FRESNO ST (3 - 4) at BOISE ST (4 - 2) - 10/17/2014, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FRESNO ST is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1992.
FRESNO ST is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) in road games in weeks 5 through 9 since 1992.
BOISE ST is 118-77 ATS (+33.3 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 118-77 ATS (+33.3 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 96-63 ATS (+26.7 Units) as a favorite since 1992.
BOISE ST is 56-36 ATS (+16.4 Units) in home games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 56-36 ATS (+16.4 Units) in home lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 72-47 ATS (+20.3 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
BOISE ST is 74-42 ATS (+27.8 Units) after playing a conference game since 1992.
BOISE ST is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games after a bye week since 1992.
BOISE ST is 66-37 ATS (+25.3 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
BOISE ST is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1992.
FRESNO ST is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOISE ST is 2-0 against the spread versus FRESNO ST over the last 3 seasons
BOISE ST is 1-1 straight up against FRESNO ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
TEMPLE (4 - 1) at HOUSTON (3 - 3) - 10/17/2014, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEMPLE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 1-0 against the spread versus TEMPLE over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 1-0 straight up against TEMPLE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
FRESNO STATE vs. BOISE STATE
Fresno State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Fresno State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boise State's last 6 games when playing Fresno State
Boise State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Fresno State
TEMPLE vs. HOUSTON
Temple is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games
Temple is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Houston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Houston is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home
Fresno State at Boise State
Fresno St: 11-24 ATS (-15.4 Units) in road games after covering the spread in 2 out of their last 3 games
Boise St: 56-31 ATS (+21.9 Units) after playing 2 straight conference games
Temple at Houston
Temple: 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a road underdog
Houston: 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) in home games after 1 or more consecutive straight up wins
Game of the Day: Temple at Houston
By Covers.com
Temple Owls at Houston Cougars (-7.5, 51)
The American Athletic Conference's top two defenses will meet in a primetime clash Friday when Temple visits Houston. The host Cougars lead the AAC in total defense while the Owls lead the league - and are ranked fourth nationally - in scoring defense. The Owls have also turned 17 turnovers into a national-best 79 points.
Houston, which has 19 takeaways this season and at least one in 29 straight games, must overcome significant changes on both sides of the ball. Receiver-turned-quarterback Greg Ward Jr. will make his second start at the position after replacing John O'Korn, and the Cougars lost second-leading receiver Daniel Spencer to a knee injury last week in practice. The Houston defense, which is allowing 322.7 yards and 19.2 points, lost junior cornerback Lee Hightower (leg) and senior linebacker Derrick Mathews (knee) to season-ending injuries in last week's win at Memphis.
LINE: The Cougars opened as 6-point home favorites and have been bet up to -7.5. The total opened at 48.5 and has been bet up all the way to 51.
INJURY REPORT: Houston - DB Lee Hightower (out for season, leg), LB Derrick Mathews (out for season, knee). Temple - N/A.
WEATHER REPORT: It should be a great night for football at TDECU Stadium with temperatures in the mid 70s and a six mile per hour wind blowing from the south.
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Temple is 4-1 on the season, but they've played an extremely weak schedule. The Owls offense has scored 24 points or more in every game, but again, they've played weak competition. Houston is off an unexpected 28-24 win at Memphis last Saturday night as 7.5-point underdogs. The Cougars won that game despite turning the ball over 3 times; they were aided by 5 Memphis turnovers. Houston’s offense should have little trouble moving the ball on Temple, but it is risky to lay 7.5 points with a mediocre team." - Covers Expert Steve Merril
ABOUT TEMPLE (4-1, 3-2 ATS, 2-3 O/U): The Owls, who allow 14.4 points, lead the nation in red-zone defense by allowing just six scores (four touchdowns, two field goals) in 12 trips. Jalen Fitzpatrick has emerged as a consistent target for P.J. Walker (97-of-157 for 1,099 yards and 9 TDs) and leads Temple with 24 catches for 395 yards and a touchdown in each game. Jahad Thomas rushed for 152 yards last week against Tulsa to climb atop Temple's trio of running backs, leading Jamie Gilmore (187 yards, one TD) and Kenneth Harper (113 yards, two TDs) with 258 yards.
ABOUT HOUSTON (3-3, 3-3 ATS, 1-5 O/U): Ward, who made eight appearances last year as the backup quarterback before moving to receiver, gave the Cougars' offense a spark last week and has two rushing touchdowns and one passing on the season. The backfield duo of Kenneth Farrow and Ryan Jackson have combined for 648 rushing yards and six scores while Deontay Greenberry leads the Cougars with 25 catches for 395 yards and two scores. Elandon Roberts will start in place of Mathews while a rotation of players will fill Hightower's role in the secondary.
TRENDS:
* Temple is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games.
* Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last five home games.
* Over is 5-0 in Temple's last five games on fieldturf.
* Under is 4-0 in Houston's last four home games.
COVERS CONSENSUS: Almost 59 percent of wagers are backing the road underdogs Temple at +7.5-points.
Fresno State at Boise State
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
With identical 2-1 records in Mountain West play, albeit in opposite divisions, Boise State and Fresno State will hit the smurf turf Friday night in Idaho for a critical conference clash.
As of Thursday afternoon, most betting shops had Boise State (4-2 straight up, 4-2 against the spread) installed as a 17-point favorite with a total of 62.5 or 63. The total increased from 61 between Wednesday and Thursday.
Boise State returns home for the first time in nearly a month (September 20 to be exact). In a pair of home games, the Broncos beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 34-9 as 17.5-point favorites and also knocked off Colorado State, 37-24 as 7.5-point 'chalk.'
BSU opened the season with a 35-13 loss to Ole Miss at the Georgia Dome. However, we should note that the Broncos were trailing by just one point (7-6) with less than 13 minutes remaining. They failed to cover the number as 9.5-point underdogs.
From there, Bryan Harsin's team ripped off three consecutive wins both SU and ATS before losing 28-14 at Air Force. On October 4, BSU bounced back by winning a 51-46 decision at Nevada as a three-point road favorite.
BSU's offensive attack is built around junior RB Jay Ajayi, who has rushed for 709 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. In the win over the Wolf Pack, Ajayi rushed for 152 yards and three TDs on 27 carries. Grant Hedrick threw for 346 yards and a pair of TD passes and ran for another score.
Hedrick has had an up-and-down season. On the bright side, he is completing 72.1 percent of his passes and in his team's four wins, the senior signal caller has a 6/2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. However, Hedrick threw four interceptions in each of BSU's two losses to bring his season TD-INT ratio to an abysmal 7/10.
Boise State will be without senior wide receiver Matt Miller for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury sustained on Sept. 27 in a loss at Air Force. Miller finishes his collegiate career as the Broncos' all-time leader in receptions (244), second all-time leader in receiving yards (3,049) and third all-time in TD catches (29).
Fresno State (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS) lost three in a row to start the season, but it took a three-game winning streak both SU and ATS into Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas last Friday night. However, the Rebels put an end to that win streak by capturing a 30-27 overtime win as 9.5-point home underdogs.
The Bulldogs lost the turnover battle 4-1 at UNLV, wasting a pair of big-time performances. RB Marteze Waller (661 rushing yards for the season) ran 17 times for 137 yards and one TD against the Rebels. WR Josh Harper had 12 receptions for 187 yards and one TD.
Fresno State junior QB Brian Burrell had three TD passes against UNLV, but he was also picked off twice. For the season, Burrell has an 11/6 TD-INT ratio and a pair of rushing scores. The 'over' is 4-3 overall for Fresno State, but the 'under' has cashed in three straight games for the Bulldogs. Their road road assignments have been a wash in terms of totals (2-2).
Totals have been a wash overall (3-3) and at home (1-1) for Boise State We should note that this is the highest total the Broncos have seen this year.
Boise State has taken the cash in eight consecutive head-to-head meetings with Fresno State, going 12-1 ATS in the last 13 encounters. BSU saw its seven-game winning streak over the Bulldogs snapped in a 41-40 loss last year, but the Broncos still managed to cover the number as 3.5-point road underdogs.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets
Who will start at QB for Indiana vs. Michigan State? It sounds like true freshman Zander Diamont, who was going to be redshirted and has yet to take a collegiate snap. Chris Covington got all the playing time last week when Nate Sudfeld went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. Covington, another true freshman who was playing linebacker in early August, apparently won't "because his Mama said so," according to a Wednesday report from the Indianapolis Star. -- Arizona State and Florida will both use two-QB systems this week. Jeff Driskel will start for the Gators, but they will also use the hero from a comeback win at Tennessee two weeks ago, true freshman Treon Harris from out of Miami. Harris didn't dress out in a 30-27 loss to LSU because had be suspended all week (but was reinstated to the team on Friday).
Arizona State QB Taylor Kelly is ready to return in Saturday's home game against Stanford. However, Todd Graham is going to bring him back slowly and Mike Bercovici will most likely make his third straight start.
Missouri owns a 23-9 spread record on the road since 2007.
As a home favorite during Will Muschamp's tenure, Florida is 7-12 ATS.
NCAAF Week 8
Boise State won 11 of last 13 games with Fresno State, but lost 41-40 at Fresno LY, but that was with current NFL starter Carr at QB for Fresno. Bulldogs lost last six visits here (0-6 vs spread) in series where favorites are 11-1 vs spread in series. Boise is 2-0 as home favorite this year, with home wins by 13-25 points, after being just 5-13 as home favorite in last three years of Petersen era. Fresno is playing on 4th consecutive Friday; this is their 5th road game already- they're 2-3 as road underdogs under DeRuyter and got upset on road last week by a bad UNLV team.
Houston lost two of three lined home games this year; they're 21-11 last 32 games as home favorite, 1-2 this year. Cougars (-3) won 22-13 LY at Temple, outgaining Owls 524-300. Three of last four Houston games were decided by 8 or less points. Temple is 4-1, winning road games at stiffs Vandy/UConn; their only loss was at home to run-happy Navy. Owls are 13-8-1 in last 22 games as a home underdog. Home teams have covered only three of nine games in the AAC this season.
Armadillosports.com
College Football Betting News and Notes
Covers.com
Fresno State providing no value against Boise State
Fresno State will travel to Albertsons Stadium with an abysmal track record against Boise State. The Bulldogs are 1-12 against the spread in the last 13 meetings between the teams.
The lone cover by the Bulldogs came in 2005 when the Bulldogs topped the Broncos 27-7, as 9-point home favorites.
Fresno State is currently 17-point home faves against Boise State.
Temple has been money on the road
There may not be a better under the rader road team in college football for bettors than Temple. In the last six road games, the Owls are a perfect 6-0 against the spread.
Though Temple was spotted points in five of those six games, they won outright in their last three outscoring opponents 114-38.
The Owls are 7.5-point road dogs against Houston.
Temple Owls vs. Houston Cougars: College Football Preview
Atssportsline.com
The Temple Owls (4-1 SU, 3-1 ATS, 2-3 O/U) have quietly lifted themselves to an impressive record, though they haven't been tested yet on the road. Houston (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS, 1-5 O/U) has been up-and-down this year, but may have turned the corner after an upset win over Memphis on the road, 28-24 last week. The Owls will meet the Cougars from TDECU Stadium in Houston at 9pmET.
Opening and Current Odds: Houston opened as a 9-point betting odds favorite and moved to 7.5. The total opened at 50 and moved to 51.
Weather: Mostly fair. South wind 5-10. Kickoff temperature: 77.
Last game: (9/7/13): Houston (-3) over Temple, 22-13.
Intangibles
Houston has outscored their opponents, 54-13 in the fourth quarter this season.
Temple and Houston combine for just 315 yards passing per game.
Houston lost cornerback Lee Hightower (leg) and linebacker Derrick Mathews (knee) indefinitely.
Key College Trends
Temple is
6-0 ATS last 6 road games.
10-3 ATS last 13 overall.
4-1 ATS last 5 on Friday.
5-0-1 last 6 matchups on the over bet on Friday.
Houston is
3-11 ATS last 14 on turf.
15-6 ATS last 21 overall.
16-6 ATS last 22 following a SU win.
Outlook: Both teams are fighting for supremacy in the American Athletic Conference. Temple has converted 17 turnovers this year to 79 points to lead the nation. The Owls have an outstanding defense, allowing just 14.4 points per game and they lead the nation in red zone defense by allowing just six scores in 12 trips. At quarterback. P.J. Walker has 1,099 passing yards with nine TDs and just four picks. Last week, they beat Tulsa, 35-24, but Walker was picked off once while completing 15-of-31 attempts. He also had 294 yards and two scores. His most explosive receiver is Jalen Fitzpatrick (24 for 395 yards, 5 TDs). RB Jahad Thomas broke out with 152 yards on 14 carries though they average just 143.2 yards rushing per game. The Owls are tied for seven int he AAC with 10 sacks. They lead the AAC in turnover margin at +8.
Houston has 19 takeaways this season and a streak of 29 straight games causing a turnover. At quarterback, John O'Korn was benched last week in favor of a more athletic Greg Ward. O'Korn had thrown eight interceptions struggled with inaccuracy. Ward played well, completing 17-of-28 for 188 yards in their win over Memphis. He also rushed for 95 yards and a score. RBs Kenneth Farrow and Ryan Jackson have combined for 648 yards this season. WR Deontay Greenbery is the team's playmaker, who had 79 yards on five catches. He has 26 catches for 402 yards on the season. The second-leading receiver Daniel Spencer (24 for 236 yards) was lost for the season with a torn ACL. They also lost two key defensive players, including leading tackler Derrick Matthews for a few weeks with a leg injury. Matthews has 52 tackles, two sacks and four TFLs. The defense allows just 322.7 yards per game and is led by Efrem Oliphant, who has 69 tackles to lead the ACC.