The Bum's 2016 College Football Best Bets,Trends,Stat, News !!

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, September 16

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAYLOR (2 - 0) at RICE (0 - 2) - 9/16/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RICE is 72-44 ATS (+23.6 Units) in home games since 1992.
RICE is 72-44 ATS (+23.6 Units) in home lined games since 1992.
RICE is 111-83 ATS (+19.7 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
BAYLOR is 1-0 against the spread versus RICE over the last 3 seasons
BAYLOR is 1-0 straight up against RICE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARIZONA ST (2 - 0) at UTSA (1 - 1) - 9/16/2016, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARKANSAS ST (0 - 2) at UTAH ST (1 - 1) - 9/16/2016, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARKANSAS ST is 1-0 against the spread versus UTAH ST over the last 3 seasons
ARKANSAS ST is 1-0 straight up against UTAH ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, September 16

8:00 PM
BAYLOR vs. RICE
Baylor is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Baylor is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Rice's last 9 games at home
Rice is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games

9:00 PM
ARKANSAS STATE vs. UTAH STATE
Arkansas State is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Arkansas State's last 11 games
Utah State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Utah State is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games at home

9:30 PM
ARIZONA STATE vs. UTSA
Arizona State is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona State's last 5 games
UTSA is 1-5-2 ATS in its last 8 games
UTSA is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games

----------------------------------

Fri – Sept. 16

Baylor at Rice, 8:00 PM ET
Baylor: 4-7 ATS off 1 or more consecutive unders
Rice: 5-1 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of -2 or worse

Arizona State at UTSA, 9:30 PM ET
Arizona St: 5-1 ATS when the total is between 56.5 and 63
UTSA: 3-10 ATS after a game where they forced 1 or less turnovers

Arkansas State at Utah State, 9:00 PM ET
Arkansas St: 12-3 ATS in road games after being outrushed by 150 or more yards last game
Utah St: 3-12 ATS in home games after a loss by 28 or more points

----------------------------------------
Friday, September 16

Arizona State @ Utah State

Game 107-108
September 16, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona State
99.256
Utah State
62.816
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona State
by 36 1/2
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona State
by 19
60 1/2
[I][B]Dunkel Pick:
Arizona State
(-19); Over

Baylor @ Rice

Game 105-106
September 16, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baylor
103.030
Rice
76.562
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 26 1/2
61
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
30 1/2
66
Dunkel Pick:
Rice
(+30 1/2); Under

Arkansas St @ Utah State

Game 109-110
September 16, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arkansas St
76.465
Utah State
82.967
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah State
by 6 1/2
65
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah State
by 9 1/2
57
Dunkel Pick:
Arkansas St
(+9 1/2); Over

------------------------------------------

Friday’s games

Baylor (-33) hammered Rice 70-17 LY, running for 427 yards; Bears have new coach now- they are 4-0 vs spread in last four games vs Rice. Baylor ran ball for 275 yards, passed for 261 yards LW; last five years, they’re 4-9-1 as road favorites. Rice lost its first two points, giving up 46-31 points to WKU/Army. Hilltoppers threw for 552 yards, Army ran for 348. Last 5+ years, Big X teams are 16-11 vs spread vs C-USA teams, 9-5 the last 2+ years.

Arizona State beat Texas Tech 68-55 LW, running for 301 yards, throwing for 351; they also gave up 909 passing yards in two games, including 369 to I-AA Northern Arizona. ASU is 6-3 as road favorite under Graham- they open Pac-12 play with Cal next week. UTSA was outgained 328-235 in 23-14 loss at Colorado State LW. Roadrunners are 5-5 as home underdogs. Last five years, C-USA teams are 4-3 vs spread when facing a Pac-12 squad.

Utah State got hammered 45-7 at USC LW; Aggies have only three starters back on defense- they’re 12-8 in last 20 games as a home favorite. Arkansas State gave up 82 points in losing its first two games, by 21-37 points. Two years ago, Aggies (+.5) lost 21-14 in Jonesboro. Last 5+ years, Sun Belt teams are 7-4 vs spread when facing a Mountain West foe. Mountain West favorites are 2-4 vs spread; Sun Belt road underdogs are 5-3.

[StarDust Bum]

UPDATE CFB BEST BETS:

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: 0 - 2

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 62-45-3 57.94% +6690

O/U Picks 21-19-0 52,50% +580

[StarDust Bum]

CFB BEST BETS:


FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BAY at RICE 08:00 PM

RICE +31.5

U 65.5

ARST at USU 09:00 PM

ARST +9.0

O 56.0

ASU at UTSA 09:30 PM

ASU -21.0

U 59.0

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Short Sheet

Week 3

Sat – Sept. 17

E Michigan at Charlotte, 6:00 PM ET
Michigan: 4-1 ATS after allowing 50 points or more last game
Charlotte: 2-7 ATS as an underdog

W Michigan at Illinois, 4:00 PM ET
W Michigan: 11-3 ATS off 1 or more straight overs
Illinois: 12-27 ATS after allowing 6.75 or more yards/play in their previous game

E Carolina at S Carolina, 4:00 PM ET
E Carolina: 21-7 ATS as a road underdog of 7 points or less
S Carolina: 0-8 ATS when the total is between 49.5 and 56

Florida State at Louisville, 12:00 PM ET
Florida St: 0-3 ATS after scoring 37 points or more in 2 straight games
Louisville: 5-1 ATS when the line is +3 to -3

Temple at Penn State, 12:00 PM ET
Temple: 10-2 ATS in a road game where the total is between 49.5 and 52
Penn St: 1-5 ATS off a road loss

Maryland at UCF, 7:00 PM ET
Maryland: 2-8 ATS after 1 or more consecutive straight up wins
UCF: 5-2 ATS in a home game where the total is between 56.5 and 63

Virginia at Connecticut, 1:30 PM ET
Virginia: 9-1 ATS as an underdog
Connecticut: 0-7 ATS when the total is between 42.5 and 49

Iowa State at TCU, 12:00 PM ET
Iowa St: 14-29 ATS in road games after allowing 37 points or more last game
TCU: 6-0 ATS in home games after scoring 31 points or more in 2 straight games

Colorado at Michigan, 3:30 PM ET
Colorado: 12-1 OVER after scoring 50 points or more last game
Michigan: 5-15 ATS after scoring 37 points or more in 2 straight games

New Mexico at Rutgers, 12:00 PM ET
New Mexico: 41-24 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points
Rutgers: 0-8 ATS in a home game where the total is between 56.5 and 63

Middle Tenn State at Bowling Green, 12:00 PM ET
Midd Tenn St: 1-11 ATS after 2 straight games with 40 or more pass attempts
Bowling Green: 15-1 ATS after 2 consecutive games with a turnover margin of -1 or worse

FLA International at Massachusetts, 3:30 PM ET
FLA INT: 11-24 ATS after a loss by 17 or more points
Massachusetts: 1-6 ATS after gaining 225 or less total yards in their previous game

Georgia State at Wisconsin, 12:00 PM ET
Georgia St: 10-3 ATS as a road underdog
Wisconsin: 2-4 ATS after a win by 35 or more points

UNLV at C Michigan, 3:00 PM ET
UNLV: 41-70 ATS after a game where they forced 1 or less turnovers
C Michigan: 9-0 ATS in the first half of the season

Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech, 12:30 PM ET
Vanderbilt: 9-1 UNDER as an underdog
Georgia Tech: 18-7 ATS in home games after a game where they forced no turnovers

Army at UTEP, 7:00 PM ET
Army: 2-14 ATS as a road favorite
UTEP: 6-0 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive straight up losses

Florida Atlantic at Kansas St, 2:30 PM ET
Florida ATL: 7-0 UNDER in road games after a game where they committed 1 or less turnovers
Kansas St: 24-11 ATS in home games off a road loss

Fresno State at Toledo, 3:00 PM ET
Fresno St: 1-8 ATS in non-conference games
Toledo: 10-2 ATS in games played on turf

Boston College at Virginia Tech, 3:30 PM ET
Boston College: 8-1 UNDER against conference opponents
Virginia Tech: 61-39 ATS after playing a non-conference game

South Florida at Syracuse, 3:30 PM ET
S Florida: 6-0 ATS off 1 or more straight overs
Syracuse: 18-6 UNDER off a home loss by 14 or more points

San Diego State at Northern Illinois, 3:30 PM ET
S Diego St: 15-4 UNDER after gaining 275 or more rushing yards last game
N Illinois: 6-0 ATS after a game where they committed no turnovers

Western Kentucky at Miami Ohio, 3:30 PM ET
W Kentucky: 9-2 ATS as a favorite
Miami OH: 13-4 ATS in a home game where the total is between 56.5 and 63

North Texas at Florida, 7:30 PM ET
N Texas: 2-11 ATS in road games
Florida: 39-17 ATS after a 2 game home stand

Louisiana Tech at Texas Tech, 7:00 PM ET
Louisiana Tech: 11-3 OVER in the first half of the season
Texas Tech: 26-13 ATS in home games after playing a non-conference game

New Mexico State at Kentucky, 4:00 PM ET
New Mexico St: 3-12 ATS in road games off 2 or more consecutive overs
Kentucky: 33-29 ATS as a home favorite

Texas State at Arkansas, 7:30 PM ET
Texas St: 9-1 OVER in the first half of the season
Arkansas: 10-2 ATS after a playing a game where 60 total points or more were scored

Ohio at Tennessee, 12:00 PM ET
Ohio: 4-14 ATS in road games after allowing 125 or less rushing yards in 2 straight games
Tennessee: 19-7 ATS after gaining 125 or less passing yards in last game

Akron at Marshall, 12:00 PM ET
Akron: 10-2 UNDER after allowing 525 or more total yards in their previous game
Marshall: 11-2 ATS in home games after allowing 75 or less rushing yards last game

Oregon at Nebraska, 3:30 PM ET
Oregon: 31-16 ATS after a 2 game home stand
Nebraska: 24-41 ATS off a home blowout win by 28 points or more

UCLA at BYU, 10:15 PM ET
UCLA: 1-9 ATS in games played on a grass field
BYU: 11-2 ATS off an extremely close road loss by 3 points or less

Miami Florida at Appalachian State, 12:00 PM ET
Miami FL: 3-12 ATS in road games after allowing 100 or less rushing yards in 2 straight games
Appalachian St: 2-0 ATS in non-conference games

Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State, 3:30 PM ET
Pittsburgh: 9-23 ATS in road games after a 2 game home stand
Oklahoma St: 49-31 ATS as a home favorite

UL Monroe at Georgia Southern, 6:00 PM ET
UL Monroe: 14-28 ATS as a road underdog of 21.5 or more points
Georgia S: 23-10 ATS in all lined games

Old Dominion at North Carolina State, 6:00 PM ET
Old Dominion: 2-10 ATS after 1 or more consecutive straight up losses
N Carolina St: 12-2 UNDER off an upset loss as a road favorite

Troy at Southern Miss, 7:00 PM ET
Tory: 37-15 OVER in non-conference games
S Miss: 30-14 ATS after playing 2 straight non-conference games

South Alabama at UL Lafayette, 7:00 PM ET
S Alabama: 14-1 ATS in road games in the first half of the season
UL Lafayette: 11-25 ATS in home games after a game where they committed 1 or less turnovers

Kansas at Memphis, 12:00 PM ET
Kansas: 31-57 ATS as a road underdog
Memphis: 21-9 UNDER after a game where they committed 3 or more turnovers

Michigan State at Notre Dame, 7:30 PM ET
Michigan St: 0-6 ATS in non-conference games
Notre Dame: 6-0 ATS in home games in the first half of the season

Texas AM at Auburn, 7:00 PM ET
Texas AM: 1-9 ATS in road games after gaining 375 or more passing yards in last game
Auburn: 15-5 ATS after gaining 575 or more total yards in their previous game

Duke at Northwestern, 8:00 PM ET
Duke: 13-2 ATS in road games after gaining 40 or less rushing yards last game
Northwestern: 22-42 ATS as a home favorite

Ohio State at Oklahoma, 7:30 PM ET
Ohio St: 8-1 ATS after allowing 75 or less rushing yards last game
Oklahoma: 7-0 OVER in home games off a home no-cover where the team won as a favorite

Alabama at Mississippi, 3:30 PM ET
Alabama: 46-26 ATS in road games off a home win
Mississippi: 11-2 UNDER after playing a game at home

Georgia at Missouri, 7:30 PM ET
Georgia: 14-3 ATS in a road game where the total is between 52.5 and 56
Missouri: 11-24 ATS after a win by 28 or more points

Mississippi State at LSU, 7:00 PM ET
Mississippi St: 8-0 ATS after playing a game at home
LSU: 3-5 ATS after playing a non-conference game

Navy at Tulane, 7:00 PM ET
Navy: 49-20 ATS off a home win
Tulane: 31-49 ATS as a home underdog

Hawaii at Arizona, 11:00 PM ET
Hawaii: 0-6 ATS after playing their last game on the road
Arizona: 39-20 OVER after a game where they forced 3 or more turnovers

USC at Stanford, 8:00 PM ET
USC: 34-54 ATS after allowing 3 points or less in the first half last game
Stanford: 16-6 ATS in games played on a grass field

Texas at California, 10:30 PM ET
Texas: 41-22 ATS in road games after a game where they forced 1 or less turnovers
California: 7-19 ATS in home games in games played on turf

Buffalo at Nevada, 9:00 PM ET
Buffalo: 6-16 ATS after a loss by 6 or less points
Nevada: 10-2 ATS in home games after scoring 14 points or less last game

Utah at San Jose State, 10:30 PM ET
Utah: 57-34 ATS in non-conference games
San Jose State: 2-12 ATS as an underdog

Idaho at Washington State, 2:00 PM ET
Idaho: 8-21 ATS when the total is between 63.5 and 70
Washington St: 9-2 ATS when playing with 6 or less days rest

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet and odds

The Razorbacks opened as 32.5-point faves at home against Texas State. The public actually showed a bit of faith in the Bobcats and bet the line down to -30.5 by Friday afternoon.

We're on to Week 3 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.

Georgia State Panthers at No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers (-35.5, 50)

* The Panthers’ defense struggled during a 48-14 loss to Air Force last week, surrendering 531 total yards while spending 45:14 on the field. Senior wide receiver Robert Davis has 166 career receptions, nine behind the program’s all-time leader and current Kansas City Chief Albert Wilson. Offensively, Georgia State will need much more than the 27 rushing yards it mustered against Air Force to stay close with the Badgers.

* Defense has done it for the Badgers as it has allowed only one touchdown, created five turnovers and stopped 17 of 20 third-down conversions through two weeks. The return of linebacker T.J. Edwards has been a big boost, but the loss of junior cornerback and top kick returner Natrell Jamerson (leg) for at least the next month is tough news for a team that plays four Big Ten foes ranked in the top 11 before the end of October. Running back Corey Clement ran 21 times for 111 yards last week before leaving with what was deemed as a non-serious injury to his left leg late in the second quarter.

LINE HISTORY: Wisconsin opened the betting week as 34-point favorites and by Friday that line has been bet up to -35.5. The total opened at 49 and gradually bumped up to 50 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Panthers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Badgers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
* Under is 7-1 in Panthers last 8 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Badgers last 5 non-conference games.

No. 25 Miami Hurricanes at Appalachian State Mountaineers (+3.5, 51.5)

* With 17 returning starters from a team that finished 11-2 in its first season as an FBS member, the Mountaineers were expected to be good and proved that in taking then-No. 10 Tennessee to overtime before losing 20-13 in the opener on a fumble recovery in the end zone by the Vols. The defense, led by linemen Antonious Sims (seven solo tackles, three sacks) and Caleb Fuller (two sacks) along with linebackers Eric Boggs (nine tackles) and Kennan Gilchrist (eight), held Tennessee to 3 yards per carry and only 319 total yards but did allow a disappointing 5.1 yards per carry against FCS foe Old Dominion in last week's 31-7 win. Cox is the offensive focal point but the Mountaineers also have a veteran quarterback in junior Taylor Lamb who has started 25 games and thrown 49 TD passes.

* Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz promised Miami would play an attacking style, and that has been the case with the Hurricanes leading the nation with 28 tackles for loss and tied for second in sacks with 10 with freshmen linebackers Shaquille Quarterman and Michael Pinckney, who had nine tackles against Florida Atlantic, and sophomore defensive linemen R.J. McIntosh and Demetrius Jackson leading the way. Miami ranks No. 2 nationally at 8.69 yards per carry with sophomore tailback Mark Walton (271 yards, five TDs, 8.5 yards per carry) and junior Joe Yearby (224 yards, three TDs, 8.4) off to blazing starts. Kaaya is coming off one of his poorest games -- two interceptions and no scoring passes -- but his history and a talented receiving corps suggests he'll rebound from a slow start.

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened as 4.5-point road favorites but the public really seems to like App State in this spot and has bet the point spread down to 3.5. The total opned at 53.5 and has come down two full point to 51.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Hurricanes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in September.
* Mountaineers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-0 in Hurricanes last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 7-0 in Mountaineers last 7 games in September.

Ohio Bobcats at No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers (-27, 58)

* While senior quarterback Greg Windham has already thrown for 560 yards and five touchdowns this season, the Bobcats proved they can also run the ball by boasting two runners with more than 100 yards last week for the first time since 2005. Windham (146 yards, touchdown) and junior running back Dorian Brown (122) slashed through the Kansas' defense with career-high performances to lead a 329-yard rushing attack. Windham's top targets are senior wide receiver Jordan Reid (nine catches, 152 yards, two touchdowns) and sophomore running back Papi White (9-154-1).

* The Volunteers nearly had a pair of 100-yard rushers against the Hokies as junior running back Jalen Hurd rushed for 99 and averages 104.5. Junior wide receiver Josh Malone made his four catches count this season as they've gone for 127 yards and two touchdowns. The defense is led by sophomore linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. (16 tackles, 11 solo) and senior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (15, 10), who combined for 20 (15 solo) last week.

LINE HISTORY: Tennessee opened the betting week as 27.5-point home favorites and the line can come down slightly to -27. The total began the week at 56.5 and has steadily jumped in 1/2 point increments all week to settle in at 58 by Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bobcats are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 non-conference games.
* Volunteers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-0 in Bobcats last 6 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
* Over is 20-7 in Volunteers last 27 games in September.

No. 2 Florida State Seminoles at No. 10 Louisville Cardinals (pick, 67.5)

* James played near the line of scrimmage and received much of the credit for holding Jackson to only 32 yards rushing in last season's 41-21 win - a "spy" role that could fall into the lap of linebacker Matthew Thomas this time around. Junior Travis Rudolph burned Charleston Southern for seven catches, 105 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, allowing him to earn the second ACC Receiver of the Week award of his career and become the fifth Seminole to win a conference player of the week award this season. Cook tallied 192 yards from scrimmage in the opener against Ole Miss before settling for 92 in a little over two quarters last week, but he amassed 223 total yards in last year's meeting.

* Jackson set an ACC record with 610 total yards of offense last week versus the Orange and became the first player in FBS history to record over 400 yards passing (411) and 175 yards (199) in the same game, helping the Cardinals set another school record with 845 total yards. Jackson and Brandon Radcliff (156) each topped 100 yards rushing, while receivers Jamari Staples (136) and James Quick (108) each went over 100 yards receiving, giving Louisville its first pair of 100-yard rushers and 100-yard receivers in the same game. The Cardinals are averaging a FBS-best 754 yards of total offense - 138 more than Baylor's top-ranked offense from a season ago and 338 more than Louisville averaged in 2015.

LINE HISTORY: The higher ranked Florida State Seminoles opened as 3.5-point road faves but the betting public said, "Nuh uh!" and hammered the host Louisville Cardinals. By Friday morning the point spread was all the way down to a Pick. The total began the week at 65 and was taken all of the way up to 68 before settling down a half point to 67.5 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Seminoles are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Cardinals are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 5-0 in Seminoles last 5 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Cardinals last 7 games overall.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 17 Mississippi Rebels (+11, 54.5)

* Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts still hasn't been declared the starting quarterback over redshirt freshman Blake Barnett but it is heading in that direction after Hurts passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns in last Saturday's victory over Western Kentucky. "I know you all are going to ask me about the quarterbacks, but we are going to continue to work with both of the quarterbacks," Saban said. "We have to try to get them better. Jalen, obviously, played the most in the game and there are things he could do better and there are things he did very well." Senior defensive end Jonathan Allen (three sacks) has been superb while senior safety Eddie Jackson (one interception) and sophomore cornerback Marlon Humphrey (one interception, one forced fumble) will be key figures against the Rebels' passing attack.

* Senior quarterback Chad Kelly passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns while fueling last season's win at Alabama and he has thrown for 532 yards and seven touchdowns in this season's first two games. Senior tight end Evan Engram, who has caught 11 passes for 164 yards, claimed he isn't the least bit concerned about playing the Crimson Tide, saying "we love opportunities and we know what's at stake with this game. I just have a confidence about it." Senior standout safety Tony Conner is shaking off the rust -- the NFL prospect suffered a season-ending knee injury against Alabama last season and is still rounding into top form.

LINE HISTORY: Alabama opened as 9.5-point favorites in this SEC showdown and by late in the week they had been bet all of the way up to 11-point faves. The total opened at 54.5 and has been steady for the entire week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Crimson Tide are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Rebels are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Under is 7-0 in Rebels last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.

Colorado Buffaloes at No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (-19, 56)

* Senior quarterback Sefo Liufau went 15-of-18 for 204 yards and two touchdowns in two quarters of action against Idaho State before he was rested for the second half with the Buffaloes up 42-0. Center Alex Kelley and linebacker Derek McCartney both missed the win against Idaho State but are expected to return in time to make the trip to Michigan. The Buffaloes poked fun at Michigan's refusal to provide a depth chart by creating their own, listing pop culture characters such as Elmer Fudd at quarterback, Eric Cartman at left tackle and Happy Gilmore as the punter.

* Wilton Speight was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after completing 25-of-37 passes for 312 and four touchdowns in his second career start. All-American cornerback Jourdan Lewis missed his second straight game due to a muscle strain but is expected to return against the Buffaloes while defensive ends Taco Charlton (ankle) and Bryan Mone (knee) will be sidelined at least for another game. "We've got a few guys working through some things," Harbaugh told reporters. "Other than that we've got a team that came out of the past ballgame with no injuries ... so I believe the callous of the football team is being built and hardened."

LINE HISTORY: The Wolverines opened as big 19-point home favorites. During the week the point spread inflated as high as 20.5 before settling back down to the original opening figure of -19. The total hit the betting board at 57 and came down a point to 56. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Buffaloes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Wolverines are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 vs. Pac-12.
* Under is 5-1 in Buffaloes last 6 games overall.
* Over is 10-1 in Wolverines last 11 games overall.

No. 21 Oregon Ducks at Nebraska Cornhuskers (-3.5, 73)

* The Ducks appear well on their way to fielding at least one 1,000-yard runner for a FBS-best 10th straight season as Royce Freeman ranks eighth in the country with 294 yards rushing - 9.2 yards per carry - while scoring twice in each game. With 39 rushing touchdowns and 3,495 rushing yards in his career, the junior needs only two more rushing scores and 129 yards to move into second place in school history in both categories. Montana State graduate transfer Dakota Prukop has thrown for three touchdowns in both of his starts, extending the Ducks' FBS record with at least one touchdown pass to a FBS-record 82 straight games.

* One game after attempting only 10 throws, Tommy Armstrong Jr. unleashed 34 attempts for 377 yards - four shy of his personal best - and three touchdowns to give him a school-record 57 TD passes for his career. Jordan Westerkamp (105) and Alonzo Moore (109) each topped 100 yards receiving versus the Cowboys, marking only the third time in school history a pair of Nebraska wideouts accomplished the feat in the same game - Westerkamp has been a part of all three, which have occurred over the past three seasons. Safety Nate Gerry was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after returning from his one-game suspension to intercept two passes and record a team-high seven versus Wyoming.

LINE HISTORY: The upstart Nebraska Cornhuskers opened the betting week as 2.5-point favorites over the visiting Oregon Ducks. By the end of the week the Huskers had been bet all the way up to 3.5-point faves. The total opened at 73 and hasn't moved off that number. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 22-5 ATS in their last 27 road games.
* Cornhuskers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-1 in Ducks last 6 games overall.
* Over is 8-2 in Cornhuskers last 10 non-conference games.

No. 20 Texas Aggies A&M at Auburn Tigers (-3, 54.5)

* Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight (583 passing yards, four touchdowns) is second in the SEC in passing and is tied for the league lead with three rushing TDs. Oklahoma transfer Keith Ford (team-high 63.5 yards) also has three rushing TDs for Texas A&M, which is averaging 49 points. Christian Kirk (team-high 13 catches for 164 yards, two TDs) needs seven receptions to join teammates Josh Reynolds (six catches, 131 yards, TD) and Ricky Seals-Jones (six catches, 90 yards) with 100 career catches.

* White went 17-of-23 for 244 yards and three scores last week after rotating with two other quarterbacks in a Week 1 loss to Clemson. Sophomore tailbacks Kerryon Johnson (218 yards, three TDs) and Kamryn Pettway (152 yards) each recorded their first 100-yard games last week, helping the Tigers to a SEC-leading 274.5-yard rushing average. Marcus Davis (seven receptions, 60 yards) is one of three Tiger receivers with at least five catches while Tony Stevens (five catches, 91 yards) has two scoring receptions.

LINE HISTORY: Auburn opened as four-point home favorites against visiting Texas A&M, but the 2016 Auburn Tigers are leaving a bad taste in the public's mouth and they have been bet down to -3. The total hit the board as 54 and after a few wobbles throughout the week settled in at 54.5 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Aggies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
* Tigers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Aggies last 7 games overall.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Tigers last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.

Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 22 Louisiana State Tigers (-13.5, 45)

* Bulldogs wideout Fred Ross caught a touchdown and threw for another score last week, and the senior enters this weekend leading all active SEC receivers in career catches (138). Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is looking to deliver an encore to his 195-yard rushing effort against South Carolina and enters this weekend second in the nation in rushing yards among quarterbacks. On the defensive side of the ball, A.J. Jefferson is tied for the SEC lead with three sacks and has a league-high six tackles for loss.

* The Tigers leaned on sophomore Derrius Guice in Fournette's absence last week and were rewarded with 155 rushing yards and a score. Etling, a transfer from Purdue who was making his LSU debut, completed only six passes but those passes went for 100 yards and a score, plus he added a rushing TD. Linebacker Kendell Beckwith paces LSU with 17 tackles, while cornerback Tre'Davious White had a pick-six in Week 1 and a punt return for a touchdown in Week 2.

LINE HISTORY: This one opened with LSU pegged as 12.5-point faves at home and by the end of the week the line was up to -13.5. The total opened at 44 and jumped one full point to 45 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in September.
* Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 11-2 in Bulldogs last 13 conference games.
* Under is 6-1 in Tigers last 7 games overall.

No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners (+1, 63)

* The Buckeyes proved that their offense can be centered on the passing game in Week 1, when J.T. Barrett threw for six touchdowns as part of a 349-yard performance against Bowling Green. Then last week they showed off their rushing attack as Mike Weber rushed for 92 yards and a score, Curtis Samuel added 78 yards on eight carries and Barrett rushed for a pair of scores. As for the defense, which allowed 188 total yards and forced six turnovers, coach Urban Meyer said: "Our defense is playing so well right now. Obviously, the challenge will come (Saturday) against a very good team, and we're going to jump on that one early and get ready to go."

* The Sooners only needed Mayfield for a half against ULM their last time out, as the junior passed for three touchdowns before sitting out the rest of a contest that saw his team finish with 640 total yards. Joe Mixon paced the Oklahoma rushing attack with 117 yards on 13 attempts while Semaje Perine added a pair of rushing scores. Jordan Evans and Neville Gallimore combined for 18 tackles versus ULM and will have their work cut out for them against Ohio State's dynamic attack.

LINE HISTORY: Ohio State opened the betting week as 2.5-point road faves against the powerful Oklahoma Sooners. The line has been wobbly for most of the week; dropping to 1.5 before jumping back up to 2, dropping all of the way down to a Pick before recovering up to 1.5, and finally settling down at Buckeyes -1 by Friday. The total hasn't been anywhere near as exciting, opening at 64.5 before dropping down to the current number of 63. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Buckeyes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Sooners are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
* Over is 6-0 in Buckeyes last 6 games on grass.
* Over is 5-1 in Sooners last 6 home games.

No. 8 Michigan State Spartans at No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-7, 49.5)

* The Spartans had more trouble than expected in Week 1 as the offense was inconsistent with senior Tyler O'Connor taking over at quarterback after spending three years backing up Connor Cook. "We've been working, and we had a tough bye week," O'Connor told reporters. "We had our toughest bye week that we've had since we've been here over the past two years and rightfully so. We need it early in the season and also a big-time opponent." O'Connor, who threw three touchdown passes in the win over Furman, started against a ranked team at Ohio State last season in place of an injured Cook and managed 89 passing yards in a 17-14 win.

* Kizer was named the full-time starter over Malik Zaire after throwing five touchdown passes in the narrow loss to Texas and cemented his position with another solid performance against Nevada. "Look, if you've got a really good quarterback you've got a chance, and he's a really good quarterback," Kelly told reporters of Kizer. "He knows the offense, you know. ... He knows what he's doing. He knows how to do it and he's working to get better at it every single day. He gives you a shot at winning every game you play." Kizer completed 15-of-18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 2 win and added a rushing score.

LINE HISTORY: The Irish opened as 7.5-point favorites at home over the higher ranked Spartans. The point spread was pretty steady all week before taking a slight nudge up to -8 on Thursday evening. The total hit the board at 52.5 View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Spartans are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Fighting Irish are 8-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in Spartans last 6 games overall.
* Road team is 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 meetings.

Texas State Bobcats at No. 24 Arkansas Razorbacks (-30.5, 61.5)

* The Bobcats will go into Arkansas with plenty of confidence after beating Ohio on the road in Week 1 and having Week 2 off to prepare for the battle with an SEC titan. The Sun Belt Conference team put up 546 yards of total offense in the opener - led by a school-record 440 passing yards - and Tyler Jones added a rushing score to his total of four passing touchdowns. The Bobcats are about to endure one of the tougher back-to-backs in the nation with a home date against No. 7 Houston scheduled for next week.

* Allen, a junior, is in his first season as the Razorbacks starting quarterback and proved himself cool under pressure with his two-minute drill to send the game into overtime last week. "I thought I was gonna have to loosen him up," Bielema told reporters of his conversation with Allen before the start of the final drive. "...He just smiled and said, 'I got you coach.' Just that moment, I walked away. He was smiling, I was smiling. I'm like, 'That bro don't have no problems right now.'" Allen, who also led a game-winning drive in the opener against Louisiana Tech, was named SEC Player of the Week.

LINE HISTORY: The No. 24 ranked Razorbacks opened as 32.5-point faves at home against Texas State. The public actually showed a bit of faith in the Bobcats and bet the line down to -30.5 by Friday afternoon. The total opened at 57.5 and finished the week at 61.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bobcats are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Razorbacks are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 6-0-1 in Bobcats last 7 games in September.
* Under is 6-1 in Razorbacks last 7 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.

North Texas Mean Green at No. 23 Florida Gators (-36, 51)

* Fine was 11-of-22 passing for 108 yards and gained 46 yards on eight rushes while commanding an offense that rushed for 329 yards and gained 420 yards overall against Bethune-Cookman. "His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he led us on some touchdown drives and he really managed the game well," said first-year coach Sean Littrell, the offensive coordinator at North Carolina the past two seasons. Junior tailbacks Jeffrey Wilson (14 carries, 83 yards ,two touchdowns) and Willy Ivery (13 carries, 103 yards, one TD) led a running attack that averaged 6.5 yards per carry. The Mean Green defense, led by senior linebacker Courtney Finney (eight tackles, one sack and a touchdown-saving batted down pass), allowed only 78 yards in the opening half and 231 overall.

* A key to Del Rio's big game was the improved play of the offensive line -- the quarterback said he was only touched once after the opening possession -- which struggled at times in the win over UMass. Better blocking also helped open up the rushing attack, which produced 244 yards after gaining only 107 against UMass, a total that was almost equaled by freshman Lamical Perine (105 yards on 17 carries). All-America cornerback candidate Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson and Marcus Maye all had interceptions as the defense held Kentucky quarterback Drew Barker, who threw for more than 300 yards against Southern Mississippi, to 2-of-10 passing for 10 yards before he was benched in the third quarter.

LINE HISTORY: Florida opened as big favorites at -36 and, although there a brief jump up to -36.5, closed the week at that number. The total hit the board at 49.5 and rose steadily all week to settle at 51 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Mean Green are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games.
* Gators are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-0 in Mean Green last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in Gators last 7 games on grass.

No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs at Missouri Tigers (+6.5, 55)

* Smart did not say whether freshman Jacob Eason (11-for-20, 204 yards last week in his first career start) or senior Greyson Lambert would start at quarterback. Junior tailback Nick Chubb rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries after a 222-yard performance against North Carolina in the season opener, but three turnovers led to 17 points last week, and the Bulldogs gave up three touchdowns and a field goal in the red zone. Sophomore defensive tackle Trenton Thompson recorded 11 tackles last week and has 3 1/2 tackles for loss through two games.

* Improved play by the Tigers’ offensive line has sparked Lock’s hot start, as the sophomore has been sacked just once while passing for 730 yards – fifth among FBS quarterbacks. Four receivers – Chris Black, J’Mon Moore, Johnathon Johnson and Ray Wingo – have all reached the 100-yard receiving plateau in a game this season, helping Missouri rank 15th nationally in total offense per game (554.5 yards). Defense has been an issue at times as the Tigers have surrendered 461 yards per contest, but Missouri broke up 14 passes last week and senior cornerback Aarion Penton has interceptions in each of the first two games.

LINE HISTORY: The point spread for this one opened with the Georgia Bulldogs as 7-point faves on the road. The line wobbled a bit before settling in at 6.5 on Tuesday afternoon as has been steady ever since. The total opened at 50, took a sharp turn upward, and currently sits at 55. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games.
* Tigers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 11-0 in Bulldogs last 11 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
* Under is 7-1 in Tigers last 8 conference games.
* Road team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

Southern California Trojans at No. 6 Stanford Cardinal (-8.5, 52.5)

* Max Browne threw for 182 yards last week and connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster for two touchdowns after the star wideout was held to one catch against Alabama in the opener. USC will look to control the clock behind a solid offensive line and running back Justin Davis, who ran for 99 yards against Stanford in last season’s Pac-12 title game and gained 70 on 16 carries last week against Utah State. The Trojans need improvement from their defensive line but have a shutdown cornerback in Adoree’ Jackson, who returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown last week and could be the most dynamic player on the field besides McCaffrey.

* Senior Ryan Burns made his first career start against Kansas State and threw for a serviceable 156 yards with one touchdown, but he’ll receive a tougher test against USC's secondary. Starting defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (knee) likely will miss Saturday’s contest, while running back Bryce Love (leg) is expected to return after missing the opener but figures to see limited playing time behind McCaffrey, who will receive another heavy workload against the Trojans. “Great players need to touch the ball,” coach David Shaw told reporters. “Last year, he had over 400 (touches). But he doesn’t get hit hard a lot. His 400 may not be like 400 for somebody else.”

LINE HISTORY: Stanford kicked off the betting week as 6.5-point favorites over their rivals from USC. The public was all over the Cardinal, forcing the books to move the line higher. The spread peaked at -9.5 on Tuesday and settled in at -8.5 by the end of the week. The total opened at 53 and came down a half point to 52.5 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Trojans are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Cardinal are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game.
* Over is 4-1 in Trojans last 5 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Underdog is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings.

No. 16 Texas Longhorns at California Golden Bears (+7, 81)

* A true freshman, Buechele continued to impress against UTEP with 244 passing yards and four touchdowns - including a pair to sophomore wide receiver Jerrod Heard, who started at quarterback last season. Sophomore defensive end/linebacker Breckyn Hager recorded a team-high eight tackles against UTEP in his first career start, but questions remain about the team’s secondary after Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer threw five touchdown passes in the opener. The young Longhorns expect starting running back D’Onta Foreman, left tackle Connor Williams and tight end Caleb Bluiett to return Saturday after all three sat against UTEP with minor injuries.

* Webb has picked up where Jared Goff left off as the Golden Bears are second in the nation in passing offense (481.5 yards per game) and tied for third in total offense at 617 yards per game. Chad Hansen has become Webb’s favorite target with 28 catches for 350 yards and three touchdowns, but the team ranks 94th nationally with an average of 135.5 rushing yards through two games and could use a more-balanced attack after tailbacks Khalfani Muhammad and Vic Enwere combined for 13 carries against San Diego State. Cal needs to see improved play from its linebackers after being exposed by Aztecs star Donnel Pumphrey, who rushed 29 times for 281 yards and three touchdowns.

LINE HISTORY: The point spread in this one opened with Cal as 7-point home favorites. Despite the line peaking as high as -8, on Thursday it settled back down to the original figure of -7. The total hit the board at 76.5 and immediately began it's week-long upward climb. At publication time on Friday evening the total for this game was up to 81. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Longhorns are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Pac-12.
* Golden Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 7-1 in Longhorns last 8 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Golden Bears last 7 vs. Big 12.

NOTE: No. 11 Iowa hosts North Dakota State, No. 3 Clemson hosts South Carolina State and No. 9 Washington hosts Portland State, none of which currently have lines posted

[StarDust Bum]

CFB EARLY BEST BETS:


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

KU at MEM 12:00 PM

O 60.5

GSU at WIS 12:00 PM

WIS -35.5

O 50.5

MTU at BGSU 12:00 PM

BGSU +6.5

O 73.0

TEM at PSU 12:00 PM

PSU -8.5

U 51.0

FSU at LOU 12:00 PM

FSU +0.0

U 68.5

AKR at MRSH 12:00 PM

MRSH -17.5

OHIO at TENN 12:00 PM

OHIO +27.0

O 58.0

MIA at APP 12:00 PM

MIA -3.5

ISU at TCU 12:00 PM

U 61.0

VAN at GT 12:30 PM

VAN +6.5

UVA at CONN 01:30 PM

UVA +4.0

[StarDust Bum]

MIDDAY GAMES:

IDHO at WSU 02:00 PM

WSU -27.5

FAU at KSU 02:30 PM

FAU +24.0

FRES at TOL 03:00 PM

TOL -21.0

UNLV at CMU 03:00 PM

CMU -11.0

EKY at BALL 03:00 PM

BALL -13.0

ALA at MISS 03:30 PM

ALA -10.0

USF at SYR 03:30 PM

USF -14.0

JMU at UNC 03:30 PM

UNC -24.5

MONM at KENT 03:30 PM

KENT -14.5

ORE at NEB 03:30 PM

ORE +3.0

BC at VT 03:30 PM

VT -6.5

U 40.5

SDSU at NIU 03:30 PM

SDSU -10.5

WKU at M-OH 03:30 PM

WKU -17.0

O 63.0

PITT at OKST 03:30 PM

PITT +3.0

U 59.0

COLO at MICH 03:30 PM

COLO +17.5

[StarDust Bum]

EVENING CFB BEST BETS:

TROY at SOMIS 07:00 PM

TROY +9.5

O 61.5

NAVY at TULN 07:00 PM

TULN +7.0

TAM at AUB 07:00 PM

AUB -1.0

MSST at LSU 07:00 PM

MSST +13.0

LT at TTU 07:00 PM

LT +11.0

O 82.5

MD at UCF 07:00 PM

MD -10.5

ARMY at UTEP 07:00 PM

ARMY -3.0

USA at ULL 07:00 PM

USA +1.5

LIB at SMU 07:00 PM

SMU -14.0

TXST at ARK 07:30 PM

TXST +28.5

UNT at FLA 07:30 PM

FLA -33.5

MSU at ND 07:30 PM

ND -7.5

UGA at MIZZ 07:30 PM

MIZZ +7.0

OSU at OKLA 07:30 PM

OSU -2.0

[StarDust Bum]

LATE EVENING GAMES:

USC at STAN 08:00 PM

STAN -7.0

O 51.5

DUKE at NW 08:00 PM

DUKE +4.0

U 47.5

PRST at WASH 08:00 PM

WASH -42.5

BUFF at NEV 09:00 PM

BUFF +10.5

UCLA at BYU 10:15 PM

UCLA -3.5

O 50.5

UTAH at SJSU 10:30 PM

SJSU +13.0

TEX at CAL 10:30 PM

TEX -7.5

U 80.0

HAW at ARIZ 10:45 PM

HAW +23.0

O 63.5

[StarDust Bum]

4th Quarter Covers - Week 2
September 12, 2016


Glancing at the scoreboard won’t tell you the whole story in most games. Here are some of the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week in the second college football weekend. Each week there are several teams that cover despite not necessarily deserving it, as well as other teams that played much better than the final score shows.

Louisville (-17) 62, Syracuse 28: The Cardinals stormed out to a 21-0 lead less than five minutes into the first quarter with some big plays, but despite allowing huge numbers, the Orange managed to stay in the game and eventually trailed by just 14 points heading into the final quarter. Louisville settled for a pair of field goals early in the quarter to keep Syracuse within a score of an underdog cover, but turnovers on three consecutive Syracuse possessions in the fourth quarter allowed the Cardinals to add a few more points to create a lopsided final margin though the Cardinals deserved it with an eye-popping 845 yards of offense.

Boston College (-16) 26, Massachusetts 7: The Minutemen struck first vs. Boston College with a big play to take a 7-0 lead, but by halftime the Eagles were up by six and the margin inched closer to the spread with a 19-7 lead through three quarters. A strong punt return put Boston College in good field position late in the game and a five-play, 35-yard drive put the Eagles past the road favorite spread with just over four minutes to go.

Arkansas (+10½) 41, TCU 38: Despite dominating the yardage, TCU dug an early hole vs. Arkansas to trail 13-0 at the half with the lone Razorbacks touchdown coming on an interception return. The Frogs still trailed by 13 entering the fourth quarter, but finally started to cash in opportunities, scoring three straight touchdowns to take a 28-20 lead, past a spread that sat at -7 early in the weekend before a big late line move. The defense let the Frogs down again as Arkansas managed to tie with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion with just over a minute to go. TCU got a 64-yard kickoff return and looked certain to take the win but a failed cover, lining up a 28-yard field goal attempt only to have it blocked. After trading touchdowns in the first overtime, TCU settled for a kick in the second session and Arkansas found the end zone for the upset.

Michigan (-37) 51, Central Florida 14: The heavy favorite spread on this game eventually climbed to 37 and that is right where the final score landed. The Wolverines reached that margin early in the third quarter with a 44-14 advantage, but a long run put Central Florida in the end zone as Michigan led by just 30 heading into the fourth quarter. Wilton Speight threw another touchdown pass with about 10 minutes to go to make it 51-14 and the final three drives for Central Florida ended on downs in Michigan territory as the Knights were certainly in position to spoil the cover despite not quite getting there.

Appalachian State (-21) 31, Old Dominion 7: Coming off the strong opening week performance against Tennessee, Appalachian State had a little trouble pulling away from Old Dominion as a 24-7 lead at the half stayed right there for over 29 minutes in the second half before a short run on just a 39-yard drive put the Mountaineers ahead 31-7 and past the favorite spread in the final minute of the game. The Monarchs came up empty on two long second half drives, stopped with an interception on the 15-yard line and on downs from the 30-yard line.

Pittsburgh (-3) 42, Penn State 39: The hosting Panthers were a bigger favorite than -3 most of the week and they had a 28-7 lead until a touchdown in the final minute of the first half for Penn State. After trading scores in the third quarter, Pittsburgh still had a 14-point edge entering the fourth quarter. A touchdown and a field goal in the span of less than two minutes put the Nittany Lions down by just four early in the final frame. Pittsburgh answered on a short field off a turnover to lead by 11, but with five minutes to go in the game Penn State found the end zone and lined up for a critical two-point conversion down by five. The conversion was good to cut the margin to three points and the Penn State defense held to get the ball back. With the Lions down to the Pittsburgh 31-yard line, an interception ended the threat and the game landed on the closing number.

Indiana (-17) 30, Ball State 20: Indiana had a 30-0 lead in the third quarter, but Ball State would score the final 20 points in the game including getting a blocked punt returned for a touchdown as they wound up stealing a backdoor cover on the Hoosiers with the last touchdown coming with just over three minutes to go.

Navy (-3½) 28, Connecticut 24: A 21-0 lead for Navy was erased quickly as an 86-yard fumble return late in the third quarter became a third straight Huskies score to knot the game at 21-21, returning the favor as Navy had scored on a fumble return touchdown early in the game. In the final quarter, Connecticut took its first lead of the game with a 38-yard field goal but after trading punts, the Huskies were pinned deep and punting from the end zone Navy wound up with incredible field position late in the game. It took just a 17-yard scoring drive as the Midshipmen took the lead with about four minutes to go, slipping just past the closing spread as well. The Huskies were not done as they reached first and goal with 45 seconds to go but the Huskies mangled the clock management burning a final timeout when they didn’t need to and eventually running out of time after running the ball on second down.

Texas (-31) 41, Utep 7: Texas led by just six until a touchdown just before halftime. The margin was still 13 well into the third quarter before the Longhorns had back-to-back short touchdown drives in a span of just over two minutes. The margin was just 27 at that point, but Texas would add another touchdown in the fourth quarter to sneak past the big number that rose all week.

Colorado State (-8) 23, Texas San Antonio 14: The line on this game dropped all week to just -8 for the Rams and at halftime it was a tight game with a 20-14 lead for the hosts. The Rams stalled on offense in the second half, but the defense stopped the Roadrunners twice on fourth down attempts just outside of field goal range as the margin remained at six. In the final minutes, Colorado State added a field goal which was critical for many supporting the home team. An interception by Texas San Antonio in their own territory seemed to offer Colorado State a chance to tack on more points to cover the early week numbers as well, but they were able to run out the clock.

Washington (-36) 59, Idaho 14: Washington was up 42-0 at one point, but Idaho was back within 35 early in the fourth quarter. The Huskies added a field goal and an interception return touchdown late in the game to put away the Vandals.

Alabama (-27) 38, Western Kentucky 10: While the closing line dipped below four touchdowns, many had to lay -28.5 or higher on the Crimson Tide. Alabama only led by 17 entering the fourth quarter, but back-to-back touchdown drives put the lead to 35 points. Western Kentucky managed to spoil the cover for some however, finding the end zone in the final minute on a short field following an Alabama fumble.

Oregon (-24) 44, Virginia 26: The Ducks led by 24 at the half and then by 31 late in the third quarter, but the scoring for Oregon stopped from there on as Virginia added two late touchdowns to score the underdog cover. Oregon was to the Virginia 38-yard line in the final three minutes, but there was no urgency to put points on the board and they stayed at 44.

Miami, FL (-26) 38, Florida Atlantic 10: The Hurricanes led 24-3 late in the third quarter, but Florida Atlantic hit a big play to find the end zone for the first time in the game. Miami added two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to slip past the spread including the final score coming with just a minute to go in the game despite the victory being in hand.

Georgia Southern (-12½) 24, South Alabama 9: At the half, Georgia Southern led just 10-6 but they added scores early in both the third and fourth quarters to lead 24-6 and past the road favorite spread. South Alabama threatened in the middle of the fourth quarter, but wound up kicking a short field goal to leave the margin at 15 points. The Jaguars then were stopped on downs after an 11-play drive to the edge of field goal range and then late in the game a 71-yard drive to the Georgia Southern 6-yard line ended in an interception as the Eagles escaped with a lucky road favorite cover.

Nebraska (-26½) 52, Wyoming 17: For the second straight week, Nebraska turned in a big fourth quarter as they led Wyoming by just seven through three quarters. Nebraska scored four touchdowns in the final frame with a few short fields as Wyoming eventually ended up with six turnovers in the game. The late scoring also turned a likely ‘under’ into an ‘over’.

Utah (-3½) 20, BYU 19: The Holy War was sloppy this season with nine combined turnovers and Utah opening the scoring with an interception return touchdown. At halftime, the Utes led by one but they pushed past the slight home favorite spread with a field goal in the third quarter. Utah entered the red zone in the final minutes looking to put the game away, but they settled for a short field goal to lead by just seven. Taysom Hill engineered a 75-yard drive in the final three minutes to pull the Cougars within one and the new coaching staff made the bold play to go for two, a decision those on the slight underdog certainly favored as well. BYU didn’t convert as Utah held on, but BYU backers collected without having to sit though overtime.

Boise State (-13) 31, Washington State 28: The Broncos led by 10 heading into the fourth quarter and pulled ahead by 17 on the first play of the final frame. Washington State quickly answered to get back within the number and a touchdown pass with about four minutes to go in the game put the Cougars within three. A second straight Boise State interception gave Washington State the ball back and a real shot at the upset but the drive stalled near midfield, though the Cougars had done enough to win plus the points.

San Diego State (-5½) 45, California 40: With the help of a kickoff return touchdown and an interception return touchdown, the Aztecs pulled to a 10-point lead at the half and that was extended to a 17-point lead halfway through the third quarter. A 59-yard pass play gave the Bears a bit of momentum and by the end of the third quarter, California trailed 38-31, right even with the common spread on the game, though just before kickoff the home favorite number did slip. The Bears scored a field goal early in the fourth quarter, but San Diego State seemed to lock up the game with a touchdown drive to lead by 11 with less than three minutes to go in the game. California converted a fourth down play in their own territory and eventually went the distance on a 12-play drive to score a spread-spoiling touchdown in the final minute of the game, trailing by five after missing the two-point conversion. The on-side kick was actually successfully recovered and the Bears reached the San Diego State 22-yard line in the final seconds before an interception ended the game.

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 2
September 11, 2016


Overall Notes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 2 RESULTS

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 64-10
Against the Spread 39-33-1

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 61-12
Against the Spread 36-35-1

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 37-34

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up (neutral site) 1-0
Against the Spread (neutral site) 1-0
Over-Under (neutral site) 1-0

The largest underdogs to win straight up

Central Michigan (+18, +650 ML) at Oklahoma State, 30-27
Illinois State (+12, +400 ML) at Northwestern, 9-7
North Carolina A&T (+11.5, +350 ML) at Kent State, 39-36 (OT)

The largest favorites to cover

Texas A&M (-49) vs. Prairie View A&M, 67-0
Colorado (-45.5) vs. Idaho State, 56-7
Marshall (-42.5) vs. Morgan State, 62-0

Top 25 Notes

-- The second full weekend of college football still left a lot of questions and not many answers for some of the top teams in the nation. Clemson was in the national title game last season, but so far they have looked anything but championship caliber through two games. The Tigers barely topped Troy despite entering as 34 1/2-point favorites. While the Tigers are 2-0 SU, they are 0-2 ATS and have won each of their games by an average of 6.0 points per contest. ... Ranked teams managed a 22-2 SU and 14-10 ATS mark in Week 2, with Oklahoma State and Texas Christian suffering defeats. The Cowboys lost in controversial fashion, as referees incorrectly gave Central Michigan the ball for an untimed down after OK State was called for intentional grounding on fourth down. The game should have been over, but the Chippewas had a Hail Mary and while falling to the ground, the receiver lateraled to another player who took it in for the winning score. Miraculous, yes, especially if you took the Chips on the moneyline (+650), but tremendously controversial. ... Georgia nearly joined OK State and TCU in the loser's lounge, narrowly escaping a monumental upset at the hands of FCS Nicholls State. The Bulldogs entered as a 52 1/2-point favorite, but they ended up winning just 26-24.

-- Ohio State and Michigan have a long way to go until their season-ending battle, but they have each looked like playoff-caliber teams during the early going. The Buckeyes thrashed a high-octane Tulsa team by a 48-3 score even after a sluggish start. Through two games the Buckeyes have outscored a pair of FBS opponents by a total of 125-13. The Wolverines took care of UCF rather handily, 51-14, covering a big number for the second consecutive week. Michigan is averaging 57.0 points per game while allowing just 8.5. They figure to get a much bigger test next week at home against Colorado, while Ohio State will have its hands full in a marquee road game at Oklahoma.

-- Houston and Texas had huge wins last week, and they had no letdown falling those big victories. The Cougars punished FCS Lamar by a 42-0 count, just narrowly missing the cover as a 42 1/2-point favorite. The Longhorns posted a 41-7 win over Texas-El Paso to move to 2-0 SU/ATS on the season. Texas has another big game at California, the start of a three-game road trip which also includes stops at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

-- Another team on the rise, Louisville looks for real, and QB Lamar Jackson has thrown his name into the early Heisman talk following his two giant games to start. The Cardinals punished Syracuse in a 62-28 road win, using a 20-0 fourth quarter to pull away for the cover. The Cardinals are 2-0 SU/ATS heading into their clash next week against Florida State.

Big Five Conference Report (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC)

-- The ACC did not have a good day. North Carolina State kicked off the day with a loss at East Carolina, as the Pirates improved to 7-0 in their past seven against the ACC, and 6-0 ATS in their past six. As mentioned, Clemson almost suffered a catastrophic loss, but managed to survive. ... The same cannot be said for Virginia Tech, as they slipped up at Tennessee in the Battle at Bristol Motor Speedway. ... Virginia continues to look lost, slipped to 0-2 SU, falling at Oregon, 44-26. ... The biggest surprise might be out of Winston-Salem, as head coach Dave Clawson has Wake Forest at 2-0 SU/1-1 ATS after their road win at Duke.

-- Like the ACC, it was a difficult weekend for the Big Ten, too. Illinois and Purdue suffered home losses against non-conference foes, while Penn State was dumped at Pittsburgh in a renewal of that rivalry after a 16-year hiatus. There was also a bad beat in that game (see below). ... But the most embarrassing loss for the conference came in Evanston, Ill., as Northwestern was stunned at home against FCS Illinois State, losing 9-7. The Wildcats are now 0-2 SU/ATS with both losses at home. They'll look to get things right next weekend in the Brain Bowl against Duke.

-- Iowa State is off to a horrific start, slipping to 0-2 SU/ATS following a second straight loss to an in-state rival. Last week it was a setback against FCS Northern Iowa, and this week they were annihilated by Iowa by a 42-3 count. Next week, they travel to face an angry TCU in their conference opener. ... Kansas felt good last weekend following a win, but Saturday showed they have plenty of work left to be done. They fell 37-21 against Ohio to slip to 1-1 SU/ATS.

-- The most insane game of the day came from a Big 12-Pac-12 battle, as Arizona State topped Texas Tech by 68-55 score in regulation, easily going 'over' the 80-point total. Sun Devills RB Kalen Ballage tied an NCAA record with eight total touchdowns (seven rushing, one receiving), matching an FBS record for touchdowns against a major college opponent. The Sun Devils are now 2-0 SU/ATS, averaging 56.0 points per game through two outings. ... Colorado looks to be rather dangerous this season, moving to 2-0 SU/ATS with a 56-7 win over FCS Idaho State. The Buffaloes are averaging 50.0 PPG while allowing just 7.0 PPG. Those averages figure to change dramatically with a big measuring-stick game at Michigan next weekend followed by a trip to Oregon.

-- Mississippi State bounced back from an embarrassing home loss last weekend by throttling South Carolina to kick off conference play. Vanderbilt moved to 1-1 SU/ATS with an impressive win over Middle Tennessee by a 47-24 score. ... Florida was awfully sluggish in its opener, but offense wasn't a problem in a thrashing of Kentucky, 45-7. Kentucky has allowed 44.5 points per game in two losses, both 'over' results. ... Auburn rebounded for its disappointing narrow loss to Clemson last week by pounding Arkansas State by a 51-14 margin. The Tigers are 1-1 SU/2-0 ATS on the season. They will host Texas A&M next weekend. The Aggies paddled FCS Prairie View A&M 67-0, improving to 2-0 SU/ATS.


Mid-Major Report

-- Cincinnati won its first road game against a current Big Ten opponent since 1957, toppling Purdue by a 38-20 count. The Bearcats were much more impressive than they were a week ago against FCS Tennessee-Martin. ... Connecticut caught a break with Navy forced to use a backup quarterback. However the Middies still got it done, winning 28-24. The Huskies fell to 1-1 SU and 0-2 ATS. They'll host equally disappointing Virginia next weekend. Tulane rebounded from a road loss to spank FCS Southern University by a 66-21 score. The Green Wave improved to 2-0 ATS on the season with the whitewash.

-- Conference USA had a rough week, as its league members posted just five wins in 13 games. Rice is off to an ugly start, slipping to 0-2 SU/ATS with a road loss at Army. The Black Knights won just two games a season ago, but they're now 2-0 SU/ATS. ... Appalachian State roughed up Old Dominion 31-7, as the Monarchs struggled in the mountains after polishing off an FCS team last week. The Mountaineers of the Sun Belt are now 1-1 SU and 2-0 ATS. ... Texas-San Antonio narrowly missed out on a cover in a 23-14 setback at Colorado State. The Roadeunners are now 1-1 SU/0-2 ATS heading into next week's tilt with high-octane Arizona State.

-- The MAC had a banner week. Not only did Central Michigan make highlight reels on every national sports show while also setting Twitter ablaze, but Ohio made the MAC 2-0 SU/ATS against the Big 12 with their win at Kansas. ... It wasn't all great for the MAC, as Kent State slipped up at home to FCS North Carolina A&T, as the Golden Flashes slipped to 0-2 SU/1-1 ATS. ... Northern Illinois is off to an uncharacteristically poor start, as they lost in Wyoming in Week 1 and were slaughtered 48-17 in the heat at South Florida this week. NIU has allowed 44.0 points per game through two outings, and it's no surprise the 'over' is 2-0 in two games for the Huskies.

-- San Diego State posted a 45-40 win over California, moving to 2-0 SU but 0-1-1 ATS. ... Boise State held off Washington State, 31-28, improving to 2-0 SU but falling to 1-1 ATS. The Cougars slipped to 0-2 SU, but they were able to earn their first cover of the season. ... Hawaii scored its first win of the season, polishing off Tennessee-Martin 41-36. The Warriors are just 1-2 ATS on the season and the 'over' is a perfect 3-0. The Warriors defense has been terrible, allowing at least 36 points in each game, averaging 50.0 PPG allowed this season.

Bad Beats

-- Oregon bettors thought they caught a break with :40 remaining against Virginia. The Ducks ripped off a long touchdown run for what looked to be a miraculous cover, but a late flag came in for holding to wipe out the good feeling. The Ducks are now 0-2 ATS on the season.

-- If you were holding an 'under' (57.5) ticket in the Arkansas-TCU game, things were looking good at halftime with just 13 total points. There was a total of just 27 points through thee quarters, too. Arkansas scored a touchdown in the final minute to close to within 28-26. They ended up going for two, and converted on a trick play to force overtime. While 'over' bettors could not believe their good fortune, 'under' bettors were left shaking their heads.

-- If you were laying 3 1/2 points with Pittsburgh, things were looking good when it was 28-7 near the end of the first half. Things were loooking good midway through the fourth quarter, too, at 42-31. However, with 5:00 to go, Penn State found the end zone and they converted the 2-point conversion to cut the lead to three and end up with the backdoor cover.

-- Florida Atlantic did a good job covering a 25-point number for the entire game at Miami-Florida. With exactly 1:00 remaining, rather than going into victory formation, the Hurricanes punched a late score in to take a 38-10 lead and send FAU side bettors into an expletive-filled rant. The Owls slipped to 0-2 ATS on the season.

-- 'Over' (43) bettors thought they were in good shape in Brigham Young-Utah, but the Cougars elected to go for two rather than send the Holy War to overtime.

[StarDust Bum]

Louisville surges to No. 3 in the Top 25
September 18, 2016

Louisville surged to No. 3 in The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, matching the best ranking in school history, and Ohio State moved up to No. 2 behind Alabama.

The Crimson Tide received 50 first-place votes after coming from 21 points down to win 48-43 at Mississippi on Saturday. The Buckeyes moved up one spot after an emphatic 45-24 victory at Oklahoma.

No team made a bigger move than Louisville, which jumped seven spots and received six-first place votes after Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals beat Florida State 63-20. The Seminoles slid 11 spots to No. 13.

The Cardinals were No. 3 on Nov. 5, 2006, during coach Bobby Petrino's first stint with Louisville.

North Dakota State didn't make the rankings, but received 74 points after upsetting Iowa - the most points ever for a Football Championship Subdivision team. Iowa dropped out.

POLL POINTS

CHARGING BISON

North Dakota State, the five-time- defending FCS national champion, set a record for most points AP poll received by team from Division I football's second tier. Ten FCS teams have received votes in the poll since 2007, after Appalachian State's victory against Michigan prompted the AP to declare that voters could include teams playing in what was once called I-AA.

North Dakota State, which is 5-0 against Power Five teams since 2010, received votes during each season from 2010-14.

UP

- No. 15 Miami moved up 10 spots after winning 35-10 at Appalachian State.

- No. 10 Texas A&M jumped seven places after a 29-16 road victory against Auburn.

- No. 8 Michigan State moved up four spots after beating Notre Dame 36-28 on the road.

DOWN

- Florida State's loss to Louisville was the third-most lopsided for a team ranked No. 2 and its drop in the poll was the largest by a No. 2 team since Southern California fell to No. 13 after losing to Stanford 21-14 on Sept. 15, 2012.

- Two weeks after vaulting into the poll, Texas dropped 10 spots to No. 21 after losing a wild game at California.

- No. 23 Mississippi and No. 25 Oklahoma both managed to stay in the rankings after dropping to 1-2 on the season. The Rebels, who opened the season with a loss to Florida State, dropped four spots. The Sooners, who lost their opener to Houston, fell 11 spots.

Six times previously teams have been ranked with 1-2 records since the poll expanded to 25 in 1989. The last 1-2 team to be ranked was Notre Dame on Sept. 12, 1999.

IN

- No. 20 Nebraska is back in the rankings for the first time since Dec. 7, 2014 after beating Oregon 35-32.

- No. 22 San Diego State is ranked for the first time since 1995.

- No. 24 Utah moved to 3-0 after beating San Jose Stater 34-17 on the road.

OUT

- Iowa's loss to North Dakota State cost the Hawkeyes a place in the rankings.

- Notre Dame is out for the first time since the second half of the 2014 season.

- Oregon essentially gave its spot to Nebraska.

CONFERENCE CALL

SEC - 8

Big Ten - 5

ACC - 4

Big 12 - 3

Pac-12 - 3

American - 1

Mountain West - 1

RANKED vs. RANKED

No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan State. The Badgers sleep-walked through a victory against Georgia State before starting a daunting stretch that includes back-to-back games against the Spartans and No. 4 Michigan.

No. 19 Florida at No. 14 Tennessee. The Gators have won 11 straight meetings, but won't have quarterback Luke Del Rio (knee).

No. 12 Georgia at No. 23 Mississippi. The Bulldogs have found their quarterback of the future and present in Jacob Eason.

No. 10 Texas A&M vs. No. 17 Arkansas at Arlington, Texas. The Aggies and Razorbacks went to overtime last season.

[StarDust Bum]

CFB BEST BETS:

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 86-75-5 53.42% +1750

O/U Picks 26-35-1 42.62% -6250

[StarDust Bum]

Opening Line Report - Week 4
September 19, 2016

While Tennessee has yet to live up to lofty expectations through the first three weeks of the college football season and hasn’t beaten Florida in their last 11 meetings, oddsmakers have installed the Volunteers as solid favorites for their Week 4 clash against the Gators.

On Sunday, the Wynn opened Tennessee -8, Las Vegas’ first number on the game, and the line was bet down to -7 by Monday morning. William Hill and the Westgate both opened Tennessee -6.5.

Both teams are dealing with significant injuries, particularly on defense for Tennessee, while Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio has been ruled 'out' for Saturday.

The Vols are 3-0 straight up but just 1-2 against the spread, having failed to cover in closer-than-anticipated games against FBS Appalachian State (20-13 in OT) and Ohio from the MAC (28-13). In Week 2 against Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway, Tennessee had to come back after spotting the Hokies two early touchdowns.

“They’re obviously playing awful football,” said Westgate oddsmaker Ed Salmons.

But Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading at William Hill U.S., expects a better effort from Butch Jones’ men against the Gators.

“Tennessee was probably overpriced to start the year and they’ve underperformed to what people thought they would do,” Bogdanovich said. “But this is the real week. The earlier weeks were practices. This is prime time.”

With Purdue transfer Austin Applebee getting the start in place of Del Rio, South Point sports book director Chris Andrews isn’t sure there’s been a big enough adjustment to the betting line.

Andrews opined, “Tennessee is probably the right side in this game, mostly because of the quarterback situation in Florida. I thought it would be 6 with Del Rio. To me, this isn’t enough of an adjustment.”

Let’s buzz through some of the other key games on the Week 4 college football card:

Clemson (-9) at Georgia Tech, Thursday, Sept. 22

Clemson opened -11 at the Wynn, but action on Georgia Tech pushed the line down to -9 on Monday. These underdog bettors probably noticed the Tigers have lost in their last five visits to Georgia Tech.

While Clemson, after an historic season last year, hasn’t come firing out of the gate, Andrews sees improvement on the horizon and doesn’t agree with the early move on the 'dog.

“I liked the opening number, to be honest with you,” Andrew said. “Clemson has not been playing their best ball yet, but I think they’re on the verge of playing a good one.”

USC at Utah (-2), Friday, Sept. 23

Folks are down on USC. Two losses in the first three weeks of the season will do that. Those losses, though, came against Alabama at a neutral site and at Stanford. Are the Trojans now underrated because of their 1-2 record?

Possibly, said Bogdanovich, but a trip to Utah isn’t necessarily the way to get a season back on track.

“They’re still pretty young, and there were times during both of those (losses) they actually looked pretty good,” Bogdanovich said. “They may be a little underrated, but this is a brutal place to play, and considering two of their first three games were absolutely brutal, it wouldn’t surprise me if they lost this one, too.”

Andrews believes USC’s issues go beyond a tough early schedule.

“I really dislike the coaching for Southern Cal. I don’t think (Clay) Helton is the answer,” he said. “I think it was a very poor choice on their part. They’ve been extremely inconsistent. I’d say the opposite about Utah – they’re a very well-coached team and don’t have nearly the talent level (of USC), but they give you an honest effort every time out.”

Penn State at Michigan (-18.5), Saturday, Sept. 24

This betting line on this Big 10 battle saw a significant early move, as the Wynn opened Michigan -15.5 on Sunday and was bet up to -18.5 by Monday morning.

While the Wolverines are a team the public loves to bet on, it is sharp money that moves the line so early in the week. Still, this public sentiment may have indirectly prompted the 3-point swing.

“It could have been some wiseguys jumping in front of the squares,” Bogdanovich explained. “Sometimes that has to happen. If a sharp wants to play a favorite, sometimes he knows he better get on it early, or else he’s going to be laying a worse number come the weekend.”

At a number this big, Andrews said, “there might be a little value on Penn State. Their defense is pretty good, their quarterback Trace McSorley is not bad. If anything, Michigan may be a little overrated. The wiseguys came in against them with Colorado (last week), and I think that was definitely the right side” (Michigan won 45-28, failing to cover as an 18-point favorite).

Wisconsin at Michigan State (-6), Saturday, Sept. 24

Early Bettors went line shopping on this Big 10 clash, as Michigan State -5 hung at CG Technology was bet up to -6, while William Hill moved from -6.5 to -6, and the Westgate from -6 to -5.5.

The Badgers struggled at home against Georgia State last week, but got a bit of an offensive jolt when they subbed redshirt freshman QB Alex Hornibrook in for Bart Houston. Hornibrook is expected to start vs. Sparty on Saturday.

Michigan State, meanwhile, was uber-impressive in its win as seven-point underdogs at Notre Dame. Salmons, though, cautions the Spartans have thrived in the underdog role. When they’re favored, it’s been a different story.

“For whatever reason, they really play well in the role of an underdog against teams that are somewhat their equal,” Salmons said. “But they’ve just been awful laying points” (MSU is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 11 games as chalk).

Salmons and Andrews both have high praise for Spartans coach Mark DAntonio.

“He’s right up there with Saban and Meyer,” said Andrews. “Those guys gets the Nos. 1 and 2 recruiting classes virtually every year, and he’s getting two- and three-star athletes and producing these kinds of teams consistently. This guy is one of the great coaches in college football.”

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (-6), Arlington, Tex., Saturday, Sept. 24

Favorite bettors evidently loved the opening number on this game, Texas A&M -3, pushing the line up the ladder to -6.

The Razorbacks and Aggies have played overtime games against each other in back-to-back seasons, and while A&M won both of those games, the closeness of the contests makes those points enticing.

“A&M is really good, there’s no doubt they’re playing really good ball,” said Andrews. “But I kind of like Arkansas with the points. I think it’s a pretty good outfit, and I think it’s going to be a really tight game.”

Andrews said with the game at AT&T Stadium, Texas A&M gets some, but not full, home-field advantage in terms of the point spread.

Georgia at Ole Miss (-7), Saturday, Sept. 24

While Ole Miss was bet up from -6 to -7 in the first 24 hours of wagering, Bogdanovich sees this game coming at a bad time for the Rebels.

“Georgia got outplayed in Missouri (last week) and got away with one,” Bogdanovich said. “But is there worse possible spot in the world for Ole Miss? They left everything in the field (in a 48-43 loss to Alabama), and that’s the biggest game they’ll play all year. They could have won it – had a big lead, let it slip away – and Alabama is super physical. So not only are you now physically exhausted, you’re mentally exhausted, too. I don’t know how Ole Miss gets up for this one.”

LSU (-3.5) at Auburn, Saturday, Sept. 24

While each week seems to lend more evidence to the notion that Auburn has devolved to a middling college football team, LSU hasn’t been setting the world on fire either, falling well short of national title-type expectations placed upon them ahead of the season.

Two of the bookmakers we spoke to offered differing opinions about LSU, which last week opened a 20-0 lead at Mississippi State but had to hold on for the 23-20 win.

“They got up and sometimes you just go to sleep, and that’s what happened in that game,” Bogdanovich said. “LSU will only get better. They’re pretty young, and when they’re focused, they’re pretty good. I think it’s a pretty good spot for LSU.”

What say you, Chris?

“LSU is just not that good,” Andrews said. “They let a big lead slip away last week. They lost to Wisconsin who maybe isn’t that good. I kind of like Auburn with the points. We know they’re not that good, but I think we’re still kind of kidding ourselves about LSU. Especially when you get them away from Baton Rouge, they’re not going to be that strong.”

Stanford (-3) at UCLA, Saturday, Sept. 24

The -2.5 the Wynn hung on Stanford was too good to pass up, as bettors laid the short price with a Cardinals teams that has dominated the Bruins in modern times. Stanford has beaten UCLA eight times in row, covering the spread in seven of those games, and in none of those matchups have bookmakers asked Stanford to lay a smaller number than they’re laying this week.

Early line moves

Here are games that moved at least 2 points in the favorites’ direction in the first 24 hours of wagering a the Wynn.

East Carolina vs. Virginia Tech
Opening line: Va Tech -9.5
After 24 hours: Va Tech -12

Penn State at Michigan
Opening line: Michigan -15.5
After 24 hours: Michigan -18.5

Wake Forest at Indiana
Opening line: Indiana -5.5
After 24 hours: Indiana -7.5

BYU at West Virginia
Opening line: WVU -3.5
After 24 hours: WVU -6.5

Georgia Southern at Western Michigan
Opening line: WMU -4
After 24 hours: WMU -7

Louisville at Marshall
Opening line: Louisville -22.5
After 24 hours: Marshall -25.5

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M
Opening line: Texas A&M -3
After 24 hours: Texas A&M -6

UT-San Antonio at Old Dominion
Opening line: ODU -1.5
After 24 hours: ODU -4

Here are games that moved at least 2 points in the underdog’s direction in the first 24 hours of wagering the Wynn.

Clemson at Georgia Tech
Opening line: Clemson -11
After 24 hours: Clemson -9

TCU at SMU
Opening line: TCU -24
After 24 hours: TCU -22

Syracuse at UConn
Opening line: UConn -6
After 24 hours: UConn -4

Mississippi State at UMass
Opening line: Miss State -25
After 24 hours: Miss State -22.5

Charlotte at Temple
Opening line: Temple -29.5
After 24 hours: Temple 27.5

Florida at Tennessee
Opening line: Tennessee -8
After 24 hours: Tennessee -6

[StarDust Bum]

USC promotes QB Sam Darnold to starter
September 19, 2016

LOS ANGELES (AP) Freshman Sam Darnold will be Southern California's starting quarterback on Friday night at Utah, replacing Max Browne after just three games.

Coach Clay Helton made the announcement Monday after USC's practice.

Browne is 55 of 87 for 474 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions in his first three games as the starter at USC (1-2), which lost at Stanford last weekend.

The redshirt junior waited three years behind Cody Kessler before beating out Darnold for the starting job in training camp this summer.

But Helton says his offense ''needs a spark'' after scoring only one touchdown in losses to Alabama and Stanford.

Darnold has played occasionally this season, going 14 for 22 for 136 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. His athleticism provides a counterpoint to Browne.

----------------------------------

Devon Allen out for the season after ACL injury
September 20, 2016

Oregon receiver and Olympic hurdler Devon Allen will miss the rest of the season because of a left knee injury, the team confirmed Monday night.

Allen injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during the fourth quarter of Saturday's 35-32 loss at Nebraska. The nature of the injury was first reported by the Duck Territory website.

Allen, who also runs track at Oregon, finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles last month at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. He became the fourth active college football player in the modern era to compete in track and field at the Olympics.

The team also confirmed that left tackle Tyrell Crosby will miss the rest of the season because of a broken foot.

Allen injured his right knee at the end of his freshman season and required surgery before returning last year.

Crosby posted to Twitter: ''Thank you everyone (especially the Oregon and Nebraska fans) for your get well tweets. I'll bounce back from this, I promise!''

After competing in Rio, Allen was a late arrival for the Ducks' fall camp but jumped right back into action. He appeared in the opener against UC Davis and started Week 2 against Virginia and caught a 77-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dakota Prukop.

Allen first made a splash as a redshirt freshman, finishing as the team's third-best receiver with 41 catches for 684 yards and seven touchdowns - including an 80-yard TD pass from then-quarterback Marcus Mariota against Washington State.

But his season ended when he injured his knee on the opening kickoff of Oregon's Rose Bowl victory that year over Florida State. He required surgery and missed that season's national championship game against Ohio State.

He spent much of last season trying to return to form on the football field and the track - while eyeing the ultimate prize of an Olympic bid. He appeared in 12 games, but caught just nine passes for 94 yards

Allen earned a spot on the Olympic Team for Rio by winning the 110-meter hurdles in the Olympic Trials this past July at Oregon's Hayward Field. He also won the NCAA title in the event.

Crosby, a 6-foot-5 junior, is widely considered a potential high NFL draft pick. He left the Nebraska game in the first half.

-------------------------------

Wake Forest QB Hinton out 2-4 weeks
September 19, 2016

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Wake Forest says quarterback Kendall Hinton will miss 2-4 weeks with a sprained ligament in his left knee.

Team spokesman Steve Shutt said Monday that Hinton sprained his posterior cruciate ligament Saturday night in a victory over Delaware.

Hinton went down without contact during a first-quarter running play. The sophomore from Durham was making his second career start after leading all four scoring drives in a 24-14 win at Duke.

That timeline means Hinton will miss this week's game at Indiana and next week's visit to North Carolina State. The Demon Deacons (3-0) play host to Syracuse on Oct. 8 and visit No. 13 Florida State the following week.

The injury likely means John Wolford regains his starting job. He has started 25 of 26 games since 2014.

----------------------

Florida QB Del Rio ruled out vs. Vols
September 19, 2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio will miss Saturday's game at No. 14 Tennessee because of a knee injury.

Coach Jim McElwain officially ruled Del Rio out Monday, saying he won't play against the Volunteers (3-0) and could miss more time. The injury forces the 19th-ranked Gators (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) to turn to former Purdue starter Austin Appleby as they begin a stretch of seven consecutive league games.

Del Rio injured his left knee Saturday on a low hit by North Texas defensive end Josh Wheeler, who was flagged for a personal foul. McElwain, who clearly thought the play was dirty, screamed at the Mean Green sideline and had to be restrained by officials and then his players.