On the season Georgia Southern has been excellent at home, where they are 3-1 overall. The one loss was against Southern Miss that is 5-0 in conference, and that was by just three points. Still, I don’t believe the market has caught up on a Coastal Carolina team that has ascended with fourth string quarterback Semari Collier as starter. They are 4-0 ATS and SU in his starts. A loss may happen but they hold within the spread.

The Clemson Tigers are trying to salvage a poor season by at least becoming bowl eligible. They are just 3-4 in ACC play, but are coming off allowing just ten points to Florida State. Still, I believe this spread is discrediting the Louisville Cardinal, who are coming off an overtime loss against California. That may lead to a sluggish start early on, but look for Louisville to override those issues. They have been excellent in Friday football where they are 6-1 SU since 2021, including defeating Miami this season.

There’s no doubt the loss of Dylan Raiola is going to impact Nebraska the rest of Big Ten play. Yet, this week is a matchup they can win with proper execution and running the football with Emmett Johnson. Johnson already has 1,000 yards on the season, and the Bruins defense is coming off giving up a season high fifty six points to Indiana. Take Nebraska to get by in their first game without Raiola.

A team that has drastically faded has been Texas State. They were in many eyes a top level team for Sun Belt conference play. They even were in their matchup against Arizona State. Their blowout loss against James Madison showcased how poor they are defensively. UL Lafayette is certainly not their caliber skill wise, but team effort and discipline in the penalty department is the difference here. Take Lafayette plus the points. 

An unheralded matchup presents value in the American Conference. Tulsa is winless at 0-5 in league play, and has just one division one victory on the season. Still, the offense has shown improvement in the last two weeks scoring 27 and 37 points. Both were season highs against division one schools. Look for that improvement to continue to show on the road against Florida Atlantic. Could be another loss overall, but they get the cover ATS.

It’s obvious that John Matter returned from injury at not one hundred percent. Over the Sooners last three games they have lost to Texas and Ole Miss, but it’s also allowed Matter to play and work through the injury. Expect a sharper performance from him tonight and for Tennessee to need to adjust from their typical octane offense that averages forty six points per game. Close game with the Sooners sneaking within the number.

The Florida Gators began the season as a ranked team, that quickly faded and led to the firing of Billy Napier. Billy Gonzales will now step in and look to get the Gators bowl eligible with five gams left. Even though Georgia is 6-1, they have shown vulnerability with several close wins. Take the Gators be the latest to hang around against the Bulldogs, and stay within the touchdown spread.

Transitioning to division one football is tough for any program. For Delaware they hit a wall after their bye week, lost a tough game against Western Kentucky and then were blown out by Jacksonville State. This is a spot I expect to be a very tight game against Liberty, where at the worst we push on the three points. Competitive close game here grab the underdog.

We see it all the time when a team survives to remain undefeated like UNLV, all it takes is that one loss to shift the tide entirely. UNLV was fortunate early in the season against Idaho State, Air Force, UCLA, and Miami Ohio to survive close victories. After last week’s blowout loss against Boise State look for the shift to occur, against a New Mexico team that makes opportune plays. Take the points here with the Lobos.

Two teams that have lost four straight games meet tonight in the ACC as Syracuse hosts North Carolina. North Carolina nearly pulled off two upsets in a row as a double digit underdog, but lost narrowly to California and Virginia. The offense just has not been enough with Gio Lopez under center as he has thrown for just two touchdowns and four interceptions against division one schools. Take the Orange here on the short number.

The MAC has been a conference I’ve stayed clear of thus far this season. Today though I believe there is an opportunity in a battle of undefeated conference MAC teams, as Western Michigan takes on Miami Ohio. Seventh year senior DeQuan Finn has done his most damage in conference with his legs, but we’ve also seen his rushing yards come down each of the last three weeks. Look for Western Michigan to force Finn more into a pocket passer where he has struggled with touchdowns to interceptions. Take Western Michigan.

The Virginia Tech Hokies have a lost season, but have an opportunity to take a game to game approach to close out the year. California we’ve seen have the upper hand with teams venturing their way, but it’s been an issue for them to travel East. They got down 14-0 against Boston College, and I think we see another big early deficit from the Bears. Take the Hokies to get the cover

Bad teams can turn the corner in-conference. Last week Colorado State had an impressive showing defeating Fresno State 49-21. Now they are favored Saturday with a chance to win consecutive games for the first time this year. Look for their new found confidence to slow down a Hawaii offense that has peaked with consecutive games of forty four points. Tail the Rams.

Nebraska did not play their best game last Saturday in a road win against Maryland. It was their first true road game of the season, but the Cornhuskers prevailed thanks to a late touchdown. Expect a much more fluid game for the Cornhuskers and quarterback Dylan Raiola who threw three interceptions against the Terrapins. Lay the touchdown here with Nebraska.

A year ago the Arizona Wildcats were the laughing stock of the Big 12. One of their most embarrassing losses came at the hands of BYU in a 41-19 loss. Fifita threw a collegiate high three interceptions, and the season for Arizona fell apart after that. Look for Fifita and the Wildcats to showcase their improvements against a BYU team that has yet to see their freshmen quarterback put in a tough spot. Tail the Wildcats.

A game that will have a low attention in the betting markets is Louisiana Monroe against Coastal Carolina. Both starting quarterbacks in Tad Hudson and Aidan Armenta are ranked in the bottom twelve in the entire country for average passing yards per game. That means capitalizing on turnovers will be the main factor in a team victory. That’s an area Coastal Carolina has been dreadful, as they rank the third worst team in college football in turnover margin. Expect the outlier plays to benefit the road team in Louisiana Monroe.

Alabama has regained the focus of the betting market with a couple of big wins over Georgia and Vanderbilt. The defense limited both teams to a combined seven points in the second half. Yet, a road element and early start time I believe has Alabama chasing from behind against this potent Missouri team. The Tigers are also in a revenge spot after losing 34-0 last season against Alabama. Grab the points here with Missouri. 

I’m going to grab South Florida tonight against North Texas. I truly believe if North Texas did not have the bye week advantage that South Florida would be favored. The Mean Green are led by freshmen in quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins. Mestemaker has not thrown an interception on the season, and Hawkins is seventh in college football averaging over seven yards a carry. Expect the freshmen growing pains to show tonight as North Texas has already had a couple of close calls needing to win in overtime against Western Michigan and Army. Take South Florida. 

Rice on the season does have two more wins than their opponent Florida Atlantic. Yet their two wins against division one schools they have struggled to score. Look for Western Kentucky transfer Caden Veltkamp to finally settle in and avoid the turnovers that have plagued him with seven interceptions on the season. Take Florida Atlantic as the small underdog. 

UNLV and Wyoming are both coming off a bye week in what is the conference opener in the Mountain West for both. UNLV on the season is undefeated but nothing has come easy as they barely beat both Idaho State and had to come from behind against Miami Ohio. Wyoming has also been a tricky place for the Rebels who have lost five straight matchups there, and last victory was 2003. Look for that to end tonight, as the Rebels offense solidifies an ATS cover.

A big rest advantage could be a factor at some point tonight as Delaware hosts Western Kentucky. The Blue Hens are in their first year in Conference USA and their last matchup was thirteen days ago against Florida International. Meanwhile, Western Kentucky played just six days ago in what was a hard fought win against Missouri State. The Hilltoppers also were one of the few teams that played in week zero, with tonight marking their sixth game of the season. Lay the short number here with Delaware.

The Oregon Ducks have shown time and time again as a trustworthy team ATS. in the regular season. The big question is will that merit hold with an inexperienced quarterback in Dante Moore on the road at Penn State. As a team I believe they overcome any issues he has early on. Additionally, Penn State coming off a bye week may be the factor that keeps the Ducks in the game early on, as the offense stumbles. Take the Ducks in what may be a close loss but cover for Oregon.

San Jose State twice on the year have failed in the betting markets as double digit favorites, losing outright to Central Michigan and barely beating Idaho last week by a field goal. Heading on the road to face Stanford is a spot I believe senior quarterback Walker Eget can shake off a poor start to the season and get some confidence. They’ll need the scoring to keep pace with their troublesome defense. Take the small dog here with the Spartans.

Conference USA has been a conference we have seen accept new division one teams. Missouri State is the latest and has been reputable ATS where they had a 10-0 lead on SMU, and have a win over Marshall. Western Kentucky to me is a team that has performed sluggish over the last couple of games but managed to overcome that and cover a big number last week against Nevada. Expect a crisper performance today for the Hilltoppers as they cover the number.

One thing about a bad loss is you expect a team to come out with high energy early on. Auburn I’m expecting to have the early lead against Texas A&M, and maybe even the lead at halftime. To keep up with Texas A&M for four quarters is where I have my concerns. Take the Aggies as the Tigers lose once again close to the number late.

For Arizona State it’s always a sweat in their games under Kenny Dillingham. We saw them get by in countless games last season to reach the college football playoffs, and already this season they have had two close games against Mississippi State and Baylor. TCU has slid into the top twenty five thanks to their hot start, but look for the physicality of Arizona State to present its challenges. Also, rain in the early afternoon in Tempe will make it an abnormal humid evening with temperatures in the high 80s. Take Arizona State to pull off another close win.

Hawaii will get their freshmen quarterback back tonight with Alejandro. That can be an advantage as their is only the game film out from the Stanford matchup with him. Meanwhile Fresno State’s senior quarterback EJ Warner has not thrown a touchdown pass against a division one opponent, and has struggled with turnovers as well. Take Hawaii to continue their magic at home as the underdog. 

Last season the big knock on Indiana was their soft schedule, as they did not face a ranked opponent until late in the season on the road against Ohio State. Look for the Hoosiers to be ready to show the country, they can handle a ranked team early in the season as they take on Illinois. The Hoosiers have never lost at home under Coach Curt Cignetti, and have won eleven straight games at Memorial Stadium. Lay the number with the Hoosiers.

A game that is likely to draw little attention is Marshall against Middle Tennessee. Middle Tennessee very well should be an 0-3 team, but pulled out a late miracle in last week’s win against Nevada. I believe that has minimized what this spread would of been on Marshall’s side, who lost a majority of their team to Southern Miss. The fourth game in look for the traction to gain against a Middle Tennessee team that lacks explosive plays. Take Marshall.

The Utah Utes have to answer the call in Saturday’s matchup against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have the top offense in all of college football, but have not faced a true test. Coach Kyle Whittingham and the Utes must avoid another early season let down as they have the last two years losing to Arizona and Oregon State early in the season. Take the Utes to get their first Big 12 home win in program history and cover the number.

With Iowa we always know it’s not going to pretty. Their brand of football is not going to change and we saw this in keeping the game manageable and low scoring against Iowa State. As great as Rutgers explosive offense has been, conference play is a different level of evaluation. Rutgers also was shutout the last time these two met in 2023. Take Iowa on the spread. 

Sometimes the betting market is a week early on a team. Last week Duke faltered in a tough spot against the ranked Illini. Now travel on the road to play their quarterback’s old team in Tulane. Expect Darian Mensah’s teammates to raise their game for their quarterback, and bounce back in a big way over Tulane. Take the underdog in Duke.

Travel destinations are becoming less and less of an impact for spread evaluation as conference play begins for some. Out in the Mountain West Nevada gets to face a team traveling on a lengthy road trip in Middle Tennessee. As I said in last week’s write up with Washington State gaining a slim victory over Idaho, there is value to be had on team’s that get by against a non division one school. Expect Nevada to play a more fluid game after defeating Sacramento State by just three points. Lay the spread in a rare high number spot for a Wolf Pack team that is 6 and 31 over their last thirty seven games.

The Colorado Buffaloes made a surprise move at quarterback by moving to Ryan Staubb. I do like the move, but Staubb is in a tough spot on a short week traveling on the road in a confernece game against Houston. The Cougars have taken steps forward under Coach Willie Fritz, and now are in an unusual spot favored against Colorado. Non typical of what we have seen in the past, that presents value on the number. An issue under Deion Sanders teams has been mismanaging games in the fourth. Look for that to be the difference ATS. Take Houston.

A narrative to go against in college football off of week one, is a team that struggled against a non division one school. We have that scenario with Washington State that struggled to get past Idaho last week. The old saying a win is a win helps us get a reduced number this week against San Diego State. Take the Cougars who get the right opponent to start the year off 2-0 on the season.

UCLA showed nothing on defense or offense in week one against Utah to make them a road favorite against UNLV. Nico Iamaleava probably has the most pressure of any quarterback in week two to respond. Expect UNLV’s potent offense to put Iamaleava in situations he did not have to be in at Tennessee. Close game but the Rebels prevail to go 3-0 on the year. 

There are games that serve as an eye opener and catapult a team in the spotlight. For Oklahoma this is their chance against a Michigan team, that is ahead of where I anticipated in their first game against New Mexico. Yet, this is a different caliber opponent in Oklahoma which I believe can manage this game from a trailing game script or by putting the pressure on the Wolverines with early scoring. Take Oklahoma who will win this decisively by ten or more points.

Virginia had one of the more impressive victories last week by routing Coastal Carolina 48 to 7. The blowout featured the defense shutting down former ACC and Big Ten quarterback MJ Morris. Offensively Chandler Morris showed how valuable he is as a sixth year senior at quarterback. Still, NC State has the advantage of having last week off and I expect their to be cleaner execution in both halves than what we saw against East Carolina. Take NC State on the small number.

Moving on from an era of consistent injuries at quarterback has happened with the Utah Utes. Devon Dampier was one of the more electric quarterbacks last season at New Mexico, and now goes into a system where he has a big upgrade in talent around him. UCLA was one of the slowest offenses out the gate last season, where they scored sixteen points or less in their first five games. Look for a shaky debut from Nico Iamaleava as Utah gets by with a win of six point or more.

One of the teams that is expected to take a leap this season are the Washington Huskies. We saw some of the flashes last season with quarterback Desmond Williams Jr., and they still have senior tailback Jonah Coleman. Colorado State has lost three straight openers by twenty six points or more. Tail the Huskies to make it four seasons in a row.

One of the teams that dealt with a bevy of transfers was California. Late exits in the portal could hurt California later in the season, as depth becomes an issue. Early on though look for the Bears to be prepared against former Pac-12 rival Oregon State. True freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele gets the upper hand over veteran transfer quarterback Maalik Murphy. Take California.

Yesterday we saw Tarleton State pull off a big upset as two touchdown underdogs against Army. Abiline Christian as a smaller underdog will hope to do so today against Tulsa. Gone for the Wildcats are former quarterback Maverick McIvor who nearly pulled off a week one upset a season ago against Texas Tech. Yet, still look for Abiline Christian to move the football, as Tulsa was one of the worst defenses last season. Over their last four games they gave up an average of fifty six points per game. 

Opening up on the road in a hostile environment can be tough to evaluate ATS. Georgia Tech likely will need to overcome a couple of drives of failure, and possibly a full quarter to adjust in their first game at Colorado. Kaidon Salter did have a second half of the season dip last year at Liberty, with four touchdowns to four interceptions over his final five games. That inconsistency I expect to flip this game in the second half. Take the Yellow Jackets.

A spread that is trickling down before kickoff is Charlotte vs Appalachian State. The Mountaineers have the name notoriety after years of being a staple in the Sun Belt. This is a transition year as they lost former quarterback Joey Aguilar to the portal and Tennessee. The first game for a new coach is so important, expect the 49ers to match the energy of Appalachian State and at least push the spread.

Sometimes early in the season especially in college football, you are playing numbers as you await the eye test on teams. That’s what I am doing with Wyoming as this spread has dropped a full 1.5 from 7. Ben Finley did some positive things to end the year for Akron but look for Wyoming’s ground game and execution to be the edge in this one. Tail Wyoming. 

College football is just a few weeks away, and a game that is starting to see line movement is Sam Houston and Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers won at Sam Houston last season by double digits, 31-14 as a 1.5 point underdog. Now they will work in one of the oldest starting quarterbacks in all of college football in 25 year old Matthew McIvor, who also has his old offensive coordinator from Abiline Christian. Look for the Bearkats to stay in this one as they did last season, but do a better job post halftime with adjustments. Key number to get at ten in case of a push, but ultimately believe this is a one score game.

Ohio State’s increased playoff spread market nearly cost backers against Texas. A stout goal line stand that turned into a defensive touchdown saved the spread. Yet, oddsmakers could not give a lower point spread versus the Irish on the pre-established number against Texas. Notre Dame likely will go down but look for the same resiliency they have showcased time and time again. They’ve also covered five straight and ten out of their last eleven games. Grab the points.

Ohio State finds themselves as a considerable favorite tonight against Texas. This is all about timing as if this matchup was played a month ago the spread likely would of been in the 2.5 point range. The way Texas nearly lost to Arizona State is concerning, and the Buckeyes confidence matching their high level talent. The opponent continues to not matter as Ohio State rolls once again. Lay it tonight.

Notre Dame put on a showcase performance in their win over Georgia. They will now face a Penn State team that covered their double digit spread against Boise, but gave up over 400 total yards. Expect the Irish to have success attacking the Nittany Lions defense, and make the x-factor plays to move on to the National Championship Game. Take the Irish in what will be a close battle.

We are entering the prime zone of bowl games as New Year’s Eve is upon us. The Washington Huskies were a team that struggled two-fold with the success of last year’s team, and Kalen DeBoer taking the Alabama job. The transition to the Big 10 was tough, but this is where a 6-6 team can shine in a bowl game. Huskies freshman quarterback Demond Williams has had in-season reps, expect the Huskies to have the proper packages. Grab the Huskies.

The magic of a great season can be disrupted with a bowl game layoff. For the Colorado Buffaloes they will be undergoing a major transformation as Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter head to the NFL. BYU has the intel to take away Colorado’s strengths with extra preparation, and were the Big 12 college football playoff front runner for the majority of the season. Look for BYU to end Coach Prime’s Buffaloes season on a poor note. Take the Cougars.

A downgraded American Conference helped East Carolina turn around their season from a 3-4 start. They closed out the year with wins in four of their final five games. Sophomore quarterback Katie Houser showed some growth with eighteen touchdown passes on the season. NC State was a team that was projected fourth in the ACC conference odds, but close losses and inconsistent play derailed the Wolf Pack. Look for the turnover edge to hail with the Pirates and keep them within the number.

Georgia Tech began and ended their season with strong performances. They knocked off Florida State as a 10.5 point underdog, and nearly knocked off Georgia in an eight overtime thriller. On the other side Vanderbilt lost four out of their final five games as the SEC conference wore them down. With extended rest look for Vanderbilt to resemble the team that began the season 5-1. Take the points with Vanderbilt.

The Sun Belt yearly continues to be a cash cow in bowl season. We saw James Madison and South Alabama win and cover ATS with their backup quarterbacks under center. Sam Houston was a great turn around story from last year’s first season in division one. Their comeback win over Texas State down 21-0 in the first quarter was one of the best comebacks on the season. Yet, they faltered against even level competition. Take Georgia Southern to find cracks on the Bearkats defense. Lay the small number

For years the Sun Belt conference has ran through Appalachian State, newcomer James Madison, and UL Lafayette. Marshall was a disastrous team last season that could not get anything out of the quarterback position. That changed this season along with the rising play of tailback AJ Turner and Jordan Houston. Take the points here with Marshall. 

UNLV’s had just two losses on the year, an overtime loss to Syracuse and a loss to tonight’s opponent in Boise State. The Broncos executed at a high level to get the win, including going for it on fourth and goal before the end of the half. They also were able to close out the game with a 14 play drive that ate up the final eight minutes and seven seconds. Expect that level of execution to be difficult to repeat. Grab the points here with UNLV.

After a 3-2 start to the season, Kentucky has dropped five of their last six games. At 4-7, their final game against Louisville is strictly about pride. A strength Kentucky has shown at times this season is their defense, that limited Georgia to 13 points and has kept them in several other games this season even in losses. They’ve also won this matchup five times since 2018. Grab the points here with the Wildcats.

A team that may be the top over achieving team amongst the top four conferences is Duke. They ended a two game losing streak, with wins against teams with backup quarterbacks starting in NC State and Virginia Tech. Saturday, look for Wake Forest to try and end their season on a positive note after three straight losses. Additionally, they have not won a football game at home this season against a division one opponent. Grab the points as the Demon Deacons give their fans something to root for heading into next season.

Illinois has hit a Big Ten road block losing consecutive games to Oregon and Minnesota. Coming out of a bye week can be even more difficult for a team that has reversed course from a strong start. Look for Michigan State to be the looser team and hang around against an Illinois team that has scored twenty one points or fewer in three straight games.

In-conference Liberty has been shaky this season. They nearly lost to New Mexico State and Florida International as heavy favorites, and have dropped two of their last three games. This included losing to a 1-8 Kennesaw State team as 27 point favorites. Saturday, look for Liberty to play like the team we saw last season as they see a UMass team that does not have intel on them. Lay it with Liberty.

Colorado has hit the pinnacle of their season with a 7-2 record, and eyes on getting to the Big 12 title game. As great as they have been, Utah knows their strengths and weaknesses as they came over from the Pac-12 with them. They also nearly knocked off undefeated BYU last week. Look for Utah to carry over the momentum of last week, and at least provide a scare to Colorado. Take the points with the Utes.

The Tulane Green Wave will attempt to remain undefeated in American Conference play as they travel to take on Navy. The Midshipmen after losing two straight games, defeated South Florida last week 28-7. Still, their offense is in neutral and has scored just fifty two points over their last three weeks. That spells trouble against a Tulane team that scores at such an efficient rate. Lay it with Tulane.

Mac-tion continues for the second straight week with a three-game Tuesday slate. Ball State is just 2-6 over their last eight games, and the two victories have been nail biters of two point victories. Yet, look for the offense to get going against a Buffalo team that let off the gas in last week’s win over Akron. In the fourth quarter they allowed three fourth quarter touchdowns, which shows a lack of focus for four quarters. Tail the road underdog here in Ball State. 

Experienced senior quarterbacks are tough to gauge in the market. For Missouri, Drew Pyne is on his third team after experience with both Notre Dame and Arizona State. But Pyne has shown next to nothing filling in for Brady Cook. The huge down grade puts them in a bad spot even against 1-4 Oklahoma in the SEC. Take the Sooners as the road favorite.

Navy began the season 6-0 and then stumbled in a blowout loss to Notre Dame. That rolled over into an embarrassing performance on the road against a poor rice team as two touchdown favorites. Look for Navy to regroup against a South Florida team that has struggled when not facing bottom tier teams. In fact, the closest South Florida has been in a game against a team above .500 was a 21-3 loss to Memphis. Tail Navy.

Texas State came into the season with run the table and have a possible chance for the playoffs. The season has been filled with unfortunate moments that have the Bobcats just 4-4 on the season. New motivation lies with just becoming a bowl eligible team and getting to the ceiling that last year’s team did. Expect the Bobcats to end their two game losing streak and take care of business on the road against UL Monroe.

Late add in tonight’s Mountain West clash between New Mexico and San Diego State. The Lobos have lost consecutive games but have scored 45 or more points in four out of their last five games. Tonight lies an opportunity to put the pressure on an Aztecs team that has had issues in close games. A one point loss to Central Michigan, and a three point loss to Washington State. Take New Mexico as the slight underdog.

Coastal Carolina has spiraled in Sun Belt Conference play with three straight losses. All of them were tough spots against two top level Sun Belt teams in James Madison and UL Lafayette, followed by one of the worst let down spots of the season against Troy last week. The Chanticleers were possibly looking ahead to their upcoming matchup against Appalachian State, who are 0-4 on the road this season. Take the value here on Coastal Carolina ending their losing streak.

TCU has impressed with consecutive wins including on the road against Utah. New quarterback Josh Hoover has excelled in picking up the offense and has been one of the more consistent quarterbacks in Big 12 play. Yet, going to WACO is as tough of an environment as there is. Take the Bears to win their third straight in what should be an up and down game.

Look for UAB to finally get in the win column in an opportune spot against Tulsa. Last week Tulsa was down 35 to 7 against UT San Antonio, when the Roadrunners were ill prepared for the backup quarterback Cooper Legas. Legas came in and led a tremendous comeback with UTSA having multiple injuries to the secondary. UAB should be prepared to attack a vulnerable Hurricane defense and finally get in the win column in American conference play. Take UAB.

Virginia Tech heads to Syracuse rolling on a three game winning streak. For the Orange they have been in the same boat over the last several years in ACC play. A strong hot start to the season gets derailed by a poor loss. Last week’s loss to Pittsburgh was an avalanche of issues for quarterback Kyle McCord. Look for Syracuse’s vulnerability to continue to rise as the Hokies take advantage with a potent offense led by Kyron Drones. Take Virginia Tech.

In Georgia State’s last non-conference game they pulled off a shocking upset over Vanderbilt, 36-32. That happened to be their last win, as they have lost four straight games in Sun Belt conference play. Take a value spot here on the Panthers as they have been in winnable spots their last three losses. The spread here is just a tad too high on the home team in UConn. Take the points with the Panthers.

The Florida International Panthers find themselves as steep favorites considering their overall record of 2-6. Tonight, will mark their fourth straight Tuesday or Wednesday game in Conference USA action. Defensively they hindered Sam Houston last week, and also pushed Liberty in a close loss a few weeks back. Grab the Panthers to break out against an Aggies team that may get off to a slow start post their bye week. Take FIU.

After starting off 3-0, North Carolina has now dropped four straight games. Even with dynamic running back Omarion Hampton with 901 rushing yards, the offense can not make up for a poor Tar Heels defense. The defense has given up 41.5 points in their four losses. Take Virginia to hand the Tar Heels their fifth straight loss.

The Indiana Hoosiers undefeated season is on the line today against a Washington team coming off their bye week. Prior to their bye week they had their latest performance on the season against Iowa, losing 40-16. As potent as Indiana has been, there is pressure on backup Tayven Jackson to fill in as starter minus Kurtis Rourke. Grab the points here with Washington.

The Boston College Eagles are coming off a rough two road games in which they lost to Virginia Tech and Virginia. Defensively they are coming off their worst performance of the season giving up over 500 yards to the Hokies. It’s not a good sign as they face another potent offensive team in the Louisville Cardinal. Louisville may be 4-3 with all three losses against ranked teams in SMU, Notre Dame, and Miami. Lay it with the Cardinal. 

Syracuse will travel off a bye week to Pittsburgh in an old Big East battle in the ACC. Syracuse has just one loss on the year in which they were upset late by Stanford. I expect them to play with a chip on their shoulder similar to when they traveled and took on undefeated UNLV. Look for a late comeback and the Cuse to sneak within the number in their third straight road game.

The Missouri Tigers must avoid a tricky home spot against 2-4 Auburn today. The Tigers may be 0-3 in the SEC, but they have been in close battles including a 27 to 21 loss to Oklahoma, and held with Georgia for the first three quarters. Off a bye week grab the points here with the Tigers.

Coastal Carolina hosts the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in an early game Saturday. On a spread that has moved up two points, I’ll grab the value on the home underdog. Coastal Carolina’s quarterback Ethan Vasko is coming off a disaster start against James Madison where he completed just five of his eighteen passes. Look for him to regroup against a Ragin’ Cajuns team that has not faced Coastal Carolina since 2020. Grab the Chanticleers.

A tricky spread lies on a UConn team we are accustomed to seeing perform poorly. They are 4-2 on the season, with their wins being against weaker competition. Yet, Wake Forest is a mess defensively. They have given up forty or more points in their last three losses, and over their last five games thirty or more points to the opponent. Constantly needing to score because of a poor defense creates opportunities for the defense in the turnover department. Grab the home team with UConn. 

Florida State will once again be without quarterback DJ U, as Brock Glenn gets his second consecutive start. As poor as the Seminoles season has been at 1-5, they are facing a Duke team that plays to the level of their competition. Outside of their win against Middle Tennessee, their three other division one wins were all comeback victories. Look for that style of play to finally catch up to Duke. Take the road underdog with the Seminoles.

The Marshall Thundering Herd are coming off one of the worst meltdown losses of the season. Leading 23-3 with under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter they ended up losing 24-23. Expect Marshall to regroup against a Georgia State team that is getting over valued from a win over Vanderbilt. In Sun Belt conference play they have been lackluster offensively with consecutive losses. Additionally, they have not left the state of Georgia for a true road game yet. Lay it with Marshall.

Sam Houston has had one of the best turn around season’s in all of college football. Last season they began the year 0-8. Yet, the competition for four of the Bearkats wins has been bottom level against Rice, Hawaii, New Mexico State, and UTEP. The one respectable win came via a tremendous comeback down 22-0 against Texas State. Look for the reality check game tonight, as Western Kentucky does not skip a beat with backup quarterback Caden Veltkamp.

Through the first month of the season one of the pleasant surprises in college football were Washington State. They had a couple of outright upsets as underdogs over Texas Tech and Washington. With their new Mountain West heavy schedule they’ve had difficulties in the conference. San Jose State had a double digit lead late, and Boise State blew them out. Off a bye week look for Fresno State to regroup off a 59-14 loss to UNLV. Take the home team here in the Bulldogs plus the points.

The Washington Huskies travel to Iowa off a big time home victory over formerly tenth ranked Michigan. Traveling on the road in the Big 10 12PM time slot is different for this Huskies team. Yet, look for the Huskies who typically play to the level of their competition to rise above that here. The Hawkeyes may feel the residual effects of last week’s loss to Ohio State early in this one. Take the Huskies plus the points.

The Clemson Tigers offense hit a bit of road block in last week’s 29-13 win at Florida State. It was the first time in a month that the Tigers did not cover the spread. Look for that to quickly revert back as the Tigers are facing one of the weaker defenses in ACC play in Wake Forest. Experience may be there with sixth year senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier but we’ve seen his down play at Boise and Louisiana Tech as conference play stretches on. Take Clemson.

Out in the MAC a battle of two struggling teams will take place between 1-4 Ball State, and 0-5 Kent State. The Cardinals led by freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza have been in multiple close three point losses, including last week’s 45-42 loss to Western Michigan. On the other side Kent State has faced top competition in Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Penn State.  Look for a competitive game here with Kent State covering as home underdogs. 

The Arizona Wildcats began the year with high expectations, but faltered in a big way to Kansas State. After utilizing their bye week they pulled off a complete game upset over the Utah Utes. Expect, the Wildcats to build on that win similar to last year’s run in October. Lay the home favorite tonight against Texas Tech.

The Kansas Jayhawks travel to Arizona State as one of the more disappointing teams in college football. At 1-4, they have found ways to lose games against UNLV and West Virginia that have spiraled their season. Today, look for the Jayhawks to finally over ride their issues against an Arizona State team that is accustomed to tight games. Take the Jayhawks as the rode underdog.

The Washington Huskies have dropped two of their last three games.  Now they will have the tough task of facing a Michigan team that defeated them in the championship last season. Although the coaches and quarterback are different, look for the Huskies fan base to give them a spark. Michigan has been involved in consecutive close games, and left the door open in last week’s win against Minnesota. Grab the home team in the Huskies.

Boston College will have Thomas Castellanos back after he missed last week’s win over Western Kentucky. The offense as a whole has averaged just over 21 points per game over the last three weeks. That tends to wear on a defense especially in conference play where Virginia is coming off a season best forty three points against Coastal Carolina. They also played the Eagles tight last year in what was a three point game. Take the home team to prevail here in Virginia. 

The North Carolina Tar Heels after starting the season 3-0 have stumbled with consecutive losses. James Madison scored 70 points against them, and last week the Tar Heels came up just short against Duke losing by a point. Yet, making the change to Jacolby Criswell was the right move. With a few starts now under his belt, the Tar Heels are prepared for today’s matchup against Pittsburgh. Take the Tar Heels to threaten the outright win as a home underdog, but at least cover the small number.

The NC State Wolf Pack had high expectations coming into the season with the fourth best odds to win the ACC. That has shifted as for the time being the Wolf Pack continue to start freshman quarterback CJ Bailey. As poor as Wake Forest has been on the season, conference play can open the door for a fresh start for the Demon Deacons. Follow the line move here on Wake Forest’s side plus the points.

Texas State has not made it easy on themselves this season. In their first game they had a tough time defeating Lamar, 34-27. A tough loss to Arizona State was followed up by a loss this past Saturday to Sam Houston after having a 22-0 first quarter lead. Yet, Troy has both quarterbacks in Goose Crowder and Tucker Kilcrease questionable for Thursday’s game. Expect the coaches and players to regroup against a Troy team that is down from last year’s that took down the Bobcats. 

New Mexico State has endured one of the toughest transitions from a lower level college football team. Their former coach Jerry Kill retired and they also lost transfer quarterback Diego Pavia. After leading most of their week two game against Liberty, the wheels have fallen off. Look for New Mexico to take advantage with their potent offense and get the road cover in Las Cruces.

As is typical for the Ohio State Buckeyes they are huge road favorites even in conference play. In last week’s win over Marshall the Buckeyes were finally tested in the first half from a defensive stand point. That was the proper tune up to get the Buckeyes defense ready for conference play. They limit Aidan Chiles enough to get the road cover. Lay it with the Buckeyes.

Charlotte’s lone win on the season was a narrow one point win over FCS Gardner Webb. Yet, money continues to bring down their spread today against Rice. It’s a conference opponent that has really struggled on both sides of the football, and is coming off a blowout loss as six point underdogs against Army. Look for the 49ers to lean on last year’s late season matchup in a revenge spot today. Take the underdog here with Charlotte.

South Florida has a tough American conference opener against Tulane. They will travel on the road after facing Alabama and Miami in two of their last three games. Look for Tulane to continue to run their offense through tailback Makhi Hughes. Hughes had 128 rushing yards against Kansas State, and in last week’s win 166 yards against UL Lafayette. The ground attack and consistent offense for two halves gets the Green Wave past the number.

The Navy Midshipmen are now 3-0 thank to last weeks upset over Memphis. Today is a potential let down spot in a neutral site game against UAB. UAB is off consecutive losses but gave Arkansas a battle last week. As talented as their senior quarterback is in Jacob Zeno, they struggled a season ago with just six points against Navy. Take Navy to get past the number and start the season 4-0.

BYU finds themselves ranked after a surprising blowout win at home against Kansas State. Now ranked, this is typically where a team falters. BYU is playing in their first game not after 5PM, and is going up against a team in Baylor that will test their defense. Look for Baylor to respond off of last week’s melt down loss to Colorado.