of our goals are still in sight," Biegel said. "Obviously, we have two losses, but winning the Big Ten West is still a reality. We have Nebraska. The Big Ten Championship's still in sight, and who knows, the College Football Playoff potentially."

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Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Auburn Tigers (5-2) at Mississippi Rebels (3-4)


Date: October 29, 2016 7:15 PM EDT


Two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions will clash when the Ole Miss Rebels host the No. 15 Auburn Tigers at 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford (SEC Network).


The Tigers (5-2, 3-1 SEC) will take a four-game winning streak into the game after beginning the year with losses in two of their first three games, albeit to highly regarded Clemson and Texas A&M.


The Rebels (3-4, 1-2) lost their last two games and have fallen under the .500 mark for the first time since they were sitting at 5-6 late in the 2012 season before winning their last two games.


And while the Tigers look to establishing themselves as a challenger to SEC West Division leader unbeaten Alabama, the Rebels find themselves needing to win three of their last five games to reach the six-win level for automatic bowl eligibility.


And one more thing: The Tigers are coming off an impressive 56-3 dismantling of an Arkansas team that dealt the Rebels a 34-30 setback the week before. The Rebels lost 38-21 to LSU last week while the Tigers were churning out 543 yards rushing against the Razorbacks. That's the most ground yardage ever for an SEC team against an SEC opponent.


"When we get the tempo going, especially being able to tempo and downhill run, we are at our best," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said of the offensive explosion that saw the Tigers average 9.5 yards a carry.


That creates a worrisome scenario for the Rebels, who are having problems stopping people. After surrendering an SEC single-game school record of 284 rushing yards to LSU star running back Leonard Fournette last week, the Rebels are 113th out of 128 FBS teams against the run and don't rank any better than 70th nationally in pass defense, total defense or scoring defense.


The unit now will be tasked with trying to halt, or at least slow, an Auburn offense that seems to be hitting its stride.


Quarterback Sean White is playing with confidence and has become a team leader since getting off to a slow start. The sophomore, who started five games last year, threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another in the rout of Arkansas.


The Tigers also displayed their depth in the backfield. With starter Kerryon Johnson held out to protect an ankle injury, backup Kamryn Pettway rushed for a career-high 192 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson likely will return against the Rebels.


"I'm sure they're going to come out and see it as a weakness to run the ball," Ole Miss defensive end Victor Evans said. "We've just got to handle it."


Ole Miss' offense, meanwhile, seems to be running into a wall in the second half of recent outings. The SEC's second-ranked scoring offense has scored 10 total points in the second half of losses to Arkansas and LSU -- all of them coming in the fourth quarter against the Razorbacks -- and mustered just 104 yards in the final two quarters against LSU.


"I wish I knew," quarterback Chad Kelly said when asked what was behind the recent second-half struggles. "We've just to play harder and have the mental makeup that we're going out to the second half to a team that's going to make adjustments. We've got to execute better."


Going against Auburn's defense is not exactly an easy way to remedy the situation.


A healthy Carl Lawson is leading the surge up front. The Auburn junior has been a terror off the edge with 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. Senior tackle Montravius Adams has three sacks and six tackles for loss as the Tigers have recorded 18 sacks and 46 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.


"Maybe the best defense as far as points per game that we've seen," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. "Only giving up 14 points a game is unheard of almost these days.


"You watch them on tape and you see why, and now their rushing game is back to what they've been known for. So they are an outstanding football team that will provide us another great challenge."

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Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Tennessee Volunteers (5-2) at South Carolina Gamecocks (3-4)


Date: October 29, 2016 7:15 PM EDT


After losing in overtime at Texas A&M and in lopsided fashion to Alabama at home, Tennessee needed last week's break before heading into the stretch run that it hopes will end with an SEC East Division title and a berth in the conference championship game.


The 18th-ranked Volunteers hope (5-2, 2-2 SEC) start with a trip to South Carolina (3-4, 1-4). The two teams meet at 7:15 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.


"I thought it was a very productive open week, work week," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. "Now, what did we do with it? We had a lot of individuals gain physical reps. Some gained mental reps.


"Again, it's very, very important now that we get back to work and we have game-speed repetitions with some time off."


The Vols find themselves at a disadvantage in the division race for the first time since handing Florida its only loss back on Sept. 24. So far, that has been the only setback for the Gators, who play Georgia this weekend and have the postponed contest with LSU coming next month in Baton Rouge, La.


Tennessee can't afford another loss at this point.


"They understand the stakes," Jones said, referring to his players. "They understand the importance and the magnitude of each game. It's all about being a champion, an individual champion.


"What happens is to win championships, your team is comprised of individual champions. It's individuals that live their life like a champion. They're a champion every day by the way they handle their academics, by the way they handle their nutrition, their rest, their attitude, their practice, their mentality, by their style of play.


"We don't ever talk about winning championships. It's about being a champion each and every day, and we talk about that."


Recent history would seem to indicate that no matter what it may look like on paper, the game against South Carolina could work out to be a much bigger challenge for the Vols than might be expected.


The last four meetings have been decided by a total of 11 points, with the Gamecocks winning by 38-35 in Columbia in 2012 and the Vols by 23-21 (2013), 45-42 in overtime (2014) and 27-24 last year.


"As a coach, you sit and watch their body of work on video and I see a football team continuing to improve and get better and better," Jones said of the Gamecocks, who snapped a three-game losing streak with last week's 34-28 win over Massachusetts. "I'm very impressed with them defensively.


"They make you beat them. They make you beat them through execution. They're only giving up 21 points per game. I believe they're 11th in the country in red zone efficiency, so execution will be at a premium."


The Gamecocks played with a new starter at quarterback last week, yanking the redshirt off freshman Jake Bentley, who responded by completing 17 of 26 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. But this will be his first time against an SEC defense.


"Regardless of the situation, we have a lot of confidence in Jake and anybody we put on the field regardless of who they are and position concerned," South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said. "Tennessee has a good football team. We've got to give those guys credit."


Muschamp singled out one Tennessee defender for particular attention. Defensive end Derek Barnett has 11.5 tackles for loss with six of the team's 10 sacks.


"I think he's the guy that can change games," Muschamp said, "and we need to account for him."


So, too, can Bentley's Tennessee counterpart at quarterback. Vols senior Josh Dobbs has rushed for 293 yards, third on the team, and passed for 1,525. Junior running back Jalen Hurd has rushed for 435 yards despite missing one game to injury.


"Josh Dobbs is a three-year starter in our league," Muschamp said. "He's won a bunch of ball games and does a great job. Jalen Hurd is a guy that runs extremely hard. He's tough, physical and competitive. He's going to fight for every yard.


"You're going to have to get a bunch of hats around the ball and gang-tackle this guy. You've got to finish on this guy. He's a very competitive runner."

[TheGame]

Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: New Mexico State Aggies (2-5) at Texas A&M Aggies (6-1)


Date: October 29, 2016 7:30 PM EDT


Damage control the seemed to be the theme this week following the 33-14 loss to No. 1 Alabama as ninth-ranked Texas A&M steps out of conference play to host New Mexico State.


Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPNU) at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas


The loss to the Crimson Tide doesn't completely eliminate the Aggies (6-1, 4-1 SEC) from the West Division race, but it does leave the in position of needing help in the form of at least one loss for Alabama to get to the SEC title game.


A&M quarterback Trevor Knight commented that he has seen one-loss teams still getting to where they want to go in a season, but coach Kevin Sumlin is taking a more focused approach.


"We're not talking about that," he said. "Got to worry about this week. Don't have any control over what happens after that. Our guys understand that.


"Right after that game everyone still wants to talk about where we are in national picture and what can happen here and there. Guess what? Six weeks ago that wasn't a conversation. Now all of sudden it is? We don't forget that.


"We have to beat New Mexico State this week. That's what this week is about. Then we'll figure out next week," Sumlin said.


Beating New Mexico State (2-5, 1-3 Sun Belt) is almost an afterthought.


These Aggies -- they share the nickname with Texas A&M -- have lost their last two games, 22-19 to Georgia Southern and 55-23 to Idaho, with the latter marking the third time this season they have surrendered more than 50 points. Earlier, they lost 52-6 to Troy and 62-42 to Kentucky.


But New Mexico State does have a senior quarterback, Tyler Rogers, who has thrown for nearly 287 yards a game and a solid all-around back in senior Larry Rose III. Rose missed the first three games of the season while recovering from a sports hernia but has rushed for 281 yards in four games since his return. He also has 12 receptions for another 86 yards.


New Mexico State may have put together its best effort of the season in the three-point loss to Georgia Southern, one of the Sun Belt's top teams.


"I'm proud of our offense and defense for how hard they played," New Mexico State coach Doug Martin said. "Our football team has to play smarter. I'm proud of the fight the team showed and I guarantee they'll continue to fight."


Sumlin expects an aerial show.


"They're gonna throw it around a bunch," Sumlin said. "Doug Martin has been around, been a head coach for a while.


"Going to sling it around all over place. Got a guy that can do that. Gonna spread us out. Zone read and really more of the same. RPO stuff. Take shots down field. Will test us deep. They've got nothing to lose."


Rogers also has rushed for 220 yards, third on the team, mostly on run-pass option plays.


"They were putting points up and moving it down the field," Sumlin said, referring to New Mexico State's loss to Kentucky. "Heck of a game. This is another SEC opponent. No stranger to that.


"Definitely a team that is going to try and expose you and get big plays off deep throws and all kind of things down field."


Getting in an up-and-down the field kind of game could work in A&M's favor, helping to snap out of whatever funk may be lingering from the loss at Tuscaloosa. The Aggies rushed for only 114 yards against the Crimson Tide after putting up 353 the previous week against Tennessee.


"Up until that game our line was leading the league in rushing," Sumlin said. "That front against us, no doubt they were better."


Running back Trayveon Williams rushed for 217 yards against Tennessee but scratched his way for only 23 yards on nine carries against the Tide. Quarterback Trevor Knight rushed for 24 after getting 351 in the previous three games.


"Do we want to be better? Yes," Sumlin said, referring to an offensive line that has a redshirt freshman, true freshman and a sophomore starting with two seniors. "Can we be better? We will be better, because these guys will be playing for us for next three or four years."

[TheGame]

Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Preview: Clemson Tigers (7-0) at Florida State Seminoles (5-2)


Date: October 29, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson remembers the last time the Tigers played Florida State in Tallahassee very well.


He saw the first appreciable playing time in his career as the Tigers tried to beat the Seminoles on the latter's home field for the first time since 2006, but Florida State escaped 23-17 in overtime two years ago.


"I think we should've won," Watson said. "We had so many opportunities that we didn't capitalize on that night. We played very well, but just fell short. It was a great learning lesson for the whole team, and the young guys who got to play."


Watson, who passed for 266 yards and ran for a touchdown in that game, has gone 25-2 as Clemson's starting quarterback since and has rewritten the Tigers' record book. But he'd like nothing more than to finish his career with a winning record against the Seminoles.


The teams clash in a prime-time matchup Saturday ( 8 p.m. ET, ABC) at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.


The third-ranked Tigers (7-0, 4-0 ACC) have a bit of a cushion over the No. 12 Seminoles (5-2, 2-2) as far as the Atlantic Division race is concerned but that doesn't detract from the rivalry.


"We're 7-0, so we've reached our goals so far," Watson said. "And we're in position to control our own destiny."


The Seminoles don't. To get to the ACC championship game, they need to win this game and have the Tigers and Louisville also lose one more time to create a potential three-team deadlock at the top of the standings. That would throw the berth into the minutiae of tie-breaking procedures.


The Seminoles also are clinging to hopes that even with two losses they can finagle a way into the College Football Playoff. FSU coach Jimbo Fisher isn't campaigning for that but doesn't think such a development is out of the realm of possibility.


"If you can figure out college football right now, tell me," Fisher said. "You can't. We're in a crazy time right now. You don't know what's gonna happen. I could see it happening, I could see it not happening. But it wouldn't surprise me a lick."


The Tigers are going into the game following an open date that came at the most opportune time. Running back Wayne Gallman appears ready to go after suffering a concussion in their last game Oct. 15 against North Carolina State. He rushed for 103 yards against Florida State last year.


"We're healthy and rejuvenated and ready for this week," Watson said. "We were able to get some guys healthy and get guys to recommit to their goals and what they really want to do for this season and this team.


"Last year we played for 10 straight weeks and kind of slowed down at the end of the season. This is chance for us to build momentum for the next five weeks."


Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow returned for Clemson against N.C. State after missing four games with a broken bone in his hand and came up with several clutch catches. The former walk-on, who had touchdown receptions in four straight games dating back to last season before suffering his injury, may be Watson's most dependable target.


"It's good to have Hunter back," Watson said. "He's an all-around playmaker and another weapon for this offense."


For Florida State, running back Dalvin Cook's return to form has been a factor in the Seminoles' rebound from a 1-2 start to the season. He has rushed for 900 yards for the season, is coming off a 115-yard effort in last week's victory over Wake Forest, and rushed for 194 yards and scored the Seminoles' only touchdown in last year's loss to Clemson.


The most encouraging sign for the Florida State is their recent resurgence on defense. After giving up 177 points their first five games (a 35.4 average), they held then-No. 10 Miami to 19 and Wake Forest to just a pair of field goals the last two games. Defensive end DeMarcus Walker, who is second in the nation in sacks with 8.5, had two against the Demon Deacons.

[TheGame]

Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet and odds: Week 9


We're on to Week 9 of the college football season and the full slate of games can be tough to navigate for bettors. So we bring you our Top 25 betting cheat sheet to handicap the best games of the day.


Central Florida Knights at No. 24 Houston Cougars (-9, 60)


* Freshman McKenzie Milton (960 passing yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions) improved to 2-2 as the Knights' starter after throwing a career-high 317 yards and three touchdowns at Connecticut. Senior Dontravious Wilson has rushed for 371 yards and seven touchdowns, while Milton has plenty of options in the passing game. Tre'Quan Smith leads the team with 23 catches for 360 yards and three scores, tight end Jordan Akins (15 catches, 278 yards, two TDs) is a steady target and freshman Dredrick Snelson (eight catches, 107 yards, TD) is emerging as a threat.


* Greg Ward Jr. has thrown for 2,179 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions, and he ranks fourth nationally with 370.9 yards per game, but the Houston offense has eight turnovers in its past three games. Running back Duke Catalon (279 rushing yards, TD) had 120 total yards versus the Mustangs after missing three games with a concussion. The Cougars are still ranked 13th nationally in total defense (312.1 yards) despite giving up 115 points and 1,247 yards in the past three weeks.


LINE HISTORY: Houston opened as 10-point home favorites and as of Thursday night that point spread was down to -9. The total opened at 56 and has gone up all week - all the way up to 60.5. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Knights are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games on turf.
* Cougars are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Over is 4-1 in Knights last 5 road games.
* Over is 5-0 in Cougars last 5 games following a straight up loss.


No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers at Oklahoma State Cowboys (+3.5, 65)


* The Mountaineers are off to their first 6-0 start since 2006 and have three of the league’s four worst teams - Kansas, Texas and Iowa State - still on the schedule. Quarterback Skyler Howard threw four touchdowns passes against TCU and has completed 66.5 percent of his passes this season for 1,821 yards and 12 scores. Running back Rushel Shell (465 yards, five touchdowns) seeks his third straight 100-yard rushing game, while Justin Crawford (371, three) is expected to play despite an ankle injury.


* The Cowboys’ offense averages 41.1 points per game, good for 14th-best in the nation, on the strength of quarterback Mason Rudolph and a receiving corps that has 10 players averaging 10-plus yards per catch. Rudolph has completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,256 yards and 14 touchdowns against only two interceptions. Freshman running back Justice Hill (565 rushing yards, four touchdowns) averages 119 yards in conference play and his next 100-yard game would be a program record fourth for first-year players.


LINE HISTORY: West Virginia opened as 3-point road favorite and, despite the spread going as high as 4.5 at one point on Tuesday, they currently sit at 3.5-point favorites. The total opened at 65 and remains at that number on Thursday evening. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Mountaineers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Cowboys are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 5-1 in Mountaineers last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 9-1 in Cowboys last 10 conference games.


No. 2 Michigan Wolverines at Michigan State Spartans (+24.5, 55)


* Jourdan Lewis and Jabrill Peppers were among 16 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the best defensive back in college football. Freshman Chris Evans, who leads the Wolverines with 416 rushing yards, is likely to miss Saturday's contest after suffering a concussion in the first quarter of the win against Illinois. Fullback Khalid Hill scored his ninth touchdown of the season before leaving the game in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury but is expected to play Saturday - as is Tyree Kinnel, who also exited that contest early.


* Freshman Brian Lewerke completed only 11-of-24 passes for 156 yards with an interception in the loss to Maryland, and Dantonio revealed Tyler O'Connor - who has started five games this season - was "nicked up" but hopes to have him back in time to face Michigan. Linebacker Riley Bullough was ejected for targeting - his third personal foul of the first 11 minutes - last week but can play from the opening kickoff on Saturday since the infraction took place in the first half. LJ Scott ran for 128 yards against the Terrapins to register his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season and the third of his career.


LINE HISTORY: Michigan opened as 21-point faves and throughout the week that line continued to rise and on Thursday night was at 24.5. The total opened at 54 and went up a full point to 55. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Wolverines are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Spartans are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Over is 9-0 in Wolverines last 9 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
* Under is 5-0 in Spartans last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.


No. 5 Louisville Cardinals at Virginia Cavaliers (+33, 70)


* Jackson is 92 yards shy of becoming the 15th player - and first quarterback - in school history to run for 1,000 yards; he leads all quarterbacks with 138.7 rushing yards per game and has run and passed for at least one score in a FBS-best 10 straight contests. Senior tight end Cole Hikutini posted a career-high 118 yards receiving on six catches versus the Wolfpack and has managed to accumulate at least 84 yards in three of his last four games. Sophomore Blanton Creque tied a school record with four field goals and set another by scoring 18 points as a kicker - marks good enough to net him ACC Specialist and Co-Rookie of the Week honors.


* Taquan Mizzell was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise listless performance for the Cavaliers against North Carolina, posting his second career 100-yard rushing effort while accounting for 131 of the team's 253 total yards in the 35-14 defeat. Kurt Benkert, who threw for a school-record 421 yards passing against Central Michigan last month, was held to a season-low 126 and has only one passing TD over his last two games after throwing for 13 over his first five outings. Linebacker Micah Kiser (11) and safety Quin Blanding (10.7) lead the ACC in tackles per game - one of only two defensive duos from the same school to rank first and second for their respective conference.


LINE HISTORY: Louisville is one of the country's top public teams right now and their opening advantage of 27.5 was nowhere near high enough for the betting public. Books were forced to raise the line twice per day all week long - eventually settling in as 33-point favorites on Thursday night. The total opened at 69 and went up a full point to 70. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Cardinals are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in October.
* Cavaliers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 7-1 in Cardinals last 8 conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 games following a double-digit loss at home.


No. 4 Washington Huskies at No. 16 Utah Utes (+10, 53.5)


* Sophomore quarterback Jake Browning has joined the Heisman Trophy race due to his stellar play and the Huskies' rise and he has thrown 26 touchdown passes against just two interceptions. Sophomore running back Myles Gaskin has rushed for a team-best 727 yards while junior wideouts John Ross (34 receptions for 486 yards and nine touchdowns) and Dante Pettis (27 for 457 with eight scores) are enjoying solid seasons. Washington leads the nation with 12 fumble recoveries - junior inside linebacker Keishawn Bierria is the nation's individual leader with five -- behind a sturdy defense allowing just 14.6 points per game but will be without senior outside linebacker Joe Mathis (team-high five sacks) due to a foot injury.


* Junior quarterback Troy Williams has accounted for 12 touchdowns (seven passing, five rushing) while passing for 1,725 yards and has heavy motivation to play well against the Huskies. Williams began his college career at Washington and played in five games (one start) in 2014 but wasn't a recruit of current coach Chris Petersen and transferred after the campaign to a junior college before performing well enough to catch Utah's attention and then win the starting job. The defense will be missing injured junior free safety Marcus Williams (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries) but also has been receiving solid contributions from senior cornerback Brian Allen (team-best four interceptions), sophomore strong safety Chase Hansen (team-high 49 tackles) and senior defensive end Hunter Dimich (team-leading six sacks).


LINE HISTORY: Washington opened as 10.5-point road favorites and by Thursday night that point spread was down to 10. The total opened at 51 and shot all of the way up to 53.5 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Huskies are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Utes are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 9-0 in Huskies last 9 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Under is 6-1 in Utes last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.


No. 6 Baylor Bears at Texas Longhorns (+3.5, 72)


* Quarterback Seth Russell has completed 101-of-177 passes for 1,470 yards and 16 touchdowns this season and is the school's career leader in pass efficiency (169.2). His top target is junior wide receiver KD Cannon who returned from a groin injury against Kansas to catch three passes for 75 yards, including a 59-yard catch-and-run touchdown, while senior Shock Linwood -- who is the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,962 yards -- anchors a strong running attack that rolled up 246 rushing yards in the win over Kansas. Baylor leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (17.2) and total defense (320.3 yards per game) and is led by junior linebacker Taylor Young, who has a team best 46 tackles and three sacks, and safety Travon Blanchard, a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist who has 29 tackles and three pass breakups.


* The Longhorns have excellent offensive balance and are led by freshman quarterback Shane Buechele, who has passed for 1,722 yards and 15 touchdowns, and junior running back D'Onta Foreman, who leads the Big 12 with 855 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. "When I watch him play, I'm just amazed that a young guy is that mature.," Grobe said of Buechele. "He'll be a great challenge for our defense." The Longhorns' defense, which gave up 45 or more points in four of its first five games, has allowed a total of 30 points in its last two games and is lead by sophomore linebackers Anthony Wheeler (team best 50 tackles) and Malik Jefferson (40 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss).


LINE HISTORY: Baylor began the betting week as 2.5-point road favorites and by the time this cheat sheet was put together they were up a full point to 3.5-point faves. The total hit the board at 69 (hehe...Gronk) and jumped all of the way up to 72. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Bears are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Longhorns are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Under is 6-1 in Bears last 7 vs. a team with a losing record.
* Under is 5-1 in Longhorns last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Bears are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings in Texas.


No. 12 Florida Gators vs Georgia Bulldogs (+7.5, 43.5)


* Del Rio returned from a sprained left knee with an uneven performance against Missouri, going 18-for-38 for 236 yards as the Gators used two interception returns for touchdowns to build a 20-0 lead. Several running backs have combined to drive the Florida offense, as the Gators average 4.8 yards per carry and 181 yards per contest. Cornerbacks Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson have combined for seven interceptions on the season, while the Gators lead the SEC and are second in the nation in scoring defense (12 points per game).


* The Bulldogs have played better on defense in their past two games, allowing 31 points total after giving up 24 or more in each of their first five games. Georgia continues to seek consistency on offense, where under freshman quarterback Jacob Eason and a stable of productive running backs the Bulldogs nonetheless rank 12th in the SEC in scoring offense (25.1 points per game). Eason threw for 346 yards against Vanderbilt, with freshmen Riley Ridley and Issac Nauta emerging as go-to threats (the duo combining for 10 catches for 141 yards).


LINE HISTORY: Florida opened at 6.5-point road favorites and rose a full point to 7.5-point faves. The total opened at 43.5 and hasn't moved all week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Gators are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
* Bulldogs are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games following a bye week.
* Under is 7-1 in Gators last 8 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Under is 9-1 in Bulldogs last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.


Northwestern Wildcats at No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (-27, 53.5)


* Clayton Thorson passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns in last week's victory over Indiana, giving him nine touchdowns and one interception (and two rushing scores) in the last three games. Justin Jackson has accounted for 82 percent of the team's rushing yardage this season and fell just short of his third straight 100-yard effort versus the Hoosiers. Austin Carr, meanwhile, has gone over 100 yards receiving in four of the last five outings and has scored nine touchdowns, all of them coming in the last six games.


* The Buckeyes have given up 47 points in the last two games after yielding a total of 54 points in the first five games, although the unit still boasts some impressive stats. Ohio State's defense has given up eight touchdowns all year (while scoring four of their own) and has allowed only two rushing scores all season. Curtis Samuel was a bright spot against Penn State with eight catches for 68 yards - both team highs - and a 74-yard touchdown run that helped Ohio State build a 21-7 lead before a disastrous fourth quarter.


LINE HISTORY: Ohio state opened the betting week as 21-point home favorites and that number was definitely not enough for the betting public. Plenty of early Ohio State action bumped that advantage all of the way up to -27. The total opened at 52.5 and went up a point to 53.5 by Thursday. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
* Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
* Over is 5-1 in Wildcats last 6 games in October.
* Under is 8-2 in Buckeyes last 10 conference games.


No. 13 Boise State Broncos at Wyoming Cowboys (+13.5, 63.5)


* Sophomore quarterback Brett Rypien has passed for 2,064 yards and 15 touchdowns, but his 442-yard outing against BYU was soured by throwing two pick-sixes. Senior receiver Thomas Sperbeck is enjoying a stellar season with 47 receptions for 810 yards and seven touchdowns and his 3,139 career receiving yards are tops in school history after he passed Titus Young (3,063 from 2007-10) during the BYU game. Sophomore nose tackle David Moa has a team-best 6 1/2 sacks and saved the game by blocking BYU's 44-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining.


* Hill, who is the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,437 yards, often carries the Cowboys on his back and the 289-yard performance was the second-highest showing in Wyoming history. Sophomore quarterback Josh Allen has accounted for 15 touchdowns (10 passing, five rushing) while senior receiver Tanner Gentry has been solid with 38 receptions for 612 yards and five scores. The Cowboys allow 30.3 points per game and feature a solid player in sophomore free safety Andrew Wingard (team-best 75 tackles), while sophomore strong safety Marcus Epps and sophomore cornerback Antonio Hull each have three interceptions.


LINE HISTORY: Boise State opened as 14.5-point road favorites and throughout the week that spread was reduced to 13.5. The total opened at 61.5 and jumped two full points to 63.5. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Broncos are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Cowboys are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games in October.
* Over is 9-2 in Broncos last 11 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 4-0 in Cowboys last 4 conference games.


Kansas Jayhawks at No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners (-40, 67.5)


* The Jayhawks opened the season with a 55-6 rout of Rhode Island of the FCS, but have since dropped six straight, with the closest being a near-miss home loss (24-23) to TCU on Oct. 8. Kansas has used a pair of quarterbacks this season, but redshirt-junior Montell Cozart – who started last week’s 44-20 loss to visiting Oklahoma State after not playing the previous two contests – has been the most effective, throwing for 831 yards and seven touchdowns in five games. As aforementioned, the Jayhawks rank ninth in the Big 12, allowing 36.9 points per contest, but defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr. ranks ninth nationally with seven sacks and Kansas ranks eighth nationally with 8.4 tackles for loss per outing.


* In just the opposite of the Big 12 defensive stats, the Sooners rank in the FBS top eight in scoring (43.9 points per game) and total offense (572.3 yards) and amazingly matched Texas Tech with 854 total yards. Baker Mayfield threw for 545 yards and set a school single-game record with seven passing TDs in the contest while tailback Joe Mixon, filling in for the injured Samaje Perine, became the first Oklahoma player to top 200 rushing yards (263) and 100 receiving yards (114) in a game and sizzling wide receiver Dede Westbrook hauled in nine passes for 202 yards and a pair of TDs. Outside linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has seven sacks and inside linebacker Jordan Evans ranks fourth in the conference with 7.7 tackles per game for the Sooners, who to their credit, have faced five top-34 total offenses to date in Texas Tech, Ohio State, TCU, Houston and Texas.


LINE HISTORY: Oklahoma opened as massive 40.5-point home favorites over the visiting Jayhawks and by Thursday that spread was down to -40. The total opened at 67 and went up by a half point to 67.5. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Jayhawks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games on grass.
* Sooners are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
* Under is 6-1 in Jayhawks last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 10-2 in Sooners last 12 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game.


No. 6 Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers (-9, 43)


* Armstrong, who can move into sole possession of third place in school history for career wins by a quarterback this weekend (tied with three others at 29), needs 11 yards to become the 11th player in conference history to reach 10,000 yards of total offense, and he's also 245 yards away from breaking the school's career total offense record. Jordan Westerkamp (back) will return from a two-game absence and tie Nebraska legend Johnny Rodgers (143) for third place in school annals with his next catch. Leading rusher Terrell Newby is 129 yards shy of becoming the 29th Cornhusker to run for 2,000 career yards and has amassed 235 of his 324 rushing yards over the last three contests in the fourth quarter.


* The Badgers will be without linebacker Jack Cichy (team-high 60 tackles) after he suffered a torn pectoral muscle against Iowa, making him the latest injury casualty to a unit that already lost inside linebacker Chris Orr for the season. They will also be without nose tackle Olive Sagapolu and possibly even cornerbacks Derrick Tindal and Natrell Jamerson. Corey Clement is the Big Ten's second-leading rusher (102.8 yards) and has compiled 298 yards on 60 carries over the last two games. Senior quarterback Bart Houston, who lost his job to freshman Alex Hornibrook in mid-September, saw his first action in four games versus the Hawkeyes, throwing for Wisconsin's only passing touchdown on the team's first possession.


LINE HISTORY: Wisconsin opened the betting week as 7.5-point home favorites and by Thursday that number was up to -9. The total opened at 43 and did not move all week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Cornhuskers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games.
* Badgers are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-0 in Cornhuskers last 6 conference games.
* Under is 13-3 in Badgers last 16 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.


No. 17 Auburn Tigers at Mississippi Rebels (+4, 63)


* Sophomore running back Kerryon Johnson (ankle) could return to the lineup to add another major threat to a rushing attack that ranks third in the nation at 302.9 yards per contest. Sophomore Kamryn Pettway has recorded 361 of his 697 rushing yards and five of his six touchdowns on the ground the past two games for the Tigers. Sophomore quarterback Sean White has been very efficient, completing 68.5 percent of his passes with seven TD strikes and two interceptions while senior Tony Stevens has a team-high 24 receptions.


* Kelly threw for 381 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 27-19 victory over Auburn last year and is completing 62.2 percent of his passes this season with 15 TDs and seven interceptions. Kelly has plenty of weapons but his main target is senior Evan Engram, who leads all tight ends in the nation in receiving yards with 605 on 40 receptions with five scores. Senior Akeem Judd leads the ground attack with 382 yards and four TDs, although he has reached 100 in a game just once this season and Kelly is second on the team in rushing (269).


LINE HISTORY: Auburn opened the week as 2.5-point road favorites and by Thursday that number was up to 4 points. The total hit the betting board at 63 and hasn't moved all week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Tigers are 8-2 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
* Rebels are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 7-1 in Tigers last 8 conference games.
* Under is 8-0 in Rebels last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings in Mississippi.


No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers at South Carolina Gamecocks (+13.5, 50.5)


* The Volunteers' hopes for a spot in the College Football Playoff are now a big longshot, though if they manage to win out and Florida loses another game they will get another shot at Alabama in the SEC championship game. Tennessee is fighting through a slew of injuries but still has quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who is looking to bounce back after throwing a pair of interceptions in the loss at Texas A&M and being held to 92 yards and no touchdowns through the air by Alabama. Dobbs passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 win over South Carolina last season that was part of a six-game winning streak to end the season following a loss to Alabama.


* The Gamecocks spent the first half of the season trying to settle on one quarterback and may have finally found their man in Jake Bentley. The freshman made his first appearance against Massachusetts last week and completed 17-of-26 for 201 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the win as South Carolina managed more than 20 points for the first time this season. Perry Orth and Brandon McIlwain each started three games before the Gamecocks abandoned their plans to redshirt Bentley.


LINE HISTORY: Tennessee opened as 13-point road favorites and edged up a half point to 13.5. The total opened at 50.5 and has yet to move. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Volunteers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Gamecocks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-0 in Volunteers last 6 games following a straight up loss of more than 20 points.
* Under is 6-1 in Gamecocks last 7 conference games.
* Volunteers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 meetings in South Carolina.


New Mexico State Aggies at No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies (-43.5, 71)


* The Aggies held an opponent under 31 points for the first time this season against Georgia Southern last week but still could not come out with a win in a 22-19 setback. Senior quarterback Tyler Rogers threw five interceptions in a 52-6 loss at Troy on Sept. 24 but is steadily improving and passed for a total of four touchdowns and one interception over the last two contests. Running back Larry Rose rushed for 14 touchdowns last season but missed the first three games recovering from a sports hernia and found the end zone once in four games since his return.


* The Aggies defense got a major boost against Alabama with increased playing time for defensive end Myles Garrett, who recorded 3.5 tackles for loss despite still not being 100 percent due to a leg injury suffered last month. The offense was not able to hold up its end of the bargain as quarterback Trevor Knight completed a season-low 45.2 percent of his passes and rushed for a season-low 24 yards. Garrett and Knight will be tasked with keeping their teammates focused on Saturday's matchup instead of looking ahead to a closing stretch that includes dates with Ole Miss, Mississippi State and LSU.


LINE HISTORY: Texas A&M opened as 41.4-point home favorites and the public decided that massive number wasn't enough and bet the -41.5 up to -43.5. The total opened at 69.5 and quickly rose to 71. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* NMS Aggies are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 vs. SEC.
* TAM Aggies are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 21-5 in New Mexico State's last 26 non-conference games.
* Under is 8-1-1 in Texas A&M's last 10 games on grass.


No. 3 Clemson Tigers at No. 14 Florida State Seminoles (+4.5, 60)


* Watson gives the Tigers a flashy star on offense — and Clemson ranks 18th nationally with 304.9 passing yards per game — but a dominant defense has carried the Tigers at times. Clemson ranks in the top 10 in the nation in total defense, scoring defense and passing defense, and the Tigers average a whopping nine tackles for loss per game. If there is a weakness its the run defense, which will have its hands full trying to slow down Cook.


* Cook ranks ninth in the nation in rushing yards (900), but the Seminoles have displayed decent balance with Deondre Francois under center. The redshirt freshman quarterback threw two touchdowns in a road win at Miami and passed for 319 yards and a score in last week’s win over Wake Forest. The Seminoles’ downfall against quality opponents has been their defense, allowing 530 total yards or more in losses to Louisville and North Carolina.


LINE HISTORY: Clemson opened this betting week as 3-point road favorites and the public decided that wasn't high enough - betting the Tigers up to 4.5-point faves. The total hit the betting board at 60 and hasn't moved all week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
* Seminoles are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Over is 6-1 in Tigers last 7 games in October.
* Under is 8-2 in Seminoles last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Road team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

[TheGame]

Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

Best Bets - Week 9


The 2016 college football season hasn't gone as well as hoped with my best bets and after sitting on the sidelines last week and just observing, I'm hoping the week off can get me back into the winner's circle.


We are almost at November in the CFB season and that means some big time rivalries are on tap the rest of the way. This week is no different but it's these two rivalry games and their totals that stick out the most.


Best Bet #1: Penn State/Purdue Over 56.5


Penn State shocked the world when they beat the Ohio State Buckeyes outright last week as there is no doubt that will be the Nittany Lions signature win of the year. But after a high like that, Penn State goes out on the road to take on a sub-par Purdue team, in a game the Nittany Lions are expected to easily win.


Often times when that's the case, especially after a huge upset win like Penn State had, the entire football team deflates a bit, thinking they can just show up and come away with the W. Penn State should cruise to a victory, but without the same intensity level present on defense as last week, it's going to have to be the Nittany Lions offense that gets the job done.


Purdue has been a double digit underdog in nearly every Big 10 game they've played this year and have a 1-3 SU record to show for it. They've allowed 49, 31, and 50 points to the likes of Iowa, Illinois, and Maryland respectively, so defense clearly isn't their strong suit. There's not going to be much Purdue can do to completely shut Penn State down, so the underdog Boilermakers are going to have to rely on their offense for any shot at the upset.


Purdue is 7-1 O/U in their last eight at home and have a 21-8-2 O/U run going after covering the spread last time out. This rivalry has typically been low-scoring with nine of the last 10 meetings either landing on or staying under the number (1-8-1 O/U), but the situational spot here is primed for a high scoring game to be had.


Penn State will get content and lazy on defense coming off the high of last week, and Purdue will be looking to take some chances against a solid team that just beat one of the best in the country. Five of Penn State's last six road games have been high scoring and this one should be as well.




Best Bet #2: Clemson/Florida State Over 60.5


This is the ACC game that college fans everywhere have been waiting for since the beginning of the season when it was expected these two would be battling for a right to play in the playoffs.


Florida State's season hasn't worked out like that with two defeats so far, but the Seminoles could still throw a huge wrench into the conference picture with an outright win.


You've got to score 30+ to have a chance at beating Clemson most days and we should see some points in this one.


Clemson and Florida State's offense's haven't lived up to expectation for the most part this season, but both are still capable of exploding at any point of a game. Florida is coming off consecutive weeks of scoring 20 or less, but they had put up 35+ in four of their first six contests and are on a 6-2 O/U run after a bye.


That extra week to prepare to attack Clemson's defense will show up as a huge positive for Florida State in this one as six of the past eight times they've hosted Clemson the 'over' has cashed.


Finally, Clemson realizes this is likely their last true test between them and an ACC Championship game. The stakes are then ramped up from the Tigers perspective and they'll always revert back to their strength – which is offensive football – when things get tough.


We saw Clemson put up 42 against Louisville when that game was expected to be a threat to the Tigers first place reign, and we should see Clemson be more than willing to trade blows with the Seminoles this week. Clemson's got to believe that when push comes to shove in an offensive shootout, their offense is going to convert more plays because they are better.


Teams have got to stick to their strengths in tough road games and that's why we will likely see 30+ from both sides here.

[TheGame]

Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

NCAA Football Betting Odds: Week 9 Line Movements & Last-Minute News
by Alan Matthews


I think the University of Washington is a legitimate National Championship contender for the first time in a long while, but we should find out for sure if that's true Saturday when the No. 4 Huskies visit No. 17 Utah in a potential Pac-12 Championship Game preview. ESPN GameDay is in Salt Lake City for the showdown.


I think oddsmakers are a bit skeptical of the Pac-12. For good reason, I think. Usual powerhouses Oregon and Stanford have completely crashed. UCLA was the preseason favorite in the Pac-12 South but has played so badly that Coach Jim Mora could be in some trouble despite a massive buyout and recent contract extension.


So the conference's only hope of not missing the College Football Playoff for a second straight season rides on Chris Petersen's Huskies. They are +900 to win it all. Take a look at UW's schedule. Knowing what you know now about the Ducks and Cardinal, that schedule looks very unimpressive. There are no ranked teams left on it after this game, as Washington will be favored to win at Cal, home vs. USC (Trojans are surging) and Arizona State, and at Washington State in the Apple Cup.


Should Utah win, the Pac-12 is going to be out of luck in terms of the playoff. That would also hugely help one-loss teams elsewhere like Louisville and Ohio State. I'm looking forward to seeing Washington's Jake Browning, the lock Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and +1000 to win the Heisman, go up against a Utah defense that leads the conference in interceptions and has held opposing quarterbacks to a 53.5 percent completion rate. Browning ranks No. 2 the FBS in pass efficiency (199.6), No. 3 in touchdowns (26) and in yards per attempt (9.94).


Washington could still lose this game and win the Pac-12 North as long as it doesn't lose again. Utah is tied atop the South with Colorado, and those two still have to play. The Huskies are 10-point favorites and while I think they win, I'd take the points -- a few sportsbooks have it still at 10.5, and I'd go there. Utah earned its first victory ever against Washington last season in Seattle as a 24-point outburst in the second quarter led to a 34-23 victory.


Here are some news, notes and any major line moves for some of Saturday's games around the country, in no particular order.


Northwestern at No. 6 Ohio State (-27, 53.5): Have to say this line surprises me as it has risen a whopping six points. Look, I get that Ohio State is one of those teams that the casual public loves to bet, much like a Notre Dame or Alabama. And I get that Urban Meyer teams almost never lose consecutive games. But 27 points!? Northwestern is not the same team that opened the season with home losses to Western Michigan (doesn't look so bad now) and Illinois State. The Wildcats have won three straight games and have the Big Ten's leading rusher in Justin Jackson and top receiver in Austin Carr. Jackson has rushed for 453 yards and three touchdowns in the last three games, while Carr has 24 catches for 328 yards and six touchdowns in that span. The defense has shut down the running game in the winning streak as opponents are averaging only 2.4 yards per carry. I'm not saying NU will win this game, but I'll be surprised if the Cats don't cover.


No. 7 Nebraska at No. 11 Wisconsin (-9, 43): The line has risen 1.5 points. I believe the winner of this game will play Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Huskers are the only West Division team without a loss in conference and have a one-game lead over Northwestern and two over Wisconsin. Assuming NU doesn't beat Ohio State on Saturday, you can all but put the Huskers in the conference championship game with a win here. Wisconsin, meanwhile, would have major life with a victory as Nebraska probably loses next week at Ohio State. The Cornhuskers are expecting back wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp, who has missed the last two games with a back injury. He has 13 catches for 228 yards and four scores. Wisconsin, meanwhile, has lost linebacker and leading tackler Jack Cichy to a season-ending torn pectoral. He has 60 tackles and ranks second on the team in tackles for loss (seven). He recorded 15 tackles against Ohio State two weeks ago and was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week. Big loss for a UW defense ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense (14.3 points per game) and ninth in total defense (300.6 yards).


No. 15 Auburn at Ole Miss (+4, 63): This opened with the Tigers at -2.5 Auburn is expecting starting running back Kerryon Johnson to return from injury for this SEC West matchup. He injured his ankle two games ago on the opening series against Mississippi State and then missed last week's game vs. Arkansas. Didn't matter as Auburn rushed for 543 yards in the blowout of the Razorbacks, the most ever by one team in a regular-season SEC game. Johnson has 538 yards and six touchdowns on the year. If anyone has a harder schedule than Ole Miss this season, I'd like to know who. This is the sixth ranked team the Rebels have faced and they have just one win against them, over currently unranked Georgia. Ole Miss can't stop the run, ranking 113th nationally and having allowed LSU's Leonard Fournette to rush for a school-record 284 yards last week. That obviously could be a problem this week.


Miami at Notre Dame (+2, 58.5): The Irish opened as 1-point favorites for what used to be arguably the most heated rivalry in college football. It's the first on-campus meeting between the two in 26 years, and the game has the smallest spread on the board. The Hurricanes were once ranked 10th in the country but have fallen apart since a close loss to Florida State on Oct. 8 -- that has been a trend the past few years. UM gets so geared up for the Seminoles, loses a game it could have won and then has nothing left in the tank. To be fair, Miami has been absolutely gutted by injuries, especially on defense. But a very successful 10-win season (with a bowl victory) is still doable for Coach Mark Richt with a win here as the rest of the regular-season schedule is fairly easy. The Irish, of course, were an early-season Top 10 team but have face-planted. They basically have to win this to have a shot at a bowl game. Both starting quarterbacks in this game, Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer and Miami's Brad Kaaya, are expected to be first-round picks in next year's draft if they declare. Kizer could go No. 1 overall.

[TheGame]

Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

NCAAF


Saturday’s best 13 games


TCU beat Texas Tech 82-27/55-52 last two years, gaining a ridiculous 750-785 TY. Underdogs are 3-2 vs spread in last five series games; Red Raiders lost two of last three visits here, with average total in last two played here, 109.0. Yes, 109. Frogs are 10-4 in last 14 games as a home favorite, but 0-2 this year. Tech allowed 52.7 pts/game the last three games, 1,504 TY in last two; they’ve scored 50+ points in four games this year, are 2-2 in those games. Red Raiders are 5-3 in last eight games as a home dog. Three of last four TCU games stayed under; over is 4-2 in Tech games. Home favorites are 8-4 vs spread in Big X games.


Florida State is a home underdog for first time in five years; Seminoles won last two games vs Miami/Wake Forest, holding them to 528 TY, 25 points. Home side won eight of last nine Clemson-Florida State games; Tigers lost eight of last nine visits to Tallahassee, losing last four by 6-12-3-14 points, though Clemson did cover four of last five visits here (all as underdog). Seminoles won three of last four series games, but they’re thin this year and looked tired before their bye.* Clemson is 4-7 in last 11 games as a road favorite, 2-1 this year. Under is 5-2 in Clemson games, 3-0 in last three Seminole games.


Kansas State won its last eight games with Iowa State (underdogs 5-2-1 vs spread). Wildcats won 32-28/27-21 in last two visits here. K-State is 0-3 on road this year, scoring 15.3 pts/game; they’re 5-2-1 in last eight games as a road favorite. Iowa State lost last three games despite leading all three games at the half, allowing 533 yds, 36.7 pts/game— they had last week off. Cyclones are 14-16-1 in last 31 games as a home dog, 1-0 this year. Under is 4-1 in last five K-State games, 1-4 in Cyclones’ last five games. Big X home underdogs are 3-3 vs spread.


West Virginia is 6-0, winning its only road game 48-17 at Texas Tech; WVU is 6-6-1 as road favorite under Holgorsen, 1-0 this year. Oklahoma State won its last three games, scoring 43.7 pts/game; Cowboys are 3-7 in last ten games as a home underdog- they lost 30-27 here to Central Michigan, 35-24 at Baylor. Home side lost last two West Virginia-OSU games; WVU ran ball for 210-255 yards in last two meetings- they split last two visits to Stillwater. Mountaineers’ last three games stayed under the total; four of last five OSU games went over the total.


Notre Dame lost four of last five games with only win 50-33 over Syracuse on a neutral field; Irish are 3-2 as home underdog under Kelly- they lost last three home games SU, to Mich State, Duke and Stanford, three mediocre teams. Irish crushed Miami 41-3 in last meeting, but that was in 2012. Hurricanes scored 16 pts/game in losing last three games after a 4-0 start; ‘canes allowed 13 sacks in their losses, are 2-1 on road, winning at App State, Ga Tech. Miami is 8-4 in last 12 games as a road favorite, 2-0 this year. ACC non-conference road favorites are 5-2 vs spread.


Texas lost four of last five games, amid rumors that coach Strong is on hot seat; Longhorns are 4-3-1 as home underdogs under Strong, 2-0 this year- they’re 3-0 SU at home, scoring 39.3 pts/game. Baylor won four of last six games with Texas, winning two of last three visits here, covering last four trips to Austin. Bears (-14) covered only game in last 20 years as road favorite vs Texas, beating Longhorns 28-7 two years ago; they’re 4-11-2 in last 17 games as road favorite, 0-2 this season. Underdogs are 5-4 vs spread in last nine series games. Four of five Baylor games stayed under.


Nebraska is getting nine points despite being 7-0, with wins at Northwestern (24-13), Indiana (27-22); Cornhuskers are 5-1-1 in last seven games as a road underdog. Wisconsin won four of last five games with Nebraska, pounding Huskers 59-24/48-17 in last two games played here. Nebraska covered last five series games. Badgers had tough games with Ohio State/Iowa last two weeks; they’re 7-9 in last 16 games as a home favorite, 1-1 this year. Last five Cornhusker games, four of last five Wisconsin games stayed under total. Big 14 home favorites are 5-11 vs spread.


Florida is 5-1 but has played very soft schedule, with loss at Tennessee (led 21-3 at half) only tough team they’ve played- their LSU game was pushed back a month. Gators are 13-5 in last 18 games with Georgia, winning last two, 38-20/27-3; Florida ran ball for 258-418 yards last two years. Georgia lost three of last four games, losing last game at home to Vandy- they allowed TD on opening kickoff; Dawgs are 2-7-1 in last ten games as an underdog, 1-1 this year. Favorites are 5-2-1 vs spread in series; Florida covered four of last five as a series favorite.


Ole Miss got thrashed by LSU’s ground game LW, is expected to announce a self-imposed bowl ban for this year, making them unplayable for rest of season. Rebels scored 45. pts/game in its three I-A home games, with only loss to Alabama. Auburn won/covered its last four games, with 38-14 win (-3.5) at Miss State, in their only road game of season so far; Tigers are 4-2 as road favorites under Malzahn- they won nine of last 12 games vs Ole Miss- favorites covered five of last six series games. Tigers won seven of last nine visits to Oxford. Auburn covered three of last four as road favorite in series. Ole Miss is 6-2 as a home dog under Freeze.


Houston lost two of last three games, losing 38-16 as a 21-point favorite at SMU LW; they’re a disappointed team, 6-9-1 vs spread in last 16 games as a home favorite. Central Florida is 4-3 after being winless LY; Knights scored 41.3 pts/game in winning last three road games- they’re 7-5 in last 12 games as a road underdog, 1-1 this year. UCF lost 59-10 to Houston LY, giving up 366 rushing yards in just second Cougar win in last seven series games. UCF won 17-12/40-33 in last two visits here. Underdogs are 4-3 vs spread in last four series games. Four of last five Houston games went over.


Wyoming is much-improved at 5-2, scoring 38.3 pts/game in three-game win streak; are young Cowboys ready for Boise State team that won its last ten games with Wyoming, covering three of last four? Broncos are 4-1 vs spread in winning last five visits to Laramie, with four of five wins by 22+ points. Boise is used to taking opponents’ best shot; they’re 31-14 in last 45 games as a road favorite, 9-5 under Harsin, 2-1 this year- they’re 3-0 on road this year, winning by 35-14-28 points, by Wyoming is by far best team they’ve visited this year. Mountain West home underdogs are 4-3 vs spread.


Washington is 7-0 but won 35-28 (-17) at Arizona in its only road game this year. Huskies are 3-2 as road favorites under Petersen- they scored 51.7 pts/game in last three games. Utah scored 35.7 pts/game in winning its last three games, but gave up 464 PY in 52-45 win at UCLA LW. Utes beat BYU/USC at home this year, are 7-1, with only loss 28-23 at Cal; since 2012, they’re 4-2 as a home underdog. Underdogs won last three Washington-Utah games SU; Utes (+2) won 34-23 in Seattle LY, even though Huskies outgained them 381-346. Utah ran ball for 360 yards in Rose Bowl last week.


Oregon lost its last five games, allowed 689 rushing yards in last two games and is struggling terribly while playing a freshman QB; their defense was on field for 116 plays in Berkeley last Friday. Ducks were outgained by 692 yards in their last three games, but they won nine in a row vs Arizona State; favorites are 4-2-1 vs spread in last seven series games. Sun Devils lost last three visits to Eugene, by 14-23-12 points. ASU lost three of last four games, allowing 77 points in last two games, losses at Colorado (40-16), at home to Wazzu (37-32). Pac-12 home favorites are 9-7 against the spread.

[TheGame]

Re: NCAAF Betting Info 10/29

'CFB: Wildcats visit Mizzou'


Kentucky at Missouri October 29, 12:00 EST


Two schools headed in opposite direction square off when Kentucky Wildcats (4-3 SU/ATS) visits Missouri Tigers (2-5 SU/ATS). Wildcats playing some good football have won four of five with the only loss coming against top ranked 'Bama'. Mizzou shredded both in the air (284 yds, 4 TD) and on the ground (300 yds, 2 TD) losing to CUSA Middle Tennessee this past week have dropped three straight, four of five with the only win coming against FCS Delaware State. Mizzou giving up a slew of yardage and points recently expect Wildcats to make it two in a row vs Mizzou and hand Tigers a fourth SEC loss this season. Lay the small number (-4.5) as Mizzou enters 6-13 in its last 19 games, 3-9 ATS in its last 12 vs the conference.