College Football Louisiana Tech vs. Auburn Week 5 Picks & Predictions
By Anthony Rome
AUBURN, AL (The Spread) - After hanging on to beat Kansas State last week, No. 5 Auburn gets an easier test today when it hosts Louisiana Tech at 4:00PM ET.
LOUISIANA TECH: The Bulldogs fell to 2-2 on the year with a 30-27 loss to Northwestern State last week despite being a 23-point home favorite. Louisiana Tech is 3-1 against the spread but that loss last week was jarring. The over is 3-1 in LA Tech's games this year, which includes a perfect 3-0 mark on the road. Kenneth Dixon leads the team with 404 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, while Cody Sokol has thrown for 1,009 yards thus far.
AUBURN: The Tigers improved their record to 3-0 with their 20-14 win over Kansas State last Thursday, although Auburn failed to cover for the first time this season after being a 7-point road favorite. Despite the under 64 hitting in last week's game, the over is 2-1 in Auburn's three games this year as Cameron Artis-Payne has rushed for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Nick Marshall has also thrown for a team-high 382 yards in Auburn's first-first attack.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, Auburn is a 32-point favorite over Louisiana Tech while the over/under total is currently sitting at 61 points for tonight's game. The Tigers opened as 34-point favorites before the line was bet down, while the total opened at 61 before being bet down.
NCAA FREE PICK: Take Auburn. According to latest college football trends, the Tigers are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games following an ATS loss. They're also 11-1 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up win, 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games and 5-1 ATS in their last six non-conference games. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games versus the Tigers, 1-6 ATS in their last seven games versus a team with a winning record and 3-9 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.
2014 NCAA WEEK 5 FREE PICK: AUBURN TIGERS -32