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College football bets against the total
07/28/2007 08:11 AM
By: Chance Harper
While many bettors are gearing up for college football, the books are a little slow to get on board, or at least slow to get all teams on the futures board. But until the rest of the Division I-A schools are posted, the win totals for a few schools that are posted warrant consideration for the upcoming season.
What, are 119 teams too many to figure out?
College football bets against the total
Oddsmakers have posted their regular-season totals for college football, but if you’re a handicapper looking to pound the Maryland Terrapins or fade the Colorado State Rams, tough luck. Only 29 of the nation’s biggest-name programs are on the menu. Still, there are some compelling value picks worth investigating.
Michigan Wolverines: Over 10 (-115)
The Wolverines got hosed last year, pure and simple. Yes, the Florida Gators won the national title and Michigan went on to a lackluster 32-18 Rose Bowl loss to the USC Trojans. But Michigan was the real No. 2 team in the nation behind Ohio State.
The Wolverines’ defense isn’t going to be as good this year, but the offense should have no problem lighting up opponents with the star trio of QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and WR Mario Manningham. Michigan should have little problem winning its first 10 games and securing at least a push before facing the Badgers in Wisconsin and the Buckeyes at Ann Arbor.
Kansas State Wildcats: Under 7½ (-140)
The Wildcats wildly outperformed expectations last year, going bowling at 7-6 and beating the Texas Longhorns along the way. No doubt the program is heading in the right direction under Ron Prince, but it’s time for the ‘Cats to come back to earth.
Last year’s squad gave up more points than it allowed and beat a Texas team at home that was missing starting QB Colt McCoy. This time around, KSU has to play the Longhorns in Austin, with other tough road dates against Auburn, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Nebraska. The ‘Cats will likely have to win two of those five games to reach 8-4.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Over 7 (-115)
This might be the five-star deadbolt lock of the season. The defending ACC Coastal champs went 9-5 last year, but dropped their final three games and then watched stud WR Calvin Johnson go second overall in the NFL draft. Don’t sweat it. Each of those three losses was by a field goal, and Tech has a pair of promising red-shirt freshmen wideouts in Correy Earls and Demaryius Thomas filling the depth chart behind No. 1 WR James Johnson.
Losing QB Reggie Ball to academic issues is a case of addition by subtraction; Taylor Bennett was excellent at the Gator Bowl and should have a field day running this offense. Anything short of a conference title will be a disappointment, with at least nine regular season victories a reasonable expectation.
Florida State Seminoles: Under 9½ (-145)
Whoa there. It’s almost certain that the Seminoles will bounce back from their dreadful 7-6 campaign, but 10 wins? Not with a schedule that includes games at Clemson, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Florida.
Chalk up the optimism to coach Bobby Bowden’s long-awaited decision to fire his son Jeff as offensive co-ordinator and bring in Jimbo Fisher. He’ll hand the ball to RB Antone Smith, and Smith will run roughshod over the rest of the ACC. But neither Drew Weatherford nor Xavier Lee has shown any consistency at quarterback. It should be another year before Florida State claims its rightful place among the nation’s elite football programs.
UCLA Bruins: Under 9 (-125)
There are mixed views about how the Bruins will perform in 2007. Some will point to UCLA’s stunning 13-9 win over rival USC (as a 10½-point underdog, no less) as proof of the program’s ascension up the Pacific-10 ladder. But then the Bruins were destroyed 44-27 by the aforementioned Seminoles in the Emerald Bowl. The truth for this season should lie somewhere in between.
The Bruins have a brutal schedule: non-conference games against Notre Dame, Utah and BYU, and visits to USC, Arizona and Oregon State. Squeezing even eight wins out of that lemon would have to be considered a major accomplishment.
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Originally Posted by pags11
