The Denver Broncos have rolled off three straight wins, including last week’s blowout over the Las Vegas Raiders. Sunday’s game should be much different as the Chargers are coming out of a bye week. They’ll also be hungry to end a two game skid. With any rookie quarterback there are going to be highs and lows. Look for the Chargers to be prepared to limit Bo Nix effectiveness. Take the Chargers.

The New Orlean Saints find themselves on a short week against a Buccaneers team coming off a Thursday game. On top of that, they are going to be starting a rookie fifth round quarterback in Spencer Rattler. Look for the Saints to rely on their defense and have enough in the arsenal to move the ball with Rattler. The defense sparked the Saints in an upset late in the season during the Buccaneers four game win streak. Grab the home underdog here in the Saints.

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 Kansas City Chiefs remain one of two teams left that are undefeated. With all their injuries on the offensive side of the football, it has caused the offense to look average. On top of that Patrick Mahomes has just six touchdowns to five interceptions. Yet, this Chiefs team showed in their Super Bowl run last year that they don’t need their offense to be elite to get wins and covers. Look for the defense to set their offense with manageable drives and keep the Saints offense in check.  Take the Chiefs as the favorite.

The Las Vegas Raiders have turmoil within the organization once again. It was this time a season ago that the falling out was nearing an end with Josh McDaniels. Antonio Pierce and the Raiders got away with a win last week against the Browns despite a poor first quarter down 10-0, and a fourth quarter they were completely outplayed. That plays into the hand of Sean Payton that has his team prepared for a four quarter battle. Take the home team here with the Broncos.

Sunday offers a buy low spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Who had opportunities in last week’s loss to Houston, and afterwards Doug Peterson took some heat. Often times we see a veteran backup quarterback come in and succeed. Joe Flacco did so filling in for Anthony Richardson in last week’s win over Pittsburgh, but getting a start is entirely different. Take Jacksonville as they get their first win of the season and cover at home.

The Minnesota Vikings have jumped out to a 4-0 season record, as underdogs in three of the four matchups. Now they find themselves as the biggest favorites they have been this season against the Jets in London. This should be an all out battle, but look for the way that the Vikings finished their game against the Packers to have lingering effects. For the first time they looked vulnerable as they barely held on after a four touchdown lead. Take the Jets to cover the small number.

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. 

The Cincinnati Bengals truthfully could be a 3-0 team. They were in position to win all three of their games against the Patriots, Chiefs, and last week’s loss against the Commanders. The offense has to help their struggling defense by turning drives from field goals to touchdowns. Often times we see veteran backups step in at the quarterback position and ignite their team in their first start before a big swing the other direction. Take the Bengals to pick up their first win of the season and cover.

The New Orleans Saints must recover after a poor showing offensively in last week’s home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. With a bevy of injuries on both sides of the football the game plan is going to center on their defense. Atlanta is already 0-2 at home and there seems to be a lack of synergy to finish out a game. Take the Saints to manage through their injuries against the Falcons.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the daunting task of traveling on the road once again after Monday’s blowout loss to Buffalo. The good news is they will be playing a divisional rival in the Houston Texans. It’s actually the last win Trevor Lawrence had under center back in November of 2023. Look for the offense to perform better without a ballooned deficit to work out of. Take the points with the Jaguars.

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.

Over Trevor Lawrence’s last seven starts the Jaguars are winless. But this creates a value spot on an over reaction. Jacksonville was still in both of their games thanks to their defense, in two close losses. Additionally, Jacksonville excelled in last year’s London 25-20 win over Buffalo. The defense limited the Bills to just twenty nine rushing yards, and Trevor Lawrence had one of this two 300 yard passing games on the season. Grab the points with Jacksonville.

Detroit is fortunate they are not 0-2 on the season. Sometimes getting on the road for the first time can help alleviate some of the early season rust. Detroit gets to face an Arizona Cardinals team that is coming off their most lopsided victory since the 2016 season. Sell high spot here on the Cardinals, as the Lions gut out a tough road win in Arizona.

Tampa Bay’s start to the season has featured two strong performances over Washington and Detroit. Washington featured a rookie quarterback in his first start, and Tampa Bay had familiarity in their third matchup against Detroit in the past year. As poor as Denver has played offensively, they have lost both their games by a touchdown or less. Look for Denver to fight once again and get a road cover at Tampa.

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.

Pittsburgh showed their defensive might in week one on the road against Atlanta. The offense did not have to show much, and now will have to go on the road for a second consecutive week. Denver’s rookie quarterback Bo Nix did not have a good first game, but stuck with it and got the Broncos into the end zone on their final drive. Take Denver at home to clean up the offense and battle defensively against the Steelers.

The Detroit Lions will be sizable favorites every week, and showed that with an enormous line move before Sunday night football last week. Now instead of a 3.5 point favorite they have ballooned double the number against Tampa Bay. This is a rare spot I don’t mind backing the big number. This is the third matchup between the Lions and Buccaneers over the last two seasons, and Tampa Bay has always been an untrustworthy team off a big win. Lay it with the Lions

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.

The New York Jets throughout most of the summer were +5.5 against San Francisco, now we have seen the number bounce around to 3.5,  now back to 4.5. This is a key number to grab early in the AM as this likely will come down again. This is a 49ers team similar to Cincinnati that has had distractions with their premier wide receiver in Brandon Aiyuk, tackle in Trent Williams, and Christian McCaffrey is dinged up going into the season. Not to mention Brock Purdy was shaky in the preseason. Take the Jets plus the points.

The Washington Commanders are another team that have a new Coach in Dan Quinn and a new OC with Kliff Kingsbury. They got their rookie quarterback with Jaylen Daniels who is going to bring a versatile element that’s unexpected week one. Expect the Commanders to be ready on both sides of he football from a prep stand point. Take the Commanders. 

I’m a proponent of backing a team with a new coach. For the LA Chargers they not only brought in John Harbaugh as coach, but they shifted a lot of personnel. No longer is Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler. Still defensively, they’ve had success against the Raiders including Khalil Mack having a monster sack game. Take the Chargers as Harbaugh comes out victorious on the small number

The Chicago Bears have heightened new expectations even with a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams. Last year the Tennessee Titans were one of the more frustrating teams because of their inability to compete in second halves. That’s a trait I don’t expect Will Levis to shake in week one against a strong Bears defense. Take the Bears to win by four points or more.

The Minnesota Vikings have veteran Sam Darnold leading the team with rookie JJ McCarthy out for the year. With all the issues the Vikings had the second half of the season at the quarterback position, the Vikings could be getting decreased attention from oddsmakers in week one. The New York Giants will be better than most anticipate offensively, but expect the rust to show for Daniel Jones who is as turnover prone as any starter in football. Take the Vikings.

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.

Most of the week I was leaning towards the Rams side. But something about home field advantage typically carries over in the postseason. We saw this in both of yesterday’s postseason openers. On a small number I trust the Detroit potent offense to push the football down the field on a young Rams defense. Close game but Detroit cashes ATS.

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.

With the Jaguars trailing at halftime now is where I see a bit more value on the Buffalo Bills side. Even with the Bills likely to be in with a Jags loss, they still want the momentum of closing out their season strong. Additionally, they could win the division with a win over Miami. Grab the Bills.

We have seen two scenarios so far where resting starters has led to an easy victory for the opposition. We saw Pittsburgh pull away from Baltimore, and Cincinnati blow out Cleveland. With Kansas City, I expect a different outcome. Blaine Gabbert is a long time veteran, and the Chiefs have filled their roster with complimentary players versus a couple of stars. Grab the Chiefs.

Kevin O’Connell has got a few wins simply by rotating quarterbacks. It started with Josh Dobbs, and although they did not win Nick Mullens had success with the offense. Look for Hall to have similar success but to cut out the turnovers. Green Bay is thin in their skill positions. Take the Vikings to complete the season sweep over Green Bay.

Buy the half point on the market here with the Saints. I’ve been big on the Buccaneers during their hot streak, but facing a divisional opponent is where team weaknesses can be exposed. The Bucs needed a last minute touchdown to escape in a recent win over the Falcons, and I believe they’ll be in for a true battle Sunday. Take the points on a sell high spot after Tampa Bay’s blowout over Jacksonville.

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.

New England’s season of high losses is likely to to continue tonight against Denver. Yet, I think the spread is to high here. New England has been a bit better defensively, and Russ Wilson is showing a bit of an end of season slide. Take the points here with the Patriots.

Jacksonville has been dynamite on the road with a 5-1 record, but they did lose at Cleveland and are on a three game losing streak. Tampa Bay has opened up the offense a bit more and Baker Mayfield surprisingly has found a home. Jacksonville may get the early lead here but look for Tampa Bay’s strong end of season to continue. Take the Bucs.

Buffalo has taken care of business on their home field this season. Their issues have been on the road and in Europe. While Dallas projects as the better team I see this as a spot where the Bills continue their push. Look for their new way of grinding out wins to payoff as they handle the Cowboys. Grab Buffalo.

Late in the season we see teams start to over acheive for the following season. The Tennessee Titans could be in that boat with quarterback Will Levi. Houston has had issues with their own quarterback injuries, and depth issues. Take the Titans even on a short week Sunday.

Post bye week I expect the Vikings to have corrected issues with quarterback Josh Dobbs, who is still adjusting after being traded. The Vegas Raiders are going to also have success but this boils down to the Vikings being in a must win situation. Look for Coach O'Connell to utilize his tail backs more and get the play making needed to pull out the win. Grab the Vikings.

Quick write up here but the Bears strength on stopping the run should limit a Lions team offensively. Justin Fields tends to have some of his better games through the air in the division as well. Take the home underdog in the Bears.

To be down to an emergency starting quarterback in Joe Flacco is a rare site in the NFL. The veteran will step in for a team that did not do well offensively as a small road underdog last week against the Broncos. Still, this is a team that has managed to overcome a lot and has not folded multiple weeks in a row. Take the Browns plus the points. 

It is common knowledge that Arizona does not want to win as they try and keep their chances high for a top draft pick. Traveling to face a Pittsburgh team that is rejuvenated offensively is a tricky spot. Still, I expect a good effort more to the tune of what we saw a couple of weeks ago against Houston. Take the big number underdog Cardinals here.

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.

Jacksonville has had just one blemish and that was acceptable since it came at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. For the Texans this is a chance to show that they are more than an up and coming young team. Look for the Texans to step up to the challenge and sweep the Jaguars this season.

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.

The surprise element to a team can provide a spark no matter how down the season has been. We have seen this with the Raiders and for one week with Arizona and Kyler Murray. Houston has been potent with their offense but they are 0-3 ATS this year against NFC opponents in the Bucs, Panthers, and Falcons. Grab the points here with Arizona.

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.

A game of importance will be the San Francisco 49ers versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. This is the game many will be watching to see if the Jaguars are the real deal. At 6-2, this could catapult them to a serious AFC postseason threat. Yet, I like the 49ers to come out of their bye week with the mindset they’ve had in the prior years. Take the 49ers to pull out a close road win and cover the number.

The Green Bay Packers have been a hard team to watch. Even with a clear advantage at home last week against the Rams they struggled to move the football. They closed the door finally and in the NFL all it takes is one win to regain a teams confidence. On the road take the points here with the Packers. 

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 Raiders made a long overdue switch by firing Josh McDaniels. A move of this sorts typically ignites a team which has been solid at home. They won tight games against both the Packers and Patriots. While the talent is going to need an overhaul look for the Raiders to play inspired football and beat the Giants.

Throughout the NFL we are seeing teams make a change at the quarterback position. Tampa Bay appears they may be headed in that direction as well. Baker Mayfield had several opportunities against the Falcons and could not deliver and struggled for much of the game against the Bills. Take the Texans on a buy low spot coming off a loss to Carolina.

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. 

The Packers have not had a home game since late September. As a result they have lost some close calls to the Raiders and Broncos. Facing a resurgent Vikings team look for the Packers to get off to a better start. Protecting their first year starter should be a bit easier at home, and look for the Vikings miscues to occur. Take the Packers. 

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.