BIG AL
Our complimentary selection for Saturday, September 1 is:
Rice +26 over Houston.
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BUSTER SPORTS
Event: (173) TEXAS at (174) MARYLAND
Sport/League: CFB
Date/Time: September 1, 2018 12PM EDT
Play: MARYLAND 13.0 (-108)
We will be on Maryland in this one as we like the Terrapins to stay within what we believe is too big a number at the time of this writing. There is a real mess going on at Maryland with the inexcusable death of Jordan McNair and at the time of this writing the suspension of HC D J Jurkin. However, issues like thes can make a team stronger and we believe that Maryland could be a real sleeper this year as they battled injuries last year that slowed them down and are now healthy. They also have a new OC Matt Canada who will act as the interim coach until the investigation is over. We love what Canada will be able to do with this offense as we see him as a top level OC in the nation. Maryland will be very motivated to win this game after beating the Longhorns last year in Texas especially with the weak schedule ahead. With a win here, they could be 4-0 heading into the Big House on October 6th. Texas should also be better this year as well with HC Tom Herman in his second year in Texas. We believe with the talent this team has they will have to be much better than the 7-6 record of last year. One reason they might have some trouble early is that they have not really cemented their QB situation. We believe QB Sam Ehlinger will start the Maryland game but they have 3 other QB’s very capable of playing, with sophomore Shane Buechele and two freshmen top recruits in quarterbacks Casey Thompson and Cameron Rising. The Texas D should be better this year as well as they have recruited well and have 6 starters back from last year. It will be interesting to see if they learned anything from last years game as Maryland ran for 263 yards. Maryland will definitely be capable of doing that again this year so we will know quite fast how far the D has come along for Texas. Overall for us, now that the line has climbed all the way to 13, we will jump in on the Terrapins, as we believe no matter what happens regarding the internal situation at Maryland that this is just way too many points. So lets get the job done with the Maryland Terrapins as your free play for September 1st in CFB.
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VEGAS SYNERGY
Event: (163) MASSACHUSETTS at (164) BOSTON COLLEGE
Sport/League: CFB
Date/Time: September 1, 2018 1PM EDT
Play: Total Over 62.0 (-110)
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TONY FINN
Event: (181) SMU at (182) NORTH TEXAS
Sport/League: CFB
Date/Time: September 1, 2018 7PM EDT
Play: NORTH TEXAS -4.0 (-108)
Southern Methodist visits North Texas to kickoff the team's 2018 college football season opener. The event is schedule for a 7:30 p.m. ET start and will be played at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas. NCAAF Week #1 Preview and Free Pick: Mean Green vs Mustangs.
Game Preview
Teams: (181) SMU (0-0) at (182)North Texas (0-0)
Date and Time: Saturday, September 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Apogee Stadium, Denton, TX
Line:: North Texas -4, 72
This Lone Star State affair is projected to be one of the highest scoring games of the Week #1 college slate. This is the third consecutive season the two Texas schools will have met. The duo combined for nearly 800 passing yards in last season's 54-32 SMU win. And while most expect the scoreboard to light up again in 2018 there are differences in this year's September contest.
North Texas is expected to challenge for a Conference US title with Florida Atlantic while SMU will have to be at its best under new head coach Sonny Dykes to outperform the likes of Houston and Navy.
While high school football rules in Texas these two schools reside just 40 miles apart and the Dallas Fort Worth area is in for a gridiron treat to kick off September campus action.
SMU Mustangs
Dykes is in while Chad Morris is out at SMU. And for those fortunate enough to follow Southern Methodist football a season ago it could well be even more entertaining in 2018. The SMU offense was and still is explosive and could well be more productive this year.
Quarterback Ben Hicks is back behind center for the 'Stangs and comes off a 33-touchdown season. The junior from Waco has two years remaining and has thrown for 6,499 career yards and 52 touchdowns in his SMU career. Hicks won't have the services of receivers loses Courtland Sutton and Trey Quinn Granted who both declared for the NFL draft. Sutton and Quinn combined for nearly 60 percent of SMU’s aerial targets last year, leaving James Proche as the only other receiver with 20 receptions or more returning.
There are more than enough good targets back, the running backs can catch, and the offensive line that was good in pass protection should be solid again.
The Dykes offense spreads the ball around. Running back Braeden West is used in a multitude of schemes including working out of the slot as a receiver. He averaged 7.8 yards on his 73 rushing attempts and also caught 18 passes last season. Running backs Xavier Jones, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2017, and Ke'Mon Freeman provide a strong one-two punch. The offensive line returns four starters.
The new Mustangs defensive coaching staff have plenty of player personnel question marks. The defensive front seven lacks depth and size and the secondary was a gambling unit a season ago that allowed far too many big plays. Dykes and his assistants inherit a defense that ranked 122nd in total defense a season ago allowing 476.7 yards and 36.7 points per game. Under Morris a year ago the defense presented a 4-2-5 formation. This season under the guidance of former Northern Illinois DC Kevin Kane the unit will operate under a 4-3-4 scheme.
North Texas Mean Green
Quarterback Mason Fine threw for 4,000+ yard a season ago and the offense returns most of their key pieces including four starters on the front line. In Seth Littrell's second season in Denton the Green ranked as the 24th in offensive scoring, a big step forward from the school's 117th in 2016. With Fine more confident and experienced in combination with a talented and battle tested receiving corps and a pair of talented running back the Mean Green are in position to outscore the best in C-USA this season.
Any improvement from the Mean Green 2017 defense and Littrell's squad will be a contender on each and every Saturday.
The scoreboard at Apogee Stadium on Saturday night will be the second most entertaining variable in Denton. Second only to the skills of both offenses and the holes in the school's defensive units.
SMU finished 121st in the nation in total defense, and when all is said and done in these two team's season opener Dykes and his Mustangs will come up short and likely be positioned at the bottom of the FBS defensive rankings after Week #1.
Free Pick
This Week #1 college football free pick expects the Mean Green to do enough on defense to outscore the Mustangs and ready for Week #2 with a 1-0 record.
Play on the North Texas Mean Green minus the small number.
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THE PREZ
Event: (7401) Texas Longhorns
Sport/League: FUT
Date/Time: September 1, 2018 9PM EDT
Play: Season Win Total UNDER 9
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Team Underground
NCAA Football LIBERTY FLAMES +5.5
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DONNY ACTION
NCAA Football TROY TROJANS +10.5
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Worlds Worst Picker
REDS
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Vegas Hotsheet
#209 Old Dominion
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Team Underground
NCAA Football LIBERTY FLAMES +5.5
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great job as always shazman. if you could find jeff nadus picks could you please post. his twitter name is also big man on campus.he has a paid service called rightwager.com thanks for all your hard work
Tommy King Wins
NCAA Football MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD +1
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Tys Terrific Tips
NCAA Football MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN +17.5
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Monster Sports Picks
NCAA Football MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD +1
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Rocketman Sports
NCAA Football NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES +10 ‑105
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CHRIS JORDAN
Let's head to Alabama for tonight's free play, as I'm playing Boise State over Troy, in a clash of teams that both won 11 games last season.
Boise State is favored to win its division in the Mountain West Conference, and could very well find its way to a bowl game on New Year's Day. And while I know Troy upset then-No. 25 LSU last season, this Trojans team is a bit different, and will run into trouble against the Broncos, who are 7-0 against teams from the Sun Belt Conference, including road wins over Idaho (2001 and 2003) and Louisiana (2016).
Now, here's where it gets ugly for Troy, which hands the offense to Kaleb Barker, who is making his starting debut as successor to four-year starter Brandon Silvers after winning the job in preseason camp. Boise State comes into the season with one of the nation's best pass rushing groups, led by defensive ends Curtis Weaver, Durant Miles and Jabril Frazier.
That monster trio combined for 19 of Boise State's 34 sacks last season, including 11 from Weaver as a freshman.
This is an experienced defense that will cause havoc for plenty of offensive units this season. And even though it is looking to replace linebacker Leighton Vander Esch - the Mountain West defensive player of the year who is now with the Dallas Cowboys - you better believe Boise State coach Bryan Harsin will have his troops ready to make life hard on Barker.
Lay the road chalk with the Broncos.
1* BOISE STATE
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JACK BRAYMAN
My free winner is for Saturday in college football, as I like the UNLV Rebels plus the points in South Central, against the USC Trojans.
Do I think UNLV can win this game, absolutely not. Do I think the Rebels will catch USC off guard? Absolutely.
In years past, since playing under coach Tony Sanchez, the Rebels didn't play at a Power 5 school until a couple or few games into the season.
Last year it was a 54-21 rout at Ohio State. The Rebels covered the +40.5
Two years back it was a 42-21 loss at UCLA. The Rebeles covered the +27.
Three years ago it was a closer-than-the-score-indicates 28-7 setback at Michigan. UNLV covered the +34 points.
Now, with the Rebels chomping at the bit with highly touted sophomore quarterback Armani Rogers and lightning quick Lexington Thomas out of the backfield, they're going to bring their best game right off the bat. The hype and momentum this team will bring will catch a Trojans team that has failed to cover five straight non-conference games off guard. Mark my words, you're going to see the Rebels challenge into the second half.
The defense has been a question mark over the first three years of Sanchez's tenure, but he has a new coordinator in there, and the stop unit will be breathing down the neck of true freshman J.T. Daniels, who isn't that true when you consider he should have been on the field last Friday as a senior with Mater Dei High School, which incidentally was handing Sanchez's brother Kenny and the Bishop Gorman Gaels a 42-0 ass whooping in Las Vegas.
Daniels is good, but he is not unstoppable. And this is college.
UNLV, which has covered seven of 10 in September games, has something to prove, and it's really a bowl-or-bust kind of campaign for the Rebels and Sanchez.
The identity of this team will be revealed in this game, as it's all or nothing immediately. Win the game and the hopes are high. Contend and lose with pride, you have momentum for your home opener. Get blown out, and morale could be blown.
Based on the big Power 5 trips UNLV has taken under Sanchez in his first three seasons, not to mention a 6-1 ATS run on the road, I have to take the underdog Rebels for this season-opener in South Central L.A., where the Trojans have failed to cover five of their last six.
1* UNLV
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ERIC SCHROEDER
I'm drinking Seattle's Kool-Aid.
The Washington Huskies are the odds-on favorite to win the Pac 12 Conference, and they're going to make a statement with a road win at Auburn on Saturday, shocking the Tigers.
As of Monday, the line is Auburn -1 1/2, and I'm playing Washington on the moneyline.
It starts and ends with coach Chris Peterson, who has the experience to coach against quality opponents, from his days with Boise State, to his time with the Huskies, who have 54 returning lettermen. Not including specialists, 29 different Huskies have started at least one game during their career, and that helps when you're on the road against an SEC opponent.
Peterson is smart enough to try to overpower Auburn's stifling defense, and will be patient in allowing things to happen. Instead, look for him to match wits with his own stop unit. Over the last three years - Peterson arrived in 2013 - Washington’s defense has been, statistically, the best in the Pac-12 and one of the top units in the nation. The Huskies have led the Pac-12 in total defense for three years in a row, climbing the national rankings each year, culminating with a No. 8 national ranking at the end of last season.
Last year, the Huskies ranked fourth in the nation in rushing defense and fifth in the country in turnover margin. That will make a big difference, with confidence and motivation, when playing at War Eagle.
And with the right stop, at the right time, you're going to see the best one-two punch on offense in the Pac 12 go to work. Seniors Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin are arguably the most prolific quarterback-running back tandem in the nation, based on career statistics, heading into the 2018 season.
Gaskin has 4,055 career rushing yards - the most in the nation among returning FBS players, while Browning’s 9,104 career passing yards are second-most among all FBS returners, and his 78 career TD passes are tops in the nation.
Auburn can stall that duo, but it won't hold those two down the entire game.
The Huskies are the play in this game, as they roll out of Auburn with an outright win.
1* WASHINGTON MONEYLINE
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