Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the MIAMI REDHAWKS for our CFB Tuesday Enforcer. Miami snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Buffalo last week to move to 3-5 on the season including 2-2 in the MAC. The RedHawks have played better than the record shows however as they had one bad game at Notre Dame and have outgained six of the other seven opponents. The lone exception was a game against Cincinnati where they were outgained by 70 yards but still should have won the game as they were picked off with a minute left which was returned for a touchdown. Providing the winning margin for the Bearcats. The last two losses were tough as they came against two of the worst teams in the conference despite winning the yardage battle in both. The game against the Bobcats is the RedHawks first midweek road game in the four seasons for Miami so this is the first chance in a long time to relish in the national spotlight. Ohio has won two straight games following a loss against Central Michigan and is currently sitting in second place in the MAC East, a half-game behind Akron and a game ahead of Miami. RedHawks quarterback Gus Ragland, out with a leg injury, has missed last two games but with a 10-day break since the Buffalo game, Ragland might be able to suit up on Tuesday which is a huge boost for the offense. Ragland has 12 touchdowns and four interceptions for an average of 233 passing ypg this season. Going back, the Bobcats are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points while the RedHawks are 5-2 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (303) Miami RedHawks

We often see teams getting overvalued and undervalued based on recent results, public reactions or other factors but this is one of the biggest line adjustments in a short period of time that we have seen in a longtime. Fresno St. has caught fire with four consecutive wins including a very impressive win over San Diego St. last week and that will provide a letdown here. In the last two home games for Fresno St., it was favored by 7.5 over Nevada which is No. 119 in the current power ranking and was a home underdog by 2.5 points against New Mexico which is No. 101 in the rankings. Now it is nearly a three-touchdown favorite against UNLV which is No. 123 and those three opponents are within four points of each other in the raw point rankings. It can be argued that the Bulldogs were undervalued in those games which they probably were, but this is too much of an overadjustment. UNLV is running out of time as it has fallen to 2-5 following three straight losses. The Rebels offense has been erratic which is a surprise after having a strong 2016 season and returning nine starters from that team. However, while they are averaging a point les per game than less season, they are averaging nearly 40 ypg more so they are moving the ball and just need to execute better. The Bulldogs have a strong defense but stopping UNLV will not happen and the generous pointspread only makes it better. Despite the big number, the public is all over Fresno St. due to the fact it is 6-0-1 ATS on the season and there is streak hunting going on. The Rebels are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (211) UNLV Rebels

New Mexico St. is 3-4 and those three wins match its win total from each of the last two years and with a little bit of luck, the Aggies could be at 5-2 right now. They lost at Arizona St. by six points despite outgaining the Sun Devils by 149 total yards and they lost at home to Troy by just a field goal. Additionally, they lost at Appalachian St. but actually outgained the Mountaineers by 107 yards, so they have been playing a lot better than the record shows. New Mexico St. is a very experienced team that is strong on both sides of the ball and it is playing with a chip on its shoulder as this is its last season in the Sun Belt Conference, so it wants to go out making some noise and get to its first bowl game since 1960. The Aggies have their best running back returning this week and this is going to be a fired-up atmosphere considering it is a night game and their first home in in over a month following three road games and a bye week. We won with Arkansas St. last Thursday as it rolled over UL-Lafayette in a huge revenge game and got the payback from the Cajuns snapping an 18-game conference winning streak the year before. As mentioned last week, the home field advatnage for the Red Wolves is huge as they are now 33-6 since 2011 but this is a much different team on the road. Including their 1-2 record this season, they are just 12-15 over their last 27 road games and their defense is going to be challenged here. Arkansas St. is ranked No. 94 in total defense and that is a problem going into a hostile environment where the Aggies have covered six of their last seven home games. 10* (160) New Mexico St. Aggies

Clemson has had two weeks to stew over its first loss of the season, a three-point loss at Syracuse where it was outplayed from start to finish. The Tigers are still alive for a shot to defend their national title but there can be no more slipups as they have to run the table through the ACC Championship and hope some other teams ahead of them fall. They are in a good spot this week as they head back home to take on a Georgia Tech team they have dominated the last two years and have had an extra week of prep time to get ready for the Yellow Jacket option attack. Wake Forest had an extra week last week as well and it was doing fine but tired at the end as the offense had trouble staying on the field. That will not be an issue this week for Clemson as there is a lot of depth. This game was originally set for a 12:00 ET start but the Tigers got the game moved to primetime national TV and that is a massive edge for the home team. Georgia Tech comes in with a perfect 6-0 record against the number which is helping to keep this number manageable for Clemson. The Yellow Jackets have lost twice, both coming by a single point, so they could be in better shape on the national scene but a one-point loss against Miami was backed up by the fact they were outgained by 200 total yards, so it was a game they never should have been in. Despite a poor effort against Syracuse, Clemson is ranked No. 10 in total defense, No. 13 in rushing defense and No. 7 in scoring defense and it will be ready. 10* (140) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS for our CFB Saturday Star Attraction. After a 3-0 start, Minnesota stumbled to three straight losses to Maryland, Purdue and Michigan St. before a bounce back win last week against Illinois. A win over the Illini is not saying a whole lot but it stopped the bleeding and brought some confidence back into the Gophers that have a tough remaining schedule including Michigan and Wisconsin. The rushing game has been up and down which is the strength of this team and a matchup with Iowa would typically not help matters but that is not the case this season as Minnesota should be able to control the line of scrimmage. The numbers do not lie as Minnesota is ranked No. 44 and No. 35 in rushing offense and defense respectively compared to Iowa being ranked No. 104 and No. 52 in those categories. The Hawkeyes are coming off a tough loss in overtime against Northwestern last week as they have now lost three of their last four games while getting outgained in all four of those games. People are still remembering the close loss against Penn St. four games back which has overvalued Iowa because what they have forgotten is that the Hawkeyes were outgained by 306 yards against the Nittany Lions, so it was a game they never should have been in. Iowa does not score much so when the price gets to be around a touchdown, it is a tough number for the Hawkeyes to cover especially against a much superior defense. Even though this is a new regime in Minnesota, it is hard to ignore the fact that the Gophers have gone 17-7-1 ATS in their last 25 games as underdogs including 2-0 ATS this season. 10* (155) Minnesota Golden Gophers

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN for our C-USA Game of the Year. This is the third stage of a domino effect involving C-USA teams. We played on Western Kentucky two weeks ago as it had not covered a game going into its game with Charlotte and finally did. We then played against the Hilltoppers last week as they were overvalued at Old Dominion and the Monarchs played a strong game on Friday night in front of a national TV audience but still lost. Now Old Dominion hits the road where it is 1-2 on the season with the lone victory coming against 1-6 Massachusetts. The Monarchs were a 10-win team from last season but are now two losses away from not being bowl eligible. They won the yardage battle against an overrated Western Kentucky team but prior to that, they were outgained by 174, 139, 433 and 195 yards in their previous four games as the absence of quarterback David Washington has really shown. North Texas was riding along nicely with a three-game winning streak with legitimate wins over Southern Mississippi (5-2) and UTSA (4-2) but that run came to a crashing halt last week as the Mean Green went to Florida Atlantic and got pummeled by 38 points. It was a horrific defensive performance as the Owl ran up 804 yards of offense so if there is ever a time for the defense to take its frustrations out on a team, this is it. Old Dominion is ranked No. 120 in total offense and No. 121 in scoring offense and it is certainly facing North Texas at the wrong time. Not to be outdone, the Mean Green offense should also get back on track as it is ranked No. 16 in the country and the Monarchs are nearly as bad on defense as they are on offense as they are No. 108 in scoring and No. 102 overall. 10* (190) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the VIRGINIA CAVALIERS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. This is a matchup of two teams that buried us last week and we will be going the same route as it was two baffling outcomes that will come back to the norm this week. Virginia failed to show up last week during homecoming as it fell behind early and could never catch up as Boston College piled it on. The Cavaliers lost by 31-point which is uncharacteristic of a team riding a four-game winning streak and a program that has turned the corner. They allowed two 76=-yard touchdowns in the first quarter and those are deflating for any team so now it is rebound time to try and become bowl eligible. Going back, the Cavaliers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games following a double-digit loss at home while going 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games as road underdogs. Pittsburgh is coming off an upset over Duke for just its third win on the season and that upset win along with the Virginia result has made the Panthers a legitimate false favorite here. Pittsburgh had lost five of its previous six games with the only win coming against Rice and the other win prior to that was against Youngstown St. in overtime in a game they were outgained in. this is not a good team and last week was a complete aberration as opposed to a team that has suddenly found something. Pittsburgh racked up 336 yards rushing against Duke but that was a bit skewed as two touchdowns came on runs of 76 and 92 yards by Darrin Hall who finished with 254 yards after coming into the game with 108 yards total. The Panthers are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (137) Virginia Cavaliers

This is a play on the WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS for our CFB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. We were on Wake forest last week and it was covering most of the game but ran out of gas on defense as it allowed two fourth quarter touchdowns including a 70-yard run with less than two minutes left. The Demon Deacons defense was on the field for close to 36 minutes, but they do not have to worry about that this week as Louisville is just No. 63 in the country in time of possession. It is now three straight losses for Wake Forest after a 4-0 start and while the defense will be in better shape, the offense has a chance to break out against a poor Louisville defense. The Cardinals are coming off a 31-28 win over Florida St. as they nearly blew a 14-point lead, kicking the game winning field goal with five seconds remaining. That was just their second conference win as they have already lost to Clemson, NC State and Boston College so it has been a struggle. Louisville was able to pick off Florida St. three times last week but they will be facing a veteran quarterback in John Wolford who has tossed only two picks all season long. The Cardinals had dropped five straight against the number prior to last week which shows how overvalued they have been despite the poor play as expectations and the success from last season is still in tow. Wake Forest was 6-3 last season when it went to Louisville and got trounced by 32 points, so revenge will be a motivator as well. The Cardinals have failed to cover their last six games against winning teams while the Demon Deacons are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game. 10* (128) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

This is a play on the FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES for our CFB Friday Night Lights play. It has been a nightmare start for Florida St. which is 2-4 on the season as injuries have played a big role in its lack of success. The schedule has not helped either as the Seminoles opened with Alabama, which is where quarterback Deondre Francois was injuries, and then they were off for two weeks before coming back to face NC State. The other two losses came against Miami and Louisville, both of which could have been won. Overall, Florida St. has played the toughest schedule in the nation, so we can give them some leeway there as far as the losses go but most importantly, how they come into this game mentally will determine the outcome as talent-wise, these teams are not even close to each other. The one positive from last week was the Jimbo Fisher controversy at the end of the game as his players will be playing hard for him. The Seminoles were ranked 25th in the country in total offense in 2016, but has now plummeted to 102nd this year and their 11 touchdowns are the lowest among Power 5 schools. After going eight years without scoring 40 points in a game, Boston College has now done so two weeks in a row to improve to 4-4 on the season. We cannot see this happening again this week as the Eagles rushing attack falls right into the strength of the Seminoles defense where everything is done between the edges and they will not have that same success here. While Boston College has the momentum coming in, this is a gut check game for Florida St. and as long as it shows up, it wins easily. The Seminoles have not covered a game this season and we get the value because of it. 10* (111) Florida St. Seminoles

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES for our CFB Thursday Enforcer. Last season, Eastern Michigan went to its first bowl game since 1987 and despite coming into this season expecting to make it back to the postseason, the Eagles need a big second half of the season for that to happen. They are 2-5 and have lost five straight games following a 2-0 start but that is a very skewed record. Two of those losses came in overtime while the other three came by a combined 10 points, a four-point loss at Kentucky, a five-point loss at Toledo and a one-point loss at Army. It has been very frustrating to say the least, but this is a very experienced team and they are not throwing in the towel yet. Northern Illinois is coming off its first losing season since 2008 so we expected the Huskies to play with a chip on its shoulder this season in trying to get back to another MAC Championship game. They have done just that as they are 5-2 including a 3-0 record in the MAC but it has not been a great run. The Huskies did defeat Nebraska, but they were outgained by 148 total yards and needed two interceptions returned for touchdowns to get that victory. The three MAC victories have come against teams 1-3 in the conference and while it can be argued that Eastern Michigan has a worse record than those three teams, the Eagles could have won any three of those games. We are seeing interesting line movement here as most of the action is on Northern Illinois, yet the line has come down, so we will be going with that reverse line movement. Additionally, the Eagles are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (107) Eastern Michigan Eagles

It is hard to believe but this is the first time since 2009 that Notre Dame and USC face each other as ranked teams. The Trojans are the higher ranked team but they could be the most overrated team in the country right now. We played them in their first two games of the season, losing against Western Michigan and winning against Stanford and even in the win over the Cardinal, something seemed off and since then, it has been off. It took overtime to defeat Texas, they were tied in the fourth quarter at California, lost outright to Washington St. which got destroyed by Cal last week, and was within a successful two-point conversion of falling to Utah last week. The only impressive game came against Oregon St. and the Beavers are the worst team in the Pac 12 at 1-6. Notre Dame is a one-point loss against Georgia from being undefeated and that is a good indication of how good the Irish have been as the rest of the schedule has been soft. A victory over Michigan St. was good even though it was outgained but Notre Dame has dominated every other team which is what great teams are supposed to do. Quarterback Brandon Wimbush is back as he missed the last game against North Carolina and Notre Dame is also coming off a bye week which is big for him and big for the team as a whole considering USC is playing for the eighth consecutive week. The Rushing offense is ranked No. 5 in the nation behind a stout offensive line and will be facing a pretty average Trojans defense. The Trojans are 7-17 ATS in their last 24 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Irish are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a bye week. 10* (402) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Wake Forest opened the season with a 4-0 record but then lost it last two games against Florida St. and Clemson but both of those defeats were respectable efforts. The Demon Deacons lost to the Seminoles late as they won the yardage battle by 97 yards and against Clemson, they lost by 14 points with a couple late scores but holding the Tigers to 28 points was impressive. The defense is solid once again as they are allowing just 339.5 ypg and 16.7 ppg and facing a one-dimensional offense is no issue as they have shut down Army and Tulane over the last two seasons. Coming off two physical games would normally be a concern but Wake Forest had a bye last week which also benefits for an extra week of preparation for the Georgia Tech option offense. The rushing defense is allowing only 3.5 ypc on the season. The Yellow Jackets are just 3-2 on the season but those two losses have come by a single point each including a one-point setback at Miami last week. They looked as though they were going to pull off the upset but gave up the final 12 points of the game including allowing the game winning field goal with just four seconds remaining. That is a difficult loss to recover from but it was a misleading final score to begin with as Georgia Tech was outgained by 200 yards against the Hurricanes. The Yellow Jackets are one of five teams that has yet to lose a game against the spread which is a favorite go against play at this stage in the season. The Demon Deacons are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games while the Yellow Jackets are 9-21-2 ATS in their last 32 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (351) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

South Alabama picked up a big win for us last week against Troy as it won outright as an 18-point underdog but that was a rivalry situation and now the Jaguars come in as a missed price favorite. They are 2-4 on the season and they have been dominated in all but one game this season as they have been outgained in five of six games. The lone game South Alabama won the yardage battle came against Alabama A&M of the FCS, a team that is ranked No. 227 out of 255 teams in the country. The offense continues to struggle as it managed only 236 yards last week against the Trojans and on the season, the Jaguars are ranked No. 120 in total offense. No make matters worse, their best running back Xavier Johnson was injured last week and is questionable this week. The fact they are favored is surprising as going back, the Jaguars are 5-14-1 ATS as home favorites since 2012. UL-Monroe is coming off an awful effort last week against Georgia Southern after opening Sun Belt Conference action with a 3-0 record. The Warhawks went 4-8 last season but brought back 15 starters this season so the good start is not a big surprise. They are 2-1 on the road and they have been solid in all three games as they have outgained all three opponents including Memphis where they lost by just eight points in their season opener. UL-Monroe has struggled with its defense but this is the second worst offense it has faced with the first being Texas St. and it allowed just 386 yards in that game. The Warhawks have covered five straight road games while the Jaguars are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS win. 10* (399) UL-Monroe Warhawks

This is a play on the MICHIGAN ST. SPARTANS for our CFB Saturday Star Attraction. Michigan St. has won three straight games following a pair of big road wins at Michigan and Minnesota and after a dreadful 2016 season, the Spartans are 5-1 including a 3-0 record in the Big Ten. They have a long way to go to think about winning the East Division with games against Ohio St. and Penn St. upcoming but they need to take care of business before that. The lone defeat came against Notre Dame but that was a game it could have won if it was played normally as the Spartans lost the turnover battle 3-0 as they outgained the Irish by 141 total yards which went for naught. Indiana is coming off a tough loss in overtime against Michigan and that has to be a deflating defeat as they were close to knocking off a top team but fell short. Those are the type of losses that can linger and the Hoosiers are going into a difficult environment this week. They are 1-1 on the road with a fortunate win over Virginia that was sealed with a late punt return touchdown and while the talent of this Indiana team is stronger than normal, winning on the road against ranked opponents has not been their strength as they have not defeated a Big Ten ranked team on the road since 2001. The Hoosiers struggled to run the ball against Michigan and now faces the No. 8 ranked rushing defense in the nation. Michigan St. lost in overtime at Indiana last season to fall to 2-2 and that was the beginning of the end as it was the second loss in a six-game slide. Payback is in order as Michigan St. has covered seven straight Big Ten revenge games. 10* (336) Michigan St. Spartans

This is a play on the NAVY MIDSHIPMEN for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. Navy was unable to sustain its winning streak at it lost by a field goal against Memphis, putting an end to its five-game run. it was a game the Midshipmen had every chance to win as they controlled the clock by more than 14 minutes but they committed five turnovers that led to 13 points all of which were deep in their own territory so mistakes were costly. They head back home where they covered all three games last season as home underdogs and they won all of those outright. Additionally, Navy has gone 6-0 since 2014 following a regular season loss. UCF has been a money-maker this season as it has rolled to a 5-0 start and has covered all those games although the contest against Cincinnati was officially a no-action game as 55 minutes were not played. The Knights have won those five games by 34, 28, 27, 28 and 42 points so they have not even been challenged and that is not a good thing as they get into the meat of their schedule. Three of the next four games are on the road and they have USF at home so we are going to see what this team is made of. So far, UCF has played the No. 130 ranked schedule in the country and has not seen anything on either side of the ball and this matchup is going to be a problem for the defense that has never played this option offense. Because of the blowouts to start the season, linesmakers have no choice but to make UCF a big road favorite because the public loves riding these streaks while we love going against them because of the value we are receiving. 10* (372) Navy Midshipmen

This is a play on the VIRGINIA CAVALIERS for our CFB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. We played on Virginia a few weeks back when it went to Boise St. and defeated the Broncos and it is now 5-1 on the season following its fourth consecutive victory last week. The Cavaliers have had a great turnaround season following a 2-10 record last year in the first year under head coach Bronco Mendenhall and they are poised to make their first bowl game since 2011. The only loss came against Indiana and it was a game it should have won as the Cavaliers were outgained by only four yards while the Hoosiers returned a punt for a late touchdown to seal the game. Virginia has played a tame schedule but its defense is ranked No. 20 in the country and Boston College is not going to have the same success it has last week. The Eagles went to Louisville last week and hung 45 points on the Cardinals which was by far their highest point total of the season. As a matter of fact, it is their highest point total against a team from the FBS since 2013 when they scored 48 points against Army. The offense has not suddenly found its stride but faced a porous Louisville defense that has been torched most of the season. Boston College is still a dismal No. 114 in scoring and No. 102 in total offense and while its defense has been a force the last few years, it is No. 107 this season in total defense. The Eagles are allowing 131 ypg more than last season and close to 200 ypg more than in 2015 so it is a shell of what it used to be. A great system is to go against a team that won outright as a double-digit dog and it is now a single-digit dog as the lines are typically adjusted wrong. 10* (362) Virginia Cavaliers

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our CFB October Game of the Month. This is a great scheduling setup for Duke as after a 4-0 start, it has lost three straight games but those were against Miami, resurgent Virginia and Florida St. with the last two coming by a touchdown each. Now the Blue Devils catch a break as they take a step down in competition but they will be fully focused based on the current streak they are on. To no surprise, Duke lost the yardage battle each of these last three games while winning the yardage battle in all four victories. Pittsburgh is in the midst of a horrible season as it is 2-5 with the victories coming against Youngstown St. of the FCS in overtime and Rice which is 1-5 on the season. The highlight of the season could be that the Panthers outgained Penn St. in their 33-14 loss but the Nittany Lions revealed after they were not going close to full throttle. Pittsburgh has been outgained by an average of 208.8 ypg in its last four losses and making matters worse, the Panthers are without USC transfer starting quarterback Max Browne who is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Overall, Pittsburgh is No. 103 in total offense and No. 109 in total defense so the inexperience coming into the season where it was ranked No. 123 in the nation in experience has carried forward. Duke should not have issues taking its foot off the pedal here as last season, Pittsburgh ran up the score in a 56-14 victory and the Blue Devils were not happy about it. Going back, the Panthers are 1-6-2 ATS in their last nine games overall while the Blue Devils are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight home games. 10* (346) Duke Blue Devils

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our CFB Friday Night Lights play. We won with Western Kentucky last Saturday as it defeated a bad Charlotte team to make it three straight wins. While we were high on the Hilltoppers last week, we are going the other way this week as their three-game winning streak has come against teams that are a combined 2-18 and the four overall wins have come against teams a combined 3-23. They do face another losing team this week but they hit the road where they have struggled as they lost to Illinois 20-7 and narrowly defeated 0-7 UTEP by a point. We thought Western Kentucky would run all over the 49ers last week but has only 121 yards on the ground and looks like it could struggle again this week against another not so great rushing defense. Old Dominion won 10 games last season and came into this season with high expectations but after a 2-0 start, it has lost four straight games and they were not pretty. Two of those did come against ACC teams while another came on the road last week against Marshall but it was the home loss against Florida Atlantic that was befuddling. It was the result of turnovers as four interceptions led to 21 points for the Owls while another touchdown was the result of a turnover on downs. Last week, the Thundering Herd scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, one coming on a fumble recovery return, so that was deceiving as well. Quarterback play has been an issue and it needs to be shored up in the redzone so while the Hilltoppers defense looks good on paper, playing the No. 170 ranked schedule has helped. Western Kentucky is the second biggest public betting consensus on the entire weekend board as the road chalk is not scaring people away. 10* (308) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the ARKANSAS ST. RED WOLVES for our CFB Thursday Enforcer. Arkansas St. remains home following a blowout win over Coastal Carolina to improve to 2-0 in the Sun Belt Conference and improve to 2-0 at home. The Red Wolves have had a huge home field advantage over the years as they are 32-6 here since 2011 while going 22-11 ATS over this stretch as a home favorite. There were questions coming into the season on both sides with just five starters returning on offense and defense and while the defense has not held up, it never has over the years and the offense is once again potent, ranked No. 14 in scoring and No. 34 overall. Louisiana is coming off a win over a bad Texas St. team and it was not a good performance as it was outgained and it has been outgained in five of six games on the season. The loss of its quarterback and top running back have hurt the offense and the Cajuns have struggled on defense in a big way as they are ranked No. 120 in points allowing and No. 121 in total defense. Sometimes, revenge can be overrated or at least overstated but not in this case. Arkansas St. went to Louisiana last season as a five-point favorite and came away with a five-point loss to the Cajuns but it was a game it never should have lost. The Red Wolves outgained Louisiana 521-292 but they threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown and they struggled in the redzone with six possessions inside the 13-yard line but they turned the ball over on downs twice and had to settle for two field goals as well. The loss snapped an 18-game conference winning streak and denied a chance to win the conference championship outright so to say this game has been circled would be an understatement. 10* (306) Arkansas St. Red Wolves

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our CFB Saturday Star Attraction. After a 3-0 start, the Ducks have dropped two of their last three games including a 23-point loss last week at home against Washington St. They were down by just three at halftime but were outscored 20-0 in the second half as the offense committed three turnovers and turned the ball over on downs which directly led to 13 points for the Cougars on drives totaling only 87 yards. If they limit the mistakes, they have a chance to win but now it is bounce back time catching double-digits against a team that is not that much better as the power ranking difference between the two teams is just eight spots. Stanford is also 4-2 with losses against USC and San Diego St. but it has bounced back with three straight wins, none of which have been overly impressive. A 24-point win over UCLA looks good but the Cardinal were actually outgained in that game as they took advantage of four turnovers and 13 penalties for 132 yards by the Bruins. Stanford is outgaining opponents by only 13.5 ypg compared to Oregon which has a +155.7 ypg differential and while schedules can often play a role on these variances. The Stanford schedule is ranked No. 14 while the Ducks have played the No. 45 ranked slate so it is not a huge difference in that regard. Slowing down or at least matching the Stanford running game is key and Oregon has a very formidable front seven and it has won the yardage battle in five of six games. Ducks quarterback Braxton Burmeister was less than average in his first career start but he now has a game under his belt and will be facing a much weaker defense this week as Stanford is ranked No. 102 in total defense and will be without two of its top defenders for the first half because of targeting suspensions. The Ducks are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (211) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the ARIZONA WILDCATS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. It has been a long time since Arizona has been relevant in the national picture and while that will not be changing this season, the Wildcats are showing signs of taking steps forward. They are 3-2 on the season and the two losses could have resulted in wins as they lost to Houston by three points and lost to Utah by six points despite outgaining the Utes by 107 total yards as they were done in by five turnovers including an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Arizona is coming off a 45-point performance on offense at Colorado last Saturday and it looks like a new star has been born. Quarterback Khalil Tate made his first start and it was a memorable one as he rushed for 327 yards on 14 carries (23.4 ypc) and four touchdowns while throwing for 154 yards and a touchdown on 12-13 passing. UCLA has allowed 48 and 58 points in its two road games and this less than physical defense is bound to get demolished once again. The Bruins are ranked No. 120 in scoring defense and No. 124 in total defense so the Wildcats will again be able to move the ball at will. UCLA does possess one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Josh Rosen as he runs a potent offense but coming into the season, expectations were high for him and the teams and both have been shot down with a pair of losses. The Wildcats defense is far from stout but they have improved by over 50 ypg and close to 12 ppg from last season so the unit is heading in the right direction. UCLA has won and covered five straight meetings in this series and the Wildcats will be amped up for revenge. 10* (178) Arizona Wildcats

Western Kentucky is one of three teams, Connecticut and BYU being the other two, that have lost every game against the number this season and once we get this far into the season, this is the time to ride these teams if the matchup is favorable for a cover and this is one of those for the Hilltoppers. They are 3-2 straight up including two straight wins which were far from impressive as they beat Ball St. and UTEP but failed to cover as double-digit favorites. They come in as a double-digit chalk again but this is the game to make a statement as Western Kentucky is still a favorite in the C-USA East Division. Part of the issue has been learning a new offensive system under new head coach Mike Sanford Jr. as they have adjusted slower than expected and after averaging over 500 ypg and over 44 ppg in each of the last three seasons, you must ask why to try and fix something that is not broken. Quarterback Mike White put up incredible numbers last season but he lost over 3,000 of his 4,363 yards passing last year so adjusting to new receivers can take time. Additionally, Western Kentucky is averaging 32 carries per game and has been awful in averaging 2.4 ypc but now it faces a bad Charlotte defense that is should be able to tear apart. Somehow the 49ers allowed just 14 points last week to Marshall but the Thundering Herd got into Charlotte territory seven times and managed only two scores as they stepped on their own feet. The offense has been worse as the 49ers have scored seven points or less in four of six games and the unit is ranked No. 119 in total offense and No. 127 in scoring offense. 10* (164) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Navy is 5-0 for just the second time since 1979 following a scare last week against Air Force as the Midshipmen blew a 38-17 lead but scored the winning touchdown in the final minute. They were outgained for the first time all season in that game against a surprisingly good defense in Air Force and now they get a shot to really rack up the yards. Navy is ranked first in the country in rushing offense and will square off against the No. 94 rushing defense but this is a game where they can also take advantage of the porous Tigers passing defense as we have Navy do the trickery in the past as this is a great opportunity to keep Memphis on its toes the entire game. On the other side, this is a fairly average defense and going against the Memphis offense will be a challenge but the Midshipmen have held their own against Tulsa and Tulane, two vastly different offenses showing they are not weak in one particular area. Memphis put up 70 points last week but that came against a Connecticut defense that is dead last in the nation overall and we learned our lesson in that one by playing on the Huskies. Navy returned eight starters from last season on defense and while the defensive numbers last year were gaudy, another season together pays dividends. A factor in why the defense has succeeded is that the Midshipmen are second in the country in time of possession which keeps the stop unit fresh and the opposing offenses off the field. Navy held Memphis to 20 and 28 points the last two seasons and those Tigers offenses were nearly as good as this edition. Playing against team in certain spots coming off scoring 50 or more points has been highly profitable as the value has shifted to the opposing team. 10* (193) Navy Midshipmen

This is a play on the OHIO BOBCATS for our MAC Game of the Year. Bowling Green picked up its first win of the season as it won at Miami Ohio last week in a game it had no business winning. The Falcons entered the fourth quarter down by five points but they took the lead after a touchdown with 12:15 remaining. The RedHawks were forced to punt after that but got the ball back after a missed field goal and drove down to the Bowling Green one-yard line. They then proceeded to fumble and the Falcons returned it 93 yards for a touchdown to seal the upset as 17-point underdogs. Miami outgained the Falcons by 113 yards but failed to score a touchdown after quarterback Gus Ragland went down in the third quarter. Ohio is coming off a similar type game where it lost to Central Michigan but won the yardage battle. The Bobcats were stung by four turnovers including two fumbles inside Central Michigan territory, one at the three-yard line. Additionally, they had a field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown right before halftime. The Bowling Green cover was its first of the season as it started out 0-5 ATS and on the season, the Falcons are getting outgained by 162.4 ypg so they have been completely dominated. You can make the argument that the first victory can energize a team going forward but coming into the season, it was a rebuild from the start so a win like that can linger on too long and affect preparation next time out. Ohio has won six straight games following a regular season loss dating back to 2015 and we can expect another bounce back effort this week. Bowling Green has covered just one of its last 10 home games while Ohio has covered 10 of its last 12 road games. 10* (119) Ohio Bobcats

We are going to back West Virginia here to pull off the big win as the Big XII has shown to be very volatile this year. Texas Tech is 4-1 on the season with very unimpressive wins as a victory over Houston by three points is the best of the bunch. The Red Raiders have covered every game and that is a big reason this line has gone from 6.5 points at opening to its current 3.5 as of Thursday afternoon. These are streaks we love going against and it only gets better when the toughest test of the season awaits and this is it. We played against the Red Raiders last week and Kansas made a game of it for a while but Texas Tech ran away with by scoring the final 30 points of the game. The offense is once again leading the way as it is ranked No. 7 in total offense but the defense is once again a liability and it will be a big problem this week. West Virginia is 3-2 with identical 31-24 losses against Virginia Tech to open the season and TCU last week. The most frustrating thing is that the Mountaineers won the yardage battle in both of those games by over 100 yards but they were back up with poor field position most of the time in both. West Virginia is ranked No. 3 in total offense and should be able to move the ball with ease against the Red Raiders defense. A weaker schedule has aided in the big numbers getting in those rhythms is just as important to prepare for these bigger games. While the schedule has been softer for the Mountaineers, they can claim they passed the test in their two big games against the Hokies and Horned Frogs and despite the losses, they come in with great confidence. 10* (138) West Virginia Mountaineers

This is a play on the SYRACUSE ORANGE for our CBF Friday Star Attraction. Syracuse has had this game circled for a while as it got thumped in Clemson last season 54-0 and it was the game that basically ruined its chances of going to a bowl game. The Tigers knocked out Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey early in that game which sent the Orange on a 0-4 tailspin to end the season 4-8. The Clemson fans were not shy about it either in mocking it and these teams have really become to hate each other going back to the Scott Shafer days as Syracuse head coach. The Orange are coming off a lethargic effort against Pittsburgh where they won 27-24 and the lookahead to the Clemson game can be partially to blame. While an upset here may seem impossible, it may be the only chance for a possible bowl bid as Syracuse needs three wins with six games left and it has road games at Miami, Florida St. and Louisville. Clemson is coming off another less than average effort against a team it should have rolled and that has been the story this season as the Tigers have gone through the motions against Boston College and Wake Forest but have played at a high level against the higher competition and Syracuse definitely fits the former. It will be interesting to see how Clemson handles quarterback Kelly Bryant who hurt his ankle last game but has been upgraded to probable. With a bye next week, the Tigers likely will not push him hard. Syracuse has the offensive system that can keep up in this matchup which Clemson did not see last season when Dungey left and playing at home helps that side of the ball out. The irony is it's the Orange defense that is surging at that year two, sixth game mark under Dino Babers, posting one of the best third-down defensive marks in college football. Syracuse is 3-1 ATS in its last four home games when getting 20 or more points. 10* (110) Syracuse Orange

The Sun Belt Conference dominates the early part of the week and it starts Wednesday with South Alabama traveling to Troy for what is turning into a big rivalry despite still in its infancy stage. These schools are just three hours apart so proximity and recruiting spearhead these teams that are already hating each other. Troy must contend with the emotions of not only a rivalry game but also notching one of its biggest wins against LSU on Sept. 30. It was the Trojans first win on the road against a ranked opponent since joining the FBS in 2001, and the victory drew plenty on national headlines so the pressure is on to show it was no fluke. Prior to that win in which the Tigers did not show up at home, the Trojans has not defeated any noteworthy team and struggled in all three FBS games. South Alabama has struggled to a 1-4 start but a win here could completely turn its season around as the remaining schedule is very doable. The Jaguars opened the season with losses against Mississippi and Oklahoma St. before beating Alabama A&M of the FCS. In their last two games, they lost to Idaho in overtime and Louisiana Tech who they had against the ropes late in the fourth quarter. South Alabama was getting 11.5 points against the Bulldogs and now it is getting five points more against a team that is ranked only 14 spots higher than Louisiana Tech in the power rankings as that LSU victory has inflated this line that is still fresh on the public mind. This series has been intense as three of the five meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less and this is by far the biggest number the Jaguars have gotten against Troy. South Alabama gets quarterback Dallas Davis back for this game after he missed the Vandals game. 10* (101) South Alabama Jaguars

Utah is off to a 4-0 start, both straight up and against the number, and that is normally a situation we like to exploit in going against those streaks but the linesmakers have this one all wrong. The Utes have played a softer schedule than Stanford but they have taken advantage with strong efforts throughout and that is a sign of a very good team that does not let down. They opened Pac 12 play with a win at Arizona two weeks ago and they were fortunate to take advantage of five Wildcats turnovers including an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Now Utah goes from road favorite to home underdog which is a rarity in conference action and that is a sure take as this is the second time in 17 home games the Utes have been a home underdog. The other time resulted in a cover against Washington last season. Stanford is 3-2 with losses at USC and San Diego St. and that loss against the Trojans is looking worse after last week. The Cardinal opened the season by rolling over Rice in Australia but then was outgained in its next three games against USC, San Diego St. and UCLA. Utah did outgain Arizona St. last week thanks to 301 yards rushing from Bryce Love but do not expect a repeat close to that this week. The Utes rushing defense has been a power for years and this season is no different as they are ranked No. 9 in the nation in rushing defense. There is concern about quarterback Tyler Huntley being out but senior Troy Williams is not a downgrade against a Stanford defense that is ranked No. 106 in total defense and is allowing 25.4 ppg after giving up 24 or more points only four times last season. 10* (356) Utah Utes

SMU is off to a surprisingly good start as it is 4-1 which is just one victory short of its win total from all last season. The Mustangs are 5-0 against the number and as mentioned in the Utah analysis, these are the streaks we like to go against when the situation calls for it and this is one of those. Four of those covers have come at home against the likes of Stephen F. Austin of the FCS, North Texas, Arkansas St. and Connecticut and while the road cover came against TCU, they were getting 22 points. This is a vastly improved team but now they are getting a very short price this week to a team that they were getting 23.5 points against last season at home. SMU pulled off the upset over Houston in that game and the Cougars have had this game circled. Houston is 3-1 with the lone loss coming at home against Texas Tech by three points as it committed five turnovers and could not recover from that. The defense has led the way for Houston as it is allowing 14.8 ppg which is No. 14 in the country so it has the capabilities to slow down the Mustangs potent offense. The Cougars are especially strong in red-zone defense, stopping opponents from scoring from inside their own 20 one-third of the time. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver got injuries last week against Temple but all indications he will be fine in wearing a brace on his sprained knee. Offensively, the Cougars are balanced and the SMU defense is horrid, ranking No. 103 overall and No. 94 in scoring defense. The Cougars have played the No. 53 ranked schedule while SMU has played the No. 122 slate in the nation and that is a huge discrepancy making all of the rankings skewed and giving SMU overinflated numbers. 10* (400) Houston Cougars

This is a play on the MARYLAND TERRAPINS for our Saturday Enforcer. We lost by playing against Maryland last week and it was a bad call as we went against the injury factor for the Terrapins as they were down to their No. 3 quarterback. Clearly, Max Bortenschlager was more comfortable with a week of preparation and the coaching staff came up with a great gameplan. Now Maryland takes a big step up in competition but it will be ready to fight as winning in Texas and Minnesota is no easy task and the number the Terrapins are getting here is overpriced based on name. The Terrapins have a slim shot of an upset but they will be playing for the whole game following a 62-3 loss at home against the Buckeyes last season. Rubbing salt in the wound, Ohio St. threw for a 25-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter up 55-3 and running up the score is a big motivator next time out. Ohio St. has been rolling since its loss against Oklahoma as it has destroyed Army, UNLV and Rutgers but it also is taking a step up in competition here. We can compare Maryland to Indiana which Ohio St. defeated in the season opener but the game was closer as Indiana ran out of gas late. Indiana is ranked No. 47 and Maryland is ranked No. 55 which shows an inflation of the line. The Buckeyes have not been tested as mentioned and that can lead to a team going through the motions which can put them in a tighter than expected game against a team that is better than most may think. Ohio St. is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when laying 30 or more points with those wins coming against Rutgers last season and Kent St. in 2014. 10* (343) Maryland Terrapins

This is a play on the KANSAS JAYHAWKS for our Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Kansas seems to be up to its old tricks as it is off to a 1-3 start but it has played better than what the record shows. The Jayhawks have outgained two of four opponents and despite losing by 22 points against West Virginia last week, they were only outgained by 71 total yards as the offense has been able to generate movement. The problem has been the defense and turnover margin as they are ranked No. 119 in the letter category and because of that, it hurts the defense putting the unit in shorts fields and bad situations. Last season, Kansas averaged more than 20 ppg on offense for the first time since 2011 and it is averaging 32.2 ppg which is No. 57 in the nation. As far as output, the Jayhawks are averaging 480.5 ypg which is No. 23 as the turnover have cut the points production down. Texas Tech is coming off a heartbreaking loss against Oklahoma St. as it lost by a touchdown with the Cowboys scoring the game winner with 1:12 left in the game. The Red Raiders were outgained by 213 yards so it was not really as close as they benefitted from short and missed field goals from the Cowboys as well as returning an interception 95 yards for a touchdown. Coming off that tough loss and getting up for Kansas is not easy especially with a revenge game at West Virginia on deck for next week. This is a big number for an average Texas Tech team to cover on the road as the improved Kansas offense will keep them in this game with always a potential to strike against a Red Raiders defense that is No. 111 in total defense. Kansas is 4-0-1 ATS since the start of last season as a home underdog while Texas Tech is 0-3 ATS in its last three games as a road favorite. 10* (374) Kansas Jayhawks

This is a play on the NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS for our Saturday Star Attraction. We played against Penn St. last week and while the final score did not go our way, it was a game the Hoosiers held their own but were undone by fumbles and it did not help the Nittany Lions returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The Penn St. offense could not do much as it managed only 370 total yards and it outgained the Hoosiers by only 18 total yards. That was clearly a misleading final score and as mentioned numerous times before, it adds value because linesmakers do not set numbers based on boxscores. While the Nittany Lions did dominate the stats in their previous two games against Iowa and Georgia St., the situation they fall into this week is worse than last week. Coming off a pair of Big Ten wins and having Michigan and Ohio St. on deck following their bye week, this is not a good spot to win big on the road. Northwestern has been an inconsistent team to start the season as it rolled over Nevada and Bowling Green but was dominated by Duke and did not look good last week against Wisconsin despite what turned out to be just a nine-point loss. It is a surprise considering the Wildcats brought back 16 starters from a team that finished 6-3 over their last nine games last season that included close losses against Ohio St. and Wisconsin. This is a team than can turn the corner and make a run as it is the second most experienced team in the Big Ten and the No. 17 most experienced team in the country. Penn St. is playing with double-revenge but we do not consider road revenge very strong plus an outright revenge win does not mean a an over two-touchdown cover. The Wildcats are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game. 10* (332) Northwestern Wildcats

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our AAC Game of the Year. Tulane is back in action following a bye week which came after a solid home win over Army to even its record at 2-2. This is the beginning of a very important stretch for the Green Wave as four of the next six games are winnable and they should be favored in all of those before closing the season against Houston and SMU. These four games are big for bowl eligibility and while it is early thinking about that, the fact is Tulane is poised to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2013 and Willie Fritz has this team going the right way. Tulsa is 1-4 after suffering three straight losses and while those games were decided by 3, 3 and 10 points, it was outgained by 131, 160 and 167 total yards in those games. The lone victory this season came against 1-3 Louisiana which was at home. This is the third straight game that Tulsa has faced a run-heavy, option type of offense and while that may seem like an advantage now in the third game, it is not. The Golden Hurricane have been gashed by New Mexico and Navy for 338 and 421 rushing yards and those games were at home so the crowd did not help the stop unit. Even more important heading into this game, the defense was on the field for 42:41 and 39:38 minutes and that is a lot of time so fatigue has been an issue and can be going forward. We know revenge can play factors in motivation and Tulane will be highly motivated here as the 11 seniors on the roster, seven of which are defensive starters, will be out to avenge three straight losses in their tenure here and they certainly have not forgotten the 50-27 loss from last season. Going back, the Green Wave are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (362) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the CONNECTICUT HUSKIES for our Friday Night Primetime play. Connecticut returns home following its third consecutive loss, a 21-point setback at SMU. The game was much closer than that however as the Huskies tied the game at 28 early in the fourth quarter but the Mustangs scored three straight touchdowns with the final two needing just 74 total yards because of a bad punt and a turnover on downs by Connecticut. They should have beaten East Carolina the prior week and lost to a very improved Virginia team before that. Memphis dropped its first game of the season as it was dominated at UCF and despite going 3-1 to start the season, the Tigers have been outgained by all three FBS teams. This is a very strong team offensively but it struggled against the Knights as they scored just 13 points and has only 396 yards and while the test will not be as challenging this week, a team that is so bad on defense should not be asked to cover two touchdowns on the road. The Connecticut passing offense has been a liability for years as it has averaged over 200 ypg only three times in the last nine years but that is not the case this season. The Huskies are averaging 329.8 ypg and last season, Connecticut passed for 300 yards or more only once. Returning senior quarterback has been has led the way with two straight 400-yard games while throwing six touchdowns and just one pick. This is not a good thing for Memphis as its passing defense has been obliterated this season, allowing an average of 321.3 ypg which in No. 126 in the country while allowing 13 passing touchdowns. The Tigers are 4-16-1 ATS in their last 21 games on grass while under Randy Edsall head coach, the Huskies are 15-6 ATS as a home underdog. 10* (308) Connecticut Huskies

This is a play on the NC STATE WOLFPACK for our Thursday Enforcer. This is a statement game for the Wolfpack as they are a team that is flying under the radar and it not getting the respect they deserve. NC State is 4-1 to start the season and it is riding a four-game winning streak following an opening loss against South Carolina. They lost at home by seven points in a game that they dominated. The Wolfpack outgained South Carolina 504-246 and had 17 more first downs but mistakes did them in. Not only did the Gamecocks return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, they also benefited from scoring drives of just 40 and 13 yards following NC State turnovers. Since then, they have impressive wins over Florida St. and Marshall while taking out a sneaky good Syracuse team last week. Louisville is also 4-1 with its lone defeat coming against Clemson but the wins are not overly impressive. They defeated Purdue by just a touchdown, they took out a North Carolina team that is bad this season and the other two wins came against 1-4 Kent St. and 1-4 Murray St. of the FCS. Lamar Jackson is clearly one of the best players in the country and while the Cardinals are ranked No. 4 in total offense, they will be without some key pieces including wide receiver Jaylen Smith and running back Jeremy Smith. This is a revenge game for the Wolfpack that lost by 41 points at Louisville last season but that loss came right after their heartbreaking overtime loss against Clemson. This is a huge home game as this marks the first time two ranked teams will meet at Carter-Finley Stadium since 2000 so the home field edge on Thursday is big and will factor into the final outcome. 10* (306) NC State Wolfpack

This is a play on the UCLA BRUINS for our Saturday Supreme Annihilator. It has not been the season that the Bruins or their fans hoped for but all is not lost and this is the statement game to get back on track. UCLA opened the season with that unbelievable comeback win over Texas A&M and then followed that up with a dominating performance against Hawaii. Then it was time to hit the road and things did not go well as the Bruins were upset at Memphis in a classic back and forth game and then lost by 24 points last week at Stanford. Mentioned numerous times is that while final scores are what counts, looking inside the game gives us a better understanding of what happened and UCLA won the yardage battle in both of those losses. The problem was seven turnovers and teams are not going to be successful when turning the ball over that much. Those instances work for us this week as we are getting line value because of the two losses. Colorado is off to a 3-1 start as it opened with three wins before losing at home against Washington last week by 27 points. The Buffaloes beat Colorado St. but were outgained by 50 yards as they took advantage of three turnovers, beat Northern Colorado of the FCS and beat Texas St., arguably the worst FBS team in the nation. Colorado had a breakthrough season a year ago with 10 wins which matched their win total from the previous three years combined but the Buffaloes lost a lot of talent and it showed last week against Washington and that was a revenge game from the Pac 12 Championship last season. This is the first true road game for the Buffaloes and they are heading no Los Angeles at the wrong time to face the Bruins. 10* (160) UCLA Bruins

This is a play on the VIGINIA TECH HOKIES for our Saturday Star Attraction. We played against Clemson last week and as expected, the focus was not there coming off two big games and having this game looming. The Tigers swept-walked for three quarters before pulling away in the fourth quarter and while they will be up for the game this week, they are overinflated. Clemson opened as a six-point favorite but it has since jumped over that key number and has even moved over a touchdown in some spots and that is a line it should be laying at home and not on the road. Clemson is one of the best teams in the country but because of that, they get full efforts from every team each week and that will be the case here. Virginia Tech won double-digit games last season for the first time since 2011 and the Hokies are primed to become a perennial force once again. Justin Fuente is one of the top young coaches in the country and he is already making his mark. This is his biggest home game since coming to Virginia Tech and night games in Blacksburg have a special feel to them. He guided the Hokies into the ACC Championship Game last year, where his team came up just short against Clemson, 42-35. Clemson has won 11 straight road games but only two of those have come against ranked teams while four of those wins came by six points or less. The win over Louisville this season was impressive but the Hokies are a stronger team and are getting more points than the Cardinals did. The Hokies are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record and will use that confidence from the game last season to Clemson all it has. 10* (194) Virginia Tech Hokies

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was feeling the heat after a one-point home loss against Georgia but his team has rallied the last two weeks with wins over Boston College and Michigan St. on the road. The win over the Eagles was a dominating performance but last week, the 20-point win over Michigan St. was very deceiving. The Spartans won the yardage battle 496-355 but mistakes did them in as they threw an interception on their first possession that was returned for a touchdown, fumbled in the Notre Dame endzone in the second quarter while two other possessions that got to the Fighting Irish 11-yard line and six-yard line resulted in no points. After a pair of road wins, teams can fall into letdown mode and that looks to be the case here with Notre Dame. Miami Ohio had one of the worst runs you will ever see as it went 5-41 from late 2012 to early 2016 but then something happened as the RedHawks won their final six games last season and lost by a point against Mississippi St. in its bowl game. They returned 17 starters this season and have gone from MAC bottom feeder to MAC contender. Miami is 2-2 though four games but could be 4-0. The RedHawks lost to Marshall despite winning the yardage battle by 162 yards as Marshall returned two kickoffs back for touchdowns and returned an interception for a score. They lost to Cincinnati on a pick-six with 1:07 remaining two weeks ago but responded with a conference win over Central Michigan last week. Going back to last season, five of their last seven losses have been by a possession and now they are catching three touchdowns in what is an overinflated number than can be attributed to the Notre Dame name. 10* (185) Miami Ohio RedHawks

This is a play on the MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS for our September Game of the Month. Both Iowa and Michigan St. both lost this past Saturday so we need to figure out which team has the better chance of recovering. Losses are losses but how teams lose can have a great impact on how they fare the following week and we think the Spartans have a significant advantage here. They lost against Notre Dame at home by 20 points but in no way does that score show what really happened. Michigan St. won the yardage battle 496-355 but mistakes did the Spartans in. They threw an interception on their first possession that was returned for a touchdown, fumbled in the Notre Dame endzone in the second quarter while two other possessions that got to the Fighting Irish 11-yard line and six-yard line resulted in no points. It was a disappointing loss to take but it is one that shows the team is better than the result and that helps with line value moving forward. Iowa meanwhile is coming off a heartbreaking loss against Penn St. as the Nittany Lions scored the game winning touchdown with no time left. That is a loss that will take time to recover from as the Hawkeyes obviously had their chances to pull off the upset. However, they were outgained by 306 total yards, lost the time of possession by a 2-1 margin and were at a 29-11 first down disadvantage. It was opposite type of game for Iowa than what Michigan St. went through so while the scores say one thing, looking inside the games say another. The Hawkeyes are 5-12-1 ATS in their last 18 games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game while the Spartans are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game. 10* (146) Michigan St. Spartans

Penn St. improved to 4-0 with a win at Iowa last week on the final play of the game. The Nittany Lions dominated that game more than the final score shows as they outgained the Hawkeyes by over 300 total yards and while this typically can cause a line the following week to be off because of the narrow win, that is not the case here because of the public love for Penn St. While losses like the one Iowa suffered last week can be tough to recover from, wins like the Nittany Lions victory are very difficult to back up. This is a very difficult spot coming off a hard-fought road game with another road game on deck next week at Northwestern. We played on Indiana in its season opener and while it held its own against Ohio St. for a half, the Hoosiers ran out of gas on defense and the Buckeyes pulled away. Indiana has won both games since then including a very impressive 17-point win at Virginia, a team that looked very solid last Friday against BYU. The Hoosiers came out of their week off because of a cancelled game against FIU to destroy an overmatched Georgia Southern team as they scored two defensive touchdowns and a special teams touchdown as they played vanilla most of the game. With a bye week on deck, Indiana has no choice but to go all out and with an opponent like Penn St., motivation is not an issue to begin with. The Hoosiers lost at home against Penn St. last season by 14 points but Indiana led by three points with four minutes left but allowed 17 points over the last 3:58. Indiana won the yardage battle 454-409 but could not overcome five lost fumbles. The Hoosiers are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (151) Indiana Hoosiers

It has been a rough stretch for Tennessee as the hot seat is scorching under head coach Butch Davis. A win over Navy in the season opener in overtime was a solid victory as the Volunteers were outplayed most of the game but found a way to win. The game last week against now 0-5 Massachusetts is a concern to some but it can be chalked up to a lack of focus and while that is on the coaching staff, we will see the opposite this week. Tennessee was coming off that last-second Hail Mary loss at Florida the previous week so the spot against the Minutemen was one of the worst a team could be in especially with a huge conference game on deck. Tennessee is being written off by most but this team is still 3-1 and getting a touchdown at home is a steal. Georgia rolled over Mississippi St. last week but the Bulldogs were coming off a very emotional blowout win over LSU the previous week so Georgia had a solid edge there. That victory may be overblown and we are seeing some of that reflected in this line but the public will still be backing the Bulldogs. Georgia was getting 5.5 points at Notre Dame in its only other road game so the linesmakers are essentially saying Notre Dame is 12.5 points better than Tennessee and that is hardly the case. This is a revenge game for Georgia which lost on a Hail Mary last season but we do not promote road revenge as it can backfire if the situation is is not good and that is the case here. The Bulldogs are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win while the Volunteers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game. 10* (180) Tennessee Volunteers

This is a play on the MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS for our Saturday Star Attraction. You have to feel for the Maryland program. The Terrapins went through four quarterbacks last season because of injuries and they are already down to their fourth string quarterback this season as both Tyrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill have torn ACLs while Caleb Henderson has still not seen the field because of an ankle injury. Max Bortenschlager came in last week and looked lost against UCF and he will be getting the start this week. Having a week to prepare helps but this is not the ideal situation and it is unfortunate following that season opening performance against Texas. Maryland's running game, prolific through the first two games, managed just 42 yards on 37 carries against the Knights. The Terrapins were outgained by 231 yards and will be going into a tough environment this week. Minnesota is off to a 3-0 starts and after a shaky opener against Buffalo, the Gophers have turned it up a notch over the last two games in blowout victories. The opposition has been far from strong but this is a team on the rise following a surprising nine wins last season and the bringing in of head coach P.J. Fleck who fits well into the program. While the injury situation is not good for Maryland, it is much better for Minnesota as its top two running backs, Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks, are on track to return to action. The duo rushed for over 1,900 yards last season and has already combined for 435 yards this season. The Terrapins are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a winning home record while the Gophers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a bye week. 10* (142) Minnesota Golden Gophers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS with our Friday Star Attraction. We have played on USC twice this season, once in a loss to Western Michigan and once to a win against Stanford. The Trojans looked like two different teams in those games and after watching them lose the following week as well against San Diego St. so that USC win is not as impressive. USC is coming off a 10-point win over California last week and that was not a very promising victory as the Trojans were outgained by 60 yards and were fortunate that the Golden Bears committed six turnovers. Now they take a huge step up in competition but are still overvalued with a lot of that based on name. Washington St. is also undefeated at 4-0 and it has been much more dominant in its victories. The schedule has been soft but that is not the fault of the Cougars and the fact they are winning games by big margins is more important than schedule strength. We knew coming into the season that they were going to be a very strong team with an extremely potent offense and a defense that has improved over each of the last four years with nine starters coming back this season. The Cougars won eight straight games at one point last season but lost their last three games and came into this season with a chip on their shoulder knowing they have what it takes to win the Pac 12 North. Washington St. has a huge scheduling advantage here as while both teams have to prepare on a short week, back-to-back road games for USC paired with the abbreviated schedule does not make this anymore ideal. The Cougars are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game. 10* (112) Washington St. Cougars

This is a play on the IOWA ST. CYCLONES for our Thursday Enforcer. Texas hits the road following a bye week which came after a tough loss at USC in overtime. While it was just a three-point loss, the Trojans played down to the competition as opposed to the Longhorns playing up. Through the early stages of the season, USC is overrated so that loss to the Trojans is not as good as it looks on the scoreboard. Additionally, Texas was outgained by 112 total yards as one of its touchdowns was on an interception return and penalties hurt the Longhorns as well. Because of a 56-0 win over San Jose St., the No. 167 ranked team in FBS and FCS according to Sagarin, the overall numbers and ranking are skewed. Iowa St. is also coming off its bye week following a blowout victory over Akron. That win can be compared to the Texas win over San Jose St. but the Zips are ranked higher than San Jose St. and the 41-14 win came on the road. The Cyclones were coming off a devastating loss at home against rival Iowa in overtime in a game where they blew a few late leads including allowing the tying touchdown in regulation with just 1:09 remaining. It was a good bounceback win as Iowa St. could have come out very flat but it showed what the team is capable of. The Cyclones have not been relevant in a while and it is clear that head coach Matt Campbell has the program going in the right direction so night game on Thursday in front of a national TV audience is huge for this team. The Longhorns are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game while the Cyclones are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (104) Iowa St. Cyclones

We lost Wyoming last week as more credit has to be given to Oregon and turnaround that is going on in Eugene under head coach Willie Taggart. The Cowboys remain home for the third straight week as they open conference action in a bad mood. Expectations were huge coming into the season and those expectations should remain high as losing to Iowa and Oregon is nothing to get down about but a strong start in the MWC is vital. Quarterback Josh Allen was an early season Heisman sleeper but he has been horrible looking at the statistics but he is not totally at fault as the receivers cannot separate and have had numerous drops behind an offensive line that has not been able to protect so the hope is that gets shored up as the season progresses and it starts here as the Cowboys take a huge step down in competition. Hawaii is a team on the move but there are still questions surrounding the defense which could hurt this week. The Warriors allowed 35 points against Massachusetts in their season opener and the Minutemen have averaged only 18.7 ppg in their three games since then. UCLA put up 56 points against them two weeks ago and Wyoming is more than capable of naming the score as long as the receivers get their act together which will happen here. Hawaii is coming off a bye week and while that may seem like an edge because of the travel, this has not been the case in the past as the Warriors are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 road games coming off a bye so it has been the opposite effect. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss of more than 20 points. 10* (364) Wyoming Cowboys

This is a play on the IOWA HAWKEYES for our Saturday Star Attraction. With a quarter of the season in the books for most teams, we have a good read on what has transpired and how the markets are reacting. Coming into the season, we knew Penn St. was going to be a very solid team that would give Ohio St. and Michigan all they could handle in the Big Ten East and thus far, they have been one of the most dominant teams in college football. But it can be considered somewhat of an illusion based on who the Nittany Lions have played as they have played the No. 148 schedule in the nation according to the Sagarin Rankings and that is the easiest schedule of all Big Ten teams. The win over Pittsburgh may look good but Penn St. was outgained and now it takes to the road for the first time this season. Iowa is also 3-0 including an impressive home win over Wyoming and followed that up with a come-from-behind road win over rival Iowa St. The Hawkeyes could have lost focus after that but they dominated North Texas last week to get ready for conference action and they are catching an inflated number because of the Penn St. hype. The Nittany Lions went 2-0 last season as double-digit road favorites but those came against Purdue and Rutgers which went a combined 5-19 so laying double-digits against a team with a pulse is overaggressive. Iowa is 13-7-2 as a home dog under head coach Kirk Ferentz including 8-4 ATS when getting more than a touchdown. The Hawkeyes defeated No. 2 Michigan here last season and this was after losing at Penn St. by 27 points which was its worst loss since 2014 so revenge is very much in play. The Hawkeyes have played 12 games under the lights at Kinnick Stadium in the Ferentz era and they have gone 9-3. 10* (318) Iowa Hawkeyes

Texas St. comes into Week Four with a 1-2 record, having won its season opener against Houston Baptist by just nine points but losing both games against FBS teams. Last week will be hard to recover from. Texas St. jumped out to a 10-0 lead but managed only one field goal the rest of the way despite getting inside the Appalachian St. 25-yard line in three of its final four drives. The Bobcats missed a field goal and late in the fourth quarter, they recovered a fumble at their own one-yard line and drove 98 yards only to be stopped short at the Mountaineers one-yard line as time expired. The Bobcats are projected to be the worst team in the FBS and if not that, at least in the bottom five as there is not much here. Last season, Texas St. finished No. 126 in total offense including dead last in the nation in rushing offense and No. 117 in total defense. Texas-San Antonio is off to a 2-0 start and while the win over Baylor is not looking as good as it once did, it was still a strong win over a Power 5 team on the road. The Roadrunners are expected to contend in the C-USA West Division and rightfully so as they are the No. 2 most experienced team in the country and coming off the first bowl game in school history. They have a bye next week before conference action starts so there is no reason to think they will not go all out here before a big game against Southern Miss. UTSA has the best defense in the conference so Texas St., which has yet to score more than 20 points, will have a tough time getting points on the board here. 10* (389) UTSA Roadrunners

SMU is coming off a loss at TCU and it was an unfortunate loss as the Mustangs were looking to go into halftime with the lead but the Horned Frogs scored a touchdown on a Hail Mary and then ran off three straight late touchdowns including an interception return for a score. It was still a decent effort for SMU which is turning the corner under head coach Chad Morris. The Mustangs brought back 14 starters and are the No. 10 most experienced team in the country highlighted by an offense that brings back their quarterback, top three rushers and top five receivers. Even though they were not tested, the offense scored 58 and 54 points in its first two games and that offense should keep rolling here. Arkansas St. played well in its season opener at Nebraska, had a bye because of a cancellation and then blew out Arkansas-Pine Bluff last week which is not saying a lot. The Red Wolves finished in a tie for first in the Sun Belt Conference after winning it outright the year before and they are expected to contend again this season. But that is due to the conference being weak as they have only 10 starters back with the defense being bit the most. The offense is one dimensional as SMU's defense will be able to focus more on defending the pass because of Arkansas St.'s lack of a run game. Its leading rusher, junior Warren Wand, is averaging 65.5 ypg and behind him, no one has more than 37 rushing yards this season. Going back, the Mustangs are 6-0 ATS in their last six games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game. Look for a big bounce back performance this Saturday. 10* (378) SMU Mustangs

This is a play on the NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS for our Big Ten Game of the Month. There are already numerous coaches on the proverbial hot seat and you can now add Mike Riley to that list. After a narrow win over Arkansas St. to open the season, the Huskers got thumped at Oregon as the score was not indicative of how the game played out and last week, they lost at home against Northern Illinois. However, that game was not the same as the Oregon game. Nebraska dominated the time of possession 36:34-23:26 and outgained the Huskies 384-236 but could not recover from an early deficit. The Huskers threw interceptions on two of their first four possessions and both were returned for touchdowns. People are down on Nebraska and this is the perfect time to buy low. Rutgers is also 1-2 as it picked up its first win of the season last week against Morgan St. 65-0. The Scarlett Knights were favored by 41 points so that lopsided win came as no surprise and Morgan St. has been outscored 101-0 through three games. They played Washington tough in their season opener but followed that up with a dud against Eastern Michigan as they lost by a field goal as a 5.5-point chalk. Now Rutgers takes to the road for the first time this season and the highway has not been kind to this team. Rutgers has lost seven of its last eight road games dating back to 2015 and it has covered just two of its last nine games as a road underdog. The Scarlet Knights could not be going to Lincoln at a worse time and with Illinois on deck for Nebraska, there will be no lookahead. Based on the first three games, the Huskers have no choice but to put together their best effort of the young season. 10* (350) Nebraska Cornhuskers

This is a play on the NAVY MIDSHIPMEN for our Saturday Supreme Annihilator. This is a great spot for Navy which is coming off a bye week after an average performance the previous week against Tulane. The Midshipmen won by two points but that was a tough matchup considering the Green Wave run a similar option style offense so there were a lot of familiarities on both sides so neither team could break away. They have a much better matchup this week as they open conference action in hopes of getting back to the AAC Championship after suffering a bad loss against Temple last season and this is their first conference home game since then. You know what you are getting with Navy week in and week out and that is a solid running game and disciplined football on both sides. Cincinnati is 2-1 following a win last week over Miami Ohio but it was a victory it never should have had. The Bearcats won the yardage battle 361-291 but scored just once through three quarters as it had two interceptions, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs. Miami kicked a field goal with 4:45 left in the game to take a 17-6 lead but Cincinnati went 75 yards on eight plays to pull within three points and then three plays later, picked off a Gus Ragland pass and returned it 14 yards for the winning score. While they lost by just 22 points at Michigan, the game should not have been that close as Cincinnati was outgained by 214 yards and in its season opener, Cincinnati was outgained by Austin Peay in its 26-14 win. Cincinnati won only four games last season with three of those wins coming against losing teams and another against UT-Martin of the FCS. The Bearcats have just 11 starters back this season as well as a new coach and new systems that they are still struggling with. 10* (358) Navy Midshipmen

This is a play on the BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES for our Saturday Wiseguy Wipeout. Clemson opened its season against Kent St. and we played against the Tigers there with the thought being they would be far from focused coming off their National Championship season. While that was not the case, Kent St. did not help matters by not even showing up. Now we have a similar situation but one that is bookended during the season. Clemson is coming off a pair of high-profile wins over Auburn and Louisville and if that is not enough, the Tigers have a game at Virginia Tech on deck, a team they narrowly escaped from the ACC Championship last season. The Tigers are not in position to lose this game but this is a huge number to cover and it is creeping toward that Kent St. number and Boston College is much better than the Golden Flashes. It may not seem so since the Eagles are 1-2 with the win being a close victory at Northern Illinois but the fact they are 0-3 against the number is also adding value the pointspread this week. The Boston College defense is a perennial strength of this team but it has been shredded the last couple weeks which is a surprise. Offensively is where the challenge come here as the Clemson defense is arguably the best in the country right now but after allowing 27 points against Auburn and Louisville, it will be hard to sustain such a high level of play especially against a team it knows it should beat with ease. Clemson has stepped up its game going back to last season as it has flourished against the elite teams but they have failed to cover seven of their last nine games against teams with a losing record. This is a team that we can step in front of only when the situation is right and it is this Saturday. 10* (319) Boston College Eagles

This is a play on the VIRGINIA CAVALIERS with our Friday Enforcer. We played against Boise St. last Thursday and we will go against the once again overvalued Broncos. We caught a fortunate back-door cover with New Mexico last week but at the same time, we caught a bad break early on when Lobos quarterback Lamar Jordan left the game after a late hit and they were down to their third starting quarterback for over a half. Boise St. was able to keep the New Mexico offense in check but most teams could when facing a third string quarterback and they actually were outgained. It was the offense that continued to struggle as the Broncos managed 44 points against Washington St. but 13 of those points came in overtime and prior to that, they put up just 24 points against Troy. Virginia hits the road for the first time but this is familiar territory for head coach Bronco Mendenhall from his time at BYU and he looks to be turning the Cavaliers program around. The Cavaliers have already matched their win total from last year and the defense has improved by 117 ypg. The rushing defense has been the weaker of the two defensive units but Boise St. has been struggling to run the ball as the Broncos are averaging only 3.78 ypc and last week, Boise State's top two running backs, Alexander Mattison and Ryan Wolpin, combined for a paltry 49 yards (2.9 ypc) against New Mexico. The blue turf used to cause fits for visitors but the home field advantage is gone as the Broncos are 0-10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games. This streak will not last forever but the linesmakers are not doing them any favors by continuing to saddle them with double-digit lines. 10* (305) Virginia Cavaliers

This is a play on the SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS for our Thursday Star Attraction. We won with South Florida this past Friday as it put together its best game of the young season, amassing 680 yards of total offense while picking up 38 first downs on 98 plays from scrimmage. The Bulls won their first two games over San Jose St. and Stony Brook but it was not their best efforts although it can be argued they did not want to give too much away. They are laying a couple more points than they did against the Illini but that should not come into play here as there will be plenty of motivation to not only win but to win big. Temple is a shell of the team that rolled to consecutive 10-4 records the last two seasons as the Owls not only lost 12 starters including seven on one of the best defenses in the country but they also lost head coach Matt Rhule who left for the Baylor job. While he is not doing well at his new gig, he was responsible for putting the Temple program back on the map. The Owls have been outgained in all three games including losing the yardage battle by 49 yards against Villanova of the FCS and by 71 yards against winless UMass last week. Those games were won because of special teams and kicking but it is going to take more than that against the Bulls. Temple was outrushed by 337 yards in its season opener against Notre Dame and that is bad news against a South Florida team that is outrushing opponents by an average of close to 200 ypg. The Bulls motivation not only comes from this being the season opener and biggest game in the AAC East Division but also because of looking to avenge the 16-point loss at Temple last season which kept them out of the AAC Championship. 10* (304) South Florida Bulls

This is a play on the KENTUCKY WILDCATS for our Saturday Star Attraction. South Carolina is the second highest public consensus home team on the entire Week Three board based on the fact that the Gamecocks are playing their home opener after a 2-0 start and laying a short number. Typically, this is a good spot for a team as they are brimming with confidence while also playing with triple revenge from three losses the last three years. While winning is great, how teams win also has a lot to do with that and South Carolina is fortunate to be in this undefeated spot. In their first game at NC State, the Wolfpack outgained South Carolina 504-246 and had 17 more first downs but mistakes did them in. Not only did the Gamecocks return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, they also benefited from scoring drives of just 40 and 13 yards following NC State turnovers. Last week, they were outgained by 64 yards against Missouri but returned another kickoff for a touchdown and benefitted from a 3-0 turnover edge. So, despite sitting No. 63 in the country in scoring offense, they are just No. 114 in total offense. Kentucky is also 2-0 after a pair of lackluster wins over Southern Miss and Eastern Kentucky but those were two games the Wildcats were not exactly pumped up for. While they do face Florida next week, this is their SEC opener as well and they will be ready. Kentucky is coming off its first bowl game since 2010 and its 17 returning starters is tied for most in the conference so there are big expectations in Lexington this season. If for nothing else, this game would be a pickem on a neutral field so this line is inflated even though it may be considered short to some. When it is feasible that the underdog can win the game outright, that underdog is a take. 10* (111) Kentucky Wildcats

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS for our Saturday enforcer. LSU is being called a sleeper team in the SEC by some but that mean the Tigers would have to win in Alabama at the start of November which will be a tough task. They are coming off an 8-4 season and after four straight double-digit win seasons, the Tigers have suffered three straight single-digit win seasons. We do not quite think that the Tigers are back to their elite status so they should once again fall into the latter group win total and that boasts well for the Bulldogs which have played the Tigers close each of the last three years with a win by five points and losses by two and three points. LSU has allowed just 10 points through two games but one of those came against Chattanooga of the FCS and the other against BYU which we have seen is offensively inept through its three games. Those are two games that it is hard to judge how good this team really is with this being the first challenge of the season. This is the first big challenge for Mississippi St. as well although it easily defeated a very good Louisiana Tech team last week while holding the Bulldogs to just 21 points after averaging at least 37 ppg on offense each of the last three years. Offensively, this is where the Bulldogs are supposed to improve from the last few years as quarterback Nick Fitzgerald is a duel-threat that is coming off a very strong 2016 season where he passed for 2,423 yards while leading the team in rushing with 1,495 yards, earning him Third Team All-SEC honors. Mississippi St. will not have an easy time with the always tough LSU defense but the Tigers return only five starters which is their fewest since 2013. Additionally, starting defensive end Rashard Lawrence will be out with an ankle injury. 10* (188) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

We played against Western Michigan in Week One against USC and clearly did not get the best effort from the Trojans which seemed to play uninspired with Stanford on deck. We also played against the Broncos last week and they brought nothing against Michigan St. as they managed only 195 yards of total offense as both touchdowns scored were on defense and special teams. While they were underdogs in those games. They were still overvalued based on the spectacular season from a year ago and now they go into the role of a heavy favorite. Granted, it is a big step down in class but Western Michigan lost so much from 2016 that it is going to be a while for this team to come together. The Broncos will be jacked for their home opener but they will not be sneaking up on anyone. We played against Idaho last week but that was more of a play on UNLV than a play against the Vandals with the thinking that the Rebels would bounce back after suffering that horrible home loss against Howard which they did in a big way. Idaho overachieved last season with a 9-4 record that included a blowout win over Colorado St. in its bowl game that was not as close as the final score indicated and this is still a solid team with a lot of senior experience. The Vandals have been one of the best road dogs over the last few years even when they were not winning many games as they are 14-3 ATS when getting points on the highway since 2014. Idaho was riding a six-game winning streak going into last week but caught the Rebels at the wrong time as any other time it results in a Vandals victory. 10* (181) Idaho Vandals

Oregon comes into the 2017 as a team that many are expected to bounce back from a horrific 2016 season but the problem is that the Ducks will not be sneaking up on anyone and that includes the linesmakers. They rolled over Southern Utah in their season opener and looked like they were going to roll again last week against Nebraska but they allowed the Huskers to get back into the game after opening up a 42-14 halftime lead only to win by a touchdown. Now Oregon hits the road for the first time under new head coach Willie Taggart and even in the glory days a few years back, Oregon was not nearly as good on the road. That is not stopping the public however as Oregon is the third highest public consensus on the board despite the books excessively inflating the line. Wyoming struggled in its opening game at Iowa as it lost by 21 points but was outgained by just 30 total yards as the Cowboys were done in by mistakes including the now famous missed punt that led to a touchdown right before halftime. They bounced back with a solid win last week against Gardner Webb where they did not show much looking ahead to this week and they will have a nice home field edge this week hosting a team not used to playing over 7,000 feet above sea level. The Cowboys improved defense is tied for ninth in the country in scoring defense at 12.0 ppg and 12th in total defense at 229.0 ypg. This is a very dangerous team with Josh Allen at quarterback that brought back 14 starters from last season where it went 8-6 with four of those losses coming by three points. 10* (186) Wyoming Cowboys

Situational spots are extremely important in college football and how a team reacts when given those certain situations. Oklahoma is coming off a monster win at Ohio St. as it got revenge from a loss in 2016 and now hosts a Tulane team that has won only 11 games since 2014. The Sooners dominated the second half against the Buckeyes as they scored touchdown on four of five possessions not counting the final one where they were not looking to score. Not only does this spell a letdown spot but the Sooners have their Big XII opener next week on the road against Baylor and while the Bears have looks horrible, it is still a game to be looked forward to. Tulane rolled in its opener against Grambling which is not saying much but it held its own last week at Navy and nearly pulled off the upset, losing by just three points. We rode the Green Wave then and will do so again as this is a team on the rise under head coach Willie Fritz. They were outgained by only 24 ypg and outscored by just 3.6 ppg last season and while the Sooners are clearly the more talented team by a long shot, the line is taking that into consideration but it is not taking into consideration the bad spot. Tulane runs the option which is tough to prepare for and there is no chance Oklahoma was preparing for it ahead of time during Ohio St. week. The Sooners are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game while the Green Wave are 4-1 ATS in their last five games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game. 10* (163) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the SMU MUSTANGS for our Non-Conference Game of the Month. While this is a huge rivalry that dates to 1915, it has not been much of a series lately with TCU winning 15 of the last 17 meetings including the last five. The last four games have been decided by at least 19 points but we should see a much close game this season with an improving Mustangs program taking the field. SMU won a total of three games in 2014 and 2015 but finished with five wins last season and have a legitimate shot at making it to a bowl game this season. The Mustangs bring back 14 starters and are the No. 10 most experienced team in the country highlighted by an offense that brings back their quarterback, top three rushers and top five receivers. Even though they have not been tested, the offense has scored 58 and 54 points through two games. This is impressive considering SMU averaged a mere 11.1 ppg in 2014. Defensively, there are still questions along the defensive line but the back seven is loaded. We won with TCU last week as it handled Arkansas which was a big revenge game from an overtime loss in 2016. The horned Frogs went just 6-7 last season but are looking to be a player in the Big XII but they are being asked to lay a big number coming off a big win and having to travel to Oklahoma St. next week for their conference opener. The amount of focus here will be in question as this is the classic sandwich spot and against a team that now knows it is on the rise. TCU has been overvalued for a while now as it has failed to cover nine straight home games while going 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games following a win of 20 or more points. 10* (167) SMU Mustangs

This is a play on the BAYLOR BEARS for our Saturday Wiseguy Wipeout. When you hear the statement, "teams are not as good as they looked last week and teams are not as bad as they looked last week", this game will come to mind although the public will not be buying the aforementioned statement. Duke is going to be a big public play this week if wagering on this game or it will be a pass as laying money on the Bears is not going to happen for a lot of people. The value in this game is arguably the best on the entire board but that is offset by what we have seen through two weeks although the latter does not affect us as I do not care what has transpired the first two weeks. Baylor was shocked at home against Liberty in its first game and followed that up with a loss against Texas-San Antonio last week which in reality is not a horrible loss as the Roadrunners are a very good team. The Bears can throw in the towel for the season or they can rally around each other and we can expect to see the latter tanks to head coach Matt Rhule as he is not going to lose this team three weeks into the season. Duke is 2-0 with an impressive win last week against Northwestern which was one of the biggest head-scratchers of the week. The first win came over North Carolina Central so we cannot get much from that. After a 4-8 season last year, we can expect a rebound season form the Blue Devils based on the simple theory of coming back to the mean but winning this game and winning this game by more than two touchdowns are two different things. Duke has been favored by two touchdowns over a Power Five Conference team only once since 1998 and that was against Kansas. Baylor is no Kansas. 10* (141) Baylor Bears

This is a play on the SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS for our Friday Enforcer. Friday features three games with teams favored by at least two touchdowns and a pass would typically be in order in all of those but we are going to eat some chalk in one of those based on early season results and life in general. South Florida is favored to win the AAC after going 11-2 last season including a 7-1 conference record but there are higher aspirations in Tampa this season. The Bulls are looking at a Group of Five bowl game and crashing the College Football Playoff is not out of the question. While they have won both games this season, they have not looked good in doing so as they spotted San Jose St. a 16-0 lead before finally coming to life and looked hardly like a CFP party crasher in an un-inspirational win over Stony Brook by 14 points as a 35-point favorite. Now there will be plenty of inspiration after the game last week against Connecticut was canceled because of Hurricane Irma and this will be a huge game being played in Tampa for the team and its fans. Illinois defeated Western Kentucky last week and while it was considered an upset based on the line, clearly the Hilltoppers are not what they used to be. The win can be considered unimpressive considering that the Illini managed only 20 points while winning the yardage battle by just 56 yards. In its first game, Illinois defeated Ball St. by a field goal despite getting outgained by 159 total yards. This is one of many fraudulent undefeated teams in the nation and the Illini now hit the road for the first time and head to a place they would rather not be going to at this particular time. While this is a homecoming of sorts for Illinois coach Lovie Smith, the Bulls will prove to be way too much on this night. 10* (108) South Florida Bulls

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO LOBOS for our Thursday Star Attraction. Boise St. heads back home following a disappointing loss at Washington St. last Saturday and regrouping will be difficult. The Broncos returned a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown with 10:53 remaining in the game to take a 31-10 lead only to see the Cougars score three touchdowns including an interception return and the tying score set up by muffed punt. Boise St. eventually lost in triple overtime to even its record at 1-1 and the dominant Broncos days look to be numbered. There are questions all over the field as Boise St. has just nine returning starters from last season which is the fewest in the MWC and it is the No. 119 experienced team in the country (out of 130). New Mexico is coming off a loss against rival New Mexico St., the second straight loss in the series with the Aggies. While the Lobos followed up the loss last season with another loss, that game was against Rutgers where they had to travel to the east coast so this is a much different situation. New Mexico is coming off back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2006-2007 and are more than capable of making it three straight postseason appearances for the first time since 2002-2004. Certainly, there was no shortage of things the Lobos did wrong against the Aggies including four turnovers, 13 penalties, missed opportunities, lack of a pass rush and poor coverage in the secondary. The good news is a short week can have a positive effect. The home field advantage for Boise St. as it has gone 1-9 ATS in its last 10 home games and that lone cover came by just a half-point. Meanwhile, the Lobos are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games following a straight up loss. 10* (103) New Mexico Lobos

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our Saturday Star Attraction. USC was a big letdown for us last week as it did not show up until late in the game to eventually pull away from Western Michigan. The Trojans were likely guilty of looking ahead to this big matchup with Stanford but as noted last week, prior to Stanford last year, the Trojans defeated Utah St. by 38 points and in 2015, they defeated Idaho by 50 points prior to facing the Cardinal. USC should have named the score last week but because of the closer than anticipated game, the Trojans are getting some excellent value in the number this week. Stanford was off last week after dominating Rice in Australia two weeks ago and that was not a game to get a good read on the Cardinal. They are expected to contend with Washington in the Pac 12 North and this is once again a very solid Stanford team despite the loss of Christian McCaffrey. The Cardinal have been a very strong road team but they have had their struggles against top level teams as they are 2-4 the last four years on the road against ranked teams and one of those took place right here. This has been a Stanford dominated series as the Cardinal have won seven of the last nine meetings and the two USC wins have come by just three points each so based on history, no one will be lining up behind the Trojans this week. That is more than fine as USC is coming back to its normal program following years of lowered scholarships and is finally geared up with the talent and depth to make a championship run. The Trojans are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games playing with double-revenge as favorites and they get that revenge Saturday night. 10* (388) USC Trojans

This is a play on the UNLV RUNNIN' REBELS for our NCAAF Game of the Week. UNLV is coming off the worst loss in college football history in line to the pointspread as it fell at home to Howard 43-40 as a 45-point favorite. The Rebels did not show up as they lost three fumbles and committed 13 penalties and those are two areas where the mental side of the game simply was not there and that changes this week. They have heard all week about how bad of a loss it was and because it was so early in the season, they know there is plenty of time to make up for it and we will see an all-out effort this week. Idaho is coming off a bowl win against Colorado St. last season which came out of nowhere as the Vandals were a combined 9-50 in their previous five years. They did return 14 starters and going back to last season, they have won six straight games following a rather unimpressive win over Sacramento St. last week. Idaho returns only five starters on each side of the ball this season and while the Vandals are playing with confidence, they catch UNLV at the wrong time. This is also a revenge game for UNLV which lost at home to Idaho last year in overtime despite winning the yardage battle 539-378. The Rebels were favored by 14.5 points in that game so we are seeing a three-touchdown swing in less than a year and that is too big of an adjustment for these two teams. National embarrassment has a funny way of providing a sudden burst of motivation and UNLV shows that off Saturday night. 10* (389) UNLV Runnin' Rebels

This is a classic example of why looking at final scores can be meaningless when looking at future games and prices. NC State looks to bounce back from a loss against South Carolina as it fell at home by seven points in a game that it dominated. The Wolfpack outgained South Carolina 504-246 and had 17 more first downs but mistakes did them in. Not only did the Gamecocks return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, they also benefited from scoring drives of just 40 and 13 yards following NC State turnovers. The Wolfpack defense allowed just 22 yards over the final five drives on defense and they can absolutely dominate again this Saturday. Marshall won its season opener against Miami Ohio but it was the opposite of what happened with NC State. The Thundering Herd were outgained 429-267 but returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and also returned an interception for another score. The RedHawks controlled the time of possession and allowed just 15 first downs so it was a win by Marshall that was a fortunate as they come. After three straight double-digit win seasons, the Thundering Herd won just three games last year and lost all five road games by double digits. NC State has gone to three straight bowl games and with 17 returning starters, greater things are expected in 2017. That disappointing loss in the season opener is going to fuel the Wolfpack even more and with Furman on deck, they will be fully focused this week. Despite the loss last week, they have covered 11 of their last 14 non-conference games while Marshall is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games following an ATS win. 10* (368) NC State Wolfpack

While Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. are the head of the Big XII class, do not sleep on TCU. The Horned Frogs are coming off a dreadful 6-7 season and we say dreadful because it was their first losing season since 2004 so a big bounce back season can be expected in 2017. Three of the last four times TCU has finished with eight or fewer wins, it has won 11, 11 and 12 games and this team is loaded now. The Horned Frogs bring back 17 starters overall with 10 of those coming on offense including quarterback Kenny Hill and all other playmakers. Their top three rushers and top nine receivers are all back. Arkansas is coming off another average season under head coach Bret Bielema who is now just 26-26 in four-plus seasons following a season opening win over Florida A&M last week. 12 of those 26 wins have come against non-Power Five teams so there is some underachieving going on here in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks bring back a strong offensive line and Austin Allen is a solid quarterback but after that, there is not much on this team. They come in with one of the weakest defensive lines in the SEC and will get shredded against this TCU offense that is ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 in running backs, receivers and offensive line in the Big XII. There is revenge on the table for the horned Frogs as well as they are off a loss in overtime last season despite outgaining Arkansas by 169 total yards. TCU is 12-4 on the road over the last three seasons while the Razorbacks have failed to cover six straight games following a win. 10* (363) TCU Horned Frogs

This is a play on the MICHIGAN ST. SPARTANS for our Saturday Enforcer. Michigan St. overcame a slow start last week as it pulled away from Bowling Green in a game that it really dominated. The Spartans defense was the story as they did not allow a touchdown as the Falcons lone trot into the endzone came from a fumble return in the fourth quarter. They allowed only 212 total yards against a Falcons offense that averaged 407 ypg last season despite losing a ton from its record setting offense from 2015. Michigan St. is coming off its worst season ever under head coach Mark Dantonio and its first losing season since 2009. The three wins were the fewest since 1994 and this coming after a berth in the CFP in 2015 but all of this means we can buy low and that is the case here. We played against Western Michigan last week and give the Broncos credit as they went into USC and played the Trojans tough in a game that was not decided until late. USC was not showing its full arsenal early on with a game against Stanford on deck and that nearly came back to haunt the Trojans. Now Western Michigan has to regroup in a hurry and face another Power Five team which is a cause for concern. The Broncos were a special team last season as they opened 13-0 before losing to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl and take away the wins over Northwestern and Illinois and they are just 2-17 in their last 19 non-conference road games with those two wins both coming against Idaho, first in 2008 when the Vandals went 2-10 and then in 2014 when they went 1-10. 10* (310) Michigan St. Spartans

While a win over Grambling should not count for much, it was the first season opening win for Tulane since 2013 for a program that is heading in the right direction. The Green Wave finished with four wins last season which was more wins than in four of the previous five seasons so the first year under head coach Willie Fritz was a success. He led Georgia Southern to an 18-7 record in his two years there before coming to Tulane and he has amassed a 195-74-1 record in his head coaching career. He brought with him his option rushing attack and after a successful first year, things will only be better this time around. Taking over at quarterback this season is Kansas St. transfer Jonathan Banks who fits perfectly into this system and is coming off a great debut. Navy won last Friday in a game that had no rhythm due to storms and delays which hurt Florida Atlantic to get anything going. The Midshipmen now head back to Annapolis for their home opener and are again being asked to lay double-digits only this time against a team that matches up better which we saw last season. Tulane had the lead over Navy late in the fourth quarter but could not hold on as Navy scored the game winning touchdown with 2:57 left and the Green Wave could not pull off the upset. That was one of three losses for Tulane that came by a single possession so their season could have been even better. This is a program on the rise that has not had much go its way with only one bowl appearance since 2002 and with a game at Oklahoma on deck, getting out of here with a great effort is of utmost importance. 10* (347) Tulane Green Wave

While we will not go as far to say that Purdue is bound for a big season, we will say that the Boilermakers are heading in the right direction. Purdue has not been relevant since the days of Joe Tiller as it has been to just two bowl games since he retired in 2008. The hiring of Jeff Brohm looks to be a perfect fit here and one that will get the Boilermakers back on the map. They are coming off a solid effort last week against Louisville where they lost by a touchdown but were the victims of four turnovers and while they were outgained by 180 total yards, they have only two fewer first downs. Purdue now takes a step down in competition in its home opener which happens to come in front of a National TV audience. Ohio meanwhile has not had a losing season since 2008 and has been to a bowl game in seven of the eight years since then. The Bobcats are coming off a laugher in their season opener against Hampton as they rolled 59-0 but we can take little from that game based on the opposition. Ohio is expected to contend in the MAC once again this season but there is a big difference between the MAC and the Big Ten even if it is the lower echelon of the Big Ten. The Bobcats are just 2-10 against Power Five teams since 2007 and they are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points. Meanwhile, Purdue has won 13 consecutive home openers and it has covered nine of its last 13 games following a straight up loss. 10* (302) Purdue Boilermakers

UCLA came into last season as a top 15 teams but lost its season opener in overtime, lost its star quarterback halfway through the season and lost six of its last seven games to post its first losing season since 2011. The loss of quarterback Josh Rosen was a big reason for the second half collapse by the Bruins as those were definitely intertwined but partly to fault is head coach Jim mora who failed to make adjustments on offense and finds himself squarely on the hot seat entering 2017. UCLA will be back to contend in the Pac 12 North as it brings nine starters back on offense including Rosen who is back to full health. Half of their losses last season came by one possession which gives the Bruins value heading into this season and the line dictates that. That opening loss from last season came against Texas A&M despite outgaining the Aggies so there is revenge on the table. Another coach in the hot seat is Kevin Sumlin who has his teams highly ranked at some point in the season only to lose crucial games and implode late to fall out of the rankings altogether. The Aggies have finished 8-5 each of the last three seasons which would be good for some programs but there has been too much inconsistency where opportunities have been there only to be missed. Texas A&M brings back only 12 starters this season and the quarterback situation is a mess as it saw two transfers and it is still undecided if senior Jake Hubenak, redshirt freshman Nick Starkel or true freshman Kellen Mond will be making their first ever road start. Part of this is Sumlin not giving away info but the other part is that there is no clear-cut choice. 10* (212) UCLA Bruins

This is the one week that we can take advantage of betting big favorites, something we typically do not do later in the season when lines become a lot sharper. This is one of those games where the home team can name the score and we expect that to happen. USC comes into the season as a legit National Championship contender for the first time in a while after a great end to last season. The Trojans were blown out in their season opener against Alabama last year and then opened 0-2 in the Pac 12 before going on to win their final nine games of the season including a Rose Bowl win against Penn St. they bring back a slew of talent including Heisman hopeful quarterback Sam Darnold who narrowly lost his first game as a starter against Utah but then won the next nine starts, only two of those victories coming by single-digits. It may be worrisome that USC has Stanford on deck but that is a non-issue. Prior to Stanford last year, the Trojans defeated Utah St. by 38 points and in 2015, they defeated Idaho by 50 points prior to facing the Cardinal. Western Michigan is coming off a season for the ages as the Broncos went 12-0 during the regular season, defeated Ohio in the MAC Championship but fell to Wisconsin by eight points in the Cotton Bowl. It was a season that cannot be duplicated especially knowing that head coach P.J. Fleck is gone and that the Broncos have to replace seven starters on offense including their quarterback as well as their top three receivers. This is a big number to be laying but it is this big for a reason and should be even bigger but the memory of what Western Michigan did last season is keeping it manageable. 10* (182) USC Trojans

Notre Dame is another big-name program that looks to bounce back following a disappointing 4-8 season. The Irish are favored by a significant amount in their opener but with them expected to be one of them most improved teams in the nation, this line would be a lot higher a month from now as the struggles from last season are playing a part in the number. Those eight losses are being taken into consideration but what is not being considered is the fact that of those eight losses, seven came by one possession including four by a field goal or less. While it was not an experienced team last season, Notre Dame returns 15 starters and in the mix are new coordinators. Defensively, the Irish were okay and now they have a new coordinator in Mike Elko who turned Wake Forest around. Chip Long takes over the offense that has to replace the quarterback but brings back the top rusher, receiver and four players along the huge offensive line. Temple was a bookies nightmare last year as after a loss against Army in the season opener, the Owls ran off 12 consecutive spread victories before losing to Wake Forest in the Military Bowl. Temple lost 12 starters from last season, the majority on a stout defense that has brought back 8, 10 and 6 starters the last three seasons but brings back just four in 2017. Offensively, the receiving corps returns intact but the Owls have to break in a new quarterback and also lost their top running back. Most important, head coach Matt Rhule left for Baylor and Temple also has to replace both coordinators as well and their replacements are not nearly as strong as those for Notre Dame. This is a big game for Notre Dame to get the season going in the right direction in front of the home crowd before welcoming Georgia next week. 10* (188) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The reigning National Champions kick off on Saturday in the early slate of games and while the game looks easy on paper, the situation is not a good one to open. Clemson plays its first game with the title trophy so every opponent is going to be giving its all in trying to pull off a victory. The Tigers are again going to be a solid team as they come in ranked No. 5 in the AP Preseason poll but the start of the season could be one that takes time for this team to come together. They have to replace quarterback Deshaun Watson, leading rusher Wayne Gallman and their top two receivers so the offense will be a work in progress. This is the perfect opponent to try and iron out some of the wrinkles and play within its means and not show too much. This is because the Tigers host Auburn next week, a team they narrowly escaped last season with a six-point win. That was one of seven wins by a touchdown or less and that is something to go against the following season. Kent St. has won just eight games the last three years but all signs point to improvement this season. The Golden Flashes bring back 13 starters from a team that lost four games by four points or less and held its own against Penn St. in the season opener. The offense struggled last season but will be better in 2017 with more experience and it does not have to do much here to cover this number. Clemson has covered just once in five games when favored by five or more touchdowns under head coach Dabo Swinney including a six-point win against Troy as a 35-point chalk which came right after that Auburn game. 10* (159) Kent St. Golden Flashes

As mentioned in a different analysis, playing big favorites in the first week of the season can be very advantageous as we can get some soft numbers that could feasibly be much higher later in the season should things pan out the way as we are predicting. Texas has been an average program since 2009 when it lost to Alabama in the BSC Championship as it has gone 46-42 over the last seven seasons and has not reached double-digit win over this span. The Longhorns started declining with Mack Brown and the Charlie Strong experiment lasted just three seasons. In comes Tom Herman who looks to be an ideal fit to turn Texas back into a national power and while it likely may not happen this year, we can expect a strong start from Texas. Herman has 17 returning starters and the Longhorns bring back the fifth most experienced team in the country so most everyone is back in what will be a very hungry team to forget the debacle from the end of last season. Texas opens at home for the first two weeks before heading to USC to face the Trojans so these first two weeks are important for momentum and confidence. Maryland was a pleasant surprise last season as it won six games after winning just three games in 2015 but we are not so sure the improvement was justified. Only one of the Terrapins six regular season losses was close and they defeated some bad teams along the way to become bowl eligible. Quarterback Tyrell Pigrome won the starting job over blue chip recruit Kasim Hill and North Carolina transfer Caleb Henderson which was a surprise so the offense could struggle early on. Texas needs it supporters to believe and that is not just done with a win but a blowout win. 10* (186) Texas Longhorns

Navy did not finish the season well last year as it lost its last three games, including a loss against Army which snapped a 14-game winning streak against the Black Knights. The Midshipmen come into this season with a few question marks at some key positions namely offensive line and running back. They lost four of their top five rushers and they must replace three of their five already undersized offensive linemen. The Navy flexbone attack is ground-based and requires defenders to play disciplined, assignment football in a way that will not be as necessary against spread offenses. Luckily for Florida Atlantic, the Owls have extra time to prepare. Does that make a difference? You bet it does. Under head coach Ken Niumatalolo is 5-4 in season openers with four of those wins coming against Towson, Delaware, Colgate and Fordham, all from the FCS so FBS teams are 2-1 in those games. There is a lot of buzz at Florida Atlantic with the hiring of Lane Kiffin as the new head coach and while he will help immensely with recruiting, the bigger hire could be offensive coordinator Kendal Briles who is in place to turn around an inconsistent offense. There is still a question of who is going to start at quarterback but running backs Devin Singletary, Buddy Howell and Kerrith White were six yards short of rushing for two thousand yards combined last season, along with 26 touchdowns. Defensively, the line has been great during the spring and the linebackers that were hurt in the spring and early fall are back and will contribute in stopping the Navy ground attack. Overall, the Owls are the most experienced team in the country with 96.2 percent of their yards and 88 percent of their lettermen back for 2017. 10* (146) Florida Atlantic Owls

This is a huge game for Indiana and the coaching staff is not downplaying it as they are calling it the biggest opening game in the history of Indiana football. That means little when it comes down to the actual playing of the game but the Hoosiers will possess a significant home field advantage. They are coming off back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1990-91and they are projected to make it three in a row. This is a very talented team with 15 starters returning and they can give Ohio St. some troubles. Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow has stepped up as a leader during the offseason and he spent a lot of time studying how he can improve his decision-making to cut down on turnovers. He will be throwing to a wide receiver group that includes Simmie Cobbs, Nick Westbrook and Donavan Hale along with tight end Ian Thomas. This part of the offense is important as they will be going against a very inexperienced secondary. Defensively, Indiana has nine starters back from a team that improved from allowing 37.6 ppg in 2015 to 27.2 ppg in 2016 so they should be even better. Former head coach Kevin Wilson is the new offensive coordinator so the Hoosiers will have an edge in knowing the tendencies that will be coming their way even though that can go both ways. Limiting turnovers is stating the obvious but if Indiana wants to sniff an upset, the turnover battle must be won. The Hoosiers have played Ohio St. very tough over the last few years and most of those were inferior teams than the 2017 edition. While a close game can be expected, we take advantage of a very overpriced line that is based on the Ohio St. name and its CFP hopes for the upcoming season. 10* (134) Indiana Hoosiers

It was a roller coaster season for Hawaii last season but it ended on a good note to carry some momentum into the 2017 season. You will rarely see a .500 season that feels like more of a success than the Warriors as it was the combination of resilience and an increasingly competent offense, and there is no reason to assume that either will disappear before 2017 begins. Hawaii won its final three games including an upset over Middle Tennessee in the Hawaii Bowl and comes in ready to light it up. Quarterback Dru Brown and running back Diocemy Saint Juste return to form one of the MWCs scarier backfields while nine of the top 11 receiving targets and three starting offensive linemen also return. The defense was a problem last season as Hawaii allowed 5.3 ypc and a 48 percent conversion rate on third down. Those are two of the stats it needs to improve upon and that is very likely to happen for two reasons as the Warriors will be better on defense than in 2016, and their schedule does not include trips to Michigan and Arizona (111 points allowed in just those two games). Massachusetts is coming off a 2-10 season and while it should be better, it will not be much better. The offensive line is a big weakness with just two starters back trying to improve upon the No. 124 ranked rushing offense in the country and that spells trouble. In 2015 when they won three games, the Minutemen were outrushed by 51 ypg but that ballooned to over 95 ypg last season so they need help on both sides. They do not have the passing game to keep up with Hawaii so any early lead for the Warriors could be too much for Massachusetts to catch up to. The travel is always a concern with Hawaii but that is a non-issue with this being the first game of the season. 10* (293) Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

Even though Clemson may not have looked as good during the regular season as it did last season, the Tigers still had their lapses then namely against Syracuse and South Carolina late in the season. The game against Ohio St. solidified what they can do when focused and this team is capable of not only covering but winning outright against Alabama. The Tide have typically struggled against mobile quarterbacks and we saw it last season in the championship as Deshawn Watson was responsible for 478 yards of offense himself. Clemson got a late score for the cover but it was typically within the number the whole game with the difference being Alabama returning a kickoff for a touchdown. Overall, Alabama had four touchdowns of 50 yards or more and the offense is not as dynamic this season as last. The Tide cannot stretch the ball down field and while they possess a fantastic running game, Clemson has a very strong rushing defense with numbers similar to last season. Take a Derrick Henry 50-yard touchdown run away and he averaged just 3.1 ypc in his other 35 rushes. The best part for the Tigers is that they are not intimidated. They were not last year and are not again this year. They have more competitive depth on both sides with more experience that simply translates into a better football team. We are getting a similar number to last year with what is an improved team so we will run with it again this season. 10* (151) Clemson Tigers

Auburn had a surprisingly good season as after a 1-2 start, the Tigers ran off six straight wins before being dominated in their last two games against FBS opponents. The defense carried the team all season as it allowed 30 points only once which came in the season finale against Alabama but even that was a skewed score as the Tigers allowed 501 total yards. The offense is the real issue as they gained just 184 total yards and that came after picking up only 164 yards against Georgia. Oklahoma presents a real problem for auburn as the Sooners balanced offense averaged over 237 yards on the ground and close to 320 yards through the air. Oklahoma won its last nine games following a 1-2 start and most of those win were blowouts while getting outgained only once during that stretch. The Sooners closed the season by covering their last five games against teams with a winning record and the run continues on Monday. 10* (282) Oklahoma Sooners

Iowa had a signature win over Michigan this season to start a season ending three-game winning streak but like last season, it was another overrated season for the Hawkeyes. Half of their wins came against teams with three wins or fewer, another against Miami Ohio out of the MAC while losing to North Dakota St. from the FCS. The Hawkeyes came to the Rose Bowl last season and got destroyed by Stanford and a similar result is in the cards today as they play another high profile bowl game they should not be involved in. Florida got thumped by Alabama in the SEC Championship which comes as no surprise but it was a successful season for the Gators that finished with five wins over teams also participating in bowl games. Florida outgained opponents by over 46 ypg while Iowa was actually outgained by an average of close to 20 ypg. 10* (276) Florida Gators

We will take advantage of this line where as if Clemson was favored by three points, there would not be much of an overreaction. The Tigers were in a similar situation a year ago where they were getting a field goal against Oklahoma and went out and won the game by 20 points while outgaining the Sooners 530-378. The difference maker was quarterback Deshawn Watson and he will be once again here despite many thinking he is not as good. Watson's 2016 passing numbers (67.6% completions, 37 touchdowns, 15 interceptions) compare favorably to his 2015 stats (67.8% completions, 35 touchdowns, 13 picks) and while his rushing numbers are down, his attempts are way down as he has not been needed as much. While the Ohio St. defense is a menace and is one of the best around, recall what Watson did to the Alabama defense last season when he erupted for 478 total yards and four touchdowns. On the other side, J.T. Barrett had a solid season as well but not nearly as strong as he finished the regular season as the No. 43 ranked quarterback in efficiency. Clemson has a massive defensive front that can cause problems as they impose themselves instead of reacting as the action unfolds and that is the way to stop the Buckeyes offense. Over its last seven games, Ohio St. won two of those 62-3 but struggled in all of the other five games, losing once and winning the other four by just a possession and against much lesser opposition. 10* (274) Clemson Tigers

The one thing that benefits teams playing Georgia Tech in bowl games is the extra preparation time and that will be the case for Kentucky that has an additional edge as well. The Yellow Jackets are a tough team to defend when playing with the normal week of prep but since head Coach Paul Johnson took over in 2008, his Yellow Jackets are just 2-5 in his seven bowl games and the offense has underperformed to the tune of averaging over 1.0 yppl less than what they average during the regular season. That is no coincidence. Additionally, head coach Mark Stoops know the Georgia Tech offense pretty well from his days at Florida St. Kentucky is playing in its first bowl game since 2010 as it has been one-win shy in three of the past five years. This is the best Kentucky team we have seen in a decade and closing the season on a 7-3 run is impressive. One of those losses came at Alabama while another came at Tennessee despite the Wildcats winning the yardage battle. The newfound offense will present problems for the Yellow Jackets that had issues all season against offenses that could move the ball with consistency. 10* (269) Kentucky Wildcats

While some may think that the motivation level will be low for Michigan following that disappointing and controversial loss to Ohio St., motivation should not be an issue with the Wolverines. Motivation will certainly not be an issue for the Seminoles which closed the season with a 6-1 record, the lone loss coming by just three points to Clemson, and based on recent bowl games, they will be pretty fired up here in their home state. Florida St. has lost its last two bowl games by 24 and 39 points following a run of six straight bowl victories. The recent surge can be thanks to a resurgent defense. Thanks to a startling midseason turnaround, Florida St. has climbed to No. 29 in the total defense rankings (up from 94th after five games) and is allowing an average of 357.2 ypg and 5.45 yppl. Michigan is tough on both sides of the ball but it played a pretty weak schedule overall as it was ranked No. 31 in the nation compared to a No. 13 ranked schedule for the Seminoles. This is the most points Florida St. has seen all season and this is the first time Michigan has been favored by less than 11.5 points all year which shows how weak the schedule actually has been. 10* (265) Florida St. Seminoles

We will continue to back the history trend of backing big underdogs Double-digit underdogs have been a very solid play in minor bowl games for years and this season so far has been no exception as these teams are 4-1 ATS and we will be backing another one on Friday. South Alabama is in its second straight bowl and after losing in the Camellia Bowl last year to Bowling Green, the Jaguars will be out to win their first ever bowl game since going the BCS full time in 2012. We are definitely getting value here as they are getting double-digits because they have failed to cover their last five games and the public is riding that. South Alabama was a double-digit underdog three times this season, going 2-1 ATS in those games and both of those were outright victories against Mississippi St. and San Diego St. Air Force had a solid 9-3 regular season and comes in riding a five-game winning streak which is also playing into this number. This includes an upset victory in its season finale against Boise St. but despite the solid straight up numbers, the Falcons are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games and this includes loss in all five games where they were favored by double-digits. Three of those losses were outright defeats. 10* (261) South Alabama Jaguars

While it was considered a disappointing first season under head coach Kirby Smart for Georgia, the 7-5 record does not give the Bulldogs enough credit. They had just one bad loss which was against Mississippi while three other losses came by just five points combined and they won the yardage battle in all three of those games. Georgia is coming off a disappointing loss against rival Georgia Tech in its regular season finale but it has covered four of its last five games following a straight up loss. TCU was all over the place this season as it finished 6-6 with only one of those wins coming against a bowl team. The Horned Frogs lost five games against bowl teams with the last three coming by 24, 25 and 24 points so they clearly had their struggles against the better teams. TCU went 1-7 ATS this season as a favorite including 0-4 ATS as a single digit favorite so going from a one-point dog to a favorite here is not ideal. Additionally, the Horned Frogs are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss of more than 20 points. This is a big game for Georgia to carry some positive momentum into next season. 10* (258) Georgia Bulldogs

Both Oklahoma St. and Colorado are coming off their worst efforts of the season as the Cowboys lost to Oklahoma for the Big XII Championship while the Buffaloes lost against Washington in the Pac 12 Championship game. It was a great season for both teams and motivation will play a big role in this one. Oklahoma St. had a similar season a year ago where it finished 10-3 and following a loss to Oklahoma by 35 points to end the regular season, it got hammered by Mississippi in the Sugar Bowl. The players from that team do not want a repeat of that and should come out with great energy. Colorado is playing in its first bowl game since 2007 so just getting here has been a huge accomplishment and not being able to win the Pac 12 Championship was a huge letdown. While the Buffaloes bring in a great defense, the offense will have trouble keeping up as the Cowboys are averaging 492.3 ypg and 38.7 ppg and this is exactly the type of offense that Colorado has struggled against this season. Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau continues to be bothered by a bad ankle and the Cowboys pressuring him will keep the passing offense in check and make them a pretty one-dimensional team. 10* (255) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

As mentioned Tuesday, double-digit underdogs have been a very solid play in minor bowl games for years and this season so far has been no exception as these teams are 4-1 ATS and we will be backing another one on Thursday. South Florida finished 7-1 in the AAC East but missed out on the AAC Championship due to a loss at Temple and that was the main tiebreaker. Still, it was a very solid season for the Bulls which finished 10-2 overall, the only other loss coming against Florida St. the issue is that they do not have many quality wins as a victory over Navy and Memphis were the only really good one. South Carolina has an unexpectedly good season at 6-6 after finishing 3-9 last season. The Gamecocks are also short on quality victories but they played some very competitive games against quality teams such as Kentucky, Texas A&M, Georgia and Florida. While the offense was suspect at times, they should do well here against a very bad South Florida defense while their own defense carried them along. The Gamecocks are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game. 10* (252) South Carolina Gamecocks

It is pretty hard to believe but Miami has not won a bowl game since 2006, a span of six straight losses and the hurricanes are motivated to end that streak. The fact the Hurricanes are favored against No. 14 West Virginia may be a surprise to some but it sets up the perfect contrarian opportunity here. As good of a season as West Virginia has had, the defense has been awful. The Mountaineers rank near the bottom in the country in pass defense as they are 101st out of 128 teams in the FBS in pass defense, allowing 255.7 ypg. Miami quarterback Brad Kayaa and wide receivers Ahmmon Richards, Stacy Coley and tight end David Njoku can take advantage it. The rushing defense is nothing special either as it is ranked No. 66, allowing 175.5 ypg on 4.4 ypc. On the other side, the Miami defense has proven among one of the best in the nation as it is 13th in scoring defense, 11th in yards allowed per play, sixth in tackles for loss and 23rd in total defense. The Hurricanes ended their regular season with plenty of momentum, winning each of their last four games by double-digits, covering all of those games as well and that momentum will play a huge role this afternoon to finally crack the bowl game losing streak. 10* (246) Miami Hurricanes

Motivation plays a big role during bowl season and we should see that come into play here. Baylor opened the season a perfect 6-0 but it has been all downhill since then. The season turned with a close loss to Texas on Oct. 29. The Bears were blown out the next week by TCU and then quarterback Seth Russell sustained a season-ending broken ankle against Oklahoma, and Baylor closed the season with six straight losses. Interim head coach Jim Grobe will be coaching his final game here and despite conflicting reports, it is safe to say he has lost his team. The Bears will also be without running back Shock Linwood who is sitting out in preparation for the upcoming draft. Boise St. lost its final game of the season but that should provide plenty of motivation to end the season on a high note. The Broncos lost only two games this season and those came by a combined nine points. Boise St. has a potent passing attack behind quarterback Brett Rypien and one of the best running backs in the country in Jeremy McNichols, who rushed for 1,663 yards and 23 touchdowns. On the other side, the Broncos possess one of the most physical defenses in the country and Baylor will have a tough time moving the ball without one of their top running backs and a freshman at quarterback. 10* (242) Boise St. Broncos

Double-digit underdogs have been a very solid play in minor bowl games for years and this season so far has been no exception as these teams are 3-1 ATS and we will be backing another one on Tuesday. Temple won the AAC Championship and comes in riding a seven-game winning streak as well as a more impressive 12-game ATS winning streak so it comes as no surprise that the Owls are heavy favorites this afternoon. They will be without former head coach Matt Rhule as well as several assistants as they have moved on to Baylor and that is a pretty big concern heading into the Military Bowl. Wake Forest had its own postseason distractions with the information leakage scandal but if anything, that should be a big motivator heading into its bowl game. This is the first bowl game for the Demon Deacons since 2011 and they will be looking for their first bowl win since 2008. While their offense struggled at times, Wake Forest runs a tricky form of an option-offense, which Temple has been typically notorious for not defending well. The Demon Deacons have a trio of players that have run for over 500 yards this season, including quarterback John Wolford. Meanwhile their defense is what got them here and that will again be the difference here. 10* (237) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Maryland opened the season 4-0 before hitting a stretch of going 1-6, making its season finale against Rutgers more important than it should have been. The Terrapins took care of the Scarlet Knights without an issue and are bowling again after missing out last season while that losing stretch was not ideal, it came against some very still competition including three ranked No. 6 or better in the final ranking and all six losses came against teams going to bowl games. While it can be argued, here is another game against a bowl team, the opposition is suspect at best. The Eagles backed in to a bowl games with a pair of wins to close the season but this is one of the worst teams remaining. Boston College outgained four of its opponents by 216 or more yards but those games were against 2-10 Massachusetts, 2-10 Buffalo, 3-9 Connecticut and Wagner from the FCS. The Eagles did defeat and outgain a solid NC State team but clinched a postseason berth by defeating Wake Forest in their final game despite getting outgained by 120 total yards. The offense scored 17 points or less in half of their games and while Maryland is no defensive juggernaut, facing a team ranked second to last in the nation in total offense will not present a problem. 10* (231) Maryland Terrapins

This line came out very late due to the questionable status of Middle Tennessee quarterback Brent Stockstill but it has been confirmed that he will be playing. His presence is definitely important and the passing offense should flourish here with Hawaii being unable to show much resistance. The Warriors allowed over 455 ypg during the regular season and they were mostly gashed by the running game, something the Blue Raiders also excel at on offense as they averaged close to 200 ypg on 4.4 ypc. The issue with Middle Tennessee this season was with its defense but there will not be much to worry about coming from Hawaii. The Warriors scored 21 points or less five times this season and in the eight times they surpassed that number, only one came against another bowl team and that took double overtime to do so. That victory over Air Force was the only victory against a fellow bowler and at 6-7, it can be argued the Warriors should not even be here. This is a home game for Hawaii the senior laden Blue Raiders have all intentions of closing their careers with a victory. 10* (227) Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders

Troy is bowling for the first time since 2010 when it defeated this same Ohio team in the New Orleans Bowl. That was also the last time the Trojans had a winning season but they are guaranteed of that this season as they are now going for double-digit wins for the first time since 1999. They have had only one read bad game this season, a 35-3 loss against Arkansas St. as their other two losses were by a combined 10 points and one of those came at Clemson. For a program that went into a tailspin after dominating the Sun Belt Conference for years, this has been a statement season and this is a statement game heading into the offseason. Ohio is 8-5 and is coming off a disappointing loss in the MAC Championship against Western Michigan. The Bobcats were able to keep things close in their losses but this is a very bad matchup for them. Ohio runs the ball well but the Trojans are solid in that defensive category as they are allowing just 3.4 ypc. The Bobcats are a team that cannot get into a shootout and expect to keep up while playing catch up is something they have not been able to do all season. Troy is led by Brandon Silvers at quarterback who has thrown for 2,951 yards and 22 touchdowns with just nine picks. Ohio gives up over 257 ypg and 7.5 ypa while allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 64.7 percent of their passes. Look for Troy to take this one comfortably. 10* (226) Troy Trojans

Only one team, Penn St., has been hotter at the betting window that Idaho and Colorado St. as each of these teams has covered seven straight games. One streak will be broken and we fell it will be that of the heavy favorite as the Rams have gone from less than a two-touchdown favorite to more than a two-touchdown favorite. Colorado St. has been solid as a favorite this season as it is a perfect 4-0 ATS when laying a touchdown or more but only two of those were against other bowl teams and in both instances, the Rams were not laying anything close to this number. Idaho was one of the biggest surprises in all of college football as it has eight wins which is one fewer than it previous five seasons combined and it will be making its first bowl appearance since 2009. Which happened to come right here when this bowl was called the Humanitarian Bowl. The Vandals have won four straight games, two against fellow bowlers, and have really turned things around as after getting outgained in their first five games against FBS opponents, they have won the yardage battle by an average of 78.3 ypg. While most bowl teams would prefer going somewhere with nicer weather, Idaho is basically playing a home game while Colorado St. got the shaft. This line is severally overpriced and we will take advantage of it. 10* (220) Idaho Vandals

The scoreboard will be working on overload tonight in Boca Raton as two of the top offense square off. This is the highest total of all bowl games and for good reason as Western Kentucky is ranked No. 2 in scoring offense and No. 7 in total offense while Memphis is ranked No. 17 and No. 32 in those categories respectively. The defenses do not come close to those rankings so stopping the opposing offenses will be a challenge. Typically, we would look at the contrarian play here but digging deeper into the numbers show that the first over of the bowl season will hit. Western Kentucky has played only four games against teams ranked inside the top 50 in total offense and it was lit up by allowing an average of 45 ppg. Memphis meanwhile has faced five teams ranked No 50 or better in total offense and it allowed and even worse 48.4 ppg. These defenses are clearly skewed by the soft schedules they have faced so we see no reason that the offenses will be moving up and down the field all night. This is the highest total that each team has seen all season but the Hilltoppers and Tigers are a combined 5-0 to the over when the total was 70 or higher. Going back, the over is 12-3-1 in the Hilltoppers last 16 games against teams with a winning record while the over is 4-0 in the Tigers last four games against teams with a winning record. 10* Over (215) Memphis Tigers/(216) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Day one of bowl season had five games on Saturday with all five of those staying under the total, four of which stayed under by a touchdown or more. Now we get a matchup where we have strength on offense going up against the weakness on defense and this is the case on both sides which can translate to a lot of points. Tulsa brings in a very potent rushing attack as it averages 262.4 ypg on 5.1 ypc and it has outrushed all but three opponents this season. On the other side, Central Michigan has trouble stopping the run as it is allowing 161.3 ypg on 4.5 ypc so the Golden Hurricane should gash the Chippewas defense. The Central Michigan strength on offense is with its passing game behind quarterback Cooper Rush and while he tends to force throws at times, he has the ability to make big plays. Tulsa allows nearly 250 ypg through the air and has only seven interceptions so the Chippewas can stay in this game with their passing game should they trail by any significant amount. this Is the highest total that Central Michigan has seen but for good reason based on the matchup and for Tulsa, it has surpassed this number in seven of its last 10 games with two of those missing the over by just one point. 10* Over (213) Central Michigan Chippewas/(214) Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Typically, we tend to shy away from team in bowl games that are playing with an interim coach after the head coach moved on to a different team. The situation in Houston is different however. Tom Herman left to become the head coach of Texas, and he is taking a few assistants with him to Austin. Houston initially named defensive coordinator Todd Orlando to be the interim coach for the bowl game, but recently announced it had promoted offensive coordinator Major Applewhite to the position of head coach and he will be making his debut Saturday. This is a pretty big deal for motivational purposes. San Diego St. faltered toward the end of the season as it lost its final two regular season games before narrowly defeating Wyoming in the MWC Championship. The Aztecs were outgained in all three of those games and they did not fare well when playing good teams as they went 2-3 against fellow bowl teams while going 8-0 against non-bowl and FCS teams. San Diego St. is one of the best rushing teams in the nation as it is ranked No. 7 in rushing offense but it will struggle here facing the No. 3 ranked rushing defense and the stop units are more important at this stage. On the other side, Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. was the only player to average over 300 yards passing per game and over 45 rushing yards per game, and the Cougars' offense finished the regular season fourth nationally in total offense (349.6 ypg). The Cougars are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game while the Aztecs have failed to cover four straight games against winning teams. 10* (203) Houston Cougars

Bowl season kicks off on Saturday in Albuquerque as UTSA squares off against New Mexico. The Roadrunners are making their first ever bowl appearance and while that seem like a motivational advantage, it really is not as teams in these situations, along with those making their first appearance in a very long time, are just happy to be here and are enjoying the festivities that go along with it. They are coming off a win over Charlotte to secure a bowl bid but this is a below average team that was outgained in eight of their 12 games. New Mexico is making its second straight appearance here and will be out to make up for the loss last season against Arizona despite outgaining the Wildcats. The Lobos have not won a bowl game since 2007 which happens to be the last time they have won this many games as they come in 8-4 including a 6-1 record over its last seven games. Few teams employ the option as effectively as New Mexico, which led the FBS in rushing yards this season with 360.9 ypg. What's more, the Lobos broke off a staggering 6.81 ypc and they fall into the ever-effective rushing situation where one team dominates all three rushing averages (more ypc on offense, less ypc on defense and a + ypc overall). The Roadrunners are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a win while New Mexico is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games coming off an upset win over a conference rival as a home underdog. Look for the Lobos to pull away comfortably on their home field. 10* (202) New Mexico Lobos

We won with Army in this game last season and despite straight up losses in the last five, the Cadets have covered four of those and we have been on them in each of those. Now Army enters the 2016 rivalry with one of its best teams in recent memory as it looks to break its 14-game losing streak in this series. The Black Knights opened the season 3-0 but then lost three of their next four games. Two of those losses could have been wins and in all three defeats, they outgained their opponents. Army suffered a pair of blowout losses to open November but was able to bounce back with a blowout win over Morgan St. and while the opponent was far from a good team, it was a needed boost of confidence before heading into this one. Additionally, they have had 20 days to prepare for Navy. The Midshipmen are coming off a disappointing loss against Temple in the AAC Championship which cost them a spot in the Cotton Bowl. Instead they have been relegated to the Armed Forces Bowl so they could come into this one a little down. For the first time since 1941, Navy has only one week to prepare for Army which is a pretty big disadvantage. Makings matters worse, the Midshipmen will be without two of their top three rushers including quarterback Will Worth who leads the team with 1,196 yards and 25 touchdowns. We play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that are outrushing their opponents by 1.25 or more ypc, after allowing 75 or less rushing yards last game. This situation is 32-9 ATS (78 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (103) Army Black Knights

After a perfect 6-0 start in the Mountain West Conference, San Diego St. went to Laramie to face the Cowboys and came away with a one-point loss. The hangover from that carried over into last week as the Aztecs got thumped at home against Colorado St. in what was a meaningless game as the MWC West Division was already locked up. What it did do however was force San Diego St. to once again travel to Laramie, this time with much more at stake. The win over the Aztecs also forced a letdown for Wyoming which lost at New Mexico last week by 21 points while getting outgained by 241 total yards. Wyoming allowed the Lobos to rush for 568 yards, the most by an FBS team this season and the most ever against a Wyoming defense. That is not good news for the Cowboys even though they held the Aztecs in check the first meeting. With the weather not expected to be good, the play of the defenses will be even more important and the Aztecs have a defense that is better by 157 total yards. Here, we play on road favorites revenging an upset loss against opponent as a favorite, with a winning record on the season. This situation is 50-17 ATS (74.6 percent) over the last five seasons. San Diego St. is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 road games after a loss by 28 or more points while going 6-0 ATS in its last six games after allowing 42 points or more last game. 10* (329) San Diego St. Aztecs