College Football Betting News and Notes Week 7

Betting Recap - Week 6
By Daniel Dobish
VegasInsider.com

College Football Week 6 Results

Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 33-20
Against the Spread 18-35
Home-Away
Straight Up 34-19
Against the Spread 24-29
Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 26-27

The largest underdogs to win straight up

Navy (+16.5, ML +650) vs. Houston, 46-40
Texas-San Antonio (+15.5, ML +550) vs. Southern Mississippi, 55-32
North Texas (+13.5, ML +400) vs. Marshall, 38-21
Oregon State (+13.5, ML +425) vs. California, 47-44 (OT)
Charlotte (+13, ML +400) at Florida Atlantic, 28-23
Wyoming (+13 ML, +400) vs. Air Force, 35-26

The largest favorites to cover

Michigan (-30) at Rutgers, 78-0
Boise State (-18.5) at New Mexico, 49-21
Clemson (-17.5) at Boston College, 56-10

Top 25 Notes

Michigan looked awfully impressive, throttling Rutgers by a 78-0 score in Piscataway. No offense to the Wolverines, but the Scarlet Knights have been outscored 136-0 in the past two weeks. So the win was impressive, sure, but Rutgers might really be just that bad, too. ... Fans were sad in Louisville, and they were on a bye. That's because Houston, the only true marquee opponent left on the Cardinals' schedule, dropped a game at Navy, 46-40. The loss likely hurts Louisville's playoff hopes, as they banked on the Cougars being unbeaten when they faced each other later in the season. Boise State fans certainly liked it, as they likely move to the top of the non-Power 5 teams with a New Year's Day bowl shot if they keep flying right. The Broncos snapped a three-game non-cover streak with a win at New Mexico, 49-21. As it stands right now, the Broncos do not play a ranked opponent the rest of the way out.

Stanford was pounded last week at Washington, and they were expected to bounce back at home against Washington State. No dice. The Cougars came down to 'The Farm' and rolled the Cardinal 42-16. All of a sudden the league's playoff hopes are all on the backs of the Huskies of Washington. ... The Huskies exorcised a ton of demons, winning 70-21 at Oregon, taking out 12 years of frustration on the Webfoots. The Huskies have covered two in a row, and they're 4-2 ATS in six games overall. The 'over' is also 5-1 in their six games, including all three games inside the Pac-12.

Florida State was off to an uncharactertically poor start, losing each of their first two ACC games. They headed to rival Miami-Florida looking to save their season, and it didn't look good early. The Seminoles were down 13-3 into the second half, but they outscored the Hurricanes 14-0 to grab the lead. The Seminoles were clinging to a 20-13 when Miami scored with 1:38 to go. It appeared like the game was headed for overtime, but the Seminoles blocked the point-after attempt for a miraculous 20-19 win, another historic chapter in this rivalry.

In a battle of Top 10 squads, Tennessee looked for yet another miracle finish in front of the 12th man at Texas A&M, but the Aggies held on for a 45-38 overtime victory. A&M led by 21 points at one point midway through the third quarter, but the Vols continue to show no quit. However, their luck digging themselves out of early holes finally came to an end. To make matters worse, former Vols LB Ovince Saint Preux lost by second-round KO to Jimi Manuwa at UFC 204. Not a good day for the Power T.

Big Five Conference Report

Hurricane Matthew made an absolute mess of the great Tar Heel state Saturday, as all four conference members played home games, and all four resulted in 'under' results. Hopefully you took advantage. ... North Carolina State splashed around in the mud and puddles, holding off Notre Dame 10-3 in a game I attended. The 'over' was never even close to being challenged, closing at 56.5. The second-half 'under' also came through at 17.5, as the Irish slipped to 2-4 SU/ATS. Next up for the Irish, a game against equally disappointing Stanford. ... Virginia Tech-North Carolina (49.5), Army-Duke (43) and Syracuse-Wake Forest (53.5) each easily cashed in the slop and mud left in the wake of the passing hurricane.

Ohio State posted a 38-17 victory over Indiana, but the Hoosiers were able to run their record to 6-0 ATS in the past six meetings in this series. The Hoosiers also improved to 2-0 ATS in two league games, while the 'under' is 4-1 in five games this season. The 'under' is also 3-1 in the past four for Ohio State, and 2-0 in their two games inside the conference. ... Iowa came home from Minnesota with Floyd of Rosedale, winning 14-7 over the Golden Gophers. The Hawkeyes slapped the brakes on a three-game non-cover streak with the win, their second 14-7 victory in the past three weekends. The 'under' is 4-1 in the past five for Iowa. ... Purdue-Illinois didn't look like a great game on paper heading in, but it turned out to be a pretty good game. The Boilermakers came away with a 34-31 overtime win in Champaign. The 'over' is 4-1 in Purdue's five games this season, including each of their two road games and two conference tilts.

Oklahoma and Texas renewed acquaintances in Dallas in their Red River rivalry, and it was another good one. After a slow first half, the Sooners and Longhorns combined for 58 points. After the dust cleared, it was the Sooners winning 45-40, and the Longhorns covering again in the series. ... Texas Christian bearly squeaked by at Kansas, edging the lowly Jayhawks 24-23. TCU is 4-2 SU, but they slipped to 1-5 ATS in six games heading into their game at West Virginia next week. Kansas has dropped four in a row, going 1-3 ATS during the span. The 'under' is also 4-0 in their past four.

Colorado was able to keep their cover streak alive, but they lost 21-17 at Southern California. The Trojans are 0-3 SU/0-3 ATS in neutral-site or road games, but they're 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS at home. Next week they head to Arizona. ... Speaking of the Wildcats, they slipped up at 10-point underdogs at Utah, losing 36-23. It was the fourth consecutive 'over' result for the Wildcats heading into their game with USC, who has had the 'over' cash in two of their three road outings.

Alabama stayed perfect with a 49-30 win at Arkansas. The Crimson Tide have alternated wins and losses in each of the past five weekends. ... In a game moved to Sunday by Hurricane Matthew, Georgia got back on track with a 28-14 win at South Carolina. It was the first cover in three true road games for the Bulldogs this season. The Gamecocks have alternated covers in each of their six games this season, and their loss non-cover at Williams-Bryce Stadium was their first non-cover in three tries. The total also was a bad beat (see below). They're back home in two weeks, stepping out of conference against Massachusetts.

Mid-Major Report

South Florida marched on with a 38-22 win over East Carolina, 38-22. The Bulls improved to 5-1 ATS, and 2-0 SU/ATS in two conference tilts. ... Connecticut surprised Cincinnati 20-9, evening up their overall record at 3-3 SU. It was also their first cover in six tries, moving to 1-4-1 ATS in that area. Next up is a trip to South Florida next Saturday. ... Tulane-UCF was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew, and it's likely to be made up Nov. 5 when both teams have open dates.

In Conference USA Louisiana Tech and Texas-San Antonio each posted 55 points, winning at home 'dogs in their conference games. UTSA had the biggest shocker, topping conference heavyweight Southern Mississippi, 55-32. The Roadrunners are 2-1 ATS in their past three games, and the 'over' has connected in each of the outings. ... Old Dominion is quietly having a nice season, winning and covering for the third straight game in a non-conference win over Massachusetts, 36-16.

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 shocked Air Force, 35-26. The Cowboys have been stout in Laramie, improving to 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS. The Cowboys have also covered in back-to-back games for the first time this season. ... Hawai'i headed to the mainland and picked up a win at San Jose State, 34-17. Don't look now, but the Warriors have covered three in a row and have back-to-back straight-up victories heading into their home game with UNLV next Saturday.

Idaho hit the road and earned a win at Louisiana-Monroe, 34-31. The Vandals have surprisingly won back-to-back games on the road, covering in each. The 'over' is also 3-1 in Idaho's four road games to date. ... Georgia State earned a rare home cover over Texas State, winning 41-21. The Panthers entered 2-8 SU/2-7-1 ATS in their past 10 home games before the solid victory.

Bad Beats

The 'under' appeared to be on track in UGA-South Carolina (41.5) in Sunday's game. The Gamecocks scored with 1:40 to close the lead to 21-14, but the Bulldogs ripped off a 43-yard kickoff return on an onside kick attempt, sealing the win. The 'over' cashed by a mere half-point at most shops. It was also a bad beat for Gamecocks side bettors, who thought their side might have earned the fortunate backdoor cover.

Colorado was down seven with 4:49 to go at USC, but they elected to kick a field goal to cut the lead to 21-17 rather than going for it on fourth down. It might have been meaningless to the result of the game, as Colorado still needed a touchdown on its final possession, but Trojans side bettors were certainly steamed laying the five.

Memphis was covering a 9 1/2-point spread for most of the game against Temple Thursday. The Owls kept fighting back, but the Tigers kept responding to push their lead to double digits. With 6:35, Memphis scored to increase its lead to 34-20. But with 3:49 left the Owls scored the final touchdown of the game, cutting Memphis' lead to seven and killing Tigers side bettors in the process.

Iowa State moneyline bettors had dreams of a big payday at Oklahoma State, as the Cyclones held a 31-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter. But OK State outscored I-State 17-0 in the final stanza to come away with the conference victory, including the deciding touchdown with 3:40 to go.

Opening Line Report - Week 7
By Marcus DiNitto
VegasInsider.com

No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State appear to be far-and-away the best two college football teams in the country and destined to meet at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for the national championship on January 9.

“Alabama and Ohio State just look like they’re on a collision course right now,” said Ed Salmons, oddsmaker at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

The Crimson Tide and Buckeyes are in similar situations in Week 7 – laying double digits on the road against feisty conference opponents. Alabama visits Tennessee on Saturday, while Ohio State is at Wisconsin. We picked the brains of two Las Vegas bookmakers – Salmons and the Wynn’s John Avello – about these two contests and what else they’re looking out for this week in college football.

Ohio State (-10) at Wisconsin

Avello, whose shop is the first in Las Vegas each week to post college football betting lines, opened Ohio State -10 and moved to -11 later Sunday night after taking a limit-bet on the Buckeyes. Despite that early move, he anticipates sharps taking the points, and sure enough, he tweaked the line downward to 10.5 as we spoke shortly before noon ET on Monday and down to -10 shortly thereafter.

“I think this number will be coming down,”Avello said. “I think the wiseguys will most likely take a shot on the dog.”

While Salmons believes this year’s version of Ohio State is far better than last year’s, Avello advises not to dismiss the Badgers.

“I like the Wisconsin team. I think it’s a really good football team,” he said. “Maybe they didn’t get enough credit at the beginning of the year.

“When you play a team like Michigan that’s basically scoring at will against their opponents, and you hold a team like that to 14 points when everybody else is getting slaughtered, that shows the Wisconsin defense is pretty good,” he added.

Coming off a bye week and playing at home figure to help Wisconsin’s cause

“I think this is a tough, tough battle for Ohio State,” said Avello.

Alabama at Tennessee

Tennessee came up short in overtime at Texas A&M last week, but the Vols’ resilience paid off for their backers. They were down by 21 points in the third quarter, but fought back to get the cash as 8-point underdogs in the 45-38 loss.

There are several factors that do not bode well for Tennessee this spot, though: its tendency to start slow, injuries and a brutal stretch of schedule.

Salmons believes the Vols’ bubble may be about to burst.

“I give Tennessee credit,” Salmons said. “I don’t know how they keep going on with these injuries they keep taking on. It’s just unbelievable. Every week, it’s guy after guy after guy they keep losing."

Over the last four weeks, Tennessee has played Florida, at Georgia, at Texas A&M and now home against ‘Bama. How long can they keep hanging in there?

“This is one of the hardest stretch of schedules that any team could ever go through,” Salmons said “… You’ve got to say something about their perseverance, but some week they’re going to crack.”

The Vols’ M.O. this week could get them into the kind of trouble they can’t get out of.

“Tennessee seems to be slow starters and they pick it up in the second half,” Avello said. “That’s not a good way to play against this team.”

The status of running back Jalen Hurd is of particular importance to this matchup, added Avello.

“Without him, their chances are minimal; with him, I give them a puncher’s chance,” he said.

The Wynn’s opening number of Alabama -10 looked cheap to early bettors, who laid it up to -12 by Monday morning. In fact, the Westgate was dealing -13 on Monday.

Around the nation

Stanford at Notre Dame (-2.5)

This rivalry game has lost much of its luster with both teams mired in slumps. The Irish were bet from -1.5 to -2.5 at the Wynn, and the Westgate’s Salmons thinks the matchup plays into ND’s hands.

“It’s a game that seems to fit Notre Dame, because they can’t play any defense and Stanford’s really not that great of an offensive team, so they shouldn’t get too burned on defense,” Salmons said “And they can score against anyone. If (starting CBs Alijah Holder and Quentin Meeks) don’t play this game, then Notre Dame’s going to score a lot of points on them, so I can understand that move.”

Salmons said while Christian McCaffrey, who left the Cardinal’s game against Washington State on Saturday, is worth 2 or 2.5 points to the betting line, the cornerback situation is more important to this game.

North Carolina at Miami (-7)

Here’s another game that has lost plenty of its luster, as both ACC teams were defeated last week. UNC may have a harder time recovering from its 34-3 loss at home to Virginia Tech than Miami will from its 20-19 home loss to Florida State.

“I was disappointed with North Carolina last week,” Avello said. “The quarterback was getting all this ink and talk that he should be in the Heisman mix, and his team plays Virginia Tech at home and absolutely gets buried. A game like that will take the air out of you.”

He added, “I think advantage Miami on this one. I think Miami finds a way to bounce back, but I don’t know what to think about North Carolina after that loss. That was just a terrible game.”

N.C. State at Clemson (-17)

Salmons is particularly interested in watching this game, as he wants to see how good N.C. State is. We discussed in this space last week that the Wolfpack have a hard time when stepping up in class and their remaining schedule looks daunting. But this season, one influential category of bettors is high on N.C. State.

“This is a game I have a lot interest in watching to see how far N.C. State’s come,” Salmons said. “The computer groups really like N.C State. All their numbers keep going up toward N.C. State.”

Early line moves

Here are Week 7 games whose point spreads have moved at least 2 points in the favorite’s direction in the first 20 hours of wagering at the Wynn.

Duke vs. Louisville
Open line: Louisville -30.5
After 20 hours: Louisville -33

Bowling Green vs. Toledo
Open line: Toledo -22
After 20 hours: Toledo -27.5

UConn vs. South Florida
Open line: USF -17
After 20 hours: USF -19.5

Georgia Southern vs. Georgia Tech
Open line: Ga. Tech -9
After 20 hours: Ga. Tech -11

UT-San Antonio vs. Rice
Open line: Rice -1
After 20 hours: Rice -3

Alabama vs. Tennessee
Open line: Alabama -10
After 20 hours: Alabama -12

Texas State vs. UL-Monroe
Open line: UL-Monroe -4
After 20 hours: UL-Monroe -7.5

Here are Week 7 games whose point spreads have moved at least 2 points in the underdog’s direction in the first 20 hours of wagering at the Wynn.

Appalachian State vs. UL-Lafayette
Open line: App State -12.5
After 20 hours: App State -10

San Diego State vs. Fresno State
Open line: San Diego State -18.5
After 20 hours: San Diego State -16

Nebraska vs. Indiana
Open line: Nebraska -7
After 20 hours: Nebraska -5

Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Open line: FSU -24.5
After 20 hours: FSU -22.5

Utah vs. Oregon State
Open line: Utah -13.5
After 20 hours: Utah -10

ACC Report - Week 7
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

North Carolina State at Clemson

The Wolfpack might finally be dried out after a 10-3 win in tropical storm conditions in Raleigh last weekend against Notre Dame. It was a sloppy game on both sides in a driving rain with plenty of wind, and really not much can be taken from the win except for the positive, which was the win. Other than that, it was a complete opposite to how N.C. State has played to date. They have scored plenty of points and allowed plenty of points. They head in 4-1 ATS in their past five games, but they're 1-5 ATS in their past six against teams with a winning overall record. Clemson has covered four straight league games, they're 4-0 ATS in their past four in the month of October and they're 6-1 ATS in their past seven against teams with a winning overall record. The road team is 12-4 ATS in the past 16 in this series, with the Wolfpack 4-1 ATS in their past five trips to Death Valley. Total bettors might like to know the 'under' is 4-1 in the past five in this series, and 13-6 in Clemson's past 19 at home. However, the 'over' is 8-3 in Clemson's past 11 ACC games, and 6-1-1 in N.C. State's past eight overall.

Georgia Southern at Georgia Tech

The Ramblin' Wreck steps out of conference for an in-state game against Georgia Southern, but the Eagles of the Sun Belt Conference are definitely a quality team. They're 3-2 SU, but just 1-4 ATS on the season and the 'under' has hit in four of their five games overall. The Eagles enter on a two-game losing streak. Georgia Tech enters on a three-game skid themselves, but their losses have come against Clemson, Miami and Pittsburgh, not Western Michigan and Arkansas State. The Jackets enter as 10 1/2-point favorites as of Wednesday morning, and they look to stay hot against the number versus non-conference teams. They're 5-2 ATS in their past seven outside of the ACC, but they're just 2-9 ATS in the past 11 against teams with winning records and 1-4 ATS in their past five at home. Georgia Southern has covered 11 of their past 15 outside of the Sun Belt.

Pittsburgh at Virginia

Pitt heads down to Charlottesville to battle UVA, looking for their fifth win of the season. The Panthers enter as a field-goal favorite, and bettors have been hitting Virginia hard after the line opened at Cavaliers plus-5. That's likely because Pitt is just 1-7 ATS in their past eight games overall, although they are an impressive 7-3 ATS in their past 10 road outings. They're hitting Virginia hard because they have covered seven straight conference games, and they're 15-5-1 ATS in their past 21 games against teams with a winning overall record. They're also 4-1 ATS in their past five games at Scott Stadium. The home team has posted a 3-1-1 ATS in the past five meetings in this series, although the favorite is also 4-1-1 ATS in the past six in this series.

Wake Forest at Florida State

Florida State salvaged their season with a win at Miami last Saturday night, blocking an extra point for a huge win, their first in the ACC in three tries. Wake won in the slop of Hurricane Matthew, taking down Syracuse by a 28-9 score. The Demon Deacons head into this one with covers in four of their past five road games, and they're 4-1 ATS in their past five road outings against a team with a winning home mark. The Seminoles have covered five of their past seven home games, and eight of the past 11 games overall. However, they're just 2-5 ATS in their past seven home games against a team with a winning road record, and 8-18 ATS in their past 26 games following a straight-up win. The home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings in this series, and Wake is 2-5 ATS in the past seven meetings.

North Carolina at Miami-Florida

Unlike other schools from the Tar Heel state, North Carolina didn't fare very well in the wind and rain during last weekend's passing hurricane. Duke, N.C. State and Wake all won on their home fields in adverse conditions, but the Tar Heels were overmatched by the wind, rain and Virginia Tech. They look to rebound in Miami, ironically, against the Hurricanes. Miami in installed as a 7 1/2-point favorite for this one, as they look to get untracked following a devastating 20-19 setback to rival Florida State last week. The home team is 4-0 ATS in the past meetings in this series, with the Tar Heels 1-3-1 ATS in their past five visits to Miami Gardens. The underdog, though, is 8-3-1 ATS in the past 12. The under is also 4-1 in the past five meetings in Miami, while the under is 4-1 in Miami's past five against teams with a winning overall record and 11-5 in their past 16 games in October. For UNC, the 'under' is 4-0 in their past four games in October, but the over is 8-2 in their past 10 against winning teams and 4-1 in their past five on the road.

Virginia Tech at Syracuse

Virginia Tech won in the wind and rain in North Carolina, and should be very happy to be under the dome and out of the elements this week. The Hokies are 5-1 ATS in their past six ACC games, but 6-13-1 ATS in their past 20 against teams with a losing record. Virginia Tech is also 0-6 ATS in their past six road games against teams with a losing home record. The 'Cuse hasn't been very good against the number lately, going 1-4 ATS in their past five overall and 0-4 ATS in their past four games on fieldturf. They are a rather impressive 5-2 ATS in their past seven under the dome, however. The 'under' is 5-0 in Va. Tech's past five road games, and 38-18-1 in their past 57 inside the conference, while going 14-6-1 in their past 21 against teams with a losing overall record. The 'under' is 5-2 in Syracuse's past seven overall, and 4-0 in their past four following a straight-up loss. However, the 'over' is 5-2 in their past seven inside the ACC.

Bye Week - Boston College

Big 12 Report - Week 7
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Kansas State at Oklahoma

The Sooners are carrying the banner for the conference again, one of just two league teams with a 2-0 mark in the Big 12. They face a quality K-State team looking to keep their season afloat. The Wildcats are an impressive 21-9-1 ATS in their past 31 against teams with an overall winning record, and 42-18-1 ATS in their past 61 inside the conference. K-State is also 18-7-1 ATS in their past 26 on the road against teams with a winning home record. Oklahoma has covered seven of the past nine inside the conference, while going 4-1 ATS in the past five in October. However, they're just 1-4 ATS this season and 0-4 ATS in their past four in Norman. The 'over' has connected in seven of the past eight meetings in this series. K-State has covered six of their past seven trips down to Norman, and the road team is 12-3-1 ATS in the past 16 meetings overall. Oklahoma is a 10 1/2-point favorite as of Wednesday morning.

West Virginia at Texas Tech

The Mountaineers are one of three unbeaten teams in Big 12 play, and they put their unblemished record on the line in Lubbock against a dangerous Texas Tech team. The Red Raiders opened as a 1 1/2-point favorite, but they're now short 'dogs at home. Bettors have a lot of confidence in West Virginia, but the Mountaineers are just 1-5 ATS in their past six overall, 1-6 ATS in their past seven on the road and 1-10 ATS in their past 11 against teams with a winning overall record. They're also 0-4 ATS in their past four road games against a team with a winning home record. Texas Tech has covered five straight conference games, they're 4-1 ATS in their past five in Lubbock and they're 4-1 ATS in their past five overall. However, they're 0-5 ATS in their past five against teams with a winning overall record and 5-14 ATS in their past 19 at home against a team with a winning road mark.

Kansas at Baylor

Kansas heads down to Waco, and they will be five-touchdown underdogs. The Jayhawks have struggled on the road, going 7-22-1 ATS in their past 30 away from home, and 5-14 ATS in their past 19 games overall. They have also covered just three of their past 13 conference games, too. Baylor has powered past weak opponents in the past, although they're having some difficulty against the lesser teams this season. They're just 1-4 ATS in five outings in 2016, and they have failed to cover in five in a row against teams with a losing overall mark. Baylor is 28-11 ATS in their past 39 at home, but just 2-6 ATS in their past eight inside the conference. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings in this series, with the home team 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The Jayhawks are 0-4 ATS in the past four meetings in this series.

Iowa State at Texas

Iowa State hasn't been winning games, but they're hot against the number with four straight covers. They're also 5-1 ATS in the past six conference battles, while going 7-2 ATS in their past nine following a straight-up loss. The eyes of Texas were smiling earlier in the season with a big win over Notre Dame, but all of that happiness and optimism has been washed away with losses in three straight games against California, Oklahoma State and last weekend against Oklahoma. Suddenly Charlie Strong's seat is heating up again. The Cyclones have covered four of their past five trips to Austin, while the road team is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings. Texas opened as a 14-point favorite, and the line is 13 1/2 as of Wednesday AM.

Teams on a bye

Oklahoma State, Texas Christian

Pac-12 Report - Week 7
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Southern California at Arizona

USC showed last weekend that they can still be a dangerous team, handing a Top 25 Colorado team its first conference loss. Winning at home hasn't been a problem for the Trojans, it's when they stray away from the L.A. Coliseum that their issues begin. They 0-3 SU/ATS in two road games and a neutral-site contest, averaging 14.3 points per game (PPG) while allowing 36.7 PPG. The Wildcats have struggled everywhere, going 1-5 ATS in six games overall. Their only victories have come against Hawai'i and FCS Grambling. While they nearly derailed Washington's playoff aspirations in an overtime loss in Tucson Sept. 24, they're 0-3 SU/1-2 ATS in three Pac-12 games, losing their past two by 17.0 PPG. The 'over' has cashed in four straight games for Arizona. The Trojans are 7-21 ATS in their past 28 road games, and 3-9 ATS in their past 12 overall, while the Wildcats are 5-11 ATS in their past 16 at home, and 1-7 ATS in their past eight overall. Something's gotta give, right? Well, Arizona is 8-3 ATS in the past 11 meetings, while the underdog is 10-1 ATS in the past 11 in this series. The 'under' is 5-1 in the past six in Arizona, and 7-3 in the past 10 meetings overall.

Utah at Oregon State

Utah hits the road for Corvallis, and the Beavers served notice to the rest of the conference that it won't be an easy task coming to Reser Stadium. The Beavers surprised California 47-44 in overtime last weekend as a 13 1/2-point underdog. This game opened with Utah as a 12-point favorite, but it has been bet down to nine as of Wednesday morning. One point of concern for the Beavs is the fact they have allowed 30 or more points in each of their four games against FBS teams, including 45.5 PPG in two outings against Pac-12 foes. Utah hasn't had a prolific offense, but they do enough to get the job done. They have 20 or more points in each of their six games, and they're averaging 30.0 PPG in three league games so far. Utah is 3-1 ATS in their past four games, and 10-4 ATS in their past 14 road outings. Oregon State might have won last week, but they're 5-11 ATS in the past 16 against winning teams, 7-17 ATS in their past 24 overall and 4-14 ATS in the past 18 inside the conference. The Utes are 2-5 ATS in the past seven meetings in this series, but a lot of those matchups were against much better competition.

Stanford at Notre Dame

Two disappointing teams meet up in South Bend for this rivalry game. Stanford was shocked by Washington State at home, their second straight loss in as many conference games, while Notre Dame was waterlogged in tropical storm conditions in Raleigh, falling 10-3 at North Carolina State. Defense has been an issue for Stanford lately, allowing 43.0 PPG in two games against Washington and Washington State. They had allowed just 12.0 PPG in their first three outings. Last season Stanford outlasted Notre Dame 38-36 Nov. 28, a rare 'over' result in this series. The 'under' is 7-1 in the past eight meetings in the shadows of Touchdown Jesus, and 5-1 in the past six meetings overall. The underdog has cashed in each of the past four meetings, and the road team is 5-2 ATS in the past seven in this series. Those last two trends bode well for Stanford, as the Cardinal are 2 1/2-point underdogs as of Wednesday morning. Stanford has covered four of the past five on the road, and they're 18-7-1 ATS in their past 26 against losing teams. They're also 17-8 ATS in their past 25 outside the conference. The Irish have covered seven of the past nine against Pac-12 teams, but they're 2-5 ATS in their past seven non-conference tilts.

Arizona State at Colorado

Sparky hits the road for Boulder, and they're 13-point underdogs against a Colorado team coming off a disappointing loss at USC. The Buffaloes have played six games, and they have covered six games. Colorado has also covered four straight inside the conference, and they're 6-2 ATS in their past eight home games against teams with a winning road record. Arizona State has covered six in a row against teams with a winning overall record, and they're 5-1 ATS in their past six conference tilts. The Sun Devils are also 9-3 ATS in their past 12 October battlles, and 8-2 ATS in their past 10 games dating back to last season. Arizona State has covered six of the past seven meetings in this series, while the favorite is 6-1 ATS in the past seven in this series. The home team is also 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings between these two sides.

UCLA at Washington State

Washington State lost to FCS Eastern Washington and Boise State to open the season, and it looked like the Cougars might be on their way to a disappointing season. However, they have opened conference play with wins against traditional powerhouses Oregon and Stanford to move to 2-0 in the Pac-12. The Cougs might catch a break if UCLA QB Josh Rosen cannot play due to a shoulder injury. If Rosen is unavailable it would be QB Mike Fafaul drawing the start. He was horrendous last week against Arizona State, completing just three of his 11 attempts for 44 yards and two picks, so Washington State's defense will be licking its chops at a chance to face Fafaul. The Bruins are a dismal 7-24 ATS in their past 31 games in October, 1-7 ATS in their past eight overall and 0-4 ATS in their past four against teams with a winning overall record. They're also 0-5 ATS in their past five on the road. Washington State has covered 10 of the past 11 games inside the conference, and they're 7-1 ATS in their past eight games on the Palouse. Washington State is also 14-3 ATS in their past 17 games overall. The underdog is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings in this series, with the road team 4-1 ATS in the past five. UCLA is just 1-7 ATS in their past eight meetings in Pullman, and 0-4 ATS in the past four against the Cougs. This game was off the board as of Wednesday morning due to Rosen's uncertain status.

Teams on a bye week

California, Oregon, Washington

NCAAF Week 7

Minnesota QB Leidner is out here, big loss for Gophers, who lost last two games by total of 10 points- they were only 13-33 passing vs Iowa LW, even with Leidner. Gophers are 9-3 vs spread in last 12 games as a road underdog- they lost 29-26 at Penn State in only road game so far. Maryland gave up 372 rushing yards in 38-14 loss at Penn State LW; Terrapins are 8-6 in last 14 games as a home favorite. Home favorites are 3-7 vs spread in Big 14 conference games.

Miami lost to rival Florida State LW, has to bounce back here vs North Carolina squad that got crushed 34-3 at home by Va Tech LW, week after they had upset the Seminoles. Tar Heels had just 58 PY on a wet day LW after having 1,320 PY in previous three games. Hurricanes lost 59-21 in Chapel Hill LY, just second loss in last six games vs Tar Heels, who are 2-3 in their last five visits here. Carolina is 5-3 in its last eight games as a road underdog; Miami is 8-4-1 in its last 13 games as a home favorite. ACC home favorites are 4-6 against the spread.

Michigan State lost its last three games, scoring 13.7 pts/game, its first 3-game skid since ’09- two of the three losses were at home. Northwestern covered its last six visits to East Lansing, with four SU wins. Spartans won five of last six series games, covering four of them. Spartans gave up 260 RY to BYU LW; they’re 3-6 in last nine games as a home favorite, 0-2 this year. Northwestern had LW off after its upset win at Iowa; Wildcats are 7-3 in their last ten games as a road underdog.

Oklahoma gave up 86 points in its last two games but won both, scoring 52-45 at TCU and vs Texas in Dallas. UL-Monroe is only team Sooners have held under 410 TY. OU is 6-7 in its last 13 games as a home favorite- they’re -6 in turnovers this year, but have run ball for 542 yards as they try to keep that defense off field. Home side lost last five Kansas State-Oklahoma games; Wildcats won 31-30/24-19 in last two visits to Norman. Underdogs are 4-2 vs spread in last six series games. K-State is 14-6 vs spread in its last 20 games as a road underdog.

Nebraska accused Indiana of trying to steal defensive signals this week; 5-0 Cornhuskers are scoring 37 pts/game; they had LW off- they’re 4-2 in last six games as a road favorite, 1-0 this year. Indiana lost two of last three games; they were held to 281 LY at Ohio State LW, first time in five games they were held under 436 TY. Hoosiers are 7-4 in its last 11 games as a home underdog, 1-0 this year. Big 14 home underdogs are 3-2 vs spread so far this season. These teams haven’t met in last 20 years. Huskers won only road game 24-13 at Northwestern.

First road game for West Virginia squad that had LW off and won its last two games by total of four points, vs BYU/K-State. Mountaineers are 3-6 vs spread in last nine games where spread was 3 or less points; Texas Tech is 4-7 under Kingsbury in such games. Tech allowed 231+ YR in three of last four games. giving up 52.3 pts/game in those three games. Dogs covered three of four West Virginia-Texas Tech games; Mountaineers beat Tech last two years, 31-26/37-34 after losing to Red Raiders the two years before that. WV ran ball for 549 yards in last two series games.

Tennessee is playing an NFL-like schedule: Florida-Georgia-A&M, now Alabama on four consecutive weekends- is it too much? Vols are playing well, rallying from behind each week, winning all but LW’s OT loss at A&M. Alabama won its last nine games with Tennessee (6-3 vs spread, but 0-2 last two years); they won last four visits here, all by 14+ points (3-1 vs spread). Five of Bama’s last six series wins were by 14+ points. Crimson Tide scored 44.8 pts/game in its six wins; they have allowed 73 points in two true road games, 49-34 at Ole Miss, 49-30 last week at Arkansas. SEC home underdogs are 6-2 against the spread.

Arkansas is already 0-2 in SEC, giving up 94 points, 630 rushing yards in losing to Texas A&M (45-24), Alabama (49-30). Hogs are 4-5 as home underdogs under Bielema. Ole Miss scored 93 points in winning its last two games; they allowed 45-48 in their two losses. Rebels are 5-6 as road favorites under Freeze; this is their first true road game this year (played FSU in Orlando). Underdogs covered last five Ole Miss-Arkansas games; Hogs (+10) beat Ole Miss 53-52 in OT LY. Rebels lost five of last seven visits here, with dogs covering three of last four. SEC home underdogs are 6-2 against the spread.

Western Kentucky is 2-7 as a road underdog since Taggart left WKU; Hilltoppers lost two of last three games, losing 31-30 at home to Vandy, 55-52 at La Tech. Middle Tennessee won five of last seven games with Western Kentucky, with average total in last four meetings, 78.8. Four of last five series games were decided by 5 or less points. WKU split their last four visits here. MTSU scored 36.3 pts/game in winning its last three games; they had LW off. Blue Raiders are 9-8-1 in last 18 games as a home favorite. Underdogs are 8-5 vs spread in C-USA games, 4-3 on the road.

Stanford was outscored 86-22 by the Washington schools in losing its last two games; 90 yards on 56 rushes in those games is a red flag. Cardinal allowed 13 or less points in its three wins; they won five of last seven games with Notre Dame; underdogs are 3-0-1 vs spread in last four meetings. Irish had allowed 489+ TY in three straight games before losing 10-3 in quagmire at NC State LW; ND is 2-4, losing last two home games, to Michigan State, Duke. Notre Dame is 14-16-3 as home favorites under Kelly. Cardinal lost eight of last nine visits to South Bend (favorites 5-3-1 vs spread), losing 17-14/20-13 in last two visits there.

Ohio State won its first five games by 21+ points each (4-1 vs spread); they’ve run ball for 268+ yards in every game. Wisconsin had last week off after tough 14-7 loss to Michigan; Badgers are home underdog here for first time in six years. Buckeyes (-2) won only road game 45-24 at Oklahoma; they’re 8-6 as a road favorite under Meyer. Underdogs won four of last five Ohio State-Wisconsin games SU; Buckeyes won seven of last eight series games, winning last one 59-0 in Big 14 title game in 2014. Underdogs are 4-1 vs spread in last five series games here; Ohio State is 4-2 in last six visits here.

UCLA QB Rosen was knocked out of LW’s game at Arizona State twice; since 2008, Bruins are 11-21 as a road underdog, 0-3 the last three years. UCLA is 1-3 this season when scoring less than 42 points. Washington State scored 93 points in winning its first two Pac-12 games, after an 0-2 start that included a loss to a I-AA team; Coogs outgunned Stanford 458-296 LW. Wazzu snapped 5-game skid vs UCLA LY, but Bruins won three of last four visits here, winning 44-36/43-7 in last two trips to Pullman. Underdogs covered last four series games; Coogs passed for 845 yards in last two series games.

USC is 3-0 at home, 0-3 away from home; they allowed 7-20-17 points in their wins, 52-27-31 in losses. Trojans are 4-10 in last 14 games as a road favorite. Arizona allowed 38.7 pts/game in losing its last three games; Wildcats allowed 415+ TY in every game this season. Arizona is 6-2 as a home underdog under RichRod. Underdogs covered 10 of last 11 USC-Arizona games; Trojans are 12-2 in last 14 series games, winning last three by 8-2-7 points. USC won six of last seven visits to Tucson, with last three all decided by 3 or less points. Underdogs covered last five series games played here.

Armadillosports.com

Week 7 Pointspread Picks and Predictions
By Joe Fortenbaugh
Covers.com

Remember back at the beginning of this year’s college football season when Washington State followed up a shocking 45-42 home defeat to Eastern Washington with a 31-28 loss at Boise State to start what was supposed to be a promising season 0-2?

Yeah, those days are long, long gone.

In the aftermath of that horrific start, Cougars head coach Mike Leach and quarterback Luke Falk have absolutely shredded the opposition with victories over Idaho, Oregon and Stanford coming by an average of 31.3 points per game. More impressively, Washington State hammered the Ducks by 18 points as 2.5-point underdogs and thrashed David Shaw’s Cardinal program by 26 points as 7.5-point underdogs.

But perhaps what’s worthy of the most recognition here is the fact that Leach and the Cougars have now covered the spread in 13 of their last 15 games dating back to last season.

As it relates to this Saturday, Washington State’s next opponent takes the form of the UCLA Bruins, who are just 1-7 ATS over their last eight games overall, with five straight ATS losses when assuming the underdog role. Jim Mora Jr.’s Bruins are now an underwhelming 3-3 SU on the season and 7-24 ATS over the program’s last 31 games played in the month of October.

Oh, and it might be worth noting that UCLA is 0-4 ATS in their last four games against Washington State and 1-7 ATS over their last eight trips to Pullman.

Pick: Washington State -6.5

Pittsburgh Panthers at Virginia Cavaliers

Spread: Pittsburgh -3

This is a terrific situation for head coach Bronco Mendenhall and his Cavaliers due to a variety of reasons. First, it’s homecoming at the University of Virginia and the Cavs are coming off a bye week. On the flip side, Pittsburgh went down to the wire with Georgia Tech in a 37-34 victory last Saturday and is set to enter a three-week stretch of high profile battles against Virginia Tech, Miami and Clemson following Saturday’s showdown with Virginia, making this a classic “look ahead” spot for the Panthers.

As if the situation alone wasn’t enough to tickle your fancy, I’m sure we can seal the deal with the following information: Virginia has covered the number in four straight games while Mendenhall is 16-7 ATS over his last 23 games coached between BYU and Virginia when assuming the underdog role. Not only that, but note that Pittsburgh is 2-8 ATS over its last ten games as a favorite under head coach Pat Narduzzi.

For a Panthers defense that has surrendered an average of 36.4 points per game over its last five outings, this ACC showdown has “upset special” written all over it.

Pick: Virginia +3

North Carolina Tar Heels at Miami Hurricanes

Spread: Miami -7.5

After a perfect 4-0 start to the Mark Richt era in Miami, the Hurricanes flopped during the second half of their first real test of the season by blowing a 13-3 lead en route to a 20-19 home loss to Florida State that saw a blocked extra point in the final moments make the difference. That was Miami’s seventh straight loss to archrival Florida State and based on the manner in which it happened, there could be a nasty hangover in store for the Hurricanes, especially when you consider that this program has a road date at Virginia Tech next Thursday followed by a trip to Notre Dame to face the Fighting Irish the following weekend.

As for North Carolina, expect a more buttoned-up effort from head coach Larry Fedora, who inexplicably threw the ball 33 times (vs. 29 rushing attempts) in horrific conditions last week against Virginia Tech in a 34-3 defeat. Yes, the Tar Heels needed to throw late in an effort to catch up, but North Carolina trailed just 6-0 after 15 minutes and 13-3 at the half, all while throwing the ball far too often in a downpour.

Be advised that North Carolina is 6-1 ATS over their last seven games following an against the spread loss and 6-2 ATS over their last eight road dates against teams with a winning home record. In addition, the underdog in this series is 8-3-1 ATS over the last 12 meetings between these two programs.

Pick: North Carolina +7.5

UNLV Rebels at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

Spread: Hawaii -9

After averaging an abysmal 2.7 wins per season from 2012-2015, the Rainbow Warriors finally have something cooking thanks to three victories over the program’s last four outings under first-year head coach Nick Rolovich. Not only is Hawaii flying high at the moment, but the offense is averaging a rock-solid 35.3 points per game over its last four contests while the team itself has covered the point spread in four of its last five matchups.

The Rebels are also under the guidance of a first-year head coach in former Bishop Gorman boss Tony Sanchez, but the early results have been underwhelming at best, with UNLV currently standing at 2-4 SU and 3-3 ATS while riding four losses over the school’s last five outings. In addition, the Rebels are just 1-5 ATS over their last six road dates.

Take note that the early action has pounded Hawaii from a 4.5-point favorite to a 9-point favorite. Further, be advised that the host school has won seven straight encounters in this series. After traveling to Northern California for a date with San Jose State last Saturday (34-17 win) and with another lengthy travel spot on deck next week against Air Force, look for Hawaii to take full advantage of the friendly confines of Aloha Stadium this Saturday night.

Pick: Hawaii -9

Last week: 3-1 ATS
Season: 14-10 ATS

Big Ten Report - Week 7
By ASAWins.com

Ohio State (-10) at Wisconsin

Wisconsin - The Badgers are coming off a bye week after losing 14-7 at Michigan the week before. The Wisconsin offense was shut down in that game as they didn’t reach 100 yards on the ground or through the air. It was the first time since October of 2012 that the UW offense was held under 200 total yards.

Wisconsin was hoping to get some key players back with a few weeks off and that may happen. While star LB Vince Biegel will not play in this one, the offensive line is hoping starting guard Jon Dietzen returns. He is currently questionable for the OSU game. His return would be huge as Wisconsin has had to re-shuffle their O-Line moving starting center Michael Dieter to guard with former walk-on Brett Connors starting at center. Connors has been beaten pretty badly in back to back games at MSU and at Michigan which has thwarted UW’s rushing offense (just 96 YPG their last 2) and Dietzen’s return would help improve that.

Wisconsin’s defense will be by far the best OSU has faced this year. The Badgers are allowing only 12.2 PPG this year and have not allowed more than 24 points in the last 17 games. That will be an interesting match up to watch as OSU’s offense has scored 24 points or more in 29 of their last 31 games.

Ohio State - The Bucks had their first “ho-hum” performance of the season last Saturday at home vs Indiana. The Hoosiers have played OSU very tough over the last few seasons and nothing changed last Saturday. The Bucks picked up the 38-17 home win but it wasn’t as easy as the final score might indicate. It was a 24-17 game with under 4:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter and still a 31-17 score with less than 4:00 remaining in the game. OSU’s passing attack was non-existent as JT Barrett completed only 9 passes for 93 yards. Coach Urban Meyer called on Barrett to carry the load on the ground however as he 26 carries for 137 yards. QB Barrett had more carries than all of the RB’s combined last week. T

hey came into the game averaging 576 YPG on offense and the new and improved Hoosier defense held them to just 383 yards. OSU’s 5.4 YPP vs Indiana was their lowest output by far this season. Often lost in talk of how potent OSU’s offense is comes that fact that their defense is really good. The defense ranks #2 nationally in PPG allowed at 10.8, #4 nationally in YPG allowed at 264, and they are the ONLY team in the country that has not yet allowed a rushing TD. This defense has now played 22 straight games without allowing an opponent to reach 30 points dating back to the middle of the 2014 season.

Last Year – These two are in opposite divisions in the Big Ten and have not faced each other since the Big Ten Championship game two years ago. OSU crushed Wisconsin 59-0 in that game.

Inside the Numbers – Wisconsin is already 2-0 ATS as a double digit underdog this year (LSU & Michigan) and they are 19-6 ATS their last 25 in that role (76%). The last time the Badgers were a double digit underdog at Camp Randall was way back in 1997. OSU has beaten Wisconsin 7 of the last 8 meetings dating back to 2007. Since the start of the 1980 season, Ohio State had been a road favorite of -10 or more 65 times. They are 61-4 SU in those games and 39-26 ATS (60%).

Northwestern at Michigan State (-4.5)

Michigan State - Oh how quickly things can change. Just a few weeks ago MSU opened -6 hosting a top 10 team in Wisconsin and here, just a few weeks later, Sparty is favored by just 4.5 versus a 2-3 Northwestern team. After last week’s loss at home to BYU, the Spartans come into this game having lost 3 straight games of the first time since 2009 season. Despite their 2-3 record MSU has outgained every opponent but one. That one was BYU who came into East Lansing as an underdog and won outright by 17 points.

It was the third week in a row that Michigan State lost outright as a favorite. Last week Sparty was outgained by almost 200 yards and rushed for just 85 yards on 32 carries. Starting QB Tyler O’Connor threw for just 58 yards and because of the lack of production on offense (only 41 points the last 3 games combined), head coach Mark Dantonio has opened up the QB competition. O’Conner, Damion Terry, and Brian Lewerke are all listed #1 on the depth chart this week.

Defensively they allowed BYU to convert on 10 of their 16 third down attempts.Getting off the field has been a problem for this defense. In their 3 consecutive losses they’ve allowed their opponents to covered on 26 of 48 third downs. They’ve also accumulated only 5 sacks total in their 5 games this season (last in the Big Ten). MSU took a 7-3 lead into halftime last week but BYU dominated the 2nd half outscoring the Spartans 28-7 scoring TD’s on all four meaningful possessions. The Cougs rolled up 257 yards on the 2nd half alone to just 110 for MSU.

Northwestern - The Cats are coming off a huge win at Iowa two weeks ago. Last week was their bye so this team should be rested and ready to go. The Cats should have the confidence to pick up a win here, not only because of their win at Iowa two weeks ago, but also the fact that Northwestern has won in East Lansing 3 of the last 4 times they’ve visited. The defense finally performed up to par in their 38-31 win over Iowa. While they gave up some points, they held the Hawkeyes to just 283 total yards and just 79 on the ground.

That was quite an accomplishment after Nebraska rolled this defense for 310 yards on the ground just one week earlier. Even with their solid performance at Iowa, the Wildcat defense is still allowing over 400 YPG which is nearly a full 100 yards more than they gave up a year ago. Offensively QB Thorson looks light years better than last season. He’s throwing for 226 YPG where as last year this team threw for only 139 YPG (120th nationally). He’s already thrown for more TD’s this year (8 ) than he did all of last year (7). The problem has been the running game. They’ve gone from 189 YPG last year to just 126 this season (115th nationally in rushing).

Last Year –These two haven’t met since 2013.

Inside the Numbers – The road team in this Big Ten series has won 8 of the last 9 games outright. Michigan State has won 21 of the last 30 meetings SU dating back to 1980. Since 2000, the favorite in this series has covered just 4 of the 12 meetings. The Wildcats are just 3-13 SU their last 16 with extra prep (off bye or bowl game). Going back to 2007, the Spartans are 9-2-1 ATS when coming off 2 or more consecutive SU losses.

Minnesota at Maryland (-6.5)

Maryland - As we had mentioned in past editions, it’s been tough for us to get a read on Maryland as heading into last week they had played one of the easiest schedules in the Big Ten (and the country). Last week’s game against a decent Penn State team was easily their toughest test to date. It’s safe to say they didn’t pass that test. The Terps were whipped 38-14 and it wasn’t a “fluky” score as PSU dominated the game racking up 524 yards to just 270 for Maryland. The turtle had put up at least 477 total yards in 3 of their previous 4 games and their lowest output of the year before last week was 373 yards.

The Nittany Lions scored the time of possession by 10 full minutes and ran almost 30 more offensive plays. Maryland QB Perry Hills threw for only 72 yards in the game and was banged around pretty good. He didn’t play in the 2nd half last week and he’s not 100% with a bad shoulder but we’re hearing he’ll probably be good to go on Saturday. The Maryland defense was shredded on the ground last week for 372 yards by a read option team. They face a very similar offense this week and how the 116th rush defense adjusts on Saturday will be a key in this game.

Minnesota - The Gophs were hit hard earlier this week when starting QB Leidner was ruled out of this one due to a concussion. Junior Connor Rhoda will get his first career start in place of Leidner. Rhoda has appeared in 3 games in his career and attempted 2 passes. After last week’s 14-7 home loss to Iowa, the Gophers are now 0-2 in Big Ten play. Iowa scored the winning TD with just 5:28 left in the game and a week earlier Minnesota took PSU to overtime in Happy Valley. They are obviously only a few plays away from sitting 2-0 or 1-1 rather than 0-2.

While the offense is sort of an unknown in this one due to the QB situation, the defense is back to full strength. Last week starting CB Hardin returned from suspension and made an immediate impact with 7 tackles and an interception. However, Minny was still missing a few key players in the defensive backfield that return this week. Defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel can finally put everyone out there that he originally intended to. "This is the first time since really like the first game that we’ve really had more of our depth at corner like we hoped to," Sawvel said.

Last Year – These two haven’t met on the gridiron since 1977.

Inside the Numbers – After being tabbed as a favorite in just 2 of their first 16 Big Ten games (2014 & 2015), the Terps are favored here for the third time already this season in conference play. Of the last 38 times Maryland has been a home favorite (dating back to 2004), they’ve covered only 13 of those games. Gophs are 9-4 ATS Their last 13 as an underdog coming off an outright loss.

Illinois (-6) at Rutgers

Rutgers - Can it get any worse for the Scarlet Knights? Just when they thought they might be at least moving in the right direction with a 2-1 non-conference record, they have opened the conference slate 0-3. Not only have they lost those 3 games, they’ve been outscored 150-7 including 136-0 the last two weeks vs Michigan & Ohio State. They’ve been outgained by more than 1,100 yards in their last two games alone. In last week’s 78-0 loss at home to Michigan, the Knights had 2 first downs, 39 total yards, and they were 0 for 17 on 3rd down.

Worse yet, their initial first down of the game came with 9:00 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. They punted 17 times and their longest offensive possession was 5 plays! Rutgers began the game with 15 consecutive 3 and outs and on those 15 possessions they had -15 yards. It wasn’t as if Michigan was rubbing it in offensively to get to nearly 80 points either. In fact, the Wolverines completed only 8 passes the entire game. They basically handed the ball off nearly every play. They scored 78 points on 72 plays. In the second half Michigan ran only 18 plays (15 runs) and scored 35 points. Rutgers is obviously not a good team, but where are they psychologically after those 3 games? That will tell a lot this weekend as they take a BIG step down in competition facing Illinois.

Illinois - The Illini come into this one emotionally wounded after losing at home to Purdue as a 9-point favorite giving the Boilers just their 5th Big Ten road win in their last 25 attempts. Kicker Chase McLaughlin missed his first FG attempt of the season from 41 yards as time expired which would have given Illinois the win. They then proceeded to lose a fumble in OT giving Purdue a chance to simply kick a FG for the win which they did. Illinois did actually outgain Purdue by 40 yards which was the first time this year the Illini have outgained an FBS opponent.

In their 4 games this year vs FBS opponents, Illinois is 0-4. They’ve been outscored 147-80 and outgained 1,781-1,393 in those four games. It’s not often (or ever) you see a team with those numbers favored on the road, much less by nearly a full TD. Starting QB Wes Lunt was knocked out of this game in the 2nd quarter with a back injury after a big hit which also resulted in the roughing the passer call. Lunt did not return and his back up, Chayce Crouch threw for 142 yards and ran for another 137. Lunt was held out of practice early in the week and is questionable for this one. It’s safe to say even if Lunt is ready, the Illini probably have a QB controversy on their hands.

Last Year – These two have not met each other since Rutgers joined the Big Ten. Their most recent meeting was in 2006 with Rutgers winning 33-0.

Inside the Numbers – Illinois is in a role they are simply not accustomed to. Since 2001, they have been a road favorite 16 times covering only 5. More telling is they are just 7-9 SU in those games. Rutgers has lost their last two games ATS by a combined 67 points! Because of that, this line has been drastically adjusted from where it would have been two weeks ago before the Knights faced Ohio State. If these two would have played the opening week of Big Ten play, this game would have been pretty much a pick-em line.

Nebraska (-3) at Indiana

Indiana - We mentioned IU’s vast improvement on defense this year as they were allowing nearly 100 fewer yards per game this year than they gave up Last Year heading into their game at Ohio State. Last Saturday they held the Buckeyes to 383 yards and just 5.3 YPP in the 38-17 loss. It was the Buckeyes lowest yardage output so far this season. The Hoosiers also held OSU to nearly a full 2 yards per play below their season average which was 7.1 YPP coming into the game. Not bad for a defense that allowed over 500 YPG last season.

While the defense has improved dramatically, the numbers say the IU offense has “slowed down” a bit this year. Last Year they averaged 36 PPG on 504 YPG. This year they are averaging only 26 PPG on 453 YPG. Part of the reason for the drop is Indiana’s red zone struggles. They are just 12 of 18 in the red zone this season which ranks them 124th nationally (out of 128 teams). Last season they ranked 54th nationally in red zone offense which is part of the reason for their higher offensive output in 2015. The banged up offensive line, including potential All American Dan Feeney being out, has also contributed to red zone and short yardage problems.

Nebraska - The Huskers had last week off but there was still some controversy swirling around Lincoln. That’s because Nebraska defensive coordinator accused Indiana of “stealing” defensive signals. Mark Banker was speaking about the challenges his defense would have trying to slow down IU. "What I know about them personally is the fact they do whatever they can to steal defensive signals. So they work at it real hard. So they're going to get your signals and if they don't get them before the game, they get them during the snap, and they actually call the play at the line of scrimmage,” Banker stated this week.

Offensively, the Huskers will be operating without top WR Jordan Westerkamp who is out with a back injury which is a big hit to this offense. One interesting thing to keep an eye on is Nebraska’s defense has been water tight early in games while IU has struggled to get out of the gate offensively. Indiana has scored a grand total of 25 points in the first quarter this season in 5 games. The second quarter has not been as kind with the Hoosiers scoring all of 24 points in that frame as well. The Huskers have given up a grand total of 8 points in the first quarter of games this season but have fallen off in the 2nd quarter allowing 49 points.

Last Year – Believe it or not, the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011 and these two have never met.

Inside the Numbers – The Huskers have won 12 of their 20 Big Ten road games since joining the league in 2011. The Hoosiers were tabbed as a home dog once this year vs Michigan State and won the game outright in OT. However, coming into this season, IU was 1-19 SU the last 20 times they were tabbed a home dog. Going back to 1980, the Hoosiers are just 42-61-1 ATS as a home dog and only 19-85 SU in those games.

Iowa (-12) at Purdue

Purdue - The Boilers picked up a huge Big Ten road win last Saturday at Illinois. It was just their 5th win in their last 25 conference road games. It looks like they will get a boost this weekend when their top offensive weapon RB Markell Jones returns from an injury. He missed last Saturday’s game. While the running game gets a shot of adrenaline with the return of Jones, the passing game takes a hit with top WR Jones out for year after an injury last week. On defense this team needs to find some way to slow down Iowa’s rushing attack.

Purdue has allowed a ridiculous 711 rushing yards in their 2 Big Ten games. Their pass defense numbers are solid, however that’s because opponents don’t have to go crazy with the pass because PU can’t stop the rush. Their two Big Ten opponents have completed just 23 combined passes but have run the ball a combined 92 times! If the Boilermakers win this one it will be the first time in the Darrell Hazell era they have won back to back games.

Iowa - Despite their 4-2 overall record, the Hawkeyes have to be a bit concerned. They’ve been outgained on the season (-10 YPG) and their offense is struggling scoring 21 or fewer in 3 of their last 4 games. While they did get a 14-7 win over Minnesota last week, it took a TD with 5:25 remaining to get the tight win. The Iowa offense averaged only 4.4 YPP on the day. A week earlier they lost at home to Northwestern. Even more telling, two weeks ago this Iowa team struggled to beat Rutgers 14-7, the same Rutgers team that has been outscored 136-0 in their two games since.

Much of Iowa’s offensive problems have come due to lack of production is staying on the field after 3rd down. Iowa is one of the worst teams in the country at converting on third down. They convert only 36.7% of the time, good for 89th nationally. However, they are playing into a Purdue defense that hasn’t been good in that area either. The Boilers are the worst team out of 128 in America at getting a third down stop. The Iowa defense has been a little suspect against the run and Purdue is coming off of a great rushing performance. With Jones back in the line up if Purdue has success on the ground they’ll have a shot in this game.

Last Year – Iowa (-23) beat Purdue 40-20 in Iowa City last season. The Boilers actually outgained Iowa by 18 yards in the game.

Inside the Numbers – Iowa has been a terrible double digit road favorite going just 1-11 ATS in that role since 2002. They are 0-1 in that spot this year squeaking by Rutgers on the road 14-7 as a 13 point chalk. Purdue is just 7-21-1 SU in this series the last 29 meetings. Coming into last week, the Boilermakers had won only 3 of their last 40 games SU when tabbed as an underdog. A win over Illinois as a puppy last week upped that mark to 4 of their last 41.

NCAAF: Streak, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com

NC State at Clemson

Tigers are 6-0, (4-2 ATS) out the gate after dismantling Boston College 56-10 cashing as 17.5 point road favorites. In that last effort, QB Deshaun Watson struck for four touchdowns, 270 yards while RB Wayne Gallman piled up 109 yards on the ground with one major. Wolfpack, on a fourth quarter blocked punt picked up by Dexter Wright returning it for a touchdown won a 10-3 defensive battle against Notre Dame last week moving the record to 4-1 SU/ATS on the campaign.

Despite a 1-11 SU record last twelve meetings, Wolfpack are viable road dogs as they were 6-6 against the betting line in those games. Additionally, Wolfpack have thrived away from Carter Finley Stadium handed 15 or more points of offense compiling a profitable 8-2 record against the spread including a perfect 4-0 at Clemson Memorial Stadium.

Ohio State at Wisconsin

Ohio State (5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS) has had its way with Wisconsin Badgers (4-1 SU/ATS) winning six of seven both SU and against the betting line including a 59-zip thrashing in 2014 the last time they met. However, 'Buyer Beware', Wisky unlikely to pull off an outright upset but with its styfling defense allowing 12.2 points/game along with an extra week to prepare could easily keep this one within the 11.0 points currently being offered at Bovada.lv. Good spot for Wisconsin. The Badgers thrive with extra rest posting a 14-3 record against the betting line following a bye week. Additionally, Badgers have a profitable 8-3 record against the oddsmakers as home underdogs including 3-1 ATS hosting Buckeyes.

Alabama at Tennessee
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Tennessee (5-1 straight up, 3-3 against the spread) saw its good fortune finally run out last week in College Station, where it dropped a 45-38 decision to Texas A&M in overtime. The Volunteers took the cash, however, as 7.5-point underdogs thanks to yet another comeback from a huge deficit.

Butch Jones’s squad has now fallen behind by double-digit margins in five of its six games. UT trailed the Aggies 28-7 midway through the third quarter, but TD runs by Alvin Kamara and Joe Kelly trimmed the deficit to 28-21 with 7:06 remaining.

Trevor Knight put A&M in front 35-21 at the 3:22 mark with a 62-yard touchdown run, but the Vols answered with a Kamara four-yard TD run with 2:07 remaining. Next, Texas A&M freshman RB Trayveon Williams bolted off tackle left and appeared on his way to a 73-yard TD scamper. However, in one of the best plays you’ll see all season long, UT cornerback punched the ball out of Williams’s hands just a yard before he went into the end zone. The ball went out of the back of the end zone, prompting a touchback.

Tennessee took advantage by marching down the field and getting another TD from Kamara, who caught an 18-yard scoring strike from Josh Dobbs with ticks left. A&M would get into field-goal range for the final play of regulation, but its kicker hooked a potential game-winner badly.

After both teams matched field goals in the first extra session, Knight scored on a one-yard TD run in double overtime. Therefore, when Armani Watts intercepted Dobbs moments later, the game was over.

UT must quickly put that one in the rearview mirror because here comes top-ranked and unbeaten Alabama into Neyland Stadium. The Crimson Tide has won nine in a row over the Vols, who last beat ‘Bama by a 16-13 count in 2006 when Mike Shula will still on the sidelines in Tuscaloosa. During Nick Saban’s dynastic nine-year tenure, Alabama has gone 6-3 ATS when facing UT, but we’ll note the Vols have covered the number in back-to-back meetings.

In the 2014 encounter in Knoxville, Alabama (6-0 SU, 4-2 ATS) raced out to a 27-0 lead early in the second quarter. This prompted Jones to yank QB Nathan Peterman and insert Dobbs, who quickly asserted himself as the new starter for the long haul. Dobbs led UT to 17 unanswered points to pull within 27-17 on his nine-yard TD pass to Von Pearson with 5:52 left in the third quarter.

Tennessee would get no closer in the 34-20 loss, but it took the cash as a 20-point home underdog. Most important, Jones finally found his QB in Dobbs, who threw for 192 yards and two TDs while also rushing for 75 yards.

Dobbs has started 24 consecutive games since then, going 18-6. None of the six defeats have come by a margin larger than eight, including last season’s 19-14 loss at Alabama as a 15-point ‘dog.

As of late Friday afternoon, most betting shops had Alabama installed as a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 57.5 points. The Vols were +400 on the money line (risk $100 to win $400).

Since Jones took over in 2013, UT has compiled a 4-1 spread record with a pair of outright wins in five games as a home underdog. The Vols have only been double-digit home ‘dogs twice on Jones’s watch, going 2-0 ATS.

UT has wins vs. Appalachian State (20-13 in OT), vs. Virginia Tech (45-24 in Bristol), vs. Ohio (28-19), vs. Florida (38-28) and at Georgia (34-31 thanks to a walk-off Hail Mary pass) this year. Dobbs has been the catalyst, throwing for 1,433 yards with a 14/8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has rushed for 324 yards and five TDs.

Tennessee will get starting RB Jalen Hurd back after he missed the Texas A&M game, but it says here that Jones needs to give Kamara more touches than Hurd. Kamara rushed for 127 yards and two TDs o 18 attempts in College Station. He also had eight receptions for 161 yards and one TD.

Hurd has rushed for 407 yards and two TDs while averaging only 4.0 yards per carry. Kamara has a 5.2 YPC average and 20 receptions for 253 yards and three TDs.

Tennessee’s defense is without two of its best players. Cam Sutton, one of the SEC’s best cornerbacks who was a second-team All-American as a punt returner last year, went down with a broken bone in his leg in the win over Ohio and remains ‘out.’ Senior LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, a second-team All-SEC selection in 2015, will miss his fourth consecutive game due to a shoulder injury. Also, sophomore LB Darrin Kirkland is expected to be a game-time decision. Kirkland has missed the last four games due to a high-ankle sprain. He had 66 tackles and three sacks last year.

Alabama is off a 49-30 win at Arkansas as a 14.5-point road favorite. The defense produced two more TDs on a 23-yard scoop and score from Tim Williams and a 100-yard pick-six by Minkah Fitzpatrick, who intercepted Austin Allen three times. Jalen Hurts completed 13-of-17 passes for 253 yards with two TDs and one interception.

ArDarius Stewart had five catches for 120 yards, while Damien Harris had a pair of receptions for 60 yards and one TD. Harris rushed 13 times for 122 yards.

Hurts, the true freshman QB, has seen nothing short of sensational to date. He has connected on 63.8 percent of his throws for 1,242 yards with a 9/2 TD-INT ratio. Hurts has also produced 296 rushing yards and five TDs on 62 attempts.

Calvin Ridley, a true sophomore, is Hurts’s favorite target. Ridley has 34 receptions for 412 yards and four TDs, while Stewart has 18 catches for 325 yards and three TDs despite missing 2.5 games. Harris has rushed for a team-high 478 yards and one TD, averaging 8.7 YPC. Joshua Jacobs has gained 307 rushing yards and three TDs on just 37 attempts for an 8.3 YPC average.

Alabama’s defense is stacked with future NFL players. This unit is led by senior LB Rueben Foster, who has a team-best 37 tackles to go with 2.5 tackles for loss, three QB hurries, one pass broken up and 0.5 sacks. Junior LB Shaun Dion Hamilton has 34 tackles, 5.5 TFL’s, two sacks and one forced fumble, while Fitzpatrick has recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions, two TFL’s, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and five PBU.

Alabama has posted wins vs. USC (52-6 at Jerry World), vs. Western Ky. (38-10), at Ole Miss (48-43 after trailing 24-3), vs. Kent State (48-0), vs. Kentucky (34-6) and at Arkansas (49-30).

The ‘over’ has cashed in three straight for Tennessee and is 4-2 overall. The last three games have had combined scores of 66, 65 and 83.

Alabama has seen the ‘over’ hit in both of its road games that produced combined scores of 91 and 79 points.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

The ‘over’ is 3-1 in the last four UT-Bama head-to-head meetings.

Arkansas LB Dre Greenlaw is out for the next 4-6 weeks with a broken foot. Greenlaw had 37 tackles, one INT, one forced fumble and 1.5 TFL's through the Razorbacks’ first six games.

Bret Bielema’s team is in bounce-back mode for Saturday’s showdown at home vs. Ole Miss. The Rebels are out for revenge after the Hogs denied them their first SEC West title by rallying for an improbable 53-52 OT victory in Oxford last year. Two seasons ago in Fayetteville, Arkansas dealt out cream-cheese treatment to Ole Miss in the form of a 30-0 clubbing. The Rebels, who were 7.5-point road ‘chalk’ as of late Friday afternoon, have gone 5-6 in 11 games as road favorites on Hugh Freeze’s watch. Meanwhile, Arkansas is 4-5 ATS as home underdog during Bielema’s four-year tenure.

Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason needs a victory in the worst way Saturday in Athens. His Commodores fell to 2-4 in this third and crucial campaign for his tenure by dropping a 20-13 decision at Kentucky last week. Mason, who was tabbed for his first head-coaching job after a successful run as defensive coordinator at Stanford under David Shaw, has done a splendid job of creating a solid defense for Vandy. However, the offense, most notably the QB play, has been an unmitigated disaster. That continued in Lexington last week in a game that saw Vandy get its only TD on a defensive fumble return. And let’s be real here – UK’s defense is horrible! The Commodores are 14.5-point ‘dogs at UGA. They have produced a 9-5 spread record in 14 games as double-digit ‘dogs on Mason’s watch.

Florida QB Luke Del Rio (6/2 TD-INT) will get his first start since a Week 3 win over North Texas when his team takes on Missouri as a 13.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The Gators have limped to a 2-6 spread record in the eight games they’ve been favored by double digits since Jim McElwain took over in 2015. Both teams have had two weeks to get ready for this one. UF’s home game vs. LSU was postponed last week due to Hurricane Matthew. This game will now be played in Baton Rouge on Nov. 19. With this development, LSU gets an extra home game for a second straight season, while UF loses out on two home games this year. UF’s game with Presbyterian that was originally scheduled for Nov. 19 has now been cancelled.

Arkansas QB Austin Allen is one of the toughest players in all of college football. He took a ruthless beating from Alabama and never stayed down. According to Bart Pohlman, the producer of the biggest and best radio show in Arkansas (Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly) that I appear on every now and then as a guest, Allen was knocked down 26 times by the Crimson Tide.

Texas A&M is 6-0 for the first time since 1994 and Kevin Sumlin is off the hot seat that was rapidly warming during this past offseason. The Aggies are off this weekend with two weeks to prepare for next Saturday’s showdown against the Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The ‘over’ has hit in five straight games for the Pitt Panthers, who play at Virginia this weekend.

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

We're on to Week 7 of the college football season and the full slate of games can be tough to navigate for bettors. So we bring you our Top 25 betting cheat sheet to handicap the best games of the day.

North Carolina State Wolfpack at No. 3 Clemson Tigers (-17.5, 63)

* The Wolfpack offense has put up big numbers — including 500 or more total yards in three of five games — but its totals are skewed by last week’s paltry 198 total yards in driving rain and heavy winds. Running back Matthew Dayes was about the only offensive player who had success in the difficult conditions, as he rushed for 126 yards on 23 carries, though quarterback Ryan Finley continues to take care of the ball — he has not thrown an interception or lost a fumble this season. N.C. State boasts the ACC’s best run defense, holding opponents to 91 yards per game on the ground.

* The Tigers have rolled up more than 500 total yards of offense in two straight games, and running back Wayne Gallman has found some running room with back-to-back 100-yard performances. Getting Gallman going has helped open up the passing game for Deshaun Watson, who has tossed nine touchdown passes in the past two games but continues to struggle with turnovers — having committed nine giveaways through six games. Clemson’s defense has been dominant against the pass, holding opponents to 149 yards per game, but has been slightly more susceptible against the run, giving up an average of 133.2 yards on the ground.

LINE HISTORY: Clemson opened the college betting week at -17 but by Monday morning that line had gone up slightly to the current number of -17.5. The total hit the board at 56.5 and has skyrocketed all week and, as of Friday afternoon, sits at 63. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Wolfpack are 1-5 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Over is 6-1-1 in Wolfpack last 8 games overall.
* Over is 6-0 in Tigers last 6 games in October.

Kansas State Wildcats at No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners (-13, 58)

* The Wildcats bounced back from the one-point defeat to the Mountaineers with a 44-38 home win over Texas Tech last week. Quarterback Jesse Ertz has thrown for five touchdowns and has added three more on the ground as the team’s second-leading rusher with 50.6 yards per game. Kansas State’s calling card, though, has been a defense led by linebacker Elijah Lee (team-most 8.2 tackles per game) and defensive end Jordan Willis (Big 12-most six sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss) which is pacing the conference in fewest points (17.6) and total yards (310.2) allowed per outing.

* Quarterback Baker Mayfield is coming off his best outing of the season, throwing for 390 yards and connecting with wideout Dede Westbrook on a trio of touchdown passes in last week’s 45-40 win over Texas in Dallas. Westbrook finished with 10 receptions and a school single-game record 232 receiving yards. Linebacker Jordan Evans leads Oklahoma with 8.8 tackles per game, but Oklahoma ranks in the Big 12’s bottom half in both scoring (36.2 points) and total (428.4 yards) defense.

LINE HISTORY: The home favorite Oklahoma Sooners opened at -10 and that line was not even close to high enough for the betting public. The favorites were bet heavily all week and the line rose right along with the action. As of Friday afternoon the Sooners were sitting at -13. The total opened at 63.5 and action on the Under took that number all of the way down to 58 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
* Sooners are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Wildcats last 7 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 7-1 in Sooners last 8 home games.
* Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.

No. 18 West Virginia Mountaineers at Texas Tech Red Raiders (+1.5, 84)

* The Mountaineers have their own standout quarterback in Skyler Howard, who has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 1,272 yards and seven touchdowns. Offensive line protection is led by Tyler Orlosky and Adam Pankey, who have combined to line up for 5,184 plays during their careers. Kicker Josh Lambert, who returned last week after missing three games because of suspension, is no longer with the team, but Mike Molina has been 14-for-14 on extra points and 5-for-6 on field goals in his absence.

* Mahomes leads an offense that averages 649.8 yards in total offense (second in the nation), ranks first nationally in first downs and is second in third down conversion success (53 percent). Mahomes threw for 2,274 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, relying on top targets Jonathan Giles (614 yards, seven TDs), Cameron Batson (341, five) and Dylan Cantrell (319, four). The Red Raiders have to establish some kind of running game, hoping that Demarcus Felton (270 yards, three TDs) can keep the West Virginia defense off balance.

LINE HISTORY: Texas Teck opened the week as 1.5-point home favorites. On Monday afternoon this line jumped the fence and flipped to West Virginia as one-point faves. The spread crept back toward a pick 'em on Thursday but on Friday it jumped back up in West Virginia's direction at 1.5. The total opened at 83 and was steady all week until it took a jump up to 84 on Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Mountaineers are 1-10 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Red Raiders are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
* Under is 18-4 in Mountaineers last 22 games on fieldturf.
* Over is 11-1 in Red Raiders last 12 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.

No. 23 Western Michigan Broncos at Akron Zips (+12, 73.5)

* The Broncos are piling up the points in part because quarterback Zach Terrell has completed 70.6 percent of his passes and has yet to be intercepted. The senior, who has also rushed for three scores, has thrown 15 TD passes, with eight of those scores going to senior wide receiver Corey Davis. Western Michigan's ground game is just as strong and averages 231.7 yards, led by Jamauri Bogan (530 yards, 5 TDs) and Jarvion Franklin (514 yards, 5 TDs).

* Zips starting quarterback Thomas Woodson suffered a shoulder injury in a 45-38 home loss to Appalachian State that dropped the team to 2-2, and junior Tra'Von Chapman has stepped up with two straight strong games in his place. Chapman did just enough in a 31-27 win at Kent State on Oct. 1 and improved last weekend, throwing for 174 yards and three TDs without an interception and rushing for 80 yards and a score. Akron allowed an average of 40.3 points in its first four games but cut that number down to 20 through two games in MAC play.

LINE HISTORY: Western Michigan opened as 10.5-point road favorites and by the end of the week that number was up to 12 points. The total hit the board at 68.5 and went through the roof all week to clock in at 73.5 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Broncos are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games.
* Zips are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
* Over is 9-1-1 in Broncos last 11 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
* Broncos are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers (+12.5, 57.5)

* Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts continues to impress and has accounted for 14 touchdowns (nine passing, five rushing) while being intercepted just twice. Sophomore running Damien Harris (team-leading 478 rushing yards, 8.7 yards per carry) and freshman running back Joshua Jacobs (307 yards, 8.3 average) are running through big holes, while sophomore receiver Calvin Ridley is getting open often with 34 receptions for 412 yards and four touchdowns. Senior strong-side linebacker Ryan Anderson (team-best 4 1/2 sacks) and senior defensive end Jonathan Allen (four sacks) are enjoying stellar campaigns and senior weak-side linebacker Reuben Foster has a team-best 37 tackles for a unit that leads the nation in rushing defense at 69.2 yards per game.

* The terrific performance from Kamara (292 rushing yards, team-best 20 receptions) came with junior leading rusher Jalen Hurd (407 yards) sidelined with undisclosed injuries and coach Butch Jones said that Hurd will play versus Alabama. Senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs has passed for 1,433 yards and accounted for 19 touchdowns (14 passing, five rushing) but his penchant for ill-advised throws - he has tossed eight interceptions - could be a problem against the opportunistic Crimson Tide. Junior strong safety Todd Kelly has a team-leading two interceptions and is tied with junior middle linebacker Colton Jumper for the team lead of 39 tackles, while junior defensive end Derek Barnett has been dominant on the line with team-leading totals of five sacks and nine tackles for losses.

LINE HISTORY: Alabama opened the week as 11.5-point road favorites over a very good Tennessee squad. By mid-week the line was all of the way up to 13 and by Friday it had settled back down slightly to 12.5. The total opened at 58 and dropped slightly to 57.5 by Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Crimson Tide are 9-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Volunteers are 7-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in Crimson Tide last 6 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
* Crimson Tide are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings in Tennessee.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons at No. 16 Florida State Seminoles (-21, 53)

* Freshman running back Cade Carney has rushed for 100 yards twice in the three games he was not sidelined by knee injury, including 104 last Saturday versus Syracuse, to support sophomore Matt Colburn (361 yards). Wolford has thrown for 826 yards, completing 57.2 percent of his passes, and rushed for another 276 – 94 in the win against the Orange. The defense is led by senior safety Ryan Janvion (309 career tackles) and senior linebacker Marquel Lee, who registered a career-high 15 tackles with two sacks last time out.

* Cook got off to a slow start, but has worked his way to first in the nation with 1,130 yards from scrimmage -- 785 and seven touchdowns on the ground. Freshman quarterback Deondre Francois continues to impress while taking punishment, completing 63 percent of his passes for nine scores with two interceptions and running for 150 yards. Senior end DeMarcus Walker continues to lead the defense with eight tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, but the Seminoles have lost senior safety Nate Andrews for the season due to a torn pectoral.

LINE HISTORY: Florida State opened as 22.5-point faves and by Friday afternoon the spread was down to -21. The total opened at 53, went up to 54 during the week, and dropped back to the opening number of 53 on Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Demon Deacons are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Seminoles are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games on grass.
* Under is 13-3 in Demon Deacons last 16 games in October.
* Home team is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

No. 9 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Indiana Hoosiers (+3, 56)

* The Cornhuskers expect to be without their best receiver in Jordan Westerkamp (back), top tight end Cethan Carter (elbow) and second-leading rusher Devine Ozigbo (ankle), while quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. (ankle) spent last week in a walking boot and could be limited as a runner. Nebraska did get some good news on the injury front, however, as leading receiver Alonzo Moore recovered more quickly than expected from a shoulder injury and is expected to play after sitting out in the team's Oct. 1 win over Illinois. Terrell Newby put the Cornhuskers on his back late in that same game, touching the ball on 18 of the team's final 21 plays and piling up 118 of his season-high 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

* Richard Lagow leads the Big Ten in yards per completion (15.7, sixth nationally), yards per attempt (9.4, seventh), passing yards per game (292, 21st) and passing yards (1,460, 26th), although he has thrown for as many touchdowns as interceptions (seven) over his last three games. Devine Redding has yet to score a touchdown despite logging 105 carries, but the junior running back and 1,000-yard rusher from a season ago ranks fourth in the conference in rushing (491). Big-play sophomore wideout Nick Westbrook, who leads the team with 20 catches, 437 yards receiving and four touchdowns, is the only player in the Big Ten and one of eight players in the nation with at least two receptions of 70-plus yards.

LINE HISTORY: Nebraska opened as 6.5-point road favorites and the public was on Indiana all week. Books adjusted the line down all week and on Friday afternoon the Huskers were down to 3-point faves. The total began the week at 55.5 and by Friday was stiing at 56. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Cornhuskers are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 road games.
* Hoosiers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
* Under is 5-1 in Cornhuskers last 6 games on fieldturf.
* Over is 10-1 in Hoosiers last 11 games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.

North Carolina Tar Heels at No. 17 Miami Hurricanes (-7, 64.5)

* While Fedora didn't use the weather as an excuse, the conditions were far from ideal for an attack that is still averaging 299.8 yards passing despite Trubisky managing only 58 yards against the Hokies. The junior has no shortage of productive receivers, led by Ryan Switzer (49 catches, 98.2 yards per game, 1 touchdown), Austin Proehl (20, 46.0 yards, 1 TD) and Bug Howard (19, 45.3 yards, 3 TDs); he should also benefit from the return of tailback Elijah Hood (338 yards, 4 TDs) and guard Caleb Patterson. The defense has received solid play from safety Donnie Miles, linebacker Andrew Smith and Malik Carney up front, but injuries are an issue for a unit that is ranked 88th in total defense (421.6 yards per game) and has zero interceptions.

* Quarterback Brad Kaaya (229.8 yards per game, 10 TDs) threw a pair of touchdown passes against FSU to senior wide receiver Stacy Coley (22 receptions, 13.2 yards, 6 TDs) - including a clutch fourth-down connection prior to the botched extra point - but the junior also threw a costly interception in the end zone that turned the game's momentum. The offensive line needs to bounce back from a poor game in which it allowed three sacks and didn't fare well in opening holes for Walton (448 yards, 8 TDs) and Joe Yearby (363 yards, 5 TDs). Led by freshman linebackers Michael Pinckney and Shaquille Quarterman, the defense showed toughness despite giving up 20 points to FSU and still ranks near the top nationally in numerous defensive categories.

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened the betting week as seven-point favorites and on Friday afternoon they were still at -7...but the week was anything but quiet. On Monday the spread dropped to -6.5, Tuesday morning it jumped up to -7.5, Wednesday morning Miami peaked at -8.5, and for the rest of the week there was a slow tumble back to -7. The total hit the betting board at 64.5 and didn't move all week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Tar Heels are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
* Hurricanes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
* Under is 9-1 in Tar Heels last 10 games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Home team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

Kansas Jayhawks at No. 8 Baylor Bears (-34.5, 67)

* The loss to TCU was the 14th consecutive conference defeat for the Jayhawks who held the normally potent Horned Frogs offense to just 366 yards while forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Willis, who came off the bench in the first four games behind junior Montell Cozart, made his first start of the season against TCU and completed 31-of-45 passes for 348 yards and also ran 21 yards for a touchdown but was intercepted three times. The Jayhawks had two wide receivers go over the 100-yard mark, LaQuvionte Gonzalez (8 catches for 131 yards) and Steven Sims Jr. (9 catches for 101 yards) while sophomore running back Taylor Martin added 62 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

* While not putting up the record-breaking numbers of the past three season, the Bears have nothing to apologize for offensively, rushing for 469 yards in the win at Iowa State -- fifth best for a game in program history -- and ranking 13th in the FBS in scoring with an average of 42.6 points. Quarterback Seth Russell has completed 92-of-155 passes for 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns while running back Shock Linwood, who had 237 yards and a TD at Iowa State, needs only 84 yards to become the seventh Big 12 rusher with 4,000 career rushing yards. The defense is led by junior defensive end K.J. Smith (28 tackles, 2.5 sacks), linebacker Taylor Young (40 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss) and strong safety Orion Stewart, who had six tackles and a pass breakup at Iowa State.

LINE HISTORY: Baylor opened as massive 34-point home favorites and by the end of the week that line crept even higher up to -34.5. The total opened at 67 and didn't move all week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Jayhawks are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games following a bye week.
* Bears are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in Jayhawks last 7 games on grass.
* Over is 8-2-1 in Bears last 11 games following a bye week.

No. 19 Virginia Tech Hokies at Syracuse Orange (+19.5, 68)

* The Hokies' pass defense is one of their strengths as the unit ranks second in the nation in yards allowed per game (132.2). Virginia Tech's defense has allowed a point in only three of the last 12 quarters and is giving up 237.6 yards per game, good for third best in the nation. Evans enters the weekend with 15 touchdowns and one interception - the best ratio among FBS quarterbacks - and also is the team's second-leading rusher with 258 yards on the ground.

* The Orange have received solid play from Eric Dungey, who ranks second in the league in passing yards per game (314.3), and wideout Amba Etta-Tawo, who leads the conference in receptions (51). On the other hand, Syracuse ranks last in the league in both scoring defense (36 points) and total defense (475.2 yards). Dungey has five of the team's seven rushing touchdowns, while Dontae Strickland (343 yards) is the Orange's top threat in the running game.

LINE HISTORY: Virginia Tech opened the week as 18.5-point road favorites and, although they peaked at 20.5 on Thursday, they are listed as 19.5-point faves on Friday afternoon. The total started off at 65 and spiked to 68 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Hokies are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
* Orange are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games on fieldturf.
* Under is 5-0 in Hokies last 5 road games
* Under is 4-0 in Orange last 4 games following a straight up loss.

Missouri Tigers at No. 14 Florida Gators (-13.5, 50.5)

* The Tigers boast the SEC’s top passing offense at 350.6 yards per game, as quarterback Drew Lock and receiver J’Mon Moore have developed into one the conference’s most prolific duos. Missouri’s ground game leaves much to be desired, though, and the Tigers will have to prove they can run the ball to keep Florida’s strong pass rush honest. Missouri’s defense has not been as effective as a year ago, but the Tigers have a number of playmakers on that side of the ball, including star defensive end Charles Harris.

* The Gators lean on the SEC’s top scoring defense, as they’ve allowed just 11.6 points per game while proving particularly stingy against the pass (139.8 yards per game). Cornerback Jalen Tabor has accounted for three of Florida’s conference-best eight interceptions. The offense has been inconsistent, but the Gators hope getting quarterback Luke Del Rio back from a knee injury will help solidify the passing game.

LINE HISTORY: The Gators opened at -14.5 before dropping to the current number of -13.5 early in the betting week. The total opened at 48 and currently sits at 50.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 27-4 ATS in their last 31 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
* Gators are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Under is 7-0 in Tigers last 7 road games.
* Under is 4-1 in Gators last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.

No. 21 Utah Utes at Oregon State Beavers (+7, 40.5)

* The return of Williams, who had 75 yards on 22 carries before quitting after a 20-19 win over BYU in Week 2, could be huge for the Utes who also may get back running back Zack Moss (309 rushing yards). That should ease the pressure on junior quarterback Troy Williams, who has not thrown an interception in three Pac-12 games and has passed for 1,504 yards and seven TDs this season. The defense is led by potential NFL first round pick Lowell Lotulelei at tackle, end Hunter Dimick (5 sacks) and defensive back Marcus Williams (31 tackles, 3 interceptions).

* The Beavers rushed for 474 yards last week en route to a 47-44 overtime upset of Cal which snapped a 12-game conference losing streak. Running back Ryan Nall led the way, rushing for 221 yards on just 14 carries, just the eighth player in school history to rush for more than 200 yards in a game, while quarterback Darell Garretson, who began his career at Utah State, completed 13-of-24 passes for 85 yards and was intercepted twice. The defense held Cal quarterback Davis Webb to only 113 passing yards -- 315.6 yards below his average coming in -- and was led by cornerback Xavier Crawford (10 tackles, 3 pass breakups) and linebacker Caleb Saulo (13 tackles).

LINE HISTORY: Utah opened the betting week as 12-point road favorites and the public wanted nothing to do with that nonsense. Oregon State was bet early on often, forcing the books to steadily move that 12 down all week long - finally settling in at 7 by Friday afternoon. The total opened at 50.5 and dropped a full 10 points to 40.5 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Utes are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 road games.
* Beavers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-1 in Utes last 7 road games.
* Over is 6-0 in Beavers last 6 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.

No. 13 Mississippi Rebels at No. 22 Arkansas Razorbacks (+7.5, 67)

* Kelly has passed for 1,596 yards and 13 touchdowns and has connected with standout senior tight end Evan Engram 30 times for 479 yards and four touchdowns. The status of junior outside linebacker DeMarquis Gates (team-best 30 tackles) remains uncertain after he was suspended for a game against Memphis for a violation of team rules and Freeze said earlier this week that "it is totally up to him. He knows exactly what he has to do to be ready to play." Sophomore free safety Zedrick Woods has 29 tackles and a team-best two interceptions while junior defensive end Marquis Haynes has a team-leading three sacks.

* Allen's yardage against Alabama tied for ninth most in Razorbacks history and he has passed for 1,632 yards and a SEC-leading 15 touchdowns against just three interceptions. Sophomore running back Rawleigh Williams III has fueled the rushing attack with 605 yards and five touchdowns while junior wideout Jared Cornelius (19 receptions for a team-best 408 yards) is the third player in school history to string together three consecutive 100-yard receiving outings. Sophomore weak-side linebacker Dre Greenlaw (35 tackles) broke his right foot against Alabama and will be sidelined for more than a month and that leaves senior middle linebacker Brooks Ellis (team-leading 42 tackles) and senior defensive end Deatrich Wise (three sacks) as the top cogs on the defensive unit.

LINE HISTORY: Ole Miss opened the week as seven-point road favorites and by Friday the point spread was up to 7.5. The total hit the board at 65.5 and was bet up to 67 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Rebels are 6-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Razorbacks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
* Under is 9-1 in Rebels last 10 games in October.
* Under is 7-1 in Razorbacks last 8 games following a straight up loss.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane at No. 12 Houston Cougars (-21, 73)

* Brewer has rushed for 434 yards in the past two contests - including a career-best 252 against Fresno State - to raise his season total to 716 yards, while Flanders has rushed for 390 yards and four touchdowns. Senior quarterback Dane Evans has passed for 1,135 yards and nine touchdowns but has been intercepted seven times and has two solid targets in Lucas (36 receptions for 508 yards and five touchdowns) and Atkinson (32 catches for 354 yards and two scores). The defense has been shaky by allowing 81 points over the last two games - both decided in overtime - and the top two players are senior middle linebacker Trent Martin (team-best 35 tackles) and junior linebacker Petera Wilson Jr. (team-leading 3 1/2 sacks).

* Junior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. has passed for 1,684 yards and 11 touchdowns against four interceptions and has produced another 272 yards and six touchdowns on the ground but he accounted for three turnovers - two interceptions and a lost fumble - in the loss to Navy. Ward has two dependable targets in junior receivers Linell Bonner (42 receptions, 556 yards, two TDs) and Steven Dunbar (30, 438, three). The Cougars allowed 306 rushing yards in the loss to Navy after holding their previous seven opponents under 100 and expect to have senior linebacker Steven Taylor (team-leading 5 1/2 sacks) back on the field after he was suspended for the Navy game due to a violation of team policy.

LINE HISTORY: The Houston Cougars opened as 20-point home favorites over the over-matched Tulsa Golden Hurricane. The spread crept up to -21 by the middle of the week and held steady at that number until Friday afternoon. The total opened at 70 and currently sits at 73. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Golden Hurricane are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games.
* Cougars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
* Over is 21-5 in Golden Hurricane last 26 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
* Road team is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at No. 25 Louisiana State Tigers (-24.5, 58)

* The Golden Eagles went into last weekend with one of the top defenses in Conference USA but allowed UTSA to pile up 532 yards, including 339 on the ground. Quarterback Nick Mullens, who threw for 591 yards in a win over Rice on Oct. 1, tried to keep Southern Miss in the game with three TD passes but was also intercepted at the goal line and lost a fumble in last week's setback. One player the Golden Eagles can count on is kicker Parker Shaunfield, who is a perfect 29-of-29 on extra points and 10-of-10 on field-goal attempts.

* The Tigers would have been without star running back Leonard Fournette had the Florida game been played, and he remains questionable with a sprained ankle. The offense looked just fine without Fournette against Missouri on Oct. 1 as Ensminger oversaw an offense that piled up 634 yards - the most ever for the Tigers against an SEC foe. Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams each rushed for three scores in the win and LSU totaled 418 yards on the ground to take some of the pressure off quarterback Danny Etling.

LINE HISTORY: LSU hit the board as 24-point favorites and by Friday afternoon that number was up to -24.5. The total started off at 57 and entered the weekend at 58. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Golden Eagles are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games in October.
* Over is 4-1 in Golden Eagles last 5 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Under is 5-0 in Tigers last 5 home games.

No. 24 Arizona State Sun Devils at Colorado Buffaloes (-12, 62)

* The Sun Devils bounced back from a 41-20 loss to USC to knock off visiting UCLA 23-20 last week behind a stifling run defense (the Bruins finished with a minus-1 yard rushing). White and Sterling-Cole, however, combined for only 182 yards of total offense and tossed an interception apiece in the contest, so the return of the dual-threat Wilkins (1,233 passing yards, 254 rushing on the season) would obviously be a huge boon. Defensively, Arizona State ranks fifth nationally with 89.3 rushing yards allowed per game, but despite the presence of Pac-12 sacks leader Koron Crump (5.0), the Sun Devils own the FBS’ worst passing defense with 404.3 yards surrendered per outing.

* Despite forcing four turnovers, the Buffaloes fell late to USC (21-17) last week and made their first stay in the top-25 rankings a short one. After accumulating 789 yards of total offense and accounting for seven TDs in back-to-back wins over Oregon and Oregon State, Montez was limited to 223 yards and one score in the game as Colorado was held under 28 points for the first time this season. The Buffaloes, though, have taken great strides on both sides of the ball and rank in the top 25 nationally in both total offense (17th with 504.4 yards per game) and defense (23rd with 331.8 yards).

LINE HISTORY: The unranked Colorado Buffaloes opened as 13-point home faves against the No. 24 Arizona State Sun Devils and on Thursday the books adjusted that number down to -12. The total opened at 62, dropped as low as 60, and returned to the opening number of 62 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Sun Devils are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Buffaloes are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Over is 7-1 in Sun Devils last 8 games following a straight up win.
* Sun Devils are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.

No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers (+10.5, 44)

* Defense is the calling card for the Badgers, who led the nation in points allowed last season (13.7) and have improved that mark to 12.2 in 2016. They have allowed only five offensive touchdowns in five games, thanks in large part to linebacker T.J. Watt (5.5 sacks) and cornerback Derrick Tindal (three interceptions, five pass breakups). Among the issues for Wisconsin in the loss to Michigan was the play of quarterback Alex Hornibrook (9-of-25, 88 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions) and a rushing attack that averaged 2.5 yards per attempt.

* Where to begin with the Buckeyes, who rank second in the nation in scoring defense (10.8 ) and third in points per game (53.2). Offensively, quarterback J.T. Barrett enters this one having accounted for 86 career touchdowns - two shy of the school record, held by Braxton Miller - and Mike Weber owns a league-best rushing average of 113.2 yards per game. On the defensive side, Ohio State has not given up a rushing touchdown and has forced 12 turnovers, including 10 interceptions.

LINE HISTORY: The Buckeyes opened the betting week as 10.5-point road favorites and on Friday afternoon that number was the same as the opening figure. The total hit the betting board at 45 and dropped slightly to 44 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Buckeyes are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Badgers are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games following a bye week.
* Under is 7-1 in Buckeyes last 8 conference games.
* Under is 7-1 in Badgers last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-0-1 in the last 7 meetings in Wisconsin.

Colorado State Rams at No. 15 Boise State Broncos (-28.5, 58.5)

* Junior Nick Stevens has regained the starting quarterback position he lost after a poor season-opening performance but he was solid last season when he passed for 2,679 yards and 21 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Junior receiver Michael Gallup has 26 catches for 394 yards and three scores while junior running back Dalyn Dawkins has a team-leading 328 rushing yards after rushing for 125 against Utah State. The defense is led by senior weak-side linebacker Kevin Davis, who has a team-leading 58 tackles and was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after recovering a fumble and recording the game-clinching interception against Utah State.

* Rypien has passed for 1,415 yards and 11 touchdowns and junior running back Jeremy McNichols has also stood out with a team-best 558 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns (nine rushing, three receiving). Sperbeck has 33 receptions for 629 touchdowns and five touchdowns and he has 2,958 career receiving yards, third in school history behind Titus Young (3,063 from 2007-10) and Matt Miller (3,049 from 2011-14). Senior defensive end Sam McCaskill leads the Broncos with 9 1/2 tackles for losses and stands second with five sacks while sophomore nose tackle David Moa also has been superb with a team-best 5 1/2 sacks.

LINE HISTORY: Boise State opened at -29, immediately jumped up to -31, but settled back down to -28.5 by Friday afternoon. The total opened at 58.5 and closed out the week at 58.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Rams are 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Broncos are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 home games.
* Under is 4-0 in Rams last 4 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Under is 8-1 in Broncos last 9 home games.