Week 13 College Football Betting Review
Week 13 College Football Betting Review
By: Chance Harper | sbrforum.com
It was a pretty good Saturday for favorites on the college football gridirons as chalk ran up a 26-19 mark for the week. That pushed faves to a 308-302-10 season record, leaving the books happy with the 50-50 split. Among those laying points to cash were Oklahoma (-7) in a 65-21 rout over Texas Tech and Ohio State (-20½) with a big 49-18 win over their Big Ten rivals from Michigan.
Favorites took a small and statistically insignificant lead in the standings with a solid 26-19 ATS (58%) record in Week 13. The week of good fortune lifts teams giving points to 308-302-10 on the season, which essentially amounts to a dream 50-50 split for sportsbooks.
It was a particularly profitable week for home favorites (17-12 ATS), as oddsmakers across the board underestimated more than one teams’ advantage on its own turf. This was most evident in No. 3 Oklahoma’s 65-21 pasting of No. 7 Texas Tech – a game in which the Sooners easily covered as 7-point home favorites on the betting odds. Quarterback Sam Bradford’s 304 yards passing and four touchdowns was only half the story, because the Oklahoma (10-1, 8-2 ATS) backfield ripped the Red Raiders’ defense for almost 300 yards on the ground.
No. 6 Penn State (-16½) rolled past No. 22 Michigan 49-18, staking the Nittany Lions’ claim to the Big Ten title. Penn State backers benefited from a strong performance on the defensive side of the football, as Spartans superstar Javon Ringer was held to 42 yards rushing with a touchdown.
No. 10 Ohio State (-20½) covered even bigger chalk at the Horseshoe against rival Michigan (3-9, 2-10 ATS), which needed much more than the nearly three touchdowns handed to it by oddsmakers. Beanie Wells sprinted for 124 yards with a score for a Buckeyes offense, the difference against Rich Rodriguez’s historically-dismal Wolverines squad.
Down the road, No. 16 Cincinnati got a huge step closer to its first Big East crown with its first-ever SU win over then-No. 20 Pittsburgh. The Bearcats held on to rock the Panthers 28-21 as 6-point home faves after leading by three touchdowns early in the fourth quarter. Cincy held Pitt to 35 yards on the ground in the cover, while QB Tony Pike was 26-of-32 for 309 yards with three TD tosses.
The books also couldn’t account for BYU quarterback Max Hall handing the MWC championship to No. 8 Utah last week in the Cougars’ 48-24 drubbing at the hands of the Utes. Hall was picked off five times for No. 20 Brigham Young, which came nowhere close to cashing as 6.5-point road underdogs. Utah blew open a 17-17 deadlock midway through the second quarter because of Hall’s inability to put together a drive, as the Cougars fell to 3-8 against the number despite an impressive 10-2 SU record this season.
Away favorites also kept backers smiling in Week 13, although 9-7 ATS in 16 matchups isn’t enough of an extrapolation to stop the presses. No. 15 Ball State (11-0, 8-2 ATS) maintained its perfect season with a hard-fought 31-24 triumph at Central Michigan, making some coin for bettors as 6-point faves. Briggs Orsbon’s 11-yard touchdown reception with 7:29 left was the difference for the Cardinals, who set up the win on the back of MiQuale Lewis’ 177 yards rushing.
The air attack was the weapon of choice for No. 9 Boise State in its 41-34 win (-6½) at Nevada. Kellen Moore overcame three interceptions to rack up 414 passing yards with three TD passes for the Broncos, who won the WAC for the second time in three years.
No. 23 Florida State effectively swapped places with then-No. 22 Maryland as the Seminoles made a mess of the 2-point road fave tag slapped on them by oddsmakers. Christian Ponder didn’t leave any room for questioning by amassing 143 yards through the air and 81 yards on foot, as the athletic QB finished with a score of each variety in the 37-3 win.
Just because it was a good week for faves doesn’t mean there weren’t some stunners that left cappers scratching their heads. Mississippi (+3) came out of nowhere to slap then-No. 18 LSU around in its 31-13 pounding of the Tigers at Baton Rouge. The Rebels followed up the upset by grabbing the final spot in the AP rankings on Sunday.
Likewise for Syracuse in South Bend, as the Orange flipped their status as 19½-point pups to clip Notre Dame 24-23 on a touchdown in the final minute. No. 17 Oregon State also bucked the odds by staying alive in its quest for the Rose Bowl opposite Penn State by covering (+3½) at Arizona. Justin Kahut’s 24-yard field goal as time expired pushed the Beavers to the dressing room with the victory, after the kicker muffed the extra point with Oregon State down 17-16 with 3:58 remaining.
By: Chance Harper | sbrforum.com
It was a pretty good Saturday for favorites on the college football gridirons as chalk ran up a 26-19 mark for the week. That pushed faves to a 308-302-10 season record, leaving the books happy with the 50-50 split. Among those laying points to cash were Oklahoma (-7) in a 65-21 rout over Texas Tech and Ohio State (-20½) with a big 49-18 win over their Big Ten rivals from Michigan.
Favorites took a small and statistically insignificant lead in the standings with a solid 26-19 ATS (58%) record in Week 13. The week of good fortune lifts teams giving points to 308-302-10 on the season, which essentially amounts to a dream 50-50 split for sportsbooks.
It was a particularly profitable week for home favorites (17-12 ATS), as oddsmakers across the board underestimated more than one teams’ advantage on its own turf. This was most evident in No. 3 Oklahoma’s 65-21 pasting of No. 7 Texas Tech – a game in which the Sooners easily covered as 7-point home favorites on the betting odds. Quarterback Sam Bradford’s 304 yards passing and four touchdowns was only half the story, because the Oklahoma (10-1, 8-2 ATS) backfield ripped the Red Raiders’ defense for almost 300 yards on the ground.
No. 6 Penn State (-16½) rolled past No. 22 Michigan 49-18, staking the Nittany Lions’ claim to the Big Ten title. Penn State backers benefited from a strong performance on the defensive side of the football, as Spartans superstar Javon Ringer was held to 42 yards rushing with a touchdown.
No. 10 Ohio State (-20½) covered even bigger chalk at the Horseshoe against rival Michigan (3-9, 2-10 ATS), which needed much more than the nearly three touchdowns handed to it by oddsmakers. Beanie Wells sprinted for 124 yards with a score for a Buckeyes offense, the difference against Rich Rodriguez’s historically-dismal Wolverines squad.
Down the road, No. 16 Cincinnati got a huge step closer to its first Big East crown with its first-ever SU win over then-No. 20 Pittsburgh. The Bearcats held on to rock the Panthers 28-21 as 6-point home faves after leading by three touchdowns early in the fourth quarter. Cincy held Pitt to 35 yards on the ground in the cover, while QB Tony Pike was 26-of-32 for 309 yards with three TD tosses.
The books also couldn’t account for BYU quarterback Max Hall handing the MWC championship to No. 8 Utah last week in the Cougars’ 48-24 drubbing at the hands of the Utes. Hall was picked off five times for No. 20 Brigham Young, which came nowhere close to cashing as 6.5-point road underdogs. Utah blew open a 17-17 deadlock midway through the second quarter because of Hall’s inability to put together a drive, as the Cougars fell to 3-8 against the number despite an impressive 10-2 SU record this season.
Away favorites also kept backers smiling in Week 13, although 9-7 ATS in 16 matchups isn’t enough of an extrapolation to stop the presses. No. 15 Ball State (11-0, 8-2 ATS) maintained its perfect season with a hard-fought 31-24 triumph at Central Michigan, making some coin for bettors as 6-point faves. Briggs Orsbon’s 11-yard touchdown reception with 7:29 left was the difference for the Cardinals, who set up the win on the back of MiQuale Lewis’ 177 yards rushing.
The air attack was the weapon of choice for No. 9 Boise State in its 41-34 win (-6½) at Nevada. Kellen Moore overcame three interceptions to rack up 414 passing yards with three TD passes for the Broncos, who won the WAC for the second time in three years.
No. 23 Florida State effectively swapped places with then-No. 22 Maryland as the Seminoles made a mess of the 2-point road fave tag slapped on them by oddsmakers. Christian Ponder didn’t leave any room for questioning by amassing 143 yards through the air and 81 yards on foot, as the athletic QB finished with a score of each variety in the 37-3 win.
Just because it was a good week for faves doesn’t mean there weren’t some stunners that left cappers scratching their heads. Mississippi (+3) came out of nowhere to slap then-No. 18 LSU around in its 31-13 pounding of the Tigers at Baton Rouge. The Rebels followed up the upset by grabbing the final spot in the AP rankings on Sunday.
Likewise for Syracuse in South Bend, as the Orange flipped their status as 19½-point pups to clip Notre Dame 24-23 on a touchdown in the final minute. No. 17 Oregon State also bucked the odds by staying alive in its quest for the Rose Bowl opposite Penn State by covering (+3½) at Arizona. Justin Kahut’s 24-yard field goal as time expired pushed the Beavers to the dressing room with the victory, after the kicker muffed the extra point with Oregon State down 17-16 with 3:58 remaining.