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Tulane at Houston
November 14, 2018
By Joe Nelson

This week’s Thursday night ESPN game comes out of the American Athletic Conference with a West division battle between Tulane and Houston. Both teams are in a three-way tie with SMU at 4-2 on top of the division standings as the victor can remain in the mix for the division title.

Here is a look at tonight’s game to start a big mid-November college football weekend.

Match-up: Tulane Green Wave at Houston Cougars
Venue: at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas
Time/TV: Thursday, November 15, 8:00 PM ET ESPN
Line: Houston -10, Over/Under 67½
Last Meeting: 2017, at Tulane (+9) 20, Houston 17

The American Athletic Conference West has had three different division champions in three years and a fourth new participant to the AAC title game is possible out of the West this season. SMU, Houston, and Tulane are all tied at 4-2 with SMU having wins over both Houston and Tulane. The Mustangs have a difficult game with Memphis this Friday before heading on the road to face Tulsa next week as a loss is certainly possible to open the door for the winner of this game.

Along with Memphis, Houston was considered one of the favorites in the West riding five consecutive winning seasons even after a step-back to 7-5 last season in the first season under Major Applewhite. Houston won the inaugural AAC Championship game in 2015 and grabbed headlines nationally in 2016 with notable wins over Oklahoma and Louisville.

Houston struggled to find a quarterback early last season but D’Eriq King emerged in late October, keying the upset over South Florida and finishing the season with strong results in the air and on the ground. Now a junior King has big numbers, accounting for 48 touchdowns but his passing numbers are slightly down and he has six interceptions this season. He is a threat on the ground as well with 13 rushing touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry and he ranks 6th nationally in QB Rating behind five players on College Football Playoff contending teams.

Offense hasn’t been an issue for Houston, averaging nearly 48 points per game for the fourth highest mark in the nation. The defense has really struggled however surrendering 34 points per game, including 37 points per game in AAC play. In back-to-back losses the past two weeks Houston has allowed 104 points and four straight foes have scored at least 36 points against Houston while rushing for at least 196 yards. Houston has also benefitted from not drawing UCF or Cincinnati in the East schedule draw.

Houston has one of the highest profile defensive players in the nation with Ed Oliver a projected 1st round NFL pick next spring but Oliver hasn’t played in the past three games and appears likely to be ruled out to play again this week with a lingering knee injury. Houston’s defense has allowed big rushing numbers in recent weeks including surrendering 312 rushing yards in last week’s home loss to Temple and the Cougars are coming off back-to-back double-digit defeats.

Home losses have been rare for the Houston program with a 22-3 S/U record at home since 2014 and it had been 31 games since Houston had lost a home game by more than a single score. Houston was a 27-point home favorite in a 30-18 win over Tulane at home two years ago but last season in New Orleans the Wave pulled off the upset, making this a revenge game in Houston’s final home game of the season.

Tulane started the season with a competitive overtime loss hosting Wake Forest but wound up starting the season 2-5. Three straight wins have put the Wave back in the postseason conversation in the third season for Willie Fritz with Tulane last making a bowl game in 2013. Next week’s home game with Navy will be a reasonable opportunity but Tulane has won its past two road games and could emerge as an AAC title threat with another road win this week.

Tulane runs the option and despite marginal numbers, the results have been better since making a move to Justin McMillan at quarterback. Jonathan Banks started most of last season and the senior was productive in the first seven games this season. McMillan is also a senior and played sparingly until replacing Banks in the loss at Cincinnati in early October. He didn’t play at all the next week but he has been the team’s quarterback the past three games, all wins, albeit against lighter competition than Banks faced in most of his games. McMillan had by far his best passing game last week as Tulane surprisingly threw 28 times for 372 yards to add some different wrinkles to the playbook.

Tulane has been the best defensive team in the AAC West, allowing only 23 points per game with each of the past three foes held to 18 or fewer points. Pass defense has been a strong point holding opposing quarterbacks to just over 52 percent completions and only 7.2 yards per attempt. Tulane also has allowed just 3.8 yards per rush and just 141 yards per game. Houston has only allowed 3.9 yards per rush on the season but the numbers have been heading in the wrong direction the past four weeks.

Houston’s defense will certainly be difficult to trust as a heavy favorite in any matchup though this is a Cougars team that has scored at least 41 points in five of six conference games, a figure Tulane has reached once vs. FBS competition this season. Whichever team controls the pace and avoids turnovers should have the edge and the recent scheduling has played a role in the recent opposing trajectories for these teams.

Last season: Houston trailed 13-3 at halftime at Tulane but seemed likely to pull out the win as there were missed opportunities with a fumble near midfield while also failing going for it on 4th-and-1 from the Tulane 6-yard-line early in the second quarter. On the first drive of the second half King threw an interception in the end zone but after a Tulane interception Houston scored a touchdown to close to within three by the start of the fourth quarter. On the next drive Houston went 91 yards to take the lead but Tulane answered with Banks delivering a 64-yard touchdown pass. Down three in the final minutes Houston again went for it on 4th down rather than attempting a long field goal for the tie and came up empty as Tulane held on for the upset.

Historical Trends:

-- Houston has held a strong home field edge with a 65-16 S/U and 43-33-1 ATS record since 2006 while going 4-1 S/U and 3-2 ATS at home this season.

-- Houston is on a 12-2 S/U and 11-3 ATS run in this series since 2003 though Tulane has covered in the past two trips to Houston including an upset win in 2014 as a 17-point underdog.

-- Tulane is 9-49 S/U and 27-31 ATS as a road underdog since 2008, going 5-6 ATS since 2016 under Fritz with only one S/U upset, with that win the 41-15 win at South Florida earlier this month.

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Thursday, November 15

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TOLEDO (5 - 5) at KENT ST (2 - 8) - 11/15/2018, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TOLEDO is 86-61 ATS (+18.9 Units) as a favorite since 1992.

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

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TULANE (5 - 5) at HOUSTON (7 - 3) - 11/15/2018, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TULANE is 97-127 ATS (-42.7 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
HOUSTON is 34-57 ATS (-28.7 Units) in weeks 10 through 13 since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
TULANE is 2-0 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 1-1 straight up against TULANE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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FLA ATLANTIC (5 - 5) at NORTH TEXAS (7 - 3) - 11/15/2018, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLA ATLANTIC is 2-0 against the spread versus NORTH TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
FLA ATLANTIC is 2-0 straight up against NORTH TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Thursday, November 15

Toledo @ Kent State
Toledo
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toledo's last 5 games
Toledo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kent State

Kent State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kent State's last 5 games
Kent State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home

Tulane @ Houston
Tulane
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Tulane's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tulane's last 5 games when playing Houston

Houston
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Tulane
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

Florida Atlantic @ North Texas
Florida Atlantic
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida Atlantic's last 6 games when playing North Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida Atlantic's last 5 games when playing on the road against North Texas

North Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of North Texas's last 8 games
North Texas is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home


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Thursday’s games

Toledo scored 45+ points in its five wins, 27 or fewer points in its losses; they allowed 400+ yards in all its I-A games this year. Rockets are 1-3 on road; under Candle, Toledo is 5-3 as road favorite, 0-1 this year. Kent State is 2-8 this year; they lost their MAC home games year by one point each. Flashes are 2-0 as home underdogs this year. Toledo won its last three game with Kent by 31-10-13 points, only meetings in last decade; Rockets won last visit here 30-20 in 2014. Four of last five Toledo games stayed under total; under is 4-1 in last five Kent games.

Houston lost its last two games after a 7-1 start, giving up 45-59 points; they allowed 312 rushing yards in LW’s home loss to Temple. Cougars are 6-4 as home favorites under Applewhite, 2-2 this year. Tulane won its last three games, needs one more win to go bowling; under Fritz, Green Wave is 5-6 as road underdogs, 1-2 this year. Tulane/Houston split last four meetings, with Green Wave winning as 9 and 17-point dogs. Tulane covered its last two visits here. Last four Houston games went over total; under is 7-1 in last eight Tulane games.

Florida Atlantic squashed North Texas twice LY, 69-31 at home, then 41-17 in C-USA title game; UNT had won previous three meetings, by 11-6-14 points. FAU won its last two games, scoring 49-34 points, to even its record at 5-5- they need one more win to go bowling. Owls are 1-4 on road, 1-2 as road dogs; under Kiffin, FAU is 2-2-1 when getting points on road. North Texas is 7-3 but lost two of last three games; under Littrell, Mean Green is 6-4 as home favorites, 2-2 this year. Under is 3-1 in last four FAU games, 8-0 in last eight UNT games.


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Thursday, Nov. 15


TOLEDO at KENT STATE... Rockets 13-7 vs. line last 20 as visitor. Kent State 3-0 vs. line as host TY but just 4-7 vs. line last 11 MAC games.
Slight to Toledo, based on team trends.


TULANE at HOUSTON... Willie Fritz 8-4 last 12 as dog. Fritz has also covered last two vs. Cougs.
Tulane, based on team trends.


FAU at NORTH TEXAS... Kiffin just 2-8 vs. line TY but did destroy UNT in both meetings last season. Mean Green just 1-5 vs. line last six TY.
Slight to FAU, based on series trends.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TULN at HOU 08:00 PM
TULN +7.5
O 68.0

FAU at UNT 09:30 PM
FAU +4.5
O 63.5

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More later

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Houston cruises past Tulane, 48-17
November 15, 2018
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HOUSTON (AP) Patrick Carr ran for a career-high 139 yards and two touchdowns and Houston rolled to a 48-17 victory over Tulane on Thursday night.

Houston (8-3, 5-2 American Athletic Conference) rebounded from its only home loss, 59-49, to Temple last week. The Cougars conclude their regular season at Memphis on Nov. 23. Tulane (5-6, 4-3) had its three-game win streak snapped.

Carr broke loose for a 21-yard score and added a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

D'Eriq King, who entered the game accounting for a nation's-best 290 points and 35 touchdown passes, combined for 164 yards of offense with two touchdowns. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 82 yards and had 10 carries for another 82 yards. King threw an 11-yard TD pass to Romello Brooker and ran for a 3-yard score, each in the second quarter, to help the Cougars build a 31-9 halftime lead.

King was injured later in the game and was on the sideline with crutches during the second half.

Houston star defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who sat out his fourth straight game and was not in uniform against Tulane, was angry and shouting at Cougars coach Major Applewhite as the team left the sideline at halftime and did not return to the field for the second half.

Applewhite told ESPN that Oliver reacted to being told by the coach that he was not permitted to wear a long, heavy coat on the sideline because they were reserved for starters. Oliver hasn't played due to a knee injury.

Clayton Tune added two touchdown passes in the second half for Houston.

Darius Bradwell and Amare Jones had touchdown runs for Tulane, which had three interceptions and lost a fumble. Bradwell led the Green Wave with 89 yards rushing on 14 carries.


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North Texas outlasts FAU, 41-38
November 15, 2018
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DENTON, Texas (AP) DeAndre Torrey had 17 carries for a career-high 187 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown run with 4:06 to play, and North Texas beat UNT 41-38 on Thursday night.

Mason Fine was 22-of-33 passing for 295 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for UNT (8-3, 4-3 Conference USA). The junior - who is already the program's career leader in completions, attempts and TD passes - left the game in the third quarter with an injury to his non-throwing hand. Backup Quinn Shanbour led back-to-back touchdown drives while scoring on runs of 5 and 18 yards before Fine returned.

The Owls (5-6, 3-4) scored 17 consecutive points to take a 24-21 lead early in the third quarter after Vladimir Rivas made a 31-yard field goal. Torrey ripped off a 46-yard run on the next play from scrimmage and, after Fine was injured two plays later, Shanbour scored from 5 yards out. Nate Brooks picked off a pass from Chris Robison three plays later and Shanbour's second TD run made it 34-24 with 6:33 left in the quarter.

Devin Singletary's 8-yard scoring run capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive on FAU's next possession and both offenses sputtered until Torrey's long TD run. Robison hit Jovon Durante for a 55-yard touchdown three plays later and the Mean Green went three-and-out on its next possession but Khairi Muhamad poked a pass from Robison high in the air and picked it off with 1:53 to go.

Singletary finished with 91yards rushing and two touchdowns and Harrison Bryant had six receptions for 138 yards and a score for FAU.

UNT, which had three yards rushing at halftime, finished with 511 total yards, including 208 on the ground.

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November's Cbb Opinions Record and Best Bets:

DATE .......W-L-T......... % UNITS

11/15/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
11/14/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
11/10/2018 28-29-0 49.12% -19.50
11/09/2018 3-1-0 100.00% +10.00
11/08/2018 0-5-0 0.00% -27.50
11/07/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
11/06/2018 29-22-3 56.86% +24.00

Totals..............65-64-3.....50.38%......-26.50


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


11/15/2018............1 - 1............-0.50.................1 - 1............-0.50...........-1.00
11/14/2018............1 - 1............-0.50.................0 - 2............-11.00.........-11.50
11/10/2018...........10 - 13.........-21.50................3 - 2............+4.00..........-17.50
11/09/2018............1 - 1............-0.50.................2 - 0............+10.00........+9.50
11/08/2018............0 - 3............-16.50...............0 - 2.............-11.00.........-27.50
11/07/2018............1 - 0............+5.00................2 - 1............+4.50..........+9.50
11/06/2018............6 - 5............+2.50................1 - 6............-11.50...........-9.00

Totals.................20 - 24.............-32.00...............9 - 14...........-15.50..........-47.50

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Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

— Boise State is 8-4-1 vs spread in its last 13 road games.

— Missouri covered only one of its last six road games.

— Oregon State covered one of its last nine Pac-12 games.

— Boston College is 16-3 vs spread in its last 19 regular season games.

— UL-Lafayette covered six of its last seven games.

— Fresno State is 18-4-2 ATS since Tedford became coach.


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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here…….

13) Annual tradition here in not-so-beautiful upstate New York. When it snows outside, and it is snowing now, I get on the Interweb and price condos in Las Vegas, where snow is merely a rumor.

Snow is the only bad part of living here; nothing is quite as much fun as getting up on a step-ladder to sweep the snow off my satellite dish.

12) Last year at this time the Miami Marlins sold off their whole outfield; Stanton, Ozuna and Yelich. Wonder what the odds were that of those three guys, Christian Yelich would be the MVP this season? He had a great year, leading Milwaukee to a playoff berth.

11) San Diego Union-Tribune writer John Maffei is the only one out of 30 voters who didn’t vote for Jacob deGrom for the NL Cy Young Award. Mr Maffei values W-L record as a stat, so deGrom’s 10-9 record for a dismal Mets team didn’t impress him much.

10) UConn 83, Syracuse 76— Huskies made 12-21 behind arc; Syracuse was playing without G Howard; things aren’t as easy when you play away from home.

9) DePaul 72, Penn State 70 OT— Nittany Lions jumped out to 11-0 lead, trailed 36-31 at half, then forced OT, where they missed wide open, game-tying jumper at end of OT. DePaul is 3-0 for first time in ten years.

8) Ohio State 69, Creighton 60— Second quality road win for the young Buckeyes, who won at Cincinnati last week.

7) Seahawks 27, Packers 24— Seattle outrushed Green Bay 173-48; Packers converted only 3-11 third down plays. 46-yard FG Crosby missed when Packers led 7-0 turned out to be painful.

6) Houston Rockets and Carmelo Anthony parted ways after 10 games; who thought this pairing was going to be a good idea? Anthony didn’t want to come off the bench, but when you get older and your skills decline, what did he think was going to happen?

5) Lakers’ G Rajon Rondo broke his hand, is out 3-5 weeks.

4) Former LSU football coach Les Miles took a one-time lump sum payment of $1.5M from the school, reduced from the $6.5M he was scheduled to get over the next five years, but that tells me that Miles is going to be a head coach somewhere else next season. If he took the $6.5M, he would’ve had to stay out of coaching until 2023.

3) Someone on Twitter posted a list of their ten favorite airports, and it started a firestorm of responses; since I only fly to one place, and it is usually a non-stop flight, my list is short:

1) Las Vegas
2) Albany
3) Baltimore (sometimes my flights stop there; they have a Chick-fil-A)

2) Cal Bears postponed their basketball game with Detroit Mercy Thursday night because of poor air quality in the area due to the wild fires. San Francisco also postponed Friday night’s home basketball game with Arizona State.

1) Jim Boeheim has been the basketball coach at Syracuse for 43 years; he played for the Orange, was an assistant coach there before being head coach. Boeheim’s son Buddy is a player for Syracuse now; how the hell do they spell the kid’s last name wrong on his orange jersey?

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Power 5 Best Bets - Week 12
November 15, 2018
By YouWager.eu

College Football Week 12 - Power 5 Conference Best Bets

Week 12 is, as college football weekends go, one of the quieter ones of the season. Yes, we still have a full schedule on tap, but we are not going to be seeing a ton of great match-ups. For the bigger programs, this is almost like a bye week, as they will get to rest a lot of their starters as they go against much smaller schools. That’s not to say that the calendar is totally devoid of action, though, as there are still several games worth watching and wagering on.

Let’s take a closer look at the best games available in each of the Power 5 conferences with all the odds, props and futures offered by YouWager.eu.

ACC
Syracuse Orange vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Shamrock Series returns, with these two going head to head at Yankee Stadium this coming Saturday. It’s a cool venue for what is potentially the biggest game on the Week 12 schedule. The Orange come in with an 8-2 record, and while they will have their hands full against the unbeaten Irish, we should probably not count them out completely. After all, Syracuse came within one play of beating Clemson for the second straight season earlier in the year. An upset would have huge implications on the playoff rankings, but I do think Notre Dame will get the win.

Big 12
West Virginia Mountaineers at Oklahoma State Cowboys

Of the teams still in with a shot at breaking into the top 4, it is the Mountaineers who potentially have the toughest road to take. They really need to win out, which would include a win in the Big 12 Championship Game. This is potentially another huge game, especially since the Cowboys have already knocked off Texas and came close to doing the same to Oklahoma last week. We can likely expect a lot of scoring in this one, with the Mountaineers prevailing.

The Best NCAAF Action is at YouWager.eu, Join Now and get a 50% Bonus up to $1000

Big Ten
Ohio State Buckeyes at Maryland Terrapins

The Buckeyes are another team still in with an outside shot at the playoffs, but they too need to win out to get in. Their level of play over the last 3 weeks has done little to suggest that they can make that run, especially with Michigan coming up next. This is a game that you would expect Ohio State to win, although Maryland have had a signature win this season, taking out Texas in Week 1. That aside, I think the Buckeyes get the win on the road.

Pac-12
Arizona Wildcats at Washington State Cougars

The PAC 12 conference was shut out of the playoffs last season and it looks as though it is going to be more of the same this year. The Washington State Cougars are the last hope for the conference, but even if they win out, they are probably still going to need some other teams to lose. This team is rolling right now, and I don’t see them having any problems taking down Arizona at home.

SEC
Missouri Tigers at Tennessee Volunteers

Fans of the SEC are now just sitting back waiting for the SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia. There is really only one competitive looking game on the conference schedule this weekend, with Missouri hitting the road to face the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee have been better than most expected, but they are going to have a tough time slowing down Drew Lock and that Missouri offense, which is why I think the Tigers win.

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Money-line Plays - Week 12
November 15, 2018
By Bookmaker

by Kyle Markus

NCAA Football Odds - College Football Week 12 Moneyline Plays

In college football, the spread gets the majority of the attention, but moneyline plays can be the right call in many instances. The Week 12 slate of action has a lot of intriguing matchups. When a bettor has a good feeling about an underdog, the moneyline can really pay off well as opposed to the lesser odds of the spread.

The moneyline is also a good way to back a favorite because all that matters is the victory, not if the opponent sneaks its way into a backdoor cover. Here are some of the best moneyline plays of Week 12 in college football gambling:

Odds Analysis - per BookMaker.eu

The Northwestern Wildcats continued their storybook run in Big Ten play by knocking off Iowa last time out, which clinched their spot in the conference championship game. Northwestern will aim to head there on a nice winning streak but the oddsmakers aren’t giving much respect, pegging the Wildcats the underdogs on the road against the Minnesota Gophers. Don’t be fooled by the spread. Northwestern at -106 odds is a nice value and the Wildcats should win.

The Duke Blue Devils has had some nice moments this season although the wheels have fallen off a bit lately. They are going on the road as huge underdogs this week against the Clemson Tigers. Duke is obviously a big underdog but it does have a star quarterback. The Blue Devils are worth a small gamble at +1628 odds as they would pay off unbelievably well.

The Central Florida Knights are hosting the Cincinnati Bearcats in a critical matchup. UCF is the better team and gets this one at home. The -280 odds are not too steep so roll with the Knights to pick up this victory.

The Syracuse Orange is going on the road for a matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is zeroing in on a College Football Playoff berth but this isn’t an easy matchup. Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book missed the team’s last game due to injury and if there are any issues it could open up a talented Syracuse team to the upset. The odds for the Orange to win this game are set at +278, which is a nice choice.

The Cal Bears have done a nice job picking up their defense in recent weeks and will host the Stanford Cardinal this week. Stanford has generally won this matchup but Cal is only a slight underdog and has the talent to emerge victorious. Take the Bears at +105 odds in college football wagering.

The Arizona State Sun Devils can win the Pac-12 South with victories in their final two games. The first one up is this week against the Oregon Ducks. Oregon has been very inconsistent recently but gets this one at home. The Ducks should be able to straighten things out and come away with the win at -175 odds.

NCAA Football ATS Pick

The best moneyline choice of the week comes in a Big Ten showdown. The Michigan State Spartans are hitting the road for a showdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska has been improved of late but it’s important to remember the team’s entire body of work, which hasn’t been good.

Michigan State has been up and down this season, but the -120 odds are very intriguing. Take the Spartans to win this game. They are the strongest moneyline choice of Week 12 as they get nearly even odds and should come away with a victory over Nebraska in college football odds.

NCAA Football ATS Pick: The Michigan State Spartans on the moneyline against the Nebraska Cornhuskers

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ACC Report - Week 12
November 15, 2018
By Joe Williams

2018 ACC STANDINGS

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 7-3 4-2 7-3 5-5
Clemson 10-0 7-0 6-4 5-5
Florida State 4-6 2-5 3-7 7-3
Louisville 2-8 0-7 1-9 7-3
North Carolina State 6-3 3-3 4-5 4-5
Syracuse 8-2 5-2 7-2-1 6-4
Wake Forest 5-5 2-4 3-7 6-4

COASTAL DIVISION
Duke 7-3 3-3 5-5 5-5
Georgia Tech 6-4 4-3 5-5 5-4-1
Miami-Florida 5-5 2-4 3-7 5-5
North Carolina 1-8 1-6 4-4-1 6-2-1
Pittsburgh 6-4 5-1 6-4 5-5
Virginia 7-3 4-2 7-3 5-5
Virginia Tech 4-5 3-3 3-6 5-4

Pittsburgh at Wake Forest (ACC Network, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Panthers are in the driver's seat in the Coastal Division trying to secure their first-ever spot in the ACC Championship Game. Pitt enters 4-0 ATS in the past four ACC battles, and 5-0 ATS in their past five games overall. Wake heads into the battle on the opposite side, going 2-5 ATS in the past seven conference outings while going 3-9 ATS in the past 12 games overall. In addition, they're 1-6 ATS in the past seven home outings while going 1-6 ATS in the past seven against teams with a winning overall mark. Pitt heads into the game with the over 4-1 in the past five ACC battles, but the under is 9-1 in their past 10 road outings. Wake has hit the over 5-1 in the past six home outings and 8-3 in their past 11 against winning teams.

North Carolina State at Louisville (ACC Network, 12:20 p.m. ET)
The Cardinals fired Bobby Petrino, so they'll be under new management when N.C. State pays a visit. The Wolfpack head into the game 1-4 ATS in the past five ACC battles, while going 1-3-1 ATS in the past five games on field turf. The Cardinals have been atrocious against the number, even before this season's fall off a cliff. They're 1-4 ATS in the past five at home, 6-21 ATS in their past 27 overall and 3-14 ATS in the past 17 against winning teams. As far as the total is concerned, the trends are at complete opposite ends for these two. The under is 16-5 in the past 21 ACC battles and 13-6 in the past 19 overall. The over is 6-0 in the past six overall and 19-7 in the past 26 conference contests.

Syracuse at Notre Dame (NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET)
The Orange and Irish do battle, and it's a game which could make or break Notre Dame. They're in good shape for a spot in the playoffs, but they cannot afford a slip-up. Syracuse is a strong team, and this game will be played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in what could be a hostile crowd with ugly weather. Syracuse is 4-0-1 ATS in the past non-conference battles, while going 7-2-1 ATS in the past 10 overall. They're also 9-3 ATS in the past 12 against teams with a winning record while going 5-2 ATS in the past seven neutral-site battles. The Irish are 4-1 ATS in the past five neutral-site battles, while going 3-0-1 ATS in the past four against teams with a winning record.

Boston College at Florida State (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.)
A few years ago this would be a dangerous trip to Boston College. It probably still is, as they're facing a wounded animal backed into the corner fighting for its bowl eligibility. In addition, BC QB Anthony Brown was unable to return to last week's game against Clemson due to an abdominal issue, and RB A.J. Dillon aggravated an ankle injury. Losing their two best players made them impotent against a strong Tigers team. BC might have been enormous road favorites if not for those two injuries, as both could play or could easily sit. The Seminoles are trying to avoid their first losing season since 1976, and are relatively healthy. The Seminoles have some dangerous weapons in Nyqwan Murray and Tamorrion Terry, as well as Cam Akers on the ground. The Seminoles are short 'dogs at home as of Thursday evening.

Virginia at Georgia Tech (ACC Network, 3:30 p.m.)
The Cavaliers roll into Atlanta looking to stay hot against the number. The Hoos are 7-3 ATS in the past 10 overall, while going 5-1 ATS in their past six against winning teams. The Ramblin' Wreck is 5-1 ATS in the past six overall, while going 4-1 ATS in the past five ACC battles. They have also cashed nine times in the past 13 at home. The over is 5-1 in Virginia's past six road games against teams with a winning home mark, but the under is 5-2 in the past seven ACC games. In this series, the home team is 18-4-1 ATS in the past 23 meetings, with the Cavaliers 0-4 ATS in the past four trips to Atlanta. The under is also 7-2 in the past nine battles at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Miami-Florida at Virginia Tech (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)
It's amazing that someone is going to leave the football field with a sixth win, and bowl eligibility will be in danger. Miami enters the game as road favorites, which might raise some eyebrows, especially since they're 1-3 SU/ATS and just 1-7 ATS in the past eight road games overall. The Canes are also 0-5 ATS in the past five conference games, too. Virginia Tech has been dismal against the number, too, going 1-4 ATS in the past five at home, 0-4 ATS in the past four league games and 0-5 ATS in the past five overall. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the past four in this series, with the Canes 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The 'under' has hit in 11 of the past 15 in the series, too. For Miami, the under is 4-0 in the past four, and 11-2 in the past 13 road contests. The under is 35-17 in the past 52 ACC games for the Gobblers, too.

Duke at Clemson (ESPN, 7:00 p.m.)
Head coach David Cutcliffe's bunch heads to Death Valley looking to make life difficult for the Tigers. It's a tall order, as Clemson has been smashing everyone lately. Vegas expects Clemson to pound Duke, too, as they're more than four-touchdown favorites.

Duke is 6-1 ATS in the past seven road games, and 6-2 ATS in their past eight against winning teams. However, they are also just 2-5 ATS in the past seven overall and 0-4 ATS in the past four after a straight-up win. The playoff-hopeful Tigers are 5-0 ATS in their past five, while going 4-0 ATS in the past four against teams with a winning overall record. They're also 9-4 ATS in the past 13 games at Death Valley against teams with a winning road record. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the past four in this series, with the home team 8-2-1 ATS in the past 11 meetings. Duke is 0-4 ATS in the past four in this series, while going 0-4-1 ATS in the past five at Clemson.

Other Game
Western Carolina at North Carolina (ACC Network, 3:00 p.m.)

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Big 12 Report - Week 12
November 15, 2018

2018 BIG 12 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Baylor 5-5 3-4 4-5-1 6-4
Iowa State 6-3 5-2 6-3 3-6
Kansas 3-7 1-6 5-5 4-6
Kansas State 4-6 2-5 5-5 3-7
Oklahoma 8-1 5-1 4-5 8-1
Oklahoma State 5-5 2-5 5-5 6-4
Texas 7-3 5-2 4-5-1 6-4
Texas Christian 4-6 2-5 2-8 5-5
Texas Tech 5-5 3-4 6-4 8-2
West Virginia 8-1 6-1 6-2-1 5-4

Texas Christian at Baylor (FOX Sports 1, 12:00 p.m.)
The Horned Frogs started the season with high expectations, but now they're in a coin-flip game simply trying to stay bowl eligible. A loss in this one and they're home for the holidays. If Baylor falls, they would have a sixth loss and need to win a tougher game at Texas Tech for a sixth win. TCU heads into the game just 7-19 ATS in the past 26 conference games, while going 1-4 ATS in the past five road outings. The Horned Frogs are 0-7 ATS in the past seven games overall. The Bears head into the game 2-6 ATS in the past eight games at home, while going 2-10-1 ATS in the past 13 games against teams with a losing record. The over is 4-0 in the past four battles in Baylor, while going 6-1 in the past seven meetings. The underdog is also 7-0 ATS in the past seven meetings in the series. TCU is 5-1 ATS in the past six in this series, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings in Waco.

West Virginia at Oklahoma State (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
The Mountaineers head to a tough stadium looking to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive. They are 6-2-1 ATS in the past nine games overall, while going 5-1-1 ATS in the past seven games played on a field turf surface. The Cowboys enter 4-1 ATS in the past five against teams with a winning record. The over has been the prevailing trend for both sides, but the under has cashed in four of the past five meetings in this series. The over is 7-3 in the past 10 covers by West Virginia, while going 4-1 in the past five games on field turf. The over is 9-3 in OK State's past 12 conference battles, and 11-5 in the past 16 overall. The over is also 5-1 in their past six following a straight-up loss.

Texas Tech at Kansas State (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.)
The Red Raiders appeared in the national spotlight the past two weeks and played two very entertaining games, albeit losses. Now, they'll have a less challenging game against K-State, although Manhattan is always a tough place to play even in a down year for the Wildcats. Texas Tech could leave with a sixth loss if they're not careful, while K-State will be unable to attain bowl eligibility with a loss. Texas Tech is an impressive 7-1 ATS in the past eight against teams with a losing record, and 11-5 ATS in the past 16 in the month of November. However, TTU is just 2-5 ATS in the past seven tangles with K-State. The over os 4-0 in the past four for Texas Tech, but the under is 5-2 in their past seven road games. The under is 7-1 in the past eight home games for K-State, and 9-3 in their past 12 overall, while the over is 9-1 in the past 10 meetings in this series.

Kansas at Oklahoma (FOX, 7:30 p.m.)
The Jayhawks head to Norman looking to slow down the Sooners, but they're more than a five-touchdown underdog and already ineligible for a bowl after last week's loss to rival Kansas State. Don't expect the Jayhawks to play with a lot of fervor. Kansas is 1-10 ATS in their past 11 on a grass surface, and just 10-25 ATS in the past 35 on the road against teams with a winning home mark. Oklahoma is 14-6 ATS in the past 20 at home, but just 1-5 ATS in the past six against teams with a losing record. In this series the home team is 6-1 ATS in the past seven with Kansas 1-4 ATS in their past five trips to Norman. The under is 4-1 in the past five for the Jayhawks on the road, too, while the over is 10-1 in the past 11 for Oklahoma and 4-0 in their past four at home.

Iowa State at Texas (Longhorn Network, 8:00 p.m.)
The Cyclones head to Austin as a three-point underdog, as they have been outstanding lately after a slow start. This is a primetime matchup between the No. 16 and No. 15 teams in the nation.

I-State enters 9-1-1 ATS in the past 11 road games while going 24-7-1 ATS in the past 32 games overall. They're also 21-6-1 ATS in the past 28 conference tilts, too, while going 15-5-1 ATS in the past 21 against teams with a winning record. The Cyclones have been really solid against the number in nearly every area. For Texas, they're pretty solid against the spread lately, too. The 'Horns are 12-5-2 ATS in the past 19 against teams with a winning record.

It's all about the under in this series, and lately for both sides, too. The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings in Austin, while going 13-4 in the past 17 for Iowa State and 10-4 in their past 14 conference battles. The under is 12-5 in the past 17 home games for Texas, and 40-17 in their past 57 inside the conference.

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Pac-12 Report - Week 12
November 15, 2018
By Joe Williams

2018 PAC-12 STANDINGS

NORTH DIVISION
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
California 6-4 3-4 5-4-1 2-8
Oregon 6-4 3-4 3-7 5-5
Oregon State 2-8 1-6 3-7 7-3
Stanford 6-4 4-3 6-4 6-4
Washington 7-3 5-2 2-8 2-8
Washington State 9-1 6-1 9-1 6-4

SOUTH DIVISION
Arizona 5-5 4-3 6-4 3-7
Arizona State 6-4 4-3 6-4 5-5
Colorado 5-5 2-5 5-5 3-7
Southern California 5-5 4-4 3-7 5-5
UCLA 2-8 2-5 4-6 5-5
Utah 7-3 5-3 6-4 6-4

Utah at Colorado (Pac-12 Network, 1:30 p.m. ET)
The Utes have been struggling lately, but it pales in comparison to the slide of the Buffaloes. They were ranked in the Top 25, unbeaten, etc. They have dropped five in a row, and now are suddenly in danger of failing to attain bowl eligibility. Wow. The Utes enter 5-1 ATS in the past six conference games, while going 10-4 ATS in the past 14 road outings. The Buffs are a dismal 1-4 ATS in the past five, while going 3-7-1 ATS in the past 11 home outings. They're also 3-9-1 ATS in the past 13 against teams with a winning record, including 0-5 ATS in the past five at home against teams with a winning road mark. In this series, the underdog is 6-1 ATS in the past seven in the series, while the Utes are just 2-5 ATS in the past seven battles.

Southern California at UCLA (FOX, 3:30 p.m.)
This used to be 'THE' game for a while. Now, the Trojans limp in at .500, while the Bruins have eight losses and will be home for the holidays. In a way, THIS is the bowl game for both sides, even if USC does go bowling in December, too. USC is 3-8-1 ATS in the past 12 road games, and just 3-7-1 ATS in the past 11 inside Conference USA. However, they're 8-3 ATS in the past 11 against losing teams. UCLA is 1-6 ATS in the past seven home outings, and just 8-17 ATS in the past 25 games overall. In this series the under has dominated lately, going 6-1 in the past seven at the Rose Bowl, and 10-1-1 in the past 12 meetings overall. The home team is 15-7 ATS in the past 22 battles, with USC just 2-5 ATS in the past seven trips to UCLA.

Oregon State at Washington (Pac-12 Network, 4:30 p.m.)
The Beavers travel up the I-5 to King County to battle the Huskies, and they're not expected to do much. They enter as 33 1/2-point underdogs as of Thursday evening. Oregon State could start phoning it in, as they're well past any chance of bowl eligibility. They're just 3-9 ATS in the past 12 on the road, and 1-4 ATS in the past five against winning teams while covering just once in their past 11 conference tilts. Washington returns from a bye, and they're 10-3 ATS in the past 13 after a week off. The Huskies are just 1-4 ATS in the past five at home, though, and 2-6 ATS in their past eight at home against Oregon State. The road team has cashed in four of the past five in this series. As far as the total, the under is 6-2 in the past eight meetings in Seattle.

Stanford at California (Pac-12 Network, 7:30 p.m.)
It's time for 'The Big Game', one of the more underrated rivalries. While the 'band game' dominates the memories of those outside of the alumni bases for both of these schools, every game is memorable to those who go to school at these institutions. Stanford heads in as a two-point favorite, so Vegas is expecting pretty much a coin-flip battle in this rivalry battle. Both of these teams have been hot against the number. The Cardinal are 5-1 ATS in the past six on the road, 6-2 ATS in the past eight inside the league and 7-3 ATS in the past 10 against winning teams. Cal is 4-0 ATS in the past four conference games and 7-2 ATS in the past nine against winning teams, too. However, Cal is just 1-3-1 ATS in the past five at home. Stanford has dominated lately, going 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings, while going 4-0 ATS in the past four across the bay to Berkeley. The road team is 7-2 ATS in the past nine, and 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings.

Arizona at Washington State (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.)
The Wildcats are trying to become bowl eligibility, while the Cougars have a chance at making the four-team national playoff if some craziness occurs in the next few weeks. But they need to keep winning first. Vegas has them installed as a moderate 10-point favorite, but containing QB Khalil Tate could be an issue. Arizona hasn't been very good on the road, however, going just 4-14 ATS in the past 18 road games and 1-5 ATS in the past six road outings against a team with a winning home mark. The Cougs are 9-1 ATS in the past 10 at home, and 6-1 ATS in the past seven conference tilts. They're also 16-5 ATS in the past 21 game overall, too. The over has connected in four in a row, while going 4-1 in the past five meetings in Pullman. In addition, the underdog is 11-4 ATS in the past 15 in this series.

Arizona State at Oregon (Pac-12 Network, 10:30 p.m.)
One of these 6-4 clubs will leave with a fifth loss, but bowl are already bowl eligible. This one could be a rock 'em/sock 'em kind of a game, as each team has a solid quarterback and playmakers on the wing. Arizona State is fun to watch because of WR N'Keal Harry, while it all starts with QB Justin Herbert for Oregon. AZ State enters 11-5 ATS in the past 16 league games, while going 9-4 ATS in the past 13 against teams with a winning record. The Ducks are 2-5 ATS in the past seven home games, and just 3-8 ATS in the past 11 games overall. Eugene has been a house of horrors for Sparky, though, as they're just 0-3-1 ATS in the past four trips to Autzen Stadium, and 2-8-1 ATS in the past 11 meetings in this series overall. The over is 6-2 in the past eight meetings, and 5-2 in the past seven battles in Oregon.

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Big Ten Report - Week 12
November 14, 2018
By ASA

2018 BIG 10 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Illinois 4-6 2-5 4-6 6-4
Indiana 5-5 2-5 4-6 7-3
Iowa 6-4 3-4 6-4 6-4
Maryland 5-5 3-4 5-5 5-5
Michigan 9-1 7-0 6-4 6-4
Michigan State 6-4 4-3 4-6 4-6
Minnesota 5-5 2-5 6-4 6-4
Nebraska 3-7 2-5 4-5-1 6-4
Northwestern 6-4 6-1 5-3-2 5-5
Ohio State 9-1 6-1 4-6 4-6
Penn State 7-3 4-3 6-4 7-3
Purdue 5-5 4-3 6-4 5-5
Rutgers 1-9 0-7 5-5 4-6
Wisconsin 6-4 4-3 2-8 5-5

Games scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 17

Ohio State (-14.5) at Maryland - (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)

OHIO STATE – A win on Saturday @ Maryland and the Buckeyes will set up a winner take all in the Big Ten East meeting with Michigan in the regular season finale. After struggling mightily the last 2 games, the Buckeye defense was locked in last Saturday holding MSU to just barely over 4 YPP and keeping Sparty out of the endzone in their 26-6 win. The offense was far from perfect as they only averaged just over 4 YPP and were held to 2.7 YPC on the ground. They got some help from MSU as the Spartans gave the Bucks a TD on a fumble recovery and added 2 more on a safety. The once red hot QB Dwayne Haskins who completed over 70% of his passes in 5 of his first 7 games, hit on just 61% on Saturday after completing just 56% vs Nebraska a week earlier. Special teams played a huge roll on Saturday as punter Drue Chrisman pinned MSU inside their own 6-yard line 5 times. That was after Chrisman shanked his first punt for just 4-yards setting up the Spartans as the Buckeye 35-yard line which MSU was unable to take advantage of an actually had to punt 4 plays later. Ohio State (-4) covered the spread for the first time since September 22nd. They had lost 5 straight to the number entering their game in East Lansing. This number opened -17 and has dropped nearly 3 points.

MARYLAND – Maryland’s quest to become bowl eligible was put on hold with their 34-32 loss @ Indiana. This line opened with IU favored by 3 and dropped all the way to 1 by game time meaning the Hoosiers covered for those who played the game late. The loss dropped the Terps to 5-5 on the season meaning they’ll either need to beat Ohio State this weekend at home or win @ Penn State the following week to qualify for the post-season. If you didn’t know the score but happened to glance at the stat sheet, you would have sworn Maryland won the game. They put up 542 yards to just 374 for IU. The Terps also outrushed the Hoosiers by a whopping 222 yards and had a 2 to 1 time of possession edge. The Maryland defense held Indiana scoreless in the first quarter but the Hoosiers exploded for 21 points in a 4:30 minute span early in the 2nd quarter to take a 21-6 lead. Two of those TD’s came directly after Maryland turnovers and 20 of the IU 34 points were scored as a direct result of Terp giveaways (4 turnovers). Maryland had some key injuries in the loss as starting QB Kasim Hill appeared to injure his leg the in 2nd quarter and did not play in the 2nd half. Top RB Ty Johnson also left in the first half with an undisclosed injury and did not come back.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – OSU was a 30-point home favorite in this match up last year and routed the Terps 62-14 outgaining them 584 to 66. Yes you read that correctly. The Buckeyes have dominated all 4 match ups since Maryland joined the Big Ten winning by a combined score of 225-69 (or an average score of 56-17). All 4 of those Buckeye wins have come by at least 21 points. Going all the way back to 1980, OSU is a money making 33-23 ATS as a road favorite of 2 TD’s or more.

Michigan State (-2.5) at Nebraska - (FOX, 12:00 p.m. ET)

MICHIGAN STATE – Sparty is heading into this game off a 26-6 home loss to Ohio State. The game was much closer than the 20-point margin however as the Buckeyes scored a TD on a fumble and recorded a safety. OSU was able to capitalize on 3 MSU turnovers which they turned into 17 of their 26 points. The Bucks led just 9-6 entering the fourth quarter and outscored the Spartans 17-0 in the final frame. Ohio State was +74 in total yardage, however they also ran 84 offensive plays to just 66 for Sparty. Thus, on a YPP basis this game was almost dead even. OSU led 7-3 at halftime but pinned the Spartan offense deep on nearly every possession in the 2nd half. Michigan State had 8 offensive possession in the 2nd half and those drives started at their own 5, 6, 3, 1, 2, 25, 25, 13, & 7 yard lines. Head coach Mark Dantonio in an effort to try and spark his offense decided to use two QB’s as Brian Lewerke and Rocky Lombardi split time under center. Neither was effective as they combined to complete just 18 passes on 48 attempts with 0 TD’s. MSU has now topped 24 points only once in conference play and that was their Big Ten opener way back on September 22nd when they put up 35 on Indiana. They may get a reprieve this weekend vs a Nebraska defense that everyone seems to score on.

NEBRASKA – The Husker offense just keeps rolling up huge numbers. They outscored Illinois last week 54-35 and put up a massive 606 yards in the process. It was the 7th consecutive game Nebraska has gained at least 450 yards. After losing their first 6 games of the season, the Cornhuskers have won 3 of their last 4 and are averaging 45 PPG in those 4 games. Their lone loss during that stretch was a 36-31 setback @ Ohio State, a game they led at halftime. The Illini were in a giving mood last week in Lincoln as they turned the ball over 5 times which led to 24 Husker points. The obvious problem remains Nebraska’s defense or lack thereof. It’s a good thing their offense is humming or this team would be in huge trouble. Last week they allowed Illinois shred them for 509 yards (almost 7 YPP) including 383 on the ground. The defense now ranks 107th nationally allowing 450 YPG & 103rd in scoring defense giving up 34 PPG. At 3-7, Nebraska cannot get to bowl eligible this year and this Saturday marks their home finale.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – These two haven’t met since 2015. They have met 8 times since 1994 with the Huskers 6-2 SU & 7-1 ATS. The Huskers began the season 0-4 ATS in their first 4 games. Since then they are 4-0-1 ATS. Nebraska is 7-1 to the OVER in Big Ten play with their only UNDER coming at Ohio State (36-31 final – Total was set at 76). On the other sideline, MSU has gone UNDER the total in 5 straight games and they are a perfect 3-0 SU on the road in Big Ten play (wins @ Indiana, @ Penn St, @ Maryland).

Penn State (-28) at Rutgers - (Big Ten, 12:00 p.m. ET)

PENN STATE – The Nittany Lions bounced back after being routed @ Michigan a week earlier by controlling Wisconsin 22-10 in Happy Valley last Saturday. Despite the win, PSU’s offense continues to look nothing like it did earlier in the season. After scoring 45, 51, 63, and 63 points their first four games, they have averaged just 22 PPG over their last 6 games. The level of defense they have faced has risen dramatically during the conference season as they have squared off against Michigan, OSU, Michigan State, and Iowa just to name a few. On top of that, their leader and QB Trace McSorely has not been 100% since the Iowa game on October 27th. They have been outgained in 4 of their last 5 games and are now laying a huge number on the road. The defense was solid last week vs a Wisconsin team that has been struggling offensively as well. The Badgers were forced to go with back up QB Jack Coan with Hornibrook in concussion protocol. PSU held them to just 60 yards passing and 4 of 17 on 3rd & 4th down. One continuing concern defensive was the rush defense. Despite the fact that the UW offense was basically one-dimensional, they still ran for over 200 yards in 5.6 YPC. They now rank 10th in the Big Ten (conference games) allowing 188 YPG on the ground.

RUTGERS – We’ve said this before but one thing we’ve noticed about this Rutgers team, is despite being 1-9, they haven’t quit. Last week they played Michigan toe to toe in the first quarter exiting the quarter with a 7-7 tie. They “only” trailed 21-7 at half which may not sound promising but let’s remember they were a 40 point underdog. The Knights gained nearly 140 yards in the first half alone which again may not seem like a big deal however, this Michigan defense had allowed 202 yards or fewer in 4 of their 6 conference games entering last week. The defense, which had been playing fairly well allowing 24 PPG their previous 6, simply ran out of gas in the 2nd half as the Wolverines pounded them with 40 rushing attempts. The problem continues to be an offense that simply can’t score. They have now been held to 17 points or less in all 9 games since their season opener when they put up 35 on Texas State. While they are just playing out the stretch, this is their home finale so we expect them to put up a fight before heading to Michigan State to close out the season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Penn State won 35-6 at home last year but did not cover the 31-point spread. PSU has won all 4 games in this series since Rutgers entered the league with 3 of those wins coming by at least 25 points (the other was a 13-10 Nittany Lion win). The Lions have been a road favorite of -28 or more just 5 times since 1980 (3-2 ATS) with their most recent coming back in 2008. The UNDER has been a money maker in this series covering all 4 times with none of those 4 games coming within 2 TD’s of the posted total.

Northwestern (-2) at Minnesota - (Big Ten, 12:00 p.m. ET)

NORTHWESTERN – The Cats led the Big Ten West heading into last week’s game vs Iowa and could potentially wrap that half of the conference up with a win. Despite leading the league they received very little respect from the oddsmakers as they were tabbed an 11 point dog @ Iowa. Northwestern took care of business winning 14-10 which clinched their spot in the Big Ten Championship game vs the winner of the Big Ten East, most likely Michigan or Ohio State. While the offense struggled to score the bright spot on that side of the ball would be their running game which has been non-existent for much of the year. The Wildcats rushed for 184 yards against a staunch Iowa defense. It was the 2nd straight Big Ten game where Northwestern topped 180 yards on the ground. While it may not sound like much, this is a team that top 100 yards rushing twice in their other eight games. That helps take some pressure off starting QB Clayton Thorson who was asked to pass way too much earlier in the season. The question with this game and moving forward is, how does this team respond now that they’ve locked up a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game? It’s conceivable if this team loses their final two games this week and at home vs rival Illinois next week, we could be looking at a 6-6 team in the conference championship as the Cats were 0-3 in the non-conference portion of their schedule.

MINNESOTA – What a difference a week makes. Minnesota hit a season low two weeks ago getting crushed 55-31 @ Illinois. They allowed 646 total yards and 383 on the ground vs the Illini. Fast forward one week and this team looked like a completely different defensive unit. Head coach PJ Fleck fired defensive coordinator Robb Smith early last week and apparently that was the spark they needed on that side of the ball. The Gophs pulled off a huge upset beating Purdue 41-10 as a 10.5 point dog. The defense shut down one of the most potent offensive attacks in the league holding the Boilermakers to 233 yards and just 88 on the ground, nearly a full 300 rushing yards less than they gave up just a week earlier. Hard to believe from a team that was allowing 43 PPG and over 500 YPG coming into last Saturday. Offensively they relied heavily on the run with 41 attempts for 265 yards. The Gophs only completed 11 passes in the game and stuck with Tanner Morgan under center even though previous starter Zack Annexstad was supposedly available. Now what looked like a lost season a few weeks ago for Minnesota can be extended to a bowl game with one more win either at home this week vs Northwestern or @ Wisconsin next Saturday.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – The home team has won the last 4 meetings in this series including last year when the Wildcats shutout the Gophers 39-0 as a 7-point favorite. This is just the 2nd time this season the Cats have been a road favorite. The first was an 18-15 win (no cover) as a 20-point favorite @ Rutgers. Minnesota has been a poor road team this year but at home they are 5-1 SU including wins over Fresno State, Indiana, and Purdue. The Gophers are 2-1 ATS as home dogs this year with outright wins over Indiana & Purdue. That makes Minnesota 10-3 ATS the last 13 times they’ve been getting points at home.

Iowa (-14.5) at Illinois - (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)

IOWA – The Hawkeyes have now lost 3 straight after Saturday’s 14-10 setback versus Northwestern. The Cats entered as a double digit underdog and a chance to clinch the Big Ten West with a win. Neither team was able to accomplish anything offensively in the 1st half with Iowa finally cracking the scoreboard on a 46-yard field goal with just 56 seconds remaining in the half. Iowa had a chance to crack the scoreboard earlier in the half but they were shut out on downs at the Northwestern 34-yard line. The Cats offense crossed midfield only once in the first half and never really threatened. The Wildcats were able to put 2 TD’s on the board in the 2nd half and held on for the win as Iowa turned the ball over on each of their final 2 drives. While the Iowa offense struggled putting up only 333 yards, the defense got back on track after allowing 68 point in their last 2 games, they locked down the Northwestern offense to just 306 yards on 76 plays (4 YPP). Now officially out of the Big Ten West race after the loss, the Hawkeyes travel to Illinois on Saturday before hosting Nebraska on Thanksgiving weekend.

ILLINOIS – The Illini continue to run the heck out of the ball each and every weekend. After last Saturday’s 383 yard effort on the ground Illinois now ranks 8th nationally in rushing at 263 YPG. RB Reggie Corbin became the first Illinois RB to top 1,000 yards in a season since 2010. It may have come at a cost however as Corbin injured his foot in the first half and did not return. The offense has definitely held up its end of the bargain this season. The defense not so much. In their 7 Big Ten games they have allowed at least 40 points 5 times and have given up 60+ twice! The only conference teams not to score at least 40 on the Illini are Rutgers & Minnesota. They now rank 127th nationally in total defense and 120th in scoring defense. Even with the loss last weekend the Illini still have a lot to play for. A win here and next week @ Northwestern would make this team bowl eligible.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Iowa was a 16-point favorite at home last year and won this match up 45-16. However the Hawkeyes were actually outgained by 4 yards in that game. Iowa has dominated this series since the mid 90’s winning 12 of the last 15 meetings outright (9-6 ATS). Since 1980, the Hawkeyes have been a favorite of more than 10 points @ Illinois just 3 times. They are 0-3 ATS in those games. However, Iowa has been a fantastic road favorite as of late going 2-0 ATS in that role this year and 15-3 ATS in that spot dating back to 2011.

Wisconsin at Purdue (-4.5) - (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)

WISCONSIN – This was a year we expected the Badger offense to carry or at least help out the defense. The defense has carried the load for years but they lost a bunch of contributors on that side of the ball. Now with some injuries piling up including starting NT Sagapolu done for the season, they really needed the offense to help them by putting points on the board. The offense had a ton of experience and production back from last year but has been a huge disappointment this year. They were held to just 10 points last week at Penn State in a 22-10 loss. They have done fine against the bad Big Ten defenses (Nebraska, Rutgers, and Illinois) but against Michigan, Penn State, and Northwestern they have put up just 13, 10, and 17 points respectively. Back up QB Jack Coan got his 2nd start last week for a concussion prone Alex Hornibrook and he struggled big time. He threw for just 60 yards with 2 interceptions. While the inexperienced Coan might be the answer at QB someday, Hornibrook, despite his faults, gives UW the best chance to win right now. He remains in concussion protocol and is questionable for Saturday’s game @ Purdue. They Wisconsin defense remains very young on the back end with a number of freshman playing key roles in the defensive backfield. The real problem has been their run defense which has been stellar for years. They are allowing 162 YPG (63rd nationally) after finishing in the top 5 nationally each of the last 3 years not allowing 100 YPG in any of those 3 seasons. The defense will have their hands full this weekend with a potent Purdue offense.

PURDUE – The Boilers continued their on again, off again play last weekend. After winning a huge home game vs Iowa a week earlier, Purdue completely laid an egg last week @ Minnesota. They were destroyed in Minneapolis last week 41-10 and outgained by 182 yards. That’s the same Minnesota team that lost @ Illinois 55-31 just a week earlier. Purdue has pulled this up & down situation numerous times this year including each of the last 4 Saturdays. They beat OSU at home scoring 49 points then lost @ Michigan State scoring only 13. They beat Iowa at home rolling up 38 points and then lost @ Minnesota scoring just 10. While they are improving, they obviously have not yet learned how to deal with short term success. The offense was held to season lows in scoring (10 points) and yardage (233 yards) vs a Minnesota defense that allowed 646 yards a week earlier @ Illinois. The Boilermaker pass defense is one of the worst in the Big Ten but their run defense has been improving drastically. That was until last Saturday when the Gophs lit them up for 265 yards on the ground. At 5-5, this becomes a huge home game for Purdue who still needs one win to get to bowl eligible. They would rather not have to head to arch rival Indiana having to win to keep their season going.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – The Badgers were favored by 17 at home last year and Purdue battled them tough with Wisky winning 17-9. That marked the 12th straight time that Wisconsin has beating Purdue outright (10-2 ATS). This is the first time since 2004 the Boilermakers have been tabbed a favorite in this series. Coming into this season Wisconsin was an incredible 20-2 SU their last 22 road games (17-5 ATS). However this season they are 1-3 both SU & ATS on the road.

Indiana at Michigan (-28.5) - (FS1, 4:00 p.m. ET)

INDIANA – Last week’s 34-32 home win over Maryland was huge for the IU team. A loss there and their bowl aspirations become almost impossible. Now at 5-5, they need one more win either this weekend vs Michigan or in the season finale versus arch rival Purdue. Despite the win the Hoosier were outplayed rather drastically getting outgained by 168 yards along with a time of possession of only 20:00 minutes (Maryland held it for 40:00). Indiana has now been outgained by at least 97 yards in 4 of their last 5 games. If it weren’t for 4 Terp turnovers leading to half of IU’s points (17) we aren’t talking about the Hoosiers potential bowl opportunities in front of them. The defense continued to struggle allowing 30+ points for the 6th time in 7 Big Ten games. They are now allowing 453 YPG on 6.3 YPP which ranks them ahead of only Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota in conference play. Offensively IU has now scored 28 or more in 3 straight but they’ll be hard pressed to get anywhere near that against a Wolverine defense has allowed 21 total points in their last 3 games combined.

MICHIGAN – The Wolverines are now one win away from setting up their all or nothing game vs Ohio State on Thanksgiving weekend. This team continues to dominate this league with an easy and expected 42-7 win over Rutgers. They didn’t cover the inflated number (-40) and despite their huge win the looked a little flat which was to be expected. Rutgers actually kept it close early as the score was tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Knights tallied 282 total yards which was actually nearly 100 yards more than Michigan was allowing in Big Ten play heading into the game. It was the second highest yardage total the Wolverine defense has allowed this conference season with only Wisconsin gaining more by a single yard (283). A bit of a head scratcher as Rutgers ranks dead last in the league in total offense a by a long ways (83 yards behind MSU who ranks 13th in total offense). For as much publicity as the Michigan defense gets, the offense has scored more than 40 points in 6 of their 10 games this season. The Wolverines point differential in Big Ten play is +179 which is nearly a full 100 points better than OSU who ranks 2nd in point differential at +85.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Michigan was favored by just 7 points last year @ Indiana and they are now laying more than 4 TD’s just one year later. In that game last season the Wolverines won and pushed the number winning by a final score of 27-20 in OT. Michigan is 29-1 SU in this series with the Hoosiers lone win during that span coming way back in 1987. Since 2000, there has been one game in this series decided by more than this number (4 TD’s) and that was a Michigan 34-3 win in 2006. Since 1983 IU has been an underdog of +28 or more 14 times and they are 10-4 ATS in those games.

[StarDust Bum]

Total Talk - Week 12
November 16, 2018
By BetDSI

CFB Week 12 Total Talk

If you caught this piece a week ago, you'll know that last week's piece of isolated totals ended up going 2-1 as the “steam” was rather hot.

The Virginia Tech/Pittsburgh game was an easy 'over' with Pittsburgh clearing the opening number of 51.5 themselves (52-22 win), while the big move to the 'under' in Northwestern/Iowa was also a no doubt winner in a 14-10 final for the Wildcats. It was only the best bet play on the over in UCLA/ASU that failed to get there as the 31-28 final was a FG short of sailing 'over' the total.

So it's on to this week's big movers as hopefully these three games/plays can sweep the board.

Odds per - BetDSI.eu

Biggest Movers to the 'Over'

Syracuse vs Notre Dame: Open: 61.5 – Current: 65

A move like this is not surprising in the slightest as it's going to be one of the heaviest bet games this week regardless (it's a “light” week for big CFB games), but when Syracuse comes into this one having scored 40+ in four straight games and Notre Dame topping 30 points in three straight, it's easy to see why most expect plenty of points to be scored.

However, I've always been leery of backing 'overs' in “novelty” games at a neutral site as this game at Yankee Stadium is. Considering the snow the city of New York has received the past few days, that's going to be an issue as well – although snowy fields typically help offenses because guys know where they are going on routes as opposed to being reactive like defensive players. But neutral site games are tough because you can't rely on usual handicapping numbers like home/road splits etc, and even if the teams have already been involved in a neutral site game this year, the sample size is so small there that it's tough to really trust those numbers.

Not all neutral sites are created equal either, as this is still going to be a football game played on a baseball field, with national title implications at stake. There is much more novelty to a game like this being played on an iconic site, and It's not like Syracuse is an unranked, decent team coming into this game looking to knock off the currently playoff-bound Irish. Syracuse is a Top-12 ranked team looking to boost their own status tremendously and possibly be bound for a New Year's Six Bowl game.

So for as much as recent results suggest this will be an epic shootout with both teams scoring 35+, I'm actually leaning the other way now in a contest where we may actually see these two defenses show up. Syracuse is on a 1-4 O/U run at neutral sites, 1-4 O/U after a win by 20+, and 5-12-1 O/U in their last 18 against a winning team. I get why there has been plenty of 'over' money – VegasInsider.com's betting percentages currently show 85%+ action on the high side of the total – but I'd be awfully hesitant to bet into the worst of the number now.

Odds per - BetDSI.eu

Biggest Movers to the 'Under'

Iowa State vs Texas: Open: 50.5 – Current: 47

This total actually got as low as 46 earlier in the week before some recent buyback has occurred, as we've got a pair of Top 25 ranked Big 12 teams doing battle for what will essentially be 3rd place in the conference. But for as motivating as a finish like that could be for either program still working their way back up to national relevance after a down year or two, this is another move I'm not so sure I'd be that eager to follow anymore.

For one, the Longhorns defense has allowed 34 or more points in three straight games, and while all three came against much better offenses than what Iowa State will bring to the table (OK State, West Virginia, Texas Tech), Texas doesn't have to allow much more than 21-24 points to have this current total get eclipsed. Iowa State is more than capable of doing that with five straight weeks of scoring 27 or more points, and for as good as the Cyclones defense can be, they've also got to figure that they'll need about 30 points to have a shot at an outright victory here. However, that being said, in every Iowa State game this year that has closed with a sub-50 total, the 'under' is a perfect 4-0 overall, so there is that to consider as well.

Texas hasn't scored fewer than 23 points in any of their previous five outings, and with a 1-1 O/U record on sub-50 totals this year, when points are expected to be tough to come by in Longhorns games this year, it has been that way. That one 'over' came against USC early on in the season and even then the closing line of 47 points was only surpassed by four points.

These two teams do have a 1-5 O/U run going in their last six meetings, and Iowa State is on a 1-8 O/U run away from home. The Cyclones have always tried to make sure that their defense travels, and with a 4-10 O/U run going in Big 12 play, they've got plenty of experience finding some relative success against all the high-octane offenses they typically see.

Texas is 5-21 O/U after covering a spread and 1-5 O/U after scoring 40+ points themselves, so the situation does seem to be a great fit for the 'under'. And given the current betting percentages shown with a strong majority on the high side of this total, a move like this can't simply be ignored.

Best Total Bet for Week 12

West Virginia vs Oklahoma State Under 73

A national audience was able to witness the chaos that is “Bedlam” between OK State and Oklahoma last week, and the natural reaction following a performance like that is to want to back 'overs' in every game the Cowboys play the rest of the year. This total has already seen about a two-point bump from it's opener as many expect to see another shootout now that West Virginia and their offense rolls into town. After all, the Mountaineers have put up 40+ in each of their last three games (3-0 O/U) and should be able to find similar success against the Cowboys defense this week.

However, the pressure to stay tied atop the Big 12 before the showdown with Oklahoma next week could have that West Virginia attack a little tight in this spot early on. The Mountaineers lone offensive “dud” in 2018 did come on the road against Iowa State, and while Oklahoma State's defense isn't likely to provide as much resistance as the Cyclones did, a critical turnover or two by the Mountaineers may be all it takes for another dud-like offensive performance to show up.

West Virginia's own defense has made some significant improvements as well, as two of their last three foes have been held to 14 points or less. The Cowboys will be able to easily surpass that number here, but they've been known to put up an offensive “dud” or two up themselves (31-12 loss at K-State) and are actually 0-1 O/U in Big 12 play this year with a total closing in the 70's.

Four of the last five meetings between these two have cashed 'under' tickets – including one game that went to OT – and West Virginia's last two trips to OK State have resulted in final scores of 57 and 44 points. I believe we see this game finish somewhere in the mid-60's as these two defenses show some pride and get the 'under.'

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, November 16

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MEMPHIS (6 - 4) at SMU (5 - 5) - 11/16/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 17-35 ATS (-21.5 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.
MEMPHIS is 20-37 ATS (-20.7 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.
MEMPHIS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in November games over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in weeks 10 through 13 over the last 3 seasons.
SMU is 98-130 ATS (-45.0 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 2-0 against the spread versus SMU over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 2-0 straight up against SMU over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOISE ST (8 - 2) at NEW MEXICO (3 - 7) - 11/16/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 145-106 ATS (+28.4 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 145-106 ATS (+28.4 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 69-46 ATS (+18.4 Units) in road games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 69-46 ATS (+18.4 Units) in road lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 49-25 ATS (+21.5 Units) in road games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
BOISE ST is 90-62 ATS (+21.8 Units) after playing a conference game since 1992.
BOISE ST is 81-51 ATS (+24.9 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
BOISE ST is 57-33 ATS (+20.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW MEXICO is 1-1 against the spread versus BOISE ST over the last 3 seasons
BOISE ST is 2-0 straight up against NEW MEXICO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Friday, November 16

Memphis @ Southern Methodist
Memphis
Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Southern Methodist
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Methodist

Southern Methodist
Southern Methodist is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Southern Methodist is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home

Boise State @ New Mexico
Boise State
Boise State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boise State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing New Mexico

New Mexico
New Mexico is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boise State
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Mexico's last 9 games


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Friday’s games

Memphis crushed SMU the last four years, by an average score of 54-15; they won last two visits here, 51-7/48-10. Tigers scored 47+ points in their four wins this year, 33 or fewer in their four losses. Memphis is 1-3 SU on road this year; under Norvell, they’re 5-4 as road favorites, 1-2 this season. SMU won three of last four games, needs one more win to go bowling; Mustangs scored 45-62 points in last two games. SMU covered four of its last five games as home underdogs. Last three Memphis games went over the total.

Boise State won its last five games, only once by more than 10 points; Broncos are 13-7-1 in last 21 games as road favorites, 2-2-1 this year. New Mexico lost its last five games (1-4 vs spread); Lobos gave up 600+ TY in two of last three games, and gained less than 300 in four of their last five. Boise won five of last six games with New Mexico, but Lobos covered five of the six games. Broncos won last three visits here, by 28-11-3 points. Under is 16-8 in last 24 games on the blue turf; over is 7-2 in Lobos’ last nine games.


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Friday, November 16

Memphis @ SMU

Game 315-316
November 16, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
90.881
SMU
80.678
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 10
85
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 7
73 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(-7); Over

Boise State @ New Mexico

Game 317-318
November 16, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boise State
96.052
New Mexico
69.533
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
by 25 1/2
70
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boise State
by 19
62
Dunkel Pick:
Boise State
(-19); Over


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Friday, Nov. 16

MEMPHIS at SMU... SMU has been obliterated L4 by Memphis. Tigers however only 1-3 vs. line away TY.
Memphis, based on series trends.


BOISE STATE at NEW MEXICO... Davie has mostly had Boise’s number, covering 5 of 6 vs. Broncos since arriving at UNM in 2012. Boise however 8-4-1 vs. spread last 13 on MW trail, while Lobos only 3-8 vs. spread last 11 as host.
Slight to New Mexico, based on series trends.


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Friday's Tip Sheet
Brian Edwards

**Memphis at Southern Methodist**

- -As of early Thursday, most betting shops had Memphis (6-4 straight up, 6-4 against the spread) installed as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 73. The Mustangs were +270 on the money line (risk $100 to win $270).

-- Mike Norvell’s team has dropped three of its four road assignments both SU and ATS. The Tigers are only 3-3 in AAC action, but they are still alive in a four-team race to win the West Division. Houston, SMU and Tulane are tied for the division lead with 4-2 records, but Memphis gets SMU on Friday night and Houston at home next Friday night at the Liberty Bowl. Tulane was a listed as a double-digit underdog at Houston (on Thursday, “tonight” when this column was filed) and hosts Navy this weekend. The Tigers have lost at Tulane, but they could own head-to-head tiebreakers over SMU and Houston if they win out their next/last two outings.

-- Memphis lost 22-21 at Navy during a driving rainstorm – which was clearly advantageous to the Midshipmen and their run-heavy offensive attack -- and dropped a 31-30 decision to UCF at home. The Tigers’ other defeats came in lopsided fashion at Tulane (40-24) and at Missouri (65-33). All six of Memphis’s wins have come by margins of 17 points or more.

-- Memphis is ranked sixth in the nation in both total offense and scoring with its 44.6 points-per-game average. The Tigers are fifth in rushing yards and 38th in passing offense. They are led by junior running back Darrell Henderson, who is second in the country in rushing yards (1,446) and tied for an FBS-best 20 touchdowns. Henderson, who averages 9.2 yards per carry, has 17 rushing scores and three TD receptions. He has 15 catches for 283 yards and three TDs.

-- Brady White, a grad transfer QB from Arizona St., has completed 64.3 percent of his throws for 2,512 yards with a 22/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Junior WR Damonte Coxie has emerged as his favorite target, hauling in 58 receptions for 949 yards and seven TDs. Tony Pollard has 28 catches for 318 yards and three TDs, while John Williams has 28 grabs for 275 yards and two TDs.

-- Pollard is one of the nation’s premier all-purpose playmakers. As a freshman, he garnered AAC Special Teams Player of the Year honors and was on the Freshman All-American team as a kickoff return specialist. Pollard had four KO returns for TDs in 2017, easily leading the FBS in KO return average (40.0) and earning first-team All-American honors. Opponents have done their best not to allow him touches on special teams this year, as he’s turned 12 KO returns into just 258 yards. However, Pollard has made plays running the ball, producing 289 rushing yards and four TDs with a 7.0 YPC average.

-- Memphis is 1-2 both SU and ATS as a road favorite this season, 5-4 ATS as a road ‘chalk’ during Norvell’s three-year tenure.

-- SMU (5-5 SU, 5-5 ATS) owns a 3-2 record both SU and ATS in five home games. The Mustangs have been home underdogs four times this season, compiling a 3-1 spread record with two outright victories vs. Navy (31-30 in OT) and Houston (45-31).

-- Sonny Dykes’s first SMU team started the season 0-3, losing 46-23 at North Texas, 42-12 vs. TCU and 45-20 at Michigan. Since then, however, the Mustangs have won five of seven games SU with their losses coming 48-20 at still-undefeated UCF and 26-20 at home vs. one-loss Cincinnati in overtime.

-- SMU saw its three-game streak of spread covers halted in last week’s 62-50 win at UConn as an 18-point road favorite. Sykes’s squad darted out to a 31-10 halftime lead and held three separate 21-point leads in the second half, including a 52-31 advantage early in the final stanza. But the Huskies scored 26 points in the four quarter, including a 14-yard TD pass from David Pindell to Hergy Mayala with 36 ticks remaining. SMU had extended its lead to 62-44 and had its backers at least poised to push when Kevin Robledo buried a 30-yard field goal with 3:35 left.

-- SMU junior QB Ben Hicks connected on 19-of-29 pass attempts for 276 yards and one TD without an interception. Xavier Jones rushed for 133 yards and two TDs on 11 attempts, while Ke’Mon Freeman turned 17 carries into 116 rushing yards and three TDs. Hicks ran four times for 50 yards, while junior WR James Proche had six receptions for 101 yards.

-- Hicks is already the school’s leader in career passing yards, surpassing Chick Hixson’s record-setting numbers that were compiled from 1968-70 earlier in the season. The junior has completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 1,919 yards with a 16/4 TD-INT ratio. Hicks has a 68/31 career TD-INT ratio. Proche has enjoyed a dynamite campaign, bringing down 70 receptions for 882 yards and nine TDs. Facing one of the nation’s premier defenses in Week 3 at Michigan, Proche had 11 catches for 166 yard and two TDs. Sophomore WR Reggie Roberson Jr., who started his career at West Virginia, has 42 receptions for 648 yards and six TDs.

-- Jones, the senior RB who was a second-team All-AAC selection in 2017 when he had 1,075 rushing yards for nine TDs, has taken a backseat to fellow senior RB Braeden West in the backfield this year. West has run for a team-high 536 yards and six TDs with a 4.5 YPC average, while Jones has 303 rushing yards, two TDs and a 4.5 YPC average. West also has 29 catches for 277 yards and one TD. Freeman, who rushed for 543 yards and 11 TDs in 2017, missed four games injured from mid-September to mid-October. He has been given the most touches in the past two games, however, rushing for 107 yards and two TDs on 20 carries in the 45-31 win over Houston.

-- SMU has two key members of its secondary listed as ‘questionable’ vs. Memphis, including Rodney Clemons and Jordan Wyatt. Clemons is the Mustangs’ third-leading tackler with 64 stops, 2.5 TFL’s, three PBU, one forced fumble and one interception. Wyatt has 16 tackles, four PBU, one interception and one TFL. Also, junior DT Demerick Gary is suspended for the first half due to a targeting penalty issued in the second half of last week’s non-covering victory over UConn. Gary has produced 23 tackles, 2.5 TFL’s, 0.5 sacks, one QB hurry and one PBU.

-- When these teams joined the AAC in 2011, SMU won three in a row over Memphis both SU and ATS. However, it has been all Tigers since 2014 with four wins both SU and ATS. In fact, they’ve throttled the Mustangs by scores of 48-10, 63-0, 51-7 and 66-45. In last year’s encounter at the Liberty Bowl, Memphis covered the number as a 10.5-point home favorite in the win by 21 points. The 111 combined points soared ‘over’ the 71.5-point tally to prevent a third straight ‘under’ from appearing in this rivalry. Henderson stole the show with a 64-yard kickoff return, 147 rushing yards and two TDs on only 10 totes and a 15-yard reception. Hicks held his own in the losing effort. His accuracy wasn’t great with merely 15 completing on 34 attempts, but he threw for 218 yards and four TDs without an interception. Jones rushed 20 times for 175 yards and two TDs, while Proche had four catches for 70 yards.

-- The ‘over’ has cashed in three consecutive Memphis games to improve to 6-4 overall, 2-2 in its road contests. The Tigers have seen their games average combined scores of 75.1 PPG.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (5-5) for the Mustangs, who have watched their games average combined scores of 69.1 PPG.

-- ESPN will provide television coverage at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

*Boise State at New Mexico**

-- Most books had Boise State (8-2 SU, 5-4-1 ATS) listed as a 19.5-point road ‘chalk’ early Thursday. The number for ‘over/under’ wager was 62.5 points, while the Lobos had +700 odds to win outright (risk $100 to get $700).

-- Bryan Harsin’s team needs a win in this spot to remain just one game back of Utah State in the Mountain West Conference’s Mountain Division. If BSU were to lose at UNM, it would remain alive in the division race only if Colorado State can upset Utah State on Saturday in Ft. Collins. If BSU and Utah State both win or both lose, it’ll set up a showdown for the MWC’s Mountain Division title on the smurf turf in Boise on Nov. 24. The winner would most likely face Fresno State, which can clinch the MWC’s West Division with a home win over San Diego St. this weekend.

-- Speaking of Fresno State, it saw its eight-game winning streak both SU and ATS snapped in last Friday’s 24-17 loss at Boise State. BSU won outright as a 2.5-point home underdog in its first home ‘dog role since losing to Boston College in the 2005 Humanitarian Bowl. The Broncos had not been regular-season home underdogs since 2001. Trailing 17-3 midway through the third quarter, BSU got a seven-yard TD run from Alexander Mattison to cut the deficit in half. Then on the opening play of the fourth quarter, Mattison’s one-yard TD plunge tied the game at 17-17. With 9:22 remaining, senior QB Brett Rypien found Khalil Shakir for a 49-yard scoring strike to provide the game-winning points. Rypien completed 24-of-29 passes for 269 yards with one TD and one interception. Mattison ran for 144 yards and two TDs on 30 workmanlike attempts.

-- Boise State took its two defeats at Oklahoma State (44-21) and at home vs. San Diego State (19-13). Since the loss to the Aztecs, Harsin’s squad has won five consecutive games while going 2-2-1 ATS.

-- BSU is ranked 21st in the nation in total offense, 13th in passing yards and 23rd in scoring with its 36.6 PPG average. Rypien, a two-time All-MWC first-teamer and a second-team All-MWC choice in 2017, has connected on 68.9 percent of his passes for 3,048 yards with a 25/7 TD-INT ratio. He has 12,921 career passing yards with potentially four games left to play (or three if BSU doesn’t make the MWC Championship Game), but he’s unlikely to catch Kellen Moore’s school record (14,667). For his career, Rypien has an 85/29 TD-INT ratio.

-- Rypien is generous with his ball distribution. Sean Modster has 50 receptions for 723 yards and four TDs, while A.J. Richardson has 44 grabs for 719 yards and eight TDs. John Hightower has caught 30 balls for 496 yards and six TDs, and C.T. Thomas has 31 catches for 407 yards and three TDs.

-- Mattison has rushed for 870 yards and 12 TDs while averaging 4.2 YPC. Hightower has turned eight rushing attempts into 163 yards and two TDs, while Mattison has 21 receptions for 121 yards.

-- Boise State is 2-2-1 with one outright defeat in five games as a road ‘chalk’ this season. During Harsin’s five-year tenure, the Broncos have posted a 16-9-1 spread record in 26 games as road favorites.

-- BSU is down three defensive starters – DT David Moa, LB DeAndre Pierce and LB Riley Whimpey – to season-ending injuries. Moa, a first-team All-MWC selection in 2016 and a second-teamer last year, was lost in early October. Whimpey, the team’s leading tackler, went down in a 21-16 non-covering home win over BYU two weeks ago. Three other starters – Hightower, junior NT Sonatane Lui and junior OG Eric Quevedo – are listed as ‘questionable’ at UNM due to undisclosed injuries.

-- New Mexico (3-7 SU, 4-6 ATS) is an abysmal 1-3 both SU and ATS in four home games this year. Since winning its MWC opener by a 50-14 count at UNLV, UNM has lost five games in a row while limping to a 1-4 ATS ledger. The Lobos are off a 42-24 loss at Air Force as 14-point road underdogs. They only trailed 21-17 at intermission and were ahead of the number going into the fourth quarter. However, the Falcons extended a 35-24 lead to 42-24 on a Cole Fagan three-yard TD run with 10:01 remaining and kept the backdoor closed from there.

-- UNM lost starting sophomore QB Tekava Tuioti to season-ending injury in late September. He had completed 55.8 percent of his throws for 439 yards with a 5/2 TD-INT ratio. Tuioti had rushed for 100 yards and one TD on 15 attempts.

-- Sheriron Jones has taken most of the snaps under center since then, with Coltin Gerhart getting some playing time in the past three games. Gerhart is ‘questionable’ vs. BSU, though, due to a leg injury. Jones has completed 54.4 percent of his passes for 1,311 yards with a 13/11 TD-INT ratio. He has 213 rushing yards and a 3.5 YPC average. Gerhart has connected on 25-of-42 throws (59.5%) for 235 yards with a 3/2 TD-INT ratio. He has one rushing score.

-- In addition to the win at UNLV, UNM’s two other wins came vs. Incarnate Word (62-30) and at New Mexico St. The Lobos have lost by margins of 17 points or more four times.

-- UNM senior RB Tyrone Owens has rushed for a team-high 628 yards and six TDs, but he’s averaging merely 3.9 YPC. He has six catches for 42 yards and one TD. Owens has just one 100-yard effort, producing 110 yards and one TD on 30 carries in the win over NM St.

-- Senior WR Delane Hart-Johnson has team-highs in receptions (29), receiving yards (430) and TD catches (five). Elijah Lilly has 21 grabs for 365 yards and five TDs, while Anselem Umeh has caught 16 balls for 316 yards and two TDs.

-- New Mexico is 1-1 ATS in a pair of games as a home underdog this season. During Bob Davie’s seven-year tenure (one that this space wants to last forever out of fear for being forced to agonizingly listen to him broadcast second-tier SEC games that sometimes include my Gators and bring four hours of automatic chafeness to my life!), the Lobos are 10-11 ATS in 21 games as home ‘dogs.

-- Totals have been an overall wash for the Broncos (5-5), but the ‘over’ is 3-2 in their five road assignments. They’ve seen their games average combined scores of 59.6 PPG.

-- The ‘over’ is 8-2 overall for the Lobos, 3-1 in their home games. They’ve seen the ‘over’ hit in three consecutive contests and their games have average combined scores of 66.0 PPG throughout the entire year.

-- Since joining the MWC, BSU is 6-1 SU but only 1-6 ATS in seven games against the Lobos. When these teams met on the blue carpet last year, the Broncos won a 28-14 decision but failed to cover as 14-point home ‘chalk.’ The ‘under’ is 4-3 in the past seven games of this rivalry.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on the CBS Sports Network.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- The Westgate SuperBook has Alabama listed as a 7.5-point favorite vs. Clemson. The wager is ‘action’ only if these schools meet in the finals of the College Football Playoff. Also, the Crimson Tide is the -250 ‘chalk’ to win the CFP.

-- The Westgate has Michigan installed as a 3.5-point favorite for next Saturday’s game at Ohio St.

-- Ole Miss RB Scottie Phillips is ‘questionable’ at Vanderbilt with an ankle sprain. Phillips has run for 927 yards and 14 TDs in his first year with the Rebels after arriving as a juco transfer.

-- Ohio State sophomore LB Baron Browning is ‘out’ Saturday at Maryland with an unspecified injury. Browning has recorded 22 tackles, 3.5 TFL’s and one sack. The Buckeyes ended a five-game ATS losing slide by taking the cash in last week’s 26-6 win at Michigan St. Browning was a five-star signed in the 2017 recruiting class.

-- Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio is playing coy about this starting QB on Saturday at Nebraska. Brian Lewerke saw his streak of making 20 straight starts snapped on Oct. 27 due to a shoulder injury. In his absence vs. Purdue, Rocky Lombardi completed 26-of-46 passes for 318 yards and two TDs without an interception. Lewerke has returned to start the last two games, but he’s completed only 35 percent of his throws since returning from the injury.

-- USF quarterback Blake Barnett is ‘questionable’ at Temple due to a shoulder injury. Barnett has thrown for 2,395 yards with a 13/11 TD-INT ratio.