Strike Point Sports
Take Western Michigan +1 over Indiana
For the second straight weekend to begin the season, the Broncos find themselves on the road against a Big Ten team. And while the first go-round didn't fair so well in Ann Arbor against Michigan, this match-up bodes well for the MAC rep. Indiana is, well, let's just say far less capable than the Maize and Blue. The Hoosiers had to grind out a victory in their opening against lowly Eastern Kentucky, and I think that's the kind of year it will be in Bloomington. Broncos quarterback Tim Hiller is the player to watch and will be the best player on the field this Saturday. Not his best effort in the Big House, but his 36 TDs and 3,700+ yards last season shows he is one of the better gunslingers in the country. WMU bounces back with a victory over Indiana, led by their senior signal caller.
DAVE COKIN
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
MISSISSIPPI STATE / AUBURN
TAKE: AUBURN
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Both Mississippi State and Auburn delivered solid opening week wins. But I thought the Tigers were more impressive as they broke open a close game and blew out a decent Louisiana Tech squad with a huge third quarter. Auburn had a miserable 2008, but this has been a powerhouse program and I believe they're now stronger than they're stronger than most people believe. As for Mississippi State, they're not. The Bulldogs won against a 1-AA team last week, and benefited from three very short drives off opponent errors. I see this game being lopsided and will side with Auburn minus the points.
Game Time Sports Advisors
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
East Carolina vs. West Virginia
Play: East Carolina +6.5
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Skip Holtz bunch is on a cash producing 15-4 ATS run as road dogs. We had the Pirates last year in this same match-up. West Va is just 1-3 in this series. With 16 returning starters, ECU won't be intimidated heading into Morgantown.
Jeff Scott Sports
5 UNIT UNDERDOG PLAY OF THE MONTH
SAN JOSE STATE +13.5 over Utah: The Utes are not the same team as last year and they lost a ton of talent. The Spartans just got whacked by USC, but may have acctually been looking ahead to this one. San Jose is a team on the rire and are 3-1 ATS vs ranked foes since 2000. Look for the outright upset here.
4 UNIT PLAYS
East Carolina +6 over WEST VIRGINIA: The Pirates beat WVA last year and they may be a better squad this time around. The pirates are also 15-2 ATs as road dogs of 6 or more. Outright upset by the better team here.
SMU +12 over UAB: Way too many points for 2 teams that are equal on talent. Ponies keep it close.
3 UNIT PLAYS
Teaser Of The Week (1-0 So far)
3 team 10 Point Teaser--- Fresno State +18.5, Boise State -26.5 & San Jose State +23.5
SOUTHERN MISS -15 over UCF: The Golden Eagles are the class of Conf USA this year and should have no problems with a UCF squad that struggled vs Samford last week.
Washington State +2 over Hawaii
2 UNIT PLAYS
Fresno State +8.5 over WISCONSIN: Bulldogs are 15-3 ATS as non conf dogs of 5 or more. Pat Hill will have his team ready.
Georgia/ South Carolina Under 38: I see a baseball score in this one.
Pittsburgh -10.5 over BUFFALO
1 UNIT PLAYS
ARMY -2.5 over Duke
Houston +15.5 over OKLAHOMA STATE
North Carolina -4 over UCONN
Bettorsworld
2* South Carolina +7* over Georgia - There was a move yesterday on this game across the board which saw some straight 6's show up, but then shortly after, there was a move right back to 7. So it looks like we have some fairly balanced action as far as "sharp" play goes on this game. Hard to pass up getting a touchdown in a game like this. These two have played some defensive battles over the years and all signs point towards more of the same (11 straight games in this series have gone under). Last year was a 7 point game. 2007 was a 4 point game. A 2 point game in 2005 and a 4 point game in 2004. Get the picture? Losing Stafford and Moreno is HUGE. That's an NFL QB/RB combo that you can't replace. Joe Cox has looked terrible and word out of Georgia is that he has an injured shoulder. Here's a quote - Coach Mark Richt said Thursday that Cox skips one day of throwing during the week — Wednesdays — and ESPN quoted Cox on Friday as saying that is because of “nerve problems caused by a muscle that protects my rotator cuff. One of the muscles that protects the rotator cuff has wasted away, and that puts pressure on the rotator cuff.”
South Carolina may not return as many starters from a year ago as Georgia, but they didn't lose anyone with the talent of Stafford and Moreno. Even with those two a year ago, South Carolina held Georgia to 250 yards of offense and has also only allowed 1 td in the last two games against them. We're a little concerned with the South Carolina offense which is what keeps this from being a higher rated play. Spurrier teams at South Carolina always seem to struggle offensively early in the year. But the talent level and the series history suggest this one can go either way, so we'll bite and take the touchdown. 2* South Carolina +7
2* Ohio State +7 over USC - As hard as it might be for Big 10 and Buckeye fans to admit, Ohio State, in this era, will never be as good as USC. Nor will any Big 10 team. It's simply a different class of athlete across the board at USC than at most other schools with very few exceptions (Florida). USC has NFL caliber talent 2 and 3 deep at some positions. Ohio State does not. There's no better example of the Big 10's talent level than the two back to back BCS Title games that Ohio State lost, in 2006 and 2007. We're not here to bash Ohio State or the Big 10. We love Big 10 football. But as the saying goes, "it is what it is".
Having said that, that doesn't mean Ohio State is necessarily a bad bet, in certain situations, against the likes of the Trojans. The better team doesn't always win in college football. College Football is unique as far as the situations that present themselves. Situations that can lift a good team over a better team. This may be one such spot for the Buckeyes this week. Let's take a look.
Let's start with the "look ahead". It's a classic handicapping angle. A team is so excited about a game that's a week or two away that they overlook a current opponent and look mediocre. In that situation, we always get a little extra value in the line. The betting public assumes the team that looked mediocre last week, is just that, mediocre. When the team they are playing this week, looked like world beaters the previous week, that also adds to the public perception of the game.
Make no mistake about it. Ohio State was looking ahead to USC last week when they took the field against Navy. You can be sure that Ohio State has been preparing for USC since spring practice. Heck, you can be sure that many coaches and players were looking ahead to USC since early last season when USC whipped Ohio State 35-3. That's where our next angle comes in, revenge.
Revenge can be powerful in college football providing you have the right circumstances. If USC beats San Jose, and they play next year, well, there is likely not much San Jose can do about it. However, when two elite programs meet like Ohio State and USC, we have a different story. Athletes at any level want another crack at an opponent that defeated them, especially when the defeat was humiliating.
If revenge isn't enough, how about a little added motivation. They don't play too many night games in Columbus. But in the games they do play at night, the Buckeyes have a 6-2 record, (although they have lost the last two). With the night game comes a National TV audience. The fans and the players are amped twice as much as they usually are. A chance for revenge against #3 ranked USC and a chance for the Buckeyes to take a leap up in the rankings. The adrenalin alone can keep things close.
Ohio State is 39-4 at home since 2003. Tressel has been knocked for choking in big games, and rightly so, but he is also 24-1 against non conference opponents at home. The Buckeyes get to go against a Freshman Quarterback in Matt Barkley. Between the 105,000 rabid fans and that veteran Ohio State offensive line, expect the kid to at least struggle a bit. Also expect USC to try and pound the ball after having watched Navy run through the Buckeyes like Swiss Cheese last week.
We'll make a 2* play on Ohio State +7. We'll also offer opinions on Ohio State +1/2 in the first quarter, Ohio State +3.5 in the first half, and under 23 for the first half.
Tony Karpinski
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Air Force vs. Minnesota U
Play: Minnesota U -3.5
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
This game has been moved to a 7pm ET kickoff under the lights and emotions will be at a fever pitch Saturday evening as the Gophers will open their brand new on-campus stadium against the visiting Falcons. Minnesota will own a stern talent edge in this contest, while head coach Tim Brewster has done a fine job in the recruiting department. They own balance on offense with experienced quarterback Adam Weber and key cog wide receiver Eric Decker, while also owning capable runners in the backfield. Last week’s game on the road at Syracuse was rough at times but time will be needed to work through the complex offense of coordinator Jedd Fisch.The Gophers also have the depth advantage on defense and the team speed needed to help shut down Air Force’s ground game. Look for Gophers to strike early and often in a dominating home victory in convincing fashion.
John Ryan
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
TCU vs. Virginia
Play: Virginia +11
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Ai Simulator 3* graded play on Virginia as they face TCU set to start at 3:30 EST. AiS shows a 68% probability that UVA will lose this game by 11 or fewer points. UVA lost their last home game last season and that actually places them into a solid situation to possibly win their home opener this season – at least cover. UVA HC Groh is a solid 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) off a home loss. Supporting this graded play is a system that has gone 19-8 for 70% winners on the money line since 1992. Play against a road team versus the money line in the first month of the season and after closing out last season strong with 2 or more straight wins + with just 5 defensive starters returning. The average play has been +154. UVA has their starting QB returning and the following systems shows how important that is to a team looking to improve on a poor offensive season. Play on dogs of 6 to 11.5 points versus the first half line that is a poor offensive team from last season scoring 17 or less points/game, but with an experienced QB returning as starter. UVA is the play.
Wunderdog Sports
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Syracuse vs. Penn State
Play: Penn State -28.5
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
At 80-years-old, Joe Pa was said to have seen the game pass him by. Looking at an 11-1 regular season a year ago and a team returning capable of doing the same, it looks like business as usual at Penn State. The Nittany Lions ran to a 31-0 halftime lead a week ago vs. Akron, and held the Zips to just eight first downs. They allowed just 28 rushing yards on 30 carries. This one will see even more intensity, as these schools are in close proximity to each other and battle each other off the field for recruits. I'd expect starters to log more minutes here to get ready for a full game, and the intensity level showing no let up. Last year, Penn State was 27.5 point favorites on the road and won by 42 in week three. Not much has changed in the overall strength and weaknesses of these teams, and the line is similar to last year, but they are at home. Coach Paterno’s teams are not afraid to roll it up as heavy chalk coming in with a 9-3 ATS mark as a favorite of -17.5 plus in their last 12 such games. Penn State can name the score here, and I think Joe Pa names this one big. Penn State is 80-28 ATS over the past 17 years when they score 28+ points in a game and they will reach that figure here. I’m on Penn State in a blowout.
Rob Vinciletti
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pittsburgh U vs. Buffalo U
Play: Pittsburgh U -10.5
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
The system club plays stand at 9-5 going back to last year. What we want to do in this game is play against home teams like Buffalo that are coming off road dog wins at +10 or more in their last game. When these over achieving home teams are dogs or favored by 3 or less they are just 25-67 against the spread in their next game. Pittsburgh brings back most of last years including 7 returning starters on both sides on the ball and 51 lettermen. On offense the Panthers will be hard to stop with senior QB Bill Stull and his top three targets from last year.Take Pittsburgh as the system club play.
Freddy Wills
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Air Force vs. Minnesota U
Play: Air Force +3.5
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Going with Air Force on Saturday in a match up that will take place in Minnesota's new home which is state of the art. Why am I on Air Force if Minnesota is going to be pumped up for this one? Well for one thing just because you are supposed to win a game does not mean you are going to.. we have all learned that many times! In this game I believe Minnesota will struggle with the triple option that Air Force runs and they might be already looking ahead to California who they face next. Air Force did put up 72 points against Nichols State, but none the less it was a tune up and Minnesota looked bad against Syracuse and should have lost the game. Paulus looked very mobile against the Minnesota front line, and if they can't make Paulus look bad then I believe Tim Jefferson will have a field day and do whatever he wants although he does not pass much. I like Air Force to be able to run the ball well which is what happens in the triple option when you have a team that is over aggressive and with the adrenalin in for Minnesota because of it being the first game in their new stadium look for Air Force to quiet the crowd once again early. Air Force is 16-8 ATS in their last 2 years under Calhoun.
Bob Wingerter
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
South Carolina vs. Georgia
Play: South Carolina +7
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Only 10 points against Oklahoma State’s defense? Not good. Georgia’s star left tackle, Trinton Sturdivant, was out for the year with a knee injury and the Cox kid at quarterback now has a lot of pressure on him playing on his home field, against a better defense. The Georgia o-line is moving players around, they have freshmen receivers, and head coach Mark Richt is having nightmares about having watched tape of South Carolina’s defensive stalwarts LB Norwood and DE Matthews, particularly their backside pursuit – and we don’t mean after hours in the girls' dorm. “Those two guys in particular are tremendous. Norwood I believe is going to break their school record (for sacks) and Matthews if he sticks around long enough will break the record after Norwood goes,” Richt said. “It is going to create an issue for us. Hopefully we won’t be in a bunch of third-and-long where we have to have a lot of drop back. Hopefully we’ll be able to pass when we want to and not when we have to.” He might be hoping against hope. South Carolina sacked NC State’s QB Russell Wilson six times, and Wilson is more mobile than Cox. South Carolina has a new defensive coordinator this season, and Georgia might be sleeping on Ellis Johnson since they didn’t face the Arkansas team he was hiding out on the last two seasons. South Carolina’s two extra days of preparation for an opponent that played on the road last Saturday sure can’t hurt. TAKE SOUTH CAROLINA PLUS HERE.
Tommy Gill
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Utah -13.5
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
I was not sure what Utah was going to bring back from last season losing a lot of their skill position players. They looked very solid offensively in their first game putting up 519 yards of offense. San Jose State got their teeth kicked in by USC after their 3-0 lead in to the 2nd quarter losing 56-3. Now I know Utah is not USC by Utah has better skill players than San Jose State does. San Jose State only averaged 18 points a game last year with their defense keeping them in games. Now Utah should be able to do some damage against them through the air and on the ground and with San Jose St having problems in scoring I see Utah covering the spread and I dont believe they will look ahead to Oregon next week because Utah always has been very solid ATS away from home. Utah is 8-3 in their lat 11 away games. They are also 25-10-1 in his last 36 non-conference games and are 4-0 when a road favorite of more than 10.5 their last 4 games. San Jose is on a 0-6 ATS run dating back to last season and 0-4 as an underdog. Even though the San Jose is 9-3 ATS their last 12 home games I see way to many advantages for Utah in this game and after their San Jose embarrassing loss and getting exploited on their defense I see Utah doing the same thing this week.
Tom Freese
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Utah at San Jose St.
Prediction: Utah
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Utah is 25-10-1 ATS their last 36 Non-Conference games and they are 36-15-2 ATS off a win. The Utes are 8-3 ATS their last 11 road games and they are 7-1-1 ATS after passing for more than 280 yards in their last game. San Jose St. is 2-5 ATS their last 7 games vs. winning teams and they are 0-6 ATS off a loss by 20 or more points. The Spartans are 0-5 ATS their last 5 games after allowing 450 or more yards in their last game. PLAY ON UTAH -
Marc Lawrence
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Fresno St. at Wisconsin
Prediction: Fresno St.
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
The Bulldogs travel to Madison to meet the Badgers in Game Two of the season with revenge on their minds from a 13-10 home loss last year. The last time Fresno played on this field they dropped a 23-21 decision in 2002 as these two teams tend to play it close to the vest in this series. With Fresno 5-0 ATS as underdogs in their first lined game of the season and 15-3 ATS as a non-conference dog of more than 5 points, look for Wisconsin to drop to 11-16 ATS at home off a home game here today. Bulldogs in the upset!
Lee Kostroski
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Iowa @ Iowa St.
PICK: Iowa St. +6.5
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
In what is usually a low scoring battle, we’ll side with the home dog. New ISU head coach Paul Rhodes, formerly the defensive coordinator at Pitt & Auburn, is looking to make a statement early and this is his chance. He has most of his offense back in tact including QB Austen Arnaud who threw for over 2700 yards and rushed for nearly 500 in 2008. New offensive coordinator Tom Herman turned around the offense at Rice the last two years and will have some nice parts to work with here. ISU didn’t show much on offense in last week’s 34-17 win over North Dakota State. They’ll open it up much more in this one including some 5 wide receiver sets which gave Iowa problem last week vs. Northern Iowa. The Cyclone defense was porous last year, however Rhodes has proven he can coach with the best of them on that side of the ball.
Iowa loses their key offensive performer as RB Shonn Greene who barreled his way to nearly 1900 yards on the ground last year has moved on to the Steelers. His replacement, Jewel Hampton, was injured in camp and is out for the year. Kirk Ferentz has been worried about Iowa’s ability to run the ball this year and those fears were emphasized last week when they put up only 87 yards on the ground (just 2.8 per carry) at home vs. Division 1AA Northern Iowa. The Hawks needed a blocked field goal as the buzzer sounded to pick up the 17-16 win in that game.
FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
This has been a defensive battle as the totals reaching just 22, 28, 44, 26 & 27 the last five years. That definitely favors the home underdog here. Keep in mind, the host has won five straight in this battle for Iowa supremacy. The Cyclones continue to be tabbed as the dog in this series and continue to cover. Iowa State has now taken the cabbage 10 of the last 11 years in this series. Our view is this, the Hawkeyes are a bit over rated coming into the season while the Cyclones should be better than a year ago. A low scoring game leads to ISU getting the cover here. The Hawkeyes win but only by 1!