Follow

I'm not a believer in the Washington Football Team, who are riding a three-game winning streak into Las Vegas. Washington is 2-3 on the road this year, with its only two wins being against Carolina and Atlanta. This is a much tougher matchup against a Raiders team that is still in the playoff hunt and Washington doesn't have the offense to keep up. Derek Carr should be able to carve up a Washington defense that is 31st in opposing passer rating (106.4) and has surrendered a league-worst 26 passing touchdowns.

I locked Georgia -13.5 as soon as this line was released. Two TD's won't be enough....Georgia beat Kentucky by 17 and Florida was beaten by Kentucky....so extrapolate that out and you have a cover.

And, historically speaking, it will be.

Georgia's elite defense will bottle up whichever mobile quarterback Dan Mullen decides to trot out there, and the Bulldogs will take one more gigantic step toward a 12-0 regular season.

Prediction: Georgia 35, Florida 13

Remember when Tulane almost beat Oklahoma?

I guess that game was an aberration, because the Green Wave have gotten smashed by Ole Miss (61-21), East Carolina (52-29), Houston (40-22) and SMU (55-26) thanks to what we will generously call less than spectacular defense. And I'm relatively confident that last week's close call against Navy will serve as a wake-up call for a Cincinnati offense which had been on fire before that game.

Desmond Ridder and Jerome Ford will run all over Tulane in a game that'll be over before the third quarter is. Not in love with this number but Cinci is the right side.

Prediction: Cincinnati 49, Tulane 19

Harbaugh has finally got Michigan's offense hitting on all cylinders. Big Blue leads the Big Ten in rushing offense by more than 35 yards per game. Northwestern is in dead last in the Big Ten in rushing defense by more than 40 yards per contest.

Throw in the facts that the game is at the Big House and that Northwestern has only averaged 21.8 points per game against defenses nowhere near as good as Michigan's, and it's not hard to see this one getting ugly in a hurry. Don't be afraid of this thick spread, Blake Corum, Hassan Haskins and Michigan's defense will blow out the Wildcats.

Prediction: Michigan 42, Northwestern 10

We still have no clue whether Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford will play in this game after he took a hard shot from an Iowa linebacker 2 weeks ago. My guess is that since Illinois is nowhere close to Ohio State when it comes to an opponent’s degree of difficulty, Franklin could allow Clifford to sit out one more week to be ready for Ohio State.

Given how much difficulty Ta'Quan Roberson had against the Hawkeyes in relief of Clifford, you'd have to be quite brave to lay the points before we find out for sure what's going on at QB for the Nittany Lions.

Considering Wisconsin held Illinois below 100 yards of total offense in the Fighting Illini's most recent game, you can bet Illinois will have a touch time sledding against this stingy Penn State defense.

I'm not in love with the side here, but with Clifford most likely out, then that means Penn State won't be as dangerous on offense with Ta'Quan Roberson at the helm. Combine that with the fact that Illinois probably won't score more than 10-13 points against PSU's defense, and this one has got UNDER 45 written all over it.

Prediction: Penn State 27 - Illinois 10

Greinke has given up only 2 runs in last 17 innings. Greinke has been going deep into games too so we don't have to worry much about Houston's terrible pen.

***DOG OF THE DAY*** Bookmaker's giving Houston’s Christian Javier too much love - sure he has not allowed a run in 3 of his last 4 starts but will face a Blue Jays lineup that has averaged 5.8 runs per game with 20 HR over the last 2 weeks. Plus Toronto’s Steven Matz is 3-1 with a .195 batting average against on the road, and the Astros have averaged 4 runs per game over their last 5. Plus the Blue Jays bullpen leads the majors with a 2.40 ERA to start the season.

Pitching - edge goes to Houston
Offense - big edge Toronto
Bullpen - big edge Toronto

Pick: Toronto +130

Kikuchi was impressive in his last start against the Astros but each of the two previous starts he gave up at least five runs. John Means has been impressive for the Orioles going 37 innings giving up only seven runs total. Sticking with Means.

Jon Gray is coming off a start where he gave up five runs and he is going to get lit up in this game.

This is a tough game to pick because you have no idea who is going to play for either side. The Nets could very well be without KD, Harden and Kyrie tonight and Detroit is without several key players too. My early lead goes on the UNDEr 223.5 here with so many scorers out tonight.

The Cowboys’ midrange and perimeter defense presents a challenge for the Bears. Don’t expect as much of a shooting differential as in the first meeting in Stillwater.

Rice playing UTEP in back to back games here and will be a test to really see how good they are this season. The Owls have shown their scoring depth this season with 4 different guys averaging at least 10 PPG, with their offense being anchored by Quincy Olivari (18 PPG) and Travis Evee (14.7 PPG). UTEP just split their series 1-1 with a good Southern Miss team but Rice is one of the best offensive teams in the conference averaging 82.3 PPG. Too many points here for such a potent offense.

The Buccaneers picked up a road victory last Sunday at the Atlanta Falcons 31-27, although they failed to cover. Tampa is on a roll away from home, winning four straight on the road, covering in two of those outings. The Over has cashed in all four of those games, too.

The Lions are on a two-game skid after winning 34-30 at the Chicago Bears in Week 13. It was their first game under interim head coach Darrell Bevell. Detroit lost at the Tennessee Titans 46-25 last weekend with the Over cashing.

This game has got blowout written all over it. Even if Stafford plays for the Lions, he will again be without his top weapon in WR Golladay. The Lions defense is flat terrible and TB should be able to put up a big number on offense today. Let's make some $ on the Bucs today.

I saw Auburn’s loss at South Carolina coming last week. Hammered the Gamecocks +3 and on the moneyline after calling the Tigers one of the Top 25’s most overrated teams for weeks. The early part of this week has centered around Gus Malzahn’s future on the Plains in the aftermath and rightfully so considering this team’s offense has been wildly inconsistent this fall. That being said, Auburn won’t lose to Ole Miss. This is my favorite bet of the week actually. I’ll take the Tigers and lay 3 points.

Louisville is up and down, where are their heads at, and how will FSU handle at noon kick? These are some of the storylines I’m paying close attention to heading into the contest. Hawkins versus Dix is a battle worth watching along with Cunningham versus FSU secondary off of play action. Unfortunately, I don’t think FSU can drop back and throw well enough to keep up with ‘Ville. This point spread feels about right but I think Louisville does just enough in a 34-27 type of game.

Tennessee has been red hot under third-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols have won eight consecutive games dating to last season and they are coming off an impressive 35-12 win over the Missouri Tigers.

But the Vols are going to have their hands full against Georgia today who looks like they are one of the best 4 teams in the country. Georgia rolled Top 20 Auburn last week, winning 27-6. The Dawgs defense was absolutely lockdown against Auburn quarterback Bo Nix and crew, allowing two field goals.

The one area Tennessee has an advantage over Georgia is up front on the offensive line. One of the things that jumped off the screen while watching the Volunteers against Missouri dominate the line of scrimmage. Four of the five root hogs up front are former five-star recruits, and it showed. The O-line was plowing good running lanes for the backs, as Tennessee ran for 232 yards on 51 attempts vs. the Tigers. This group is bolstered by the addition of Georgia transfer Cade Mays and has become the most improved area of the Vols.

So while Georgia is clearly the better overall team here, I think Tennessee has the talent to score offensively and keep this game close for 4 quarters. I also predict the Vols go to the ground game with heavy % of run plays to control time of possession and keep Georgia off the field.

Two mirror images of each other statistically and but both Tremont Waters (Knee) is questionable today and big man Vincent Poirier (Personal) is downgraded to OUT today for personal reason. Give me Toronto and the free point in what should be another close game.

rolling the dice with Green Bay (PK) second half.

With the exception of the win over Vanderbilt a couple of weeks ago, the Rebels have been getting drilled by everybody. They have yet to lose a game this season that would have covered a spread this small. No reason to believe this week will be any different. BETTING PICK: San Diego State -13

The people setting these lines are still behind on Maryland. Yes, it played Indiana tough last week, but that was Indiana. If not for Rutgers, the Terrapins would be the worst team in the Big Ten. There is a chance they catch the Gophers looking ahead to Penn State, but I’m not sure that would even matter. BETTING PICK: Minnesota -17

How do you not bet Notre Dame here? Sure Notre Dame has slumped off a little the past 3 weeks, but Michigan is 1–12 against top 10 teams under Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines are coming off another of those losses against №6 Penn State while the Irish had the week off to get ready. One of Michigan’s biggest problems is giving the ball away. That plays right into Notre Dame’s hand, as they are one of the best at taking it away. It is really hard to trust Michigan in a game like this, and I’m surprised to see that it is favored, albeit ever so slightly. BETTING PICK: Notre Dame +1

SUPER DOG OF THE WEEK - Temple has already picked off a couple of favorites at home this season. The Owls were underdogs against both Maryland and Memphis, yet handed each their first loss of the season. Of course, in Maryland’s case, they exposed the Terps probably more than truly upset them. UCF comes north for its second game in the state of Pennsylvania this season. The first matchup did not go well as Pitt ended the Knights’ 27-game regular-season winning streak. They have now lost twice in a row on the road, and will be without leading rusher Greg McCrae. BETTING PICK: Temple +10.5 (sprinkle the money line)

MSU hasn't shown up at all when the premier teams of the Big 10 have come knocking this year and I expect more of that this weekend against Penn State. PSU by a tudder seems like a steal so I am a bit confused but who am I to question this generous number. Nittany Lions by 10+ in this one.

College Football Week 9 Best Bets 10/26/19 - SportsJaw - MediumWeek 9 College football games on 10/19/19 that we recommend betting early and locking in before the lines move. Temple +10.5 vs. UCF is our Super Dog Bet of the Week. Lock em’ up! Temple has already… https://medium.com/sportsjaw/college-football-week-9-best-picks-10-26-19-9a6a6ee441d6

The Houston vs. UCONN game might not be on your betting radar this weekend but it should be. The Houston Cougars lost to Cincinnati days after former player accuses coach of trying to ‘actively tank. Days after a former Houston football player announced his acrimonious exit from the program and accused Coach Dana Holgorsen of trying to “actively tank” the 2019 season, a bad season got worse for the Cougars.

But we can’t overlook that this Houston still has the much better overall talent on both sides of the ball and still has the 49th ranked offense that averages 32 PPG. UCONN offense ranks 112th in the nation and owns the worst defense in the country at 130th.

Houston fell to №25 Cincinnati, 38–23, on Saturday, a loss that dropped the Cougars to 2–4 and thrust the program further into crisis, but I predict a bounce back game this weekend on the road as UCONN is a really bad and I don’t see the Huskies being able to stop this potent Houston offense.

There are not many times that we end up backing a double-digit favorite at home when openers come out on Sunday, but the Blazers fit the same profile as our piece on Navy vs. Tulsa last week.

The UAB Blazers rank 17th in havoc through half its season. Led by nine forced fumbles and 46 tackles for loss, the Blazers have been one of the most dominant defending teams in the Group of Five.

Old Dominion’s offense has been anemic all season and currently is ranked 125th in the FBS. The Monarchs have specifically had trouble with tackles for loss at 53, enough to rank 123rd in the nation. Old Dominion currently ranks 128th in offensive success rate and will take on a UAB team that is sixth in the nation in defensive success rate.
The Monarchs have kept games close in the first half, but with the Blazers heading into a bye week there should be no slowing down the UAB offense.

Texas Longhorns -23 are a fade this weekend against the Kansas Jayhawks. Texas is dealing with a multitude of injuries, it’s a bad spot and the combined offensive and defensive stats reveal this game could be closer than Vegas predicts.

Texas could be without 10 of its regulars on Saturday. Defensive backs Caden Sterns, Jalen Green and Josh Thompson remain sidelined. Wide receiver Collin Johnson entered concussion protocol, while senior linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch suffered a dislocated shoulder. There are others to mention, including defensive end Malcolm Roach, who will miss the first half due to an ejection against Oklahoma.

Further, Les Miles fired his offensive coordinator on Oct. 6 and hired Brent Dearmon during the bye week. Dearmon will likely be bringing in the run/pass option, which should spark the Kansas Jayhawks offense. Not only has Kansas been strong at finishing drives this season, ranking 20th in red-zone scoring percentage, but the Jayhawks also are solid defensively when they are backed up, ranking 26th in red-zone scoring percentage allowed. Look for the Rock Chalk Jayhawks to surprise this Saturday against a severely banged up Texas team.

The Warriors rank 10th this postseason in defensive efficiency and have struggled this season against Portland's prolific offense. I think the Dubs will miss Durant’s length on the perimeter, I like Portland to cover in a high-scoring game.

They have to want to play for real by now but think long term strategy more than anything. They want to win the championship- tonight is about as important as a preseason game to them so health first. I am not going to touch this one.