College Football Lines On The Move
By Covers.com
Just try and find a book posting a line for Oklahoma State’s Big 12 opener at Texas A&M on Saturday.
Many have pulled the game or failed to post a line following Wednesday’s news. The Pokes will be without star receiver Dez Bryant and the status of stud running back Kendall Hunter is day-to-day for the boys from Stillwater. Bryant was ruled ineligible by the NCAA on Wednesday for not fully disclosing all the details of his interaction with an NFL player to the governing body. Bryant leads the team with 17 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns and is an NFL first-round pick in waiting.
Here's a look at some of the other noteworthy lines this week:
Louisiana Tech at Nevada: -7.5 to -11
Louisiana Tech has won two straight games. So why is 1-3 Nevada getting all the love from bettors for the team’s game on Friday night?
Bettors seem to love the Wolf Pack, who are coming off a 63-38 win over UNLV in which the squad rushed for a staggering school-record-setting rushing 559 yards. Nevada also is expected to get back injured running back Vai Taua, who gained over 1,000 yards last year, but missed last week’s game. As a result, the Wolf Pack have seen their line shift 3.5 points from -7.5 to minus-11 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Oregon at UCLA: +6.5 to +3.5
Both Oregon and UCLA would like to know the answer for their matchup on Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles.
Oregon signal caller Jeremiah Masoli has spent the week icing his leg and wearing a brace. Coach Chip Kelly said Masoli will play, but his mentor, previous Ducks coach Mike Bellotti, also once said former QB Dennis Dixon was "going to be fine” after sustaining a torn knee ligament. Meantime, UCLA expects to get back No. 1 quarterback Kevin Prince, who missed the past three weeks with a broken jaw. Betters believe in Prince, not Masoli, with the line shifting 3 points in UCLA’s favor to +3.5.
Kentucky at South Carolina: -12 to -9.5
With Kentucky coming off two straight SEC home blowouts and South Carolina fresh off a drubbing of little brother S.C. State, who’s the favorite? Good question.
The books opened up South Carolina as a 12-point favorite, but oddly, that line has fallen to just nine points. Even more mystifying, is the fact that Kentucky will be without both of its starting cornerbacks, including All-Conference player Trevard Lindley. The Gamecocks also are 4-0 ATS in their past four against the Wildcats.