Tough slate of games for this championship weekend, but will have a couple of plays. Coming off a 1-2 day in college football after taking the worst of it on the FSU line. One of those games where the Gators closed 4 or 4.5, so hopefully anybody who follows got the win. Will start with the bowl games next week, as once again, we’ll have plays in each of the games, which will make or break the season for us.
Appalachian State at Louisiana: App State is favored by 3 and the total on the game is 53. A lot of attention is being made to the fact that Louisiana thumped the Mountaineers pretty good during the regular season, yet App State is a road favorite for this one. Both teams have a decent mixture of running and throwing the ball. While both defenses are pretty solid against the run, we should see another game with both teams trying to establish the rushing attack. I made this one 25-21 for the road team, so will go ahead and play the under 53 in this one.
Wake Forest at Pitt: The Panthers are favored by 3 and the total is 71.5, while I made this one 44-38 for the Panthers, so will take the over in this one. The Panthers should have some success on the ground, while can’t see Wake Forest doing a lot against the Panthers’ rushing defense. Think they don’t really try to keep the ball on the ground and will be content to throw 80% of the time, which could help us in this one.
That’s for plays, but will take a quick look at a couple of the other games on the slate.
Alabama vs. Georgia: The Bulldogs are favored by 6.5 and the total on the game is down to 49.5. My numbers have the Bulldogs winning 29-11, but not really sure what to think of this one. I was a bit surprised to see Georgia getting close to 80% of the wagers in the game.
Houston at Cincinnati: The Bearcats are favored by 10.5 and I have Cincinnati winning 31-21, so nothing really of note here. Cincinnati does get credit for playing a tougher schedule, even though it was still pretty weak.
Utah State at San Diego State: The Aztecs are now favored by 6 with a total of 50 and I have SD State winning 27-20, so not a whole lot to play with here.
Record: 20-21-1
Week 13
Slightly fewer games than we’ve seen on most Saturdays, due to a number of games being played on Friday, but have a couple of plays that look a bit promising, so we’ll see how things shake out.
Florida State at Florida: The Gators are favored by 2.5 points and the total on this one is 59 and I believe the Seminoles get the win here. The Gators have gone completely in the tank and getting rid of Mullen probably isn’t the answer. Sure, we’ve seen teams rally after the coach is dismissed, but UF has lost four of five, with the exception being the 70-52 victory over Samford. FSU comes into this one off wins over Miami and Boston College and has put themselves in position for a bowl game with a win. While the Gators can also become bowl eligible with a win, it’s hard to picture Florida excited about a minor bowl, while the Seminoles would be thrilled to have another game.
Notre Dame at Stanford: The Irish are favored by 19.5 points and the total is 52.5 and much like the game above, this one is a game of teams heading in opposite directions. The Cardinal have been waxed their last three games and are playing out the string, while Notre Dame still has playoff hopes and could very well make it depending on what happens these next few weeks. We had Notre Dame last week and will come right back with them again in this one.
California at UCLA: The Bruins are favored by 6.5 in this one and the total has come down slightly to 58 and this is one of those games where the underdog needs a win to help reach bowl eligibility, while the favorite really doesn’t have a whole lot to play for. The Bears have only been blown out once this season, with five of their six losses coming by a touchdown or less, so Cal has had their opportunities. Despite the Bruins scoring 11.3 more points per game, they only outgain Cal by 26 yards per game, so the Bears have got to do a better job of cashing in their scoring chances. The Bears do allow close to 50 fewer yards on defense, so the Bruin defense could help Cal out a little bit. The rushing attacks are pretty even here, but think Cal is a bit stronger against the pass and this one could come down to the wire, so like the underdog.
Record: 19-19-1
Week 12
Coming off a 1-1-1 day, but have stunk it up completely in the NFL the past two weeks, so hopefully can get headed in the right direction here with three plays for Saturday.
SMU at Cincinnati: The Bearcats are favored by 11.5 and the total is 65, as there should be plenty of points in this one. The Bearcats have been winning but not much else lately and the number here appears to be a little on the high side against an SMU team that is 8-2 and average more than 40 points per game. The two offenses are pretty even, while the Bearcats do get the nod on defense, but this one should be closer to Cincinnati -8 or 9. SMU still has a decent shot at a good bowl game and they can make themselves a bit more attractive if they can knock Cincinnati from the ranks of the unbeaten, so will take a stab on SMU +11.5.
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame: The Irish are favored by 17 and the total is 59.5 and it looks as though these two are heading in opposite directions. Georgia Tech has dropped four straight and only covered once, while Notre Dame has won and covered their last five games, which has helped them get back into the playoff picture. Notre Dame needs not just to win but to win big and think they have the talent to get it done. Despite playing a tougher schedule, the Irish score 7.7 more than foes allow and allow 9 fewer points than foes average. Georgia Tech scores what their foes allow and allow .6 more points than foes score, so I’d have Notre Dame favored by 20.3 on a neutral field and South Bend isn’t an easy place to play, so will take the favorite.
Auburn at South Carolina: Everybody’s favorite whipping boy, Bo Nix, is out for Auburn and his loss could be a little larger than most people realize, which could come into play in this one. South Carolina isn’t a great offensive team, but their defense isn’t all that bad, allowing 2.4 fewer points than foes score and surrendering 24.4 points on the season. Auburn has Alabama on deck and are already bowl eligible, which South Carolina needs a win against Auburn or Clemson to get that sixth victory. Should be a close game and will take the points.
Record: 17-18-1
Week 11
Coming off a 1-2 day in college football last week, as Iowa or Nevada didn’t play in the second half, with Nevada being especially lucky to come away with the win, let alone the cover. Three games this week.
South Carolina at Missouri: South Carolina is favored by 1 and the total is 54.5 and will be playing the over in this one. Both teams could be in for a bit of a letdown after playing Florida and Georgia the previous week, although South Carolina is coming off a huge win over the Gators, while the Tigers were thumped in a losing effort. The Tigers are horrible on defense, but have a solid offense, while South Carolina is fairly average on both sides of the ball, but slightly better on defense. The Tigers allow 6.2 yards per carry, and expect SC to try and take advantage of that, which will open up the passing game, which isn’t all that bad.
Arkansas at LSU: Arkansas comes into this one as 3-point favorites and the total is 59. The Tigers played probably their best game of the season last week against Alabama, so a bit of a letdown is expected here. While LSU shutdown the Alabama running game, LSU is still the same team that allowed 266 rushing yards to Ole Miss and 330 to Kentucky. Not so sure they’ll be able to slow down an Arkansas attack that averages 243 yards and 5.3 yards per carry. LSU is still banged up a little bit. The Tigers are a better team at home, but think Arkansas will get the job done in this one.
North Carolina State at Wake Forest: Wake Forest is favored by 2 and the total is 66.5 and like the under in this one. The Wolfpack aren’t a bad offensive team, but they’re a fair amount better on defense, allowing 16 points per game. NC State averages 31.1 points per game, but their foes allow 28.7 per game, so they’re a couple of points above average, while being significantly better on defense, where they shut down teams pretty well. The Wolfpack shouldn’t want to get into a shootout here and should attempt to establish some sort of ground game against an average Wake Forest run defense. The Deacons will see the best defense they have seen all season and then see another tough one next week in Clemson, so expect the scoring to take a bit of a hit.
Record: 16-17
Week 10
Another full slate of college football games this week and we’ll take a look at three games for Saturday.
Iowa at Northwestern: The Hawkeyes come limping into this one as 12-point favorites on the road and I have them winning this one 26-11, so will go ahead and take Iowa in this one. The Hawkeyes have dropped their last two games, so are in dire need of a win to get things back on track. Iowa averages just 2.9 yards per carry on the ground, but the teams they’ve played have allowed just an average of 3.6 yards per carry, so they’re not quite as weak rushing the ball as they may first appear. But they get to go up against a Northwestern team that allows 5.4 yards per carry, which is .9 more than their opponents average, so Iowa should have a bit of success on the ground. Defensively, Iowa allows just 2.9 per carry to teams who average 3.9 yards per carry, so they should be able to slow down Northwestern’s rushing attack.
Temple at East Carolina: ECU comes into this one as 16-point favorites against a Temple team that is really struggling right now, getting waxed in three straight games, while the Pirates have covered four straight. The Owls are just rushing for 3.7 yards per carry against teams who allow 4.6 yards and allow 4.8 yards per carry to teams who average 4.0 yards. The Pirates rush for 4.3 yards, so should have some success on the ground, which should open up the passing game, which is where ECU is at its best. The number is high for a reason in this one and with the Pirates needing a win for its bowl hopes, think ECU will come out strong and get the cover in this one, which I have them winning 40-18.
San Jose State at Nevada: Nevada comes into this one as 10-point favorites and I have them winning 33-17, so will make it three favorites this week and take the Wolfpack -10. San Jose State is solid at stopping the run, which shouldn’t make a huge difference here, as Nevada doesn’t run the ball too well and relies on the pass, throwing almost twice as often as they run, with 47 attempts per game. The Wolfpack uses high-percentage passes to make up for its lack of a running game, completing 70.9% of its passes and think they’ll do well against a San Jose State defense that is pretty average defending the pass.
Record: 15-15
Week 9
Decent slate of college football games for Saturday and I’ll have three plays this week, as we’re off a 3-2 effort last time out, dropping a couple of close ones, which has been the norm this season.
Duke at Wake Forest: Wake Forest comes into this one favored by 17 and the total on the game is a lofty number at 70. Duke is 3-4 on the season, while Wake Forest is 7-0, so obviously a bigger game for Duke in terms of bowl aspirations, while Wake is trying to march forward with its undefeated season. The total is high, but Wake has shown they can score quickly, while the Blue Devils have had a tendency to give up the big play this season. The Deacons are scoring 43 points a game while having the ball 27 minutes. Duke averages 27 points a game against teams who allow 32, so the Devils are a little below average offensively, while Duke allows 5.1 more points than their foes average. Wake scores 13.3 more points than their foes allow and it could be a trap, but I have this one at 78 points, so will take a stab on the over.
Florida vs. Georgia: The Bulldogs are favored by 14 and the total is 51, while I have this one at 38 points, so will take a shot on the under 51 in this one. The Bulldogs score 38.4 points against teams who allow 22.5, but allow just 6.6 points per game to teams who average 25 points. The Gators average 34.4 points against teams allowing 26.3, while allowing 21.1 points to teams who average 30. The Gators can run the ball well, but Georgia allows just 2.2 yards per carry. The Gators are good, not great at defending the run, so hoping to see the ball on the ground quite a bit in this one.
Ole Miss at Auburn: Auburn is favored by 3 and the total on the game is 66, while I have Auburn winning 37-30, so will take a shot on the Tigers -3 in this one. The Rebels like to run the ball, while Auburn is pretty solid at defending against the rush, and overall the better defensive team. Being a +7 in turnovers has helped the Rebels so far this season, and if Auburn can play a clean game have to think they’ll come away with the win.
Record: 13-14
Coming off an ugly 1-2 day last time out, with a terrible play on Louisiana Tech and a close loss with Indiana, who came up a few points short against Michigan State. Five plays for Saturday, so will get right to it.
UMass at Florida State: The Seminoles are favored by 35.5 with a total of 60 and am going to go ahead and take the Seminoles in this one. Florida State was supposed to walk all over Jacksonville State and ended up losing outright as 26.5-point favorites. So for a coach in the hot seat, a big win here would help silence the critics regarding his ability to get his team up for inferior opponents. FSU won its last two games before last week’s bye and the schedule gets a lot tougher after this one, so expecting a big effort from FSU.
Northwestern at Michigan: The Wolverines are favored by 23.5 and the total is 51 and am going to play the under in this one. The Wildcats have trouble scoring and don’t see them doing a whole lot here against a solid Michigan defense. The Wolverines run the ball well and the ‘Cats aren’t all that great at stopping the run, so hoping to see Michigan run the ball plenty and keep the clock moving.
San Diego State at Air Force: The Falcons are favored by 3 and the total here is 39.5 and I think the Aztecs are the better team, so will take the points here with San Diego State. Both teams are capable against the run, with the Aztecs allowing 2.1 yards per carry and trust the Aztecs a little more through the air in this one.
Kent State at Ohio: The total in this one has dropped from 70 to 66.5 and that move nudged this one into being a play, as I’m calling for 70 points, so will take the over. Both teams have good running games and poor run defense. Kent is better at passing the ball, but a little worse defending the pass, so thinking we see just enough scoring to get over the hump in this one.
Clemson at Pittsburgh: The Panthers are favored by 3.5 with a total of 48 and am going to take the over 48 in this one. The Tigers have too much talent on offense to keep struggling like they have been and the Pitt defense leaves a bit to be desired at times. Offensively, the Panthers can put some points on the board, so another game where I think we can see enough scoring to just get over the number.
Record: 10-12
Week 7
A little bit of bad luck last Saturday sent us to a 1-2 day, losing on the final play of the game in the Mississippi game and then watching Troy blow a 24-3 lead and get the win in a non-covering effort. Really, only a few of the college plays were what you’d call bad selections this season, but the breaks have definitely got against us so far. Hopefully, on to better things this week with three plays. Lines are from Caesars sportsbook.
Michigan State at Indiana Pick:
The Spartans are favored by 4.5 and the total is 48.5 and I’m going to grab the home underdog here and take Indiana. The Hoosiers are coming off a bye week and face one of the least impressive 6-0 teams around. Jeff Sagarin has the Spartans ranked No. 26 and Indiana ranked No. 47, despite the Hoosiers’ 2-3 record. The Spartans have played a relatively easy slate so far that ranks No. 58, while Indiana has played the No. 1 toughest schedule so far. The Hoosiers can throw the ball and should be able to stay within striking distance in this one and an upset wouldn’t completely be a big shock. Jack Tuttle should start at quarterback for the Hoosiers in place of Michael Penix, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Penix hasn’t been very good this year, continuing a downward trend after having a strong year two seasons ago.
Arizona State at Utah Pick:
DraftKings Bet $1 Win $100
This one is even with a total of 51 and I like the Utes at home in this spot. Utah’s two losses this season have both been on the road, losing to BYU and in overtime against San Diego State. Utah is coming off a nice win against Southern Cal, while the Sun Devils’ lone blemish on the season was also at BYU. The Utes have gotten decent QB play from Rising and Brewer and Utah averages 5.4 yards per rush. The Sun Devils can also run the ball well, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and both teams are solid defending the run.
Louisiana Tech at UTEP Pick:
La. Tech is favored by 6.5 and the total on this one is 56 and I like the road favorite in this spot. Much like the Indiana game, this one comes down to strength of schedule, or lack of strength as the case may be for the Miners. La. Tech is also coming off a bye week and believe they go into El Paso and get the job done. At 2-3, they can’t afford to let down anywhere.
Record 9-10
Week 6
A 2-1 week last week to get back to the .500 mark after the ugly 0-3 weekend previously, so will hopefully keep it going in the right direction. This isn’t a card I’m particularly thrilled with, so will just keep it to three plays once again.
Miami, Ohio at Eastern Michigan: Miami is favored by 1.5 with a total of 59 and will go ahead and take the home underdog in this one with EMU +1.5. This one is a pretty close match-up, but think Eastern Michigan can have a little more success throwing the ball at Rynearson Stadium, while Miami should have the edge in rushing the ball. Eastern did lose to Wisconsin early on and came up short against Northern Illinois on the road last time out, so think they’ll rebound and get the win here.
Arkansas at Mississippi: The Rebels are favored by 6 in this one and the total is 66.5. Ole Miss looks to have fallen out of favor after last week’s loss to Alabama in a game that a lot of people backed the Rebels. Alabama played its top game while Mississippi didn’t and the end result was a predictable easy win for the Crimson Tide. The Razorbacks have a decent offense, but think the Rebels’ defense steps it up a notch and makes some amends for last week’s dismal showing. It’s a bit of a revenge game for the Rebels, who turned the ball over seven times in a 33-21 loss at Arkansas last season. Matt Corral was intercepted six times and also fumbled on 4th-and-goal from the Arkansas 1-yard line on the Rebels’ first possession of the game. Two of the interceptions were returned for touchdowns by Arkansas.
Georgia Southern at Troy: Troy is favored by 5.5 in this one with a total of 50 and while they’re a bit of a popular play with the public, will go ahead and take Troy in this one. The Trojans opened as 2-point favorites in this one and the line has climbed, although it’s easy to see why. Georgia Southern can run the ball, but the Trojans are decent at stopping the run, while the Trojans should be able to take advantage of Georgia Southern’s weak pass defense. If Troy can get out to a lead, it will be tough for Georgia Southern to get themselves back in the game, so like Troy at the odds.
Record: 8-8
Week 5
Coming off an ugly day in college football, moving from 6-4 to 6-7 in a hurry. Had our chances in two of them, but wasn’t meant to be, while Clemson turned out to be a terrible call. I expected a little more out of their offense. This week, we’ll have our first non-Saturday play, and lines are from William Hill.
Iowa at Maryland:
The Hawkeyes are favored by 3 (-115) and the total on this one is 48 and will go ahead and lay the points with Iowa in this one. The Hawkeyes can rush the ball, which is a necessity on the road in Big Ten football. The Iowa passing game isn’t as effective as Maryland’s, but the Iowa defense is a big test for Maryland. While the Terps have some solid numbers, a lot of that came in the 62-0 win over Howard, where the Terps had a 574-146 yardage advantage. Maryland beat West Virginia in the first game of the season 30-24, with a 4-0 edge in turnovers the difference there, while the 20-17 win at Illinois was thanks to some dubious play calling by Illinois in the final minute.
Arizona State at UCLA:
Big game here, where the Bruins are favored by 3 (-115) and the total is 55.5 and I’ll take the Sun Devils +3 here. The Sun Devils have the better defense, although the offense has been a little underwhelming at times this season. ASU is throwing for 228 yards per game, but it should be a bit higher considering their level of competition played so far this season. The Bruins can air it out, but ASU has a better defense than Stanford and not so sure they’ll have the same amount of success.
Ohio at Akron:
This is definitely one of the ugliest games on the schedule, as 0-4 Ohio University is favored by 9.5 over the Akron Zips and their 1-3 win, with that coming against Bryant. The Zips have been waxed when stepping up in class, but not so sure the Bobcats fit the bill. Remember, Ohio lost to Duquesne earlier this season. Neither team has shown a whole lot this season, but the Zips at least played Auburn and Ohio State, so getting blown out by those two teams isn’t a complete disgrace, although you would have liked to see games a little bit closer. In a game with two bad teams, have to take the home underdog here.
Record: 6-7
Week 4
We really don’t have the marquee games of a week ago, but still a pretty decent slate of college football for this weekend. Will have three plays once again this week after going 2-1 last week. Lines are from William Hill as of Wednesday night.
Florida International at Central Michigan:
Central Michigan is favored by 10 in this one with a total of 56 and am going to go ahead and take Central Michigan -10 in this one. Central Michigan got its two paydays for traveling to the SEC and played Missouri and LSU on the road, so now it’s time to win some games and get themselves bowl eligible and think they start here. Central Michigan can move the ball on the ground or through the air and don’t see the FIU defense being able to slow them down in either department. The Chippewas didn’t play all that bad in a 34-24 loss to Missouri but were outmatched against LSU, as would be expected. They should find the Panthers much more to their liking.
UCLA at Stanford:
The Bruins are favored by 4.5 and the total here is 58.5 and I think Stanford has a decent chance to pull off the outright victory, so will take the Cardinal +4.5. The Bruins were home for their first three games and now Stanford returns home for the first time since 2019. The Cardinal will have to tighten up the rushing defense, but should have success through the air against the UCLA defense. The UCLA offense has been solid so far, but the Cardinal are fair on defense and can move the ball themselves, so this one should be a pretty decent game.
Clemson at North Carolina State:
The Tigers are favored by 10 and the total is 47.5 and am going to lay the points here, as this line is simply too low for the talent difference between the teams. The Tigers have labored offensively this year, but the defense has been as good as ever. Last time these two met in 2019 the Tigers were favored by 35 on the road. Hitting the road might be the best thing for Clemson and after 45-0 and 45-7 home wins against South Florida and Furman, the Wolfpack will find what it’s like to play a real defense in this one. The Tiger defense will need to create a few short fields for the offense but think this might be the game Clemson breaks out.
Record: 6-4
Week 3
When all was said and done we finished 2-2 last week, splitting both our two sides plays and our two totals play, so onto a new week, where we’ll have three plays.
Alabama at Florida:
Alabama is favored by 14.5 in this one and I think the Tide wins by more than that, so am going to go ahead and take Alabama and lay the points in this one. The line does seem a bit high against a Gators team that is pretty solid in its own right, but this could turn out to be one of the better Alabama teams we’ve seen in recent years. The defense should be able to slow down Florida’s ground game and don’t think the Gators are strong enough throwing the football to do a whole lot of damage. The Florida quarterbacks are fun to watch, but 80-yards against Alabama are going to be a lot tougher to accomplish than big gains against South Florida, although don’t want to knock the Bulls too much, as they did get the backdoor cover for us last week. The Tide get the edge on special teams, as well, and think they might show the public exactly how good they are this week.
Pick: Alabama -14.5
Oklahoma State at Boise State:
The Broncos are favored by 4 in this one and think the Cowboys give them all they can handle, so will take Oklahoma State plus the points in this spot. The Cowboys haven’t looked too impressive so far, going 2-0 straight-up and 0-2 against the number in their first two games, while the Broncos have been better on the scoreboard than they have been on the field, getting thumped by UCF in the stats, but losing by just five, while their win against Texas El-Paso wasn’t as good as it looked, as they were on the receiving end of numerous turnovers. Think Boise might be getting a little too much respect here and will back the dog.
Pick: Oklahoma St +4
SMU at Louisiana Tech:
The Mustangs are 12.5 in this one and the total is 66 and think this could well be one of those up-and-down games where both teams are teetering on 40 points, so going to go ahead and play the over in this one. Both teams can move the ball through the air a little better than on the ground, which is what you want to see in a game like this.
Pick: Over 66
College Football Picks Record: 4-3
College Football Picks Week 2
We move to the second week of the college football season and will have four plays, looking at a few of the bigger games of the week, but not biting on the Iowa vs. Iowa State game.
Oregon at Ohio State:
The Buckeyes are favored by 14 and the total on this one is 63.5 and am going to go ahead and take the over 63.5 in this one. Oregon isn’t all that great on defense, but the offense should be a little sharper after getting a game under their belt. We all saw what the Buckeyes are capable of offensively last week and they shouldn’t have any problems making some big plays against the Ducks. Oregon looks a little tempting here, but don’t really trust them, as they could easily get thumped a little bit and the PAC-12 Conference didn’t look too good as a whole last week.
Pick: Over 63.5
Toledo at Notre Dame:
The Irish are favored by 17 and the total is 55.5 and will play the over in this one, as well. The Irish looked strong on offense last week, but the defense left a little to be desired. Toledo’s passing game is decent and they should have a bit of success, while Notre Dame’s offense should be able to put up a fair number of points against Toledo.
Pick: Over 55.5
Florida at South Florida:
The Gators are favored by 28.5, which is a little bit on the high side, so am going to take a stab on the underdog in this one. The Bulls looked horrid last week, but are catching the Gators the week before playing Alabama. Florida has a big advantage up front, but may play it a bit conservative and not give the Tide a whole lot to see on film. Florida could roll up the score if they really wanted to, but can’t see them wanting to do a whole lot more than getting a win and staying healthy, as they prepare for SEC play.
Pick: South Florida +28.5
UAB at Georgia:
The Bulldogs are favored by 24.5 and much like the game above, will take a shot on the underdog. The Bulldogs are coming off their win against Clemson and open SEC play next week. The Blazers looked decent in their debut, but are taking a huge step up in class in this one. Still, UAB should be a lot more fired up for this game than the Bulldogs and think UAB can keep it close enough to stay under the number.
Pick: UAB +24.5
College Football Picks Record: Record: 2-1
College Football Picks Week 1
It’s a brand new college football season and we’re back trying to come up with more winners than losers once again. The last few seasons haven’t quite been up to par, so hoping to change that this season. We’ll take a look at a couple of games in this article each week.
Akron at Auburn: We’ll start off with Saturday’s game between Akron and Auburn, where the Tigers are favored by 37 and the total on the game is sitting at 55.5. This one is a complete mismatch on paper and it should translate to the field and will go ahead and lay the big number here. The Tigers return 15 starters for new head coach Bryan Harsin and one of them is quarterback Bo Nix. The Tigers should want to make a favorable impression on their new coach, while the Zips are just coming to collect a paycheck. Nothing would make the boosters and the alumni happier than a blowout win and Auburn can run up the score if they choose to and right now, you have to think they have a few good reasons to try and pile on the points, as a lackluster 20-point win won’t exactly appease the Tiger faithful.
Army at Georgia State: Georgia State is favored by 2 with a total of 49 and this should be a decent game. Both teams are solid at running the ball and both are above average at defending the run, which could bode well for the under, so will take the under 49 here. You know what Army is going to do and that’s run the ball and they’ll do so with 14 starters back, including 8 on what was a pretty stingy defense. Georgia State is a decent team in its own right and this game could see quite a bit of rushing. If the two defenses can limit the big plays, this one has a solid chance to be a 24-20 type game.
Miami vs. Alabama: We’ll wrap up this week’s plays with the game between Alabama and Miami, where the Tide is favored by 19.5 and the total is 61. A steep price for Alabama, as the Hurricanes have some good athletes, but think the under 61 is the way to go in this one. The Tide had a couple of high-scoring games last year, but think their defense will look like the Alabama of old, while they have to replace some offensive talent. The Hurricanes return a lot of players and should be able to slow down the Alabama offense a little bit.
