Big East Betting Preview
The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers helped to cast some attention on the Big East last year with their inspiring play that ended with an 11-2 overall record. But while fans were marveling at the play on the field, bettors were enjoying the pay at the window as the conference went 55-37-3 versus the numbers. What does 2007 hold for the Big East?
Follow the money, and you end up in -- New Jersey?
Big East Betting Preview
That was the case in the Big East last year. The struggle to be considered among the elite conferences in college football was a boon for Big East bettors: 55-37-3 against the spread, led by the scrappy Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 8-3-1 (70.8 percent) ATS. Will the boys from Old Queens turn another big profit in 2007? Or will another surprise club sneak away with the cash?
Rutgers brings much the same look to the field this year that we saw in 2006. The offense is set with Heisman Trophy candidate Ray Rice at tailback; he rushed for 1,794 yards and 20 touchdowns last year. The concern is that quarterback Mike Teel (12 TDs, 13 picks) doesn’t have the skills to keep the offense sufficiently balanced, especially with fullback Brian Leonard and tight end Clark Harris moving on. However, receivers Kenny Britt, Tim Brown and Tiquan Underwood are back for more, and Teel is still developing as he prepares for his junior campaign. With that outstanding defense under returning coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers very much deserves to be part of the very early BCS conversation.
But they won’t be.
As usual, the Big East hype surrounds the West Virginia Mountaineers (+1200 to win BCS title) and the Louisville Cardinals (+2000). Both schools were expected to compete for the conference crown in 2006. The Cards, led by QB Brian Brohm (pictured), prevailed with outstanding play on both sides of the ball and a tasty 9-4 ATS mark. But the Mountaineers, the surprise 2006 Sugar Bowl champions, couldn’t overcome the chalk and finished the year at 5-6-1 ATS despite winning 11 games. Their roles could be reversed in 2007.
Louisville suffered a brain drain when coach Bobby Petrino went to the NFL and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson went to Tulsa. That’s bad news for a club with a lot of holes to fill on defense. WVU, meanwhile, might have its best team yet under coach Rich Rodriguez, one of the most respected minds in the business.
If you’re looking for a Big East upstart, check out South Florida. The Bulls enjoyed a significant turnaround last season, going 9-4 (8-4 ATS) and upsetting WVU as 21-point road dogs in the final week to deny the Mountaineers any chance at a BCS appearance. The defense should be just as strong as before with coach Jim Leavitt in charge. The room for improvement comes on offense, where conference Rookie of the Year QB Matt Grothe will be joined in the backfield by top recruit Mike Ford. He’s got both power and finesse at running back and should make an immediate impact for what could be the most complete offense in the Big East.
Of the remaining clubs in the conference, the most intriguing could be the Cincinnati Bearcats. This will be their first full season under Brian Kelly, the former two-time Division II Coach of the Year who moved on to Central Michigan and turned around the Chippewas during his three-year tenure. The Bearcats offense will have a much different look, with spread formations and zone blocking in the trenches. There are enough good qualities on defense to expect the ‘Cats to be a better team than last year, but from a handicapping standpoint, Cincy already played above its head in 2006 at 8-5 (7-4-1 ATS) despite a tiny point margin of plus-1.46.
Bringing up the rear are the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Connecticut Huskies and the Syracuse Orange all of whom, like Cincinnati, are trying to become more than just basketball powerhouses. But it hasn’t been easy -- Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt can attest to that. The Panthers went 6-6 last year (5-6 ATS) and will have their work cut out to get into a bowl game. They have to play Rutgers, Louisville and WVU all on the road. Good luck with that.
The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers helped to cast some attention on the Big East last year with their inspiring play that ended with an 11-2 overall record. But while fans were marveling at the play on the field, bettors were enjoying the pay at the window as the conference went 55-37-3 versus the numbers. What does 2007 hold for the Big East?
Follow the money, and you end up in -- New Jersey?
Big East Betting Preview
That was the case in the Big East last year. The struggle to be considered among the elite conferences in college football was a boon for Big East bettors: 55-37-3 against the spread, led by the scrappy Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 8-3-1 (70.8 percent) ATS. Will the boys from Old Queens turn another big profit in 2007? Or will another surprise club sneak away with the cash?
Rutgers brings much the same look to the field this year that we saw in 2006. The offense is set with Heisman Trophy candidate Ray Rice at tailback; he rushed for 1,794 yards and 20 touchdowns last year. The concern is that quarterback Mike Teel (12 TDs, 13 picks) doesn’t have the skills to keep the offense sufficiently balanced, especially with fullback Brian Leonard and tight end Clark Harris moving on. However, receivers Kenny Britt, Tim Brown and Tiquan Underwood are back for more, and Teel is still developing as he prepares for his junior campaign. With that outstanding defense under returning coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers very much deserves to be part of the very early BCS conversation.
But they won’t be.
As usual, the Big East hype surrounds the West Virginia Mountaineers (+1200 to win BCS title) and the Louisville Cardinals (+2000). Both schools were expected to compete for the conference crown in 2006. The Cards, led by QB Brian Brohm (pictured), prevailed with outstanding play on both sides of the ball and a tasty 9-4 ATS mark. But the Mountaineers, the surprise 2006 Sugar Bowl champions, couldn’t overcome the chalk and finished the year at 5-6-1 ATS despite winning 11 games. Their roles could be reversed in 2007.
Louisville suffered a brain drain when coach Bobby Petrino went to the NFL and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson went to Tulsa. That’s bad news for a club with a lot of holes to fill on defense. WVU, meanwhile, might have its best team yet under coach Rich Rodriguez, one of the most respected minds in the business.
If you’re looking for a Big East upstart, check out South Florida. The Bulls enjoyed a significant turnaround last season, going 9-4 (8-4 ATS) and upsetting WVU as 21-point road dogs in the final week to deny the Mountaineers any chance at a BCS appearance. The defense should be just as strong as before with coach Jim Leavitt in charge. The room for improvement comes on offense, where conference Rookie of the Year QB Matt Grothe will be joined in the backfield by top recruit Mike Ford. He’s got both power and finesse at running back and should make an immediate impact for what could be the most complete offense in the Big East.
Of the remaining clubs in the conference, the most intriguing could be the Cincinnati Bearcats. This will be their first full season under Brian Kelly, the former two-time Division II Coach of the Year who moved on to Central Michigan and turned around the Chippewas during his three-year tenure. The Bearcats offense will have a much different look, with spread formations and zone blocking in the trenches. There are enough good qualities on defense to expect the ‘Cats to be a better team than last year, but from a handicapping standpoint, Cincy already played above its head in 2006 at 8-5 (7-4-1 ATS) despite a tiny point margin of plus-1.46.
Bringing up the rear are the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Connecticut Huskies and the Syracuse Orange all of whom, like Cincinnati, are trying to become more than just basketball powerhouses. But it hasn’t been easy -- Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt can attest to that. The Panthers went 6-6 last year (5-6 ATS) and will have their work cut out to get into a bowl game. They have to play Rutgers, Louisville and WVU all on the road. Good luck with that.
