Al McMordie: Play Pirates -2½ at Owls

[SBRforum Staff]

Play Pirates -2½ at Owls
Game Time: 11/18/2006 3:00:00 PM

By: Al McMordie

http://www.phoenixsports.com

Though the Rice Owls have won four straight outright as underdogs, the right play this Saturday in Houston is on the East Carolina Pirates as slight road favorites against Rice.

Our complimentary selection is on the East Carolina Pirates minus the points over the Rice Owls.

Todd Graham's Owls upset Tulsa last week 41-38, in overtime, as a 14-point underdogs for their fourth consecutive outright win as an underdog. But college teams off 3-straight upset wins are a miserable 6-21 ATS when not getting more than 10 points, including 2-19 ATS when matched up against a foe with a win/loss percentgage less than .750.

Take East Carolina as a small road favorite.

Play: East Carolina -2½

[bigboydan]

That ECU is hard to bet against ATS wise, but I do like the Owls in this game myself +2.5.

[Razz]

Hoping this gets to 3. Rice continues to be undervalued, almost to a laughable extent. I believe they will win this game, but that is an interesting angle Big Al presents.

[pags11]

at +4 I'd pull the trigger, but this line seems about right to me...