Cnotes 2018 College Football Thru The Bowl Games News- Trends-Stats-Best Bets !

[Udog]

⚠️COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEATHER WARNING⚠️


Winds look to be a factor today in Houston as UTEP (-1) visits Rice. Forecast calls for cross winds of 10 to 20 mph


Fort Worth, Texas is forecast for high winds as Kansas State takes on TCU (-9.5). Cross field winds of 20 to 30 mph with even higher gusts possible ��. Line opened at TCU -8 and has now moved to -9.5


As with other games in Texas today wind will be a factor as WVU battles Texas in a Big 12 matchup. Forecasts call for winds of 10 to 20 mph travelling across the field.

[Udog]

CLEMSON COVERS BIG NUMBERS

You won't often see a Power 5 team favored by 30+ points against a conference rival – but that's what bettors are dealing with Saturday as the Clemson Tigers find themselves giving up more than five touchdowns against visiting Louisville. The Tigers have been a strong cover option when facing the largest possible spreads, having gone 5-2 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite of 35 or more points. Clemson has averaged a whopping 50.4 points in that seven-game stretch, while allowing just 29 total points. It's the first time on record that Louisville has been an underdog of 30 or more points.

Given the chasm between the teams – and that Clemson already has three home wins by 30 or more points this season – the sharp play might be on the home team -38. Louisville might also struggle to reach its team total, which sits at around 12; the Cardinals have scored just 37 total points in their three road games.


HALL ON THE WAY BACK?

The Missouri Tigers might have their No. 1 receiver back in the lineup for Saturday's game against Florida. Emanuel Hall traveled with the team to Gainesville in hopes of hitting the field for the first time since suffering a groin injury in a 43-29 loss to Georgia back on Sept. 29. Hall had been on fire heading into that game, hauling in 18 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns in three games before being held without a reception against the Bulldogs. His return would be a significant one for a Tigers team that has just one victory in five games after opening the season with three straight wins.

Even if Hall sees limited action, his return bolsters the Tigers' shot at going over on their team total of 24.5. While Missouri did face weaker competition, it has averaged 43.7 points in three games with a healthy Hall this season.


TAKE YOUR TIME, FOLKS

Fans heading to War Memorial Stadium probably won't miss much if they don't show up until the second half. The host Wyoming Cowboys are coming off an impressive 34-21 victory over Colorado State last weekend, but still possess the most anemic first-half offense in the nation as they welcome San Jose State on Saturday. Wyoming has mustered just 5.4 first-half points per game against FBS opponents – but even that might be enough to secure a halftime lead against a Spartans unit that is averaging a minuscule 3.8 first-half road points against FBS foes, the second-lowest away average in the nation.

Even with a rock-bottom first-half total of 18.5, it's hard to reconcile these teams doing much scoring. Bettors should lean toward the under, even with San Jose State scoring 24 first-half points in its previous game, a 50-37 home triumph over UNLV.


ALL ABOUT POSSESSION

Louisiana-Monroe would love nothing more than to pull off a home upset Saturday against Georgia Southern – but to do so, the Warhawks will need to take much better care of the football. Despite coming off back-to-back victories over Coastal Carolina and Texas State, UL-Monroe enters this one with an ugly minus-6 turnover differential, with just nine turnovers gained and 15 turnovers lost. That won't play well at all against a streaking Eagles team that leads the country in turnover differential at plus-16 (22 turnovers gained, three turnovers lost). Georgia Southern is the only Division I team that hasn't thrown an interception.

Not only does the turnover gap make the visitors a terrific cover play at -6.5, but bettors might want to consider Georgia Southern turning one of those turnovers into a touchdown, which would cash the defensive/special teams score.


BACKFIELD REINFORCEMENTS FOR AZTECS

The San Diego State backfield is about to be a lot more robust, with two key players returning to the fold. Running back Juwan Washington will return to action for the first time since suffering a fractured collarbone in a Sept. 22 victory over Eastern Michigan. Washington is one of the top rushing threats in the nation, with 513 yards and five touchdowns through parts of four games. He won't start Saturday against New Mexico – Chase Jasmin will assume that role – but should see carries. Fullback Isaac Lessard (neck) will also return to the lineup, though he won't start, either.

SDSU should use its potent rush attack to punish a Lobos team that ranks eighth in the 12-team Mountain West in rushing yards allowed per game (171.5) and tied for second in rushing scores allowed (17). The Aztecs are a good play both against the spread (-10) and on the over for their team total of 28.5 (-110).


OLIVER GOOD TO GO

The Houston Cougars might have their best defensive player back in the fold for Saturday's game against Southern Methodist. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver missed last week's 57-36 victory over South Florida with a knee injury but was reportedly close to playing. He's considered day-to-day but is trending upward for this weekend's showdown with the Mustangs. Oliver is widely expected to be a first-round pick in next year's NFL draft; the Houston native has had a sensational season to date, with 51 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.

If Oliver returns as expected, bettors should downgrade their expectations for the SMU offense; look at the under on their 27.5-point team total (-110) if he's back in the fold.


WHO’S UNDER CENTER FOR UCLA?

There's some mystery surrounding who will be under center for UCLA this weekend as the Bruins face off against the host Oregon Ducks. Senior Wilton Speight practiced with the starting unit Wednesday after getting the start in place of the injured Dorian Thompson-Robinson last week. But Thompson-Robinson returned to practice Tuesday, leaving both players' status for the Oregon game in doubt. Thompson-Robinson has thrown for 1,176 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions, while Speight has 413 passing yards with two TDs and three INTs.

The uncertainty surrounding UCLA's QB situation, combined with Oregon's Justin Herbert returning to practice as he continues his recovery from a concussion, puts the betting focus back on the Ducks. This line dropped from Oregon -13 to -8.5 with word that Herbert might miss the game, so now is the time to consider backing the hosts.


MARSHALL THE MAN FOR G-TECH

TaQuon Marshall is ready to return to the Georgia Tech lineup for this Saturday's encounter with rival North Carolina. Head coach Paul Johnson says Marshall will be the starting quarterback for this weekend's game after missing last week's 49-28 win over Virginia Tech with an upper-body injury. Freshman Tobias Oliver filled in, and promptly ran for 215 yards and three scores in the one-sided victory, earning conference Rookie of the Week honors. Oliver and Marshall rank first and second on the team in rushing yards and have combined for 19 scores on the ground.

The return of Marshall will enhance the Yellow Jackets' triple-option attack sufficiently to make the over on their team total an attractive option. With the favorite having gone 4-1 ATS in the last five games of the series, bettors might also want to consider the Yellow Jackets to cover at -6.


NO HARNESS ON HENDERSON

Memphis' electrifying running back will have no limitations when he hits the gridiron this weekend against East Carolina. Darrell Henderson aggravated a leg injury early in the Tigers' 65-33 loss to Missouri on Oct. 20, finishing with just four carries for 15 yards. Head coach Mike Norvell says Henderson won't be on a snap count against ECU as he looks to reach the 100-yard plateau for the sixth time in nine games. The junior standout ranks second in the nation in rushing yards with 1,155, just seven behind Wisconsin Badgers star Jonathan Taylor.

With the Tigers favored by nearly two touchdowns and Henderson averaging an absurd 10.1 yards per carry on the season, taking a Memphis touchdown as the first scoring play is a decent option at +120.


SEMINOLES TAKE HIT

Discipline issues have forced the Florida State Seminoles to be without their top receiving option for the first half of their Saturday afternoon matchup with host N.C. State. Senior wide receiver Nyqwan Murray has been suspended for the opening two quarters against the Wolfpack after throwing punches during last week's loss to Clemson. Florida State head coach Willie Taggart was blunt in his assessment of Murray's actions, calling him "mentally weak." Murray has had a sensational season to date, racking up 40 catches for 536 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.

With Murray out of the lineup, the Wolfpack look like a solid choice to cover both the first-quarter and first-half spreads. N.C. State is also a strong play at -7 on the full-game spread.


DUCKS’ WINGS GET CLIPPED

The Oregon Ducks could be in a whole heap of trouble on the offensive side of the ball this weekend against visiting UCLA. Junior quarterback Justin Herbert missed practice Tuesday as he recovers from a concussion suffered in last weekend's game against the Arizona Wildcats. He was placed in the concussion protocol after the game despite not being removed from the 44-15 loss. Herbert has had an up-and-down campaign in his third year at the helm of the Ducks' offense, completing just 59.6 percent of his passes for 2,069 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in eight games.

Oddsmakers are bracing for Herbert's absence, dropping the line from Oregon -13 all the way down to -7.5. We recommend jumping on the Bruins at this number, which will likely shrink even further if Herbert doesn't show progress in his recovery

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LOU at CLEM
CLEM -38.0

RUTG at WIS
WIS -29.0

SYR at WAKE
WAKE +5.5
O 78.5

MEM at ECU
ECU +11.0

AFA at ARMY 12:00 PM
ARMY -4.5

MSU at MD
MD +3.0

NEB at OSU
NEB +17.0

SOCAR at MISS
SOCAR +1.0

OKST at BAY
OKST -6.5

ISU at KU 12:00 PM
KU +17.5

CMU at EMU 12:00 PM
EMU -14.5

GT at UNC 12:15 PM
UNC +4.0
O 66.0

[StarDust Bum]

SJSU at WYO 02:00 PM
WYO -14.5

TXST at GSU 02:00 PM
U 53.0

MRSH at SOMIS 03:00 PM
MRSH -3.0

USA at ARST 03:00 PM
O 62.5

GASO at ULM 03:00 PM
GASO -7.0

WVU at TEX 03:30 PM
WVU +2.0

NAVY at CIN 03:30 PM
NAVY +12.5

TULN at USF 03:30 PM
TULN +6.0

UTEP at RICE 03:30 PM
UTEP -1.0

KSU at TCU 03:30 PM
KSU +9.5

MINN at ILL 03:30 PM
MINN -9.5

IOWA at PUR 03:30 PM
PUR -2.0

UGA at UK 03:30 PM
UGA -9.5

ULL at TROY 03:30 PM
O 64.5

FSU at NCST 03:30 PM
NCST -8.0

LIB at MASS 03:30 PM
U 68.0

[StarDust Bum]

PSU at MICH 03:45 PM
PSU +12.5

BC at VT 03:45 PM
BC -2.0

UTAH at ASU 04:00 PM
UTAH -8.5

MIZZ at FLA 04:00 PM
MIZZ +6.5

CHAR at TENN 04:00 PM
CHAR +22.5

APP at CC 05:00 PM
APP -13.5
O 52.0

[StarDust Bum]

Gridiron Angles - Week 9
November 3, 2018
By Vince Akins

NFL PLAY ON ATS TREND:

-- The Chiefs are 10-0 ATS (10.5 ppg) since Oct 06, 2013 on the road when they are off two consecutive 7+ point wins.

NFL PLAY AGAINST TREND:

-- The Texans are 0-10-1 ATS (-6.6 ppg) since Dec 15, 2002 as a dog off a win in which they scored 10+ points more than their season-to-date average.

TOP NFL PLAYER TREND:

-- The Ravens are 0-8 OU (-11.3 ppg) since Dec 24, 2011 at home when coming off a loss where Joe Flacco threw at least two interceptions.

NFL O/U OVER TREND:

-- The Chargers are 12-0-1 OU (13.9 ppg) since Nov 12, 2006 on the road off a game as a favorite where they had less than 28 minutes time of possession.

NFL O/U UNDER TREND:

-- The Browns are 0-11 OU (-10.0 ppg) since Nov 06, 2016 at home coming off a game where they allowed at least 24 points.

NFL BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Texans are 0-14 ATS (-10.29 ppg) as a dog off a home game in which they rushed for at least 42 yards more than their season-to-date average.

[StarDust Bum]

Total Talk - Week 9
November 3, 2018
By Chris David

The ‘under’ went 9-5 in Week 8 and the low side is now 19-9 (67.8%) the past two weeks. The hero for ‘under’ bettors in Week 7 was Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and it’s safe to say that Todd Gurley took that honor last week. The Rams running back stopped short of the endzone and that layup helped the Los Angeles-Green Bay outcome stay ‘under’ the number. It was the smart football play and bettors on the ‘over’ knew their hopes were likely done after the Packers fumbled the kickoff and Gurley’s scamper was nothing more than a tease. Through eight weeks, the ‘under’ holds the slightest of edges with a 61-60 (50.4%) mark.

2018 TOTAL RESULTS - GAME & HALVES
O/U Game 1st Half 2nd Half

Week 8 5-9 7-7 10-4
O/U Game 1st Half 2nd Half
Year-to-Date 60-61 60-61 60-57-4

2018 RESULTS - OTHER

O/U AFC-NFC Divisional Indoor Coast to Coast
Week 8 2-2 1-4 1-2 0-0

O/U AFC-NFC Divisional Indoor Coast to Coast
Year-to-Date 19-13 14-20 14-9 5-2
Line Moves and Public Leans

Listed below are the largest line moves for Week 9 as of Saturday morning per BookMaker.eu.

Detroit at Minnesota: 51 to 49
N.Y. Jets at Miami: 45 ½ to 43 ½
Tennessee at Dallas: 42 to 40

Listed below are the five largest leans for Week 9 per the betting trend percentages on the VI Matchup index as of Saturday morning.

Detroit at Minnesota: Under 86%
Tennessee at Dallas: Under 72%
Chicago at Buffalo: Over 69%
Atlanta at Washington: Over 66%
Green Bay at New England: Over 65%

Fifty Something

Totals in the fifties have watched the ‘under’ go 16-14 on the season and that includes a 3-2 record last week. There are four games In Week 9 with totals listed at 50 or higher and you could be scratching your head on a couple of them based on the total results at the betting counter.

(Over-Under)

Kansas City (4-4) at Cleveland (4-4): The Chiefs continue to do their part offensively, averaging 36.2 points per game, yet the ‘under’ has cashed in four of their last five games. Cleveland’s once highly regarded defense has been shaky the last three weeks (32.3 PPG) and the offense (18.3 PPG) has struggled over the same span. Should we expect the Browns units to improve Sunday after all the coaching changes?

Tampa Bay (6-2) at Carolina (4-3): The Buccaneers defense (33.3 PPG) has definitely contributed to their league-best ‘over’ mark and it appears the oddsmakers have more confidence with Fitzmagic under center. The Panthers have hit the ‘over’ in three straight games at home behind a red-hot offense (31, 33, 36 points).

L.A. Rams (3-5) at New Orleans (3-4): Hard to lean ‘under’ in the Superdome but Saints enter this game on a 3-1 run to the low side and the defense (20 PPG) has been solid during this stretch. The Rams were a great ‘over’ bet on the road last year (7-1) but the ‘under’ is 3-1 in away games so far this season. Make a note the best offense that the Rams have faced on the road was Seattle, who put up 31 on them.

Green Bay (5-2) at New England (4-4): Instead of the offense, the Packers (24.7 PPG) defense has been the main reason for their ‘over’ mark and that unit actually posted a shutout this season albeit against the Bills. Outside of the Week 1 outcome at home (27-20) versus the Texans, the seven other total results for the Patriots have been clear-cut results.

Thirty Something - The 'under' is 3-2 in totals that have closed in the thirties this season and the Bears-Bills matchup will likely close in that neighborhood on Sunday.

Bye Bye Rust

Teams off the ‘bye’ watched the ‘under’ go 3-1 last week and the ‘over’ has gone 6-4 in games with at least one club playing on rest this season. Looking at the 10 results further, you can see that teams playing with rest have come to play offensively. Even though the low side came ahead last week, you can’t fault the Packers (27), Seahawks (28) or Steelers (33) for watching their games go ‘under’ the number. And Oakland’s offense also came to play, but its defense didn’t as it dropped a 42-28 loss at home to Indianapolis.

Tallying up all the numbers, teams off the ‘bye’ this season are averaging 28.1 PPG and four more are playing with rest this week.

Falcons at Redskins
Chargers at Seahawks
Cowboys at Titans (Both teams playing with rest)

Divisional Matchups

As we approach the midway point of the season, we’re starting to see a trend in these matchups. The ‘under’ went 4-1 last week and is 7-1 over the past two weeks. On the season, the low side is 20-14 (58%) in divisional games and we’ve got four more on tap Sunday, which all begin at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Detroit at Minnesota: The ‘under’ is on a 7-2 run in this series and that includes a 5-0 mark at Minnesota. The Vikings have watched the ‘under’ go 3-1 at home and the offense has actually hurt the defense with plenty of mistakes that have led to points.

Pittsburgh at Baltimore: Rematch game here as the Ravens defeated the Steelers 26-14 as three-point road ‘dogs on SNF in Week 4 and the ‘under’ (51) connected even though the game was tied 14-14 at halftime. Including that result, the ‘under’ is 5-2 in the last seven encounters and the last three games in Baltimore have been slugfests with combined scores of 35, 35 and 37. Lower total for the second go ‘round makes you believe another fight is pending.

Tampa Bay at Carolina: The ‘under’ has cashed in four straight games in this series and seven of the last 10 but a shootout is expected this week. As noted above, the Bucs defense is suspect and Carolina is clicking right now. With that being said, I thought the Panthers should be giving more points and the number almost seems like a trap. Plus, Carolina heads to Pittsburgh on Thursday so a look-ahead angle could be in play.

N.Y. Jets at Miami: The Dolphins stifled the Jets 20-12 in Week 2 as the ‘under’ (43) hit. New York rookie quarterback Sam Darnold moved the ball in that game and New York left points off the board with turnovers. You would expect a rebound in the rematch, especially the way Miami’s defense (37 PPG) has looked in their last two games. The last two games played between the pair at Hard Rock Stadium have watched the two teams combine for 59 and 50 points.

Under the Lights

For the second straight week, we saw the ‘under’ produce a 2-1 record in the primetime matchups and the same combination occurred with the ‘over’ cashing Thursday before the last two contests on Sunday and Monday went low. The ‘under’ connected in this week’s midweek game between the Raiders and 49ers and the low side is now 14-12 in the night games played this season.

Green Bay at New England: Bettors could be cautious to touch the side on this game knowing the Packers are coming off a tough loss on the West Coast and the Patriots are playing on a short week. As far as the total goes, it’s hard to argue for the ‘under’ here. Green Bay’s defense (30.3 PPG) has been horrible on the road and the Patriots offense (39.3 PPG) at Foxboro is on fire in their last three games. Plus, the New England defense (23.1 PPG, 382.8 YPG) is far from good and the pass defense has been diced up by guys names Luck, Mahomes and even Trubisky. This week’s opponent is Rodgers and he’s certainly notches above that trio. New England has split its totals this season vs. the NFC North but Green Bay has watched its last five road games against the AFC go ‘over’ the number.

Tennessee at Dallas: This is the second lowest total in Week 9 and both teams enter with identical 5-2 ‘under’ records. The Titans (15.1 PPG) and Cowboys (20 PPG) haven’t shown any punch offensively this season and while they come into this game rested (see above), it would be surprising to see fireworks. Plus, Dallas (17.6 PPG) and Tennessee (18.1) enter this game with the second and third ranked scoring defenses respectively. Stranger things have happened under the lights but getting both teams into the twenties seems like a stretch from what we’ve seen so far.

Fearless Predictions

Almost pulled off the sweep last week but I was “Gurley-ed” as well. The 3-1 day (+195) pushed over five units ($535) as we near the midseason. As always, Press, Pass or Fade but in the end – Good Luck!

Best Over: Packers-Patriots 56
Best Under: Houston-Denver 45 ½
Best Team Total: Under 21 ½ Detroit Lions

Three-Team Total Teaser (+7.5, +105)
Under 60 Kansas City-Cleveland
Over 40 L.A. Chargers-Seattle
Over 50 L.A. Rams-New Orleans

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday Blitz - Week 9
November 3, 2018
By Kevin Rogers

GAMES TO WATCH

Steelers at Ravens (-2 ½, 47) – 1:00 PM EST

The fortunes have changed for these two AFC North rivals over the last month. Baltimore (4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS) was in control of the division at 3-1, but went backwards in October by losing three of four games, including the last two to New Orleans and Carolina. Following a one-point home loss to the Saints, the Ravens were rolled by the suddenly hot Panthers, 36-21 last Sunday in their worst defensive effort of the season.

The Steelers (4-2-1 SU, 4-3 ATS) have overcome a 1-2-1 start to win three consecutive games to vault into first place in the AFC North. The latest victory came at home against the Browns last Sunday, 33-18 to cash as 8 ½-point favorites. Ben Roethlisberger hooked up with Antonio Brown for a pair of touchdown connections, while running back James Conner racked up 146 yards and scored multiple touchdowns for the third consecutive game for Pittsburgh.

Baltimore captured the first matchup at Heinz Field in Week 4 as three-point underdogs, 26-14. After being tied at 14-14 through two quarters, the Ravens outscored the Steelers, 12-0 in the second half thanks to four Justin Tucker field goals, while Joe Flacco threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns. Baltimore has covered five of the past six matchups with Pittsburgh, but the Steelers have won in each of the previous two visits to M&T Bank Stadium.

Best Bet: Ravens 24, Steelers 17

Chargers at Seahawks (-1, 47 ½) – 4:05 PM EST

Both these former AFC West rivals are heating up at the right time as Los Angeles has won four straight, while Seattle owns a 4-1 record the last five games. The Chargers (5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS) return to action following the bye week after squeezing past the Titans in London, 20-19. Los Angeles’ defense has tightened up the last three contests by allowing an average of 14.3 ppg, although all five wins by the Lightning Bolts this season have come against teams owning losing records.

The Seahawks (4-3 SU, 4-2-1 ATS) started 0-2 as it looked like a rebuilding season in Seattle. However, Russell Wilson has rallied the ‘Hawks to four wins, including last week’s 28-14 dominating effort at Detroit as three-point underdogs. Seattle’s defense has stepped up by allowing 17 points or less in all four victories, while cashing the UNDER in five of the past six games since a high-scoring affair at Denver in Week 1.

Seattle has played five of its first seven games away from CenturyLink Field as the Seahawks will definitely get plenty of the “12th Man” over the next two months. After posting a 2-6 ATS mark at home last season, the Seahawks have cashed in both opportunities at home in 2018. The Chargers are making their first trip to Seattle since 2010, while the Bolts knocked off the Seahawks in their previous matchup in 2014 as 4 ½-point underdogs, 30-21.

Best Bet: Seahawks 23, Chargers 20

Rams (-1 ½, 57 ½) at Saints – 4:25 PM EST

Could this be an NFC Championship preview? Los Angeles and New Orleans have combined for one loss on the season as home-field advantage in the NFC is on the line at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Rams (8-0 SU, 4-4 ATS) rallied past the Packers last Sunday, 29-27, but failed to cash as 7 ½-point favorites. MVP candidate Todd Gurley put on the brakes before scoring a late touchdown to keep the clock running as the former Georgia standout posted 225 all-purpose yards and a receiving touchdown.

The Saints (6-1 SU, 5-2 ATS) haven’t lost since opening week against Tampa Bay as New Orleans returns home from consecutive road victories at Baltimore and Minnesota. Even if it’s a season too late, the Saints avenged a pair of losses to the Vikings from 2017 in last Sunday’s 30-20 triumph in Minneapolis. New Orleans has covered five consecutive games and continued that streak last week in spite of Drew Brees throwing for only 120 yards. The Saints play three of their next four in the Big Easy after spending four of the past five games on the highway.

New Orleans opened the week as a favorite in this NFC showdown, but that number has flipped to L.A. in the chalk role. Since 2015, the Saints own a 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS record in the role of a home underdog, as they are in this spot for the first time this season. The Rams have been a machine away from the L.A. Coliseum since last season by winning 11 of 12 road games, including a perfect 4-0 mark in 2018.

Best Bet: Rams 31, Saints 24

SUPERCONTEST PICKS

Kevin Rogers (3-2 last week, 22-16-2 this season)
Baltimore -3
N.Y. Jets +3
Denver -1
Seattle -2
New England -6

Chris David (4-1 last week, 25-14-1 this season)
Browns +8
Buccaneers +6
Falcons +1 ½
Bills +10
Cowboys -6 ½

SURVIVOR PICKS

Kevin Rogers (7-1)
Chiefs over Browns

Chris David (7-1)
Bears over Bills

BEST TOTAL PLAY (0-1 last week, 4-4 this season)

UNDER 52 – Chiefs at Browns

Kansas City’s season has been terrific at 7-1. Its defense, not so much. The Chiefs have allowed 432.4 yards per game, which ranks 31st in the NFL. However, Kansas City has cleaned things up a bit the last two weeks by allowing a total of 33 points in home wins over Cincinnati and Denver. The Browns’ defense is leaking oil of late by giving up 38, 26, and 33 points the past three weeks. Cleveland has seen the UNDER cash in its two opportunities with a total of 50 or higher against New Orleans (21-18 loss) and Tampa Bay (26-23 overtime loss).

TRAP OF THE WEEK

The Panthers are coming off a pair of impressive wins over the Eagles and Ravens the last two weeks in the underdog role. Now, Carolina is flipped to a home favorite against Tampa Bay, who hasn’t won on the road since Week 1 at New Orleans. The Buccaneers are turning back to Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback, who has pulled off underdog wins against the Saints and Eagles. Tampa Bay has covered in each of its past two trips to Charlotte, while Carolina has failed to cash in its previous two opportunities as a favorite.

BIGGEST LINE MOVE

The Broncos opened as a 2 ½-point home favorite against the Texans on Monday at the Westgate Superbook. However, Denver has dropped to a one-point favorite at several books, this coming days after the Broncos dealt wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to…the Texans. The Broncos began the season at 2-0, but have lost five of six, including home defeats to the Chiefs and Rams. Houston puts its five-game winning streak on the line as the Texans last won in Denver back in 2012.

BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW

The Bills sit as a double-digit home underdog for the second consecutive week as they are currently 10-point ‘dogs to the Bears. The last team to fit in this role was the 2008 Lions (who went 0-16), who were blasted by the Titans on Thanksgiving as 11-point underdogs at Ford Field, but covered in a four-point loss the next week against Minnesota. Buffalo failed to cash in last Monday’s setback to New England, as the Bills have scored a total of 11 points in the past two games.

[StarDust Bum]

EVENING BEST BETS:

CONN at TLSA 07:00 PM
O 60.0

HOU at SMU 07:00 PM
SMU +14.0
O 70.5

DUKE at MIA 07:00 PM
MIA -9.5

ND at NW 07:15 PM
NW +10.0

LT at MSST 07:30 PM
LT +23.5

UTSA at UAB 07:30 PM
UAB -21.5

UCLA at ORE 07:30 PM
UCLA +10.0
O 61.0

FAU at FIU 07:30 PM
FAU +2.0


******************

ALA at LSU 08:00 PM
LSU +14.0

OKLA at TTU 08:00 PM
OKLA -13.5

STAN at WASH 09:00 PM
STAN +10.0
U 45.0

********************

USC at ORST 10:00 PM
ORST +14.5

BYU at BSU 10:15 PM
BYU +12.0
U 53.5

SDSU at UNM 10:15 PM
SDSU -11.5

FRES at UNLV 10:30 PM
UNLV +26.5

CAL at WSU 10:45 PM
WSU -7.5
U 51.0

USU at HAW 11:59 PM
USU -19.0
U 71.0

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's best
November 3, 2018
By The Associated Press

STARS

-Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, rushed for 208 yards and three TDs to help the Badgers run away from Rutgers for a 31-17 win.

-Ross Comis, UMass, threw for a career-best 540 yards and accounted for six TDs in a 62-59 triple overtime victory over Liberty.

-Reggie Corbin, Illinois, rushed for 213 yards and two TDs and became the first Illini player to rush for two 70-yard-plus touchdowns in a single game since 1944 in a 55-31 win over Minnesota.

-Ryan Boyle, Indiana State, had seven touchdowns, including a 3-yard scoring pass to Dante Hendrix in triple overtime, in a 51-48 win over South Dakota.

-Will Grier, West Virginia, threw for 346 yards and three TDs to send the 12th-ranked Mountaineers to a 42-41 win over No. 15 Texas.

-N'Keal Harry, Arizona State, caught nine passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns to help the Sun Devils beat No. 16 Utah 38-20.

-Travis Etienne, Clemson, ran for 153 yards and two TDs in the No. 2 Tigers' 77-16 dismantling of Louisville.

-Tom Stewart, Harvard, passed for 393 yards and a school record-tying five as the Crimson rolled to a 52-18 victory over Columbia.

-D'Andre Swift, Georgia, ran for a career-high 156 yards and two TDs to help the No. 6 Bulldogs beat No. 11 Kentucky 34-17.

-Griffin O'Connor, Yale, threw for 436 yards and four TDs in a 46-16 win over Brown.

-Isaiah Ifanse, Montana State, ran for 227 yards to set a school freshman record and had three TDs in a 49-42 win over Cal Poly.

-Jimmie Robinson, Bethune-Cookman, rushed for 208 yards and three TDs in a 30-28 win over Morgan State.

-Dalton Sneed, Montana, passed for 323 yards and five TDs in a 57-14 win over Southern Utah.

-Jaylan Thomas, Elon, ran for 222 yards in a 24-21 win over Rhode Island.

---

GEORGIA EARNS SEC TITLE SPOT

Georgia believed it had a point to prove.

Bulldogs running backs D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield spent all week hearing about the rushing prowess of Kentucky's Benny Snell Jr. Georgia's defensive players kept fielding questions about their inability to stop the run or rush the passer consistently.

They responded Saturday with a performance that convincingly showed Georgia remains the class of the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. Swift ran for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns as the sixth-ranked Bulldogs defeated No. 11 Kentucky 34-17 to clinch the SEC East title.

Holyfield ran for a career-high 115 yards on 18 carries, scoring on a 4-yarder in the third quarter. Georgia rushed for a season-high 331 yards to earn a spot in the SEC championship game Dec. 1 in Atlanta.

---

WOLVERINES ROLL

No. 5 Michigan wanted to do more than just beat No. 14 Penn State.

The Wolverines wanted to win big, getting revenge after getting routed and humiliated against the Nittany Lions last year.

Michigan got what it wanted.

Shea Patterson accounted for three touchdowns and the Wolverines put together a dominant performance on defense in a 42-7 rout against Penn State.

The Wolverines, No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings, moved a step closer toward their goals of winning a conference championship for the first time since 2004 and earning their first spot in the playoffs.

The Nittany Lions scored with 1:59 left, avoiding getting shut out for the first time since 2001 against Michigan.

---

NUMBERS

20-Straight losses by UTEP before beating Rice 34-26.

26-Years since Virginia Tech lost three straight home games before this season.

41-Years since Tulane had won in the state of Florida before beating South Florida 41-15.

[StarDust Bum]

4th Quarter Covers - Week 10
November 4, 2018
By Joe Nelson

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 10th college football weekend to start November. 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.

Buffalo (-8) 51, Miami, OH 42: The home favorite spread grew from -6½ to -8 by kickoff and the result would come down to the wire in Tuesday’s high scoring MAC contest. Buffalo extended its lead to 35-21 early in the second half and maintained a 14-point edge late in the third quarter, but Miami scored twice in the final three minutes of the quarter to tie the game, successfully recovering an on-side kick to set-up the second score. Buffalo answered with about nine minutes remaining in the game, but the PAT was missed to leave the underdog Redhawks in position to cover. The Bulls stopped Miami on downs near midfield and then added a field goal to slip past the favorite spread with a nine-point edge. Down two scores, Miami continued to move the ball effectively, but a sack on the edge of the red zone led to the game’s only turnover. Buffalo wasn’t able to run out the clock as Miami would have another opportunity to spoil the favorite cover but needing to throw down the field, the Redhawks ended with four straight incomplete passes.

Kent State (-1½) 35, Bowling Green 28: The Flashes led by eight through three quarters closing as a slight favorite in this battle at the bottom of the MAC. Following a fumble, Bowling Green made a late charge completing a 4th-and-7 and eventually scoring a touchdown to get within two with about five minutes remaining. The two-point conversion was successful to tie the game and both teams followed with 3-and-out possessions. Kent State got the ball back in good field position and broke a 34-yard run to sit in field goal range with fewer than two minutes remaining. The Flashes scored on the next play with an 18-yard rush for a seven-point edge. Bowling Green lost big yardage on a fumble on its final drive, but retained possession facing 2nd-and-28 and then 3rd-and-12, with the Flashes sealing the game with an interception.

Toledo (-21) 45, Ball State 13: Toledo jumped out to a 21-0 lead in Wednesday’s MAC game with a defensive score on one of 10 turnovers these teams combined for in the game. Up 28-7 at halftime, Toledo was even with the closing spread before adding a field goal in the final seconds to close the third quarter. Ball State scored a touchdown in the fourth but failed going for two, trailing by 18 on a spread that opened at -17 and closed at -21 for the Rockets. It wound up not mattering as Eli Peters threw two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as Toledo pulled away for a 32-point win despite only out-gaining Ball State by 94 yards.

Northern Illinois (-6½) 36, Akron 26: The Huskies managed 10 points in the final six minutes of the first half to lead by 14 at the break but Akron rallied in the third quarter, seemingly tying the game with a touchdown to trail 27-26. The PAT was blocked and returned the other way for two points as Northern Illinois took a three-point edge in the final quarter. Jalen McKie who had the PAT return score, would then intercept a pass for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Huskies added seven more points and wound up with the narrow favorite cover without scoring on offense in the final 26 minutes of the game.

Central Florida (-10) 52, Temple 40: The Thursday night TV game in the American generated a lot of interest and the line wobbled all over the place, opening at -12 falling to -10½, climbing back to as high as -13 before crashing all the way back down to -10. Temple had its way offensively in this game and led 34-28 at the half with the ‘over’ cleared in just two quarters. Looking to keep the nation’s longest winning streak going, UCF scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to lead by eight with Temple having an interception and a missed field goal. The Owls picked up an interception early in the fourth quarter and would add six points with about 10 minutes remaining in the game, trailing by two, with that margin holding after a failed two-point conversion bid.

The Knights went 75 yards in six plays to go up by nine and Owls backers could feel the sting coming as Temple had to work to move down the field, reaching the UCF 20-yard-line on a 10-play drive but taking a sack and forced to go for it on 4th-and-20, coming up with an incomplete pass. With still five minutes to go, the Knights couldn’t lay off the gas but UCF was stopped on 3rd-and-3 after Temple exhausted its timeouts just past the two-minute mark. UCF opted to kick the field goal from 32 yards, enough to earn the cover for many on the favorite with the middle possible as well.

Middle Tennessee State (-13½) 29, Western Kentucky 10: The Hilltoppers hit a 46-yard pass play late in the third quarter to enter the final frame down 23-10. Western Kentucky held the Blue Raiders to a short field goal early in the fourth to remain within two scores but falling outside the underdog cover. With a chance to get back within the number, the Hilltoppers had a field goal blocked and then later in the fourth was forced to go for it on 4th down in their own territory. Middle Tennessee State added another short field goal to lead by 19 and a last effort from Western Kentucky ended in an interception.

Arizona (-3) 42, Colorado 34: Arizona had a big yardage edge but it was a two-point game at half-time and the Wildcats led just 35-34 through three quarters Friday night. Early in the fourth, Arizona hit a 57-yard pass for a touchdown to lead by eight and Colorado couldn’t answer, opting to go for it on 4th-and-9 rather than kick a field goal with 10 minutes remaining. The Buffaloes got another shot after an Arizona interception with Colorado reaching the 18-yard-line before also being intercepted near the goal line and Arizona was able to run out the remaining five minutes of game clock.

Purdue (-2) 38, Iowa 36: Purdue led by 12 entering the fourth quarter but Iowa scored two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter with an interception leading to the second score as suddenly the slight underdog Hawkeyes were in front by one. After trading punts, Purdue got the ball back near midfield and managed to waste the rest of the clock and line up a 25-yard field goal for the win, though for most Iowa still had enough to cover priced at +2½ most of the week before bouncing in between +2 and +1½ in the hours before kickoff.

Georgia Tech (-4) 38, North Carolina 28: The Yellow Jackets allowed an early defensive score, but rallied to lead 21-10 at the half and 28-20 through three quarters. Early in the fourth, North Carolina found the end zone and went for two, successfully tying the game. Georgia Tech was in position to quickly answer but fumbled inside the 10-yard-line and North Carolina would return the favor with an interception. Georgia Tech converted a 4th down play and then added a touchdown with three minutes remaining and then after another Tar Heels interception sealed the game with a field goal.

Memphis (-11) 59, East Carolina 41: This game was tied halfway through the third quarter and Memphis led by just four well into the fourth quarter. The Tigers scored two touchdowns in the span of just over four minutes to pull ahead by 18 as a toxic against the spread season for a productive East Carolina team continued. The Pirates got back within 11 briefly but after a failed on-side kick, East Carolina allowed an aggressive Memphis offense to get down the field. The Tigers opted to go for it on 4th-and-goal in a huge play for the spread outcome and succeeded to create the 18-point final margin. East Carolina had its own 4th down attempt in the final minute inside the 10-yard-line but the pass was broken up.

West Virginia (-1) 42, Texas 41: The Longhorns were a 3-point favorite early in the week before dipping to -2 or -1½ and in the hour before game time the number flipped as the Mountaineers closed as a slight favorite. Texas led by one at the half and by four through three quarters, adding a field goal to lead by seven in the fourth quarter. West Virginia completed an 11-play touchdown drive to tie the game with about six minutes remaining, but Texas hit a 48-yard pass to lead by seven with just over two minutes to go. West Virginia didn’t face a 3rd down and connected for a 33-yard touchdown with just 16 seconds left on the clock to seemingly force overtime. The Mountaineers declined that opportunity and went for the win with Will Grier getting into the end zone for the one-point victory.

Army (-4½) 17, Air Force 14: Air Force had a few tough breaks in the first half to trail 14-0 but took advantage of a short field late in the third quarter to finally get on the board but the PAT failed, leaving the Falcons down eight with a spread that was +7 most of the week before sliding Friday night and Saturday morning. Army turned in a long drive and managed a field goal to lead by 11 but Air Force put together its best drive of the day to add a touchdown with about five minutes remaining. Down five, the Falcons went for two and got it on a play that loomed large for the closing spread of 4½. Army had to punt as the Falcons were a threat to tie the game, eventually reaching the Army 38-yard-line before failing on 3rd and 4th down runs.

South Carolina (+2) 48, Mississippi 44: Ole Miss pulled ahead 44-34 in the first minute of the fourth quarter, but South Carolina answered with a touchdown three minutes later to get back within three. The Gamecocks held the Rebels to back-to-back 3-and-outs and then broke a 69-yard run on 1st down, getting in the end zone a few plays later to take the lead. Ole Miss would reach midfield on a late possession but the Gamecocks held on.

Auburn (-3½) 28, Texas A&M 24: The Aggies dominated the box score in this SEC West battle and led 24-14 through three quarters on the road. Early in the fourth, Texas A&M missed a short field goal and then later in the fourth, the Aggies had an interception at the edge of field goal range to keep the margin at 10. Auburn got back in the game going 71 yards in only two minutes to climb within three with about five minutes remaining in the game. Texas A&M reached midfield but had to punt and a strong return set Auburn up near midfield for the two-minute-drill. It didn’t take long for the Tigers to deliver going 58 yards in two plays as Auburn suddenly was leading and in front of the closing spread. Three penalties thwarted the final drive for Texas A&M as Auburn escaped with a very fortunate result.

Baylor (+6½) 35, Oklahoma State 31: A blocked punt return put Baylor up at halftime, but two touchdowns late in the third quarter put Oklahoma State in front by 10. Baylor had a 75-yard rush to answer to trail by three going into the fourth quarter. Justice Hill scored with nine minutes to go as Oklahoma State was back in front by 10 but the Bears would answer with an 86-yard touchdown drive with fewer than six minutes remaining. Up by three, the Cowboys would face a decision just past the two-minute mark, facing 4th-and-2 from the Baylor 36-yard-line. Oklahoma State went for it and took a sack setting up the Bears with great field position. Baylor wasn’t content to play for the tie and wound up in the end zone for the upset with seven seconds to go.

Massachusetts (+2) 62, Liberty 59: UMass led by seven entering the fourth quarter, but Liberty scored three touchdowns in the first four minutes of the final frame to suddenly lead by 14. Massachusetts would answer to get back within seven and then forced a punt. The Minutemen converted a 4th down to keep hopes alive and eventually ran into the end zone with 25 seconds remaining. Liberty had a shot late but threw an interception at the 5-yard-line as time expired. It took three overtimes but starting the third session, Liberty converted a 4th-and-1 rather than kicking a field goal and then two plays later lost the ball with an interception. Massachusetts did enough to get the game-winning field goal for the narrow win and cover for most, though Massachusetts did open at -3.

Notre Dame (-9½) 31, Northwestern 21: Notre Dame posted nearly double the yardage against Northwestern but had trouble pulling away with a 7-7 halftime score. Notre Dame scored twice late in the third quarter and pushed the lead to 24-7 early in the fourth. Northwestern hit a few big plays to climb back within 10, with a spread that opened at just -7 but briefly went as high as -10½ before settling back below -10. A blocked punt handed Northwestern great field position and suddenly the Wildcats were back within three after getting in the end zone on a 4th down rush. Notre Dame went 89 yards for a touchdown with about three minutes remaining to put the margin back at 10 where the final ended.

USC (-15½) 38, Oregon State 21: USC had a 21-0 edge halfway through the second quarter, but Oregon State climbed back in the game with two touchdowns before halftime. The seven-point margin held into the fourth after an exchange of touchdowns in the third quarter but USC broke a 62-yard run in the fourth to go back up by 14 following Oregon State failing going for it on 4th down in USC territory. The Beavers would wind up punting on the next two possessions while USC added a field goal that was critical to the spread outcome.

Washington (-8½) 27, Stanford 23: The Huskies went up 21-0 early in the second quarter in this Pac-12 North clash and that score held at halftime. Stanford battled back in the second half and closed to within seven with a field goal early in the fourth quarter. Washington responded in kind to lead by 10 with five minutes remaining on a spread that was -10 much of the week but slipped to -8½ by kickoff Saturday night. Stanford hit a 33-yard touchdown pass with three minutes remaining but missed the PAT. Washington wasn’t able to add points to get back in front of the number, pinning Stanford at the 15-yard-line. The Cardinal made a late threat but wound up intercepted in the end zone in the final seconds as Stanford had done enough in the second half to cover.

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 10
November 4, 2018
By Joe Williams

Overall Notes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 10 RESULTS

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 48-14
Against the Spread 32-28-2

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 36-26
Against the Spread 25-35-2

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 31-31

The largest underdogs to win straight up
SMU (+14, ML +450) vs. Houston, 45-31
Duke (+9.5, ML +300) at Miami-Florida, 20-12
Illinois (+9.5, ML +280) vs. Minnesota, 55-31
Arizona State (+8.5, ML +280) vs, Utah, 38-20

The largest favorites to cover
Clemson (-38.5) vs. Louisville, 77-16
Fresno State (-27) at UNLV, 48-3
Mississippi State (-23) vs. Louisiana Tech, 45-3
UAB (-21.5) vs. UTSA, 52-3

Top 25 Notes

-- Wasn't Alabama supposed to be tested on the road against LSU on Saturday? The Crimson Tide were, I guess, challenged for the better part of two quarters when it was 9-0 late into the end of the second half. They also picked up the first interception of the season against Heisman favorite QB Tua Tagovailoa. However, the Bayou Bengals failed to score in Death Valley in the 29-0 statement victory, as the Crimson Tide continue to steam along and LSU's playoff chances went up in smoke in the process.

-- Michigan-Penn State was one of a handful of games dubbed by the worldwide leader as 'Statement Saturday'. The Nittany Lions were muted, while the Wolverines made a huge statement. They ran out to a 42-0 lead, and the Lions were only able to muster seven points before limping home with a 35-point loss. It's likely that the Michigan-Ohio State game later this month will decide the Big Ten East representative in the league's Championship Game. Michigan has won eight in a row since their season opening loss at Notre Dame, and they have covered four in a row.

-- Clemson continues to post historic numbers in the ACC. They steamrolled Louisville by a 77-16 score, easily covering a 38 1/2-point number. The Tigers have won two league games this season by 60 or more points. Entering this season there were just two wins of 60 or more points by any team in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference across the first 65 seasons. After opening the season 1-4 ATS in the first five outings, Clemson is a perfect 4-0 ATS over the past four outings.

-- Washington State did something they hadn't all season - fail to cover a spread. They narrowly won 19-13 against California, and they needed a late touchdown to dispatch the Golden Bears. The Cougs are now 8-1 ATS, tied for the best ATS record in FBS along with Fresno State, UAB and Utah State.

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

-- Duke scored a 20-12 victory on the road against Miami-Florida in soggy conditions at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida. The Blue Devils continue to be one of the hardest teams to figure out. They are 4-0 SU/ATS as an underdog this season, and 0-3 SU/ATS in their past three as a favorite. Meanwhile, 'The U'...not quite back. They lost to the Blue Devils at home for the first time since 1976. ... Meanwhile, Syracuse continues to roll right along, posting a 41-24 win at Wake Forest. The Orange are 7-2 SU/6-2-1 ATs through nine outings.

-- Michigan State hit the road for Maryland and quickly ended any notion of an upset by the Terps. Sparty has bounced back with wins over Purdue and Maryland after a 21-7 setback to rival Michigan on Oct. 20. Sparty has covered consecutive games for the first time this season, too. The 'under' has cashed in four in a row for Michigan State, too. ... Illinois was dumped 63-33 last week by Maryland, so naturally they rebounded at home and handled Minnesota 55-31 as 9 1/2-point underdogs (ML +280). The Gophers are 4-1 SU at home, but 0-4 SU on the road. ... Michigan and Purdue have the best ATS mark in the conference at 6-3 ATS, while Wisconsin is the worst at 2-7 ATS. ... The 'over' is an impressive 7-2 for Penn State.

-- Iowa State wasn't going to take a step back to kill their momentum after a few nice home wins. They went to Kansas and put the Jayhawks in their place, 27-3. As a result, the Cyclones improved to a Big 12-best 6-2 ATS. ... On the flip side, TCU slipped past Kansas State by a 14-13 score, but they failed to cover again. They have the worst record against the spread in the conference at 2-7 ATS. ... Oklahoma held off Texas Tech in a 51-46 shootout in Lubbock, as the 'over cashed for the seventh time in nine games for the Red Raiders. The over is now an impressive 8-1 for the Sooners.

-- Washington earned a 27-23 win against Stanford, although they failed to cover. Unlikely their rivals from The Palouse, the Huskies are a dismal 2-8 ATS, the worst mark against the spread in the Pac-12. ... Oregon gained bowl eligibility with a 42-21 win and cover against UCLA. It was a rare cover, as the Ducks are still just 3-6 ATS overall. ... Utah took it on the chin against Arizona State by a 38-20 score, improving to 6-3 ATS. There are four teams tied in the South Division standings with three losses apiece, and that's the best mark.

-- Missouri picked up a much-needed road win over Florida, 38-17. After a 5-0 SU/ATS run, the Gators have losted and failed to cover in back-to-back games for the first time this season. ... Georgia topped Kentucky in Lexington by a 34-17 score, pouring some cold water on the previously streaking Wildcats. In doing so, the Dawgs clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game and a date with 'Bama. UGA has covered back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 27-Nov. 3.

Bad Beats

-- There weren't a lot of bad beats across college football this week, but the Texas A&M-Auburn was a triple-headed bad beat, if there ever was such a thing. The Aggies led 24-21 with less than two minutes to go, but the Tigers scored a TD with 1:41 to go to change everything. The total (47) changed from 'under' to 'over', moneyline bettors of the Aggies took it in the shorts and the Tigers ended up covering the 3 1/2-point number, too.

-- The total in Georgia Tech-North Carolina (64 1/2) looked to be going under. The Ramblin' Wreck scored a go-ahead TD with 3:00 to go, taking a 35-28 lead. They got down deep in Tar Heels territory and elected to kick a field goal with :46 to go, taking a 38-28 lead and flipping the total from under to over.

-- If you're betting an Alcorn State-New Mexico State game, you have bigger problems than a little ol' bad beat. The Aggies were up 52-35 and covering the 12 1/2-point number, but Alcorn scored a touchdown with :26 left for the backdoor cover and a pretty big bad beat.

-- FAU and Lane Kiffin have appeared frequently on the bad beats section and Scott Van Pelt's famous segment in the past, and they are likely to appear there again this week. The Owls were thumping their rivals FIU by a 42-14 count late in the game. The Owls put in their backups and were getting some younger players some much-needed time. Little-used QB Rafe Peavey entered late and scored an 11-yard touchdown run with :27 to push the lead to 49-14, and flip the total (59 1/2) from an under to an over.

[StarDust Bum]

College Football Best Bets and Opinions

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

11/03/2018 25-32-3 43.86% -51.00
11/02/2018 4-2-0 66.66% +9.00
11/01/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00

Totals............31-38-3........44.92%.....-54.00


Best Bets:

Best Bets For November

DATE........................ATS..................U NITS....................O/U................UNITS..............TOTAL

11/03/2018.............10 - 13...............-21.50...................3 - 4................-7.00...............-28.50
11/02/2018..............2 - 1..................+4.50...................2 - 1................+4.50..............+9.00
11/01/2018..............2 - 1..................+4.50...................0 - 3................-16.50..............-12.00

Totals....................14 - 15.................-12.50...................5 - 8................-19.00..............-31.50

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Top 6 picks in Week 9 of Westgate SuperBook NFL handicapping contest (3,123 entries)

1) Vikings, -4.5 (1,262)

2) Steelers, +3 (1,138)

3) Titans, +6.5 (1,093)

4) Chiefs, -8 (977)

5) Texans, +1 (782)

6) Seahawks, -2 (773)

Season record: 25-20-3 (6-0 last week)

Quote of the Day
“With a seven-year, $49 million salary, there’s no such thing as a rebuilding year for Malzahn. The Tigers are supposed to be, at the very least, in contention for the division title every November. ”
Barrett Sallee, CBSSports.com

Sunday’s quiz
Who holds the single season record for passing yards at Ole Miss?

Saturday’s quiz
The first Super Bowl was played in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Friday’s quiz
Kenny Stabler was the Raiders’ QB the first time they won a Super Bowl.

********************

Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a college football Saturday

13) Auburn 28, Texas A&M 24— Talk about gagging a game away; with 7:14 left, A&M led 24-14 and had the ball on the Auburn 43. The ESPN TV guys were talking about running the ball and about clock management, taking time off the clock, but the Aggies threw an INT on the very next play. Not good.

Game completely swung on that play; Auburn had TD drives of 71-58 yards in the last 6:00 and pulled out a game that looked lost midway thru the 4th quarter.

12) West Virginia 42, Texas 41— This was a tremendous game, too bad Gus Johnson had the play-by-play and went into his hysterical act with both TD’s late in this game. He calls the action well, but if the game is close at the end, it always has to become about him and his screaming.

West Virginia trailed 41-34, but scored a TD with 0:16 left; Mountaineers went for 2 and the win— QB Will Grier ran it in for the two points.

I’ve said here before that I’m not a fan of going for two points in that situation, but Grier is a senior QB and coach Holgorsen trusted him to get the two points, and he did.

11) Georgia 34, Kentucky 17— Swift/Holyfield both ran the ball for 100+ yards as the Dawgs KO’d Kentucky and clinched the SEC East title- Georgia plays Auburn next week.

Kentucky RB Benny Snell Jr is very good; his dad was a RB for the Las Vegas Outlaws in the XFL in the one year that league existed. Snell’s granddad is cousins with Matt Snell, a terrific RB who helped the Jets win Super Bowl III.

10) South Carolina 48, Ole Miss 44— Teams played so little defense, it looked like they were auditioning to join the Big X. Ole Miss didn’t punt until midway thru the third quarter.

Rebels gained 616 yards but lost; Gamecocks averaged 11.3 yards/pass attempt and won.

9) Michigan State 24, Maryland 3— Terrapins’ offensive line were the people who were upset about coach coach DJ Durkin being re-instated this week; they helped get him fired the next day, but the OL was useless in this game. Maryland ran 53 plays for a total of only 100 yards.

8) Central Florida 52, Temple 40— UCF is 8-0, but when you’re trailing Temple 34-28 at the half and the Owls get 35 first downs against you, you’re not going too impress the pollsters who may not want to be impressed in the first place.

7) Upsets of the Week:
— SMU (+13.5) 45, Houston 31
— Illinois (+9.5) 55, Minnesota 31
— Duke (+9.5) 20, Miami 12
— Pittsburgh (+7.5) 23, Virginia 13
— Baylor (+7.5) 35, Oklahoma State 31
— Tulane (+7.5) 41, South Florida 15
— UL-Monroe (+7) 44, Georgia Southern 25
— Arizona State (+7) 38, Utah 20

6) Clemson 77, Louisville 16— Two years ago, Louisville was -2.5 at Clemson, but lost 42-36; they were +39 in this game and didn’t come close to covering. Even Dabo Swinney’s son scored a TD, his first-ever college touchdown. Clemson ran the ball for 492 yards, which is just total domination.

5) Ohio State 36, Nebraska 31— OSU fans are spoiled; Buckeyes trailed 21-16 at halftime, got booed off their home field- not much enthusiasm for a team that is now 8-1.

4) NC State 47, Florida State 28— Seminoles were 5-6 LY; they’re 4-5 this year. From 2012-16, FSU was 59-9; what the hell happened?

3) Purdue 38, Iowa 36— Boilermakers kicked a FG with 0:08 left to win the game after blowing a 35-23 fourth quarter lead. Iowa tried and failed on a pair of 2-point conversions earlier in second half, otherwise this might’ve been an overtime game.

Purdue has won five of its last six games after an 0-3 start.

2) Oklahoma 51, Texas Tech 46— Tech led 31-28 at halftime, but apparently their QB Bowman got drilled in the head with a football while warming up for the second half and went back to the locker room for evaluation- he didn’t play in the second half, or return to the sidelines.

1) Michigan 42, Penn State 7— Wolverines’ defense is really good; in their last six games, Michigan has allowed 12.5 ppg, only 185.8 ypg. Notre Dame/SMU are only two teams that gained more than 300 yards against the Wolverines this season.

Penn State lost three of last five games; they’re 0-3 when scoring less than 30 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Pac-12 South football standings:

Arizona State 4-3

USC 4-3

Utah 4-3

Arizona State 3-3

Colorado 2-4

UCLA 2-4

Not a great year for the Pac-12 South


**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Happy Election Day– go vote!!!!

13) Today is Election Day; please go vote, if you already haven’t done so. Its our job as American citizens to go and make our voices heard- its one of the great parts of living in a democracy. Plus, sometimes they have bake sales at polling places so you can get fairly cheap cupcakes or donuts.

Go vote!!! (After you read the rest of this……)

12) There is a TV program on WeTV called “Love After Lockup”; it is described this way:

“Couples meet their potential future spouses for the first time once the bars are removed from the relationship.” In other words, once the future spouse gets out of jail.

What could possibly go wrong?

11) Friday night in the CFL, after Ottawa scored a TD to grab a 23-9 lead with 0:59 left in the 3rd quarter, an Ottawa offensive lineman went to the front row of the stands, grabbed a can of beer from a fan, and chugged the beer— during the game!!!!

When I saw the clip, I figured it was just before the end of the game, but it wasn’t. Yikes.

10) There is a dog walking app called WAG; you pay someone to walk your dog for you. They get the keys to your house, they walk little Scruffy around the block, you can follow their progress on the app, and everyone is happy.

In this day and age, if you think I’m giving the keys to my freakin’ house to some stranger who walks dogs for a living, then you’re bleepin’ goofy. There isn’t anything all that valuable here, but it is valuable to me. I’d get the dog a treadmill like George Jetson before I paid someone.

9) Sig Mejdal is a former NASA engineer and blackjack dealer who worked on the analytical team that helped the Houston Astros win the World Series LY; he’s let his contract with the Astros run out and will now look for another job.

NASA engineer and blackjack dealer? Sounds like an interesting guy.

8) I’m not a big Tom Cruise fan, but his best movie (in my opinion) by far is A Few Good Men, with Risky Business 2nd, and then probably Cocktail.

The scene where Jack Nicholson testifies in court: “You can’t handle the truth!!!!” is still one of my favorite movie scenes ever.

7) ESPN’s Mike Breen had a tremendous euphemism as he tried to gently rip the Washington Wizards in their loss Friday night: “…….just a lack of consistent intensity”

Oklahoma City had 110 points AFTER THE 3RD QUARTER; Wizards weren’t trying real hard, which is why they’re 2-7 this season.

6) Mark Jackson told a neat story during the Wolves-Warriors game Friday night; when he was coaching Golden State, Jackson brought college teammate Chris Mullen in to work with then-rookie Klay Thompson on footwork, how to use screens, stuff like that- it obviously helped.

When Thompson was playing at Washington State, you wouldn’t have figured him to be a star in the NBA, but he sure is now.

5) “Its not who starts, its who finishes.” Lot of basketball coaches say that to subs who might have their feelings hurt when they come off the bench instead of starting.

Actions speak louder than words; JJ Redick hasn’t started a game yet for the 76ers, but he is 4th on the team in minutes played, second on team in shots taken and scoring (18.4 ppg). And his $12,250,000 salary (#3 on team) speaks pretty loudly, too.

4) Arizona Cardinals cut QB Sam Bradford, who has earned roughly $129M in his football career, while accumulating a career record of 34-48-1. Arizona wound up paying him $13.5M and he only played three games for them. No bueno.

Bradford is better than any QB Buffalo has, but he’d last about 10 minutes behind that offensive line, thats 10 minutes of regular time, not game time.

Bradford had some success playing for Giants’ coach Pat Shurmur when Shurmur was OC up at Minnesota, so there are rumors Bradford could be heading to the Big Apple.

3) A big reason of why college basketball has changed so much in the last decade; freshmen played 81.2% of Kentucky’s minutes last year- freshmen played 67.5% of Duke’s minutes.

In the last four seasons, of the 20 freshmen Kentucky had, 12 of them stayed only one year. 11 of Duke’s last 19 freshmen have left school after one season.

If you’re good enough to start for Kentucky/Duke, you probably already have one eye on the NBA, so it becomes difficult to tell who is invested in playing college ball and who is counting the minutes until they can bolt college and go to the NBA Combine.

2) Average ticket prices and team payrolls this past baseball season:
Red Sox $206M payroll, $56.97 average ticket
Astros $172M payroll, $40.25 average ticket
Bronx Bombers $161M payroll, average ticket $47.62
Indians: $137M payroll, average ticket $30.04

1) Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt hosted a 4-minute video last week urging all Americans to go vote on November 6th- it was a little odd seeing actors speak as themselves, we’re so used to seeing them play different roles.

But their point is valid— please go vote!!!!