College Football Betting News and Notes Saturday, September 3rd, 2016

Saturday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

LSU vs. Wisconsin

LSU will invade Lambeau Field in Green Bay for a rare college game at the storied venue Saturday afternoon against Wisconsin. These schools are poised to collide at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

This is a rematch of the season opener for both schools held in Houston two seasons ago. With Melvin Gordon sidelined for nearly all of the second half after running all over LSU in the early going, the Tigers rallied in the second half to capture a 28-24 win as 3.5-point favorites.

LSU finished 2015 with a 9-3 straight-up record and a 5-6-1 against-the-spread mark. Les Miles’s team went to Tuscaloosa unbeaten and ranked fourth in the nation, only to take a 30-16 thumping from Alabama. This led to a three-game losing streak that included beatdown defeats at home vs. Arkansas and at Ole Miss. The slide led to Miles coming extremely close to being fired after 11 successful seasons. For the entire week leading into the regular-season finale at home vs. Texas A&M, Miles was as good as gone. However, with the state of Louisiana going through all sorts of financial turmoil, the idea of paying Miles north of $15 million just to go away led to a public-relations nightmare. Then when LSU beat the Aggies 19-7 and Miles was carried off the field by his team to the massive approval of the crowd at Tiger Stadium, the LSU brass knew it had to reverse course. Hence, Miles was retained but could be facing the same situation in November if LSU isn’t in the race for a berth in the College Football Playoff.

We should note that LSU’s cupcake opener against McNeese State was cancelled due to weather last year, so it really should’ve been another 10-win campaign for Miles. Also, the Tigers smashed Texas Tech by a 56-27 count as seven-point ‘chalk’ at the Texas Bowl.

LSU brings back eight starters on offense and nine on defense, including Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette. The junior RB rushed for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry as a sophomore. He also had 19 receptions for 253 yards and one TD. Fournette will run behind one of the top offensive lines in the nation. QB Brandon Harris, who completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 2,165 yards with a 13/6 touchdown-to-interception ratio last year, has a pair of future NFL receivers to target. Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural are a pair of burners whose stats don’t do them any sort of justice because of the shaky QB play they’ve dealt with in Baton Rouge. Dupre had 43 catches for 698 yards and six TDs in ’15, while Travin Dural had 28 receptions for 533 yards and three TDs.

Fournette suffered a mild a ankle sprain a couple of weeks ago that forced him to miss about a week of practice, but he’s now 100 percent and ready to go against Wisconsin. LSU will be without four players versus the Badgers. Starting senior DE Christian LaCouture and back-up LB Isaiah Washington both went down with season-ending knee injuries in August. LaCouture had 35 tackles and one sack last season. WR Tyron Johnson elected to transfer recently after catching nine passes for 150 yards and two TDs as a true freshman in ’15. Also, senior reserve safety Corey Thompson is out indefinitely due to a leg injury. Thompson has eight career starts 66 career tackles.

LSU’s defense wasn’t on the level it has consistently displayed during Miles’s tenure last season. John Chavis bolted for Texas A&M following the ’14 campaign, leading to the hire of defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. This was a major downgrade and the Tigers allowed 24.3 points per game. Steele is out and now holds the same post at Auburn. Meanwhile, I feel like Miles made a stellar hire by bringing in Dave Aranda from Wisconsin. Aranda will work with better talent at LSU one year after leading a unit that gave up just 13.7 PPG.

LSU’s defense lost leading tackler Deion Jones, but nine of its top 11 tacklers are back in the mix. Senior DE Lewis Neal was a third-team All-SEC selection in ’15 when he tallied 48 tackles, eight sacks, 1.5 tackles behind the line, six passes broken up and eight QB hurries.

Wisconsin went 10-3 SU and 7-6 ATS in its first season under Paul Chryst, who took over following the shocking departure of Gary Andersen to Oregon State. Chryst had spent three years as the head coach at Pitt after serving as UW’s offensive coordinator during record-setting seasons from 2005-11. Chryst was born and raised in Madison and played QB for the Badgers from 1985-88.

Wisconsin returns 12 total starters, six on each side of the ball. However, the Badgers will be without one of those returnees against LSU. Sophomore LB T.J. Edwards is ‘out’ with a foot injury sustained in mid-August. Edwards was UW’s leading tackler in ’15 with 84 stops, including 6.5 tackles behind the line. His presence will be missed going up against Fournette. Senior OLB Vince Biegel was a second-team All Big Ten selection in ’15 when he recorded 66 tackles, eight sacks, six tackles behind the line and eight QB hurries. Chryst replaced Aranda with Justin Wilcox, who has spent the last decade in the DC role at Boise State, Tennessee, Washington and USC.

Chryst has tabbed senior Bart Houston as his starting QB. Houston completed 27-of-47 passes (57.4%) for 281 yards with a 3/2 TD-INT ratio last season. He had seen limited action in eight games as a freshman and sophomore. The Badgers lost star WR Alex Erickson, but four of the top five pass catchers return.

Wisconsin’s offense took a major hit last week when senior OG Dan Voltz decided to retire due to lingering knee injuries. Voltz was a preseason All-American candidate with 28 career starts under his belt. As usual, though, the o-line should be solid and the Badgers have a plethora of talent in the backfield. The hope is that senior Corey Clement can return to his ’14 form after an injury-plagued ’15 campaign. Clement rushed for nearly 1,000 yards as a sophomore and combined for 1,496 rushing yards with a 7.0 YPC average in his first two seasons at UW. Dare Ogunbowale rushed for a team-best 819 yards and seven TDs in ’15, averaging 4.2 YPC. He also had 36 catches for 299 yards and one TD.

As of Thursday, most books had LSU listed as an 11-point favorite with a total of 44.5 points. The Badgers were +350 on the money line (risk $100 to win $350). For first-half bets, the Tigers were favored by 6.5 points with a 22.5-point total.

North Carolina vs. Georgia

This SEC/ACC showdown will take place at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, with ESPN providing television coverage at 5:30 p.m. Eastern.

As of Thursday, most betting shops had Georgia installed as a three-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 56.5 points. The Tar Heels were available for a +125 return if they win outright. UGA was favored by one-half point for first-half wagers, while the total was at 28.5.

The Kirby Smart Era in Athens has arrived. Smart wisely rejected overtures from other schools during his nine-year reign as DC for Nick Saban at Alabama. He also turned down former UGA head coach Mark Richt’s offer to become DC at his alma mater several years ago. The Bainbridge, Georgia product had his eyes on Richt’s job and figured it was only a matter of time before the gig became open. When it did just one day after UGA beat arch-rival Ga. Tech in its regular-season finale, Smart was the lone candidate to replace Richt.

On Thursday morning, Smart announced that senior QB Greyson Lambert will get the starting nod vs. UNC. Lambert, a transfer from Virginia, connected on 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,959 yards with a 12/2 TD-INT ratio last year. Those numbers actually look solid on paper, but Smart’s decision isn’t going over well in the Bulldog Nation, which is thirsty to see five-star true freshman Jacob Eason take over. Lambert was benched twice last year after poor performances against Alabama and Missouri. Don’t be surprised if we see Eason on Saturday, especially if Lambert struggles in the first half.

Georgia has two of the nation’s premier RBs, but both are coming off of injuries. Nick Chubb was a leading Heisman Trophy candidate before sustaining a nasty knee injury in a loss at Tennessee. In only five games, Chubb had already rushed for 747 yards and seven TDs while averaging an eye-opening 8.1 YPC. He has reportedly looked healthy during camp and is set to start. In fact, Smart told the media this week that “he won’t be on a pitch count.” When Chubb went down, Sony Michel took center stage and rushed for 1,161 yards and eight TDs while averaging 5.3 YPC. However, Michel is ‘questionable’ against the Tar Heels after breaking his arm in July.

UGA’s defense lost its top four tacklers from a salty unit that allowed only 16.9 PPG in ’15. Junior safety Dominick Sanders is the best of those defenders who return. Sanders was a second-team All-SEC selection last season when he recorded 48 tackles, six interceptions, six passes broken up, four tackles behind the line, one sack and one QB hurry.

Former DC Jeremy Pruitt took the same job vacated by Smart at Alabama. Pruitt is being replaced by long-time NFL coordinator Mel Tucker, who has served as DC for the Browns, Jaguars and Bears in the past. The new OC is Jim Chaney, who held the same position at Pittsburgh last season and has had previous SEC stints at Arkansas (’13-14) and Tennessee (’09-12).

North Carolina is off its best season in decades and brings high hopes into the 2016 campaign. UNC finished 11-3 SU and 8-6 ATS in ’15. After dropping its season opener by beating itself with red-zone turnovers in a 17-13 loss to South Carolina, UNC ripped off 11 consecutive wins for its first double-digit win total since Mack Brown’s last season in Chapel Hill in 1997. It was the first 11-win season since 1980, the year the Tar Heels last won an ACC title.

With an 11-1 record, Larry Fedora’s fourth UNC team made the school’s first appearance at the ACC Championship Game. The Tar Heels lost a 45-37 decision to eventual runner-up Clemson, and then they subsequently came up on the short end of a 49-38 shootout against Baylor at the Russell Athletic Bowl.

North Carolina brings back 14 total starters, seven on each side of the ball. QB Marquise Williams has moved on after throwing for 3,072 yards with a 24/10 TD-INT ratio as a senior. Williams was a dual-threat signal caller who also rushed for 948 yards and 13 TDs. He will be sorely missed, but there is a ton of optimism about new starter Mitch Trubisky, a junior who has seen spot duty in 21 games as a freshman and a sophomore. In ’15, Trubisky completed 40-of-47 passes (85.1%) for 555 yards and six TDs without an interception. He also rushed for 101 yards and three TDs with a 6.3 YPC average.

Trubisky gets back the program’s top two wideouts in Mack Hollins and Ryan Switzer. Hollins had 30 receptions for 745 yards and eight TDs last year. Meanwhile, Switzer hauled in 55 catches for 697 yards and six TDs. Switzer was a third-team All-ACC pick as a WR in ’15. As a freshman in ’13, he earned first-team All-American honors as a punt returner when he set at NCAA record with five TDs. He added two more punt returns for scores in ’15. For his career, Switzer has produced 22 TDs and 4,941 all-purpose yards.

UNC has a pair of excellent RBs in junior Elijah Hood and senior T.J. Logan. Hood rushed for 1,463 yards and 17 TDs while averaging 6.7 YPC in ’15. Logan rushed for 400 yards and five TDs, averaging 6.1 YPC. Hood garnered first-team All-ACC honors last season.

Fedora enters his fifth season in Chapel Hill with a 32-20 combined record. He has led UNC to three straight bowl appearances after his first squad, one that finished 8-4, couldn’t go to the postseason due to NCAA sanctions from the Butch Davis Era. The wisest move Fedora has made since being hired in 2012 was pulling Gene Chizik away from CBS Sports to be his DC last year. The Tar Heels gave up 39.0 PPG in ’14, but they were salty on that side of the ball in the first season under Chizik, surrendering only 24.5 PPG. Chizik gets his leading tackler back in junior safety Donnie Miles, who had 128 tackles in ’15. Senior CB Desmond Lawrence also returns after earning second-team All-ACC honors. Lawrence had 59 tackles, two interceptions and 14 passes broken up in ’15.

Alabama vs. Southern California

For the first time in 31 years, these storied programs will collide Saturday night at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas. As of Thursday, most spots had Alabama listed as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 53. Gamblers had the chance to back the Trojans to win outright for a gorgeous +375 return. For first-half action, the Crimson Tide was favored by 6.5 (with a -120 price) or seven points with a total of 27.

Alabama won its fourth national title on Nick Saban’s watch by beating Clemson 45-40 as a 6.5-point favorite in last year’s finals of the College Football Playoff. The defending champs bring back six starters on offense and five on defense. They lost their starting QB (Jake Coker), the school’s all-time leading rusher (Derrick Henry) and four of the top five tacklers from a defense that gave up just 15.1 PPG.

Saban hasn’t announced a starting QB yet, but he said it will be either junior Cooper Bateman or redshirt freshman Blake Barnett. Bateman completed 37-of-52 passes (71.2%) for 291 yards with one TD pass and two interceptions last year.

Alabama has one of the top 2-3 groups of WRs in the country. Sophomore Calvin Ridley was nasty as a true freshman in ’15, bringing down 89 receptions for 1,045 yards and seven TDs. ArDarius Stewart had 63 catches for 700 yards and four TDs last year. O.J. Howard might be the nation’s best TE. He had a monster game against Clemson and finished the season with 38 catches for 602 yards and a pair of TDs.

Sophomore RB Damien Harris, a former five-star recruit, will split carries with another sophomore, Bo Scarbrough. Both are extremely talented but inexperienced. They’ll run behind one of the nation’s top offensive lines.

This is the fifth straight season Alabama has opened the year against a non-conference program on a neutral site. The Crimson Tide has won all four previous games against Michigan (41-14), Virginia Tech (35-10), West Virginia (33-23) and Wisconsin (35-17), producing a 3-1 spread record.

Alabama will be without a pair of key players due to suspensions. Senior starting OG Alphonse Taylor (17 career starts) won’t dress versus USC, nor will back-up CB Tony Brown, who had 16 tackles and two passes broken up in ’15.

Southern Cal finished a turbulent ’15 campaign with an 8-6 SU record and a 6-8 ATS mark. Steve Sarkisian was fired in early October after showing up to a Sunday practice smelling like alcohol. Clay Helton took over on an interim basis and was given the full-time gig in January. Four of the Trojans’ six setbacks came by double-digit margins, including a 41-22 loss at Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

USC returns 10 starters on offense and five on defense. The only offensive starter who isn’t back is QB Cody Kessler, who had a 29/7 TD-INT ratio in ’15. Max Browne, a true junior who was a five-star recruit, is set to take over the starting duties under center. Browne has seen limited playing time in nine games. He completed 8-of-12 throws for 113 yards in ’15.

Browne will operate behind an offensive line that many, including Phil Steele, consider to be the best in the country. The Trojans have their top two RBs back in the fold. Ronald Jones rushed for a team-best 987 yards and eight TDs (6.5 YPC) last season, while Justin Davis had 902 rushing yards and seven TDs (5.3 YPC).

Browne has USC’s top eight pass catchers back, including second-team All-American JuJu Smith, who had 89 receptions for 1,454 yards and 10 TDs in ’15.

USC is in its first double-digit underdog situation since November of 2011 when it went to Eugene and shocked Oregon by a 38-35 count as a 15-point puppy.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Week 1Picks and Predictions
By Joe Fortenbaugh
Covers.com

Inside information. Those are the two words that every sports bettor on the planet finds himself in consistent search of, yet they are the two words that routinely prove to be the most difficult to obtain, save for a select few plugged-in individuals.

Inside information can change the game. It has the ability to both put you ahead of the masses of casual public bettors who wander up to the counter just moments before kickoff while simultaneously eliminating any personal bias you may experience toward jerseys, players and coaches. Knowledge is power, as they say, and if you happen to find yourself "in the know" when it comes to a critical piece of previously unknown information, you also happen to find yourself with the power to better your position.

I don’t possess any inside information when it comes to Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff between the No. 5 LSU Tigers and unranked Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin. But I’m willing to bet that Dave Aranda does.

If you haven’t heard of Aranda before today, he’s the 39-year-old defensive coordinator of the LSU Tigers who utilizes an attacking 3-4 base defense complete with exotic blitz schemes courtesy of the linebacker position.

Aranda will play an integral role in Saturday’s marquee showdown between the Tigers and the Badgers because prior to his arrival in Baton Rouge before the start of this season, he spent three years serving as the defensive coordinator of the very same Wisconsin team that LSU will look to pummel this weekend.

That’s right. Aranda has inside information as to both the personnel and playbook that the Badgers will be working with Saturday, which puts his new program in an extremely favorable position entering their season opener.

In addition to Aranda’s unique knowledge of the Wisconsin roster and playbook, the Tigers return 17 starters from last year’s 9-3 team, which includes Heisman hopeful running back Leonard Fournette (1,953 yards, third in NCAA) and junior signal-caller Brandon Harris, who now weighs 220 pounds after arriving in Baton Rouge three years ago as a skinny 175-pounder.

The Badgers will counter with a roster that returns just four starters on offense and a quarterback in Bart Houston who has attempted just 51 career passes during his three seasons in Madison.

Starting quarterback experience, an elite rushing attack, a fly-to-the-football defensive unit and a defensive coordinator with intimate knowledge of his opponent. That sounds like a play worth making to me.

Pick: LSU -10.5

No. 18 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 22 North Carolina Tar Heels

Spread: Georgia -3

Analysis: UNC head coach Larry Fedora guided the Tar Heels to their first 11-win season since 1997 last year thanks to an offense that averaged an ACC-best 40.7 points per game. Fourteen starters, including six of the program’s Top 7 receivers from last year, return to try and claim the university’s first back-to-back string of double-digit winning seasons in nearly two decades.

The Bulldogs enter Year 1 of the Kirby Smart era with ineffective deep-ball quarterback Greyson Lambert under center and a Heisman candidate at running back in 5-foot-10, 220-pound beast Nick Chubb.

But the key matchup here comes down to a battle between underrated North Carolina running back Elijah Hood and a shaky Georgia front seven. Give the edge to the Tar Heels.

Pick: North Carolina +3

New Mexico State Aggies at UTEP Miners

Spread: UTEP -9

Analysis: The Aggies enter their season opener in El Paso down top linebacker Derek Ibekwe and stud running back Larry Rose III, the centerpiece of a New Mexico State offensive attack who rushed for 1,651 yards (6.9 YPC) and 14 touchdowns a year ago.

As for UTEP, running back Aaron Jones returns to the field this season after missing almost all of the 2015 campaign due to an ankle injury. Jones amassed 1,614 total yards and 14 scores on 272 touches two years ago and is widely regarded as one of Conference USA’s most exciting players.

Note that New Mexico State is 0-5 ATS over its last five matchups with C-USA opposition and 1-4 ATS over its last five non-conference games, while UTEP is 10-3 ATS over its last 13 home dates.

Pick: UTEP -9

No. 2 Clemson Tigers at Auburn Tigers

Spread: Clemson -7

Analysis: My, how the mighty have fallen, as the Auburn Tigers went from the BCS Championship game in 2013 to a program that has notched just 15 total victories over the last two seasons.

Gus Malzahn is working with both a depleted defensive unit and a dicey quarterback situation that features pedestrian Sean White under center, while Clemson rolls into town with Heisman frontrunner Deshaun Watson leading the charge.

Note that Auburn starting free safety Stephen Roberts is suspended for the season opener due to misdemeanor charges levied for carrying an unlicensed firearm and attempting to elude a police officer. In addition, Clemson is 6-2 ATS over its last eight non-conference games while Auburn is an abysmal 1-10 ATS over its last 11 home contests.

Pick: Clemson -7

Saturday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag

It was a solid opening night of college football on Thursday evening as football bettors everywhere finally got their fix after a long spring and summer off.

As always though, there is plenty more to come on Saturday and we've got a few ranked vs ranked games on the card as well.

While those contests might generate more of the headlines, and for good reason, there are plenty other good bets out there so let's get right to two of them that you shouldn't leave off your card.

Missouri at West Virginia

Best Bet #1: West Virginia -10

During the opening week there are a few things that I often look for and one of those is when we've got rookie head coaches making their debut's in hostile environments on the road.

That's the situation Missouri's Barry Odom finds himself in on Saturday afternoon as he takes his offensively challenged Tigers into West Virginia. Missouri hopes their inability to score is a thing of the past with new OC Josh Heupel, but there is no question there will be some growing pains.

It's not like the talent on that side of the ball has changed drastically either and you need to be able to put up points if you are going to go into West Virginia and beat the Mountaineers.

Surprisingly, most of the early money on this game supports the changes Missouri has made and driven the line to -10 from it's opening number of -13, but this should be a two-touchdown win for West Virginia.

Dana Holgorsen's team is known for their offense and after a sub-par 2015 season by West Virginia standards at 8-5, this team is out to show they belong with college football's elite once again.

They took steps in that direction last year by winning five of their last six games overall to salvage the campaign, and although it's many months later, that momentum should carry on into this game as they draw from the home crowd and put this one away in the second half.

BYU vs. Arizona

Best Bet #2: Arizona +1

This is another game that fits a very similar situation as the one above, as we've got a rookie head coach on the road getting plenty of early money and actually flipping the line to making BYU the favorite.

But I've got to agree with the opening number (Arizona -2.5) as the Wildcats are a much better home side and should not be opening up the year as home dogs in this spot.

BYU will be a very good team this year with the experienced signal callers they've got (Taysom Hill, Tanner Magnum), but this is a brutal spot for them to start the season with a victory.

They've got a huge rivalry game on deck (Utah) and when you combine that with the rookie head coach making his debut on the road against a very solid Arizona team that can score with the best of them, this line move seems completely unwarranted.

Trendy Washington among those seeing most action in Week 1
By Patrick Everson
Covers.com

Week 1 games for the college football season have been up on betting boards around Nevada for weeks, and in some cases months. That’s created a much larger window for line moves, and there have been several significant shifts on games big and small alike.

Covers talks about the major moves with Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill US, and Chris Andrews, sportsbook director for the South Point in Las Vegas.

South Alabama Jaguars at Mississippi State Bulldogs – Open: -33; Move: -28.5

This contest has seen some of the biggest line movement at shops all around Las Vegas, and it’s all on underdog South Alabama of the Sun Belt Conference. Mississippi State is coming off a respectable season (9-4 SU, 8-5 ATS), but the professional bettors haven’t been sold on the Bulldogs.

“That’s all sharp money. Anytime you see underdog money like that, that’s sharp money,” Bogdanovich said. “There’s an individual or crew out there that likes the dog. It’s a big move, but people move fast early in the season.”

New Mexico State Aggies at Texas-El Paso Miners – Open: -2.5; Move: -9.5

The South Point was the first to post lines on dozens of college football games, back in May. In this instance, bettors overwhelmingly felt that the Miners were underrated for their season opener.

“I think I kind of blew it on this one,” Andrews said. “We opened 2.5, and we’re up to 9. It’s been pretty much all wiseguy money on UTEP.”

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at No. 18 Washington Huskies – Open: -21.5; Move: -27

Some observers think Washington could make some noise in the race for the Pac-12 championship. And some sharper bettors think the line was too low on this contest, as it’s moved up by nearly a touchdown for the host Huskies.

“I know big things are expected out of Washington, and it’s tough travel for Rutgers,” Bogdanovich said. “But that’s definitely professional money moving the line.”

The South Point saw more than just sharps.

“We had some wiseguy play early, but a lot of public play since. It’s mostly public play,” Andrews said.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Arkansas Razorbacks – Open: -20.5; Move: -25.5

This matchup was also among those that the South Point put out with its college football Games of the Year in May, and the sharp bettors seized on what they thought was a good opportunity. But Andrews isn’t quite sold on the sharps, in this case.

“It’s all on Arkansas, mostly wiseguy money, but a little bit of public money, too,” he said. “I don’t think I blew that one, though. I think Louisiana Tech will give the Razorbacks a pretty good game.”

No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 13 Houston Cougars – Open: +8; Move: +11

It’s a top-25 battle between two teams hoping to be around for the four-team College Football Playoff, which the Sooners made last year before bowing out to Clemson in the semifinals. It’s a virtual home game for Houston, at nearby NRG Stadium, but the late money is showing on Oklahoma.

“That game actually has pretty decent two-way play,” Andrews said. “But lately, it’s mostly been on Oklahoma, by the public and the sharp guys.”

No. 17 Southern California Trojans vs. No. 1 Alabama – Open: -10; Move: -12

The defending national champion Crimson Tide don’t ever seem to rebuild these days, but rather just reload. That used to be how it was for the Trojans, who have fallen of late amid regular coaching changes. Alabama has gotten the nod with most of the money for this Saturday night neutral-field showdown at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

“This one’s got more public money than any of the others,” said Bogdanovich, comparing USC-‘Bama action with that of the aforementioned five games. “But someone sharp wanted Alabama and jumped on it to push the line up even further.”

Some other Saturday games that have seen substantial line movement:

Missouri at West Virginia, with the Mountaineers opening at -13, and the number now sitting at 9.5 to 10 at most spots.

Western Michigan at Northwestern, with the Wildcats a 4.5-point home chalk, after opening at -6.

No. 24 UCLA at Texas A&M, in another Pac-12-SEC showdown, the Aggies opened at -1.5 and have been bet up to -3 at home.

No. 6 LSU vs. Wisconsin, in a not-so-neutral-site game at Lambeau Field, where the Tigers are 11-point faves after opening at -9.5.

Southern Methodist at North Texas, with the visiting Mustangs dropping from 12-point chalk to -10.

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

No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 13 Houston Cougars (+12.5, 68)

Baker Mayfield returns for the Sooners, who averaged 43.5 points last year, after throwing for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns with seven interceptions in his first season after transferring from Texas Tech. Mayfield will be joined in the backfield by Samaje Perine (1,349 yards, league-high 16 rushing TDs) and Joe Mixon (753 yards, 11 total TDs), who helped the Sooners to a 300-yard rushing average over the last six regular-season games in 2015. Oklahoma is 18-2 straight up and 14-6 ATS in regular-season games away from home over the last four seasons, including 5-0 SU/ATS last season.

Houston will hope to build on the momentum for last season. Senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is back. He threw for 2,828 yards, rushed for 1,100 more and recorded 38 total touchdowns to lead the Cougars to 13 wins - including a 38-24 upset of Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Senior linebacker Steven Taylor (92 tackles, team-high 10 sacks) leads an experienced defense that led the country in turnovers (35) and allowed 108.9 rushing yards last year.

LINE HISTORY:

Oklahoma and their high-powered offense opened as 10-point road chalk, but that hasn't stopped bettors from backing the Sooners, who have pushed the number all the way to -12.5.

Meanwhile, the total has seen less movement. The number opened at a high 68, was bet down to 67.5, but has since bounced back to the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Oklahoma is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games in September.
* Houston is 4-0 ATS in their last four non-conference games.
* Under is 5-1 in Oklahoma's last six non-conference games.
* Over is 4-1-1 in Houston's last six non-conference games.

Bowling Green Falcons at No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (-27.5, 67)

A 31-point setback in the GoDaddy Bowl left a sour taste in the mouths of the Falcons, but it did not ruin a quality year in which the team averaged 42.2 points and 546.8 yards per game. Mike Jinks, formerly of Texas Tech, takes over on the sideline for Bowling Green, which lost coach Dino Babers to Syracuse last winter.

The Buckeyes return only six starters - three on each side of the ball - which is the fewest among all FBS schools , but two of those are junior quarterback J.T. Barrett and senior center Pat Elflein. So the offense should be in good hands. Additionally Urban Meyer led teams are 14-0 SU in opening games and 8-3 ATS (There was no line in three openers).

LINE HISTORY:

The Buckeyes opened as heavy 27.5-point favorites against the Falcons of Bowling Green, but even that much chalk didn't scare away bettors. The line moved up a point to Ohio State -28.5, before finally coming back down a bit to settle at -28.

As for the total, bettors are hammering the over. The number opened at a fairly high 62.5, but has shot up since, moving to 63.5 earlier in the week and then jumping to 65 and finally 67 over the last two days.

TRENDS:

* Bowling Green finished last season going 7-2 ATS in its last nine games.
* Ohio State is 2-6 ATS in itd last eight home games.
* The Under went 6-0 in Falcons final six road games last season.
* The Under is 9-3 in Buckeyes last 12 games overall.

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at No. 8 Michigan Wolverines (-40, 54.5)

The Rainbow Warriors face a tall order in Ann Arbour on Saturday. Not are they clearly outmatched against the Wolverines, the travel they have had to endure has been brutal. Hawaii flew over 5,000 miles to Sydney, Australia to open the college football season against California but suffered a 51-31 defeat just last Thursday and had to turn around and travel another 4,442 miles to Ann Arbor.

Michigan boasts 14 returning starters, including Sports Illustrated pre-season All Americans Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis and Jake Butt, but will have to replace quarterback Jake Rudock, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Wilton Speight and John O'Korn are locked in a tight battle for the starting quarterback job; the winner will have standout senior wideouts Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh at their disposal.

LINE HISTORY:

Michigan opened this game as a massive 42-point favorite, but bettors actually think that may be a little too much chalk, even with all the travel Hawaii has to deal with. The number has moved down two points to currently sit at Michigan -40.

The total has seen some movement since opening at 54.5. It got bumped up one point to 55.5, before coming back down to the current number of 55.

TRENDS:

* Hawaii is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games dating back to last season.
* Michigan is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games in September.
* Over is 6-0 in Hawaii's last six games dating back to last season.
* The Over went 8-0 in Michigan's final eight games last season.

Rutgers Scarlett Knights at No. 18 Washington Huskies (-26.5, 54)

Rutgers is coming off a four-win season - matching its fewest over the past 13 seasons - and is starting over under first-year coach Chris Ash, the former defensive coordinator at Ohio State. A shaky Rutgers defense allowed 46 or more points on five occasions last season but has two standouts in senior defensive tackle Darius Hamilton (24.5 career tackles for losses) and senior strong safety Anthony Cioffi (four interceptions in 2015).

No. 18 Washington enters a season ranked for the first time since 2003, mostly due to the potential of sophomore quarterback Jake Browning. Browning passed for 2,955 yards and 16 touchdowns last season and finished the campaign strong as Washington averaged 47 points over its last three games. Sophomore running back Myles Gaskin rushed for 1,302 yards last season - eighth most in school history - and had eight 100-yard outings while rushing for 14 touchdowns.

LINE HISTORY:

The Huskies opened as heavy 25-point chalk against the Scarlett Knights and bettors didn't think that was enough, moving the line as high as -27. Since then it has come back down slightly to sit currently at 26.5. The total hasn't seen much movement. The number opened at 55, was bet down to 54.5 and then to the current number of 54.

TRENDS:

* Rutgers ended last season going 1-5 ATS in its last six games.
* Washington is 4-0 ATS in its last four non-conference games.
* Under is 5-2 in Rutgers last seven non-conference games.
* The Over went 4-1 in Washington's last five games at the end of last season.

Miami (OH) Redhawks at No. 15 Iowa Hawekeyes (-27.5, 51)

The Redhawks return 10 starters on offense, including four linemen that should help sophomore quarterback Billy Bahl progress. Bahl completed just 44.8 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions but has senior Rokeem Williams (33 catches, 543 yards) and junior Sam Martin (29, 542) back among an experienced receiving group.

Iowa returns many of the key performers from a team that lost by three to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game, including senior quarterback C.J. Beathard and senior All-American defensive back Desmond King. Iowa looks to win its 15th season opener in the last 16 years and extend its overall home winning streak to eight games.

LINE HISTORY:

Iowa opened this game as big 28.5 point chalk in their season opener and quickly moved down to -27.5, where it currently remains. The total also hasn't moved much since opening at 52. It has been bet down to 51.5 and then to its current number of 51.

TRENDS:

* Miami(OH) ended last season going 4-1 ATS in its last five games.
* Iowa went 0-5-1 ATS in its final six home games last season.
* Under went 4-0 in Miami's(OH) final four road games last season.
* Over is 3-0-1 in Iowa's last four non-conference games.

No. 6 LSU Tigers vs. Wisconsin Badgers (+10.5, 44.5)

Leonard Fournette is 13 yards shy of 3,000 for his career and won't be limited, according to coach Les Miles, after tweaking his ankle in practice two weeks ago. Junior QB Brandon Harris returns under center for the Tigers after throwing all six of his interceptions in the final five games last season.

The Badgers are taking aim at a 10-win season for the sixth time in eight years despite having just 13 seniors (among the fewest of any BCS schools). Fifth-year senior Bart Houston, who has 51 career pass attempts, is expected to start at quarterback.The Badgers have lost two straight season openers but hope to snap that skid behind senior running back Corey Clement, who has eight career games of 100 rushing yards, leading Wisconsin to an 8-0 record in those outings.

LINE HISTORY:

The Tigers opened as 10-point favorites at the so-called "neutral site" game against the Badgers. Since then the number has bounced around a bit, going down to 9.5 and then up to the current number of 10.5. Meanwhile, the total has remained at the opening number of 44.5.

TRENDS:

* LSU is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games on natural grass.
* Wisconsin is 1-4 ATS in its last five games versus SEC opponents.
* Over is 6-0 in LSU's last six non-conference games.
* Over is 3-0-1 in Wisconsin's last four games versus SEC opponents.

UMass Minutemen at No. 25 Florida Gators (-37, 50)

Ross Comis, a redshirt sophomore, will be making his first collegiate start for the Minutemen. After two years with a pass-oriented attack behind quarterback Blake Frohnapfel, Florida is likely to get a different look from Comis, who is more of a dual threat as he passed for 1,688 yards and rushed for 1,942 as a high school senior in West Virginia.

There's no doubt that all eyes in The Swamp on Saturday will be glued on new signal caller Luke Del Rio, a transfer from Oregon State who sat out last year and won the starting job over Austin Appleby, a graduate transfer from Purdue. Florida's defense should once again be one of the nation's best.

LINE HISTORY:

The Gators opened as 36.5-point home chalk and while early money came on the Minutemen, it has since come back on Florida. The line went as low as Florida -35, but has now surpassed the opening number and currently sits at Florida -37. The total opened at 48.5 and was quickly bet up to the current number of 50.

TRENDS:

* UMass ended last season going 2-6 ATS in its last eight games overall.
* Florida is 0-4 ATS in its last four non-conference games.
* The Under is 4-1 in UMass' last five non-conference games.
* The Under went 4-1 in Florida's final five home games last season.

No. 16 Georgia Bulldogs at No. 20 North Carolina Tar Heels (+3, 57)

A return to health for running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel could push Georgia toward the top of the SEC East, but the Tar Heels pose a stiff opening challenge in Kirby Smart’s head coaching debut. Chubb is coming back from a ghastly knee injury, during last season where he had rushed for 747 yards, 8.1 per carry and Michel from a broken arm suffered last month are critical.

The Tar Heels finished unbeaten in ACC play last season, winning 11 games in a row before falling to eventual national runner-up Clemson in the ACC championship game. Tailback Elijah Hood leads a host of returners but the big question rests at quarterback, where Mitch Trubisky takes over for the graduated Marquise Williams. Trubisky completed 40-of-47 passes in 2015 and has thrown 11 touchdowns while spelling Williams the past two seasons.

LINE HISTORY:

The Tar Heels opened as three-point pups in another so-called "neutral site" game, where Georgia will cleary have he crowd on their side. North Carolina quickly moved to +2.5 and spent most of the week there, before moving back to the opening number. The total opened at 56 and has since been bet up one point to sit at the current number of 57.

TRENDS:

* Georgia is 4-1 ATS in its last five games versus ACC opponents.
* North Carolina is 0-4 ATS in its last four neutral site games.
* The Under went 7-0 in Georgia's final seven games last season.
* The Over went 5-1 in North Carolina's final six games last season.

No. 17 USC Trojans vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-12, 52.5)

USC has won 17 consecutive season openers and head into the season with junior Max Browne as the team's new signal caller. The Trojans feature one of the nation's top receivers in junior JuJu Smith-Schuster -- who caught 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns last season -- and that should help Browne gain his footing as a starter.

The Crimson Tide have won 14 consecutive season openers and are looking to win their fifth national crown in the past eight seasons. The uncertainty at quarterback isn't a concern to Saban, who eliminated freshman Jalen Hurts from the derby earlier this week and said he has the big picture in mind. "We want to play the guy that's the most ready to give us the best chance," Saban said at Monday's press conference. "We also want to continue to develop guys that can compete at this position in the future. That's kind of where it is right now. There's really nothing else to talk about."

LINE HISTORY:

The defending champs opened this game as double digit favorites (-10), but that number did not last long with bettors jumping on Alabama. The number quickly moved to Alabama -10.5, then right to -11.5 and has since settled at -12.

As for the total, bettors are thinking Alabama's renowned defense will have the advantage in an early season matchup. The number opened at 54 and has been steadily bet down to the current number of 52.5.

[map]TRENDS:[/map]

* USC went 1-5 ATS in their final 6 games at the end of last season.
* Alabama is 3-11-1 ATS in its last 15 non-conference games.
* Over is 8-3-1 in USC's last 12 neutral site games.
* Over is 16-4-1 in Alabama's last 21 neutral site games.

No. 2 Clemson Tigers at Auburn Tigers (+8, 63.5)

Everyone knows Clemson is a title fave once again with Heisman candidate DeShaun Watsonat the helm, but the biggest question for Clemson rests on defense, where seven starters will make their debut. Watson dazzled as a sophomore, becoming the first FBS quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000-plus yards en route to finishing third in the Heisman voting.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has named sophomore Sean White the starting quarterback but hinted both Jeremy Johnson and John Franklin III could play this season. White took over for Johnson early last season and completed 58 percent of his passes, but the Tigers feature a mostly inexperienced running back and receiving corps entering the opener.

LINE HISTORY:

Clemson opened as 7.5-point road faves for their opener against Auburn. Early on Clemson was bet down to a converted touchdown, but since then bettors have backed the defending ACC champs, with the line moving all the way to Clemson -8.5.

When it comes to the total, the Over has seen all the hot action. The line opened at 59 and bettors were all over that number, which quickly made its way up to 62. It didn't stop there, as the number continued to climb all the way to the current number of 63.5.

TRENDS:

* Clemson is 6-2 ATS in its last eight non-conference games.
* Auburn is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 home games.
* The Over went 4-0 in Clemson's final four road games last season.
* The Under is 7-1-1 in Auburn's last nine home games.

NOTE: No. 19 Oklahoma State hosts Southeastern Louisiana, No. 22 Oregon hosts UC-Davis and No. 14 TCU hosts South Dakota State, none of which currently have lines posted.

NCAAF Game of the Day: USC vs. Alabama
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No. 17 USC Trojans vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-12, 52.5)

Defending national champion Alabama hasn't decided on a starting quarterback, but the lack of an incumbent at the pivotal position hasn't stopped the Crimson Tide from drawing the nation's No. 1 ranking as they enter Saturday's opener against No. 17 USC at Arlington, Texas. Alabama coach Nick Saban said that junior Cooper Bateman and redshirt freshman Blake Barnett are his squad's top two quarterbacks, while the Trojans previously settled on junior Max Browne to replace three-year starter Cody Kessler.

The Crimson Tide have won 14 consecutive season openers -- USC has an even longer streak at 17 -- and are looking to win their fifth national crown in the past eight seasons. The uncertainty at quarterback isn't a concern to Saban, who eliminated freshman Jalen Hurts from the derby earlier this week and said he has the big picture in mind. "We want to play the guy that's the most ready to give us the best chance," Saban said at Monday's press conference. "We also want to continue to develop guys that can compete at this position in the future. That's kind of where it is right now. There's really nothing else to talk about." Browne has thrown 19 career passes for USC, which is beginning its first full season under coach Clay Helton.

LINE HISTORY: The defending champs opened this game as double digit favorites (-10), but that number did not last long with bettors jumping on Alabama. The number quickly moved to Alabama -10.5, then right to -11.5 and has since settled at -12.

As for the total, bettors are thinking Alabama's renowned defense will have the advantage in an early season matchup. The number opened at 54 and has been steadily bet down to the current number of 52.5. Check out the complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

USC - S M. Tell III (probable Saturday, hamstring), CB J. Plattenburg (questionable Saturday, concussion), T C. Wheeler (out Saturday, foot), DE O. Masina (out Satuday, suspension), CB I. Langley (out Saturday, suspension).

Alabama - LB R. Evans (probable Saturday, undisclosed), DL R. Davis (questionable Saturday, eligibility), OL A. Taylor (out Saturday, suspension), DB T. Brown (out Satuday, suspension).

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Alabama is one of the few teams that just reloads each year, instead of rebuilding. They return just 5 defensive starters for the third time in the past five seasons, but it will not matter as they still have plenty of NFL caliber players and have routinely allowed less than two touchdowns per game every recent season. Alabama will be tested by a veteran USC offense that returns all their key players from last year, except QB Kessler."

"Alabama returns 6 starters on offense, but they are unproven at QB and RB. They do benefit from facing an unproven USC defense that returns only 5 starters from a unit that has struggled the past two years, allowing 25.7 points and 401 yards per game last season, and 25.2 points and 408 yards per game the year before."

ABOUT USC (2015: 8-6): The Trojans feature one of the nation's top receivers in junior JuJu Smith-Schuster -- who caught 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns last season -- and that should help Browne gain his footing as a starter. Sophomore Ronald Jones II set a school freshman rushing record with 987 yards -- surpassing school legend Charles White (1976) -- in his first college season and will share the workload with senior Justin Davis (902 yards in 2015) behind a solid offensive line led by senior right tackle Zach Banner. Junior cornerback Adoree' Jackson - who also returned two punts for scores and caught 27 passes on offense in 2015 - is the big name on the defense but sophomore inside linebacker Cameron Smith (78 tackles, three interceptions) and sophomore cornerback Iman Marshall (three interceptions) are emerging stars.

ABOUT ALABAMA (2015: 14-1): Bateman threw 52 passes and started one game last season when now-departed Jake Coker was helping the Crimson Tide win the national crown. Replacing Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry is another chore - sophomores Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris will share carries against USC -- but the Crimson Tide remain well-stocked at receiver with sophomore Calvin Ridley (SEC-freshman record 89 receptions for 1,045 yards in 2015) and junior ArDarius Stewart (63 catches) leading the way. Alabama is reloading on defense but returns a quartet of senior standouts in strong safety Eddie Jackson (six interceptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns), defensive end Jonathan Allen (12 sacks), and linebackers Reuben Foster (73 tackles) and Tim Williams (10.5 sacks).

TRENDS:

* USC went 1-5 ATS in their final 6 games at the end of last season.
* Alabama is 3-11-1 ATS in its last 15 non-conference games.
* Over is 8-3-1 in USC's last 12 neutral site games.
* Over is 16-4-1 in Alabama's last 21 neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: Bettors are taking the points with Alabama, with 65 percent of wagers backing the defending champs. As for the total, bettors are almost split down the middle, with 51 percent of wagers on the Under.

College Football Week 1

Boston College vs Georgia Tech – Teams are meeting for first time in four years; Tech won last two meetings- underdogs won three of last four SU. BC was 0-8 SU in ACC LY; they’re 10-7-1 vs spread as underdogs under Addazio. Eagles have 15 starters back, plus grad transfer QB who started 22 games at Kentucky. Tech is 6-10 vs spread when favored the last two years; they have 11 starters back, plus senior QB who has started 26 games. Jackets were 1-7 SU in ACC LY. Under was 10-2 in BC games LY, but now they have a competent QB.

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