Big East 2010 Season Betting Preview
A dominant force on the college hardwood, the Big East is a little brother among BCS conferences on the gridiron. Ruled by Cincinnati the past two years, the conference will begin the 2010 season looking for its new star among the schools. Pitt and West Virginia are the favorites among the college football oddsmakers, each at plus 250 to represent the conference come early January in a BCS postseason bowl.
Betting the Big East – or the Big Least, as it is sometimes called due to its weak-sister status among BCS conferences – should be different this college football season.
Two-time defending Big East champion Cincinnati is under construction after the departure of head coach Brian Kelly (Notre Dame) and quarterback Tony Pike (Carolina Panthers), meaning there’s opportunity for another school to step into the limelight.
Enter Pittsburgh, which is listed as a +250 betting odds co-favorite along with West Virginia and Connecticut to win the Big East outright this season. The Panthers went 10-3 SU and 8-4 ATS last season, and finished 17th in the BCS standings before edging North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
I like Pitt to stay where it’s at both in the standings and at the window, and for that to be enough for it to represent the conference in the BCS. Dave Wannstedt has been the best recruiter in the Big East over the last five years, and it should be noted the Panthers lost three games by a combined 11 points last season.
The Huskies were the best spread wager in the country at 11-2 ATS (8-3 SU) last season, and it looks like they’re ready for the big time. UConn was competitive in every game it played last year, and was more formidable than the vaunted basketball program for once.
Head coach Randy Edsall returns 16 starters, and that, along with their status as a profitable wager, should drive up the price on the Huskies. Expect Connecticut to play ‘over’ its 8-win total, but to regress to the mean against the spread.
The Mountaineers are a little overvalued, but they’re still a good football team. With depth issues, and a new quarterback in Geno Smith, WVU needs to lean on Noel Devine and its stellar running game.
A late September date at LSU could prove to be a telltale sign for the Mountaineers. If West Virginia acquits itself well by covering the spread as underdogs, it means it’s a team worth following in the Big East.
As for the Bearcats, expect a major step back for the conference’s top program over the last two years. As much as losing Kelly and Pike hurts, new head coach Butch Jones is a solid replacement and junior quarterback Zach Collaros has won 34 straight starts dating back to high school.
That said, the defense is a huge question mark at Cincinnati. The unit was downright awful at the end of last season, when it allowed 45, 21, 36, 44, and 51 points in the Bearcats’ final five games.
If Cincy figures to be overrated and overvalued because of its status as the defending Big East champion, Rutgers is flying under the radar. The Panthers look like the smart wager to win the conference, but the Scarlet Knights (+500) are a sleeper.
Rutgers features one of the best defenses in college football, and in a league that isn’t at the level of the Mountain West or even the upper-end of the WAC, it could be enough in a year in which there are no dominant teams. Back the Knights to make money and to cash the ‘over’ on their 7-win total.
At the bottom of the conference, only Syracuse has a realistic chance of making inroads. The Orange were only 4-8 SU and 6-6 ATS last season, but they beat Rutgers and Northwestern, and held their own against Cincinnati and Penn State.
With an easier schedule this season, handicap ‘Cuse to flirt with the .500 mark and to stay in the black for bettors.
The same can’t be said for South Florida, which has games at Florida, Miami, West Virginia, and Cincinnati on its slate. A BCS bowl game is head coach Skip Holtz’s stated goal, but the Bulls will have to be satisfied with a step back in the Big East.
Charlie Strong is in for Steve Kragthorpe at Louisville, and patience is required from both fans and bettors alike. The Cardinals have no proven quarterback, and the defense lacks depth and talent.
Strong has brought in a good recruiting class, however, and the newcomers might have to contribute right away. Cap Louisville to struggle early, but to be a sharp wager late in the season when it’s seeing plenty of points from opponents.
A dominant force on the college hardwood, the Big East is a little brother among BCS conferences on the gridiron. Ruled by Cincinnati the past two years, the conference will begin the 2010 season looking for its new star among the schools. Pitt and West Virginia are the favorites among the college football oddsmakers, each at plus 250 to represent the conference come early January in a BCS postseason bowl.
Betting the Big East – or the Big Least, as it is sometimes called due to its weak-sister status among BCS conferences – should be different this college football season.
Two-time defending Big East champion Cincinnati is under construction after the departure of head coach Brian Kelly (Notre Dame) and quarterback Tony Pike (Carolina Panthers), meaning there’s opportunity for another school to step into the limelight.
Enter Pittsburgh, which is listed as a +250 betting odds co-favorite along with West Virginia and Connecticut to win the Big East outright this season. The Panthers went 10-3 SU and 8-4 ATS last season, and finished 17th in the BCS standings before edging North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
I like Pitt to stay where it’s at both in the standings and at the window, and for that to be enough for it to represent the conference in the BCS. Dave Wannstedt has been the best recruiter in the Big East over the last five years, and it should be noted the Panthers lost three games by a combined 11 points last season.
The Huskies were the best spread wager in the country at 11-2 ATS (8-3 SU) last season, and it looks like they’re ready for the big time. UConn was competitive in every game it played last year, and was more formidable than the vaunted basketball program for once.
Head coach Randy Edsall returns 16 starters, and that, along with their status as a profitable wager, should drive up the price on the Huskies. Expect Connecticut to play ‘over’ its 8-win total, but to regress to the mean against the spread.
The Mountaineers are a little overvalued, but they’re still a good football team. With depth issues, and a new quarterback in Geno Smith, WVU needs to lean on Noel Devine and its stellar running game.
A late September date at LSU could prove to be a telltale sign for the Mountaineers. If West Virginia acquits itself well by covering the spread as underdogs, it means it’s a team worth following in the Big East.
As for the Bearcats, expect a major step back for the conference’s top program over the last two years. As much as losing Kelly and Pike hurts, new head coach Butch Jones is a solid replacement and junior quarterback Zach Collaros has won 34 straight starts dating back to high school.
That said, the defense is a huge question mark at Cincinnati. The unit was downright awful at the end of last season, when it allowed 45, 21, 36, 44, and 51 points in the Bearcats’ final five games.
If Cincy figures to be overrated and overvalued because of its status as the defending Big East champion, Rutgers is flying under the radar. The Panthers look like the smart wager to win the conference, but the Scarlet Knights (+500) are a sleeper.
Rutgers features one of the best defenses in college football, and in a league that isn’t at the level of the Mountain West or even the upper-end of the WAC, it could be enough in a year in which there are no dominant teams. Back the Knights to make money and to cash the ‘over’ on their 7-win total.
At the bottom of the conference, only Syracuse has a realistic chance of making inroads. The Orange were only 4-8 SU and 6-6 ATS last season, but they beat Rutgers and Northwestern, and held their own against Cincinnati and Penn State.
With an easier schedule this season, handicap ‘Cuse to flirt with the .500 mark and to stay in the black for bettors.
The same can’t be said for South Florida, which has games at Florida, Miami, West Virginia, and Cincinnati on its slate. A BCS bowl game is head coach Skip Holtz’s stated goal, but the Bulls will have to be satisfied with a step back in the Big East.
Charlie Strong is in for Steve Kragthorpe at Louisville, and patience is required from both fans and bettors alike. The Cardinals have no proven quarterback, and the defense lacks depth and talent.
Strong has brought in a good recruiting class, however, and the newcomers might have to contribute right away. Cap Louisville to struggle early, but to be a sharp wager late in the season when it’s seeing plenty of points from opponents.
