College Football Betting News and Notes Friday, December 2nd, 2016

OHIO U (8 - 4) vs. W MICHIGAN (12 - 0)

Top Trends for this game.
W MICHIGAN is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
W MICHIGAN is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
W MICHIGAN is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
W MICHIGAN is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
W MICHIGAN is 24-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
W MICHIGAN is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
W MICHIGAN is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
W MICHIGAN is 2-0 against the spread versus OHIO U over the last 3 seasons
W MICHIGAN is 2-0 straight up against OHIO U over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

COLORADO (10 - 2) vs. WASHINGTON (11 - 1)

Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
COLORADO is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-0 against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 1-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

WESTERN MICHIGAN vs. OHIO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Western Michigan's last 5 games
Western Michigan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Ohio's last 8 games
Ohio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

COLORADO vs. WASHINGTON
Colorado is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing Colorado
Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

Ohio at W Michigan
Ohio: 9-0 UNDER off 1 or more consecutive unders
W Michigan: 10-2 ATS in road games against conference opponents

Colorado at Washington
Colorado: 6-0 ATS when the total is between 56.5 and 63
Washington: 12-27 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +3 or better

MAC Championship Preview
By Joe Nelson
VegasInsider.com

Western Michigan is one of just two undefeated teams in the nation joining Alabama at 12-0 and while the Broncos won’t getting a call to the College Football Playoff they stand to be headed for the Cotton Bowl should they win as a heavy favorite Friday night to claim the MAC Championship.

Western Michigan has yet to be the top ranked ‘Group of 5’ team in any of the College Football Playoff rankings this season but that figures to change this week with Boise State and Houston losing last weekend as the two teams ranked just ahead of Western Michigan.

Western Michigan should get a boost this week after beating a quality Toledo team by 20 points, rising up to #13 in the AP Poll this week. Navy looks like the only other ‘Group of 5’ candidate that could get some attention for that coveted major bowl spot with the Midshipmen facing a more prominent foe in Temple for this week’s AAC championship but Navy is a challenging case given that they will play the Army game the following week after those bowl slots need to be determined.

The last time the MAC had this high of stakes in its championship game was when an 11-1 Northern Illinois team who had a one-point loss vs. Iowa to open the season played in the MAC Championship after the 2012 season.

They barely won in the title game going to double-overtime but a big difference was that the foe was an 11-1 Kent State team that was ranked #19 in the AP Poll at the time. In the old BCS format that win pushed the Huskies high enough to earn an Orange Bowl spot where the Huskies lost 31-10 against Florida State.

After a run of dominance in the MAC East from Bowling Green the past three seasons the division was wide open this season and Ohio claimed the division title with a 6-2 record, winning the head-to-head tiebreaker with Miami, OH who wound up 6-2 in league play as well.

Both of Ohio’s losses in league play came against MAC West teams but the Bobcats did win at Toledo 31-26 in a late October upset. Ohio had some inconsistent performances this season as they handed Texas State its only FBS win this season in the opening week but the Bobcats also beat Kansas from the Big XII on the road and played very close with a then highly regarded Tennessee team.

Ohio managed just nine points in its regular season finale win over Akron to hold on to this spot however. Ohio had five wins by 10 or fewer points this season but also had all four losses come by no more than nine points as close games were the norm.

P.J. Fleck is the second youngest FBS head coach in the nation at just 35 years old and he will face off against 71-year old Frank Solich who is the second oldest head coach behind Bill Snyder. Fleck played at Northern Illinois and briefly had a role as a player with the San Francisco 49ers before coaching roles at his Alma mater as well as Rutgers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He is a fiery character that has been criticized for some cutthroat recruiting tactics but in four seasons he has gone from 1-11 to back-to-back bowl seasons in Kalamazoo with his fourth season poised to be the greatest in the program’s history. Those results have certainly kept his name on the coaching rumor mill with the Purdue opening an obvious fit but also possibilities at even bigger programs like Houston, Notre Dame, or Oregon not out of the question.

The Broncos have a veteran offense that has improved in scoring and production in every season under Fleck. While he won’t get serious Heisman Trophy interest the numbers for senior quarterback Zach Terrell are astounding, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns with an over 71 percent completion rate. Terrell has thrown just one interception in 318 attempts this season and a credit to his offensive line is that he has taken only 12 sacks in 12 games.

In the backfield junior Jarvion Franklin has led the team with over 1,200 rushing yards with sophomore Jamauri Bogan producing nearly 800 rushing yards with both averaging over 5.5 yards per carry while combining for 20 touchdowns.

The star of the offense is senior wide receiver Corey Davis who turned in 83 receptions in 17 touchdowns in the regular season and figures to be at worst a mid-round NFL draft pick next spring. Western Michigan is third nationally with nearly 45 points per game scored this season led by a rushing attack that has gained 246 yards per game.

The Western Michigan defense has good numbers allowing just over 19 points per game this season but four times the Broncos allowed 30 or more points. The Broncos are tied with Washington at +18 for the best turnover margin in the nation which has been a big part of the success as not once this season did Western Michigan lose the turnover battle while also scoring four interception return touchdowns on the season plus two special teams scores.

The schedule featured two prominent wins vs. Big Ten teams early in the season but Northwestern wasn’t playing well in the first month and Illinois had a brutal transition season. The early season win over Georgia Southern also proved less impressive than it looked at the time and conventional MAC West powers Central Michigan and Northern Illinois had down seasons as there is reason to be a bit suspicious of the perfect record. The opening week one-point win vs. Northwestern was the only Broncos win by fewer than 14 points however as the results have been quite dominant.

Frank Solich was a longtime Nebraska assistant under Tom Osborne and after 19 seasons in background he became the head coach in 1998, taking over after the Cornhuskers won the 1997 national championship.

In his second season the Cornhuskers went 12-1 while winning the Fiesta Bowl to finish #2 in the Coaches Poll and #3 in the AP Poll and Nebraska played in the Rose Bowl for the national championship after the 2001 season, losing to Miami. Despite a 58-19 mark in six seasons Solich was fired late in the 2003 season and after taking a season off he landed at Ohio.

It has been an impressive run with the Bobcats despite a few missteps off the field as in now 12 seasons in Athens Solich has had just two losing seasons and has finished 6-6 or better in each of the last eight seasons as perhaps the most stable program in a league that often sees programs on quick rises and falls with frequent coaching departures. This was Ohio’s fourth division title under Solich but Ohio is yet to capture a MAC championship with title game losses in 2006, 2009, and 2011.

A wrinkle this week is that Ohio’s initial starting quarterback senior Greg Windham might be cleared to play after missing most of the past five games due to an ankle injury. Windham didn’t play significantly until this season but he was having a solid season with nine touchdowns and only three interceptions and over 1,300 yards passing.

In relief freshman Quinton Maxwell has posted similar numbers in the passing game though he has been a bit less successful of a rushing threat. Dorian Brown has been the workhorse in the backfield with 140 carries despite missing three games and senior Sebastian Smith has compiled over 800 receiving yards on just 50 catches as the top big play threat on the offense.

Ohio has been successful under Solich with a consistent rushing attack and good defense and that has been the formula this season, allowing fewer than 22 points per game. Ohio was close to a major upset in non-conference action as they lost just 28-19 at Tennessee in September holding a well regarded Volunteers offense in check in what was a two-point game into the fourth quarter with the Bobcats settling for four short field goals in the game for some missed opportunities.

Ohio covered as an underdog in the last two MAC Championships they played in despite losing both games and Solich has a few notable upsets in recent years including beating Penn State in 2012 and Northern Illinois late last season to cost the Huskies the outright division title.

Historical Trends:

Ohio is 35-30-2 ATS as an underdog under Solich since 2005 including a current 7-2 run the past two seasons.

Ohio is just 4-6 ATS since 2010 as a double-digit underdog although they have covered in the past three instances including both games this season. By the spread the biggest upset win for Solich at Ohio was a 35-23 win at Northern Illinois early in the 2006 season as a +20 underdog.

Ohio is 4-1 ATS since 2011 in neutral site games with a 3-1 ATS mark in bowl games in that span and a narrow cover in a 23-20 loss in the last MAC Championship game appearance.

Western Michigan has split bowl games the past two seasons under Fleck and this is the program’s first MAC Championship game appearance since back-to-back trips in 1999 and 2000.

Fleck owns a glowing 31-19 ATS mark in now four seasons, going 16-10 ATS as a favorite.

Western Michigan is 9-4 ATS as a double-digit favorite the past three seasons including going 3-1 ATS away from home.

The only upset loss for Western Michigan as a double-digit favorite came in Fleck’s first game in Kalamazoo with the Broncos losing 23-27 to FBS Nicholls State as about a four touchdown favorite coming off a competitive game at Michigan State the previous week.

MAC Championship History:

After a run of four straight competitive games from 2009 to 2012 in the championship the past three title games have been blowouts with wins by at least 20 points. This is the first time since 2009 that Northern Illinois has not been the West representative and for the past three seasons the championship game was the exact same matchup with the Huskies vs. Bowling Green. While Marshall, a program responsible for five titles is no longer a MAC member the East champion is 11-8 S/U in the title game since it was established in 1997.

The game has been played at spacious Ford Field since 2004 and after meager attendance below 20,000 in five of the past six seasons a bigger crowd should be expected this season with two programs in the mix that haven’t been in this game in several years and reasonable travel on both sides, especially for Western Michigan which is about a two-hour drive from Detroit. Since 2008 the underdog in 6-2 ATS in the MAC title game with three outright upsets including Buffalo’s 2008 win over Ball State as +15½-point underdog and Miami, OH’s win over Northern Illinois in 2010 at a similar price to this season’s game as a +19½-point underdog.

Friday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag

Western Michigan (12-0 SU, 9-3 ATS) vs. Ohio (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS)

Sportsbook.ag Odds: Western Michigan (-19)

The undefeated (12-0) Western Michigan Broncos look to cap off their historic season with a MAC Championship on Friday night and are heavy favorites to do so. A victory here would give the Broncos that “party crashing” Bowl bid as part of the New Year's Six and that has clearly been one of their goals all year long.

The fact that they are one of two teams remaining undefeated in CFB (the other is Alabama) is a remarkable feat for this program that hasn't won much of anything for years and they've done it in dramatic fashion as 11 of their 12 wins have come by double digits.

Bettors have a much different dilemma when handicapping this game though as while Western Michigan would love a win of any margin, bettors have to deal with this 19-point spread listed on the game. Aside from both programs obviously wanting to come away as conference champions, the pressure is clearly on the Western Michigan side as they look to remain undefeated and represent the non-power conferences in one of those big bowl games. These are still 18-22 year old kids remember and sometimes pressure like that can do funny things.

There is no question the Broncos are the more talented team here and should come away with the outright win here, but completely disregarding Ohio's ability to show up and make a game out of it would be a complete disservice to the talent that they've got over there.

Ohio got here with a 8-4 SU record as they scraped out a 9-3 win vs. Akron last week to punch their ticket. This will be Ohio's third appearance in the MAC Championship game since 2009, and in both previous instances they program came up short. Obviously none of those results matter to this year's team, but they would love to bring the school their first MAC title since this game has been played (1997) and do it in historic fashion by knocking off this undefeated opponent.

Furthermore, the guys on this Ohio team would love to get revenge for two consecutive blowout losses to Western Michigan in 2014 and 15, especially when last year's game was in Ohio with the Bobcats laying -3.5 points and losing 49-14. Some may point to that contest as another indicator that Western Michigan is clearly the better team here, but the point spread is always the great equalizer and winning by three TD's might be too much to put on the Broncos shoulders given their situation.

Simply put, I firmly believe this is a few too many points for Western Michigan to cover in this spot and with over 85% of the bets according to VegasInsider.com already laying all that chalk, being in the minority here isn't a bad thing.

Ohio's defense is one of the best in the MAC at stopping the run (105.1 yards/game allowed) and the Broncos love to establish their dominance early on the ground. If Ohio can negate that early on, and this remains a close game for the first half or beyond, all that pressure of remaining undefeated, winning a Conference Championship, and getting an invite as one of the “New Year's Six” will begin to creep up on Western Michigan.

Throw in the fact that Ohio is 5-1 ATS in their last six games against a winning team, 11-4 ATS when coming off a win, and 4-1 ATS in their last five neutral site games, grabbing the points with the underdog here is the best way to go. Ohio will look to turn this game into a dogfight right from the start and win the time of possession battle to keep the high-powered Broncos offense off the field for as long as possible. If that happens, this game will definitely stay within two TD's.

Best Bet: Ohio +19

Colorado (10-2 SU, 10-2 ATS) vs. Washington (11-1 SU, 6-6 ATS)

Sportsbook.ag Odds: Washington (-7.5); Total set at 58

Two unlikely programs meet in the Pac-12 Title game on Friday night as there isn't anyone out there that would have projected this game to be Colorado vs. Washington at the beginning of the season.

Yet, both teams played great football all year long as Colorado was one of the best bets in CFB with a 10-2 ATS record (10-2 SU as well), while Washington finished 11-1 SU and has a chance to get into the National Championship playoff with a win. First things first though for the Huskies as they'll have to knock off this very talented Colorado team that has made a habit of proving the oddsmakers wrong all year.

It's tough to argue against the fact that Colorado's season as a whole has been tremendous. Their two SU losses came to USC and Michigan, both ranked in the Top 15 at regular season's end. The Buffaloes also managed to keep those games closer than expected as they went 2-0 ATS as underdogs in those contests, and even went up to Oregon in late September as 14-point underdogs (one of the worst lines of the year looking back) and won outright.

Colorado's only two ATS losses came when they were double-digit home favorites, and getting points they've been a perfect 4-0 ATS with two outright wins. So can they go into a neutral site and destroy Washington's hopes of a Conference Championship and a playoff berth?

Past results would suggest that it's tough to go against the Buffaloes here given their success at the betting window, especially as underdogs. Yet, aside from that loss @ USC – which does rank better than Washington's home loss to the Trojans in common opponent comparisons – Colorado had a more favorable schedule than Washington and took full advantage of it.

The two teams never met in the regular season, but Colorado caught Stanford (10-5 Buffaloes win) during Stanford's lull in mid-season and got the only other Pac-12 teams that finished with a winning record (Utah, Washington State) at home. Colorado beat Washington State and Utah by 14 and 5 points respectively, while Washington went on the road to face those two programs and won by 28 and 7 points respectively.

The Cougars also blew out Oregon in Oregon by 49 points where the Buffaloes escaped Eugene with a 3-point W. In nearly all the comparisons you find from common opponents for Washington and Colorado, it's the Huskies who have a clear cut edge and that could very well play out on the field this week.

Now, as is the case with many other Conference Championship games this weekend, the pressure to get into the CFB playoff is something the Huskies will have to deal with here, but they've got a veteran-laden team that should be able to cope well.

HC Chris Petersen moved on from Boise State to Washington three years ago to get his opportunity to lead a Power-5 program to the promised land and he won't let his first opportunity at getting there pass him by. He's long been one of the best coaches in college football and is fully aware of the “underdog mentality” Colorado will bring to this game. Petersen will have his Huskies overly prepared for every possible situation that may arise and should be able to hand Colorado it's first ATS loss as underdogs this year.

Historically, the favorite is 4-0 ATS in the past five meetings between these two programs and Colorado is on a 0-6 ATS run vs the Huskies at any line. That doesn't mean much in this one with the high turnover of CFB rosters, but with the Huskies ability to put up points in a hurry and there decided edge in results from common opponents, Washington wins this game comfortably and earns their spot in the CFB Playoffs.

Best Bet: Washington -7.5

Pac-12 Championship Game Betting Preview
By Covers.com

No. 8 Colorado Buffaloes at No. 4 Washington Huskies (-7.5, 58.5)

The sixth Pac-12 Championship Game will feature two first-time participants when Colorado and Washington square off Friday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Ninth-ranked Colorado was the surprise champion of the Pac-12 South after making the biggest single-season turnaround in conference history while the fourth-ranked Huskies nearly ran the table in backing up their status as the preseason North Division favorites.

Washington, of course, has its sights set much higher – namely a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff – and the Huskies moved to No. 4 in the CFP rankings released Tuesday night. Quarterback Jake Browning, who leads the conference in passing efficiency (181.6) and touchdown tosses (40), was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, but coach Chris Petersen’s crew also possesses the conference’s top scoring defense at 17.8 points allowed per contest. “You don’t win a bunch of games year after year unless you have a quality, championship-level defense,” Petersen told the media earlier this week. “When it comes down to championships you have to play a high level of defense.” Meanwhile, at No. 8 in the CFP rankings and more than a touchdown underdog Friday, the odds are once again stacked against Colorado, prompting quarterback Sefo Liufau to tell reporters: “I don’t think anyone is picking us to win, I don’t think anyone wants us to win and that’s totally OK. We know what we’re capable of. … We just have to go out and play.”

LINE HISTORY: The Huskies opened as 7-point favorites and was quickly bet up half-point to -7.5 and has remained there since Monday morning. The total opened at 58 and by midweek inched up to 58.5. Check out the complete line history here.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: ‘This is a huge game for Washington and their CFP chances. We opened Washington as a 7 point favourite and within a couple of hours we moved it to -7.5, where we currently sit and seeing solid two way action with just over 60% of the action on Washington to cover.’ - Michael Stewart of CarbonSports.ag.

INJURY REPORT:

Colorado - DB Ankello Witherspoon (probable, leg), DB Jaisen Sanchez (questionable, knee), OL Gerrad Kough (questionable, ankle), WR Bryce Bobo (questionable, leg), LB Christian Shaver (out, suspension), DE Jaleel Awini (out, suspension), TE Chris Hill (out, suspension)

Washington - LB Keishawn Bierria (probable, leg), WR Brayden Lenius (questionable, undisclosed)

WEATHER REPORT: It should be a beautiful night for football at Levi Stadium. The forecast is calling for clear skies with temperatures in the low 40’s at kick off. There will be a slight wind of five mph coming from the northeast and gusts at 8 mph.

ABOUT COLORADO (10-2 SU, 10-2 ATS, 5-7 O/U): After setting a conference record with their seven-game conference improvement – they were 1-8 a year ago – Buffaloes coach Mike MacIntyre was an easy choice for Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Liufau missed three starts due to a midseason ankle injury but still ranks fourth in Pac-12 total offense (263.3 yards per game) and is complemented nicely by All-Pac-12 second-team running back Phillip Lindsay (fourth in the conference with 94.7 rushing yards per game). Linebacker Jimmie Gilbert (team-most nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss) was the only All-Pac-12 first-team defensive selection for Colorado, which leads the league in total (323.8 yards surrendered) and pass defense (187.8 yards).

ABOUT WASHINGTON (11-1 SU, 6-6 ATS, 8-3-1 O/U): The Huskies had a conference-most nine first-team All-Pac 12 selections with running back Myles Gaskin (second in the conference at 98.3 yards per outing) and wideout John Ross (second with 89.2 receiving yards) among the honorees. It’s little surprise, then, that Washington is the conference’s highest-scoring team with 44.8 points per game and has scored 31 or more in all of its wins. Four Huskies appear on the All-Pac-12 first-team defense, including safety Budda Baker (61 total stops, team-most nine tackles for loss) and defensive tackle Elijah Qualls (five tackles for loss, three sacks).

TRENDS:

* Buffaloes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss.
* Buffaloes are 7-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Huskies are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
* Under is 6-1 in Buffaloes last 7 neutral site games.
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 47 percent are taking the road dog while 69 percent favor the over in this battle of Pac-12 rivals.

NCAAF Championship Games

Western Michigan/Ohio didn’t play this year; Broncos hammered Ohio 49-14 LY, running ball for 430 yards. WMU is 12-0 this year; they won their opener 22-21 at Northwestern, rest of their wins have been by 16+ points. Broncos are 2-3 vs spread when laying 17+ points. Ohio U won four of last five games after a 4-3 start; they covered both games as an underdog this season. Bobcats are 0-4 when they allow 27+ points, 8-0 when they allow less. Western scored 34+ in each of their last ten games. Ohio is in MAC title game for first time in five years; they’re 0-3 (2-1 vs spread) in this game. Broncos are in this game for first time since 2000. Under is 9-1-1 in Ohio U games, 1-4 in last five WMU games.

Colorado is having a dream season, winning its last six games- their losses are at Michigan (45-28), USC (21-17). Buffs were 27-71 last 8 years, are 10-2 this year, covering all four games as an underdog. Washington covered only two of last six games but is 3-1 vs spread as a single digit favorite this year; their only loss was at home to USC three weeks ago. Huskies are 5-0 on road, scoring 49.4 pts/game. Teams last met in 2014; Huskies won that game 38-23. Under is 6-2 in last eight Colorado games, 3-0 in Washington’s last three. Both teams are in Pac-12 title game for first time. This is Washington’s first game on natural grass this year; Colorado split a pair on grass, winning 10-5 at Stanford, losing 21-17 at USC.

Armadillosports.com

MAC Championship Game Betting Preview
By Covers.com

No. 17 Western Michigan vs Ohio (18.5, 59.5)

Western Michigan attempts to nail down a spot in the Cotton Bowl when it takes on Ohio in the Mid-American Conference championship game at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday night. The No. 14 Broncos, who join No. 1 Alabama as the only unbeaten teams in the nation and are winners of 14 straight overall, play in the championship game for the first time since losing in 1999 and 2000.

“For us to go there and to become 1-0 in the Ohio season is our only focus,” Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck told reporters. “There’s no other focus. We’re not here to state a case, we’re just going to play football. We’re going to let our play talk for itself and hopefully come out with a victory.”

The Broncos boast one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the nation in senior Zach Terrell and senior receiver Corey Davis, who gained more yards than anyone in FBS history through the air. Ohio took the MAC East for the first time since 2011 after winning four of its final five games and looks to win its first championship game.

“Our guys have accepted challenges all year long, and they’ll accept this one,” Bobcats coach Frank Solich told reporters. “They’ll play hard, and if we play well we believe it’ll be a very good football game.”

LINE HISTORY: Western Michigan opened as big 18-point favorites over Toledo, that number rose to 19 mid-week and faded back to 18.5 as of Friday morning. The total opened 58.5 and has been bet up to 59. View the complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

Western Michigan - S Justin Ferguson (out for season, ankle)

Ohio - S Greg Wyndham (questionable, ankle), S Mayne Williams (questionable, head), WR Andrew Meyer (questionable, undisclosed), DL Tony Porter (questionable, foot), OL Jared McCray (questionable, undisclosed)

WHAT BOOKS SAY: 'We opened Western Michigan as a 18 point favourite and it was quickly bet up to -19 a few hours later. Western Michigan still sits at -19 with over 80% of the action. As for the total we opened at 57 and with over 90% of the action coming in on the OVER we have moved all the way up to a 60 point total.' - Michael Stewart of CarbonSports.ag

ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN (12-0 SU, 9-3 ATS, 7-5 O/U): Terrell completes 71.7 percent of his passes for 3,086 yards and 30 touchdown strikes while being intercepted once and running for another six scores. Davis broke the all-time receiving yards record last week in the 55-35 victory over Toledo and boasts 83 catches this season for 1,283 yards and 17 touchdowns. Junior Jarvion Franklin is a consistent force on the ground with 1,266 yards rushing to go along with 12 touchdowns and sophomore Jamauri Bogan ran for 198 last week after missing two games with an ankle injury.

ABOUT OHIO (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS, 1-10-1 O/U): The Bobcats are fifth in the nation rushing defense, allowing 105.1 yards per game, led by senior linebacker Blair Brown (105 tackles) and junior linebacker Quentin Poling (95). Ohio also topped the MAC in sacks with 41 as senior defensive lineman Tarell Basham posted 11 of them and that group must put pressure on Terrell. The Bobcats were in the middle of the pack in total offense, but senior receiver Sebastian Smith has 49 catches for 820 yards and senior quarterback Greg Windham (leg) could return after missing the last three games.

TRENDS:

* Broncos are 6-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Bobcats are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-0 in Broncos last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 6-0 in Bobcats last 6 games following a ATS loss.
* Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 54 percent are picking the double-digit dog and the over Over is getting 62 percent.

Pac-12 Championship
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Washington and Colorado are poised to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game for the first time Friday night when they collide in Santa Clara at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. As of Thursday afternoon, most betting shops had Washington (11-1 straight up, 6-6 against the spread) installed as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 57.

The Buffaloes were available on the money line for a +265 return (risk $100 to win $265).

Colorado (10-2 SU, 10-2 ATS) has won six consecutive games while cashing tickets at a 4-2 ATS clip. Mike MacIntyre’s club clinched the Pac-12 South title by beating Utah 27-22 last Saturday as a 10.5-point home favorite.

Trailing 27-16, the Utes scored on a seven-yard touchdown pass with 1:34 remaining to post the backdoor cover. The 49 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 53.5-point total. Sefo Liufau threw for 270 yards and one TD without an interception, in addition to rushing for 59 yards and one TD. Devin Ross had nine receptions for 95 yards, while Shay Fields had seven catches for 78 yards and one TD.

Tedric Thompson led the defense with four tackles, one tackle for a loss and four passes broken up. Thompson also had two interceptions vs. Utah to bring his season total to seven picks, which is the third-most in the country. Thompson is fourth on the team with 55 stops to go with three TFL’s, one QB hurry and 14 PBU.

CU ranks 12th in the nation in total defense, 20th versus the pass, 33rd against the run and 13th in scoring (18.8 points per game). This unit is led by senior LB Kenneth Olugbode, who has a team-best 86 tackles, 5.5 TFL’s, two sacks, one scoop and score fumble return for a TD, two interceptions for 65 return yards, three QB hurries, two PBU and one forced fumble.

Colorado has been an underdog four times, producing a 4-0 spread record with a pair of outright wins at Oregon and at Stanford. Meanwhile, Washington is 2-0 ATS in a pair of games as a single-digit ‘chalk.’ The Huskies have won nine of their 11 games by margins of 24 points or more.

Colorado took its two defeats at Michigan and at Southern Cal. CU jumped out to a shocking 14-0 lead at The Big House and after Michigan scored on a blocked punt, the Buffs responded with another score to lead 21-7 going into the second quarter. However, Liufau had to leave the game with a sprained ankle in the third quarter.

The senior signal caller was injured on a 70-yard TD pass that gave CU a 28-24 advantage less than one minute into the second half. Liufau would try to play on the next possession, but he was yanked after hobbling around. His back-up, redshirt freshman Steven Montez, didn’t complete any of his seven pass attempts in the game.

Michigan would add another special-teams TD on a 55-yard punt return by Jabrill Peppers, who had 204 all-purpose yards on eight touches. The Wolverines won a 45-28 decision, but CU took the money as a 17.5-point road underdog.

CU’s only other defeat came three weeks later at Southern Cal when the Trojans captured a 21-17 win as 5.5-point home ‘chalk.’ Liufau had missed the two previous games and only came in at USC in relief of Montez when he had the wind knocked out of him late in the first half. Liufau completed 2-of-3 passes for 11 yards, while Montez threw for 197 yards with one TD and one interception.

Phillip Lindsay rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries and also had six catches for 105 yards and one TD. Bryce Bobo had 10 receptions for 83 yards and one TD and also threw a 67-yard TD pass to Lindsay on a trick play.

CU has wins vs. Colorado St. (44-7 in Denver), vs. Idaho St. (56-7), at Oregon (41-38), vs. Oregon St. (47-6). vs. Arizona St. (40-16), at Stanford (10-5), vs. UCLA (20-10), at Arizona (49-24) and vs. Washington St. (38-24).

Liufau, who is CU’s all-time leader in passing yards, has connected on 64.6 percent of his throws for 2,150 yards with an 11/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s an excellent scrambler as well, rushing for 481 yards and seven TDs. Lindsay has rushed for 1,136 yards and 15 TDs while averaging 5.4 yards per carry. The junior RB also had 44 catches for 371 yards and one TD.

Fields has 50 catches for 819 yards and nine TDs, while Ross has 65 receptions for 758 yards and five TDs. Bobo has 41 grabs for 523 yards and two TDs.

Washington took its only defeat at home on Nov. 12 when USC went into Seattle and won a 26-13 decision as a 10-point underdog. The Trojans enjoyed a 400-276 advantage in total offense and limited the Huskies to 17 rushing yards on 27 attempts.

Outside of the loss to USC, Chris Petersen’s team has only had two other games that were competitive. Those were wins at Arizona (35-28 in overtime) and at Utah (31-24). The Huskies slipped past the Utes in Salt Lake City thanks to a 58-yard punt return by Dante Pettis with 3:25 remaining.

Washington owns notable blowout victories vs. Stanford (44-6), at Oregon (70-21), at California (66-27) and at Washington St. (45-17). The Huskies won the Apple Cup in Pullman with a dominant performance over the Cougars as six-point road favorites last Friday.

Jake Browning and a stout defensive effort were the catalysts against Washington St. The sophomore QB completed 21-of-29 passes for 292 yards and three TDs without an interception. Lavon Coleman rushed for 82 yards and two TDs on 10 carries, while Pettis had three catches for 86 yards and two TDs. John Ross had eight receptions for 80 yards and 152 all-purpose yards on 12 touches. UW’s defense limited the Cougars’ high-octane offense to just 334 yards and forced four turnovers, including three interceptions of Luke Falk.

Browning has completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 3,126 yards with an incredible 40/7 TD-INT ratio. Ross has been his favorite target, hauling in 72 receptions for 1,071 yards and 16 TDs. Pettis has 49 catches for 787 yards and 14 TDs.

Sophomore RB Myles Gaskin has rushed for 1,180 yards and 10 TDs while averaging 6.0 YPC. Coleman has run for 735 yards and six TDs with a 8.3 YPC average.

Washington has lost three defensive starters to season-ending injuries in the last month, including leading tackler Azeem Victor. Junior DB Darren Gardenhire and senior DE Joe Mathis are also ‘out.’ Mathis had 25 tackles, 7.5 TFL’s and five sacks in seven games, while Victor had 67 stops, three TFL’s, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Washington is ranked 17th in the nation in total defense and 11th in scoring (17.8 PPG). This unit features one of the country’s premier set of DBs led by junior safety Budda Baker, who has 61 tackles, two interceptions, nine TFL’s, two sacks, one forced fumble and three PBU.

The Huskies are third in the nation in scoring, producing 44.8 PPG.

The ‘over’ is 8-3-1 overall for UW, but the ‘under’ has cashed at a 2-0-1 clip in its last three outings. The Huskies have seen their games average combined scores of 62.6 PPG.

The ‘under’ is 7-5 overall for the Buffs, cashing in six of their last eight games. They have seen their games average combined scores of 53.5 PPG.