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.

Arizona State goes into Big 12 conference play with a surprising undefeated record. Their turn around is the real deal but this is a tough conference opener for the Sun Devils. This is their first time slot of the season that is not a night game. They also struggled in their first true road game of the season at Texas State, digging a 21-7 hole. Look for the Texas Tech Raiders to continue their potent offensive scoring that has scored 52 and 66 points at home. Take Texas Tech.

Mid-week my initial thoughts were to take the West Virginia Mountaineers. They are coming off a tough loss blowing a ten point lead last week late to the Pittsburgh Panthers. As down as the Jayhawks have played they are to potent to continue miscues offensively. Expect quarterback Jalon Daniels to finally exhibit two halves of solid play, and for the team to pick up their energy on the road. Take the Jayhawks as the slight underdogs. 

Washington State has had back to back upsets over Texas Tech and Washington to put themselves on the map. Friday expect a test from San Jose State who have one of the top wide receivers in college football. 25 year old Nick Nash has 485 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Quarterback Emmett Brown also has a chance to defeat his old team as he was a backup quarterback at Washington State last season. Take the Spartans to hang within the double digit spread plus the points.

East Carolina has started the season 2-0, and will now face Appalachian State for the third time in the last four years. For Appalachian State it was not the fact that they lost to Clemson last week, but the fact their defense gave up fifty six points in the first half. In last year’s matchup the Pirates led 28-22 in the third quarter before unraveling. Look for East Carolina to finish off the job this season. 

Last season the Washington State Cougars nearly tripped up the Washington Huskies undefeated season, in a close 24-21 loss. This year both teams are different as the Huskies replaced Michael Penix with Will Rogers. In his first two games the Huskies faced Eastern Michigan and Weber State. A different caliber team in the Cougars who should be able to hang around similar to last season. Take the points.

Through their first two games the South Carolina Gamecocks point spreads have been way off. Their first game as nearly three touchdown favorites against Old Dominion they were almost upset, and last week they trounced Kentucky as nine point underdogs. Look for LSU to show up on both sides of the football as they finally showcase their true potential, and the number to be off on Gamecocks games for a third straight week.

We have seen a swift adjustment twice on the Arizona State and Texas State matchup. Arizona State has had the exposure in nationally televised games and won in a big way over Wyoming and Mississippi State. Yet, their tailback Cam Skattebo carried a heavy work load of 33 carries for 262 yards. His durability could be in question on a short week. Additionally, Texas State has an uncanny ability to put up points that is going to test ASU’s defense. Take the home team here in Texas State.

After week one the books adjusted the win total of Arizona State from three to six wins. That’s as drastic of a shift as you will see, and that means bigger spreads as favorites for the Sun Devils. The students are back in Tempe, as last week’s student section crowd set a record since 2010. Look for the crowd to be fired up once again, as Arizona State starts off the season a surprisingly 2-0.

San Diego State is a team that has very little expectations for 2024. Yet, being a six point home underdog is a bit to high in my opinion against Oregon State. The Beavers have had a lot of moves including their former coach heading to Michigan State. Take the Aztecs to have a ball control game plan under quarterback Danny O’Neil.

Both Texas State and UTSA had close calls in their week one games. The Roadrunners nearly blew a double digit lead against Kennesaw State, and Texas State defeated Lamar by just a touchdown. Expect Texas State to clean up the issues they had defensively in the second half against Lamar. Led by quarterback Jordan McCloud look for the Bobcats to pile up the yards in the win.

Each of the last four seasons the road team has won in the Iowa-Iowa State series. Additionally, the games are typically low scoring by the nature of both teams styles. Expect the Cyclones to focus on limiting the Iowa rush attack, as they limited Kaleb Johnson to just twenty eight yards on fifteen carries last season. Grab the points here with Iowa State.

The season for the Michigan Wolverines at one point may hit a wall. Their offense has a lot of work to do, but in week two they can still live off their defense. A defense that has given up just 9.5 points over their last eight home games. Going into Ann Arbor is always tough, and will give the Texas Longhorns problems. Back the Wolverines.

There are offenses that you can depend on even with a susceptible defense in week one. That’s the case with the Memphis Tigers who should be good for a range of 50-55 points with their potent offense. In last season’s opener they won 56 to 14. Expect a similar result that would get us the cover once again. Take Memphis.

South Alabama is entering a new era as former starting quarterback Carter Bradley is now in the NFL. That gives us a bit of line value in the Jaguars season opener against North Texas. New quarterback Gio Lopez has been with the program and capable of leading an explosive Jaguars offense. This is a case where a strong second half will pull away from the number here. Take South Alabama.

South Carolina is a three touchdown favorite in their first game against Old Dominion. The Monarchs as a team and quarterback Grant Wilson had mixed results a season ago. They played competitively as big underdogs against James Madison and upset Appalachian State. Yet, facing South Carolina is too tall of a task even with the Gamecocks transitioning from Spencer Rattler. Lay the three touchdown spread with the Gamecocks.

In collegiate sports I love the angle of attacking a team making the step up to division one. Last season I used the angle for both Jacksonville State and Sam Houston as they covered in their week one matchups. I’ll do the same today with Kennesaw State against a UT San Antonio team making their transition without long time quarterback Frank Harris. Look for one down quarter of play to be enough on a large spread. Grab the points with Kennesaw State.

We have already seen the Big Ten struggle in week one matchups from an ATS stand point, this includes Wisconsin having issues against MAC opponent Western Michigan. Look for Miami Ohio to give Northwestern problems as well. The RedHawks were an excellent defensive team last season, and defeated Northwestern on the road just two seasons ago. Grab the points here with Miami Ohio. 

The Michigan State Spartans bring in a new era with Coach Jonathan Smith. He over hauled the Spartans roster with high end transfers including bringing over quarterback Aiden Chiles. Florida Atlantic also has a new quarterback in Cam Fancher that is eager for a fresh start after a woeful season with Marshall. Likely a double digit result here for Michigan State but on the low end closer to ten points. Grab the points here with Florida Atlantic. 

When one thinks of a college football revenge game, it’s typically related to conference matchups. Yet, early in the season there are several repeat matchups from a season ago. One includes Minnesota who was embarrassed last season 31 to 13 against North Carolina. On their home field look for their defense to fare better this season, and newcomer at quarterback Max Brosmer to deliver. Take the home underdog in the Gophers.

Colorado closed out last season with a steep decline by losing their final six games. Expectations are much different going into this season, and the pressure is on Coach Deion Sanders. They’ll be improved but this spread has rose far to much for an opening season game. Take the points with North Dakota State now getting a double digit spread.

Early in the season there are just matchups that are far to high on a point spread. We saw it in week zero where both lopsided spreads fared to the underdog, in Delaware State and Nevada. That is the case for Western Carolina, who will face an NC State team working in a top level transfer quarterback in Grayson McCall. McCall did not finish out last season with an injury so there will be rust in week one and likely the first few games for NC State. Grab the points with Western Carolina.

In week zero we know that there is going to be a bit of sloppy football on display. That does not bode well for the Nevada Wolf Pack who have won two games each of the last two seasons. Last season Preston Stone in his first year as starting quarterback began the season slow, but in his final six games the Mustangs scored an average of fifty points per game. Take SMU as the big road favorite.

Several times this season the Washington Huskies have side stepped the naysayers via the spread as underdogs, and on the field. Undefeated they have won their last two games outright. Today it ends as Michigan completes their task after a thrilling comeback win over Alabama. Grab the Wolverines.

I’ve shied away from the early bowls due to so many opt outs, but see an opportunity today. Bowling Green from the MAC is getting discredited today based on facing a Power Five school. While Minnesota has had a stingy defense at times, their offense is subpar at best. A five win team that should not be in a bowl, take Bowling Green.

Washington has had an unblemished season but today could be trouble against Oregon. Their prior matchup in mid-October was a game that Oregon let get away late. A late game decision to go for it on fourth down did not pan out, and a missed field goal prevented overtime. Look for Oregon to play as the team that should be undefeated and to take it out on the Huskies. Grab Oregon.

Both Ohio State and Michigan will look to keep their undefeated seasons going Saturday. For all the controversy surrounding Michigan they have continued to not make excuses on the field. Look for a great game from both teams, but the execution to be just a little bit better on the Wolverines side. Grab Michigan as the home favorite.

Pittsburgh has not won consecutive games all season, but don’t rule out a strong showing Saturday. Quarterback Nate Yarnell made the necessary plays against Boston College, and has confidence going into the Panthers regular season finale. Duke may be bowl eligible but they have faded losing four of their last five games. Grab Pittsburgh.

Tulane has the stout resume of a season record of 10-1. In fact, their lone loss occurred against a top fifteen team in Ole Miss. Yet, three of their last four wins have been decided by three points or less. With UTSA healthy with quarterback Frank Harris they present a completely different challenge for Tulane. Grab UTSA.

At this point of the season Washington has showcased they are a great team. They’ve survived close calls and showed the ability to stay with it last week against USC. Tonight though Oregon State should be ready for this moment. A win and they are a top ten team and play spoiler to Washington’s season. Grab Oregon State at home.

BYU has continued to fade in their first season in the Big 12. They’ve lost consecutive games in blowout fashion and scored a grand total of a mere thirteen points. Yet, they do return home where they are 4-0 on the season. They’re also back in their familiar time slot playing in a late game. Iowa State gets the win but BYU covers on the number.

It has been a tough year for Cincinnati as they are 0-6 in conference play. Throughout the struggles the team has stuck with multi-transfer quarterback Emory Jones. Today, he should have some opportunities against a Houston defense that gives up close to 32 points per game. I like the Bearcats in this spot to have a chance to pull off the small upset, but grab the points.

New Mexico State has ripped through Conference USA play thus far with five straight wins. Their performance on the field has been sharper than their 2-3 start to the season, but also lined up with easier opponents. Look for the Hilltoppers to have the edge today led by quarterback Austin Reed. This could also be a look ahead spot as New Mexico State faces Auburn next.

The Miami Hurricanes will face an NC State team that has had a season of ups and downs. A problem for quarterback MJ Morris has been the ability to avoid mistakes. In his first start against Marshall he had three interceptions, and also struggled against Duke. Look for the Hurricanes to put him in disadvantage situations defensively and pull off a decisive road win. Take Miami. 

Texas State began the season with a 4-1 record. Over their last three games they have failed to cover the spread. They blew a lead against UL Lafayette and let a sloppy fourth quarter blow open a close game last week against Troy. Look for late game situation miscues to continue even in their third straight home game.

Old Dominion may be playing at their peak of their abilities. As a home underdog two weeks ago they upset Appalachian State. Then this past Saturday as near three touchdown underdogs they nearly defeated James Madison. Look for today to be a letdown spot against a Coastal Carolina team that is playing inspired football with backup quarterback Jarrett Guest. Take the road team here in Coastal Carolina.

UL Lafayette has a chance to win consecutive games for the first time in conference play. To get it done they will need to win on the road as they did last week against South Alabama. Arkansas State has a knack for hanging in games but UL Lafayette is going in a strong direction upward with freshman quarterback Zeon Chriss gaining confidence. Take UL Lafayette.

It’s rare to see a team that played in last year’s BCS be on the cusp of falling below .500. TCU has been a completely different team since their starting quarterback Chandler Morris went down. They’ve dropped three of their last four games including a 41-3 loss to Kansas State. Take Texas Tech as the small favorite.

Bowling Green comes into today’s matchup against Ball State with consecutive victories and wins in three of their last four matchups. Yet, in the first set of early Mac-tion games look for a bit of sloppy play tonight. Ball State’s ground attack should offset any issues with the passing game. Look for a battle here with Ball State covering the number. 

One of the top matchups outside of the power five conferences comes between Troy and Texas State. Both teams are 5-2 and rested as they have not played since October 14th. Yet, prior to their bye weeks both teams trajectory was changing. The Bobcats had struggled in close matchups in consecutive weeks, while the Trojans had elevated their play. Take Troy as the big road favorite.

Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall is doubtful today after a scary hit late in last week’s victory over Arkansas State. This is an opportunity for Marshall to over ride poor play over the last three week’s that’s resulted in all losses. I expect the Thundering Herd to come out with much more aggression after an embarrassing nationally televised loss against James Madison. Take Marshall

South Alabama had two straight complete blowout victories before their bye week. The margin of victories were not expected by oddsmakers to that degree, but the competition had a combined conference record of 0-8. Look for the Jaguars to still play solid football but to face a different level of a team in UL Lafayette. Take the underdog here.

Duke is coming off an ineffective game offensively as they lost by eighteen points against Florida State. They’ll face a Louisville team that is off extra rest after having a bye week. That combined with Duke’s Riley Leonard’s uncertainty has inflated this line slightly. Grab Duke plus the six.

The UConn Huskies have played better over the last three weeks. They lost by just a point against Utah State, defeated Rice, and lost by three points against South Florida. Saturday’s opponent in Boston College has won three straight games but also has had issues of playing up or down to the competition. Five of their seven games have been decided by three points or less. Grab the points here with the Huskies.

Sam Houston has had a tough start to their debut of division one football. They are winless at 0-7, but have come close to breaking through. They gave conference leader Liberty their toughest battle of the season, and have had two overtime losses. Today, look for the Bearkats to break through against a UTEP team that scores just sixteen points per game. Lay it with the Bearkats.

Coastal Carolina should be in an advantageous spot today against Arkansas State. At just .500 they are playing in their third straight road game. That’s giving us a bit of value on the spread led by experienced quarterback Grayson McCall. McCall is coming off a season high 373 passing yards and should limit his turnovers in this spot. Take Coastal Carolina over Arkansas State.

Appalachian State has been a team on the cusp of making a run. First year starter Joey Aguilar is coming off his first turnover free game over his last four outings. Additionally, the Mountaineers are well rested after last playing on Tuesday October 10th. After three straight games decided by three points or less this will be a much cleaner showcase. Take Appalachian State.

Each season there are teams that hit a wall in SEC play. At the mid point of the season that appears to be the case for South Carolina. They have lost three of their last four games, and road spots have caused problems. They lost to Tennessee by twenty one points and Georgia by ten. Take Missouri with their octane offense that will give the Gamecocks problems.

Marshall has lost consecutive road after beginning the season 4-0. For the Thundering Herd they have to correct a defense that has surrendered forty one points per game over their last three outings. On a short week and with James Madison coming off their best effort and win of the season, buy stock in Marshall in what should be a competitive game. 

Duke may be on upset alert this week against NC State. The Wolf Pack made a change at quarterback last week by starting MJ Morris. After issues early on with turnovers he got dialed in and led the Wolf Pack to a seven point victory. Duke may also be a little sloppy early after a bye week and the taste of letting their last game slip away against the Irish. Take NC State.

Sometimes a catastrophic loss becomes a rallying cry for a team. No loss could be as severe as what happened to the Miami Hurricanes last week against Georgia Tech. Expect the coaches and players to sense the moment this week on the road against North Carolina. Additionally, with last year’s poor Hurricanes team they held tough to just a three point loss against the Tar Heels. Take Miami.

UL Monroe was an absolute no show in last week’s home loss against South Alabama. Now they must travel on the road against a Texas State team that may be a little shell shocked. They let a sizable lead slip away as they lost late last week against UL Lafayette. This is just a case where you want to play the number and grab a huge amount of points. Take UL Monroe.

James Madison has begun the year with a 5-0 record.  After a bye week they will now enter the heart of Sun Belt conference play with a gauntlet of tough matchups. Expect the Dukes to be better prepared for Georgia Southern’s pass attack after being lit up for a conference high forty five points last season. The loss also knocked out James Madison from the top twenty five. In a revenge spot take James Madison. 

Sam Houston State may be winless but they’ve also been in the majority of their games. The Bearkats last two conference games they played conference leader Liberty tough and had a heart break loss against Jacksonville State.  New Mexico State has not played sound football all year and has followed up a win with a loss each instance. Off their home win against FIU, this is a letdown spot tonight. Take Sam Houston State.

Florida International has stumbled considerably over the past two weeks. They were blown out by Liberty and had a poor second half last week against New Mexico State. Now at .500 they will face a UTEP team that has had extra preparation following a bye week. We want Gavin Hardison to start but if he is unable to I still expect a close game. Take UTEp plus the points.

Oregon State could be in for a let down road spot against the California Bears. They’ve had extra rest due to their home victory last Friday against the Utah Utes. Pressure is also on them as they continue to ascend in the polls. California will do enough to hang around the spread here with the possibility for an upset.

Utah State narrowly avoided losing to a winless UConn team last week. They will face a Colorado State team that has won consecutive games since their overtime thriller against Colorado. Yet, it was against lower level competition of Middle Tennessee State and Utah Tech. Take the Aggies to get the home underdog cover.

South Alabama has been one of the more disappointing non power five schools in college football. At 2-3, they continue to draw spreads of last year’s high performance team. This is the week where they should out perform the number against a UL Monroe team they put forty one points on last season. Take South Alabama

Last week Boston College could of folded after a slow start against Virginia. Instead in the second half they scored twenty points for the come back victory. Slow starts have plagued the Eagles but they can take advantage of Army coming off a bye week. Look for a sluggish Knights start to assist Boston College. Take BC.

Syracuse begins ACC play Saturday with a home game against Clemson. Last year the Tigers limited Garrett Shrader to just 167 passing yards, as Syracuse could not generate offense in the second half. Similar to last season look for Clemson to give Syracuse their first loss, and put the Orange in a tough spot with three straight road games upcoming. Take Clemson

An ugly start for UTEP has featured an offense that is averaging just under fifteen points per game. Yet, three of their games were on the road including back to back games against power five schools. Returning home look for the Miners to have a leg up on a UNLV team that is coming off an over achieving win against Vanderbilt. 

To start the season Buffalo is 0-3, and is coming off consecutive home losses to Fordham and Liberty. Traveling on the road they will face a UL Lafayette team that has shown a potent offense under experienced quarterback Ben Wooldridge. This is a case where even having a senior quarterback with experience in Cole Snyder does not produce a proper impact. Lay it with UL Lafayette.

Thus far TCU has been tough for oddsmakers to get an accurate number on. They were defeated by Colorado as steep favorites, and last week blew out Houston on the road as touchdown favorites. That’s created ATS value in a home rivalry game against SMU. Expect the Mustangs to put forth a solid effort to keep within the touchdown spread. Take SMU

A team that has had a slow start on the season has been New Mexico State. The Aggies lost to Massachusetts to begin the season, and lost by sixteen points last week to Liberty. In an in-state rivalry game against New Mexico look for Aggies quarterback Diego Pavia to finally get going on the season. Take the Aggies plus the points.

Florida International has surprised from an ATS stand point in their first two division one games this season. They covered against Louisiana Tech and pulled off an outright upset last week against North Texas. Although UConn is 0-2 they had a decisive 33 -12 victory over FIU last season. They will lean on that game plan and dictate the line of scrimmage. Back UConn.

Traveling to play on the road at Alabama is always a tough task. For Texas though they come in with the mindset they should have pulled out the victory last season. Expect Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns to play another close competitive game. There may be a double digit lead for Alabama at one point, but look for Texas to stay within range of the number. Take the Longhorns plus the full touchdown.

Jalon Daniels as the starting quarterback for Kansas certainly gives them better chances to win. Yet, to begin the season there will be expected rust. Illinois shook off a potential upset to get by Toledo by two points. They will be sharper tonight and rise to the occasion in their first road game. Grab the points with Illinois.

Over the years the Sun Belt conference has been able to surprise with consistent covers in week one. Last year South Alabama nearly upset UCLA in a narrow 32 to 31 contest. Yet, their twenty one point bowl loss to Western Kentucky was an eye opener for an offense that underachieved at the tail end of the season. Look for Tulane to have a big edge and cover the number.

Today Vanderbilt will be five touchdown favorites against Alabama A&M. Look for the experience of having one game under their belt to be a big boost tonight. A seven point victory over Hawaii last week should serve as a wake up call. Take Vanderbilt to cruise over FCS Alabama A&M.

Minus Coach Jim Harbaugh winning will not be a problem for Michigan against East Carolina. Yet, from a spread stand point the number is to big. Michigan will virtually have to play mistake free football and not settle for any field goals. To high of a spread here take the big underdog in East Carolina.

FCS teams have been valuable to back in their early season matchups against division one schools. This was the case yesterday with Southern Utah nearly upsetting Arizona State. As explosive as Kansas offense is with quarterback Jalon Daniels, Missouri State has confidence from losing to Arkansas by just eleven points last season. Take the underdog here in Missouri State.

College football week one features several blowouts. Expect one here today as Central Florida aims to make a statement now that they are in the Big 12. With a strong experience and talent disparity led by quarterback John Rhys Plumlee the Knights should be close to this number in the first half. Grab the Knights.

In week zero we get a rare conference matchup as Louisiana Tech hosts Florida International. Last season, the Panthers last win of the season came in a double overtime thriller against Louisiana Tech. From that point on Florida International lost their final four games by an average of thirty points. Take the revenge angle here on Louisiana Tech.

Early in the season big numbers ATS can be very tricky to evaluate. USC should no doubt be able to pour it on early and often against San Jose State. The worry is defensively giving up two to three touchdowns. To high of a number here even with last year’s Heisman winner Caleb Williams under center.

Over the past two seasons UMASS has went a combined 2-22 in college football. In fact, their only win last season was against a non division one school in Stony Brook. Yet, the Minutemen are just a touchdown underdog today against New Mexico State. The Aggies come in a bit over valued after winning six of their final seven games, including a bowl win over Bowling Green. Grab the points here with UMASS.

Cabe Klubnik is not your ordinary first time starter for Clemson. He has been used throughout the season. A comeback win over Syracuse and played the majority of their win over UNC in the ACC title game. Tennessee will have the offense under Joe Milton to compete against Clemson, but ultimately look for Clemson to wear down the Vols. Take Clemson on the small number

Kansas is a team that resurrected this year but we don’t know what could of been. Their early season success was stymied when quarterback Daniels was injured. He will play in today’s bowl game and even though his play is not significantly stellar, his presence raises the level of the entire team. Take Kansas and buy the hook to three if you need to.

As electric as Central Florida can be they have a tough matchup against Duke. Sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard has been terrific for the Blue Devils and started to blossom further as the season waned down. Seven of his twenty touchdowns came in the final two games. Take Duke to do enough to end their season above .500 at 7-6.

The bowl period between December 26th-29th is going to feature a lot of 6-6 teams. There are ones that make you scratch your head in why they did not finish with a better record. Memphis fits that category as the majority of their losses in American conference play were slim. As electric as their scoring drives are they somehow find a way to leave the door open for the opposition. That trait makes Utah State a worthy bet. Take them plus the touchdown.

ATS attraction of a quarterback facing his former team is more of a professional football angle in the NFL. Yet, Tuesday it is an angle for quarterback Kyle Vantrease who played for the Buffalo Bulls for five seasons. The quarterback has had a booming season statistically for Georgia Southern throwing for 3,900 yards and 25 touchdowns. A big issue though is he is turnover prone with fifteen interceptions. Expect two to three turnovers to be enough for the Bulls to close within this number. Take Buffalo.

After beginning the season losing five of their first six games, New Mexico State closed out the year winning five of their final six games. This occurred once Diego Pavia took over as the Aggies starting quarterback, who is 4-1 as starter for the Aggies. This will be a competitive bowl game against Bowling Green, but look for the Aggies to continue their strong finish to the season. Take the Aggies.

6-6 SEC teams have historically done well in bowl games. Missouri will have a big challenge on their hand as Wake Forest has been a featured ACC team for several years with their potent offensive attack. Yet, I think Missouri is looking forward to this bowl game as they needed they won their final two games to get in. The favored number on Wake Forest side is warranted but just look for Missouri to be the better team after the long layoff. Play Missouri.

After the first month of the college football season, South Alabama looked like a Sun Belt top tier level team that could be of the likes of former Top 25 conference representatives in Appalachian State and UL Lafayette. As the season progressed their offense tailed off. Their 10-2 record masks the issues that were evident as they pulled out several close wins. With nearly a month off since they last played look for Western Kentucky to expose the Jaguars and deliver a strong performance. 

Washington State has had a solid campaign under new quarterback Cameron Ward, but has yet to defeat any Pac-12 teams with a winning record this year. Tonight will be their final and best opportunity against 13th ranked Washington. The Huskies have been involved in close games all throughout conference play before last week’s eruption and forty-seven point win agains Colorado. Look for their knack of playing to the level of competition to occur again Saturday night. Take Washington State.