College Football Betting News and Notes Week 6

Betting Recap - Week 5
By Daniel Dobish
VegasInsider.com

College Football Week 5 Results

Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 46-16
Against the Spread 27-33-2
Home-Away
Straight Up 40-22
Against the Spread 30-30-2
Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 34-28

The largest underdogs to win straight up

South Alabama (+19.5, +750 ML) vs. San Diego State, 42-24
Northwestern (+11, ML +350 ML) at Iowa, 38-31
North Carolina (+10.5, +330 ML) at Florida State, 37-35

The largest favorites to cover

Ohio State (-39) vs. Rutgers, 58-0
Auburn (-32.5) vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 58-7
Houston (-27.5) vs. Connecticut, 42-14
Texas Tech (-27.5) vs. Kansas, 55-19

Top 25 Notes

Clemson fired out to a big lead, let it slip away, and then rebounded for a win over Louisville in the marquee battle of the weekend at Death Valley, keeping their ACC and playoff hopes on track. QBs DeShaun Watson and Lamar Jackson lived up to the immense hype, going toe-to-toe in a slugfest. After an 0-2 ATS start to the season the Tigers have covered three in a row. The 'over' result was the first of the year for the Tigers, while the 'over' is now 5-0 for the Cardinals. ... Michigan pushed aside Wisconsin in the Big House by a 14-7 score in a defensive slog. It was the first 'under' for Michigan after four 'over' results, and the first time all season they failed to score at least 45 points. The Wolverines are allowing just 12.4 points per game (PPG). The 'under' is now 4-1 in five games for the Badgers. ... Georgia rebounded nicely with a solid effort at home against Tennessee after getting waxed in Oxford last weekend. The Bulldogs went up 31-28 on a 47-yard touchdown pass with :10 to seal the victory. Or so they thought. After an excessive celebration penalty, the Volunteers returned the ball just shy of midfield. With :00 remaining on the clock, Joshua Dobbs hit Jauan Jennings on a 43-yard Hail Mary to silence the crowd and win between the hedges. It will be hard for UGA to make it back from this one.

Washington-Stanford was supposed to be the marquee battle Friday to get everyone ready for the weekend. Unfortunately only one team showed up. The Huskies might not be all the way back to the pinnacle of college football, but they're certainly carrying the banner for the Pac-12 Conference and have a legitimate chance at a spot in the four-team playoff if they keep playing this well for head coach Chris Petersen.

Florida State is struggling like we haven't seen in many years. They were blown out at Louisville in mid-September, and they kicked off October with a stunning loss against North Carolina with no time left on the clock. Senior K Nick Weiler booted the game-winning field goal from 54 yards out to give head coach Larry Fedora his first signature win since coming to Chapel Hill. The loss snapped a 22-game winning streak at home for the Seminoles..

Miami-Florida picked up a 35-21 road victory at Georgia Tech, as the Hurricanes quietly improved to 4-0 SU/ATS, including 2-0 ATS on the road. As it stands, the 'Noles will be coming to town next weekend and they'll be awfully angry. The 'over' is 3-1 for Miami this season. The Yellow Jackets slipped to 1-3-1 ATS, including 1-3 ATS in four games at home. They'll head to Pitt next weekend.

Big Five Conference Report

Virginia splashed cold water on Duke, winning their ACC opener on the road at Wallace Wade Stadium by a 34-20 score. The Cavaliers improved to 3-0-1 ATS in the past four games, while the 'under' is now 3-1 over the past four outings. Duke slipped to 1-3 SU/ATS against FBS teams, including 0-2 SU/ATS at home, both league games. ... Boston College has been a difficult team to figure. They improved to 2-0 in Chestnut Hill following a 35-3 thrashing of Buffalo. The Eagles have allowed 10 or fewer points in three of their past four outings, but their defense will be put to the test Friday when they welcome Clemson to town. ... North Carolina State dealt Wake Forest its first setback of the season, winning and covering 33-16. The Wolfapack improved to 3-0 SU/ATS at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. They'll host Notre Dame next Saturday. ... The Irish got back on track with a 50-33 win over Syracuse in a neutral-site game. The 'over' is now 4-1 in five games for the Irish as they head to Raleigh next Saturday.

Ohio State kept it rolling, spanking Rutgers by a 58-0 count. Ohio State has allowed just 4.3 PPG in three home games, and they improved to a perfect 4-0 ATS. They'll host Indiana next weekend, which suddenly looks a little more formidable. ... The Hoosiers topped Michigan State 24-21 in overtime at 'The Rock' in Bloomington, picking up their first victory against Sparty in 10 years. The Hoosiers are now halfway to bowl eligibility, and they have scored 24 or more points in each of their four outings this season. ... In another game decided in overtime, it was Minnesota falling in Happy Valley against Penn State by a 29-26 score. Penn State has alternated wins and losses in their five games, but a couple of things are constants. They're 3-0 SU/0-2-1 ATS at home this season, and the 'over' is a perfect 5-0 in their games.

The game of the day in the Big 12 was between Oklahoma and Texas Christian in Fort Worth. The Sooners looked like they had it in the bag, up 49-24 heading to the fourth quarter. But the Horned Frogs opened the final stanza with 22 unanswered points to close the Sooners' lead to three. A late field goal gave the Sooners some breathing room, and it was like losing twice for TCU side bettors. ... West Virginia staved off Kansas State in Morgantown, as Matthew McCrane misfired on a 42-yard field goal attempt in the closing moments. The Mountaineers improved to 4-0 SU, but slipped to 1-3 ATS while failing to cover in their past three.

Colorado kept their foot on the gas, throttling a helpless Oregon State side by a 47-6 count. The Buffaloes improved to 3-0 SU/ATS at home, and they're a perfect 5-0 ATS on the season. They'll travel to Southern California next weekend. ... USC hammered on visiting Arizona State by 41-20 score. It was just the second straight-up win for the Trojans, who have struggled away from home, but been very good at the L.A. Coliseum. USC is 0-3 SU/ATS in road or neutral-site games, and 2-0 SU/ATS at home. They host Colorado next weekend.

Louisiana State kicked off interim head coach Ed Orgeron's tenure with an impressive 42-7 win over Missouri. The homestanding Tigers were on point against the visiting Tigers, as Mizzou failed to cover for the first time in four games. ... Vanderbilt was strong on defense against visiting Florida, but they fell 13-6. It was the third time in five games they scored 10 or fewer points. Vandy is 1-1 SU and 2-0 ATS in two games in Nashville this season. They head to Kentucky next weekend. The Commodores topped the Wildcats 21-17 last November. ... After opening the season 0-3 ATS, the Wildcats have covered each of their past two.

Mid-Major Report

South Florida continues their impressive offensive performance this season, scoring at least 35 points for the fifth time in five games. They ran roughshod over Cincinnati in a 45-20 win at Nippert Stadium, improving to 4-1 SU/ATS. The 'over' is also 4-1 in the five games for the Bulls. ... Tulane has been surprisingly effective, winning for the third time in four games while moving to 3-1-1 ATS. They'll travel to UCF next Friday in what is suddenly an attractive game in the American Athletic Conference.

In Conference USA it was Old Dominion pounding lowly Charlotte by a 52-17 count. The 49ers have been awful, slipping to 0-4 SU/ATS in four games against FBS foes. The 'over' is 4-1 in their five games, mostly due to the fact they're allowing an average of 51.8 PPG in four outings against FBS teams. ... Rice has started to piece together the offense lately, averaging 31.5 PPG over the past two outings, but they came up just short at Southern Mississippi. The Owls are 0-5 SU, but they have looked a lot better recently.

Ohio won at winless Miami-Ohio, but it was anything but easy. The scratched out a 17-7 win, and needed a strip sack and touchdown with about a minute to go to secure the victory. The RedHawks are winless in five tries, but they a respectable 3-2. The 'under' is a perfect 4-0 in the past four games for both Ohio and Miami. ... Very quietly Eastern Michigan has improved to 4-1 SU/ATS in five outings, including straight-up wins in the past two weekends as an underdog.

Wyoming surprised Colorado State in Fort Collins by a 38-17 count. The Cowboys have alternated wins and losses in five games this season. Their cover pumped the brakes on an 0-3 ATS skid heading into play. ... New Mexico held off San Jose State in a 48-41 shootout. The Lobos failed to cover for the third straight game, but the 'over' improved to 4-0 in four games this season. ... It's five games and five 'over' results for UNLV, as they roughed up Fresno State 45-20. Fresno used to be a tough out, but they slipped to 1-4 SU, and 0-4 vs. FBS teams while going 1-3 ATS. The 'over' has hit in three in a row for the Bulldogs.

Troy won 34-13 in the Kibbie Dome at Idaho, covering for the fourth consecutive game. On the flip side, the Vandals slipped to 1-4 ATS heading into their road trip to Monroe next weekend. Idaho topped ULM 27-13 last October. ... New Mexico State isn't as big of a pushover as past seasons. They dumped Louisiana-Lafayette by a 37-31 score in overtime. The Aggies have covered three of the past four, while the 'over' is 3-1-1 in five games this season. They travel to Idaho in two weeks.

Bad Beats

The Marshall-Pitt total opened as high as 68 1/2, but closed at 58. In the end, it didn't matter when you placed your wage, the 'over' won across the board. The Thundering Herd scored a touchdown with 4:01 to go to cut the Panthers lead to three. With 1:04 to go, Pitt scored a 54-yard touchdown to take a 37-27 lead, and that appeared to be all she wrote. Some early bettors still hit the 'under', while some hit the 'over'. However, with :00 left on the clock, Pitt had a pick-six to roll to a 43-27 and deal 'under' bettors the harshest of blows.

If you were a Georgia moneyline bettor, with :10 remaining you were ecstatic thinking you were about to cash a nice little sum. But on the final play a Hail Mary gave the Vols a miraculous win, and sent UGA moneyline bettors scrambling for the Pepto Bismol.

'Under' (67.5) bettors were feeling good until 2:58 left in regulation when ULL booted a field to tie New Mexico State 24-24, eventually heading to overtime. Under bettors were still looking good, but 20 points later it was New Mexico State scoring the game-winning touchdown in 2OT to inch the total over by just a half-point.

Minnesota bettors were feeling good for most of the game. They relinquished the lead late, but recovered with a 37-yard field goal with :54 left in regulation, appearing to have the game won. The Nittany Lions moved it down and kicked a game-tying 40-yard field goal to force OT, making 'under' (54.5) very nervous. After the Gophers posted a field goal the Lions answered back with a Saquon Barkley TD run to win it for Penn State and push the total just 'over'.

In Friday's game, Washington led 37-6 late in the fourth quarter. Rather than calling off the dogs, the Huskies snapped off a 25-yard touchdown run with 1:38 to go to inch the total 'over' (46.5).

TCU fought back with 22 straight points to open the fourth quarter, closing a 25-point gap to three, covering a 3 1/2-point number with 5:36 to go. It wouldn't last, however, as the Sooners moved it down the field and kicked the three with 1:55 to go, pushing the win back in the favor of Oklahoma side bettors.