Originally Posted by
frogsrangers
Thursday, August 30
One of my favorite days of the sporting year, when I was in college me and my team mates would gather around on this opening night and watch football. Those days are gone but its still a fun year and betting on these games should be fun too.
My first play for August 30 will be the SEC clash between South Carolina and Vanderbilt. I think that the Gamecocks defense is too much for Vanderbilt, who has no offense. I know the Commodores will have the home field advantage but that won't matter much, South Carolina will grind out a win here, so I like South Carolina -6.5 in this one, shouldn't be too difficult of a cover.
The second play for this night is a neutral site game in Shreveport, Louisiana between Texas A&M and Louisiana Tech. This has all the makings of a trap game for the Aggies, because they are more focused on establishing themselves in the SEC and don't really care about WAC teams, meanwhile LA Tech is clearly the class of the watered down WAC and another WAC title for them is a given so they have bigger things on their mind as well, such as beating Texas A&M. Even though its in Louisiana the crowd should be evenly split, but I give the advantage to Lousiana Tech here, they have more to play for while A&M will be looking down the road to their game against Florida next week, Louisiana Tech meanwhile is solid and returns pretty much everyone from last year, and should have beat TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl, so they will be focused. Texas A&M is breaking in a new system on both sides of the ball and will be starting a bonehead at QB who has already embarrased himself off the field, so Louisiana Tech +7.5 is the play here, and play the money line too when it comes out.
My third play for Thursday is Rice +16 at home against UCLA. UCLA is breaking in a new system as well, while Rice isn't, Rice isn't that good but I think at home they will be fired up enough to do just good enough, UCLA may win by 14 or so but 16 is a lot to ask for on the road in a first game under a new scheme. Plus Rice has the benefit of being smarter and won't beat themselves.
Fourth play for Thursday is an easy one, BYU -13.5 against Washington State. Washington State doesn't have the athletes yet to run the air raid offense well off the bat, and going into a hostile environment at BYU is a tough order. Trust me I have been to BYU and they get loud there. BYU will embarrass Wazzu here, they should win by 28+ so its going to be an easy cover.
Fifth play for Thursday is a game between 2 teams jumping into the Division 1 stage that no one knows about. Texas San Antonio led by Larry Coker and South Alabama, who had an unbeaten year in 2010. I really like South Alabama here at home, simply because they have experience under their belt, while Texas San Antonio is playing their first ever game, so it could be sloppy. The spread is only 6.5, which isn't that much. UTSA may have better athletes but USA will win the execution war, and has homefield advantage, so South Alabama -6.5 is the call here.