Cnotes 2019-2020 College Football Trends-News-Notes-Best Bets & Opinions !

[StarDust Bum]

Kelly and No. 7 Irish look forward to trip to No. 3 Georgia
September 15, 2019
By The Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) Brian Kelly sensed his No. 7 Notre Dame football team had a little extra bounce in its step Sunday morning and it wasn't because of its 66-14 victory over New Mexico 16 hours before.

Playing a nationally televised game this Saturday night at No. 3 Georgia will do that for you.

''Oh, they're excited,'' Kelly said Sunday of his 2-0 Fighting Irish, who now want to see if their act plays well enough on the road against the third-ranked Bulldogs, who are coming off a 55-0 victory over Arkansas State.

''They know they had to take care of business with New Mexico and that they had to play better than they did at Louisville (a 35-17 victory),'' Kelly said. ''They understand the caliber of play that will be needed. They are excited about the challenge in front of them. They come to Notre Dame wanting to play in these kinds of games. It's like being in a Broadway show.''

With Notre Dame on their schedule, Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs probably feel the same way about only the third meeting between the two teams.

The first came at the end of the 1980 season when freshman sensation Herschel Walker led Georgia to a 17-10 victory in the 1980 Sugar Bowl that earned a national championship for coach Vince Dooley.

The second came Sept. 9, 2017. Kelly had rebuilt his staff following a 4-8 campaign, and the Irish and Bulldogs battled under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium before the Bulldogs prevailed in a memorable 19-17 victory.

''We were certainly feeling as we had done the things necessary to get the program back to where it needed to be,'' Kelly said.

The triumph helped to catapult Georgia to the College Football Playoff championship game that the Bulldogs lost in overtime, 26-23, to SEC rival Alabama.

Since that loss, the Irish are 23-3, including a 12-0 regular-season run in 2018 that got the Irish into the CFP playoffs instead of the Bulldogs, whose 11-2 regular-season was deemed not good enough.

The memory of their 30-3 CFP semifinal loss to eventual national champion Clemson and a 2019 schedule which included visits to Louisville, Michigan (Oct. 26) and Stanford (Nov. 30) in addition to Saturday's showdown in Sanford Stadium are feeding Notre Dame's mindset.

''We talk about having a road-warrior mindset and that's what it's going to take for us,'' said quarterback Ian Book, who threw for 360 yards and a career-high five touchdowns against the Lobos. ''We just have to go in there and play our game and focus on us and the small details.''

That's easier said than done. But then the Bulldogs did just that in 2017 as true freshman Jake Fromm completed 16 of 29 passes for 141 yards in his first collegiate start and the Georgia defense limited Notre Dame to 55 rushing yards on 37 carries.

''(Fromm) played with great poise and was extremely efficient,'' Kelly remembered. ''They were extremely athletic two years ago and they are a little bigger upfront this year. They are just an outstanding football team in all areas.''

Notre Dame, which recruits nationwide, has recruited Georgia hard and the series, announced in 2014, may have helped the Irish to secure 6-foot-4 freshman safety Kyle Hamilton, who attended the Marist School north of Atlanta. His 34-yard interception return for a touchdown got the Irish started against New Mexico.

The Irish likely will have two more offensive pieces back in tight end Cole Kmet, who broke a collarbone in preseason, and running back Jahmir Smith, who sat out last week's game after scoring a pair of touchdowns against Louisville.

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Close finishes and mixed results for Big 10
September 15, 2019
By The Associated Press

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Mark Dantonio will have to wait a bit for his next milestone after the last couple minutes went terribly wrong for Michigan State.

James Franklin and Kirk Ferentz were a bit more fortunate, but they had reason to sweat while Penn State and Iowa were pushed to the limit by in-state rivals.

On a wild Saturday in the Big Ten, a half-dozen games came down to the last few plays. Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota managed to pull through, while Michigan State, Illinois and Maryland fell short. It was a day that certainly drove home the notion that there's a fine line between winning and losing.

''The outcome of the football game had a lot of things going on, some things we could control and some things we can't control,'' Dantonio said after his Spartans lost 10-7 to Arizona State. ''Too many missed opportunities.''

Dantonio is tied with Duffy Daugherty for the most victories by a Michigan State coach. He was on the verge of standing alone with that record when the Spartans led 7-3 late in the game, but Michigan State's defense finally cracked, allowing Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels to run for a first down on fourth-and-13. The winning touchdown came soon after that, with just under a minute remaining.

The Spartans drove back into field goal range, but after spiking the ball to stop the clock with 11 seconds left, they appeared indecisive. The field goal team had to rush out, and although Matt Coghlin made a kick that appeared to tie it, Michigan State had too many men on the field. The re-kick missed.

Illinois' matchup with Eastern Michigan also came down to a kick, and it had to be a helpless feeling for the Illini after EMU drove into position for a 24-yard field goal at the end. Chad Ryland made it to hand Illinois a 34-31 loss.

Maryland also lost after an encouraging victory over Syracuse in its previous game. The Terrapins fell 20-17 to Temple after their offense failed to reach the end zone on a couple great opportunities late. Down 20-15, Maryland took over at the Temple 4-yard line after a long punt return. Four straight runs failed to reach the end zone, and the Terps turned the ball over on downs.

A shanked punt gave Maryland the ball back at the Temple 10, but the Terrapins couldn't score then either.

Maryland dropped out of the Top 25 on Sunday, and so did Michigan State.

Iowa could have faced a similar fate, but Ferentz's Hawkeyes held off Iowa State 18-17. Iowa sealed that game by recovering a punt that bounced off an Iowa State player.

Penn State had a close call as well in a 17-10 win over Pittsburgh. It wasn't Franklin who faced the big coaching decision in this one - but rather his counterpart, Pitt's Pat Narduzzi.

Down by seven, the Panthers had first-and-goal from the 1 in the fourth quarter, but after two incompletions and a failed run, they attempted a field goal - and missed with 4:54 remaining.

Pittsburgh got the ball again but never made it back to the red zone.

If there's one team that's used to that type of tense finish, it's Minnesota. The Gophers beat South Dakota State by seven and Fresno State in two overtimes. Then they edged Georgia Southern on Saturday 35-32, scoring the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left.

''There were times we did everything to lose the game. There were times we did everything to win the game,'' Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. ''I believe in my players. I believe in my team.''

It's probably not a great sign for Minnesota that these games have been so close, but the Gophers are still undefeated. That's more than some of their Big Ten rivals can say.

''You've got to get up and get off the ground - that's part of it,'' Dantonio said. ''We've all had difficult days or things that didn't work out for us and the next thing you know you're sort of trying to climb out of a hole a little bit. That's the nature of life and that's what we do.''

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Baun emerging as leader for stout Wisconsin
September 15, 2019
By The Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin's defense hasn't dropped off a bit after losing last year's top pass rusher, Andrew Van Ginkel, to the NFL.

Zack Baun, who had 2+ sacks in 25 career games before this season, is a big reason why.

Responding to a challenge from coach Paul Chryst to improve his pass rush and take on a leadership role, Baun has been impressive thus far, taking the early Big Ten lead with two sacks in two games.

''I'm just trying to make as many as I can, whenever they come,'' Baun said. ''The pass rush is something that I've worked hard at, and to see it come to life like this, you love to see it.''

The start of the season couldn't have gone much better for Baun and the 13th-ranked Badgers, who outscored South Florida and Central Michigan by a combined 110-0, becoming the first FBS team to score at least 100 points while allowing zero in its first two games since South Carolina in 1980. Wisconsin next faces No. 11 Michigan (2-0), which beat the Badgers 38-13 last season.

''We're coming for revenge,'' Baun said. ''Obviously, there is a standard that has been set here at Wisconsin. We all see it on the walls in the tunnel. We understand we didn't meet that standard last year. We're coming for it this year.''

After winning at least 10 games in each of Chryst's first three seasons, the Badgers used last year's 8-5 campaign as a learning tool - Baun especially.

Baun, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker, saw his first action in 2016 as a redshirt sophomore, playing sparingly in 12 games. He missed all of 2017 with a broken left foot, and then started all 13 games last season. Baun said he spent a large portion of 2018 working back to full strength, both physically and mentally.

''Last year, it was getting my mental state to 100 percent so they believe in me,'' he said. ''You've got to believe in yourself. I was nervous going into last season. Obviously, it was my first time. My first true role on the team. But as the season played on, I was confident in myself. I knew I could compete.''

Baun, a senior captain, wasn't always just a linebacker. He was also one of the top quarterbacks in the state while at Brown Deer High School. The leadership qualities he needed then are resurfacing this season.

''I think a lot of guys have appreciated that I stepped up and were expecting me to take that role,'' he said. ''There are always things to develop to add to my leadership resume.''

So far, so good for the Badgers' defense, which has allowed 215 total yards and 41 yards rushing, the team's lowest two-game totals since at least 1998.

Nobody has had a better view of the defense than running back Jonathan Taylor.

''Those guys are fast,'' he said. ''Those guys, they can move sideline to sideline. But they're also great in between the tackles and that's what I feel is so dangerous about this defense. It's kind of hard to figure out where to attack them, because if you want to try to spread them out, they have no problem. Guys have great speed on them. If you want to try to play big-boy ball, they can do that as well.''

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STAT WATCH: Another 200-yard game gives Hubbard rushing lead
September 16, 2019
By The Associated Press

There have been four 200-yard rushing games this season, and two of them belong to Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard.

Hubbard ran for a career-high 256 yards on 32 carries against Tulsa on Saturday and moved from ninth to first on the national rushing chart with an average of 173.7 yards per game.

Hubbard, whose first name is pronounced ''CHOO-buh,'' opened the season with 221 yards on 26 carries against Oregon State.

His three touchdowns rushing against Tulsa moved him into a tie for first in the nation with seven.

The redshirt freshman from Canada has five 100-yard games in his career, all in the Cowboys' last seven games.

His rushing total against Tulsa was the highest by an OSU player since Kendall Hunter went for 257 yards in the 2010 opener against Washington State.

HURTS SO GOOD

Jalen Hurts continues to do things unprecedented by an Oklahoma quarterback. Against UCLA, he became the first to rush for 100 yards or more in the opening quarter of a game (103) and the first to record at least 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in a first half. His 141 yards rushing in the half were the most by an OU quarterback through two quarters.

TYING TEBOW

Houston quarterback D'Eriq King has passed and run for a touchdown in 14 straight games, tied for the longest streak in FBS history with Florida's Tim Tebow (2006-08).

GETTING THEIR KICKS

Three kickers made 57-yard field goals, tied for longest in the nation since 2016.

Penn State's Jordan Stout kicked his against Pittsburgh, Illinois' James McCourt hit his against Eastern Michigan and Texas' Cameron Dicker made his against Rice.

Stout broke Penn State's 44-year-old school record of 55 yards set by Chris Bahr. McCourt tied the Illinois record, and Dicker's field goal was the longest by a Texas kicker since 1985.

SACK MAN

Boise State's Curtis Weaver tied the school record with four sacks against Portland State, most by a Broncos player since 1996. Weaver is tied for the national lead with six sacks, and his career total of 26 1/2 is highest of any active Football Bowl Subdivision player.

AN ALL-AROUND GUY

Southern Mississippi's Jaylond Adams became the first player this season to go over 300 all-purpose yards. He had career highs with 11 catches for 180 yards and ran back a kickoff 100 yards. Those were the highlights of his 322-yard performance, the best by a Southern Miss player since 1982.

Kansas State freshman Malik Knowles also had a 100-yard kick return against Mississippi State.

CONVERTING ON THIRD DOWN

Arizona converted a nation-high 15 third downs on 21 attempts against Texas Tech, the most since Tulsa converted 16 against Oklahoma State in the 2017 opener.

The Wildcats' season conversion rate went from 48 percent (12 of 25) to 58.7 percent (27 of 46), good for fifth in the FBS.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

Six interesting college football spreads this week:

— Utah (-4.5) @ USC

— Michigan State (-6.5) @ Northwestern

— Michigan @ Wisconsin (-3)

— Kentucky @ Mississippi State (-7)

— Auburn @ Texas A&M (-4)

— Oklahoma State @ Texas (-5)

Tweet of the Day
“Cowboys got to 2-0 and Sean Payton got a new contract. For Jason Garrett, today was pretty…pretty…good.”
Tim Cowlishaw

Tuesday’s quiz
Who coached the Tennessee Titans in their only Super Bowl appearance?

Monday’s quiz
Chris Chandler was the Atlanta Falcons’ QB the first time they played in a Super Bowl, when they lost to Denver

Sunday’s quiz
Pro wrestler/actor Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson played college football at Miami.

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Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) Bad news on the quarterback front Monday; Ben Roethlisberger is done for the year- he needs elbow surgery. Roethlisberger will be 38 in March; there is a chance his Hall of Fame career is over.

Mason Rudolph takes over as Pittsburgh’s starter; they traded #3 QB Josh Dobbs to the Jaguars last week, a move they probably regret now. Looks like the new backup is Devlin Hedges, who played college ball at Samford.

12) Drew Brees needs surgery for ligament damage in his right thumb, is out for at least six weeks; Teddy Bridgewater is the Saints’ new starter.

11) I’m endorsing something today that I never thought I’d endorse, the Peyton Manning stories on ESPN+ about the history of the NFL . Watched one the other day about the Lombardi Trophy, and it was excellent.

Lot of information in there, even if Peyton continues to be annoying at the same time, just like his TV commercials. But if you like NFL history, this is good stuff.

10) Armen Keteyian wrote an article on Nick Saban in The Athletic last week that made me sad, talking about how when Saban won his first national title at Alabama, he didn’t/couldn’t enjoy the win, he was still correcting mistakes made during the game, and then stressing out about the things that had to be done about recruiting in the next few days.

If you can’t enjoy winning, coaching is a miserable job, because no one enjoys losing. Saban had a staff meeting in a hotel meeting room at 10am the day after Alabama won the title, less than 12 hours after the championship game ended.

Understood that you don’t sustain winning without that single-minded focus, but life is short, and you need to enjoy the good things along the way, too.

9) From Jen McCaffrey:
In 2001, an FBI investigation called Operation Bullpen found that over 75% of all autographed items on the market were forgeries. As a result, Major League Baseball created an authentication department that now employs 220 current and former law enforcement officials.

Authenticators Inc. is a company that works with MLB to ensure the legitimacy of milestone and game-used items as well as any player-autographed items. At least two authenticators are present at all 2,430 regular season games, with more at postseason games and special events like the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby.

8) Baseball stuff:
— Braves put IF Johan Camargo (hairline fracture of shin) on the IL.

7) Football stuff:
— Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) is out for the year.
— Saints’ QB Drew Brees is out for six weeks.
— Redskins RB Derrius Guice (knee) was put on IR.
— Florida Gators QB Feleipe Franks (dislocated ankle) is out for the year.

6) Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett turned down a raise this week while extending his contract another year. The Cavaliers announced the extension Monday, saying Bennett asked for the money he turned down to be used to pay his staff more and for improvements to both his program as well as other Virginia teams.

5) Browns 23, Jets 3:
— Terrible game; wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicates.
— Beckham caught an 89-yard TD pass to officially seal the win.
— Teams combined to convert 6-27 on third down.

— 3rd-stringer Falk was 20-25/198 in relief of injured QB Siemian.
— Jets had 45 total yards in the first half, wound up with 262.
— Le’veon Bell had 31 touches for 129 yards.

4) Handicapping 101— France upset the USA in that FIBA basketball tournament in China, then lost their next game by 14 to Argentina. For once, life makes perfect sense. Peaks and valleys, you have an emotional win, then a very disappointing loss.

3) In case you were wondering, the highest paid player on the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces makes $115,000 a year. They play a 34-game regular season. Was wondering the other day, so I looked it up, but I can’t find out how much WNBA coaches make.

2) If I owned an NBA team and was shelling out hundreds millions of dollars to pay the players, no way in hell would I want any of them playing in these international tournaments during the offseason that don’t mean a damn thing. One of them gets hurt, then what?

1) Best wishes to Nationals’ skipper Dave Martinez, who felt chest pains and underwent a cardiac catheterization Monday- he’ll miss the series in St Louis this week. Chip Hale is the interim manager for Washington.

[StarDust Bum]

This report may update as gamedays get closer....


NCAAF
Long Sheet

Thursday, September 19

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HOUSTON (1 - 2) at TULANE (2 - 1) - 9/19/2019, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TULANE is 1-1 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
TULANE is 1-1 straight up against HOUSTON 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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Friday, September 20

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UTAH (3 - 0) at USC (2 - 1) - 9/20/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 123-90 ATS (+24.0 Units) in games played on a grass field since 1992.
UTAH is 46-23 ATS (+20.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
USC is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
USC is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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FLA INTERNATIONAL (1 - 2) at LOUISIANA TECH (2 - 1) - 9/20/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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AIR FORCE (2 - 0) at BOISE ST (3 - 0) - 9/20/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 148-108 ATS (+29.2 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 148-108 ATS (+29.2 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
AIR FORCE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as a road underdog of 7.5 to 10 points since 1992.

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

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Saturday, September 21

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LA MONROE (1 - 1) at IOWA ST (1 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IOWA ST is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
IOWA ST is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
IOWA ST is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.

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

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MIAMI OHIO (1 - 2) at OHIO ST (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 192-148 ATS (+29.2 Units) in all games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 192-148 ATS (+29.2 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 174-133 ATS (+27.7 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
OHIO ST is 59-37 ATS (+18.3 Units) in September games since 1992.

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

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CHARLOTTE (2 - 1) at CLEMSON (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CONNECTICUT (1 - 1) at INDIANA (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 58-82 ATS (-32.2 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.

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

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UCF (3 - 0) at PITTSBURGH (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCF is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
UCF is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
UCF is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UCF is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
UCF is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 3 seasons.

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

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LA LAFAYETTE (2 - 1) at OHIO U (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 2:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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NEBRASKA (2 - 1) at ILLINOIS (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ILLINOIS is 133-175 ATS (-59.5 Units) in all games since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 133-175 ATS (-59.5 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 67-97 ATS (-39.7 Units) in home games since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 67-97 ATS (-39.7 Units) in home lined games since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 67-93 ATS (-35.3 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 105-137 ATS (-45.7 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 90-135 ATS (-58.5 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 26-43 ATS (-21.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEBRASKA is 2-0 against the spread versus ILLINOIS over the last 3 seasons
NEBRASKA is 2-0 straight up against ILLINOIS 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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TEMPLE (2 - 0) at BUFFALO (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEMPLE is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) against MAC opponents since 1992.
TEMPLE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.

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

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C MICHIGAN (2 - 1) at MIAMI (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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OLD DOMINION (1 - 1) at VIRGINIA (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VIRGINIA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.

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

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COASTAL CAROLINA (2 - 1) at MASSACHUSETTS (0 - 3) - 9/21/2019, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MASSACHUSETTS is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) as an underdog of 10.5 to 21 points over the last 2 seasons.
MASSACHUSETTS is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MASSACHUSETTS is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COASTAL CAROLINA is 2-0 against the spread versus MASSACHUSETTS over the last 3 seasons
COASTAL CAROLINA is 2-0 straight up against MASSACHUSETTS 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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MICHIGAN ST (2 - 1) at NORTHWESTERN (1 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NORTHWESTERN is 50-31 ATS (+15.9 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.
NORTHWESTERN is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.

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

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TROY (1 - 1) at AKRON (0 - 3) - 9/21/2019, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TROY is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
TROY is 40-23 ATS (+14.7 Units) in road games in games played on turf since 1992.
AKRON is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

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

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BOSTON COLLEGE (2 - 1) at RUTGERS (1 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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W MICHIGAN (2 - 1) at SYRACUSE (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SYRACUSE is 16-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) against MAC opponents since 1992.

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

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BALL ST (1 - 2) at NC STATE (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BALL ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.

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

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MICHIGAN (2 - 0) at WISCONSIN (2 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WISCONSIN is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest since 1992.
WISCONSIN is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) after a bye week since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
WISCONSIN is 1-1 against the spread versus MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
WISCONSIN is 1-1 straight up against MICHIGAN 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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TOLEDO (1 - 1) at COLORADO ST (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 10:15 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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NEW MEXICO ST (0 - 3) at NEW MEXICO (1 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW MEXICO ST is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 42-64 ATS (-28.4 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up losses since 1992.

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

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

WASHINGTON (2 - 1) at BYU (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

COLORADO (2 - 1) at ARIZONA ST (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA ST is 86-50 ATS (+31.0 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
ARIZONA ST is 66-41 ATS (+20.9 Units) in home games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.

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

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

CALIFORNIA (3 - 0) at OLE MISS (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALIFORNIA is 21-45 ATS (-28.5 Units) when the line is +3 to -3 since 1992.
CALIFORNIA is 62-88 ATS (-34.8 Units) as a favorite since 1992.
CALIFORNIA is 14-35 ATS (-24.5 Units) as a road favorite since 1992.
CALIFORNIA is 0-10 ATS (-11.0 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less since 1992.
OLE MISS is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

TENNESSEE (1 - 2) at FLORIDA (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 50-30 ATS (+17.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.

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

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

GEORGIA ST (2 - 1) at TEXAS ST (0 - 3) - 9/21/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

SOUTHERN MISS (2 - 1) at ALABAMA (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

KENTUCKY (2 - 1) at MISSISSIPPI ST (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

LSU (3 - 0) at VANDERBILT (0 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 12:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

APPALACHIAN ST (2 - 0) at N CAROLINA (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
APPALACHIAN ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) after a bye week over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

AUBURN (3 - 0) at TEXAS A&M (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS A&M is 70-96 ATS (-35.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.

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

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

WYOMING (3 - 0) at TULSA (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

S CAROLINA (1 - 2) at MISSOURI (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S CAROLINA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

W VIRGINIA (2 - 1) at KANSAS (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS is 133-169 ATS (-52.9 Units) in all games since 1992.
KANSAS is 133-169 ATS (-52.9 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
KANSAS is 84-118 ATS (-45.8 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
KANSAS is 94-124 ATS (-42.4 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
KANSAS is 123-160 ATS (-53.0 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
KANSAS is 58-86 ATS (-36.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.

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

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

OKLAHOMA ST (3 - 0) at TEXAS (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points since 1992.

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

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

BOWLING GREEN (1 - 2) at KENT ST (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOWLING GREEN is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in September games over the last 2 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 54-31 ATS (+19.9 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1992.
BOWLING GREEN is 35-14 ATS (+19.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1992.

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

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

SMU (3 - 0) at TCU (2 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SMU is 100-131 ATS (-44.1 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
TCU is 1-1 against the spread versus SMU over the last 3 seasons
TCU 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

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

SAN JOSE ST (1 - 1) at ARKANSAS (2 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

S ALABAMA (1 - 2) at UAB (2 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S ALABAMA is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.
UAB is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in home games when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest since 1992.
UAB is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games after a bye week since 1992.
UAB is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

OREGON (2 - 1) at STANFORD (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON is 58-36 ATS (+18.4 Units) in games played on a grass field since 1992.

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

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

BAYLOR (2 - 0) at RICE (0 - 3) - 9/21/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RICE is 78-55 ATS (+17.5 Units) in home games since 1992.
RICE is 78-55 ATS (+17.5 Units) in home lined games since 1992.
RICE is 78-55 ATS (+17.5 Units) in home games in games played on turf since 1992.

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

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

UTSA (1 - 2) at NORTH TEXAS (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTSA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
UTSA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
UTSA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
UTSA is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
UTSA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in September games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

NOTRE DAME (2 - 0) at GEORGIA (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

LOUISVILLE (2 - 1) at FLORIDA ST (1 - 2) - 9/21/2019, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

NEVADA (2 - 1) at UTEP (1 - 1) - 9/21/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTEP is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
UTEP is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
UTEP is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
UTEP is 33-54 ATS (-26.4 Units) in September games since 1992.

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

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

UCLA (0 - 3) at WASHINGTON ST (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON ST is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

UTAH ST (1 - 1) at SAN DIEGO ST (3 - 0) - 9/21/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Week 4

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, September 19

Houston @ Tulane
Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
Houston is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing Tulane
Tulane
Tulane is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tulane's last 6 games when playing at home against Houston


Friday, September 20

Florida International @ Louisiana Tech
Florida International
Florida International is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Florida International is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Louisiana Tech
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Louisiana Tech's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisiana Tech's last 5 games at home

Utah @ Southern California
Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games on the road
Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Southern California's last 5 games when playing Utah

Air Force @ Boise State
Air Force
Air Force is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Air Force is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boise State
Boise State
Boise State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Boise State is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games at home


Saturday, September 21

Southern Miss @ Alabama
Southern Miss
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Southern Miss's last 5 games on the road
Southern Miss is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Alabama
Alabama is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Southern Miss
Alabama is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Miss

Tennessee @ Florida
Tennessee
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tennessee's last 9 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida
Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tennessee

Louisiana State @ Vanderbilt
Louisiana State
Louisiana State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vanderbilt
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Louisiana State's last 5 games
Vanderbilt
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Vanderbilt's last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vanderbilt's last 6 games

California @ Mississippi
California
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of California's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of California's last 5 games on the road
Mississippi
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Mississippi's last 6 games
Mississippi is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games

Boston College @ Rutgers
Boston College
Boston College is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Rutgers
Boston College is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Rutgers
Rutgers
Rutgers is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Rutgers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home

Western Michigan @ Syracuse
Western Michigan
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Western Michigan's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Western Michigan's last 8 games
Syracuse
Syracuse is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Syracuse's last 17 games at home

Elon @ Wake Forest
Elon
Elon is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Elon is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Wake Forest
Wake Forest is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Wake Forest is 6-11-1 ATS in its last 18 games

Morgan State @ Army
Morgan State
Morgan State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Morgan State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Army
Army is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Army is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games

Louisiana-Monroe @ Iowa State
Louisiana-Monroe
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 5 games
Iowa State
Iowa State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Iowa State is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

Connecticut @ Indiana
Connecticut
Connecticut is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Connecticut is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 8-15-1 ATS in its last 24 games

Michigan State @ Northwestern
Michigan State
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Michigan State's last 11 games
Michigan State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Northwestern
Northwestern
Northwestern is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Michigan State
Northwestern is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Michigan State

Michigan @ Wisconsin
Michigan
Michigan is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Michigan's last 7 games when playing Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Michigan
Wisconsin is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games at home

Coastal Carolina @ Massachusetts
Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Coastal Carolina is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Massachusetts
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Massachusetts's last 16 games
Massachusetts is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

Louisiana-Lafayette @ Ohio
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Lafayette is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Louisiana-Lafayette is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Ohio
Ohio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Ohio is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games at home

Troy @ Akron
Troy
Troy is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Troy is 18-4 SU in its last 22 games
Akron
Akron is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Akron is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

Central Connecticut State @ Eastern Michigan
Central Connecticut State
Central Connecticut State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Central Connecticut State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Eastern Michigan
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Eastern Michigan's last 6 games at home
Eastern Michigan is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

Auburn @ Texas A&M
Auburn
Auburn is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Auburn is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Texas A&M
Texas A&M is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Texas A&M is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games at home

Washington @ Brigham Young
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games on the road
Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Brigham Young
Brigham Young is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brigham Young's last 5 games at home

Louisville @ Florida State
Louisville
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Louisville's last 5 games when playing Florida State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Louisville's last 5 games on the road
Florida State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida State's last 5 games when playing Louisville
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Florida State's last 8 games

Appalachian State @ North Carolina
Appalachian State
Appalachian State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Appalachian State is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
North Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Carolina's last 5 games
North Carolina is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games at home

Central Florida @ Pittsburgh
Central Florida
Central Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Central Florida is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games
Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games

Southern Methodist @ Texas Christian
Southern Methodist
Southern Methodist is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas Christian
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Southern Methodist's last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas Christian
Texas Christian
Texas Christian is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Texas Christian is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Methodist

Miami-OH @ Ohio State
Miami-OH
Miami-OH is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games
Miami-OH is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Ohio State
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Wyoming @ Tulsa
Wyoming
Wyoming is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Wyoming is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Tulsa
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tulsa's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tulsa's last 5 games

South Alabama @ Alabama-Birmingham
South Alabama
The total has gone OVER in 5 of South Alabama's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of South Alabama's last 15 games
Alabama-Birmingham
Alabama-Birmingham is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Alabama-Birmingham is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games

Temple @ Buffalo
Temple
Temple is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Temple is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Buffalo
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Buffalo is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games at home

Bowling Green @ Kent State
Bowling Green
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Bowling Green's last 5 games
Bowling Green is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Kent State
Kent State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kent State's last 5 games when playing at home against Bowling Green
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kent State's last 5 games when playing Bowling Green

Kentucky @ Mississippi State
Kentucky
Kentucky is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kentucky's last 5 games
Mississippi State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Mississippi State's last 5 games when playing at home against Kentucky
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Mississippi State's last 6 games

South Carolina @ Missouri
South Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of South Carolina's last 7 games when playing Missouri
South Carolina is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Missouri
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Missouri's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Missouri's last 7 games when playing South Carolina

Central Michigan @ Miami-FL
Central Michigan
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Central Michigan's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Central Michigan's last 11 games on the road
Miami-FL
Miami-FL is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami-FL's last 10 games

New Mexico State @ New Mexico
New Mexico State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Mexico State's last 6 games when playing New Mexico
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Mexico State's last 5 games on the road
New Mexico
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Mexico's last 6 games when playing New Mexico State
New Mexico is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing New Mexico State

West Virginia @ Kansas
West Virginia
West Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas
West Virginia is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games
Kansas
Kansas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing West Virginia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas's last 5 games at home

Hampton @ Liberty
Hampton
Hampton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Hampton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Liberty
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Liberty's last 6 games
Liberty is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

Wagner @ Florida Atlantic
Wagner
Wagner is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Wagner is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Florida Atlantic
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida Atlantic's last 5 games at home
Florida Atlantic is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home

William & Mary @ East Carolina
William & Mary
William & Mary is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
William & Mary is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
East Carolina
East Carolina is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games at home
East Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

Oregon @ Stanford
Oregon
Oregon is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oregon's last 6 games
Stanford
Stanford is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Stanford's last 5 games when playing Oregon

Baylor @ Rice
Baylor
Baylor is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Rice
Baylor is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Rice
Rice
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Rice's last 17 games at home
Rice is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games

Ball State @ North Carolina State
Ball State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ball State's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ball State's last 7 games on the road
North Carolina State
North Carolina State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
North Carolina State is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games

Old Dominion @ Virginia
Old Dominion
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Old Dominion's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Old Dominion's last 10 games on the road
Virginia
Virginia is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Virginia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Southern Illinois @ Arkansas State
Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Southern Illinois is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Arkansas State
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Arkansas State's last 8 games
Arkansas State is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games at home

Georgia State @ Texas State
Georgia State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia State's last 5 games when playing Texas State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Georgia State's last 7 games on the road
Texas State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas State's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas State's last 6 games

San Jose State @ Arkansas
San Jose State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Jose State's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Jose State's last 6 games
Arkansas
Arkansas is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arkansas's last 6 games

Charlotte @ Clemson
Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games
Charlotte is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Clemson
Clemson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Clemson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

Oklahoma State @ Texas
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas
Oklahoma State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas's last 7 games when playing at home against Oklahoma State
Texas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

Texas-San Antonio @ North Texas
Texas-San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas-San Antonio's last 6 games when playing North Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas-San Antonio's last 5 games
North Texas
North Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Texas's last 6 games when playing Texas-San Antonio

Notre Dame @ Georgia
Notre Dame
Notre Dame is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games
Notre Dame is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Georgia
Georgia is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games at home
Georgia is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games

Nebraska @ Illinois
Nebraska
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Nebraska's last 8 games on the road
Nebraska is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Illinois
Illinois
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Illinois's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Illinois's last 6 games at home

Nevada @ Texas El Paso
Nevada
Nevada is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Nevada's last 25 games on the road
Texas El Paso
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas El Paso's last 6 games
Texas El Paso is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games at home

Colorado @ Arizona State
Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing Arizona State
Arizona State
Arizona State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
Arizona State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado

Sacramento State @ Fresno State
Sacramento State
Sacramento State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Sacramento State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Fresno State
Fresno State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Fresno State is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games

Toledo @ Colorado State
Toledo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toledo's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toledo's last 7 games on the road
Colorado State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado State's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado State's last 6 games

California-Los Angeles @ Washington State
California-Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of California-Los Angeles's last 5 games on the road
California-Los Angeles is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington State
Washington State
Washington State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
Washington State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home

Utah State @ San Diego State
Utah State
Utah State is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
Utah State is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games
San Diego State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego State's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego State's last 6 games at home

Central Arkansas @ Hawaii
Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Central Arkansas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Hawaii
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Hawaii's last 8 games at home
Hawaii is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 3
Joe Williams

College Football Week 3 Results

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 56-12
Against the Spread 39-28-1

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 44-24
Against the Spread 32-35-1

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 32-36

YEAR TO DATE Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 203-28
Against the Spread 116-109-6

YEAR TO DATE Home-Away
Straight Up 172-55
Against the Spread 106-115-6

YEAR TO DATE Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 109-121-3

The largest underdogs to win straight up
The Citadel (+27.5, ML +1500) at Georgia Tech, 27-24 (OT)
Kansas (+20.5, ML +800) at Boston College, 48-24
Arizona State (+15.5, ML +550) at Michigan State, 10-7
Eastern Michigan (+7.5, ML +230) at Illinois, 34-31
Kansas State (+7, ML +220) at Mississippi State, 31-24
West Virginia (+7, ML +220) vs. N.C. State, 44-27

The largest favorites to cover
Louisiana-Lafayette (-47) vs. Texas Southern, 77-6
Texas A&M (-45.5) vs. Lamar, 62-3
Miami-Florida (-41) vs. Bethune-Cookman, 63-0
Missouri (-35) vs. SE Missouri State, 50-0
Notre Dame (-34.5) vs. New Mexico, 66-14
Georgia (-33) vs. Arkansas State, 55-0

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (AAC)

-- Cincinnati bounced back from a shellacking from Ohio State last week, topping Miami-Ohio for the cover as 17-point favorites in their rivalry game. 'Under' bettors lucked out a bit (see below in bad beats). The Bearcats are 2-0 SU/ATS at home, while the 'under' has connected in all three of their outings. ... Temple pulled the mild upset over Maryland, 20-17, cashing +180 on the moneyline. UMD opened as high as an eight-point favorite, falling to 5.5 by gametime. The Owls are now 2-0 SU/ATS through two outings with a trip to Buffalo on deck next week. ... Houston fell to Washington State in NRG Stadium on Friday night in a neutral-site battle, 31-24. It was expected to be a high-scoring game with a line of 74, but a scoreless first quarter helped the total go well under. Houston is 0-2 SU vs. Power 5 teams so far, but 2-0 ATS. The 'under' is 2-0-1 for the Cougars in three games overall. ... Navy roughed up East Carolina in the conference opener for both. The Middies won 42-10, easily covering for the second time in as many games as they improved to 2-0 SU/ATS with the 'under' 2-0.

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE (ACC)

-- Wake Forest outlasted North Carolina 24-18 on Friday night in what was actually not a league game despite both being ACC members. Due to the cross-division scheduling in the ACC, these teams were scheduled to meet once every few years, and the schools wanted to ignite the rivalry on a more regular basis. Wake is now 3-0 SU, but this was their first cover (1-1-1 ATS). ... Georgia Tech wasn't as fortunate, falling to FCS The Citadel in overtime in Atlanta, 27-24. The Bulldogs weren't exactly a powerhouse in the FCS, well out of the Top 25 rankings, and receiving just three votes in the past FCS poll. Embarrassing loss for the Ramblin' Wreck. ... Virginia Tech nearly met the same fate, edging Furman 24-17. To be fair, the Paladins were at least ranked No. 13 in the FCS rankings this past week. That's three games and three non-covers for the Hokies, and the 'under' has hit in each of their two home outings. ... Virginia moved to 3-0 SU with a comeback win against Florida State, 31-24. The Seminoles took the 24-17 lead 11:42 to go, but the Hoos rallied with a touchdown at 6:02. However, they misfired on the extra point and were still down 24-23. With 2:34 to go, UVA scored a touchdown with a two-point conversion, causing the line to push at most shops. The two-point conversion also pushed the total 'over' (54).

BIG TEN

-- Ohio State went on the road for the first time this season and throttled Indiana, 51-10. The Buckeyes have scored at least 42 points in each of their three game, but this was their first 'over' result - barely. The game closed at 60.5 at most shops. ... Illinois suffered its first setback of the season against visiting Eastern Michigan, 34-31. It was also the first 'over' result after two unders for the Illini. Illinois tied the game 31-31 with 1:44 to push the total over, but EMU booted a 24-yard field goal with no time left to win it outright. ... Penn State was favored by 17 points against rival Pittsburgh, and if that seemed rather high it's because it was. The Nittany Lions won their rivalry game by a 17-10 count as the 'under' comfortably cashed. It was a departure from the first two games when the Lions posted 79 and 45 against Idaho and Buffalo. It was also PSU's first non-cover in three tries. ... Minnesota avoided the upset bug against Georgia Southern, hanging 35-32. The Golden Gophers are 3-0 SU, but 0-2-1 ATS with a pair of 'over' results in the past two games.

BIG 12

-- Kansas opened the week with a win at Boston College, snapping a 48-game road losing streak against Power 5 teams. Les Miles has the Jayhawks sitting at 2-1 SU, but this was their first win over an FBS team and it was the first cover for Kansas in three games. ... Kansas State also took care of business on the road against a Power 5 team, edging Mississippi State, 31-24. The Wildcats have fired out of the box at 3-0 SU/ATS. ... West Virginia upended N.C. State in Morgantown by a 44-27 count. The matchup in 2018 was wiped out in Raleigh by Hurricane Florence, and the Wolfpack likely wish a storm struck before this one, too. The Mountaineers earned their first win against an FBS team, their first cover and first 'over' in three tries. ... Oklahoma State had their hands full at Tulsa, but they eventually pulled away 40-21. The Cowboys actually trailed 21-20 at half. The Golden Hurricane were blanked in the second half helping the 'under' (64) connected. ... Oklahoma routed UCLA behind QB Jalen Hurts, who ran for 99 yards on the team's first drive. The Sooner ended up with the 48-14 win, improving to 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS ahead of their conference opener with Texas Tech. ... Speaking of the Red Raiders, they were topped 28-14 at Arizona, 28-14. The 'under' has cashed in three straight for the Red Raiders. ... Texas dropped Rice 48-13 in a game featuring some craziness at the end to affect the line and total (see below).

CONFERENCE USA

-- Florida Atlantic stepped out of conference at Ball State for the 41-31 road victory. They're 2-0 SU/ATS on the road so far this season, averaging 31.0 PPG while allowing 38.0 PPG. The total is 1-1-1 with FAU so far through three games. ... Western Kentucky put a late scare into Louisville side bettors, but the Cards held on for the cover at both 10 and 10.5, depending on when you bet. The Cards had a 31-7 lead at half, and appeared well on the way to an easy cover, but Western fought back to close to 17 with 12:50 to go, but that was the last score of the day. ... North Texas also gave it a nice run at California, but came up short in a 23-17 loss. The Mean Green fell behind 20-0, much to the dismay of UNT side bettors and 'under' (50.5) bettors, but North Texas held Cal to just three points in the final three quarters for the cover and under. It was UNT's first cover in three games, and their first under result.

MID-AMERICAN (MAC)

-- Central Michigan bounced back from a 61-point drumming at Wisconsin last week, topping Akron 45-24 in the MAC opener for both sides. The 'over' has connected in all three games for the Chippewas so far this season. The over has hit in each of the past two for the Zips, too. Akron slipped to 0-3 SU/ATS overall. ...

MOUNTAIN WEST

-- Air Force scored one for the Mountain West, following in the footsteps of Boise State earlier this season. The Falcons picked up a road win against a Power 5 team, besting Colorado in overtime, 30-23. Despite the extra session, 'over' (58.5) bettors were still left with a losing ticket. The Falcons are 2-0 SU/Ats heading into their MWC opener against the aforementioned Broncos on the Smurf Turf next Friday. ... New Mexico was unable to pull the stunner in South Bend, as they were blasted by Notre Dame, 66-14. The Lobos have hit the 'over' in each of their two outings, allowing 97 points in two games. ... Colorado State was also unable to join the group, as they were slapped down at Arkansas by a 55-34 count. This game was actually tied 34-34, but the Rams were blanked 21-0 in the final quarter by Chad Morris' group.

PAC-12

-- Oregon State comfortably passed FCS Cal Poly by a 45-7 score, picking up their second straight cover and 'under' result. ... USC was tripped up in overtime by a 30-27 score at Brigham Young, as the Cougars won in overtime for the second consecutive weekend. Freshman QB Kedon Slovis did all right in his first collegiate road outing, but a tipped pass in OT doomed him. ... Another Pac-12 team took it on the chin in a non-conference road outing, as Stanford was unable to slow UCF. The Knights came away with the 45-27 victory, and over (58.5) bettors were aided by a 28-point first quarter by the Knights, and 35 total points after 15 minutes. ... Arizona State scored a touchdown with :50 left in East Lansing, pulling the 10-7 upset at Michigan State. It's the second consecutive season the Sun Devils topped the Spartans by three points, as they upended Sparty in Tempe by a 16-13 count on Sept. 8, 2018. The 'under' has cashed in three in a row for AZ State. MSU appeared to have the game-tying field goal to force OT, but they were whistled for 12 men on the field. The next field, five yards back, was no good. ... Utah belted FCS Idaho State by a 31-0 score, failing to cover the 37.5-number. The Utes moved to 3-0 SU, but they're just 1-2 ATS with the 'under' 2-1.

SOUTHEASTERN (SEC)

-- Tennessee finally found someone they could beat - FCS Chattanooga. The Mocs were the sacrificial lamb on Saturday, falling 45-0 to the Volts, who win for the first time in 2019. It was their first cover of the season, too, and first 'under' result thanks to the defensive effort. ... Georgia wasn't caught looking ahead to Notre Dame, spanking a pretty good Arkansas State team by a 55-0 mark. The UGA offense has piled up 49.3 PPG through three outings, and they're allowed just 7.7 PPG. ... Alabama was able to ease past South Carolina, 47-23. The Gamecocks hung with the Tide through one quarter, trailing 14-10, but the Tide posted at least 10 points in every quarter and the Cocks could not come close to matching that production. ... Mississippi had their hands full with FCS Southeastern Louisiana, but they were able to get the 40-29 win as the 'over' (53) comfortably cashed. The Rebels led just 34-29 after three quarters.

SUN BELT

-- Georgia State moved to 2-0 SU and 1-0-1 ATS with a narrow 48-42 win over FCS Furman, a Top 10 team in the FCS rankings. Their unblemished record will be put to the test again next week at Western Michigan of the MAC. ... Georgia Southern picked up a 26-18 win over FCS Maine, bouncing back from a thrashing at the hands of LSU last week. The Eagles are 0-2 ATS so far, though. ... Arkansas State were very rude guests at UNLV, winning 43-17 to bounce back from a loss to SMU last week. The Red Wolves offense is clicking, averaging 36.5 PPG while allowed 27.0 PPG. Next up is a trip to Georgia. Ouch. ... Coastal Carolina dumped FCS Norfolk State by a 46-7 score, moving to 2-1 SU/ATS. The defense has allowed just 7.0 PPG in the past two games, both covers.

Bad Beats

-- In that Miami (Ohio)-Cincinnati game, bettors holding over tickets probably thought they were on easy street after a 24-point third quarter gave the game 48 total points on the board through 45 minutes. That's how the game ended after a scoreless final 15.

-- The same situation happened in another game featuring a MAC club. Western Michigan led Georgia State 57-10 after three quarters with a total of 69.5 on the board. After a scoreless fourth quarter, over bettors were left shaking their heads.

-- Alabama was hammering South Carolina by a 47-16 count with a 1-yard touchdown run from RB Mac Jones with 2:04 to go. However, the Gamecocks kept playing to the end, scoring a touchdown with :11 left on a QB Ryan Hilinski touchdown pass, crushing those who laid the 26 1/2. To be fair, the Tide were covering for a total of just 1:53. South Carolina's drive was aided by a targeting call, too, which plenty in the Twitterverse were unhappy about.

-- In the Texas-Rice game, the Longhorns were favored by 32 with a total of 57. With 7:50 remaining in the game, Texas took a 38-6 lead. The Longhorns kicked a field goal with 3:29 to take a 41-6 lead. With 1:07 to go, Rice appeared to secure the backdoor cover, 41-13. However, the Longhorns ripped off a 98-yard kickoff return for touchdown to not only cover, 48-13, but flip the total from under to over. Ouch.

-- Clemson was leading 34-6 in the final minute at Syracuse. They emptied the bench and a true freshman took it to the house to flip a push at most shops into a cover for the Tigers. You'll definitely see this one on SVP.

-- Moneyline bettors were feeling it in Lexington, as Kentucky, a 10-point 'dog, led 21-10 after three quarters with Florida down to a backup QB after losing Feleipe Franks to a leg injury. Backup Kyle Trask helped the Gators to a go-ahead touchdown with 4:11 to go, making it 22-21. Kentucky misfired on a field goal, and Josh Hammond rubbed salt in the wound with a 78-yard touchdown run to make it 29-21. The TD run with :33 left flipped the under to an over result.

-- Under (63) bettors were feeling good with Texas A&M leading FCS Lamar 55-3 with under two to go. However, the Aggies ripped off a 13-yard touchdown with 1:51 to go, flipping the total to an over result, 62-3.

[StarDust Bum]

4th Quarter Covers - Week 3
Joe Nelson

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

Wake Forest (-3) 24, North Carolina 18: The Demon Deacons led 21-0 just a few minutes into the second quarter as little went right for the Tar Heels. North Carolina did get a 4th-and-1 stop inside the 10-yard-line to keep the margin at 21 into halftime however. Defense carried the third quarter as there were no points added until North Carolina hit a 49-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining. After comeback wins in the first two games the Tar Heels made a great run at it again, getting to 21-10 and then 21-18 with about six minutes remaining after going 80 yards in five plays and hitting the two-point conversion. Wake Forest was able to pick up several first downs to exhaust North Carolina’s timeouts but the Deacons kept the game in play by settling for a field goal with a minute to go. North Carolina moved 33 yards before time ran out with officials later admitting one second should have been given to the Heels for a final play after picking up a late first down and getting out of bounds. It would have been a Hail Mary from there but the Tar Heels weren’t given a shot at a miracle finish as Wake Forest held on.

Washington State (-8) 31, Houston 24: Houston kept the prolific Washington State offense in check in the first half with a 14-7 lead at the break as those playing the mid-70s ‘over’ found trouble early with a scoreless first quarter. Washington State scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to get back in front and held Houston to a field goal early in the fourth quarter after a penalty handed off good field position. That four-point edge allowed Washington State to get past the favorite number with the following touchdown drive, leading 28-17 with fewer than seven minutes remaining. Washington State backers got a big break as Houston fumbled on its next offensive play but Washington State only got three points despite reaching 1st-and-goal from the 3-yard-line. A roughing the passer penalty got Houston’s final drive off to a promising start and with just over two minutes remaining a touchdown run from D’Eriq King put Houston within seven, where the final held for the narrow underdog cover.

Kansas State (+7) 31, Mississippi State 24: Kansas State was in control in the first quarter but a costly personal foul penalty allowed Mississippi State to extend a late drive and get to halftime down 17-14 instead of 17-7. The Bulldogs controlled the third quarter and took the lead with a touchdown, sitting even with the closing spread after an early fourth quarter field goal made it 24-17. The kickoff was returned 100 yards by Malik Knowles for a tying score for the Wildcats to shift the momentum back. The defenses held from there until a marginal punt put Kansas State in favorable field position and the Wildcats hit a pair of big passes on the way to the end zone for a seven-point advantage with about five minutes to go. Mississippi State would reach inside the Kansas State 30 on the next drive but went backwards and on 4th-and-16 wound up just a yard short.

Air Force (+3) 30, Colorado 23: The first meeting between these nearby schools featured some big swings as Colorado jumped out to a 10-0 lead and then trailed 20-10 by halftime. Neither team scored in the third quarter and Air Forced extended its lead with a field goal in the fourth while posting a big rushing edge as expected. Colorado would answer about four minutes later but the PAT was blocked as Air Force maintained a seven-point edge. Air Force had a pair of penalties on its next drive and had to punt quickly as Colorado had the ball back with a chance to tie. It took 13 plays but the Buffaloes were able get a touchdown in the final minute and the PAT was good to force overtime. Colorado didn’t keep the momentum long as in overtime Kadin Remsberg went 25 yards for the score on 1st down and Air Force then stopped the Buffaloes for the upset win.

Alabama (-27) 47, South Carolina 23: The box score reveals plenty of concerns for Alabama and South Carolina answered the early punches trailing only 14-10 after the first quarter. Alabama missed a field goal late in the second quarter after being handed good field position as the lead was just 24-10. South Carolina’s chance to truly get back in the game came up empty as in the final seconds before the break the Gamecocks couldn’t get into the end zone after reaching the 1-yard-line, eventually failing going for it on 4th-and-3. Alabama would pull away in the third quarter with a 21-point advantage, one touchdown short of covering the heavy road favorite spread. South Carolina would add a field goal in the fourth but Alabama quickly answered to lead by 24. A promising South Carolina drive ended in a Ryan Hilinski interception and despite limited rushing success the entire game, the Tide eventually worked its way into the end zone, converting on 4th-and-1. That appeared to be the spread-saving score for flocks of Tide backers but Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks had the last laugh, converting a 4th down with 15 seconds to go and hitting the end zone on the next play to narrowly take the underdog cover back.

Army (-14½) 31, Texas San Antonio 13: Army had a 17-7 lead through three quarters but extended the advantage to 24-7 early in the fourth. Following a nice kickoff return, the Roadrunners would add six but not the conversion to climb within the spread down 11. Army intended to run out the clock but they ran out of field and UTSA opted to use its timeouts. Army eventually rushed in from three yards out on 1st down with just over a minute remaining to get past the favorite spread despite being close to the range for taking a knee. UTSA was still a threat to steal the cover back late in the game reaching the Army 21 before an interception.

BYU (+5) 30, USC 27: These teams were knotted at 17-17 at halftime before the scoring went blank in the third quarter. BYU had a fumble and then failed to add points after a long drive trying to go for it on 4th-and-3 inside the 10. A 92-play USC touchdown drive followed to put the Trojans in front but BYU got back within the number with a field goal with about eight minutes remaining. BYU held the USC offense to a 3-and-out and the Cougars answered quickly with a three-play touchdown drive to take the lead. An 11-play USC drive followed but it stalled in deep field goal range. Chase McGrath would hit from 52 to tie the game with just under two minutes remaining. In overtime USC picked up a sack and forced BYU to kick a field goal but USC freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis was intercepted to end the game. The overtime points also were enough to push the total ‘over’ for many as BYU ‘under’ backers were burned for a second straight week by the extra-session, though this week’s total did climb to close at 57½ at many outlets for mixed possible results.

Oklahoma State (-12½) 40, Tulsa 21: Tulsa played a great first half to lead 21-20 in a huge home game for the program. That score held in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter before Oklahoma State put two quick touchdowns together, the second coming on a 90-yard pass play as the Cowboys suddenly led by 12. Oklahoma State went for two and came up empty in a critical spread result play heading into the fourth quarter. Tulsa was stopped on downs twice in the fourth quarter including inside the Oklahoma State 10-yard-line. The Cowboys hadn’t been past the favorite spread in the entire game but on 4th-and-1 with just over two minutes remaining Chuba Hubbard rushed for 33 yards to put the Cowboys up 19.

Arkansas (-9½) 55, Colorado State 34: After losing to Colorado State last season, Arkansas was again caught in a tough battle with the Rams, this season at home. Arkansas led 27-24 at halftime and the game was tied 34-34 through three quarters. Big plays followed for Arkansas with a 62-yard pass play for a second touchdown in the fourth quarter that put Arkansas past the favorite spread and a fumble return touchdown led to a lopsided final margin that the Razorbacks didn’t necessarily deserve.

Louisville (-10½) 38, Western Kentucky 21: Louisville quarterback Jawon Pass was a late scratch for this game but Louisville took a commanding 31-7 lead at halftime, helped by a defensive score just before the break. Both teams scored in the third as the 24-point edge held but Western Kentucky found the end zone early in the fourth to sit down 17 and one score away from the underdog cover. The Hilltoppers recovered the onside kick but failed going for it on 4th-and-15 just past midfield. Louisville helped the cause for the Hilltoppers by also going for it on 4th down near midfield instead of punting as Western Kentucky got the ball back in great field position. On the next drive the Hilltoppers reached the Louisville 6-yard-line but couldn’t get in and they also failed near midfield again on a late drive as Louisville held on for the favorite cover in Nashville.

Iowa (-1½) 18, Iowa State 17: This anticipated rivalry game had a nearly three-hour delay early in the game with lightning before the contest lived up to its billing with an exciting finish. Iowa State took a 14-6 lead on just two plays out of halftime after a fumble led to Iowa getting three points just before the break. Iowa added three more in the third quarter and then struck early in the fourth quarter with a seven-play touchdown drive to take the lead. Up one Iowa would miss on a critical two-point conversion try on a spread that was steady at -1½ with brief wavering up to -2 at times. Iowa State responded with a long drive but also settled for just a short field goal to lead by two halfway through the fourth quarter. Iowa again would lean on kicker Keith Duncan who a few minutes later struck from 39 to put the Hawkeyes back in front by one. Iowa State’s final drive was not without drama as Iowa declined an offensive penalty on 3rd-and-13 to force 4th down just outside of field goal range. On the first attempt of that play Iowa was called for clear pass interference but a second unseen flag whistled Iowa State for holding to offset the huge call that would have given the Cyclones a new set of downs. Iowa State was unable to convert the re-do but managed to force Iowa to a punt with the Hawkeyes surprisingly opting to pass on third down and getting out of bounds to keep well over a minute on the clock. On the punt disaster struck with a Cyclones blocker running into the returner with a slight push from an Iowa player on a short kick, ultimately contacting the ball and allowing Iowa to re-gain possession, where they took a knee to seal the narrow win but left the Cyclones with the cover.

Florida (-8½) 29, Kentucky 21: Kentucky snapped a long losing streak in this series last season but they didn’t seem ready to give the series right back to the favored Gators. Sawyer Smith led the Wildcats in his first start to a 14-7 halftime lead with the Gators having two turnovers and a missed field goal in the first half. Florida added a field goal in the third quarter after a long Kentucky drive ended in an interception but the Wildcats put the margin back to two scores quickly with a touchdown. Both teams were stopped on downs on the following possessions and with Kyle Trask replacing an injured Feleipe Franks the Gators had a quick touchdown drive in six plays to climb within five, missing on the two-point conversion. Later in the fourth Smith was intercepted near midfield but an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play pushed Florida into lesser field position. Florida was aided by two 15-yard penalties and managed to score in just four plays, taking a 22-21 lead after again failing going for the two-point conversion. The Wildcats were in position to answer but were seemingly more concerned with burning clock than getting the lead back and they wound up burned as Chance Poore narrowly missed a 35-yard kick for the lead. Looking for a first down to end the game Josh Hammond broke free and raced 76 yards for a touchdown in the final seconds and the extra-point put Florida up by eight to match the common spread on the game ahead of the weekend, though those that jumped on the Gators on Saturday mostly fell just short.

Washington (-22) 52, Hawai’i 20: Hopes for three Pac-12 wins for the Warriors went out the window quickly as Washington raced out to a 38-0 lead before Hawai’i managed a touchdown right before halftime. The Warriors didn’t fold in the second half however netting two touchdowns to climb within 18 and in position to cover the hefty underdog number. Washington would get back in front of the number early in the fourth and then added another score after an interception to seal the win and cover in a bounce back from last week’s loss to Cal.

San Diego State (-17) 31, New Mexico State 10: The Aggies made a late play to cover with 10 points in a five-minute span late in the third quarter after falling behind 24-0. San Diego State scored to get back past the number early in the fourth quarter and on the responding drive New Mexico State couldn’t convert after reaching the Aztecs 17-yard-line. New Mexico State also reached San Diego State territory late in the fourth but on 1st down a fumble handed the ball back to San Diego State.

Clemson (-27½) 41, Syracuse 6: Clemson led just 17-6 at halftime and was short of the favorite spread with a 27-6 edge through three quarters. Trevor Lawrence turned in a fourth-quarter touchdown drive as the Tigers led by 28 to slip by the spread and a late Syracuse threat was turned away in Clemson territory. For good measure Chez Mellusi broke a 57-yard rush in the final minute to pad the final score for the top ranked Tigers.

Virginia (-7) 31, Florida State 24: The Cavaliers were a -7½-point favorite much of the week but that didn’t seem relevant as Florida State led most of this game, up by seven through three quarter and well into the fourth quarter after answering an early fourth quarter tying score from Virginia. The Cavaliers looked set to tie the game with about six minutes to go with an efficient Bryce Perkins drive finding the end zone but a missed PAT left the Seminoles in front by one. The Virginia defense delivered the 3-and-out however and it took just five plays with the help of a penalty for Virginia to find the end zone again. Down five Perkins converted the two-point try and the Cavaliers led by seven to hit the number for some. James Blackman had a chance to deliver the tying score with a personal foul converting a late 4th down incompletion while pass interference added more yards for the Seminoles who received four 15-yard penalties on the drive. Florida State reached the Virginia 4-yard-line scrambling without timeouts and ran a final play that left Cam Akers just short of the end zone.

[StarDust Bum]

College football Week 4: Early bettors pound Georgia odds for showdown vs. Notre Dame
Patrick Everson

A big clash of top-10 programs highlights Week 4 on the college football schedule. Covers checks in on the opening odds and early action, with insights from Matt Chaprales, head of content for PointsBetUSA in New Jersey.

No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (-12)

Georgia reached the College Football Playoff title game two years ago and is trying to burnish its credentials for this year’s CFP. The Bulldogs (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) have played three lightweights so far, including in Week 3, when they thumped Arkansas State 55-0 as 32.5-point home favorites.

Notre Dame landed a spot in last season’s CFP semifinals, where it got completely outclassed by Clemson in a 30-3 loss. The Fighting Irish (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) punished hapless New Mexico 66-14 as 34.5-point home faves Saturday.

Bulldogs backers didn’t wait long to get out of the gate, moving the line 2 points to -14 by Monday night.

“Huge early-season game with major playoff implications,” Chaprales said. “A loss effectively kills Notre Dame’s chances, while Georgia would face a significant uphill climb. We took some Georgia action at the opener of 12, moved quickly to 12.5 and then straight through 13 to 13.5. Despite both teams being ranked in the top 10, this number – along with the direction it’s moved – underscores just how far apart the market thinks they are.”


No. 10 Michigan Wolverines at No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers (-3)

Michigan had a Week 3 bye and probably needed it after surviving a major home upset bid in Week 2. The Wolverines (2-0 SU, 0-2 ATS) went off as 21.5-point favorites against Army and never led until overtime, coming away with a 24-21 victory.

Wisconsin also comes into this noon ET Saturday clash well-rested off a Week 3 bye. The Badgers (2-0 SU and ATS) won their first two games by a combined 110-0, including a 61-0 Week 2 victory over Central Michigan laying 34 points at home.

“On one side, you have a public team in Michigan that hasn’t looked great – 0-2 ATS, nearly lost outright at home to Army – and on the other, a Wisconsin squad that’s tossed a pair of perfect games against minnows so far,” Chaprales said. “Recreational bettors will nonetheless likely be interested in the Wolverines at plus money.”

Early bettors apparently like the host Badgers, though, with the line moving to -3.5, back to -3, then returning to -3.5.


No. 9 Auburn Tigers at No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies (-3.5)

Auburn got a resume-building win over Oregon in Week 1, then moved to 3-0 SU and ATS with wins over a couple of lesser lights. In Week 3, the Tigers crunched Kent State 55-16, cashing as hefty 36-point faves.

Texas A&M (2-1 SU) has also been good to bettors so far, cashing in all three of its outings, including a 24-10 Week 2 loss catching 16.5 points at No. 1 Clemson. The Aggies faced FCS foe Lamar in Week 3 and ran it up 62-3 giving 45 points at home.

The line ticked up a half-point to A&M -4 for this Southeastern Conference showdown, set for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

“Key conference opener that could determine the direction each of these programs is headed,” Chaprales said. “Auburn and true freshman quarterback Bo Nix passed their first test of season by sliding past Oregon, while A&M didn’t put up much resistance against Clemson a few weeks ago, needing a last-second touchdown to get the backdoor cover. Slight adjustment off the opener of 3.5, but minimal activity since.”


No. 11 Utah Utes at No. 24 Southern California Trojans (+3.5)

Southern Cal lost starting quarterback JT Daniels (ACL) in Week 1, and while true freshman Kedon Slovis looked superb in Week 2 against Stanford, he looked his age in Week 3. Slovis threw three interceptions at Brigham Young, and the Trojans (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) fell just short 30-27 laying 5 points.

Utah rolled over that same BYU team in Week 1, on the road no less, with a 30-12 victory as a 5-point chalk. The Utes (3-0 SU, 1-2 ATS) blanked Idaho State 31-0 giving 36.5 points at home Saturday.

This line bounced between Utah -3.5 and -4, sitting at the latter Monday night, for a Pac-12 After Dark clash at 9 p.m. ET Friday.

“This game was shaping up as Utah’s coming-out party, but USC’s loss to BYU put a damper on that,” Chaprales said. “The Pac-12 South figures to be Utah’s to lose this season, but needless to say, a slip-up in a high-profile prime-time spot would be very detrimental.”

[StarDust Bum]

Tech Trends - Week 4
September 17, 2019
By Bruce Marshall

THURSDAY, SEPT. 19

Matchup Skinny Edge

HOUSTON at TULANE ...Willie Fritz has covered 2 of last 3 in series, all as dog, won outright in 2017. Cougs just 5-12 as chalk away from home since late 2015. If Wave a dog note Fritz 4-0 in role at home since 2017.
Slight to Tulane, based on team trends.


FRIDAY, SEPT. 20

Matchup Skinny Edge

UTAH at SOUTHERN CAL...Utes 20-8-1 vs. line as visitor since 2014. Utes have covered last 3 and 4 of last 5 vs. Trojans, though they haven’t won SU yet at Coliseum since entering Pac in 2011. Helton 9-21-1 last 31 on board, and Trojans 2-11 as dog since 2015.
Utah, based on team and series trends.

FIU at LA TECH...FIU has started slow this season (0-2) after Butch Davis 15-7 run vs. line entering 2019. FIU was 10-4 as dog entering this season but dropped Tulane opener. Skip just 3-8 vs. line at Ruston since 2017.
Slight to FIU, based on team trends.

AIR FORCE at BOISE STATE...Force had covered five straight vs. Boise prior to last two seasons. Falcs 18-8-1 as dog since 2014. Boise on 17-36 spread skid on blue carpet since late 2010.
Air Force, based on team and extended series trends.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 21

Matchup Skinny Edge

ULM at IOWA STATE...ULM was on 7-4 DD dog run into last season when dropping pair, but recovered at FSU on Sept. 7. Warhawks still just 5-11 last 16 on board. ISU 1-5 spread skid as home chalk, though is 5-0-1 vs. line last six years after facing Iowa.
Slight to Iowa State, based on team trends.

MIAMI-OHIO at OHIO STATE...RedHawks 1-10 vs. line last 11 outside of MAC. Buckeyes 4-1 vs. points last five non-Big Ten at big Horseshoe, 8-5 last 13 laying 20 or more.
Ohio State, based on team trends.

CHARLOTTE at CLEMSON...49ers have covered 4 of last 5 as DD dog (1-0 for Will Healy). Dabo no covers last four vs. non-ACC at Death Valley.
Charlotte, based on team trends.

UCONN at INDIANA...Edsall 1-1 vs. line TY but just 1-5 last six as away dog. Hoosiers 1-3 last four laying DD vs. FBS-level foes though Tom Allen is above water at 8-6 as chalk since 2017.
Slight to Indiana, based on team trends.

UCF at PITT...Narduzzi 5-2-1 vs. line at home since LY but still just 10-16-1 vs. spread at Heinz Field since arriving in 2015. Also just 2-8-1 as non-ACC host vs. line since 2015. UCF 7-2 vs. spread last nine as visitor (all visiting chalk), 18-8-1 vs. line since 2017.
UCF, based on team trends.

UL-LAFAYETTE at OHIO...Cajuns 4-1-1 vs. spread as visitor for Billy Napier LY, also 4-1-1 as DD dog since 2018. Solich, however, 7-2 vs. line at home vs. FBS-level foes since 2017 and 5-2 vs. spread last seven vs. non-MAC FBS-level foes.
Ohio, based on Solich trends.

NEBRASKA at ILLINOIS...Huskers have won SU last three meetings and covered big last two. Frost covered last four on Big Ten road in 2018 and also covered last seven Big Ten games. Lovie only 4-10 as home dog with Illini and 6-15 last 21 vs. line in Big Ten.
Nebraska, based on team trends.

TEMPLE at BUFFALO...Buff 8-1-1 vs. line at home vs. BCS-level teams past two seasons. Leipold 17-8-1 vs. spread since 2017 vs. FBS-level foes. Rod Carey’s NIU teams, however, were 11-5 as road dog past five years.
Slight to Buffalo, based on team trends.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN at MIAMI-FLA...McElwain 4-8 vs. spread last 12 vs. FBS-level teams (at Fla and CMU). Chips were 4-1 as DD dog LY for Bonamego but 0-1 for McElwain TY. Canes were only 5-7 as DD chalk for Richt past two seasons, though Diaz covered last week vs. BCU.
Slight to Miami, Fl., based on team trends.

OLD DOMINION at VIRGINIA...ODU 10-17-1 last 28 on board since late 2016 but Monarchs 3-1 last four as DD dog and covered Sept. 7 at VPI. Cavs 11-4-1 last 16 vs. line since LY and 6-1 last 7 vs. line non-ACC.
Virginia, based on team trends.

COASTAL CAROLINA at UMASS...Walt Bell 0-3 vs. line with UMass, Minutemen now on 5-11 spread skid. Coastal has won and covered last two in series, and Chants 6-2-1 last nine vs. line away.
Coastal Carolina, based on team trends.

MICHIGAN STATE at NORTHWESTERN...Cats have won last three in series, all as dog. If favored, note Dantonio just 3-10 as visiting chalk since 2015. Pat Fitz 14-5-1 as dog since 2016.
Northwestern, especially if dog, based on team and series trends.

TROY at AKRON...Troy was 6-2 as chalk away from home past two years. Trojans 12-5 vs. spread away since 2016. Zips 0-3 vs. line for Arth, 3-11-1 last 15 vs. points as host.
Troy, based on team trends.

BOSTON COLLEGE at RUTGERS...BC 8-3 vs. spread last 11 as visitor. Rutgers had covered 6 in a row before Iowa loss, and has covered last four at New Brunswick. Ash 7-4 last 11 as home dog.
Slight to Boston College, based on team trends.

WESTERN MICHIGAN at SYRACUSE...WMU just 4-11 vs. spread last 15 vs. FBS-level foes. Also no covers last four as DD dog. Babers 7-2 last nine as chalk.
Syracuse based on team trends.

BALL STATE at NC STATE...Ball 3-9 last 12 as visiting dog and just 3-10 as DD dog since 2017 (though 1-0 TY). NCS 5-1 last six as home chalk vs. FBS-level foes (2-0 TY).
NC State, based on team trends.

MICHIGAN at WISCONSIN...Harbaugh just 1-7 vs. line last 8 away from Ann Arbor. Mich no covers last six since late 2018. If dog Harbaugh only 2-3 in role with Wolverines. Badgers however just 1-6 as Madison chalk LY, though did rout CMU on Sept. 7.
Wisconsin, based on team trends.

TOLEDO at COLORADO STATE...Rockets 9-3 as visiting chalk since 2015, though just 3-7 last ten vs. spread non-MAC. Rams have covered just 3 of last 11 in Fort Collins, and Bobo just 4-8 last 12 as dog after covering 6 of previous 7 in role.
Slight to Toledo, based on team trends.

NEW MEXICO STATE at NEW MEXICO...Lobos had failed to cover four straight in series prior to 42-35 win LY. UNM 0-8 as home chalk since late 2016, just 8-19 last 27 overall vs. spread. Ags however just 2-7 last nine as road dog.
Slight to New Mexico State, based on extended series trends.

WASHINGTON at BYU...Huskies just 3-7 last 10 as chalk away from Seattle. Also just 4-7 last 11 vs. line non-Pac 12. Sitake on 15-6 spread run since late 2017.
BYU, based on team trends.

COLORADO at ARIZONA STATE...Buffs entered 2018 on 4-11-1 spread run in Pac 12. Home team has won last four and covered last six in series.
Arizona State, based on series trends.

CAL at OLE MISS...Bears have covered last four as visiting dog and are 7-2 last nine getting points. Cal has covered last three as non-Pac visitor. Rebs on 1-8 spread skid since mid 2018 but did cover last game against FBS foe (vs. Ark). If Rebs a dog note 0-5 mark in role at home under Matt Luke.
Cal, based on team trends.

TENNESSEE at FLORIDA...Vols actually 3-1 as road dog LY, though UT on 6-12 spread skid since late 2017 (6-9 Pruitt). Gators have long held upper hand in series and have covered 7 of last 9 meetings. Dan Mullen on 9-5 spread run since early 2018.
Florida, based on series trends.

GEORGIA STATE at TEXAS STATE...GS no covers last six (0-5-1) on Sun Belt road. Bobcats have covered last two in series though 0-3 vs. line for Spavital in early going.
Slight to Texas State, based on series trends.

SOUTHERN MISS at ALABAMA...Saban 4-11 vs. spread last 15 hosting non-SEC foes. Also 1-7 vs. line last 8 in final non-SEC game. USM 8-4 as dog for Jay Hopson since 2017.
Southern Miss, based on team trends.

KENTUCKY at MISSISSIPPI STATE...Home side has won and covered last four in series. Stoops 14-8 as dog however since 2016. Moorhead 6-1 as Starkville chalk since LY.
Slight to Mississippi State, based on series home trends.

LSU at VANDERBILT...Derek Mason 1-6 as home dog since 2017, 5-12 overall last 17 as dog. LSU four straight covers vs. FBS-level foes since late 2018.
LSU, based on team trends.

APP STATE at NORTH CAROLINA...App State 8-1 vs. spread last nine away from Boone, 6-1 last seven vs. number non-Sun Belt.
Slight to App State, based on team trends.

AUBURN at TEXAS A&M...Malzahn 3-0 SU and 2-0-1 vs. line at College Station, and road team 6-0-1 vs. points last seven meetings. Jimbo however on 13-3 spread run with Ags and is 8-1 vs. spread at Kyle Field.
Slight to Auburn, based on series trends.

WYOMING at TULSA...Bohl is hot, has covered 7 of last 8 on board since late 2018. Bohl has also covered last four as a dog.
Wyoming, based on recent trends.

SOUTH CAROLINA at MISSOURI...Muschamp 12-3 last 15 as dog, is also 3-0 SU and vs. line against Barry Odom. Tigers 9-2 vs. line last 11 at home.
Slight to South Carolina, based on Muschamp trends.

WEST VIRGINIA at KANSAS...Curious series trend with road team covering last five. Neal Brown was 6-2 as road chalk the past two years at Troy.
Slight to West Virginia, based on series trends.

OKLAHOMA STATE at TEXAS...Tom Herman only 4-7 as home chalk since 2017 with Horns. Gundy has won last 4 SU vs. Texas and was 4-0 LY as a dog.
Oklahoma State, based on team and series trends.

BOWLING GREEN at KENT STATE...BGSU just 6-16 last 22 as dog (0-2 for Loeffler). Falcs 12-27 vs. points since 2016.
Slight to Kent State, based on BG negatives.

SMU at TCU...Metroplex war! Frogs have won SU last seven meetings and 2-0-1 vs. line last three. But Patterson just 4-15-1 vs. spread at Fort Worth since 2016. SMU 3-0 SU and vs. line in 2019
Slight to SMU, based on team trends.

SAN JOSE STATE at ARKANSAS...Ark just 5-9 as chalk since 2016 (3-3 for Chad Morris), also just 4-14 SU last 18 since late 2017. SJSU 8-3 last 11 as DD dog and has covered 5 of last 7 on road.
San Jose State, based on team trends.

SOUTH ALABAMA at UAB...UAB 19-9-1 vs. spread since returning in 2017, 5-2 as DD chalk since LY. Blazers also 10-2-1 vs. spread at Legion Field since 2017.
UAB, based on team trends.

OREGON at STANFORD...Tree has won and covered last three in series, as home dog note Stanford 5-0 in role since 2009. Ducks 4-14-1 vs. spread last 18 away from Eugene.
Stanford, based on team and series trends.

BAYLOR at RICE...Old rivals from SWC days. Getting 20 or more, Bloomgren 6-2 vs. line since taking over Rice in 2017. Under 20 points, just 2-4. Rice just 2-7 vs. points last 9 as home dog. Matt Rhule has covered both as road chalk since taking over Bears in 2017, though only 2-4 laying DD.
Slight to Baylor, based on team trends.

UTSA at NORTH TEXAS...Home team has covered last five in series. Roadrunners just 3-8 last 11 as DD chalk (0-2 TY). UNT however on 1-8 spread skid, 2-10 last 12.
Slight to North Texas, based on series home trends.

NOTRE DAME at GEORGIA...Brian Kelly 3-3 as dog since 2016, but 0-2 as DD dog since 2015. Georgia 22-9 vs. spread last 31 vs. FBS foes.
Georgia, based on team trends.

LOUISVILLE at FLORIDA STATE...Satterfield on 16-3-1 spread uptick at App State and ‘Ville (2-0 with Cards). FSU 8-17-3 vs. spread since 2017, 4-10-1 for Taggart.
Louisville, based on team trends.

NEVADA at UTEP...Pack just 4-9 last 13 vs. line as visitor, no covers last three as road chalk. But Pack on mild 7-4 spread uptick. Miners 1-6 vs. spread at Sun Bowl for Dimel, 2-10 last 12 vs. spread as host.
Nevada, based on UTEP negatives.

UCLA at WASHINGTON STATE...Bruins now on 23-42 spread skid since 2014 (5-10 for Chip). Leach on 11-5 spread uptick.
Washington State, based on team trends.

UTAH STATE at SAN DIEGO STATE...Utags on 11-3-1 spread uptick (2-0 for Andersen), Rocky 1-7 vs. line last eight as host!
Utah State, based on team trends.

[StarDust Bum]

3 key Longhorns likely to play vs. Ok State
September 16, 2019
By The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The Texas Longhorns got a boost Monday when coach Tom Herman said three injured starters will likely play this week in the Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State.

Senior wide receiver Collin Johnson (hamstring), senior center Zach Shackelford (foot) and sophomore linebacker Joseph Ossai (shoulder) missed all or part of last week's 48-13 win over Rice.

Johnson sat out the game but has seven catches for 108 yards and a touchdown this season. Shackelford left in the second quarter after aggravating an foot injury from the preseason. He was on crutches after the game but Herman said he'll wear a brace and return to practice.

Ossai left the game with in the fourth quarter with a shoulder sprain and tests revealed no major damage. Ossai has been a top playmaker for No. 12 Texas (2-1) through the first three games with one sack and two interceptions.

The Longhorns will need Ossai against the Cowboys (3-0), who bring one of the nation's top offenses. Running back Chuba Hubbard leads the nation in rushing with 173.7 yards per game and wide receiver Tylan Wallace has six touchdowns.

Texas is still without starting safety B.J. Foster who injured a hamstring late in the Longhorns' loss to LSU.


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Texas Tech QB Alan Bowman sidelined
September 16, 2019
By The Associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) Texas Tech sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman will miss games because of a shoulder injury.

Coach Matt Wells said Monday that Bowman ''will miss several weeks'' because of the injury sustained in a 28-14 loss at Arizona. The first-year Red Raiders coach didn't elaborate on the timing or provide more specifics about the injury to the Big 12's top passer.

As a true freshman last season, Bowman became the starter in the second game. He threw 2,638 yards with 17 touchdowns in eight games, missing four games over two different stints because of a collapsed lung.

Bowman didn't miss an offensive snap Saturday night, though he left the field for the locker room briefly after a linebacker drove his left shoulder into the turf after an incomplete pass that ended Texas Tech's first series after halftime. Bowman copleted 30 of 55 passes for 307 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Wells indicated after the game that Bowman was in pain.

Bowman leads the Big 12 this season with 1,020 yards passing (340 per game), and is the national leader with 33.7 completions per game.

The Red Raiders have an open date before playing at fifth-ranked Oklahoma on Sept. 28.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

NFL trends for Week 3:

— Falcons are 0-10 ATS in their last 10 games vs AFC opponents.

— Eagles covered twice in last nine games as a home favorite.

— Vikings are 20-5-1 ATS in last 26 games as a home favorite.

— Denver is 4-12 ATS in last 16 games as a road underdog.

— Patriots covered 12 of last 14 games as a home favorite.

— Raiders covered their last six road openers.

Tweet of the Day
“Eli and I spoke this morning. I told him that we are making a change and going with Daniel as the starter. I also talked to Daniel. Eli was obviously disappointed, as you would expect, but he said he would be what he has always been, a good teammate, and continue to prepare to help this team win games……”
Giants’ coach Pat Shurmur

Wednesday’s quiz
Who was the Giants’ head coach before Pat Shurmur?

Tuesday’s quiz
Jeff Fisher coached the Tennessee Titans in their only Super Bowl appearance.

Monday’s quiz
Chris Chandler was the Atlanta Falcons’ QB the first time they played in a Super Bowl, when they lost to Denver

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Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings……

13) NFL trends; over last 20 years, 11 NFL teams started their season 0-2, with both losses at home; those teams went 4-6-1 vs spread in their Week 3 road game.

This week, Jets, Panthers, Dolphins fit the bill.

12) Since 2005, NFL Week 3 home teams who played their first two games on the road are 11-28-2 vs spread; 6-22-2 when favored, 5-6 as an underdog.

49ers, Colts, Bills, Jets fit the bill this week.

11) Daniel Jones is starting at QB for the Giants Sunday in Tampa; last time Eli Manning got benched, that coach got fired a few weeks later, and Eli started again. We’ll see how this goes, but Jones doesn’t play defense, which is the Giants’ biggest problem.

10) Submitted for your perusal, with no comment:
Jim Plunkett: 72-72 regular season, 8-2 playoffs, two Super Bowls.
Eli Manning: 116-116 regular season, 8-4 playoffs, two Super Bowls.

9) Steelers signed QB Paxton Lynch to their practice squad; he figures to be Mason Rudolph’s backup sooner than later.

8) NFC West teams are 7-1 against the spread so far this season.

7) MAC teams are 4-12 ATS as a road underdog outside their conference.

6) Nation-wide, home underdogs are 11-18 ATS in non-conference college games.

5) Pretty cool with Giants’ OF Mike Yastrzemski in Boston this week, playing on the same field where his Hall of Fame grandfather played from 1961-83.

Carl Yastrzemski hit 452 homers playing half his games in a ballpark not built for lefty hitters; he had an .841 career OPS.

Mike Yastrzemski was traded from the sadsack Orioles to San Francisco on March 23; he is hitting .263 with 19 homers in a breakout rookie season- this should be a fun week for him.

4) Cardinals beat Washington 4-2 Monday night, but St Louis pitchers struck out only one batter the whole game, which in this day and age is pretty rare.

3) Sean Payton agreed to a 5-year contract extension that takes him through 2024, which would be his 19th season coaching the Saints.

2) New England is -22.5 against the Jets; how many points would you have to get before you would take the Jets?

Dolphins are +21 at Dallas; when was last time two NFL teams got 20+ points in the same week?

1) Big X teams are 13-4 ATS out of conference this season, 9-2 as a favorite.

[StarDust Bum]

Week 4 - Upset Alerts
September 18, 2019
By Matt Blunt

No complaints about bad numbers in terms of last week's plays, as they were more about backing bad teams that simply got overwhelmed by superior talent. Indiana and New Mexico just couldn't keep Ohio State and Notre Dame off the scoreboard to fall well short of even sniffing a cover as big underdogs.

The news wasn't all bad though as Air Force managed to take full advantage of the brutal situational spot Colorado found themselves in. The Falcons nearly coughed up the game (and cover) after having lead for the bulk of that contest, but they managed to hold on long enough to get the outright win in OT, to have the selections avoid it's second consecutive 0-3 ATS week.

A 1-2 ATS record last week with the lone cover winning outright as well is the step in the right direction, and while I may have wasted most of my luck with the huge 20+ underdogs last year, I'm confident that things will turn around here soon for all the underdogs in this weekly piece.

So while it's highly understandable that backing these plays this week may be tough to do given recent results, that narrative actually ties in quite well with the specific teams involved in this week's plays. We've got a few teams that the general betting market wants little to do with after what they've seen from them in the first few weeks of the season. There has generally been nothing but criticism, ridicule and laughter for how some of these teams have performed so far this year, and in terms of the perception vs reality notion, that actually does present some inherent value in their point spreads. Now it's just up to these teams (and myself with the selections) to get the job done.

Upset Alert #1: Underdogs in the +1 to + 9 range
YTD: 1-2 SU; 2-1 ATS

Michigan (+3.5) vs Wisconsin

Back in the summer when I penned this piece for the site, I did so always having this game in mind and circled on the calendar for a spot to back the Wolverines. Even with Michigan narrowly beating Army last time out, and Jim Harbaugh's team on a 0-6 ATS run dating back to the end of last year, I think this is just the spot, opponent, and time for Michigan to get their 2019 season rolling on the right foot.

The betting market has been quick to get on Harbaugh and the Wolverines this season, talking about how it's the same old, outdated Harbaugh offense that's holding the Wolverines from reaching their full potential yet again this year, and it seems inevitable to most that Michigan will find new and interesting ways to blow it in the biggest games of the year like they have in the past. Going up against a Wisconsin team that's yet to allow a single point this season is a situation that looks like a great spot to further those beliefs as Michigan is a team that very little want anything to do with right now, other then to fade them. Given how well the Badgers have looked so far, it's no surprise that the bulk of the action (70%+) has already come Wisconsin's way.

But being 'tested' early on in a season is something I prefer to look at as a positive for a team like Michigan, because it gets those competitive juices flowing, allows them to know how they'll react when facing adversity, and the more they come out on the positive end of those contests – like they did vs Army – the confidence only grows.

Conversely, Wisconsin has gone up against two cupcakes so far and have yet to had their feet to the fire. There is plenty of confidence having outscored opponents 110-0 through two games, but the Badgers have yet to see any sort of adversity and therefore, we've yet to see how they react when they do so. Sure, they could pass that first test with flying colors, but I'm not sure that will be the case against a team that's as highly ranked or as talented as the Wolverines are. You'd always prefer some early season struggles to come up against a much lesser team where the likelihood of overcoming it is much greater – say like a team like Army, or Illinois, Indiana etc – and I'm not sure this Wisconsin team has what it takes to take the heat when it comes down to it. Yes, Wisconsin could have 'revenge' on their mind after last year's 38-13 loss to Harbaugh's squad, but that score was telling the other way as well in that Harbaugh and Michigan understand how to move the ball against a tough defense like Wisconsin's and will be able to do so again.

The “Redemption Tour” for Michigan might have ended in disappointment for the Wolverines last year with their performance against the Buckeyes at the end of the campaign, but it will be that take no prisoners attitude that serves Michigan well in this game with many doubters lurking out there. With the market's perception already highly negative on Harbaugh yet again, he and his team knows that there aren't many greater feelings then proving the majority wrong, and I expect them to do exactly that in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday.

Upset Alert #2: Underdogs in the +10 to +19 range
0-3 SU; 0-3 ATS

Tennessee (+14) vs Florida

Speaking of teams that continually get ridiculed and laughed at in the betting market, we've got the Tennessee Volunteers catching double-digits in the Swamp this weekend. It's definitely hard to defend what we've seen from the Volunteers so far in 2019 having dropped game easily winnable games to Georgia State and BYU, as this is a program that not only can't shake the choke job persona in the market, but sees that notion grow seemingly every week.

Yet, sometimes all it takes for a program in the midst of getting crapped on is to go out and beat up on a little brother so to speak. Tennessee did that last week with a 45-0 win (ATS cover as well) vs Chattanooga, and any internal doubts/issues with confidence inside that locker room had to get a boost. There is no redoing those losses to Georgia State and BYU, especially how they happened, but with those still so fresh in the minds of many bettors, the general market wants absolutely nothing to do with the Volunteers. But any athlete will tell you, being counted out and endlessly ridiculed and doubted, only makes the redemption that much sweeter when it comes around.

On the other side of the coin, we've got a Gators team who is turning to QB Kyle Trask this week after Feleipe Franks went down for the year. Bettors saw Trask step in and lead the Gators to a comeback against Kentucky last week, so there is plenty of positive reinforcement there to further get units down against Tennessee in this game. Yet, it's still Trask's first career collegiate start under center, and that has to bring some concerns in its own right, never mind the fact that he's expected to lead his team to a two-TD victory.

Perception and reality just don't appear to be close to meeting in my eyes for this game, and that's probably why this point spread is a little higher then it should be in my view. Yes, we've seen Trask perform well in limited action this year, but what did he have to lose in that scenario? Had he not gone out and led the Gators to a comeback last week it would have essentially been a free pass for him given the situation he stepped into, and leading the comeback like he did only inflated the general perception about his talent.

But the fact that he had nothing to lose in terms of perception from stepping into that scenario allowed him to play free and easy on those final drives, and relaxed athletes with nothing to lose tend to always perform at their best. This week, the pressure amps up quite a bit as there is much more on his shoulders in terms of potentially suffering a loss here, and it will be interesting to see how he and the Gators react.

Besides, wouldn't it be a complete Tennessee thing to do to lose their first two games of the year in the fashion that they did, and then turn around and go into the Swamp and get an outright upset victory? I'm not sure that will end up being the case, but the Volunteers will put their best foot forward in trying to do so, and keep this game much closer then a number like this suggests.

Upset Alert #3: Underdogs in the +20 and above range
YTD: 0-3 SU; 0-3 ATS

Miami OH (+39) at Ohio State

As has been the case with my handicapping in other sports this year, there are plenty of times where plays of mine end up being losses as they come a game/week too early. Fading Ohio State on the road last week in their Big 10 opener proved to be a wrong cap by far, but I'm hoping that I was just a week too early on fading this Buckeyes team that's still getting talked up too much in my opinion this year.

This also isn't the greatest spot for the Buckeyes to cover a huge number like this, facing a weak non-conference foe at home, sandwiched between two Big 10 road tilts. Indiana proved to be no match for the Buckeyes, but a trip to Nebraska next week should be much tougher. This week's game against the Redhawks has all the makings of a “get in, get out” type game for Ohio State, as they'll establish a comfortable lead early and then sit on the ball after that. There is no need to send a message to say, the rest of the Big 10, like they did last week against Indiana, so they aren't likely to keep their foot on the gas late like they did last week, and to win, stay healthy, and give some 2nd and 3rd stringers meaningful reps has to be the goal.

Finally, Ohio State comes into this game with a 2-0 ATS record, and during the regular season, the Buckeyes have only covered the number three straight times on one occasion dating back to October 2016. Put it all together and I believe we see this Miami (Ohio) team that's already 1-0 ATS this year as a 20+ underdog get the ATS cash again.

[StarDust Bum]

Houston at Tulane
September 17, 2019
By Joe Nelson

Thursday night college football returns with an American Athletic Conference West division battle between Houston and Tulane. Houston has won 13 of the last 15 meetings but Tulane has taken two of the past five including the last home meeting two seasons ago. Take a look at this week’s ESPN contest to kick off the college football weekend.

Houston Cougars at Tulane Green Wave

Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana
Time/TV: Thursday, Sept. 19, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN
Line: Tulane -4½, Over/Under 55½
Last Meeting: 2018, at Houston (-7½) 48, Tulane 17

Despite contrasting levels of success in over the past decade, right now Houston is just 1-2 while Tulane heads into this contest at 2-1 including a pair of home wins. This will be the conference opener for both teams and the start of the AAC West race where both squads will be chasing the heavy favorite Memphis.

Houston has faced a pair of top 25 squads losing 49-31 in the season opener at Oklahoma while last Friday, the Cougars narrowly earned a cover with a 31-24 defeat against Washington State across town at NRG Stadium. The only win for Houston came against FCS Prairie View with a 37-17 result.

Tulane dominated a prime time home opener against Florida International in late August and played competitively in a 24-6 loss at Auburn in Week 2 before blowing out FCS Montana State last week 58-6 at home with a 540-182 edge in yardage.

Houston quarterback D’Eriq King accounted for 50 touchdowns last season and he already has nine in three games to lead the Cougars. Houston is in a transition season with Dana Holgorsen taking over the program after modest success over eight seasons at West Virginia. Holgorsen was an assistant at Houston for two years in 2008 and 2009 and surprised many by jumping down to the smaller conference program after Major Applewhite was let go after two seasons. Houston gave Holgorsen a five-year deal worth $20 million as he is by a wide margin the highest paid Group of 5 head coach in the nation.

Applewhite and Tony Levine have both been let go by Houston following 8-5 seasons in the last decade as the bar is high for the Cougars who hope Holgorsen can be a long term winner that stays put after losing Art Briles, Kevin Sumlin, and Tom Herman to higher profile major conference positions.

Houston draws a difficult schedule in AAC play as no game can be taken for granted and ultimately the Cougars will be playing four of the first five games away from its home stadium as the Cougars are on the road again next week with a non-conference game at North Texas. Houston has to play UCF and Cincinnati from the AAC East as continuing a run of six straight bowl bids can’t be assumed and this week’s game could wind up as a critical swing game in that pursuit for a pair of teams that are expected to finish above the bowl cut-line but not by a wide margin.

Tulane has improved in win count in three straight seasons under Willie Fritz, technically finishing in a tie for 1st in the AAC West last season with Houston and Memphis at 5-3, with Memphis getting to play in the AAC Championship. Improving in win count again this season won’t be easy with UCF and Temple drawn from the East plus a challenging non-conference game at Army still ahead following a bye next weekend. The AAC West has had three different championship game representatives over the four seasons of its existence with Houston winning the inaugural AAC title game in 2015.

Fritz led the Wave to a bowl win last season for the first time for the program since 2002 and Tulane is looking to put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1997 and 1998 when Tommy Bowden led the Wave to a 12-0 season before heading to Clemson. Tulane hasn’t had consecutive bowl seasons since 1979 and 1980 as Fritz has been a great hire and now owns a 172-91 career record counting his lower level success at Central Missouri and Sam Houston State before he went 17-7 at Georgia Southern over two years.

Tulane has rushed for 768 yards in three games posting 5.9 yards per rush with Justin McMillan the leading rusher from the quarterback position. McMillan is a senior that played sparingly until he unseated Jonathan Banks midway through last season. McMillan posted similar numbers to Banks, but benefitted from a lighter late season schedule and keyed several narrow wins down the stretch with Tulane beating Tulsa, South Florida, East Carolina and Navy to win four of the final five before also winning the Cure Bowl against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Houston started last season 7-1 and the home win over Tulane in mid-November was the only win for the Cougars the rest of the way. The Cougars played without King in the final two games after he was injured against the Green Wave and behind backup Clayton Tune, the Cougars were blown out against Memphis in the season finale and in the bowl game vs. Army by a combined score of 122-45, prompting Applewhite’s release.

In September it is always worth checking the weather in the south and southeast and the early Thursday forecast does call for some wind upwards of 15 MPH with warm humid temperatures and a 20 percent chance of a shower or stray thunderstorm.

Last season:
The one late season loss for Tulane last year came in this matchup, also on a Thursday night. Houston dominated with a 31-9 edge by halftime and a 41-9 lead through three quarters in a contest where Tulane had four turnovers. The contest was memorable more for a sideline confrontation between then Houston head coach Major Applewhite and star defensive lineman Ed Oliver, who wasn’t even suited up to play in the game. D’Eriq King was injured in the game as Houston leaned on running back Patrick Carr and took advantage of Tulane mistakes including two interceptions from Justin McMillan.

Historical Trends:
Houston is on a 13-2 S/U and 12-3 ATS run in this series since 2003, but Tulane won the last home meeting two years ago, 20-17 as a nine-point underdog. Since 2013, Houston is on a 10-11 S/U and 17-4 ATS run as an underdog, which they haven’t been vs. Tulane since 2003. Since 2016 under Willie Fritz, Tulane is 12-8 S/U and 12-7-1 ATS in home games including going 10-4 ATS since the start of the 2017 season.