College Football Betting News and Notes Saturday, October 28th, 2017

NCAAF Week 9

Tennessee was outscored 101-16 in losing its last three games; Vols are 5-6-1 as road underdogs under Jones, 1-1 this year. Kentucky is 5-2 but lost 45-7 at Miss State LW; Wildcats are 4-7 vs spread in last 11 games as a home favorite, 0-2 this season. Tennessee is 19-1 in its last 20 games with Kentucky, winning 52-50 (+2.5) in only one of those games where Kentucky was favored, in ’07. Vols covered four of last five series games; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last 10 visits to Lexington. Under is 4-1 in last five Tennessee games, 4-2 in Kentucky games.

South Carolina won its last eight games with Vanderbilt (4-4 vs spread); underdogs covered four of last five series games. Vandy lost its last four visits to Columbia, by 9-10-18-4 points. Gamecocks are 5-11 vs spread in last 16 game as a home favorite, 0-2 this season. Vandy lost its last four games, giving up 49.8 ppg, 347.3 rushing yards/game; Commodores are 9-9 as road underdogs under Mason, 0-2 this season. Carolina scored 17 or less points in four of last five games. Under is 5-1 in last six Gamecock games, 0-4 in Vandy’s last four games.

Louisville allowed 38 ppg in losing two of last three games, but they won at Florida State LW; Cardinals are 3-1 SU on road this year- average total in those games was 67- they’re 8-7 vs spread as road favorites under Petrino, 1-2 this year. Wake Forest lost its last three games, by 7-14-14 points; they’re 8-4 as home dogs under Clawson. Louisville won its last four games with Wake Forest, but Deacons covered last three series games. Cardinals (-11) won 20-19 in their last visit here, in 2015. Over is 4-2 in last six Louisville games, 2-4 in Wake’s last four games.

Virginia won both its home games, at Boise State/UNC, but lost 41-10 at home to Boston College last week, snapping 4-game win streak. Since 2007, Cavaliers are 7-12 vs spread as an underdog of 4 or less points- Pittsburgh lost five of last seven games; under Narduzzi, they’re 3-8 vs spread as home favorites. Favorites covered six of last seven Virginia-Pitt games; Panthers won three of last four in series, winning by 14-7-11 points. Cavaliers lost last three visits to Pittsburgh, losing by 7-11-25 points. Under is 4-0-1 in Panthers’ last five games.

Clemson had last week off; QB Bryant (concussion) is expected to play here. Tigers lost last game at Syracuse; since 2012, Tigers are 5-3 vs spread in game following a SU loss- they’re 30-24 as home faves under Swinney. Georgia Tech is 4-2 with one-point losses to Miami, Tennessee; Jackets are 7-2 in last nine games as a road dog. Clemson won four of last five games with Georgia Tech; Yellow Jackets lost last four visits here, by 19-24-16-14 points (0-4 vs spread). Last four Clemson games stayed under total, as did three of last four Tech games.

Oklahoma State outgained Texas by 145 yards LW but needed OT to escape Austin with a 13-10 win; Cowboys are 5-10-1 vs spread in last 16 games as a road favorite, 2-2 this season. West Virginia won five of last six games; they lost 31-24 at TCU. Under Holgorsen, Mountaineers are 5-6 vs spread as home underdogs. OSU is 3-2 in its last five games with West Virginia; underdogs won SU in Cowboys’ last two visits to Morgantown. Underdogs are 3-2 vs spread in last five series games. Four of last five West Virginia games went over total.

USC lost its last two road games, giving up 79 points to Wazzu/Notre Dame; they haven’t had a week off yet- even NFL teams get one bye week. Trojans are 6-12 vs spread in last 18 games as a road favorite, 0-2 this year. Arizona State held Washington/Utah to total of 17 points in winning its last two games; Sun Devils won their last two home games, as underdogs of 17-15 points. USC/Arizona State split their last six meetings; Trojans won last two, 42-14/41-20. USC lost two of last three visits to Tempe; favorites covered all three of those games. Last four ASU games stayed under the total.

Oregon lost its last three games, allowing 37.7 ppg; Ducks are 1-7-1 vs spread in last nine games as an underdog, 0-3 this year. Utah lost its last three games; they’re 2-1 on road, with three games decided by total of 13 points. Utes are 6-3 in last nine games as a road favorite, 2-0 this season. Oregon won six of its last eight games with Utah; underdogs are 5-2 against the spread in last seven meetings. Utes lost four of last five visits to Eugene (underdogs 3-2 vs spread). Under is 5-1 in Ducks’ last six games, 4-2 in Utah games.

Iowa State scored 117 points in winning its last three games behind a 3rd-string QB; LY’s starting QB now plays middle linebacker. Cyclones are 2-2 at home this year; they’re 5-2 as a home underdog under Campbell. TCU is 7-0 with road wins by 21-13-20 points, including a win at Okla State. Horned Frogs are 8-13 in last 21 games as a road favorite, 2-0 this year. TCU won six of last seven games with Iowa State (underdogs 4-2-1 vs spread); Horned Frogs won 45-21/21-17 in their last two visits to Ames. Four of last five ISU games stayed under the total, as did last three TCU tilts.

Florida is 3-3; the coach’s family is getting death threats- no bueno. Three of their last four games were decided by 1 or 2 points; they won another game on a 60-yard pass on last play of the game. Under McElwain, Gators are 3-4-1 vs spread as underdogs. Georgia is 7-0 with one win by less than 21 points, a 20-19 win at Notre Dame. Dawgs are 7-4-1 vs spread in last 12 neutral field games. Favorites are 4-1-1 vs spread in last six Florida-Georgia games; Gators won last three series games, by 14-24-18 points. Under is 4-2 in Dawgs’ games this season.

Arizona won its last three games, scoring 45.7 ppg, running ball for 409 ypg; can they keep ball away from Wazzu’s senior QB Falk? Wildcats is 5-2 but both losses were at home; they were held to 16-24 points in those games. Washington State is 1-1 on road, winning big at Oregon, losing big at Cal- under Leach, they’re 2-5 as road favorites. WSU (-16.5) pounded Arizona 69-7 last year; they won 45-42/24-17 in last couple visits to Tucson. Coogs gained 631/614 TY in last two series games. Underdogs are 4-3 vs spread in last seven series games. Last five Wazzu games stayed under the total.

Ohio State won four of last five games with Penn State (favorites 3-2 vs spread); Nittany Lions lost 38-10/63-14 in their last two visits to Columbus. Buckeyes won five games in row since loss to Oklahoma, all by 31+ points; they’re 6-12 vs spread in last 18 games as a home favorite, 1-3 this year. OSU had last week off. Penn State pounded Michigan LW; they won both road games this year, 21-19/31-7 at Iowa/Northwestern. Lions struggled to beat Iowa, but outgained them by 306 yards that day. Last four OSU games went over the total; under is 5-2 in Penn State games.

Home side won last four Mississippi State-Texas A&M games; Bulldogs lost 30-17/51-41 in their last two visits to College Station. Miss State is 5-2 with losses at Georgia/Auburn; their only road win is at La Tech. Under Mullen, Bulldogs are 10-7-1 vs spread as road favorites. Aggies are 5-2; five of their seven games were decided by 8 or less points. Aggies won 19-17 at Florida LW despite being outgained by 88 yards. Under is 4-1 in last five MSU games, 3-0 in A&M’s last three games. SEC home teams are 13-16 vs spread in conference play this season.

Armadillosports.com

College Football's Biggest Betting Mismatches: Week 9
By: Monty Andrews
Covers.com

Surveying the weekly NCAAF schedule can be a daunting task for even seasoned bettors. So each week, Monty Andrews breaks down some of the underlying betting mismatches on the college football slate, giving you an inside edge when handicapping the schedule.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Michigan Wolverines (-23.5, 43.5)

Rutgers’ pass offense vs. Wolverines' pass defense

The Michigan Wolverines are clinging to a spot in the top 25 rankings after taking it on the chin in a 42-10 drubbing at the hands of Penn State last weekend. And with challenging road games against Wisconsin and Ohio State coming up next month, Jim Harbaugh's crew could be staring at a four-loss conference schedule. But first, the Wolverines will look to bounce back against a Rutgers team that has had all sorts of problems generating offense through the air.

The Scarlet Knights evened their conference record at 2-2 last week with a 14-12 victory over Purdue, but it was far from pretty. Host Rutgers managed just five first downs while going 3-for-15 on third downs and generating a paltry 87 passing yards. The Scarlet Knights rank 121st out of 129 Division I teams in passing yardage per game (133.6) and have produced only five passing touchdowns through their first seven games.

Those totals aren't likely to increase at The Big House, with the Wolverines still boasting one of the most imposing pass defenses in the nation despite getting gouged for 282 yards through the air against the Nittany Lions on Saturday. Michigan is limiting opponents to 158.6 passing yards per contest, the fifth-best rate in the country.

Oklahoma State Cowboys at West Virginia Mountaineers (+7.5, 73.5)

Oklahoma State's discipline vs. West Virginia's flag epidemic

Things are about to get a whole lot tougher for the Cowboys, as this week's matchup against the Mountaineers kicks off a stretch of three straight games against ranked opponents. But great discipline should give Oklahoma a decided edge against a West Virginia team that can't seem to stop getting flagged.

The Cowboys dominated play against the Longhorns, finishing with twice as many first downs while racking up nearly 150 more yards of total offense. Oklahoma State also had a considerable edge in penalties, picking up just two for 20 yards. The Cowboys rank 35th in the nation in fewest penalty yards per game (45.9).

Discipline has been a bit of a problem area for the Mountaineers, whose 70 penalty yards per game ranks 114th in the country. Flag problems played a role in West Virginia nearly squandering a 25-point fourth quarter lead in a wild 38-36 win over the Baylor Bears; the Mountaineers picked up 11 penalties for a whopping 134 yards in the game, including two pass interference flags and a personal foul call that aided in Baylor's 23-point fourth quarter.

Michigan State Spartans at Northwestern Wildcats (+1.5, 40.5)

Michigan State's run defense vs. Wildcats' rushing attack

Only nine Division I teams are allowing fewer than 100 rushing yards per game so far this season - and the Spartans are a proud member of that list, limiting opponents to a 93.6-yards-per-game average. The Hoosiers managed just 95 yards on 35 carries - good for a 2.7 YPC average that lowered Michigan State's season average to 2.9.

The Northwestern running game has a dependable horse in Justin Jackson - averaging 4.5 YPC with six touchdowns - but not much else. The Wildcats rank just inside the top 100 nationally in rushing yards per game (136.9) while averaging just 3.6 YPC as a unit.

And while Jackson has looked good against weaker opponents, he was held to just 91 yards on 25 scoreless carries against Ohio State and Wisconsin. Look for him to struggle again this week against the Spartans' vaunted run D.

TCU Horned Frogs at Iowa State Cyclones (+6.5, 52)

TCU's third-down conversion rate vs. Cyclones' third-down defense

The Horned Frogs have vaulted themselves into the national title picture following a thorough 43-0 beating of visiting Kansas over the weekend. TCU has been one of the most balanced teams in the nation so far, with impressive victories over Oklahoma State and West Virginia on its resume.

This week's encounter with the formidable Cyclones should be a tightly-contested affair, but TCU comes in with a significant edge when it comes to third-down play.

No team has been more prolific at extending drives than the Horned Frogs, who have converted a whopping 56.2 percent of their third downs into first downs or points. TCU's 59 total conversions also lead the nation.

The Cyclones, meanwhile, rank outside the top 100 in Division I in third-down conversion rate against, allowing opponents to score or extend drives on 44.1 percent of opportunities. In its two losses, Iowa State allowed Iowa and Texas to convert 18 of their 38 third-down chances.

If the Cyclones can't find a way to prevent TCU from extending drives, it could be a long game.

ACC Report - Week 9
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Miami-Florida at North Carolina

The Hurricanes look to keep their playoff hopes alive on the road in Chapel Hill against the skidding Tar Heels. Miami is a three-touchdown favorite against North Carolina, looking to improve on their 4-0 ATS mark over the past four road outings. They're also 6-2 ATS over their past eight conference outings, but just 1-6 ATS in the past seven in the month of October. For the Tar Heels, they're a dismal 0-7 ATS over the past seven inside the ACC, 0-5 ATS in their psat five against teams with a winning overall record and 0-5 ATS in their past five overall. Total bettors might want to pound the 'under', as it is 4-0 in Miami's past four, 5-0 in their past five road games and 7-3 in their past 10 road outings against a team with a losing home mark. For UNC, the under is 6-2 in their past eight at Kenan, 9-3 over their past 12 ACC tilts and 4-1 in the past five overall.

Louisville at Wake Forest

The Cardinals hit the road for Winston-Salem looking to stay on track after a road win at Florida State last weekend. The Cardinals covered for the first time in six outings with their road victory. Overall, Louisville is just 2-10 ATS across the past 12, while going 0-6 ATS in their past six against teams with a winning overall record. For Wake, they're 3-0-1 ATS over their past four home games, 7-2-1 ATS in the past 10 inside the conference and 5-2 ATS over their past seven against teams with a winning overall mark. The over is 4-1 in Louisville's past five inside the ACC, while going 12-5 in their past 17 on a fieldturf surface. The over is 5-2 in Wake's past seven at home, and 5-0 in their past five home games against teams with a winning road mark. However, the 'under' is 4-0 across the past four meetings in this series.

Virginia at Pittsburgh

The Cavaliers hit the road for the Steel City looking to rebound after a beatdown at the hands of B.C. last weekend. Virginia had been cruising along at 5-1 SU with four covers in a row, but they were beaten soundly by Boston College, 41-10. The Panthers have covered just seven of the past 27 games at home, while going a dismal 2-6-2 ATS over their past 10 overall. However, they're coming off a road win and cover against Duke. Still, Pittsburgh has a long way to go before they can be trusted, as they're just 1-3-1 ATS over their past five conference tilts. The favorite is an impressive 5-1-1 ATS across the past seven in this series.

North Carolina State at Notre Dame

The Wolfpack hit the road for their first-ever road trip to South Bend in the shadows of Touchdown Jesus. This might be an elimination game of sorts, as the winner keeps their chances of a playoff spot alive, while the loser is most likely done. The Wolfpack are 5-0 ATS over their past five road games, while going 4-1 ATS in the past five on the road against a team with a winning home record. N.C. State is also 11-5 ATS over the past 16 non-conference tilts. For the Irish, they're 5-0 ATS in the past five non-conference games, while covering five in a row overall. This game will feature a lot more offense than the last time these teams played in hurricane conditions in Raleigh, with the Wolfpack winning 10-3 in the slop at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh last October.

Duke at Virginia Tech

The Blue Devils hit the road for Blacksburg looking to turn things around. It's been a tale of two season, as the Blue Devils opened 4-0 SU/ATS, but are a dismal 0-4 SU/0-3-1 ATS over the past four outings. The 'under' has hit in six in a row for Duke, too. Viriginia Tech has won two in a row since their home setback against Clemson back on Sept. 30. The Blue Devils are 1-4 ATS over their past five against teams with a winning record, and 0-3-1 ATS in their past four inside the ACC. For the Hokies, they're 7-2 ATS in their past nine on grass, 8-3 ATS in their past 11 overall and 9-3 ATS in the past 12 at home. The under has hit in five of the past seven in this series, with the underdog going 4-0 in the past four.

Georgia Tech at Clemson

The Yellow Jackets hit the road for the upstate to battle the Tigers, and Georgia Tech is catching two touchdowns as of early Thursday morning. The Ramblin' Wreck has covered six in a row inside the conference while going 6-0 ATS in their past six against teams with a winning record and 10-1 ATS in their past 11 overall. Clemson has covered five of their past six against teams iwth a winning record, but they're a dismal 2-6 ATS over their past eight inside the conference. Ga. Tech hasn't had a lot of success in this series lately, at least against the number, going 1-4 ATS in the past five meetings and 0-4 ATS in their past four trips to Death Valley. The home team has cashed in six of the past seven in this rivalry.

Bye Week

Syracuse

Big 12 Report - Week 9
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Oklahoma State at West Virginia

The Cowboys hit the road for Morgantown in a game which should be an offensive showdown. The Cowboys, who have covered just once in the past four outings, opened as a six-point favorite. The line sits at OSU -7 1/2 as of Thursday morning. The Cowboys have covered just once over the past five conference tilts, while the Mountaineers are just 6-14 ATS over their past 20 against teams iwth a winning overall record. The Mountaineers are also a dismal 7-21 ATS over their past 28 at Mylan Puskar Stadium against teams with a winning road record. the over is 13-6 in OK State's past 19 inside the conference, and 5-1 in West Virginia's past six overall. However, the under has hit in each of the past four meetings in this series.

Texas at Baylor

Texas rolls down to Waco looking to keep the Bears down. The Longhorns arrive going 3-0-1 ATS over their past four conference games, 5-0-1 ATS in their past six overall and 6-2 ATS over their past eight following a straight-up loss. For Baylor, close but no cigar lately. They have covered four of their past five inside the conference, but they have dropped all seven of their games overall so far. They are 32-15 ATS in the past 47 home games, but 2-2 ATS in their four outings this season. The Bears are a dismal 1-7 ATS over their past eight against teams with a losing overall record, however. Total bettors might like the 'under' in this one. The under is a perfect 4-0 over the past four meetings in this series, while going 5-0 in the past five road games for Texas. The under is also 4-1 in their past five against teams with a losing overall record. For Baylor, the under is 7-2 in the past nine against teams with a losing overall mark.

Kansas State at Kansas

In the Sunflower State battle, K-State looks to keep their rivals down. Vegas is confident that will happen, as the Wildcats are favored by 24 points as of Thursday morning. While the Wildcats are 34-16-2 ATS over their past 52 in the month of October, they are 2-5 ATS across their past seven against teams iwth a losing record and just 1-3-1 ATS in the past five overall. Kansas hasn't been much better, though, going 10-27 ATS over their past 37 in October, while posting a 1-4 ATS mark in the past five against teams with a losing record. Kansas is also a dismal 1-6 ATS over their past seven overall while going just 5-17 ATS over their past 22 meetings in this rivalry. The Wildcats have also covered four in a row in Lawrence, while the favorite is 18-4 ATS over the past 22 in this series. The over is 6-1 in the past seven in this series, while cashing in seven of the past eight meetings in Lawrence.

Texas Christian at Iowa State

Not many would have pinpointed Ames, Iowa and Oct. 28 as a showdown game in the Big 12, but the Cyclones have played their way into a contender's role in the Big 12. The Cyclones are 7-1 ATS over their past eight against teams with a winning record, and 6-1 ATS in the past seven overall. They have also covered four in a row in the month of October while hitting in nine of the past 13 in the Big 12. TCU has cashed in five in a row on the road, but they're just 2-10 ATS in the past 12 on a grass surface whilegoing 2-5 ATS across the past seven in the month of October. Total trends are the complete opposite between these two sides. The under is 6-1 in TCU's past seven conference games and 7-2 in their past nine on the road while going 11-4 in the past 15 overall. For Iowa State, the under is 4-1 in the past five overall, but the over is 7-3 in their past 10 at home and 6-2 in the past eight against teams with a winning overall mark.

Texas Tech at Oklahoma

The Red Raiders roll into Norman looking to snap out of their funk. They have dropped two in a row, and three of the past four overall. After opening 5-0 ATS, the Red Raiders have also failed to cover in each of their past two outings. Oklahoma also opened 4-0 SU, and 3-0 ATS in their first three outings. However, the Sooners are a poor 0-4 ATS over their past four outings. Texas Tech has covered 11 of their past 16 conference tilts, and 6-2 ATS in their past eight against teams with a winning overall mark. The Sooners are 0-4 ATS in their past four Big 12 battles, but they're 7-1 ATS in the past eight against teams with a winning record. The Red Raiders are an awful 1-5 ATS in their past six trips to Norman, while the home team has cashed in each of the past four meetings. The 'over' is also a perfect 6-0 in the past six meetings in this series.

Big 10 Report - Week 9
ASAWins.com

PENN STATE @ OHIO STATE (-6.5)

penn st vs ohio stThe Nittany Lions were being questioned as to how good they really might be heading into last week’s game vs Michigan. After a fairly weak non-conference schedule PSU had played Indiana, Iowa, and Northwestern in Big Ten play and those teams have a combined 3-9 conference record. Michigan was their first “real” test and the passed with flying colors. The Lions were in a good spot coming off a bye and playing a game they had been waiting for since last October when they were destroyed @ Michigan. That loss @ Michigan was the turning points for this program and they had won 15 of their next 16 games since that setback. Even with that, this team was waiting to make amends for the embarrassing performance and they did just that blasting the Wolverines 42-13 outgaining them 506 to 269. Michigan came into the game with the #1 total defense in the nation allowing just 223 YPG. PSU was even more dominant on a yards per play basis as Michigan actually ran 9 more offensive plays. Those numbers looked like this – PSU 8.3 YPP / Michigan 3.8 YPP. The last time Michigan allowed 500 yards of offense was in 2015 vs Indiana and that game went into double OT. Simply a dominant performance by Penn State. Now we find out for the second straight week how good this team really is as they travel to the Horseshoe to take on a red hot Ohio State team.

Just as Penn State was last week, the Buckeyes have been waiting for this one. They had last week off for extra prep. Their 24-21 loss at PSU last year kept Ohio State out of the Big Ten Championship game. It also ended OSU’s remarkable 20-game road winning streak. The Bucks dominated the stat sheet rolling up 413 yards to just 276 for PSU. On top of that, the way the game ended added even more fuel to the fire with the Nits blocking a late FG and returning it for the game winning TD. PSU trailed 21-7 entering the 4th quarter but outscored OSU 17-0 from that point on. In the final 11:00 minutes of the game, the Nittany Lions ran 12 offensive plays for -1 total yards and scored 10 points! Their final 10 points came off a blocked punt (led to a FG) and blocked FG return as we mentioned above. Back to this year…The Buckeyes lost their only true big game this year getting stomped by Oklahoma at the Shoe. Since that game they have been absolutely destroying teams. Over their last 5 games the Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 266-56. They have outgained those 5 opponents by a grand total of 1,885 yards or an average of 377 YPG! Now those opponents lacked some luster (Army, UNLV, Rutgers, Maryland, and Nebraska) so similar to PSU last week, do we really know how good this OSU team is? We’ll find out on Saturday.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Ohio State is 13-2 ATS their last 15 revenge games in conference play. Urban Meyer always has his teams perfectly prepared coming off a bye as his teams are 21-1 SU (16-5-1 ATS) in the regular season when rested. The Buckeyes are 20-10 ATS their last 30 as a home favorite of 7 or less dating back to 1988. Since their loss @ Michigan last season, Penn State is a near perfect 14-1-1 ATS their last 16 games! Since 1993 these two Big Ten foes have met 12 times in Columbus with Ohio State going 10-2 both SU & ATS in those meetings. The Buckeyes are 13-6 ATS as a favorite in this series.

MICHIGAN STATE (-2.5) @ NORTHWESTERN

MSU continues to win ugly but win none the less. Last Saturday was the 4th time in their last 5 games they’ve scored 18 points or fewer and they’ve gone 4-1 during that stretch. Their lone loss now looks fairly forgivable as that was to Notre Dame. Even that loss wasn’t as bad as the 20 point margin may have suggested as Sparty outplayed the Irish on the stat sheet by a fairly wide margin. Last Saturday they entered into a defensive slugfest with the Indiana Hoosiers and came away with a 17-9 win at home. That victory over IU doubled their win total from last year and made MSU bowl eligible with a 6-1 record. Neither team was able to top 275 yards and both were held under 3.8 YPP. Both teams were held in check on the ground as each averaged less than 2.8 YPC. There were 17 punts in the game. Not a thing of beauty unless you are a defensive minded viewer. Speaking of defense, MSU is playing as well as anybody in the country on that side of the ball. They have held all but one opponent (Notre Dame) to 300 yards of total offense or less. That doesn’t look like it will change this weekend vs a Northwestern offense that scored only 10 points in regulation last week at home vs Iowa.

A struggling Wildcat offense looked like it was about to turn the corner after putting up 37 points on Maryland a few weeks ago. Last week they dropped right back into their low scoring mode with just 10 points in regulation vs the Iowa Hawkeyes. Northwestern was able to get the 17-10 win in OT and move to 2-2 in Big Ten play. The Cats offense was putrid in the first half as they were held scoreless on just 102 yards of total offense. They punted on 4 of their 5 first half possessions. With Iowa up 7-0 at halftime, the script flipped in the second stanza as the NW defense held Iowa to just 3 points on 62 yards of total offense. The Wildcats looked much better offensively in the 2nd half (including OT) as they scored points on 3 of their 6 possessions, were shut out on downs inside the Iowa 35 yard line twice, and punted only once. NW RB Justin Jackson, who was considered one of the top backs in the nation coming into the year, continues to have to fight and claw for every yard. He has 603 yards in 7 games this season gaining just 4.5 YPC. Last year after his first 7 games Jackson had 792 yards on the ground. It’s extremely important for the NW offense to have Jackson be successful and their focal point. He has topped 100 yards rushing 23 times in his career and the Cats have won 19 of those games. He’s gone over the century mark just 3 times in his 7 games this season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Last year’s game was expected to be low scoring as well with the total set at 41. It turned into a shootout with Northwestern winning 54-40 so while we don’t expect many points here, who knows? MSU is 10-1 ATS their last 11 playing with revenge in conference play. The road team has covered 8 straight in this Big Ten series. MSU has won 12 of the 15 meetings in Evanston since 1980. Their most recent loss here was way back in 2001.

MINNESOTA @ IOWA (-7)

Minnesota picked up their first Big Ten win in the PJ Fleck era last Saturday topping Illinois 24-17. The Gophers were a 14.5 point favorite against the worst team in the Big Ten but struggled for most of the game. They never really threatened to cover that number until the returned an interception for a TD with just 4:00 minutes remaining in the game to give Minnesota a 24-10 lead. Before that, their largest lead of the game was 7 points. After the Gopher pick 6, Illinois took the ball on their final possession and scored the game’s final TD with just 23 seconds remaining to make the final margin 7. Minnesota pretty much kept the ball on the ground for the vast majority of the game with 55 rushing attempts to only 5 completed passes. They had two players, Kobe McCrary and Rodney Smith, top 100 yards on the ground. Fleck made a switch at QB and went with previously suspended Demry Croft over former starter Conor Rhoda. Croft is much more of a running threat but not an accomplished passer by any means completing only 48% of this throws this season. After getting outgained in each of their first 3 Big Ten games, Minnesota finally was able to beat a team on the stat sheet but it wasn’t overly impressive. They outgained the Illini by 57 yards but also ran 7 more plays to do so. While the win was big, struggling to beat the worst team in the Big Ten at home is not a “buy” sign for this team.

After starting the season with a 3-0 non-conference mark, the Hawkeyes have dropped 3 of their first 4 conference games. Last week they went into Northwestern as a small favorite and walked away with a 17-10 loss in OT. They have now been outgained in all 4 of their Big Ten games and that includes their lone win @ last place Illinois. They have been competitive in their losses with those 3 setbacks coming by a combined 16 points. In each of those losses, Iowa had the ball with a chance to tie or win on their final possession of the game. So all is not lost in Hawkeye land. Their defense is solid holding all 4 conference opponents to 21 points or less. That includes their 21-19 loss to Penn State. The problem is on the offensive side of the ball where they’ve scored 19 or less in 3 of their 4 Big Ten games. They only game they topped 19 points was @ Illinois where they scored 45. Even in that game the offense was handed 17 points that came directly off Illinois 4 turnovers. The fact is, Iowa has been outgained in conference play by an average of 102 YPG and they can’t run the ball ranking 13th in league games at just 95 YPG. This is a must win for Iowa at home to prevent a potential free fall as they face Ohio State and Wisconsin in their next two games.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – The underdog in Minnesota games is a bookie busting 27-9 ATS over the last 36 games. Since 1993 the Hawkeyes have covered 16 of the 24 meetings between these two rivals. Since 1983 these teams have met in Iowa City 16 times with the Hawkeyes winning 14 of those games SU. Iowa won @ Minnesota last year by a final score of 14-7 with the winning score coming on a 54 yard run with just over 5:00 minutes remaining in the game. The Gophers are 8-1-1 ATS their last 10 road games dating back to the 2015 season.

WISCONSIN (-26) @ ILLNOIS

The Badgers stayed perfect on the season with a 38-13 home win over Maryland. While the game was essentially done when it started, everyone who wagered on the game were watching the closing minutes intently. That’s because Wisconsin, who led 35-13 with under 2:00 minutes remaining, was driving and had to make a decision that would affect both side and total bettors. With just over 1:00 minute remaining Wisky had a 3rd & 3 at the Maryland 17-yard line. If they get the first down they take a knee on the final play and the game ends 35-13 giving Maryland and UNDER bettors a win. The Badgers didn’t make it running for just 2 yards making the situation 4th & 1 on the Terp 15-yard line. Paul Chryst called timeout with 36 seconds left and then promptly sent the FG unit to give UW a 38-13 win which flipped the cash giving Wisconsin (-24) a cover along with the OVER (50). Interesting and spread changing decision to say the least. The Badgers continued to dominated on the ground with over 200 yards for the 6th time in 7 games leading the Big Ten at 256 YPG rushing. They have now outrushed all 7 of their opponents by a combined 1,186 yards or 169 YPG. Defensively, Wisconsin allowed an opponent to rush for over 110 yards for the first time this year as Maryland tallied 143 on the ground. Even after that, they still lead the Big Ten in rush defense allowing only 88 YPG.

The Illini grabbed the label of Big Ten’s worst with their home loss two weeks ago to Rutgers. Last week they battled @ Minnesota better than we thought they would coming off that demoralizing loss to the Scarlet Knights a week earlier. They went to Minneapolis and lost 24-17 and kept it a one score game for all but 3 minutes and 49 seconds of the game. One glaring problem coming out of their contest with the Gophers? They allowed 333 yards on the ground and now face a Wisconsin team that ranks 1st in the Big Ten in rushing. The Illini are still searching for a consistent option at QB. Original starter Chayce Crouch who was under center for their first 4 games now hasn’t played in the last 3 games. Jeff George Jr took over and is a better passer but has struggled with turnovers. Last week head coach Lovie Smith gave freshman Cam Thomas his first game action of the season rotating him in at QB with George. Thomas only attempted 4 passes but gives Illinois a running threat from the QB position as he led the team with 79 yards on the ground last week. Who knows who will be under center this week for Illinois? Keeping up on the scoreboard will be difficult as Wisconsin averages 37 PPG on the season while Illinois averages just 15 PPG in their 4 Big Ten games despite facing Rutgers, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa who all rank in the bottom half of the conference in total defense (conference play only).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Our college database goes all the way back to the start of the 1980 season and this is the largest favorite Wisconsin has ever been @ Illinois. The Badgers have covered 8 of the last 10 @ Illinois and they have won 11 of the last 12 meetings outright. UW is also 18-6 ATS overall their last 24 road games. However they are just 1-5 ATS as a road favorite of 21 or more dating back to 1999.

RUTGERS @ MICHIGAN (-24)

Rutgers won again! For just the 2nd time in their last 18 Big Ten games the Scarlet Knights came out on top on the scoreboard. Their 14-12 win at home over Purdue was their first 2 game winning streak (vs FBS opponents) since October of 2014. Purdue trailed 14-6 and scored their final TD with just 23 seconds remaining. Their 2-point conversion failed giving Rutgers their 6th Big Ten win in their last 29 conference games. Two big plays were the difference in the game as Rutgers TD’s came on a 35-yard pass and a 74-yard run. Those two plays accounted for more than HALF of their total yardage in the game (217 total yards). Speaking of stats, if you happened to glance at the final numbers, you’d be scratching your head asking how the Knights were able to win this game. The final tally looked something like this – First Downs – Purdue 25, Rutgers 8, total yardage – Purdue 474, Rutgers 217, offensive plays – Purdue 85, Rutgers 55, rushing yards – Purdue 279, Rutgers 130. Just amazing that Rutgers was able to come away with the win much less keep it close with those numbers. The offense continues to be a big concern despite their recent two wins. If you throw out their game vs Morgan State, the Knights have been held to 17 points or less in all but one game. Even with their 478 yard output vs Morgan State, they still rank dead last in the Big Ten in total offense averaging only 301 YPG.

Michigan is reeling losing two of their last three games with their only win during that stretch coming in OT @ Indiana. Last week the #1 defense in the land was shredded by Penn State for 42 points on 506 total yards. The Wolverines defense dropped from #1 nationally in total defense down to #5. They were outgained by a whopping 237 yards and it was the first time this season that Michigan gained fewer yards than their opponent. The 42 points they allowed was nearly half their total for the season entering last week (89). The defense has a chance to redeem themselves and push back toward the top defense in the last on Saturday when the face a Rutgers offense that ranks last in the Big Ten putting up barely 300 YPG. The defense is not the problem at Michigan. The offense is. They have scored just 15 offensive TD’s in 7 games this season. The only team in the Big Ten that has scored fewer is Illinois. QB play has been a big part of the problem. While Wilton Speight was far from ideal, since he’s been out, the Wolverine offense has gotten even worse. John O’Korn has now started 3 games throwing a grand total of ZERO TD passes in those games completing under 50% of his passes. In his 3 starts Michigan has scored 10, 20 (in regulation), and 13 points. Now Rutgers may provide the perfect elixir for this offense as the Wolverines have scored 151 points in their 3 meetings with the Knights.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – These two met last year @ Rutgers and the Wolverines won the game 78-0. Yes 78-0. Rutgers had 39 yards of TOTAL offense in the game while Michigan topped 600. The Wolverines were favored by 30 in that game on the road and are now laying 24 this year at home. Harbaugh is 8-3 ATS when playing at home coming off an outright loss. Rutgers is a disappointing 1-10 ATS the last 11 times they’ve been tabbed an underdog of 21 or more.

INDIANA (-4.5) @ MARYLAND

Despite their 0-4 record in conference play, Indiana definitely deserves to be favored in this game. Is it a great situational spot for the Hoosiers? Probably not but they are the better team. IU has already played the top 4 teams in the Big Ten East losing to Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, and Michigan State. Their most recent two losses were down to the wire losing at home to Michigan in OT and then were beaten 17-9 @ MSU. Even in their two blowout losses to PSU and OSU, the games weren’t nearly as bad as the final score suggested. They led Ohio State late in the 3rd quarter and were outgained by only 18 yards @ Penn State. The Hoosiers have done a complete 180 over the last few years from a team that was very dangerous offensively and bad defensively to a team that struggles on offense but is now solid on defense. Last week they held Sparty to 274 yards on just 3.7 YPP. Their defense now ranks 6th in the Big Ten in YPP allowed (4.7) behind only Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. However offensively they are one of only two Big Ten teams to average less than 5 YPP along with Rutgers. Head coach Tom Allen is hanging his hat on true freshman QB Peyton Ramsey who has started three consecutive games beating Charleston Southern and losing tight games vs Michigan & Michigan State. Ramsey has been decent in his two Big Ten starts completing 56% of his passes for an average of 168 YPG vs two of the top defenses in the nation.

Maryland was blasted for the third straight game losing @ Wisconsin 38-13. The Terps ran the ball quite well vs the top rush defense in the league putting up 143 yards on the ground vs a team that allows just 88. However, starting QB Max Bortenschlager, who looked very good in his first start a few weeks ago vs Minnesota, has been terrible ever since. In his defense, Bortenschlager entered the year as the 3rd string QB but has been forced into action due to injuries. In his last 3 games he has completed just 33 of his 80 pass attempts (41%). With little to no passing game it makes it very tough to run the ball which makes their 143 yards last week fairly impressive. Speaking of running the ball, that’s just what their last few opponents have done to this Maryland defense. And straight down their throats. In the last 3 games, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Ohio State have combined to roll up 734 combined rushing yards on Maryland’s defense. The Terps defense is now dead last in the conference in total yards allowed (439) a full 30 yards behind Illinois who ranks 13th in the league. They get a potential reprieve this Saturday as IU has far from a dominating run game averaging 131 YPG (103rd nationally). If the Hoosiers are able to run all over this Maryland defense, then we can assume they are just that bad.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Since 2000, Indiana has been a road favorite in Big Ten play only FOUR times (2-2 ATS). These two have met 3 times since Maryland joined the Big Tan and offense has been the story. In those three meetings Indiana has scored 104 points (35 PPG) and totaled 1,537 yards (512 YPG). Maryland has put up 101 points (34 PPG) to go along with 1,485 yards (495 YPG). The Terps are just 5-12 ATS their last 17 games as a home dog.

NEBRASKA @ PURDUE (-5.5)

The Huskers had a much needed bye week after getting blasted at home in back to back weeks vs Wisconsin & Ohio State by a combined score of 94-31. This team remains in a tough spot playing for a likely lame duck coach who will most likely be let go at season’s end by new athletic director Bill Moos. They are 2-2 in conference play but their 2 wins have come against arguably the two worst teams in the Big Ten, Illinois and Rutgers. This year’s number, which is Purdue -5, is a massive swing from last year’s match up when Nebraska was a 24-point home favorite and topped the Boilers 27-14. That’s nearly a 30-point swing in the number in just one season! Tulane transfer and starting QB Tanner Lee was obviously overhyped coming into the season. However, despite getting whipped in their last few games, Lee has looked much better. He had his best game of the season vs OSU throwing for over 300 yards, 2 TD’s and most importantly no interceptions. After throwing a nation leading 9 interceptions in his first 4 games, Lee has only thrown 1 pick in his last 3 contests to go along with 7 TD’s. The defense has been shredded for much of the season allowing a Big Ten worst 5.8 YPP. The Nebraska defense has allowed more TD’s this year than everyone in the conference not named Illinois or Maryland. They should look better this week vs a struggling Purdue offense.

Speaking of Purdue’s struggling offense, they have scored 12 points or less in 3 of their 4 Big Ten games. Last week they put up plenty of yardage @ Rutgers but couldn’t put the ball in the endzone. This offense put up nearly 500 yards in that game last week but only tallied 12 on the scoreboard. They lost their game at Rutgers despite gaining 257 more yards to go along with 17 more first downs! The Purdue offense was able to push the ball into Rutgers territory 7 times but was only able to muster one TD and that came with 25 seconds remaining in the game. Offensive efficiency has been a huge problem for this Purdue team in Big Ten play. In fact, in their 4 Big Ten games they have been in their opponents territory (crossed the 50 yard line) 26 times and scored only 5 TD’s. They simply need to do better than that moving forward if they want to get to a bowl game for the first time since 2012. The good news is each remaining game on their schedule is winnable as none are against the consensus top 5 teams in the Big Ten (Ohio St, Penn St, Wisconsin, Michigan St, and Michigan).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – This is the first time Purdue has ever been favored against Nebraska. All four meeting between these two teams have been decided by at least 10 points with Nebraska winning 3 of those 4 games. The Boilers are 2-0 ATS as a home favorite this year and they are 11-5 ATS in that spot going back to early in the 2011 season.

Pac-12 Report - Week 9
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

California at Colorado

This is an important game for bowl eligiblity, as the winner will be just one win away from a trip to a bowl, while the losing team will need to win two of their final three games to punch a ticket to the postseason. The Bears have cashed in just one of their past seven games on the road while going 11-28 ATS over the past 39 games following a straight-up loss. The Buffaloes haven't been much better, going 1-6 ATS over their past seven conference tilts, while going 0-4 ATS in the past four games at Folsom Field in Boulder. The under has been the play for both sides lately, going 5-2 in the past seven overall for Cal while hitting in eight of the past 11 for Colorado. The under is also 14-5 in the past 19 league games for the Buffs.

UCLA at Washington

The Huskies get their wish, as they were complaining about not being showcased in earlier games so the East Coast fans and media could see them. Unfortunately, it took a loss at Arizona State to take them off of the prime time stage. The Bruins haven't been very good against the number lately, going 1-4 ATS over their past five games overall and 1-5 ATS in the past six conference tilts. They're also a dismal 1-8 ATS across the past nine after a straight-up win, and 0-4 ATS in the past four on the road. For Washington, it's the complete opposite, as they're 5-1 ATS in the past six league games while going 5-1 ATS in the past six against teams with a winning overall record. The Bruins have dominated this series against the number, cashing in six of their past eight trips to Seattle and 11 of their past 15 meetings overall in this series.

Utah at Oregon

Utah looks to stem the tide of losing in their road trip to Oregon. The Utes opened 4-0 SU/ATS, but they're 0-3 SU/1-1-1 ATS over the past three outings. The Ducks have also been skidding, losers of three in a row and four of their past five after opening 3-0 SU. It's the offense that has gone south lately, averaging just 10.3 PPG over the past three outings while allowing at least 31 points in each game. Utah is still 5-1-1 ATS over their past seven overall, and 16-5 ATS in the past 21 on the road while going 6-2-1 ATS in their past nine league games. Oregon has been terrible aginst the number, cashing in just three of their past 11 home games while going 5-16-1 ATS in the past 22 games overall. They're also a dismal 1-5 ATS in their past six league outings. The road team has cashed in four in a row while the underdog is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings.

Washington State at Arizona

Washington State didn't let a 37-3 setback at California turn into a long-term thing. They rebounded last Saturday with a 28-0 blanking of Colorado toget back on track. It was also their fifth consecutive 'under' result, as the defense has been much better lately. The Cougars are allowing 16.2 PPG over the past five outings. The Cougs have cashed in five of the past six, and four of their past five conference outings. They're also 12-5 ATS in their past 17 against teams with a winning overall record, but just 1-4 ATS in the past five on the road. Arizona has struggled against the number, going just 2-6 ATS in the past eight against teams with a winning record, 3-9 ATS in their past 12 conference games and 6-15 ATS in the past 21 overall. Washington State has covered in four of the past five in this series, while the underdog is 11-4 ATS in the past 15 meetings overall.

Southern California at Arizona State

The Trojans hit the road for Tempe looking to rebound after getting humbled by rival Notre Dame in South Bend last weekend. With their playoff hopes effectively ended, it will be interesting to see how the Trojans rebound and handle themselves. USC has failed to cover in six in as row and seven of their past eight overall. Arizona State has used defense lately to get themselves on track. They have allowed a total of just 17 points in two games against Washington and at Utah, and they have covered four in a row. The 'under' has cashed in four in a row for the Sun Devils thanks to their lack of offense and improved defense. Arizona State has cashed in four in a row, while going 10-3 ATS in their past 13 home games and 11-4 ATS in the past 15 against teams with a winning overall record. The favorite has hit in five of the past six in this series.

SEC Weekly Thoughts & Observations
By Spartan

Hard to believe we are already reviewing week 8 in the conference action. Each week throughout the season I have provided some random (very) thoughts and observations regarding the SEC. The conference most folks either love, respect or loathe.

Okay, let's dive on into it. I will begin with the Tide. They continue to steam roll through the schedule and the latest victims were Butch Jones and his Volunteers. We all knew they would beat the dog crap out of Tennessee, no secret there, only mystery of course was would they clear the 36 point number the odds makers had hung on them. Well, yes, they did. Each week the Tide take the field as mega favorites and more often that not they clear the number. It was a totally dominant performance, duh, as they racked up a crazy 35 first downs on Tennessee. That prolific offense of Tennessee managed just seven. Good grief. What had me shaking my head is this was the primary CBS afternoon game. Who other than family and friends of the players and staff, (and bettors) are actually going to sit down and view this thing for the duration? I guess it should not surprise me. I shake my head at all the people who slow to a crawl on the highway to catch a glimpse at a bad car wreck. I do not think it is a question of whether Butch gets the axe but when. It is still a great job and attractive position. Expectations are very high, but that is just the way of it. I've heard some speculation of Jon Gruden going to Knoxville. Well, I will believe that when I see it. But it seems Gruden's name comes up with every major vacancy. There really is not much to discuss regarding this specific game. It was a totally dominant performance and showed the clear disparity between the programs in their current state. Tennessee had a great and loyal fan base. I do hope they can get it right.

Dan Mullen's Mississippi State Bulldogs once again flexed their muscles as they smoked the Kentucky Wildcats by a resounding 45-7 final score. I had a feeling the Bulldogs were going to cover here and they were indeed one of my client releases. I laid the 11 and never looked back with this one. I know Kentucky had a nice record but I felt it was a little misleading. I think their secondary just sucks. I watched a couple weeks back when Drew Lock from Mizzou kept burning them deep. The Bulldogs are good, very good. Now they have a real battle coming up as they head down to College Station to take on a stout Texas A&M team that Kevin Sumlin has playing very well. And has had plenty of time to game plan for the Bulldogs. This should be a knock down drag out. Nick Fitzgerald keeps getting it done, both on the ground and through the air. This week the Wildcats host the Volunteers and frankly I will not touch it. No interest in watching or betting the thing. No allure. None.

One game I admittedly was wrong on was the game between LSU and Ole Miss. I had the Rebels plus 7 and they ended up losing the thing rather convincingly 40-24. This was an impressive road win for Coach O and his club. It was the Derrius Guice day as the kid rushed for a stellar 276 yards on 22 carries. The Bayou Bengals basically ran the ball down the Rebels throats the whole game. The kind of loss that can be particularly disheartening to a team on the losing end. It is one thing for a team to burn you on a deep bomb but to just run the ball straight down your throats repeatedly just sucks the bone marrow right out of a club. Oh, and Guice's backeup Darrell Williams ran for 103 yard by his own right. Good thing is Ole Miss should be able to restore some pride this saturday as they play host to the Hogs from Arkansas. I will address them shortly. LSU is good, very good. LSU is off until November 4th when they have a date on the battlefield against Bama. That will be must see college football. The schedule played out in their favor giving them two weeks to game plan a way to somehow slay the beast. The only draw back to this whole scenario? Nick Saban and his troops also have two full weeks to get ready. That is scary. You could wake this team up at 3 am and tell them to go suit up and play a game before dawn against a upper tier opponent and the Tide would likely just rub their eyes and then kick their ass before having breakfast.

Speaking of Arkansas, they were home last saturday playing host to Gus and his Auburn Tigers. They were getting 15.5 points at home and could not cover it. The Tigers came into Hog Heaven and pulled the pork 52-20. The Tigers racked up a sick 629 yards in this beat down. That will make a DC contemplate leaping off bridges. 629 freaking yards. Were they actually playing any defense for the Piglets or just basically trying to get in Auburn's way? That is obscene. It was a close game, well relatively, at the half but Auburn took care of business in the second half and there never was any drama here. This week they will travel to Oxford to tangle up with another team in a foul mood in the Rebels. The Rebels are laying 3.5 points and my thinking is they clear it.

Finally I will discuss my own team. The mighty Missouri Tigers. Don't worry, I am not getting an attitude. Mizzou beat Idaho 68-21. They scheduled the Vandals as the homecoming game so everyone could have a nice weekend and celebrate a victory and it all went according to script. The Tigers fell behind early 7-0 and then proceeded to beat the crap out of the Vandals. It did a world of good for the Tigers to actually win another game. Okay, the Missouri Tigers have now won two games this year. Both at home, over Missouri State and now Idaho. And yes, the rumors are true. There were a LOT of Tigers fans after the game crowing about how they could still make a bowl. I head this jibberish again and again and tried to be a voice of reason. Of course that was after I quit laughing and spitting up my bud light. Believe me, I am a Tigers fan. Born and raised in mid missouri and attending Tiger games as a kid when Dan Devine was on the sideline. But I am also a realist. This Mizzou team is not good. This is a bad football team. And the whole Bowl thing is just plain BS in my view. Good grief, there are 41 freaking bowl games. Over 80 teams make bowls. Yes, looking at the Mizzou schedule as it lays out it is remotely possible. Sorry if I am not enthused. I go by what I see on the field. This is a lousy team with a soft defense. Their secondary tackles like girls. JMO.

There are a couple of other game I am looking forward to. Georgia playing at Florida is still appealing. Things have just gone sideways on this Gators team all season, they cannot get a break. Of course the whole suspensions issue is something hard to feel too sorry for them about. I do know they had better be ready to strap it on saturday because this Bulldogs team of Kirby Smart is the real deal. This should be another very good game. I do have this also as a client play. Anyone who thinks the Dawgs will walk all over the Gators might be in for a surprise. Lot of points though and they are there for a reason. This is one to watch. In another game Vandy goes to South Carolina and the Gamecocks are 5-2 while the Commodores have fallen off badly. Just think about it, they defeated Kansas State on a saturday night game back on september 16th. They have NOT won a single game since that night. And the games have not been all that close. South Carolina is not a team built to really blow anyone out so the Commodores should be able to hang around. But this season, which seemed to promising has gone off the rails.

Okay, onto the business end. I will be diligent and discuss business. We're supposed to do that as part of the deal. Last week I cashed with my College football game of the year in easy fashion as Notre Dame beat on the Trojans like a rented mule. The outcome was never in doubt. I had a strong feeling the Irish would abuse this overrated USC team and they came though for me. When I saw the board and the numbers for this weekend I saw one game up there I can honestly say I loved. And my clients know how I usually do things. And don't do things. I am doing something out of the norm and firing my ACC game of the year this week. Very rare to do but when an opening presents itself I will answer the door. I like the game that much. As usual. there will be some bellowing how game of the years always lose. Well, that is just utter bull shit. I have cashed 8 of the last 10 football game of the year releases. That is a long, long ways from always losing them. Anyway, the game is loaded. I also have a heavy card for clients with the remainder of the day.

That will do it for this week. It will be fun to see the scramble for the four teams to play for the crown.

The Dozen: Sublime Saturday
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com

Here are the games that should most command your attention on the fourth Saturday in October and everything you need to know to handicap these matchups:

1. Penn State at Ohio State: The Nittany Lions passed the first of their major tests splendidly, dominating Michigan early, then supplying a stiff, impressive knockout after squandering a double-digit lead. The performance was so impressive that seeing them open as a full touchdown underdog for this test in Columbus raised plenty of eyebrows. After all, the Buckeyes may own five straight wins by a margin of 266-56, but those vanquished opponents are a combined 17-19 and only Army (6-2) owns a winning record. Penn State rolling into town provides Ohio State's most difficult test since a 31-16 loss to Oklahoma where it was thoroughly dominated.

Last season's game put Penn State in a similar role, as it came in as a 19-point home underdog and shocked the country by utilizing a blocked field goal return to pull the upset. The Buckeyes are 10-0 in revenge games against teams that have beaten them the previous season, so Urban Meyer will look for that trend to continue in order to enter the season's final month in position to get back in the national playoff picture in spite of their Sept. 9 loss to the Sooners. The Buckeyes are averaging a national-best 47.3 points, while Penn State leads the country allowing just 9.6. Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin is 0-8 on the road vs. AP ranked opponents on the road, so this would be a good time to snap that trend.

2. NC State at Notre Dame: Unbeaten in the ACC, the Wolfpack can potentially turn this season into a special one if it can follow up a win in South Bend with a home victory against Clemson. NC State didn't allow a season-opening loss to South Carolina to linger and have utilized upsets at Florida State and Louisville to get to this point. The Fighting Irish wasted a number of opportunities in a 20-19 loss to Georgia but own blowout wins over Michigan State and USC that put them in position to crash the national semis with home wins over NC State, Wake and Navy in addition to road conquests at Miami and Stanford. While certainly challenging, the Irish do have enough talent to get through the schedule unscathed.

Brian Kelly is looking for improved production from the Brandon Wimbush-led passing game, which gives you an indication that he's got a healthy respect for the Wolfpack's ability to stop the run. They come in sixth nationally in containing the opposing ground game, which is saying something given the teams on their schedule. Notre Dame ranks sixth in the country in rushing offense (317.9 ypg). Expect the battle of the trenches to help determine a winner. Last year's win in Raleigh provided the defense's finest moment in a 10-3 win, but this will be NC State's first-ever trip to South Bend. Rain is in the forecast, so monitor weather reports before making a final call here.

3. TCU at Iowa State: The Cyclones followed up their shocking upset of Oklahoma by defeating Kansas and Texas Tech, putting themselves in the conversation for a Big 12 title. Second-year coach Matt Campbell clearly has the program headed in the right direction, but he beat the Jayhawks and the Red Raiders last year. Against the teams that remain on the Iowa State schedule, he went 0-5 and watched his defense surrender an average of over 40 points per game. One win away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2012, the Cyclones look to take the ultimate step forward by spoiling TCU's perfect season.

The Horned Frogs control their destiny as the only undefeated team in the conference and have proven quite capable on the road, registering covers in double-digit wins at Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. November opens with enormous games against Texas and Oklahoma, so perhaps the fact Iowa State has proven its no pushover will keep TCU from overlooking this trip to Ames. The Cyclones have only won once in eight tries in this series, falling in Fort Worth in 2012. QB Kyle Kempt has been a Cinderella story since being elevated to starter, while the defense has really played well and comes in led by the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the week in LB Marcel Spears, Jr., whose pick-six last week helped put away Texas Tech in Lubbock. They're expecting a packed house for Homecoming at Iowa State.

4. Georgia Tech at Clemson: Following a week off after a Friday night upset loss to Syracuse, the defending champs will attempt to put their ability to bounce back on display again. After an unexpected 43-42 home loss to Pittsburgh last Nov. 12, the Tigers ran the table, routing Wake Forest on the road and then covering in a rivalry game against South Carolina, the ACC championship over Virginia Tech, a national semifinal over Ohio State and the title game vs. Alabama. N.C. State and Florida State are up next after this one, so there's no question that Clemson can still earn itself a chance to defend its title if it overcomes the loss to the Orange.

The Yellow Jackets were held to just 71 rushing yards in '15 and had managed only 22 total yards in the first half last season, so Dabo Swinney and his staff have really gotten a nice handle on the triple option over the past few years. The only two occasions where Georgia Tech has been unable to run for over 100 yards in a single game have each come against Clemson, which last lost in this series in 2014. QB Kelly Bryant was knocked out of the 'Cuse game with a concussion and has been cleared to play.

5. USC at Arizona State: This game could very well decide the Pac-12 South, putting Sam Darnold back in the spotlight against a Sun Devils defense that has started making a name for itself after shutting down Washington and creating turnovers to defeat Utah. Rumblings are that he's now leaning towards returning to school, but no one really knows what's in store for him over the next few months, particularly if he can deliver a conference title and clean up his miscues.

ASU had won consecutive games in this series in '13 and '14 but have dropped two straight in blowouts. It's homecoming week in Tempe, so coming off an unexpected upset of Washington, there's certainly hope that a season that opeed with losses to San Diego State and Texas Tech in non-conference play can continue yielding surprises as head coach Todd Graham looks to wiggle his way out of the hot seat. The Sun Devils are much healthier than the Trojans, whose injury report is incredibly long. Darnold has been cleared to play after an ankle tweak.

6. Georgia at Florida: The cocktail party is Florida's Super Bowl. The Gators have seen a promising season derailed by injuries and suspensions, so outside of hitting on a Hail Mary to break Tennessee's hearts, this season has been largely forgettable and could actually see Jim McElwain's team fall to 3-4 if they fail to pull off an upset here, extending their run of victories in this series to four.

The Dawgs last won in Jacksonville in 2013 and are favored for the first time since '14 as they look to improve to 8-0 for the first time since '02, which is their most successful season over the past half century but ended with a 13-1 record due to a loss to unranked Florida. Kirby Smart lost his first game against Florida, while Jim McElwain is perfect in his first two meetings, dominating defensively by a combined margin of 51-13.

Florida has won 21 of 27 in the series and very few currently associated with the program have tasted victory in this rivalry, something Smart has pointed out often this week. The Nick Chubb-led run game managed just 21 yards on the ground last season, so imposing their will up front is a priority. Keeping the pressure of rescuing this result off of true freshman QB Jake Fromm's shoulders is something Georgia is counting on, but Florida has no illusions that redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks will need his best game to have any shot of pulling the upset. He'll be facing a UGA defense fortified by the return of DT Trenton Thompson and LBs David Marshall and Reggie Carter.

7. Oklahoma State at West Virginia: The Big 12's other major matchup will test the Cowboys' perfect road record, especially since they come off a shaky effort in Austin against Texas, holding on 13-10 in overtime to win a game despite their lowest scoring output since 2014. In West Virginia, OSU visits a team that has averaged 53.7 points in its three home victories but is about to face a major step up in caliber of competition from ECU, Delaware State and even Texas Tech.

The Mountaineers have dropped consecutive games in this series, but head coach Dana Holgorsen knows the program well, having served as Mike Gundy's offensive coordinator before taking his current gig. This matchup pits two of the nation's most prolific QBs in Mason Rudolph, who leads the nation in passing yardage (2,650), and Will Grier (national-best 26 TD passes). Rudolph, who comes off one of the worst performances of his career, could face protection issues given the lack of healthy bodies along his offensive line, but it remains to be see whether a West Virginia defense that has surendered an average of 34 points in Big 12 play is up to the challenge of capitalizing.

8. Washington State at Arizona: A home win here would keep the Wildcats tied atop the Pac-12 South with the USC-ASU winner in the loss column, but the Cougs have their own division title aspirations, looking to keep pace with Stanford and Washington. Mike Leach's team responded well after a demoralizing blowout loss on the road at Cal, wearing down visiting Colorado on homecoming. Arizona will test a WSU defense that has surprisingly been the team's backbone all season, as the highest-scoring team in the league features mobility at the QB spot that the visitors haven't run into yet.

Arizona QB Khalil Tate, a sophomore who showed flashes last season but wasn't expected to become the force he's turned into, producing three straight wins and putting together five consecutive halves -- yes, halves -- where he surpassed 100 rushing yards. Counting the Colorado game in which he made his breakthrough, the 'Cats have averaged 46.7 points in outscoring the Buffs, UCLA and Cal. In his last nine quarters, he's racked up 668 rushing yards, scoring seven touchdowns on 35 carries and averaging over 57 yards per carry on the scores. He's been named the Pac-12's Player of the Week three straight times, something that hadn't happened in 29 years (Rodney Peete).

9. UCLA at Washington: Although being shut down by the Sun Devils squashed the momentum of a season that the Huskies had been cruising along in due in part to a lack of quality competition, they can still win out and hope for the best if they can get help around the country. This matchup with the Bruins opens a stretch of four home games over their final five regular-season games, so they'll likely be favored in every game except a winnable Nov. 10 date at Stanford.

The Bruins have won the last two meetings, including a 44-30 win in Seattle in '14, so Jim Mora has defeated Chris Petersen. Washington looks to bounce back from its first loss and are coming off a bye week, giving it an opportunity to get healthy and refocus. Petersen is 22-4 in his career coming off a bye and will unleash the Pac-12's top-ranked defense to try and quiet Josh Rosen, who is 1-5 in his last six games coming off a victory.

10. Michigan State at Northwestern: The Spartans join Wisconsin as the Big Ten's unbeaten afterthoughts this week, also coming in 4-0 in league play and taking a back seat to the game at the top of this list. Mark Dantonio has his team ahead of schedule after a 3-9 disaster last year, leading a young roster to a 6-1 start whose only blemish came at the hands of Notre Dame.

Pat Fitzgerald's Wildcats hoped they would be in the spot Sparty finds itself in, but have seen QB Clayton Thorson's inconsistent play contribute to losses at Duke, Wisconsin and home against Penn State. Northwestern won consecutive games for the first time this season after holding off Iowa last week and have an opportunity to run the table the rest of the way since they'll be favored in every game after this one. The Wildcats won in East Lansing 54-40 last season, producing their highest-scoring output since 2001. Michigan State has to avoid looking ahead to games against Penn State and Ohio State the next two weeks.

11. Mississippi State at Texas A&M: One of these teams will get to 6-2 and become bowl eligible, while the other will be staring at disappointment given the tough games ahead. The SEC West teams have alternated wins and losses over their past five meetings since Kevin Sumlin and the Ags joined the conference, but the Bulldogs couldn't win in College Station with even Dak Prescott at the controls.

The Aggies are younger the group here, but lead the country in sacks and will look to get after mobile QB Nick Fitzgerald, who shined in a blowout win over Kentucky last week. MSU has injury concerns after left tackle Martinas Rankin, WR Keith Mixon and DT Cory Thomas all missed last week's win, but they should be healthy enough to take the field on the road here.

12. Texas Tech at Oklahoma: The Red Raiders will try to pull off an upset to avoid slipping to .500 after a promising start, hoping to avoid a three-game losing streak in conference play for the fifth straight season under Kliff Kingsbury. First-year Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley has failed to cover in any of his last four outings and is hearing grumblings after narrow wins over Texas and K-State follwed up that shocking home loss to Iowa State to open this month. This will be the Sooners' first date in Norman since that defeat.

Riley will be facing his alma mater as a head coach for the first time, having helped Kingsbury set the foundation for the direction of his program by installing his "Air Raid" concepts. It's no surprise that Baker Mayfield and Nic Shimonek rank among the national leaders in numerous passing categories, but both have had their struggles of late. Texas Tech's last win in this series came in Norman back in 2011 by a 41-38 count in OT.

Others: Utah at Oregon, Houston at South Florida, Duke at Virginia Tech, Louisville at Wake Forest, Air Force at Colorado State, Nebraska at Purdue, Texas at Baylor, Tennessee at Kentucky, Vanderbilt at South Carolina, Minnesota at Iowa, Miami (FL) at North Carolina, Indiana at Maryland, Florida Atlantic at WKU, Boise State at Utah State, Arkansas at Ole Miss.

Saturday's Week 9 NCAAF Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet
Covers.com

We enter Week 9 of the NCAA football betting season, with a marquee Big Ten matchup in Columbus headlining the week and other major conference contests filling out the board. If you don’t have time to handicap Saturday’s biggest matchups, use our college football cheat sheet to point you in the right direction.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at (25) Michigan Wolverines (-24, 43.5)

* The Scarlet Knights' 4.2 yards per play against FBS opponents ranks fifth-worst in all of Division I. Only five teams have fewer sacks than Rutgers (seven), while its 36 total sack yards rank second-worst nationally.

* The Wolverines are one of 10 Division I teams to score points on 95 percent of their red-zone visits. Michigan leads the nation in passing yards allowed (158.6) and averages 3.14 sacks per game, 12th-most in the country.

LINE HISTORY: The Wolverines opened as 23.5-point home faves and money coming in on the home team bumped it up to an even 24. The total opened at 43.5 and was quickly bet up to 44.5, before fading back to 44. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Scarlet Knights are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Wolverines are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in Wolverines last 6 games following a straight up loss.

(12) Oklahoma State Cowboys at (22) West Virginia Mountaineers (+7.5, 73.5)

* The Cowboys lead the nation in total offense (584.6 yards per game) but have only scored points on 81.6 percent of their red zone trips, good for 83rd in the country. Oklahoma State ranks ninth in third-down conversion rate (49.5 percent).

* The Mountaineers average 70 penalty yards per game, 16th-most in Division I. West Virginia QB Will Grier leads the nation in passing touchdowns (26) and already has three five-TD games to his credit this season, with two coming in his past two games.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Cowboys as 8-point road chalk and within hours of opening was dropped to 7.5 and has held there all week. The total opened at 73.5 and has yet to move off the opening number. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Cowboys are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 6-1 in Cowboys last 7 road games.
* Under is 8-2 in Mountaineers last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

(8 ) Miami Hurricanes at North Carolina Tar Heels (+20, 54)

* The Hurricanes have scored points on 23 of their 24 trips to the red zone, good for a 95.8-percent success rate that ranks sixth nationally. The Miami defense holds FBS opponents to just 5.3 yards per pass attempt, the third-best rate in the country.

* The Tar Heels convert just 27.7 percent of their third-down opportunities; only Charlotte, New Mexico and Georgia Southern have been worse among Division I teams. North Carolina QB Brandon Harris has eight interceptions on just 71 pass attempts.

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened this ACC Coastal showdown favored by 20.5 and have been bet down slightly to the current number of Miami +20. The total hit the board at 50.5 and money rolling in on the over has pushed it up to 54. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Hurricanes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.
* Tar Heels are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 conference games.
* Under is 5-0 in Hurricanes last 5 road games.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

(5) Wisconsin Badgers at Illinois Fighting Illini (+26, 49)

* The Badgers trail only TCU in third-down conversion percentage on the season, extending drives or scoring at a 55.2-percent clip. RB Jonathan Taylor has scored a rushing TD in all seven games and has three 200-yard efforts so far this season.

* The Fighting Illini are one of only six Division I schools to have thrown at least 12 interceptions in 2017. Illinois' 4.8 yards-per-play average against FBS teams ranks outside the top 100 nationally.

LINE HISTORY: The Badgers hit the board at most books as 26-point road chalk and that’s where the number currently sits. The total opened at 49 and has been bet down slightly to 48.5 at some books but can still be found at 49 at others. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Badgers are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 road games.
* Fighting Illini are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 conference games.
* Over is 5-1 in Fighting Illini last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Badgers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

(15) NC State Wolfpack at (10) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-7, 58.5)

* The Wolfpack join Georgia Tech as the only teams in the nation that have yet to throw an interception. RB Nyheim Hines has rushed for 352 yards and four touchdowns over his last three games.

* The Fighting Irish rank second in the nation in yards per carry (7.1), and four different players have at least four rushing scores. Notre Dame passers complete just 50.8 percent of their attempts, good for 118th in Division I.

LINE HISTORY: The Irish hit the board at most books as 7.5-point home favorites and is down slightly to a converted touchdown. The total opened at 60.5 and is down two-full points to 58.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Wolfpack are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Fighting Irish are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Over is 4-0 in Wolfpack last 4 non-conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in Fighting Irish last 5 non-conference games.

(18) Michigan State Spartans at Northwestern Wildcats (+2.5, 40.5)

* The Spartans have allowed opponents to score points on nearly 93 percent of their red-zone visits, ranking them 115th nationally in that category. QB Brian Lewerke has passed for just 399 yards with two TDs and an interception over his past three games.

* Wildcats RB Justin Jackson averages 123.5 rushing yards in his team's four wins, and just 36.3 yards in its three defeats. Northwestern scores on 92.3 percent of its red-zone trips, tied for 15th in Division I.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Spartans as 2-point road faves and has bet down to +1, before money came rolling in on the road team and pushed the line up to 2.5. The total opened at 40.5 and has yet to move off the opening numbers. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Wildcats are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 7-1 in Wildcats last 8 games following a ATS win.
* Spartans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings in Northwestern.

(3) Georgia Bulldogs vs Florida Gators (+13.5, 43.5)

* The Bulldogs are one of five teams in the nation with points on all of their red-zone visits, going a perfect 29-for-29 through their first seven games. Georgia runs the ball on nearly 70 percent of its plays vs. FBS foes, the seventh-highest rate in Division I.

* The Gators are also perfect in the red zone so far, with 11 touchdowns and four field goals in 15 visits inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Florida is allowing 3.33 sacks per game; only six teams have fared worse.

LINE HISTORY: The SEC East-leading Bulldogs hit the board at most books at 14 and is down slightly to +13.5. The total opened at 43.5 and remains at the opening number. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 neutral site games.
* Under is 8-2 in Gators last 10 games on grass.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
* Bulldogs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

(2) Penn State Nittany Lions at (6) Ohio State Buckeyes (-6.5, 56.5)

* The Nittany Lions rank second in the country in both total turnover margin (plus-12) and turnover margin per game (plus-1.71). RB Saquon Barkley has scored five touchdowns over his past two games.

* Buckeyes QB J.T. Barrett has thrown 18 touchdown passes in five games since being held without a scoring strike in a 31-16 loss to Oklahoma. Ohio State ranks in the top 10 in both yards per carry (6.0) and yards per pass (8.9) vs. FBS opponents.

LINE HISTORY: The Buckeyes opened as a converted touchdown home chalk against the undefeated Nittany Lions and money on the road team drove that number as low as -5.5, and has rebounded to -6.5. The total opened at 56.5 and under money pushed that number as low as 54.5 before fading back to an even 56. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Nittany Lions are 11-1-1 ATS in their last 13 conference games.
* Buckeyes are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 5-0 in Buckeyes last 5 conference games.
* Home team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.
* Nittany Lions are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 meetings in Ohio State.

(4) TCU Horned Frogs at Iowa State Cyclones (+6.5, 48.5)

* The Horned Frogs convert third-down opportunities at a Division I-best 56.2-percent clip and rank 19th in time of possession. TCU QB Kenny Hill has 13 TD passes in wins over Jackson State, SMU and Kansas, and just two TDs in his other four games.

* Senior QB Kyle Kempt has thrown for 657 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception in leading the Cyclones to three straight impressive victories. Iowa State averages just 36.6 penalty yards per game, 10th-fewest in the country.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened this matchup with the Horned Frogs as 6.5-road faves and briefly went down to 6 before returning to the opening number. The total opened at 52 and bettors have been pounding the under lowering the total down to 48.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Horned Frogs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Cyclones are 7-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1 in Horned Frogs last 7 conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Cyclones last 4 games following a ATS win.

UCLA Bruins at (11) Washington Huskies (-17.5, 59.5)

* The Bruins' minus-8 turnover differential for the season is eighth-worst among Division I teams. UCLA QB Josh Rosen went without an interception in last week's win over Oregon after getting picked off eight times over his previous four games.

* The Huskies allow a nation-low 2.2 yards per carry and have surrendered just three rushing touchdowns, sixth-fewest in Division I. Washington has turned the ball over six times; only eight other teams have fewer turnovers.

LINE HISTORY: The Huskies opened this Pac-12 showdown as massive 17-point home chalk and the total hit the board at 59.5, neither number has moved. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bruins are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 8-1 in Huskies last 9 games following a straight up loss.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

Houston Cougars at (14) South Florida Bulls (-11, 56.5)

* Kyle Postma should get most of the snaps under center again and the senior has completed 67.3 percent of his passes 1,120 yards - 315 last time out - but has thrown five scoring strikes as opposed to six interceptions.

* Senior Darius Tice has led the productive rushing attack with 634 yards (6.2 per carry) and nine touchdowns while Flowers (613, seven) and D’Ernest Johnson (569, five) have also been difficult to contain.

LINE HISTORY: USF hit the board at most books as 10.5-point favorites and has been bet up to the current number of -11. The total opened at 57.5 and briefly went up to 58.5 before money on the under dropped the number to 56.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Cougars are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 conference games.
* Bulls are 5-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.

Duke Blue Devils at (13) Virginia Tech Hokies (-15.5, 48.5)

* The Blue Devils have scored touchdowns on just three of nine red-zone visits during their four-game losing streak. Duke ranks fourth in the country in interceptions (12) and is tied for the Division I lead in interceptions returned for TDs (four).

* The Hokies have limited opponents to a 23.7-percent conversion rate on third down; only Michigan has been better. The Virginia Tech defense has allowed a total of four punt return yards through seven games.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened this matchup with the Hokies as 17-point home favorites and money coming in on the road team lowered that number to VT-15.5. The total opened around 48 and briefly went down to 47.5 before jumping up to the current number of 48.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-0 in Blue Devils last 6 games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Hokies last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Underdog is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at (7) Clemson Tigers (-14, 49)

* Yellow Jackets QB TaQuon Marshall had 163 rushing yards and two scores in last week's win over Wake Forest, and ranks fourth among signal callers with 11 rushing touchdowns. Georgia Tech sits fifth in the nation in third-down success rate (51.1 percent).

* Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said QB Kelly Bryant was "looking really good" in practice as he recovers from an ankle injury; Bryant ranks third in the ACC in completion percentage (67.6). Clemson has a Division I-high 28 sacks so far this season.

LINE HISTORY: The Tigers opened this matchup as 14.5-point chalk at most book and has been bet down to an even 14. The total hit the betting board at 48.5 and at most books has settled at 49. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-1 in Yellow Jackets last 6 conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 games overall.
* Home team is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.
* Yellow Jackets are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 meetings in Clemson.

Texas Tech Red Raiders at (9) Oklahoma Sooners (-20, 73.5)

* Red Raiders QB Nic Shimonek is coming off season lows in passing yardage (207) and touchdowns (zero) in last week's defeat vs. Iowa State. Texas Tech has scored points on just 70.3 percent of its red zone visits, ninth-worst in the country.

* Sooners QB Baker Mayfield has thrown for 300 or more yards and multiple touchdowns in six of seven games this season. Oklahoma's 74.9-percent completion rate leads the nation, as does its 8.2 yards per offensive play.

LINE HISTORY: Oklahoma opened this Big 12 showdown favored by 18.5-points and that wasn’t enough for bettors as money on the home team pushed this number to OKLA -20. The total opened at 73 and has been bet up a half to the current number of 73.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-0 in Sooners last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.
* Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Oklahoma.
* Red Raiders are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 meetings in Oklahoma.

(16) Washington State Cougars at Arizona Wildcats (+3, 64.5)

* The Cougars pass on nearly 67 percent of their offensive plays against FBS opponents, the highest ratio in the nation. Washington State has turned the ball over 18 times, more than all but four Division I teams.

* The Wildcats are one of five FBS teams to register at least 40 touchdowns so far in 2017. Arizona QBs Brandon Dawkins and Dillon Tate have combined for 1,138 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

LINE HISTORY: The Cougars hit the board at most books as 3-point road chalk and the number briefly moved to 2.5, before returning to the opening number. The total opened at 64.5 and has yet to move off that number. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Cougars are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in Cougars last 5 games overall.
* Cougars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

(21) USC Trojans at Arizona State Sun Devils (+3.5, 59)

* The Trojans' offensive line has already surrendered 15 sacks - three more than it allowed all of last season. Only San Jose State has racked up more turnovers than USC's 19; the Trojans have allowed 35 points off turnovers in their past two games.

* The Sun Devils have converted 23 of their 24 trips to the red zone, scoring 18 touchdowns and adding five field goals. Arizona State averages 128.4 rushing yards per game, ranking outside the top 100 nationally.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened this PAC-12 matchup with the Trojans as 3-point road faves and briefly dropped to USC +2.5, before returning to the opening number. The total opened at 58 and has been bet up to 59. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Trojans are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
* Sun Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 conference games.
* Under is 5-0 in Sun Devils last 5 games on grass.