English Premier TODAY 17:30
| Aston Villa | v | Man City |
| HOME | DRAW | AWAY | ||||
| SS1 | 6 | 10/3 | 4/9 | More markets |
| RECENT FORM | LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ASTON VILLA | RECENT FORM |
|---|---|---|
HDHLHWAWHLAL Most recent
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| ADALHDHWAWHD Most recent
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EXPERT VERDICT: Aston Villa started the season brightly but have been exposed against the big guns recently, losing 3-0 to Chelsea and Arsenal in their last two outings. Manchester City have been solid on the road, taking seven points from three league away games, and have won five of their last six league meetings with the Villans.
RECOMMENDATION: Man City
3
REFEREE: Chris Foy STADIUM:
English Championship TODAY 12:15
| Leeds | v | Sheff Wed |
| HOME | DRAW | AWAY | ||||
| SS1 | 21/10 | 12/5 | 29/20 | More markets |
| RECENT FORM | LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEEDS | RECENT FORM |
|---|---|---|
HWADAWHWALHD Most recent
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| ADAWHWALALHD Most recent
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EXPERT VERDICT: Leeds have not won either of their matches under Darko Milanic and that run could be extended to three after Sheffield Wednesday have left Elland Road. United have not scored in their last two and a tight match looks on the cards against a defensively solid Wednesday outfit.
RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1
English Premier TODAY 15:00
| Liverpool | v | West Brom |
| HOME | DRAW | AWAY | ||||
| 9/20 | 15/4 | 7 | More markets |
| RECENT FORM | LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LIVERPOOL | RECENT FORM |
|---|---|---|
HLHWALHD*HDAL Most recent
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| HD*ALHLAWHWHW Most recent
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EXPERT VERDICT: Liverpool have been out of sorts this season - the Reds have won just two of six Premier League games and won just one of three league games at Anfield. West Brom have a strong record against Liverpool, losing just one of the last five league meetings and winning on two of their last three trips to Anfield.
RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1
REFEREE: Michael Oliver STADIUM:
English Premier TODAY 15:00
| Leicester | v | Burnley |
| HOME | DRAW | AWAY | ||||
| 8/11 | 14/5 | 9/2 | More markets |
| RECENT FORM | LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEICESTER | RECENT FORM |
|---|---|---|
ALHLHDAWHWAL Most recent
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| ALHLHDADHDAL Most recent
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EXPERT VERDICT: After their sensational 5-3 victory over Manchester United, Leicester were brought back down to earth by Crystal Palace last week but they can return to winning ways against toothless Burnley. A chronic lack of goals has been the Clarets’ downfall and that weakness could be exposed once again by the Foxes.
RECOMMENDATION: Leicester
3
REFEREE: Phil Dowd STADIUM:
English Premier TODAY 15:00
| Swansea | v | Newcastle |
| HOME | DRAW | AWAY | ||||
| 5/6 | 5/2 | 3 | More markets |
| RECENT FORM | LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SWANSEA | RECENT FORM |
|---|---|---|
HWHWALHLHWAD Most recent
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| AWHDALHDAD*AL Most recent
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EXPERT VERDICT: After a fast start, Swansea are just starting to struggle and have failed to win in three league games after opening up with a maximum nine points. However, Newcastle are still looking for their first Premier League success of the season and off-field issues continue to cause problems.
RECOMMENDATION: Swansea
3
REFEREE: Lee Mason STADIUM:
English Premier TODAY 15:00
| Hull | v | C Palace |
| HOME | DRAW | AWAY | ||||
| 23/20 | 12/5 | 13/5 | More markets |
| RECENT FORM | LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT HULL | RECENT FORM |
|---|---|---|
HWALHDADALHL Most recent
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| AWADHDAWHD*HW Most recent
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EXPERT VERDICT: Hull are leaking goals all over the place, failing to keep a clean sheet in seven matches in all competitions and conceding 11 goals in six Premier League games. Crystal Palace are on the up under new manager Neil Warnock, going unbeaten in 90 minutes in five matches and scoring ten goals.
RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
4
REFEREE: Mike Dean STADIUM: Kingston Communication Stad.
CFL Betting Recap - Week 14
By Joe Williams
League Betting Notes
-- Favorites went 3-1 straight up in Week 14
-- Favorites went 3-1 ATS in Week 14
-- Home/road teams posted a 2-2 SU record in Week 14
-- Home/road teams posted a 2-2 ATS record in Week 14
-- The 'under' went 4-0 in Week 14
Team Betting Notes
-- For the first time since Week 10, the 'under' came through in a majority of the weekend's games.
-- The East Division is suddenly showing some signs of life. After a surprising Week 13, the East picked up another huge win when Hamilton (5-7) won 16-11 on the road in Winnipeg (6-7). The TiCats have won a season-high three in a row, going 2-1 ATS during the stretch.
-- The Blue Bombers were actually tied for first place in the West after a 5-1 start, but they have dropped six of the past seven to go under .500 for the first time this season. They have failed to cover the past three, and five of the past seven.
-- Montreal (5-8), like Hamilton, has caught fire lately. The Alouettes have won back-to-back games for just the second time this season, and they're 4-1 SU/ATS over the past five.
-- Saskatchewan (9-4) was blanked in Edmonton (9-4), as the RoughRiders are going through a rough patch. Saskatchewan was 5-2 ATS from July 26 through Sept. 7, but they are 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS over the past three.
-- After last week's shocking loss to the Alouettes, Calgary (11-2) got back on track with a 14-7 win and cover over the BCLions (7-6).
-- Lions have now dropped three of their past five games overall, and they're 1-4 ATS during the slide. The 'under' has also cashed in five of the past six for the Lions, and is 3-10 overall this season.
By Joe Williams
League Betting Notes
-- Favorites went 3-1 straight up in Week 14
-- Favorites went 3-1 ATS in Week 14
-- Home/road teams posted a 2-2 SU record in Week 14
-- Home/road teams posted a 2-2 ATS record in Week 14
-- The 'under' went 4-0 in Week 14
Team Betting Notes
-- For the first time since Week 10, the 'under' came through in a majority of the weekend's games.
-- The East Division is suddenly showing some signs of life. After a surprising Week 13, the East picked up another huge win when Hamilton (5-7) won 16-11 on the road in Winnipeg (6-7). The TiCats have won a season-high three in a row, going 2-1 ATS during the stretch.
-- The Blue Bombers were actually tied for first place in the West after a 5-1 start, but they have dropped six of the past seven to go under .500 for the first time this season. They have failed to cover the past three, and five of the past seven.
-- Montreal (5-8), like Hamilton, has caught fire lately. The Alouettes have won back-to-back games for just the second time this season, and they're 4-1 SU/ATS over the past five.
-- Saskatchewan (9-4) was blanked in Edmonton (9-4), as the RoughRiders are going through a rough patch. Saskatchewan was 5-2 ATS from July 26 through Sept. 7, but they are 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS over the past three.
-- After last week's shocking loss to the Alouettes, Calgary (11-2) got back on track with a 14-7 win and cover over the BCLions (7-6).
-- Lions have now dropped three of their past five games overall, and they're 1-4 ATS during the slide. The 'under' has also cashed in five of the past six for the Lions, and is 3-10 overall this season.
CFL Betting Notes - Week 15
By David Schwab
Points were hard to come by in the normally prolific CFL last week with all four contests staying well UNDER the closing betting odds. Montreal got past Ottawa last Friday 15-7 as a 1 ½-point road favorite with the total staying UNDER 46 ½ points. In the second half of Friday’s double-header Edmonton blanked Saskatchewan 24-0 as a 5 ½-point favorite at home with the total staying UNDER 48 ½ points.
In the first of two Saturday matchups Hamilton grinded-out a 16-11 victory over Winnipeg as a two-point road underdog. The total in this game stayed UNDER 51. In the final game in Week 14 of the CFL regular season Calgary doubled-up British Columbia 14-7 as a 6 ½-point favorite at home. The total stayed UNDER a 47-point closing line this time around.
Saturday, Oct. 4
Edmonton (9-4 SU, 8-5 ATS) at Toronto (4-8 SU, 6-6 ATS)
Point-spread: Toronto -3 ½
Total: 53
Game Overview
The Eskimos have covered in their last three games and the total has stayed UNDER in three of their last five outings as the defense starts to regain its form for the stretch run of the regular season. This unit has allowed an average of 19.4 PPG over the course of 13 games, but that number jumps to 26.5 PPG in Edmonton’s last two games on the road.
Toronto comes off a bye to start its push towards another East Division title. It snapped a four-game SU losing streak in Week 13 with a 40-23 victory over British Columbia as a six-point road underdog. It was just the third time this season the Argonauts scored 35 or more points despite quarterback Ricky Ray leading the CFL in touchdown throws with 22.
Betting Trends
Edmonton has covered the spread in five of the last seven meetings and it is 6-3 SU in the last nine games against Toronto. The total has gone OVER in four of the last five games of this inter-division matchup.
British Columbia (7-6 SU, 6-7 ATS) at Hamilton (5-7 SU, 5-7ATS)
Point-spread: Hamilton -3
Total: 45
Game Overview
BC has fallen back a bit in the West Division playoff race with just two SU wins in its last five games. The Lions have been tough to bet on during this stretch with a 1-4 record ATS. The total has now stayed UNDER in five of their last six games behind an offense that continues to struggle to find the end zone.
The Tiger-Cats SU three-game winning streak (2-1 ATS) has them a half-game up on Montreal in the East Division title race despite still being two games below .500 on the year. Zach Collaros continues to have accuracy issues throwing the ball. This past week against Winnipeg he completed just 20-of-36 attempts for 182 yards.
Betting Trends
BC is just 2-7 ATS in its last nine games against the Tiger-Cats, but it has won four of the last five meetings SU. The total has stayed UNDER in eight of the last 11 meetings in Hamilton.
By David Schwab
Points were hard to come by in the normally prolific CFL last week with all four contests staying well UNDER the closing betting odds. Montreal got past Ottawa last Friday 15-7 as a 1 ½-point road favorite with the total staying UNDER 46 ½ points. In the second half of Friday’s double-header Edmonton blanked Saskatchewan 24-0 as a 5 ½-point favorite at home with the total staying UNDER 48 ½ points.
In the first of two Saturday matchups Hamilton grinded-out a 16-11 victory over Winnipeg as a two-point road underdog. The total in this game stayed UNDER 51. In the final game in Week 14 of the CFL regular season Calgary doubled-up British Columbia 14-7 as a 6 ½-point favorite at home. The total stayed UNDER a 47-point closing line this time around.
Saturday, Oct. 4
Edmonton (9-4 SU, 8-5 ATS) at Toronto (4-8 SU, 6-6 ATS)
Point-spread: Toronto -3 ½
Total: 53
Game Overview
The Eskimos have covered in their last three games and the total has stayed UNDER in three of their last five outings as the defense starts to regain its form for the stretch run of the regular season. This unit has allowed an average of 19.4 PPG over the course of 13 games, but that number jumps to 26.5 PPG in Edmonton’s last two games on the road.
Toronto comes off a bye to start its push towards another East Division title. It snapped a four-game SU losing streak in Week 13 with a 40-23 victory over British Columbia as a six-point road underdog. It was just the third time this season the Argonauts scored 35 or more points despite quarterback Ricky Ray leading the CFL in touchdown throws with 22.
Betting Trends
Edmonton has covered the spread in five of the last seven meetings and it is 6-3 SU in the last nine games against Toronto. The total has gone OVER in four of the last five games of this inter-division matchup.
British Columbia (7-6 SU, 6-7 ATS) at Hamilton (5-7 SU, 5-7ATS)
Point-spread: Hamilton -3
Total: 45
Game Overview
BC has fallen back a bit in the West Division playoff race with just two SU wins in its last five games. The Lions have been tough to bet on during this stretch with a 1-4 record ATS. The total has now stayed UNDER in five of their last six games behind an offense that continues to struggle to find the end zone.
The Tiger-Cats SU three-game winning streak (2-1 ATS) has them a half-game up on Montreal in the East Division title race despite still being two games below .500 on the year. Zach Collaros continues to have accuracy issues throwing the ball. This past week against Winnipeg he completed just 20-of-36 attempts for 182 yards.
Betting Trends
BC is just 2-7 ATS in its last nine games against the Tiger-Cats, but it has won four of the last five meetings SU. The total has stayed UNDER in eight of the last 11 meetings in Hamilton.
CFL Week 15 Betting Preview and Trends
By Mike Pickett
Edmonton at Toronto
Last 10 Meetings: Toronto 4-6 SU, 4-6 ATS | OU 7-3
The OVER has paid out in each of the last four games between the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos with those teams set to meet for the second time this season on Saturday afternoon. The Eskimos have already beaten the Argonauts once this season, winning 41-27 and covering the 7-point spread at home in an OVER result back on August 23. The Argonauts went 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS against the Eskimos in two OVER results last season.
B.C. at Hamilton
Last 10 Meetings: Hamilton 4-6 SU, 7-3 ATS | OU 7-2-1
The B.C. Lions picked up a SU victory and a slim cover against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in their first meeting of the season as the teams hit the gridiron together once again on Saturday night. B.C. topped Hamilton 36-29 as a 6.5-point home favorite in an OVER result on August 8, improving them to 4-1 SU but just 2-3 ATS in their last five meetings. The OVER has paid out on the totals in Lions vs. Tiger-Cats matchups four times in their five most recent meetings.
By Mike Pickett
Edmonton at Toronto
Last 10 Meetings: Toronto 4-6 SU, 4-6 ATS | OU 7-3
The OVER has paid out in each of the last four games between the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos with those teams set to meet for the second time this season on Saturday afternoon. The Eskimos have already beaten the Argonauts once this season, winning 41-27 and covering the 7-point spread at home in an OVER result back on August 23. The Argonauts went 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS against the Eskimos in two OVER results last season.
B.C. at Hamilton
Last 10 Meetings: Hamilton 4-6 SU, 7-3 ATS | OU 7-2-1
The B.C. Lions picked up a SU victory and a slim cover against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in their first meeting of the season as the teams hit the gridiron together once again on Saturday night. B.C. topped Hamilton 36-29 as a 6.5-point home favorite in an OVER result on August 8, improving them to 4-1 SU but just 2-3 ATS in their last five meetings. The OVER has paid out on the totals in Lions vs. Tiger-Cats matchups four times in their five most recent meetings.
Lions' razor-thin RB situation prompts line move
Stephen Campbell
The B.C. Lions have run into a rash of injuries at the runningback position, and as a result, books have had to adjust their lines.
Andrew Harris - the team's leading rusher - has been ruled out for the rest of the CFL season after suffering an ankle injury. In Saturday's game against the Hamilton Tiger Cats, it gets even thinner without the 27-year-old for the Lions.
As of Friday, Harris' backups (Stefan Logan and Tim Brown) looked like they could miss Saturday's matchup with a leg and an ankle injury, respectively.
Scott Kaminsky of The Greek told Covers "In the absence of all three backs, rookies Keola Antolin and Bradley Randle would be forced to pick up the pieces. Neither has ever seen the field."
"As a result, we adjusted the line to Ti-Cats -3 to -3.5," Kaminsky said.
Stephen Campbell
The B.C. Lions have run into a rash of injuries at the runningback position, and as a result, books have had to adjust their lines.
Andrew Harris - the team's leading rusher - has been ruled out for the rest of the CFL season after suffering an ankle injury. In Saturday's game against the Hamilton Tiger Cats, it gets even thinner without the 27-year-old for the Lions.
As of Friday, Harris' backups (Stefan Logan and Tim Brown) looked like they could miss Saturday's matchup with a leg and an ankle injury, respectively.
Scott Kaminsky of The Greek told Covers "In the absence of all three backs, rookies Keola Antolin and Bradley Randle would be forced to pick up the pieces. Neither has ever seen the field."
"As a result, we adjusted the line to Ti-Cats -3 to -3.5," Kaminsky said.
NCAAF Tech Trends - Week 6
By Bruce Marshall
NFL Tech Trends
Saturday, October 4
Matchup Skinny Tech Trend
VANDERBILT at GEORGIA
Dores slaughtered last two in Athens (91-3 combined score). Richt has now won and covered big last three as home chalk after dropping 8 of previous 12 in role.
Georgia, based on team trends.
WAKE FOREST at FLORIDA STATE
Noles now 0-4 vs. line TY, Wake has covered last three for Clawson. But Noles have won last two vs. Deacs by combined 111-3 score. FSU 4-1 vs. line last five years in series after losing three straight to Grobe 2006-08.
Slight to FSU, based on recent series trends.
MIAMI-FLA. At GEORGIA TECH
This has been a bad matchup lately for GT, which has lost and failed to cover last five years vs. Canes. Jackets 0-2 as home chalk TY.
Miami, based on series trends.
NORTH TEXAS at INDIANA
UNT 13-5 last 18 vs. number, and 7-3 last 10 vs. spread away from Denton. Even after Mizzou win, IU just 6-13 vs. spread last 19 on board, and 3-7 last 10 as home chalk.
UNT, based on team trends.
PURDUE at ILLINOIS
Last three decided by 7 or fewer, and home team has covered each. But Illini 1-2 as home chalk TY and Beckman 4-7 laying points since 2012. Hazell 6-10 vs. line since LY but has split six spread decisions as dog away from home.
Slight to Purdue, based on Illini Beckman chalk woes.
OHIO STATE at MARYLAND
Bucks just 3-6 last 9 on board since late 2013 (though 2-1 TY). Meyer 5-4 as road chalk with Buckeyes. Edsall 6-4 vs. line last 10 at College Park, 6-3 last 8 as dog.
Maryland, based on team trends.
SMU at EAST CAROLINA
Ponies 0-4 SU and vs. line in terrible 2014 break from gate. Ruffin McNeill has covered five straight and 8 of last 9 since late LY, and ECU 8-4 last 12 as home chalk.
ECU, based on recent trends.
MEMPHIS at CINCINNATI
Tigers 3-1 vs. line early in 2014. Justin Fuente also 5-2 last seven as road dog.
Memphis, based on recent trends.
PITT at VIRGINIA
Cavs 5-0 vs. line in 2014, including 4-0 at home. Pitt 1-5 vs. spread as visitor since 2013.
Slight to Virginia, based on team trends.
OHIO at CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Solich 1-5 vs. spread last six away from Athens, and 3-11 last 14 vs. number away from Peden Stadium.
Slight to CMU, based on recent Solich road woes.
KANSAS at WEST VIRGINIA
Revenge for WVU after losing to Weis LY. Weis just 10-18 vs. line since 2012 with KU, 4-8 as road dog. Mounties 3-1 vs. line TY for Holgorsen.
WVU, based on KU negatives.
TOLEDO at WESTERN MICHIGAN
Broncs surprising 4-0 vs. line in early 2014. Rockets, however, have won and covered big last two vs. WMU, which was 0-4 as home dog in 2013.
Slight to Toledo, based on recent series trends.
MARSHALL at OLD DOMINION
Herd 2-6 last eight as visiting chalk since LY but did win and cover handily at Akron last chance in role. Herd 12-6 last 18 on board.
Marshall, based on team trends.
VIRGINIA TECH at NORTH CAROLINA
UNC no covers first four TY but Beamer 13-30-2 vs. number since late 2010. If Beamer chalk note 0-6 mark laying points as visitor since 2012. Fedora was 10-4 vs. line at Chapel Hill past two seasons .
UNC, based on extended trends.
KENT STATE at NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Flashes no covers first four in 2014, now 5-11 vs. line for Paul Haynes since LY (2-2 as DD dog).
NIU, based on Kent State negatives.
WISCONSIN at NORTHWESTERN
Pat Fitz 2-12 last 14 on board dating to mid 2013 but off rousing Penn State win. Cats 2-5 last seven as Evanston dog. Badgers 11-6 vs. line for Gary Andersen, whose Utag and Badger teams are 21-9 vs. line since 2012.
Wisconsin, based on team trends.
UMASS at MIAMI-OHIO
RedHawks have lost 21 in a row SU so tough tech argument to make for Miami, though a bit better 4-5-1 vs. line last 10 at Oxford. Mass only 1-16 SU its last 16 and 5-10 as visiting dog since 2012 (1-1 TY).
Slight to Miami, based on Mass negatives.
SOUTH ALABAMA at APP STATE
USA 8-2 vs. spread last eight on road and 12-5 last 17 vs. number away from Mobile.
USA, based on road marks.
SOUTH CAROLINA at KENTUCKY
Spurrier only 1-4 vs. line early in 2014, and SC 1-4-1 last six as visiting chalk. UK 3-1-1 vs. spread last five in series.
Kentucky, based on team trends.
BALL STATE at ARMY
Ball has won last three and covered last four in series. Lembo 9-3 vs. line last 12 as visitor.
Ball, based on series trends.
BUFFALO at BOWLING GREEN
BGSU has won and covered last three meetings, and Falcs now 13-6 last 19 vs. points at home (2-0 TY for Dino).
BGSU, based on series and team trends.
EASTERN MICHIGAN at AKRON
EMU 1-3 vs. line TY, now 7-21 vs. spread since 2012, 4-12 last 16 as road dog.
Akron, based on EMU negatives.
TEXAS TECH at KANSAS STATE
TT now 1-8 vs. line last nine reg.-season games after OSU cover. Snyder has won and covered last three years vs. Red Raiders and is 28-14 vs. spread since 2011.
K-State, based on team and series trends.
HAWAII at RICE
In WAC days, the Kenny Hatfield Owls covered all six meetings from 1999-2004. Rice 15-9-1 last 25 vs. spread at home, Hawaii 5-7 last 12 vs. line on mainland for Norm Chow.
Rice, based on team trends.
TULSA at COLORADO STATE
Tulsa 0-4 vs. line as road dog since 2013. CSU on 16-5 spread run since mid 2012 and 7-2 last 9 as Fort Collins chalk.
CSU, based on team trends.
GEORGIA STATE at UL-LAFAYETTE
GSU 5-1 as road dog since 2013, ULL 1-8 vs. line last nine reg.-season games.
GSU, based on team trends.
STANFORD at NOTRE DAME
If Shaw is a dog note 5-0-1 spread mark in role since 2011. Tree 16-6 vs. spread as visitor since 2010.
Stanford, especially if dog, based on team trends.
ARIZONA STATE at SOUTHERN CAL
ASU put 62 on SC in 2013, tying most-ever points allowed by Trojans (which was 62 previous year vs. Oregon). Graham ran up 53-24 score on Sark's UW last year, too. But Sun Devils just 1-6 as dog under Graham, and Trojans 10-6 as Coliseum chalk since 2011.
SC, based on team trends.
LSU at AUBURN
Auburn has covered the last two meetings at Jordan-Hare, and Malzahn 13-2 last 15 vs. spread. Les Miles 4-2 last six as dog.
Auburn, based on team trends.
NAVY at AIR FORCE
Mids 10-1 SU, 9-1-1 last 11 vs. line in series. Navy 7-2 vs. spread last nine away from Annapolis and 12-6 overall vs. number since 2013. Force 1-4 as home dog since LY.
Navy, based on series trends.
OKLAHOMA at TCU...
TCU had been 5-12 vs. line as host past three seasons before opening two wins TY. OU has now covered five straight away from Norman.
OU, based on recent Sooner road mark.
FLORIDA at TENNESSEE
If Vols chalk note 3-9 mark at home in role since 2012 (2-4 for Butch). But Muschamp 2-5 vs. line last seven away from home.
UT, based on recent Gator road mark.
BAYLOR at TEXAS
Briles 29-13 overall vs. line since 2011. Bears just 5-10 vs. mark as visitor that span, but have covered last 4 vs. Texas. Charlie Strong teams 9-1 as dog since 2011.
Baylor, based on team and series trends.
IOWA STATE at OKLAHOMA STATE
OSU has won and covered handily the past two seasons vs. ISU since the big Cyclone upset in 2011. Cowboys 1-2 as home chalk TY after Texas Tech but were 23-9 in role since 2008 in role entering this season.
OSU, based on team trends.
ALABAMA at OLE MISS
Road team had covered five straight in series prior to LY's Bama 25-0 win. Hugh Freeze 7-4 as dog with Rebs and he is now 31-11 vs. spread since 2011 with Ark State and Rebs. Nick just 1-5 last six as chalk away from home.
Ole Miss, based on Hugh Freeze marks.
TEXAS A&M at MISSISSIPPI STATE
Bulldogs now 8-1 vs. line last 9 on board since late 2013. MSU 14-8 vs. line at Starkville since 2011. Ags were 0-4 vs. spread as visitor in 2013.
MSU, based on recent trends.
UTAH at UCLA
Bruins 0-1 vs. line at home TY but 41-22 vs. spread at Rose Bowl since early 2004.
UCLA, based on extended home trends.
UTEP at LA TECH
Skip 4-1 v. line in 2014. UTEP lost at home to Skip LY and is 0-7 as visiting dog since 2013.
La Tech, based on team trends.
SOUTHERN MISS at MTSU
USM 4-11 as road dog since 2012 (3-6 for Monken since LY). MTSU now 4-1 vs. line TY after ODU win and 8-4 since 2012 vs. line at Murfreesboro.
MTSU, based on team trends.
OREGON STATE at COLORADO
OSU 1-3 as visiting chalk since since 2012. CU 6-2 vs. spread at Boulder since LY for MacIntyre (2-0 TY).
Slight to Colorado, based on team trends.
CAL at WASHINGTON STATE
Cougs had lost 8 in a row SU vs. Bears prior to 44-22 win LY at Berkeley. Wazzu 4-0 as Pullman chalk since 2013. Leach 13-6 last 19 on board since late 2012.
Slight to WSU, based on team trends.
IDAHO at TEXAS STATE
Vandals have covered first two away TY (road team 4-0 vs. spread in Idaho games TY).
Slight to Idaho, based on recent trends.
MICHIGAN at RUTGERS
Rutgers 3-6 last 9 as chalk. But Brady Hoke 2-5 as road dog since 2012, 3-7-1 as dog same span.
Rutgers, based on recent trends.
NEW MEXICO at UTSA
Davie 0-4 vs. line TY after Fresno loss and now 7-14 against line last 21 on board since mid 2012. Lobos, however, were 4-2 as road dog LY.
UTSA, based on team trends.
ULM at ARKANSAS STATE
Ark State has won and covered last four meetings.
Ark State, based on series trends.
NC STATE at CLEMSON
Pack has covered last four meetings though won only one of those outright. Clemson, however, 6-2 last eight as ACC home chalk. Pack has covered last three on board after dropping seven straight vs. line for Doeren.
NCS, based on series trends.
UAB at WESTERN KENTUCKY
Blazers 1-5 as away dog LY but 1-0 in role for new HC Clark in 2014.
WKU, based on extended team trends.
NEBRASKA at MICHIGAN STATE
Road team has won and covered last two years in series. Bo Pelini 3-1 as dog LY and has covered 5 of last six away from Lincoln.
Slight to Nebraska, based on team trends.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN at NEW MEXICO STATE
GSU a revelation now 5-0 vs. line this season after App State win!
GSU, based on current trends.
UNLV at SAN JOSE STATE
Rebs now 8-21 vs. spread away since late 2009.
SJSU, based on UNLV road woes.
BOISE STATE at NEVADA
Nevada has covered last five and 6 of last 7 vs. Boise. Pack has also covered last four and five of last six as dog since late 2013, and 6-1 as home dog since 2010.
Slight to Nevada, based on series trends.
By Bruce Marshall
NFL Tech Trends
Saturday, October 4
Matchup Skinny Tech Trend
VANDERBILT at GEORGIA
Dores slaughtered last two in Athens (91-3 combined score). Richt has now won and covered big last three as home chalk after dropping 8 of previous 12 in role.
Georgia, based on team trends.
WAKE FOREST at FLORIDA STATE
Noles now 0-4 vs. line TY, Wake has covered last three for Clawson. But Noles have won last two vs. Deacs by combined 111-3 score. FSU 4-1 vs. line last five years in series after losing three straight to Grobe 2006-08.
Slight to FSU, based on recent series trends.
MIAMI-FLA. At GEORGIA TECH
This has been a bad matchup lately for GT, which has lost and failed to cover last five years vs. Canes. Jackets 0-2 as home chalk TY.
Miami, based on series trends.
NORTH TEXAS at INDIANA
UNT 13-5 last 18 vs. number, and 7-3 last 10 vs. spread away from Denton. Even after Mizzou win, IU just 6-13 vs. spread last 19 on board, and 3-7 last 10 as home chalk.
UNT, based on team trends.
PURDUE at ILLINOIS
Last three decided by 7 or fewer, and home team has covered each. But Illini 1-2 as home chalk TY and Beckman 4-7 laying points since 2012. Hazell 6-10 vs. line since LY but has split six spread decisions as dog away from home.
Slight to Purdue, based on Illini Beckman chalk woes.
OHIO STATE at MARYLAND
Bucks just 3-6 last 9 on board since late 2013 (though 2-1 TY). Meyer 5-4 as road chalk with Buckeyes. Edsall 6-4 vs. line last 10 at College Park, 6-3 last 8 as dog.
Maryland, based on team trends.
SMU at EAST CAROLINA
Ponies 0-4 SU and vs. line in terrible 2014 break from gate. Ruffin McNeill has covered five straight and 8 of last 9 since late LY, and ECU 8-4 last 12 as home chalk.
ECU, based on recent trends.
MEMPHIS at CINCINNATI
Tigers 3-1 vs. line early in 2014. Justin Fuente also 5-2 last seven as road dog.
Memphis, based on recent trends.
PITT at VIRGINIA
Cavs 5-0 vs. line in 2014, including 4-0 at home. Pitt 1-5 vs. spread as visitor since 2013.
Slight to Virginia, based on team trends.
OHIO at CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Solich 1-5 vs. spread last six away from Athens, and 3-11 last 14 vs. number away from Peden Stadium.
Slight to CMU, based on recent Solich road woes.
KANSAS at WEST VIRGINIA
Revenge for WVU after losing to Weis LY. Weis just 10-18 vs. line since 2012 with KU, 4-8 as road dog. Mounties 3-1 vs. line TY for Holgorsen.
WVU, based on KU negatives.
TOLEDO at WESTERN MICHIGAN
Broncs surprising 4-0 vs. line in early 2014. Rockets, however, have won and covered big last two vs. WMU, which was 0-4 as home dog in 2013.
Slight to Toledo, based on recent series trends.
MARSHALL at OLD DOMINION
Herd 2-6 last eight as visiting chalk since LY but did win and cover handily at Akron last chance in role. Herd 12-6 last 18 on board.
Marshall, based on team trends.
VIRGINIA TECH at NORTH CAROLINA
UNC no covers first four TY but Beamer 13-30-2 vs. number since late 2010. If Beamer chalk note 0-6 mark laying points as visitor since 2012. Fedora was 10-4 vs. line at Chapel Hill past two seasons .
UNC, based on extended trends.
KENT STATE at NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Flashes no covers first four in 2014, now 5-11 vs. line for Paul Haynes since LY (2-2 as DD dog).
NIU, based on Kent State negatives.
WISCONSIN at NORTHWESTERN
Pat Fitz 2-12 last 14 on board dating to mid 2013 but off rousing Penn State win. Cats 2-5 last seven as Evanston dog. Badgers 11-6 vs. line for Gary Andersen, whose Utag and Badger teams are 21-9 vs. line since 2012.
Wisconsin, based on team trends.
UMASS at MIAMI-OHIO
RedHawks have lost 21 in a row SU so tough tech argument to make for Miami, though a bit better 4-5-1 vs. line last 10 at Oxford. Mass only 1-16 SU its last 16 and 5-10 as visiting dog since 2012 (1-1 TY).
Slight to Miami, based on Mass negatives.
SOUTH ALABAMA at APP STATE
USA 8-2 vs. spread last eight on road and 12-5 last 17 vs. number away from Mobile.
USA, based on road marks.
SOUTH CAROLINA at KENTUCKY
Spurrier only 1-4 vs. line early in 2014, and SC 1-4-1 last six as visiting chalk. UK 3-1-1 vs. spread last five in series.
Kentucky, based on team trends.
BALL STATE at ARMY
Ball has won last three and covered last four in series. Lembo 9-3 vs. line last 12 as visitor.
Ball, based on series trends.
BUFFALO at BOWLING GREEN
BGSU has won and covered last three meetings, and Falcs now 13-6 last 19 vs. points at home (2-0 TY for Dino).
BGSU, based on series and team trends.
EASTERN MICHIGAN at AKRON
EMU 1-3 vs. line TY, now 7-21 vs. spread since 2012, 4-12 last 16 as road dog.
Akron, based on EMU negatives.
TEXAS TECH at KANSAS STATE
TT now 1-8 vs. line last nine reg.-season games after OSU cover. Snyder has won and covered last three years vs. Red Raiders and is 28-14 vs. spread since 2011.
K-State, based on team and series trends.
HAWAII at RICE
In WAC days, the Kenny Hatfield Owls covered all six meetings from 1999-2004. Rice 15-9-1 last 25 vs. spread at home, Hawaii 5-7 last 12 vs. line on mainland for Norm Chow.
Rice, based on team trends.
TULSA at COLORADO STATE
Tulsa 0-4 vs. line as road dog since 2013. CSU on 16-5 spread run since mid 2012 and 7-2 last 9 as Fort Collins chalk.
CSU, based on team trends.
GEORGIA STATE at UL-LAFAYETTE
GSU 5-1 as road dog since 2013, ULL 1-8 vs. line last nine reg.-season games.
GSU, based on team trends.
STANFORD at NOTRE DAME
If Shaw is a dog note 5-0-1 spread mark in role since 2011. Tree 16-6 vs. spread as visitor since 2010.
Stanford, especially if dog, based on team trends.
ARIZONA STATE at SOUTHERN CAL
ASU put 62 on SC in 2013, tying most-ever points allowed by Trojans (which was 62 previous year vs. Oregon). Graham ran up 53-24 score on Sark's UW last year, too. But Sun Devils just 1-6 as dog under Graham, and Trojans 10-6 as Coliseum chalk since 2011.
SC, based on team trends.
LSU at AUBURN
Auburn has covered the last two meetings at Jordan-Hare, and Malzahn 13-2 last 15 vs. spread. Les Miles 4-2 last six as dog.
Auburn, based on team trends.
NAVY at AIR FORCE
Mids 10-1 SU, 9-1-1 last 11 vs. line in series. Navy 7-2 vs. spread last nine away from Annapolis and 12-6 overall vs. number since 2013. Force 1-4 as home dog since LY.
Navy, based on series trends.
OKLAHOMA at TCU...
TCU had been 5-12 vs. line as host past three seasons before opening two wins TY. OU has now covered five straight away from Norman.
OU, based on recent Sooner road mark.
FLORIDA at TENNESSEE
If Vols chalk note 3-9 mark at home in role since 2012 (2-4 for Butch). But Muschamp 2-5 vs. line last seven away from home.
UT, based on recent Gator road mark.
BAYLOR at TEXAS
Briles 29-13 overall vs. line since 2011. Bears just 5-10 vs. mark as visitor that span, but have covered last 4 vs. Texas. Charlie Strong teams 9-1 as dog since 2011.
Baylor, based on team and series trends.
IOWA STATE at OKLAHOMA STATE
OSU has won and covered handily the past two seasons vs. ISU since the big Cyclone upset in 2011. Cowboys 1-2 as home chalk TY after Texas Tech but were 23-9 in role since 2008 in role entering this season.
OSU, based on team trends.
ALABAMA at OLE MISS
Road team had covered five straight in series prior to LY's Bama 25-0 win. Hugh Freeze 7-4 as dog with Rebs and he is now 31-11 vs. spread since 2011 with Ark State and Rebs. Nick just 1-5 last six as chalk away from home.
Ole Miss, based on Hugh Freeze marks.
TEXAS A&M at MISSISSIPPI STATE
Bulldogs now 8-1 vs. line last 9 on board since late 2013. MSU 14-8 vs. line at Starkville since 2011. Ags were 0-4 vs. spread as visitor in 2013.
MSU, based on recent trends.
UTAH at UCLA
Bruins 0-1 vs. line at home TY but 41-22 vs. spread at Rose Bowl since early 2004.
UCLA, based on extended home trends.
UTEP at LA TECH
Skip 4-1 v. line in 2014. UTEP lost at home to Skip LY and is 0-7 as visiting dog since 2013.
La Tech, based on team trends.
SOUTHERN MISS at MTSU
USM 4-11 as road dog since 2012 (3-6 for Monken since LY). MTSU now 4-1 vs. line TY after ODU win and 8-4 since 2012 vs. line at Murfreesboro.
MTSU, based on team trends.
OREGON STATE at COLORADO
OSU 1-3 as visiting chalk since since 2012. CU 6-2 vs. spread at Boulder since LY for MacIntyre (2-0 TY).
Slight to Colorado, based on team trends.
CAL at WASHINGTON STATE
Cougs had lost 8 in a row SU vs. Bears prior to 44-22 win LY at Berkeley. Wazzu 4-0 as Pullman chalk since 2013. Leach 13-6 last 19 on board since late 2012.
Slight to WSU, based on team trends.
IDAHO at TEXAS STATE
Vandals have covered first two away TY (road team 4-0 vs. spread in Idaho games TY).
Slight to Idaho, based on recent trends.
MICHIGAN at RUTGERS
Rutgers 3-6 last 9 as chalk. But Brady Hoke 2-5 as road dog since 2012, 3-7-1 as dog same span.
Rutgers, based on recent trends.
NEW MEXICO at UTSA
Davie 0-4 vs. line TY after Fresno loss and now 7-14 against line last 21 on board since mid 2012. Lobos, however, were 4-2 as road dog LY.
UTSA, based on team trends.
ULM at ARKANSAS STATE
Ark State has won and covered last four meetings.
Ark State, based on series trends.
NC STATE at CLEMSON
Pack has covered last four meetings though won only one of those outright. Clemson, however, 6-2 last eight as ACC home chalk. Pack has covered last three on board after dropping seven straight vs. line for Doeren.
NCS, based on series trends.
UAB at WESTERN KENTUCKY
Blazers 1-5 as away dog LY but 1-0 in role for new HC Clark in 2014.
WKU, based on extended team trends.
NEBRASKA at MICHIGAN STATE
Road team has won and covered last two years in series. Bo Pelini 3-1 as dog LY and has covered 5 of last six away from Lincoln.
Slight to Nebraska, based on team trends.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN at NEW MEXICO STATE
GSU a revelation now 5-0 vs. line this season after App State win!
GSU, based on current trends.
UNLV at SAN JOSE STATE
Rebs now 8-21 vs. spread away since late 2009.
SJSU, based on UNLV road woes.
BOISE STATE at NEVADA
Nevada has covered last five and 6 of last 7 vs. Boise. Pack has also covered last four and five of last six as dog since late 2013, and 6-1 as home dog since 2010.
Slight to Nevada, based on series trends.
ACC Report - Week 6
By Joe Williams
2014 ACC STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 3-2 0-1 3-2 2-2-1
Clemson 2-2 1-1 3-1 3-1
Duke 4-1 0-1 2-2-1 1-3
Florida State 4-0 2-0 0-4 2-2
Georgia Tech 4-0 1-0 2-2 3-1
Louisville 4-1 2-1 3-2 1-4
Miami (Fla.) 3-2 1-1 2-3 2-3
North Carolina 2-2 0-1 0-4 2-1
North Carolina State 4-1 0-1 3-2 3-2
Pittsburgh 3-2 1-0 2-3 2-2-1
Syracuse 2-2 0-0 1-3 1-2-1
Virginia 3-2 1-0 5-0 3-2
Virginia Tech 3-2 0-1 2-3 2-2
Wake Forest 2-3 0-1 3-2 1-4
Virginia Tech at North Carolina (ESPN3, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Virginia Tech upset Ohio State in Columbus in September, and all was right with Hokie Nation. However, two straight home losses to East Carolina and Georgia Tech turned things sour in a hurry. Va. Tech got on track last week with a 35-17 win against Western Michigan on homecoming, but failed to cover for the third straight game since that upset of the Buckeyes back on Sept. 6. Meanwhile, North Carolina had their doors blown off again last week, as Clemson roughed the Heels up in Death Valley by a 50-35 score. Over the past two games, UNC is allowing a whopping 60.0 points per game. UNC is also 0-4 ATS so far this season. In this series, the road team is 6-2 ATS over the past eight meetings, so those two trends explain why the public is all over Frank Beamer's bunch.
North Carolina State at Clemson (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.)
The Wolfpack probably doesn't care for moral victories, but they certainly scored one last week against top-ranked Florida State. N.C. State went toe-to-toe with the defending champs before running out of gas in the final 15 minutes. QB Jacoby Brissett definitely burst onto the national scene, appearing on highlight shows from coast-to-coast with his amazing TD pass and overall great game. It is something to build upon as the Pack travel to Death Valley to meet a wounded, but still dangerous Clemson team. The Tigers hung 50 on N.C. State's rival, UNC, last weekend. While the Pack covered at South Florida earlier this season, they are still 3-9-1 ATS in the past 13 road games, and need to prove they are better before gaining the confidence of bettors. Clemson is 4-0 ATS in the past four at home, and 21-8 ATS in the past 29 ACC games.
Wake Forest at Florida State (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
After a close shave in Raleigh, the Seminoles are back home to take on Wake Forest in Tallahassee. The defending champs are 4-0 straight-up, but a polar opposite 0-4 ATS this season. That certainly makes Wake attractive as a 38-plus-point underdog. However, FSU is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings in this series, and that includes a 59-3 whitewashing in Winston-Salem last season when the 'Noles were a 34-point road favorite. In fact, the past three times Florida State has been a 20-plus-point favorite against Wake, the 'Noles have come away with a cover. In those three instances, Wake Forest has a TOTAL of three points, getting shutout twice.
Miami, Fla. at Georgia Tech (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.)
The Hurricanes exacted some revenge on visiting Duke last weekend, winning 22-10 and covered as a 3.5-point favorite. Miami is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS at home this season, but they have been outclassed on the road. Away from sunny South Florida, the Hurricanes are a gloomy 0-2 SU/ATS. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech has dropped all comers, going 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS. They have failed to cover big numbers at home against Wofford and Georgia Southern. Their signature win to date is a 27-24 road triumph in Blacksburg Sept. 20. Georgia Tech has scored 27 or more points in each of its four games, and they're allowing 27.7 points per game over the past three. If anything, this game could evolve into a track meet. Miami's Duke Johnson ran for 184 yards in last season's meeting with the Ramblin' Wreck, and a solid run game would take the pressure off of freshman QB Brad Kaaya.
Pittsburgh at Virginia (ESPN3, 7:30 p.m.)
The Pitt Panthers have fallen apart lately, losing back-to-back games to Iowa and Akron at home after a 3-0 start. The offense was listless in last week's shocking loss to the Zips, amassing just 10 points. Meanwhile, UVA is one of just two teams in the nation (Georgia Southern is the other) to sit at 5-0 ATS at this juncture of the season. The Cavaliers struggled against the number in recent years, but have picked it up. They are 7-0 ATS in the past seven games dating back to last season, and they're 5-0 ATS in the past five home games. They have also rattled off five straight covers against teams with a winning record. In this series, the favorite has covered four straight.
By Joe Williams
2014 ACC STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 3-2 0-1 3-2 2-2-1
Clemson 2-2 1-1 3-1 3-1
Duke 4-1 0-1 2-2-1 1-3
Florida State 4-0 2-0 0-4 2-2
Georgia Tech 4-0 1-0 2-2 3-1
Louisville 4-1 2-1 3-2 1-4
Miami (Fla.) 3-2 1-1 2-3 2-3
North Carolina 2-2 0-1 0-4 2-1
North Carolina State 4-1 0-1 3-2 3-2
Pittsburgh 3-2 1-0 2-3 2-2-1
Syracuse 2-2 0-0 1-3 1-2-1
Virginia 3-2 1-0 5-0 3-2
Virginia Tech 3-2 0-1 2-3 2-2
Wake Forest 2-3 0-1 3-2 1-4
Virginia Tech at North Carolina (ESPN3, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Virginia Tech upset Ohio State in Columbus in September, and all was right with Hokie Nation. However, two straight home losses to East Carolina and Georgia Tech turned things sour in a hurry. Va. Tech got on track last week with a 35-17 win against Western Michigan on homecoming, but failed to cover for the third straight game since that upset of the Buckeyes back on Sept. 6. Meanwhile, North Carolina had their doors blown off again last week, as Clemson roughed the Heels up in Death Valley by a 50-35 score. Over the past two games, UNC is allowing a whopping 60.0 points per game. UNC is also 0-4 ATS so far this season. In this series, the road team is 6-2 ATS over the past eight meetings, so those two trends explain why the public is all over Frank Beamer's bunch.
North Carolina State at Clemson (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.)
The Wolfpack probably doesn't care for moral victories, but they certainly scored one last week against top-ranked Florida State. N.C. State went toe-to-toe with the defending champs before running out of gas in the final 15 minutes. QB Jacoby Brissett definitely burst onto the national scene, appearing on highlight shows from coast-to-coast with his amazing TD pass and overall great game. It is something to build upon as the Pack travel to Death Valley to meet a wounded, but still dangerous Clemson team. The Tigers hung 50 on N.C. State's rival, UNC, last weekend. While the Pack covered at South Florida earlier this season, they are still 3-9-1 ATS in the past 13 road games, and need to prove they are better before gaining the confidence of bettors. Clemson is 4-0 ATS in the past four at home, and 21-8 ATS in the past 29 ACC games.
Wake Forest at Florida State (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
After a close shave in Raleigh, the Seminoles are back home to take on Wake Forest in Tallahassee. The defending champs are 4-0 straight-up, but a polar opposite 0-4 ATS this season. That certainly makes Wake attractive as a 38-plus-point underdog. However, FSU is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings in this series, and that includes a 59-3 whitewashing in Winston-Salem last season when the 'Noles were a 34-point road favorite. In fact, the past three times Florida State has been a 20-plus-point favorite against Wake, the 'Noles have come away with a cover. In those three instances, Wake Forest has a TOTAL of three points, getting shutout twice.
Miami, Fla. at Georgia Tech (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.)
The Hurricanes exacted some revenge on visiting Duke last weekend, winning 22-10 and covered as a 3.5-point favorite. Miami is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS at home this season, but they have been outclassed on the road. Away from sunny South Florida, the Hurricanes are a gloomy 0-2 SU/ATS. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech has dropped all comers, going 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS. They have failed to cover big numbers at home against Wofford and Georgia Southern. Their signature win to date is a 27-24 road triumph in Blacksburg Sept. 20. Georgia Tech has scored 27 or more points in each of its four games, and they're allowing 27.7 points per game over the past three. If anything, this game could evolve into a track meet. Miami's Duke Johnson ran for 184 yards in last season's meeting with the Ramblin' Wreck, and a solid run game would take the pressure off of freshman QB Brad Kaaya.
Pittsburgh at Virginia (ESPN3, 7:30 p.m.)
The Pitt Panthers have fallen apart lately, losing back-to-back games to Iowa and Akron at home after a 3-0 start. The offense was listless in last week's shocking loss to the Zips, amassing just 10 points. Meanwhile, UVA is one of just two teams in the nation (Georgia Southern is the other) to sit at 5-0 ATS at this juncture of the season. The Cavaliers struggled against the number in recent years, but have picked it up. They are 7-0 ATS in the past seven games dating back to last season, and they're 5-0 ATS in the past five home games. They have also rattled off five straight covers against teams with a winning record. In this series, the favorite has covered four straight.
Big Ten Report - Week 6
By ASA
Game of the Week
Michigan State (-7) vs. Nebraska – 8:00 PM EST
Michigan State is still regarded as the best team in the conference, but Nebraska is the last remaining undefeated team. So this game should determine a lot. This game also has the potential to provide a preview of the Big Ten title game; a lot is on the line here. Nebraska is led by star RB Ameer Abdullah, who has rushed for over 200 yards in each of the last two games and ranks 1st in the nation in rushing yards. The Huskers are 8th in total YPG, 3rd in rush YPG, and 7th in PPG. QB Armstrong Jr. has performed admirably through the first five games and while has been a nice complement to Abdullah (10 TD & 3 INT), his 53.9% completions is a bit concerning and he has yet to face a defense on par with Michigan State. Armstrong, Abdullah, and Co. won’t get any easy yards against this MSU defense that ranks 5th against the run and 11th overall.
After losing at Oregon on September 6th, the Spartans have won back-to-back games by a combined score of 129-28. We didn't find out anything new about the Spartans in the two most recent blowouts except that they were able to develop some more depth as backups saw most of the action in the 2nd half of both games. MSU won the most recent meeting, 41-28 last November in Lincoln, but Nebraska's offense was able to move the ball quite well against MSU. The Huskers outgained the Spartans (392-361) and had more first downs despite having 17-fewer minutes TOP. If it wasn't for a -5 TO margin in the game, the Huskers may have come out on top. Nebraska is 5-1 SU & ATS in the last six meetings with Michigan State dating back to 1995 – including 2-1 SU & ATS in the first three years as a member of the B1G conference. MSU is 12-3-1 ATS in the last 16 games overall and 5-0 ATS in the last five home games. Nebraska is 5-1 ATS in the last six games and 4-0 ATS in the last 4 road games.
Best of the Rest
Ohio State (-7.5) @ Maryland – Saturday, 12:00 PM EST
There were a couple of hiccups for the Buckeyes last week against - allowed 19-yard, 60-yard, 83-yard TD passes in the 1st half - but OSU weathered all that with an unstoppable offensive performance en route to a 50-28 victory over a pesky Cincinnati team. OSU gained an astonishing 710 total yards yards and 45 first downs and controlled the ball for 41 minutes, not allowing a solid Cincy offense to get back into the game. After a couple of bad games against Navy and Virginia Tech, freshman QB J.T. Barrett has bounced back to throw for 642 yards and 10 TD on 72% completions in the last two games. It helps that he's been able to lean on the rushing attack that notched 284 yards and 380 yards in back-to-back wins, but he looks natural and comfortable in Urban Meyer's offensive scheme just in time for Big Ten play to start. The defense remains a bit of a concern, mostly in the secondary as OSU allowed Cincy's QB Kiel to complete 21-of-32 passes for 352 yards and 4 scores.
OSU will have to shore up its defensive issues as the Bucks now travel to Maryland for the Terps' first home game as a member of the B1G. The Terrapins made themselves right at home in their Big Ten debut at Indiana last week as they throttled the Hoosiers. QB's C.J. Brown & Caleb Rowe combined to throw for 361 yards, 3 TD, and 0 INT on 22-of-33 passing. Brown, the starter, was injured in the win and his status for Saturday's game is still unclear. Rowe stepped in last year when Brown was injured and started three games games for the Terps. Maryland would much rather have Brown under center, but Rowe isn't a terrible 2nd option. Defensively it was a promising performance for a struggling unit as the Terps held Indiana out of the end zone until mid-4th quarter. IU's rushing attack had a solid day (206 yards on 4.4 YPC) but QB Sudfeld was just 14-of-37 passing for 126 yards (0 TD, 1 INT). This unit that surrenders 200.6 rush YPG (102nd nationally) will need to play better against this OSU rush offense if the Terps want any shot at the upset. OSU is 28-11-1 ATS in its last 40 road games and 22-9-1 ATS in its last 32 as a road favorite. Maryland is 6-14 ATS in the last 20 home games and 3-6 ATS in the last nine as a home underdog.
Wisconsin (-7.5) @ Northwestern – Saturday, 3:30 PM EST
We know about the Badgers’ high-powered rushing attack, but it might be time to start paying attention to their defense. Wisconsin now ranks 8th against the run, 19th against the pass, 7th in total yards allowed, and 11th in points allowed. They've held the last three opponents to 30 combined points and 73 rush YPG. If the defense continues to play like that, it will keep Wisconsin in most games even if the offense sputters like it did on Saturday. The Badgers were able to put just three points on the board by halftime against South Florida. They got going in the 2nd half, scoring 24 points en route to a 17-point victory. Melvin Gordon and this offense continues to pile up the rushing yards. Wisconsin has outrushed its last two opponents by 773 yards and Gordon has 434 rush yards and 7 TD on 9.6 YPC in the last two games. Credit the Bulls for not allowing athletic Badger QB McEvoy to escape the pocket and making him throw the ball - which he has not done with great success so far this season. McEvoy finished with just 23 rush yards and completed just 11-of-18 passes for 160 yards. He doesn't have to be spectacular in this offense, but the Badgers would like to see him make a few more plays.
The Badgers take their first conference road trip in a trip to Evanston to take on Northwestern this Saturday. The Wildcats looked so sluggish in their first three games before an absolutely dominating performance against Penn State last week. Northwestern’s defense allowed PSU to gain just 266 yards, achieve 14 first downs, and put 6 points on the board. They held the Nittany Lions out of the end zone by limiting the rushing attack to just 50 yards on 25 carries and by shutting down dynamic QB Hackenberg (22-of-45 for 216 yards with 0 TD and 1 INT). The Wildcats weren’t explosive on offense (103 rush yards on 2.7 YPC) but QB Siemian managed the game well (21-of-37 for 258 yards) and the defense was opportunistic (INT return for TD). It was the type of performance that might get the Wildcats officially out of their slump. Wisconsin has won and covered the last two meetings by a combined score of 105-29, but has historically struggled against the Wildcats with just a 4-9 ATS record in the last 13 meetings. Last year Wisconsin had +286 yards and +14 first downs in the 29-point win. The Badgers have dropped three straight games to Northwestern in Evanston, losing all three times as a favorite.
Rutgers (-3) vs. Michigan – Saturday, 7:00 PM EST
The Rutgers easily took care of business against an overmatched Tulane team last week, winning 31-6. It was a promising sign that the running game notched 171 yards on 4.3 YPC without star RB Paul James, who was lost for the season with a knee injury last week. QB Nova also stepped up with 291 pass yards and 4 TD on just 14 completions. Nova will have to continue to improve and lead this team through the air because, while the rushing attack was solid against Tulane, yards won't come as easy against Michigan this week and the rest of the B1G moving forward. Defensively, the Scarlet Knights allowed just 304 yards - 86 of which came on one long TD run in the 2nd quarter - and 13 first downs to Tulane. Up next the Scarlet Knights aim for their first B1G victory against the reeling Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan is 1-3 in the last four games, beating only winless Miami OH. The Wolverines have 13 turnovers in those four games and have been outscored by an average of 29-8 in the three losses to Notre Dame, Utah, and Minnesota. Backup QB Shane Morris got the call last week in place of Devin Gardner. Morris was just 7-of-19 for 49 yards with an INT. He got injured in the game and Michigan will make the move back to Gardner. It's a shame that Michigan's offense is so lackluster, because the defense has been playing well. The Wolverines rank 22nd against both the pass & the rush and 9th in overall defense. None of that will matter going forward if the Wolverines can't get consistent play from the quarterback position. Head coach Brady Hoke's seat can't get much hotter, and it'll be interesting how he gets the team to respond to all the negatively surrounding the program. Michigan is just 4-12 ATS in its last 16 road games as an underdog. Rutgers is just 2-6 ATS in the last eight games as a home favorite.
Illinois (-10) vs. Purdue – Saturday, 12:00 PM EST
Without QB Lunt leading the way against Nebraska last week, the Illini stood no chance at the upset. Backup QB O'Toole completed just 17-of-38 passes for 261 yards with 1 TD and 3 INT. His inaccuracy and Illinois' inability to run the football (78 yards on 24 carries) repeatedly stalled drives and allowed the Huskers to control the TOP (+20 minutes). Illinois' defense allowed Nebraska to rush for 458 yards on 70 carries (6.5 YPC) with 5 rush TD. We knew Illinois wasn't a very strong team after narrow wins over FCS Youngstown State (28-17), Western Kentucky (42-34), and Texas State (42-35); but the arm of Wes Lunt always made them competitive. Without Lunt, the Illini become one of the bottom-feeders of the B1G.
Luckily for them, Lunt will return this weekend as the Illini host Purdue. He has 1,237 pass yards, 11 TD, and just 3 INT through four games this season. Purdue coach Hazell doesn't know where to turn at quarterback as both Danny Etling (54.9%, 6 TD, 5 INT) and Austin Appleby (39.1%, 1 TD, 1 INT) have struggled so far this season. Both struggled in the loss last week as Purdue managed just 156 total yards and 9 first downs against Iowa. The defense played well and kept the Boilers down just seven points late in the 4th quarter, but it's not going to matter how good the defense performs if the offense keeps putting up numbers like that. Offensively Purdue now ranks 95th in rush YPG, 97th in PPG, 107th in pass YPG, and 117th in total YPG. The Boilers are 7-2 SU in the last 9 meetings with Illinois, including 3-1 SU the last four trips to Champaign. Illinois won the meeting last year, 20-16, in a rather ugly game. The Illini are 6-3 ATS in the last 9 games as a Big Ten favorite of 10 points or more. Purdue is 3-6 ATS in the last nine as a Big Ten underdog of 10 points or more.
Indiana (-13.5) vs. North Texas – Saturday, 2:30 PM EST
Indiana followed up its promising road win over SEC Missouri with a blowout loss at home to Maryland. An offense that looked so good in the first three games sputtered to just 15 points, with the lone offensive touchdown coming when the game was already decided. QB Sudfeld had one of his worst games as he completed just 14-of-37 passes for 126 yards with an INT. Defensively this is still a major work in progress. They allowed Maryland QB's Brown & Rowe to throw for 361 yards, 3 TD, and 0 INT on 22-of-33 passing. The Hoosiers have now allowed 36.3 PPG to its three FBS opponents and rank 90th in YPG allowed. It appears that the only reliable Hoosier these days is RB Tevin Coleman, who has rushed for 120+ yards in each game this season and has reached the end zone seven times.
Indiana closes up non-conference play this weekend as North Texas visits Bloomington. North Texas is 2-2 this season, with the two wins coming against hapless SMU & FCS Nicholls State. UNT's two losses were to Texas and Louisiana Tech by a combined score of 28-80. Despite the fact that UNT put up 77 points last week, this remains one of the poorer offensive teams in the nation. The Mean Green are 123rd in pass yards and 115th in total yards. Yes, they put up 77 points last week, but three of the scores were from defense/special teams. Since 2010, North Texas is 6-0 ATS against Power Five conference teams, including covers against four teams ranked in the top 15. The only prior meeting with Indiana came in 2011, a 24-21 win. UNT is 11-5 ATS in the last 16 games as a double-digit underdog. Indiana is 3-6 ATS in its last nine as a double-digit favorite.
Minnesota – Bye Week
Minnesota ended a six-game losing streak against Michigan to claim the Little Brown Jug. The Gophers have a solid formula to make life miserable for opponents, leaning on a powerful rushing attack and a stout defense. They simply wore down Michigan to the tune of 206 rush yards on 47 carries while controlling the clock for +9 minutes TOP. Defensively the Gophers held Michigan to just 171 total yards, including 83 rush yards on 28 carries (3.0 YPC). QB Mitch Leidner wasn't spectacular (14-of-22 for 167 yards and 1 TD), but he managed the game well and didn't make any mistakes. They earned their bye week, and now have four manageable games coming up (vs. Northwestern, vs. Purdue, @Illinois, vs. Iowa) that could conceivably put this Minnesota team at 8-1 heading into a home showdown with Ohio State on November 15th.
Iowa – Bye Week
In classic Iowa Hawkeye football fashion, they got the win at Purdue, but it sure wasn't pretty. Iowa had a +264 yard advantage and +13 first downs, but didn't take the lead until late in the 3rd quarter. They didn't put the nail in the coffin until 5:10 remaining in the 4th. Iowa rushed for 175 yards but on just 3.4 YPC while QB Beathard wasn't very efficient against Purdue's defense (17-for-37 for 245 yards). Coach Ferentz has stated that he won't make a decision on who starts at QB in the next game until next week, but indicated that when the Hawkeyes return to action on Oct. 11 against Indiana, they plan on playing more than one guy under center. Beathard didn't seize the job against Purdue and Rudock is the more proven option. With little rushing success to speak of, the QB play will have to get better going further into conference play. Next up is a home game against Indiana.
Penn State – Bye Week
No team needs the bye week more than the Nittany Lions after last week's performance against Northwestern. In one of the more surprising outcomes of the week, a struggling Northwestern squad completely dominated the previously undefeated Nittany Lions. The Wildcats held PSU to just 50 rush yards on 2.0 YPC and 14 first downs. And unlike previous contests where QB Hackenberg bailed out a struggling PSU offense, he was inefficient and unproductive against Northwestern. He completed just 22-of-45 passes for 216 yards with 0 TD and 1 INT as PSU failed to reach the end zone. The defense remains elite, but unless this offensive line starts opening up holes for the running game and creating some more time in the pocket for Hackenberg, this offense is going to struggle. The Nittany Lions travel to Michigan in their next game on October 11th.
By ASA
Game of the Week
Michigan State (-7) vs. Nebraska – 8:00 PM EST
Michigan State is still regarded as the best team in the conference, but Nebraska is the last remaining undefeated team. So this game should determine a lot. This game also has the potential to provide a preview of the Big Ten title game; a lot is on the line here. Nebraska is led by star RB Ameer Abdullah, who has rushed for over 200 yards in each of the last two games and ranks 1st in the nation in rushing yards. The Huskers are 8th in total YPG, 3rd in rush YPG, and 7th in PPG. QB Armstrong Jr. has performed admirably through the first five games and while has been a nice complement to Abdullah (10 TD & 3 INT), his 53.9% completions is a bit concerning and he has yet to face a defense on par with Michigan State. Armstrong, Abdullah, and Co. won’t get any easy yards against this MSU defense that ranks 5th against the run and 11th overall.
After losing at Oregon on September 6th, the Spartans have won back-to-back games by a combined score of 129-28. We didn't find out anything new about the Spartans in the two most recent blowouts except that they were able to develop some more depth as backups saw most of the action in the 2nd half of both games. MSU won the most recent meeting, 41-28 last November in Lincoln, but Nebraska's offense was able to move the ball quite well against MSU. The Huskers outgained the Spartans (392-361) and had more first downs despite having 17-fewer minutes TOP. If it wasn't for a -5 TO margin in the game, the Huskers may have come out on top. Nebraska is 5-1 SU & ATS in the last six meetings with Michigan State dating back to 1995 – including 2-1 SU & ATS in the first three years as a member of the B1G conference. MSU is 12-3-1 ATS in the last 16 games overall and 5-0 ATS in the last five home games. Nebraska is 5-1 ATS in the last six games and 4-0 ATS in the last 4 road games.
Best of the Rest
Ohio State (-7.5) @ Maryland – Saturday, 12:00 PM EST
There were a couple of hiccups for the Buckeyes last week against - allowed 19-yard, 60-yard, 83-yard TD passes in the 1st half - but OSU weathered all that with an unstoppable offensive performance en route to a 50-28 victory over a pesky Cincinnati team. OSU gained an astonishing 710 total yards yards and 45 first downs and controlled the ball for 41 minutes, not allowing a solid Cincy offense to get back into the game. After a couple of bad games against Navy and Virginia Tech, freshman QB J.T. Barrett has bounced back to throw for 642 yards and 10 TD on 72% completions in the last two games. It helps that he's been able to lean on the rushing attack that notched 284 yards and 380 yards in back-to-back wins, but he looks natural and comfortable in Urban Meyer's offensive scheme just in time for Big Ten play to start. The defense remains a bit of a concern, mostly in the secondary as OSU allowed Cincy's QB Kiel to complete 21-of-32 passes for 352 yards and 4 scores.
OSU will have to shore up its defensive issues as the Bucks now travel to Maryland for the Terps' first home game as a member of the B1G. The Terrapins made themselves right at home in their Big Ten debut at Indiana last week as they throttled the Hoosiers. QB's C.J. Brown & Caleb Rowe combined to throw for 361 yards, 3 TD, and 0 INT on 22-of-33 passing. Brown, the starter, was injured in the win and his status for Saturday's game is still unclear. Rowe stepped in last year when Brown was injured and started three games games for the Terps. Maryland would much rather have Brown under center, but Rowe isn't a terrible 2nd option. Defensively it was a promising performance for a struggling unit as the Terps held Indiana out of the end zone until mid-4th quarter. IU's rushing attack had a solid day (206 yards on 4.4 YPC) but QB Sudfeld was just 14-of-37 passing for 126 yards (0 TD, 1 INT). This unit that surrenders 200.6 rush YPG (102nd nationally) will need to play better against this OSU rush offense if the Terps want any shot at the upset. OSU is 28-11-1 ATS in its last 40 road games and 22-9-1 ATS in its last 32 as a road favorite. Maryland is 6-14 ATS in the last 20 home games and 3-6 ATS in the last nine as a home underdog.
Wisconsin (-7.5) @ Northwestern – Saturday, 3:30 PM EST
We know about the Badgers’ high-powered rushing attack, but it might be time to start paying attention to their defense. Wisconsin now ranks 8th against the run, 19th against the pass, 7th in total yards allowed, and 11th in points allowed. They've held the last three opponents to 30 combined points and 73 rush YPG. If the defense continues to play like that, it will keep Wisconsin in most games even if the offense sputters like it did on Saturday. The Badgers were able to put just three points on the board by halftime against South Florida. They got going in the 2nd half, scoring 24 points en route to a 17-point victory. Melvin Gordon and this offense continues to pile up the rushing yards. Wisconsin has outrushed its last two opponents by 773 yards and Gordon has 434 rush yards and 7 TD on 9.6 YPC in the last two games. Credit the Bulls for not allowing athletic Badger QB McEvoy to escape the pocket and making him throw the ball - which he has not done with great success so far this season. McEvoy finished with just 23 rush yards and completed just 11-of-18 passes for 160 yards. He doesn't have to be spectacular in this offense, but the Badgers would like to see him make a few more plays.
The Badgers take their first conference road trip in a trip to Evanston to take on Northwestern this Saturday. The Wildcats looked so sluggish in their first three games before an absolutely dominating performance against Penn State last week. Northwestern’s defense allowed PSU to gain just 266 yards, achieve 14 first downs, and put 6 points on the board. They held the Nittany Lions out of the end zone by limiting the rushing attack to just 50 yards on 25 carries and by shutting down dynamic QB Hackenberg (22-of-45 for 216 yards with 0 TD and 1 INT). The Wildcats weren’t explosive on offense (103 rush yards on 2.7 YPC) but QB Siemian managed the game well (21-of-37 for 258 yards) and the defense was opportunistic (INT return for TD). It was the type of performance that might get the Wildcats officially out of their slump. Wisconsin has won and covered the last two meetings by a combined score of 105-29, but has historically struggled against the Wildcats with just a 4-9 ATS record in the last 13 meetings. Last year Wisconsin had +286 yards and +14 first downs in the 29-point win. The Badgers have dropped three straight games to Northwestern in Evanston, losing all three times as a favorite.
Rutgers (-3) vs. Michigan – Saturday, 7:00 PM EST
The Rutgers easily took care of business against an overmatched Tulane team last week, winning 31-6. It was a promising sign that the running game notched 171 yards on 4.3 YPC without star RB Paul James, who was lost for the season with a knee injury last week. QB Nova also stepped up with 291 pass yards and 4 TD on just 14 completions. Nova will have to continue to improve and lead this team through the air because, while the rushing attack was solid against Tulane, yards won't come as easy against Michigan this week and the rest of the B1G moving forward. Defensively, the Scarlet Knights allowed just 304 yards - 86 of which came on one long TD run in the 2nd quarter - and 13 first downs to Tulane. Up next the Scarlet Knights aim for their first B1G victory against the reeling Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan is 1-3 in the last four games, beating only winless Miami OH. The Wolverines have 13 turnovers in those four games and have been outscored by an average of 29-8 in the three losses to Notre Dame, Utah, and Minnesota. Backup QB Shane Morris got the call last week in place of Devin Gardner. Morris was just 7-of-19 for 49 yards with an INT. He got injured in the game and Michigan will make the move back to Gardner. It's a shame that Michigan's offense is so lackluster, because the defense has been playing well. The Wolverines rank 22nd against both the pass & the rush and 9th in overall defense. None of that will matter going forward if the Wolverines can't get consistent play from the quarterback position. Head coach Brady Hoke's seat can't get much hotter, and it'll be interesting how he gets the team to respond to all the negatively surrounding the program. Michigan is just 4-12 ATS in its last 16 road games as an underdog. Rutgers is just 2-6 ATS in the last eight games as a home favorite.
Illinois (-10) vs. Purdue – Saturday, 12:00 PM EST
Without QB Lunt leading the way against Nebraska last week, the Illini stood no chance at the upset. Backup QB O'Toole completed just 17-of-38 passes for 261 yards with 1 TD and 3 INT. His inaccuracy and Illinois' inability to run the football (78 yards on 24 carries) repeatedly stalled drives and allowed the Huskers to control the TOP (+20 minutes). Illinois' defense allowed Nebraska to rush for 458 yards on 70 carries (6.5 YPC) with 5 rush TD. We knew Illinois wasn't a very strong team after narrow wins over FCS Youngstown State (28-17), Western Kentucky (42-34), and Texas State (42-35); but the arm of Wes Lunt always made them competitive. Without Lunt, the Illini become one of the bottom-feeders of the B1G.
Luckily for them, Lunt will return this weekend as the Illini host Purdue. He has 1,237 pass yards, 11 TD, and just 3 INT through four games this season. Purdue coach Hazell doesn't know where to turn at quarterback as both Danny Etling (54.9%, 6 TD, 5 INT) and Austin Appleby (39.1%, 1 TD, 1 INT) have struggled so far this season. Both struggled in the loss last week as Purdue managed just 156 total yards and 9 first downs against Iowa. The defense played well and kept the Boilers down just seven points late in the 4th quarter, but it's not going to matter how good the defense performs if the offense keeps putting up numbers like that. Offensively Purdue now ranks 95th in rush YPG, 97th in PPG, 107th in pass YPG, and 117th in total YPG. The Boilers are 7-2 SU in the last 9 meetings with Illinois, including 3-1 SU the last four trips to Champaign. Illinois won the meeting last year, 20-16, in a rather ugly game. The Illini are 6-3 ATS in the last 9 games as a Big Ten favorite of 10 points or more. Purdue is 3-6 ATS in the last nine as a Big Ten underdog of 10 points or more.
Indiana (-13.5) vs. North Texas – Saturday, 2:30 PM EST
Indiana followed up its promising road win over SEC Missouri with a blowout loss at home to Maryland. An offense that looked so good in the first three games sputtered to just 15 points, with the lone offensive touchdown coming when the game was already decided. QB Sudfeld had one of his worst games as he completed just 14-of-37 passes for 126 yards with an INT. Defensively this is still a major work in progress. They allowed Maryland QB's Brown & Rowe to throw for 361 yards, 3 TD, and 0 INT on 22-of-33 passing. The Hoosiers have now allowed 36.3 PPG to its three FBS opponents and rank 90th in YPG allowed. It appears that the only reliable Hoosier these days is RB Tevin Coleman, who has rushed for 120+ yards in each game this season and has reached the end zone seven times.
Indiana closes up non-conference play this weekend as North Texas visits Bloomington. North Texas is 2-2 this season, with the two wins coming against hapless SMU & FCS Nicholls State. UNT's two losses were to Texas and Louisiana Tech by a combined score of 28-80. Despite the fact that UNT put up 77 points last week, this remains one of the poorer offensive teams in the nation. The Mean Green are 123rd in pass yards and 115th in total yards. Yes, they put up 77 points last week, but three of the scores were from defense/special teams. Since 2010, North Texas is 6-0 ATS against Power Five conference teams, including covers against four teams ranked in the top 15. The only prior meeting with Indiana came in 2011, a 24-21 win. UNT is 11-5 ATS in the last 16 games as a double-digit underdog. Indiana is 3-6 ATS in its last nine as a double-digit favorite.
Minnesota – Bye Week
Minnesota ended a six-game losing streak against Michigan to claim the Little Brown Jug. The Gophers have a solid formula to make life miserable for opponents, leaning on a powerful rushing attack and a stout defense. They simply wore down Michigan to the tune of 206 rush yards on 47 carries while controlling the clock for +9 minutes TOP. Defensively the Gophers held Michigan to just 171 total yards, including 83 rush yards on 28 carries (3.0 YPC). QB Mitch Leidner wasn't spectacular (14-of-22 for 167 yards and 1 TD), but he managed the game well and didn't make any mistakes. They earned their bye week, and now have four manageable games coming up (vs. Northwestern, vs. Purdue, @Illinois, vs. Iowa) that could conceivably put this Minnesota team at 8-1 heading into a home showdown with Ohio State on November 15th.
Iowa – Bye Week
In classic Iowa Hawkeye football fashion, they got the win at Purdue, but it sure wasn't pretty. Iowa had a +264 yard advantage and +13 first downs, but didn't take the lead until late in the 3rd quarter. They didn't put the nail in the coffin until 5:10 remaining in the 4th. Iowa rushed for 175 yards but on just 3.4 YPC while QB Beathard wasn't very efficient against Purdue's defense (17-for-37 for 245 yards). Coach Ferentz has stated that he won't make a decision on who starts at QB in the next game until next week, but indicated that when the Hawkeyes return to action on Oct. 11 against Indiana, they plan on playing more than one guy under center. Beathard didn't seize the job against Purdue and Rudock is the more proven option. With little rushing success to speak of, the QB play will have to get better going further into conference play. Next up is a home game against Indiana.
Penn State – Bye Week
No team needs the bye week more than the Nittany Lions after last week's performance against Northwestern. In one of the more surprising outcomes of the week, a struggling Northwestern squad completely dominated the previously undefeated Nittany Lions. The Wildcats held PSU to just 50 rush yards on 2.0 YPC and 14 first downs. And unlike previous contests where QB Hackenberg bailed out a struggling PSU offense, he was inefficient and unproductive against Northwestern. He completed just 22-of-45 passes for 216 yards with 0 TD and 1 INT as PSU failed to reach the end zone. The defense remains elite, but unless this offensive line starts opening up holes for the running game and creating some more time in the pocket for Hackenberg, this offense is going to struggle. The Nittany Lions travel to Michigan in their next game on October 11th.
Pac-12 Report - Week 6
By Joe Williams
One game in the Pac-12 is already in the books, and what a game it was. Arizona went to Autzen Stadium in Eugene and knocked Oregon from the ranks of the unbeaten. The Wildcats entered the game as 21.5-point underdogs, and were plus-850 on the moneyline. Under tickets cashed surprisingly easy, too, as the line closed at 82, but a total of just 55 points were scored. Will there be more upsets in Pac-12 play this weekend?
2014 PAC-12 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Arizona 5-0 2-0 2-3 2-3
Arizona State 3-1 1-1 1-3 2-2
California 3-1 1-1 3-1 3-1
Colorado 2-3 0-2 3-2 2-3
Oregon 4-1 1-1 1-4 2-3
Oregon State 3-1 0-1 1-3 1-3
Southern California 3-1 2-0 3-1 2-2
Stanford 3-1 1-1 2-2 0-3
UCLA 4-0 1-0 1-3 2-2
Utah 3-1 0-1 3-1 2-2
Washington 4-1 0-1 2-3 1-4
Washington State 2-3 1-1 3-2 2-3
Stanford at Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET)
The Cardinal might have a loss this season, but a win in South Bend against a Top 10 Irish team would go a long way toward bouncing them right back into the big picture, especially in the wide-open Pac-12 following Oregon's loss Thursday. Notre Dame has won 15 of their past 16 home games, while the road team has covered in four of the past five meetings in this series. Something has got to give. The Cardinal are 20-7-1 ATS in the past 28 road games, and 13-5 ATS in the past 18 non-conference tilts. However, they're also just 2-5 ATS in the past seven against a team with a winning overall record. The Irish have covered four in a row against a team with a winning overall record, and they're 4-1 ATS in the past five home games against a team with a winning road record. The total might be where the more certain trends come from. The under is 10-1 in Stanford's past 11 against a team with a winning record, and 10-2 in their past 12 overall. That includes a 5-2 mark in the past seven against non-conference teams. The under is 21-8 in Notre Dame's past 29 against Pac-12 foes, and 20-6-1 in their past 27 against teams with a winning record. In this series, the under is 4-0 in the past four meetings, and 6-1 in the shadows of 'Touchdown Jesus'.
Oregon State at Colorado (Pac-12 Network, 4:00 p.m. ET)
The Beavers were beat down at the L.A. Coliseum last weekend, and lick their wounds heading for Boulder to take on the Buffs. Colorado enters as a near-touchdown underdog at home, as they look to improve on their terrible 4-25 conference record since joining the Pac-12. They came close to a fifth win last weekend in Berkeley, falling 59-56 in double-overtime to California. Colorado can obviously score points, and the combination of QB Sefo Liufau to WR Nelson Spruce is one of the most dynamic in the nation. Despite last week's road loss and non-cover, OSU is still 23-11-1 ATS in the past 35 road games. Colorado has covered five straight in conference, and they're 6-2 ATS in the past eight overall.
Arizona State at Southern California (FOX, 7:30 p.m.)
The Sun Devils were hammered by UCLA in their last game, as they looked like a shell of themselves without QB Taylor Kelly (foot) under center. QB Mike Bercovici will get a second straight start in Kelly's stead. He went 42-for-68 with 488 yards and two touchdowns against UCLA, but he also tossed two picks. USC has won seven straight home meetings against AZ State, and 19 of 30 meetings overall. The Sun Devils are just 2-5 ATS in the past seven conference games dating back to last season, and 1-5 ATS in their past six overall. USC has covered seven of the past nine Pac-12 games, and they're 6-1 ATS in their past seven at the Coliseum. USC is also 6-1 ATS in the past seven against a team with an overall winning mark.
California at Washington State (Pac-12 Network, 10:30 p.m.)
This one could be the biggest track meeting the league this weekend, as evidence by the 77-point total set by Vegas. Last weekend, QB Jared Goff and the Cal offense outlasted Colorado 59-56 in 2OT, while Washington State erased as 21-0 deficit on the road to stun Utah 28-27. The Cougs have covered three straight after starting out 0-2 SU/ATS. The most surprisingly thing might be the fact the under is 3-1 in Washington State's past four games. While the road team is 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings in this series, Cal is also 4-9 ATS in the past 13 meetings against Washington State. The Cougs are an impressive 12-5 ATS in the past 17 against a team with a winning overall record.
Utah at UCLA (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.)
Utah is looking to rebound after a shocking collapse against Washington State last weekend. Utah enters as a near-two touchdown underdog, while UCLA is looking to move to 5-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1966-67. UCLA is trying for its first seven-game win streak since the 2005 season. The Bruins have played just once since Sept. 13, pounding Arizona State 62-27 on the road back on Sept. 25. It was their first cover in four tries this season, and perhaps the first time they have really looked the part of a Top 10 team. Utah had covered its first three this season, including its only road game at Michigan Sept. 20, before last weekend's collapse. The under has cashed in two in a row for Utah, while the over hit in the only home game to date for UCLA this season.
By Joe Williams
One game in the Pac-12 is already in the books, and what a game it was. Arizona went to Autzen Stadium in Eugene and knocked Oregon from the ranks of the unbeaten. The Wildcats entered the game as 21.5-point underdogs, and were plus-850 on the moneyline. Under tickets cashed surprisingly easy, too, as the line closed at 82, but a total of just 55 points were scored. Will there be more upsets in Pac-12 play this weekend?
2014 PAC-12 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Arizona 5-0 2-0 2-3 2-3
Arizona State 3-1 1-1 1-3 2-2
California 3-1 1-1 3-1 3-1
Colorado 2-3 0-2 3-2 2-3
Oregon 4-1 1-1 1-4 2-3
Oregon State 3-1 0-1 1-3 1-3
Southern California 3-1 2-0 3-1 2-2
Stanford 3-1 1-1 2-2 0-3
UCLA 4-0 1-0 1-3 2-2
Utah 3-1 0-1 3-1 2-2
Washington 4-1 0-1 2-3 1-4
Washington State 2-3 1-1 3-2 2-3
Stanford at Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET)
The Cardinal might have a loss this season, but a win in South Bend against a Top 10 Irish team would go a long way toward bouncing them right back into the big picture, especially in the wide-open Pac-12 following Oregon's loss Thursday. Notre Dame has won 15 of their past 16 home games, while the road team has covered in four of the past five meetings in this series. Something has got to give. The Cardinal are 20-7-1 ATS in the past 28 road games, and 13-5 ATS in the past 18 non-conference tilts. However, they're also just 2-5 ATS in the past seven against a team with a winning overall record. The Irish have covered four in a row against a team with a winning overall record, and they're 4-1 ATS in the past five home games against a team with a winning road record. The total might be where the more certain trends come from. The under is 10-1 in Stanford's past 11 against a team with a winning record, and 10-2 in their past 12 overall. That includes a 5-2 mark in the past seven against non-conference teams. The under is 21-8 in Notre Dame's past 29 against Pac-12 foes, and 20-6-1 in their past 27 against teams with a winning record. In this series, the under is 4-0 in the past four meetings, and 6-1 in the shadows of 'Touchdown Jesus'.
Oregon State at Colorado (Pac-12 Network, 4:00 p.m. ET)
The Beavers were beat down at the L.A. Coliseum last weekend, and lick their wounds heading for Boulder to take on the Buffs. Colorado enters as a near-touchdown underdog at home, as they look to improve on their terrible 4-25 conference record since joining the Pac-12. They came close to a fifth win last weekend in Berkeley, falling 59-56 in double-overtime to California. Colorado can obviously score points, and the combination of QB Sefo Liufau to WR Nelson Spruce is one of the most dynamic in the nation. Despite last week's road loss and non-cover, OSU is still 23-11-1 ATS in the past 35 road games. Colorado has covered five straight in conference, and they're 6-2 ATS in the past eight overall.
Arizona State at Southern California (FOX, 7:30 p.m.)
The Sun Devils were hammered by UCLA in their last game, as they looked like a shell of themselves without QB Taylor Kelly (foot) under center. QB Mike Bercovici will get a second straight start in Kelly's stead. He went 42-for-68 with 488 yards and two touchdowns against UCLA, but he also tossed two picks. USC has won seven straight home meetings against AZ State, and 19 of 30 meetings overall. The Sun Devils are just 2-5 ATS in the past seven conference games dating back to last season, and 1-5 ATS in their past six overall. USC has covered seven of the past nine Pac-12 games, and they're 6-1 ATS in their past seven at the Coliseum. USC is also 6-1 ATS in the past seven against a team with an overall winning mark.
California at Washington State (Pac-12 Network, 10:30 p.m.)
This one could be the biggest track meeting the league this weekend, as evidence by the 77-point total set by Vegas. Last weekend, QB Jared Goff and the Cal offense outlasted Colorado 59-56 in 2OT, while Washington State erased as 21-0 deficit on the road to stun Utah 28-27. The Cougs have covered three straight after starting out 0-2 SU/ATS. The most surprisingly thing might be the fact the under is 3-1 in Washington State's past four games. While the road team is 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings in this series, Cal is also 4-9 ATS in the past 13 meetings against Washington State. The Cougs are an impressive 12-5 ATS in the past 17 against a team with a winning overall record.
Utah at UCLA (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.)
Utah is looking to rebound after a shocking collapse against Washington State last weekend. Utah enters as a near-two touchdown underdog, while UCLA is looking to move to 5-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1966-67. UCLA is trying for its first seven-game win streak since the 2005 season. The Bruins have played just once since Sept. 13, pounding Arizona State 62-27 on the road back on Sept. 25. It was their first cover in four tries this season, and perhaps the first time they have really looked the part of a Top 10 team. Utah had covered its first three this season, including its only road game at Michigan Sept. 20, before last weekend's collapse. The under has cashed in two in a row for Utah, while the over hit in the only home game to date for UCLA this season.
Total Notes - Week 6
By Chris David
Week 5 Recap
For the second consecutive week, total bettors watched the ‘under’ come out on top with a 27-24-1 record in the 52 FBS matchups. The lone push occurred in one of the matchups that we mentioned in our “Streaks to Watch” section last week, Louisiana Tech at Auburn. The Bulldogs saw their first four games go ‘over’ the number and some bettors may’ve cashed a winning ticket (61) last week as the Tigers captured a 45-17 victory. This game got a late burst with 28 points scored in the fourth quarter and actually had a shot to go ‘over’ late.
Streaks to Watch
Bettors have a couple more pending streaks to watch this weekend.
Under 5-0
Navy at Air Force
Under 4-0
Ball State at Army
Northwestern vs. Wisconsin
Nevada vs. Boise State
Over 4-0
Tulsa at Colorado State
Georgia vs. Vanderbilt
Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State
Michigan State vs. Nebraska
The one total streak that caught my attention was Michigan State’s run to the ‘over’ this season. Dating back to last year’s Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl, the Spartans have now seen the ‘over’ cash in six straight games. This week’s total (60) against Nebraska is the highest in the Mark Dantonio era since 2010 when they met Michigan. For that game, the number was 64 ½ and that battle featured NFL players Kirk Cousins and Denard Robinson.
Is the Spartans offense ahead of the defense and should we lean ‘over’ for Gang Green going forward?
We asked that question to VegasInsider.com Totals Expert James Manos and he offered up his insight on Michigan State and its matchup against the Cornhuskers this week.
He said, “Michigan State's offensive outburst to this point has a lot to do with its opponents. The Spartans have face two terrible defenses in Jacksonville State and Eastern Michigan and played one of the most up-tempo teams in the country in Oregon. They did gain 533 yards and score 56 points on a good Wyoming defense that was trying to slow the game down though. The Spartans have been extremely efficient and I think it's simply a matter of them executing well and getting better quarterback play than they've gotten over the last few seasons. This is an unusually high total for a Spartans game and I think it'll go UNDER but the line is set due to the Nebraska defense, its much worse than you think. The Cornhuskers have played versus a very manageable set of offenses and still haven't looked that good. The only decent team they've faced is Miami and they allowed a redshirt-freshman QB to throw for 359 yards in Lincoln. Michigan State allows just 20 PPG and Nebraska just 19 PPG, I think we'll see a game more in line with those numbers than what the offenses put up. The Spartans do have the front seven to contain Conrhuskers RB AmeerAbdullah. Then what does Nebraska do?”
Big Five (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC)
The ‘under’ went 5-4 in ACC matchups in Week 5 and this group is starting to see a couple schools differentiate themselves in the total market. Louisville (4-1) and Wake Forest (4-1) have both identified themselves as ‘under’ teams while North Carolina’s style and lack of defense should make you lean ‘over’ first in its games.
The Big 12 had the scoreboard operators working hard last week as five of the eight schools in action scored 35-plus points which helped the ‘over’ go 4-1. Oklahoma State has watched the ‘over’ go 4-0 and five other schools have seen 75 percent (3-1) of their games go ‘over.’ Two schools that lean ‘under’ are Texas and Kansas.
Every game that featured a Big Ten school was decided by double digits last weekend. When you have blowouts, the clock tends to tick and that usually results in ‘under’ tickets which was the case (6-5) in Week 5. As mentioned above, Michigan State has been a clear-cut ‘over’ team while Northwestern (4-0) and Iowa (4-1) have both leaned to the ‘under’ this season.
Even though there were two games in the Pac-12 last week that had 89 and 115 combined points scored, the ‘under’ produced a 3-2 record in Week 5.
The ‘over/under’ went 3-3-1 last week in SEC play. The Arkansas-Texas A&M had a closing total of 73 and the game started out as a shootout, with 28 points scored less than 17 minutes into the game. The tempo slowed down but still went into overtime 28-28. The Aggies captured a 35-28 victory in overtime and if the Razorbacks could’ve answered with a score, the ‘over’ would’ve likely cashed.
Line Moves
VI Totals Expert James Manos analyzes line movements in the totals market and breaks them into four categories, which are listed below with examples for Week 6.
1) Correct sharp movement – Virginia Tech/North Carolina UNDER
The oddsmakers sent out 63 ½ and that was too high as the professionals dropped the number to 59 ½.
2) Incorrect sharp movement – Stanford/Notre Dame OVER
This game opened 41 ½ and has jumped as high as 48 at some betting shops. The so-called wise guys may’ve overlooked the fact that the ‘under’ has gone 4-0 in the last four meetings in this series.
3) Public movement – Alabama/Ole Miss OVER
The nationally televised CBS game on Saturday opened 48 ½ and moved quickly to 53. Some pundits believe the Crimson Tide can be taken in this matchup but hard to ignore the fact that the Rebels have scored 0, 14, 7, 10, and 3 points in their last five encounters vs. ‘Bama. Under 4-1 during this span.
4) Market manipulation – Navy/Air Force OVER
This game was bouncing back and forth between 54 and 55 all week before settling at 56 on Thursday. It moved up to 56 ½ and settled back to 56 as of Friday evening. Outside of a 35-34 shootout in 2011, this series has featured low-scoring battles, which has resulted in an 8-2 run to the ‘under.’
Listed below are all of the Week 6 total moves by 3.5 or more points based on openers as of Friday evening.
Week 6 Moves
Rotation Open Current
North Texas at Indiana 61.5 58
Pittsburgh at Virginia 50 46.5
Kansas at West Virginia 49.5 58
Toledo at Western Michigan 71.5 64.5
Marshall at Old Dominion 68 76.5
Virginia Tech at North Carolina 63.5 59.5
UMass at Miami-Ohio 54.5 58.5
South Carolina at Kentucky 52.5 56
Ball State at Army 52.5 58
Buffalo at Bowling Green 74 78.5
Stanford at Notre Dame 41.5 47
Arizona State at USC 63 68
Oklahoma at TCU 53.5 57
Iowa State at Oklahoma State 62 65.5
Alabama at Mississippi 48.5 53
Texas A&M at Mississippi State 63.5 75
UTEP at Louisiana Tech 63.5 56.5
New Mexico at Texas-San Antonio 59.5 55
UL Monroe at Arkansas State 47 52
UAB at Western Kentucky 75 71
Georgia Southern at New Mexico State 61 64.5
Boise State at Nevada 49 53
By Chris David
Week 5 Recap
For the second consecutive week, total bettors watched the ‘under’ come out on top with a 27-24-1 record in the 52 FBS matchups. The lone push occurred in one of the matchups that we mentioned in our “Streaks to Watch” section last week, Louisiana Tech at Auburn. The Bulldogs saw their first four games go ‘over’ the number and some bettors may’ve cashed a winning ticket (61) last week as the Tigers captured a 45-17 victory. This game got a late burst with 28 points scored in the fourth quarter and actually had a shot to go ‘over’ late.
Streaks to Watch
Bettors have a couple more pending streaks to watch this weekend.
Under 5-0
Navy at Air Force
Under 4-0
Ball State at Army
Northwestern vs. Wisconsin
Nevada vs. Boise State
Over 4-0
Tulsa at Colorado State
Georgia vs. Vanderbilt
Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State
Michigan State vs. Nebraska
The one total streak that caught my attention was Michigan State’s run to the ‘over’ this season. Dating back to last year’s Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl, the Spartans have now seen the ‘over’ cash in six straight games. This week’s total (60) against Nebraska is the highest in the Mark Dantonio era since 2010 when they met Michigan. For that game, the number was 64 ½ and that battle featured NFL players Kirk Cousins and Denard Robinson.
Is the Spartans offense ahead of the defense and should we lean ‘over’ for Gang Green going forward?
We asked that question to VegasInsider.com Totals Expert James Manos and he offered up his insight on Michigan State and its matchup against the Cornhuskers this week.
He said, “Michigan State's offensive outburst to this point has a lot to do with its opponents. The Spartans have face two terrible defenses in Jacksonville State and Eastern Michigan and played one of the most up-tempo teams in the country in Oregon. They did gain 533 yards and score 56 points on a good Wyoming defense that was trying to slow the game down though. The Spartans have been extremely efficient and I think it's simply a matter of them executing well and getting better quarterback play than they've gotten over the last few seasons. This is an unusually high total for a Spartans game and I think it'll go UNDER but the line is set due to the Nebraska defense, its much worse than you think. The Cornhuskers have played versus a very manageable set of offenses and still haven't looked that good. The only decent team they've faced is Miami and they allowed a redshirt-freshman QB to throw for 359 yards in Lincoln. Michigan State allows just 20 PPG and Nebraska just 19 PPG, I think we'll see a game more in line with those numbers than what the offenses put up. The Spartans do have the front seven to contain Conrhuskers RB AmeerAbdullah. Then what does Nebraska do?”
Big Five (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC)
The ‘under’ went 5-4 in ACC matchups in Week 5 and this group is starting to see a couple schools differentiate themselves in the total market. Louisville (4-1) and Wake Forest (4-1) have both identified themselves as ‘under’ teams while North Carolina’s style and lack of defense should make you lean ‘over’ first in its games.
The Big 12 had the scoreboard operators working hard last week as five of the eight schools in action scored 35-plus points which helped the ‘over’ go 4-1. Oklahoma State has watched the ‘over’ go 4-0 and five other schools have seen 75 percent (3-1) of their games go ‘over.’ Two schools that lean ‘under’ are Texas and Kansas.
Every game that featured a Big Ten school was decided by double digits last weekend. When you have blowouts, the clock tends to tick and that usually results in ‘under’ tickets which was the case (6-5) in Week 5. As mentioned above, Michigan State has been a clear-cut ‘over’ team while Northwestern (4-0) and Iowa (4-1) have both leaned to the ‘under’ this season.
Even though there were two games in the Pac-12 last week that had 89 and 115 combined points scored, the ‘under’ produced a 3-2 record in Week 5.
The ‘over/under’ went 3-3-1 last week in SEC play. The Arkansas-Texas A&M had a closing total of 73 and the game started out as a shootout, with 28 points scored less than 17 minutes into the game. The tempo slowed down but still went into overtime 28-28. The Aggies captured a 35-28 victory in overtime and if the Razorbacks could’ve answered with a score, the ‘over’ would’ve likely cashed.
Line Moves
VI Totals Expert James Manos analyzes line movements in the totals market and breaks them into four categories, which are listed below with examples for Week 6.
1) Correct sharp movement – Virginia Tech/North Carolina UNDER
The oddsmakers sent out 63 ½ and that was too high as the professionals dropped the number to 59 ½.
2) Incorrect sharp movement – Stanford/Notre Dame OVER
This game opened 41 ½ and has jumped as high as 48 at some betting shops. The so-called wise guys may’ve overlooked the fact that the ‘under’ has gone 4-0 in the last four meetings in this series.
3) Public movement – Alabama/Ole Miss OVER
The nationally televised CBS game on Saturday opened 48 ½ and moved quickly to 53. Some pundits believe the Crimson Tide can be taken in this matchup but hard to ignore the fact that the Rebels have scored 0, 14, 7, 10, and 3 points in their last five encounters vs. ‘Bama. Under 4-1 during this span.
4) Market manipulation – Navy/Air Force OVER
This game was bouncing back and forth between 54 and 55 all week before settling at 56 on Thursday. It moved up to 56 ½ and settled back to 56 as of Friday evening. Outside of a 35-34 shootout in 2011, this series has featured low-scoring battles, which has resulted in an 8-2 run to the ‘under.’
Listed below are all of the Week 6 total moves by 3.5 or more points based on openers as of Friday evening.
Week 6 Moves
Rotation Open Current
North Texas at Indiana 61.5 58
Pittsburgh at Virginia 50 46.5
Kansas at West Virginia 49.5 58
Toledo at Western Michigan 71.5 64.5
Marshall at Old Dominion 68 76.5
Virginia Tech at North Carolina 63.5 59.5
UMass at Miami-Ohio 54.5 58.5
South Carolina at Kentucky 52.5 56
Ball State at Army 52.5 58
Buffalo at Bowling Green 74 78.5
Stanford at Notre Dame 41.5 47
Arizona State at USC 63 68
Oklahoma at TCU 53.5 57
Iowa State at Oklahoma State 62 65.5
Alabama at Mississippi 48.5 53
Texas A&M at Mississippi State 63.5 75
UTEP at Louisiana Tech 63.5 56.5
New Mexico at Texas-San Antonio 59.5 55
UL Monroe at Arkansas State 47 52
UAB at Western Kentucky 75 71
Georgia Southern at New Mexico State 61 64.5
Boise State at Nevada 49 53
SEC Showdowns
By Brian Edwards
**Alabama at Ole Miss**
-- As of Thursday afternoon, most betting shops had Alabama (4-0 straight up, 1-2-1 against the spread) installed as a six-point favorite with a total of 52.5. The Rebels were +220 on the money line (risk $100 to win $220).
-- This is the biggest game in Oxford since LSU came to town with the SEC West on the line in Eli Manning's senior season (2003). It is the first time that ESPN's GameDay crew has visited The Grove, and it is undoubtedly the biggest game of Hugh Freeze's tenure to date. Is his Ole Miss (4-0 SU, 3-0-1 ATS) squad ready to deal with the bright lights and expectations that come with a marquee game such as this? We will find out Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
-- Ole Miss nearly fell victim to what was a vintage look-ahead situation last week at home against Memphis. I made a late decision to take the Tigers as 21-point underdogs and that move was looking good deep into the fourth quarter. In fact, the Rebels were only ahead 7-3 going into the final stanza. With a 10-3 advantage at the 9:34 mark, Jaylen Walton ripped off a 23-yard touchdown run to put his team on top by a 17-3 count. With 1:18 remaining, Bo Wallace found Laquon Treadwell for a 17-yard scoring strike to lift the Rebels to a 24-3 victory and a fortunate push for their wagering supporters.
-- Ole Miss captured three wins before facing Memphis. The Rebels beat Boise State (35-13) at the Georgia Dome in Week 1, and then they smashed Vanderbilt 41-3 in Nashville. In the home opener two weeks ago, Freeze's bunch mauled Louisiana-Lafayette by a 59-15 count.
-- Alabama has wins over West Virginia (33-23 at the Ga. Dome), Florida Atlantic (41-0), Southern Miss (52-12) and Florida (42-21). This is the Crimson Tide's first true road assignment and it has had an open date for extra preparation time.
-- Nick Saban's team made mistakes galore in the first half of its last game against Florida at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Those miscues allowed the Gators to stay in the game and to pull event at 21-21 early in the third quarter. But it was all 'Bama from there as it coasted to a 42-21 victory as a 14.5-point 'chalk.' Blake Sims enjoyed a breakout performance, throwing for 445 yards and four touchdowns. Amari Cooper had 10 receptions for 201 yards and three TDs, while Derrick Henry rushed for 101 yards and one score.
-- For the season, Sims has connected on 72.9 percent of his passes for 1,077 yards with an 8/2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Cooper is the leading candidate to win the Belitnekoff Award, hauling in 43 receptions for 655 yards and five TDs in just four games.
-- Many factors go into the winning formula for both sides in this crucial SEC West showdown. But if there's one overriding factor for Ole Miss, it will be the play of its senior QB. Wallace has completed 71.0 percent of his passes for 1,271 yards and 11 TDs this season. However, he has been intercepted six times. If the Rebels are going to collect a groundbreaking 'W,' Wallace has to protect the football.
-- Laquon Treadwell, the true sophomore and former five-star recruit out of Chicago, has caught a team-high 20 balls for 307 yards and three TDs.
-- Ole Miss owns a 10-5-1 spread record in 16 home games on Freeze's watch. The Rebels are 3-2 ATS as home underdogs.
-- Since 2008, Alabama has cashed tickets at a 16-9 ATS clip as a road favorite.
-- The 'over' is 3-0-1 overall for 'Bama.
-- The 'under' is 3-1 for the Rebels, 1-1 in their home outings.
**LSU at Auburn**
-- As of late Thursday afternoon, most spots had Auburn (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS) favored by eight with a total of 57. Gamblers can back LSU to win outright for a +250 return (risk $100 to win $250).
-- Auburn's 2014 resume consists of three blowout wins at home over Arkansas (45-21), San Jose State (59-13) and Louisiana Tech (45-17), in addition to a shaky 20-14 win at Kansas State, Gus Malzahn's team was fortunate to escape Manhattan with a victory. The Wildcats missed three field goals and blew a golden scoring opportunity deep inside the red zone when a TD pass was dropped and resulted in an Auburn interception. We should also note that the Razorbacks were tied with AU 21-21 at intermission.
-- AU quarterback Nick Marshall has 548 passing yards and a 6/1 TD-INT ratio. He has rushed for 273 yards and a pair of scores while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Juco transfer Duke Williams has emerged as his new favorite target. Williams has a team-best 23 receptions for 357 yards and three TDs. Meanwhile, last year's top pass catcher Sammie Coates has been limited to five grabs for only 56 yards.
-- LSU (4-1 SU, 4-1 ATS) opened the season in Houston with a 28-24 come-from-behind win over Wisconsin. After blasting Sam Houston State and ULM by a combined score of 87-0, LSU got shocked at home by Mississippi State by a 34-29 count. The final score was actually misleading as the Bulldogs were in charge and ahead by a double-digit margin nearly the entire game, their first victory in Baton Rouge since 1991.
-- This is LSU's first true road assignment of the season. Likewise, this is freshman QB Brandon Harris's first career starting nod and it comes on the road at night on The Plains. Harris was announced as the new starter over Anthony Jennings earlier this week. Harris has completed 22-of-30 passes for 394 yards with a 6/1 TD-INT ratio. He has also run for 108 yards and three scores on just 16 totes.
-- LSU wide receiver Travin Dural has 21 receptions for 534 yards and five TDs. True freshman RB Leonard Fournette has rushed 56 times for 322 yards and four TDs. LSU is extremely deep in the backfield, but Fournette and Kenny Hilliard should get the bulk of the touches this weekend.
-- LSU is going to be without two key members of its secondary. Sophomore Dwayne Thomas, who had three sacks as a true freshman in 2013, was lost for the season in last week's 63-7 blowout win over New Mexico State Also, Corey Thompson is injured and out indefinitely.
-- Auburn is nursing injuries of its own, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Starting linebackers Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost are both listed as 'questionable,' but Gus Malzahn implied Wednesday that both are at least going to attempt to play. Another key defensive player, senior free safety Jermaine Whitehead, remains on indefinite suspension.
-- LSU has won three in a row over Auburn and six of the last seven. With that said, AU is 6-3-1 ATS in the last nine head-to-head encounters. When these rivals met in Baton Rouge last season, the Bayou Bengals captured a 35-21 win but failed to cover the number as 17-point home favorites. AU got a 12-yard TD run for Cameron Artis-Payne with 6:33 remaining to hook up his team's supporters with a backdoor cover. Marshall was intercepted twice at Tiger Stadium.
-- LSU is 6-7 ATS in 13 games as a road underdog during Les Miles's 10-year tenure.
-- Auburn owns a 6-3 spread record in nine games as a home favorite on Malzahn's watch.
-- The 'over' is 3-1 overall for Auburn, 3-0 in its home games.
-- Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
By Brian Edwards
**Alabama at Ole Miss**
-- As of Thursday afternoon, most betting shops had Alabama (4-0 straight up, 1-2-1 against the spread) installed as a six-point favorite with a total of 52.5. The Rebels were +220 on the money line (risk $100 to win $220).
-- This is the biggest game in Oxford since LSU came to town with the SEC West on the line in Eli Manning's senior season (2003). It is the first time that ESPN's GameDay crew has visited The Grove, and it is undoubtedly the biggest game of Hugh Freeze's tenure to date. Is his Ole Miss (4-0 SU, 3-0-1 ATS) squad ready to deal with the bright lights and expectations that come with a marquee game such as this? We will find out Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
-- Ole Miss nearly fell victim to what was a vintage look-ahead situation last week at home against Memphis. I made a late decision to take the Tigers as 21-point underdogs and that move was looking good deep into the fourth quarter. In fact, the Rebels were only ahead 7-3 going into the final stanza. With a 10-3 advantage at the 9:34 mark, Jaylen Walton ripped off a 23-yard touchdown run to put his team on top by a 17-3 count. With 1:18 remaining, Bo Wallace found Laquon Treadwell for a 17-yard scoring strike to lift the Rebels to a 24-3 victory and a fortunate push for their wagering supporters.
-- Ole Miss captured three wins before facing Memphis. The Rebels beat Boise State (35-13) at the Georgia Dome in Week 1, and then they smashed Vanderbilt 41-3 in Nashville. In the home opener two weeks ago, Freeze's bunch mauled Louisiana-Lafayette by a 59-15 count.
-- Alabama has wins over West Virginia (33-23 at the Ga. Dome), Florida Atlantic (41-0), Southern Miss (52-12) and Florida (42-21). This is the Crimson Tide's first true road assignment and it has had an open date for extra preparation time.
-- Nick Saban's team made mistakes galore in the first half of its last game against Florida at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Those miscues allowed the Gators to stay in the game and to pull event at 21-21 early in the third quarter. But it was all 'Bama from there as it coasted to a 42-21 victory as a 14.5-point 'chalk.' Blake Sims enjoyed a breakout performance, throwing for 445 yards and four touchdowns. Amari Cooper had 10 receptions for 201 yards and three TDs, while Derrick Henry rushed for 101 yards and one score.
-- For the season, Sims has connected on 72.9 percent of his passes for 1,077 yards with an 8/2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Cooper is the leading candidate to win the Belitnekoff Award, hauling in 43 receptions for 655 yards and five TDs in just four games.
-- Many factors go into the winning formula for both sides in this crucial SEC West showdown. But if there's one overriding factor for Ole Miss, it will be the play of its senior QB. Wallace has completed 71.0 percent of his passes for 1,271 yards and 11 TDs this season. However, he has been intercepted six times. If the Rebels are going to collect a groundbreaking 'W,' Wallace has to protect the football.
-- Laquon Treadwell, the true sophomore and former five-star recruit out of Chicago, has caught a team-high 20 balls for 307 yards and three TDs.
-- Ole Miss owns a 10-5-1 spread record in 16 home games on Freeze's watch. The Rebels are 3-2 ATS as home underdogs.
-- Since 2008, Alabama has cashed tickets at a 16-9 ATS clip as a road favorite.
-- The 'over' is 3-0-1 overall for 'Bama.
-- The 'under' is 3-1 for the Rebels, 1-1 in their home outings.
**LSU at Auburn**
-- As of late Thursday afternoon, most spots had Auburn (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS) favored by eight with a total of 57. Gamblers can back LSU to win outright for a +250 return (risk $100 to win $250).
-- Auburn's 2014 resume consists of three blowout wins at home over Arkansas (45-21), San Jose State (59-13) and Louisiana Tech (45-17), in addition to a shaky 20-14 win at Kansas State, Gus Malzahn's team was fortunate to escape Manhattan with a victory. The Wildcats missed three field goals and blew a golden scoring opportunity deep inside the red zone when a TD pass was dropped and resulted in an Auburn interception. We should also note that the Razorbacks were tied with AU 21-21 at intermission.
-- AU quarterback Nick Marshall has 548 passing yards and a 6/1 TD-INT ratio. He has rushed for 273 yards and a pair of scores while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Juco transfer Duke Williams has emerged as his new favorite target. Williams has a team-best 23 receptions for 357 yards and three TDs. Meanwhile, last year's top pass catcher Sammie Coates has been limited to five grabs for only 56 yards.
-- LSU (4-1 SU, 4-1 ATS) opened the season in Houston with a 28-24 come-from-behind win over Wisconsin. After blasting Sam Houston State and ULM by a combined score of 87-0, LSU got shocked at home by Mississippi State by a 34-29 count. The final score was actually misleading as the Bulldogs were in charge and ahead by a double-digit margin nearly the entire game, their first victory in Baton Rouge since 1991.
-- This is LSU's first true road assignment of the season. Likewise, this is freshman QB Brandon Harris's first career starting nod and it comes on the road at night on The Plains. Harris was announced as the new starter over Anthony Jennings earlier this week. Harris has completed 22-of-30 passes for 394 yards with a 6/1 TD-INT ratio. He has also run for 108 yards and three scores on just 16 totes.
-- LSU wide receiver Travin Dural has 21 receptions for 534 yards and five TDs. True freshman RB Leonard Fournette has rushed 56 times for 322 yards and four TDs. LSU is extremely deep in the backfield, but Fournette and Kenny Hilliard should get the bulk of the touches this weekend.
-- LSU is going to be without two key members of its secondary. Sophomore Dwayne Thomas, who had three sacks as a true freshman in 2013, was lost for the season in last week's 63-7 blowout win over New Mexico State Also, Corey Thompson is injured and out indefinitely.
-- Auburn is nursing injuries of its own, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Starting linebackers Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost are both listed as 'questionable,' but Gus Malzahn implied Wednesday that both are at least going to attempt to play. Another key defensive player, senior free safety Jermaine Whitehead, remains on indefinite suspension.
-- LSU has won three in a row over Auburn and six of the last seven. With that said, AU is 6-3-1 ATS in the last nine head-to-head encounters. When these rivals met in Baton Rouge last season, the Bayou Bengals captured a 35-21 win but failed to cover the number as 17-point home favorites. AU got a 12-yard TD run for Cameron Artis-Payne with 6:33 remaining to hook up his team's supporters with a backdoor cover. Marshall was intercepted twice at Tiger Stadium.
-- LSU is 6-7 ATS in 13 games as a road underdog during Les Miles's 10-year tenure.
-- Auburn owns a 6-3 spread record in nine games as a home favorite on Malzahn's watch.
-- The 'over' is 3-1 overall for Auburn, 3-0 in its home games.
-- Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
Florida at Tennessee
By Brian Edwards
-- As of early Thursday, most books had Tennessee (2-2 straight up, 2-2 against the spread) listed as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 55 for 'over/under' wagers. The Gators are +120 on the money line.
-- In Year 4 of the Will Muschamp Era, the longevity of his tenure has reached a crucial breaking point. It arrives at noon Eastern in Knoxville, where Florida (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) desperately needs a win over the Volunteers. If the Gators fall to 1-2 in SEC play, they'll be forced to win all of their five remaining league games to have any shot at winning the division. Four of those five remaining tilts come against LSU, Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina, although we should note that none of those contests are true road assignments. But that's what makes a win so imperative for UF, which could go into an open date ahead of the Georgia game with a 4-1 SEC record if it takes care of business against LSU and Missouri at The Swamp.
-- Tennessee hasn't tasted victory over Florida since winning 30-28 in extremely controversial fashion at Neyland Stadium in 2004. UF has won nine in a row with seven of those victories coming by double-digit margins. In their last visit to Neyland, Jeff Driskel sparked the Gators to a 37-20 win as 3.5-point underdogs. Driskel, a true sophomore at the time, threw a pair of TD passes without being intercepted and his team scored 24 unanswered points after falling behind 20-13 in the third quarter. Driskel also had eight rushes for 81 yards.
-- Butch Jones's team has wins over Utah State (38-7) and Arkansas State (34-19) at home, but it has dropped back-to-back games at Oklahoma (34-10) and at Georgia (35-32). UT raced out to a 10-0 lead in Athens last weekend before UGA responded with 21 straight points. With 18 seconds remaining in the first half, Justin Worley found Jason Croom for a 23-yard scoring strike to slice the deficit to 21-17 at intermission. After a scoreless third quarter, the Bulldogs went ahead by double digits twice, only for UT to come back each time to get within three points.
-- Worley was terrific at Sanford Stadium. In fact, he might have played his best career game. Even after injuring his shoulder in the third quarter and missing three consecutive series, the senior returned to throw a pair of TD passes in the final stanza. First, he found Pig Howard for a 31-yard TD pass and after connecting with Daniel Helm for the two-point conversion, UT was only down 28-25. The Vols would get the ball back deep in their own territory and a second-down run play turned into a fumble recovered by UGA in the end zone. Butch's bunch didn't quit, however, getting another TD pass from Worley with 1:18 left. But the onside kick didn't work and UGA prevailed.
-- Will Muschamp's squad has had two weeks to prep for the Vols. UF began the season with a 65-0 win over Eastern Michigan before barely slipping past Kentucky 36-30 in triple overtime. Next, the Gators went to Tuscaloosa and after tying the game at 21-21 early in the third quarter, saw Alabama dominate the rest of the game en route to a 42-21 triumph.
-- Driskel completed only 9-of-28 throws for 93 yards and was intercepted twice. To his credit, the fourth-year junior did have a TD pass to Valdez Showers in the first quarter and his third-quarter TD run tied the game. Driskel was awful the rest of the way, though. Driskel has completed 65-of-116 passes (56.0%) for 636 yards with a 5/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Muschamp wouldn't go there in preparation for this game, but Driskel's starting job could be equal to the head coach's job security. The back-up is athletic true freshman Treon Harris, who threw a pair of TD passes in his only attempts in the opener (albeit vs. Eastern Michigan).
-- Look for UF to employ a heavy dose of RBs Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor, both of whom are averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Jones has 258 rushing yards and two TDs, while Taylor has rushed for 143 yards and a pair of scores. Sophomore WR DeMarcus Robinson has emerged as the team's top wideout, hauling in 23 receptions for 353 yards and three TDs.
-- Florida starting DT Leon Orr is 'out' at UT. LB Michael Taylor, who is tied for team lead in tackles with 21, is 'questionable.'
-- Worley has completed 60.0 percent of his passes for 935 yards with a 9/3 TD-INT ratio. Marquez North is his favorite target and a rising star. North and Howard are tied for the team lead in receptions with 17. North has a team-best 188 receiving yards and three TDs. True freshman RB Jalen Hurd, a five-star recruit who was the gem in Jones's heralded 2014 class, has run for a team-high 328 yards and two scores while averaging 4.6 YPC.
-- Tennessee WR Josh Smith will his second straight game with a high ankle sprain. Before suffering the injury at Oklahoma, Smith was second on the team in catches (10) and receiving yards (135). UT has also been missing WR Von Pearson, who reportedly "practiced a little bit on Tuesday." Pearson, who had seven receptions for 98 yards in the Vols' first two games, remains a question mark vs. UF.
-- The Vols are 2-4 ATS as home favorites during Jones's tenure, 1-1 this season.
-- As a road underdog on Muschamp's watch, Florida owns a 4-4 spread record.
-- The 'over' is 3-0 for the Gators, whose games have averaged 64.7 points per game.
-- The 'under' is 3-1 for the Vols, 2-0 in their home games.
-- The 'over' has hit four straight times in the UF-UT rivalry.
-- The SEC Network will have the telecast at noon Eastern.
By Brian Edwards
-- As of early Thursday, most books had Tennessee (2-2 straight up, 2-2 against the spread) listed as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 55 for 'over/under' wagers. The Gators are +120 on the money line.
-- In Year 4 of the Will Muschamp Era, the longevity of his tenure has reached a crucial breaking point. It arrives at noon Eastern in Knoxville, where Florida (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) desperately needs a win over the Volunteers. If the Gators fall to 1-2 in SEC play, they'll be forced to win all of their five remaining league games to have any shot at winning the division. Four of those five remaining tilts come against LSU, Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina, although we should note that none of those contests are true road assignments. But that's what makes a win so imperative for UF, which could go into an open date ahead of the Georgia game with a 4-1 SEC record if it takes care of business against LSU and Missouri at The Swamp.
-- Tennessee hasn't tasted victory over Florida since winning 30-28 in extremely controversial fashion at Neyland Stadium in 2004. UF has won nine in a row with seven of those victories coming by double-digit margins. In their last visit to Neyland, Jeff Driskel sparked the Gators to a 37-20 win as 3.5-point underdogs. Driskel, a true sophomore at the time, threw a pair of TD passes without being intercepted and his team scored 24 unanswered points after falling behind 20-13 in the third quarter. Driskel also had eight rushes for 81 yards.
-- Butch Jones's team has wins over Utah State (38-7) and Arkansas State (34-19) at home, but it has dropped back-to-back games at Oklahoma (34-10) and at Georgia (35-32). UT raced out to a 10-0 lead in Athens last weekend before UGA responded with 21 straight points. With 18 seconds remaining in the first half, Justin Worley found Jason Croom for a 23-yard scoring strike to slice the deficit to 21-17 at intermission. After a scoreless third quarter, the Bulldogs went ahead by double digits twice, only for UT to come back each time to get within three points.
-- Worley was terrific at Sanford Stadium. In fact, he might have played his best career game. Even after injuring his shoulder in the third quarter and missing three consecutive series, the senior returned to throw a pair of TD passes in the final stanza. First, he found Pig Howard for a 31-yard TD pass and after connecting with Daniel Helm for the two-point conversion, UT was only down 28-25. The Vols would get the ball back deep in their own territory and a second-down run play turned into a fumble recovered by UGA in the end zone. Butch's bunch didn't quit, however, getting another TD pass from Worley with 1:18 left. But the onside kick didn't work and UGA prevailed.
-- Will Muschamp's squad has had two weeks to prep for the Vols. UF began the season with a 65-0 win over Eastern Michigan before barely slipping past Kentucky 36-30 in triple overtime. Next, the Gators went to Tuscaloosa and after tying the game at 21-21 early in the third quarter, saw Alabama dominate the rest of the game en route to a 42-21 triumph.
-- Driskel completed only 9-of-28 throws for 93 yards and was intercepted twice. To his credit, the fourth-year junior did have a TD pass to Valdez Showers in the first quarter and his third-quarter TD run tied the game. Driskel was awful the rest of the way, though. Driskel has completed 65-of-116 passes (56.0%) for 636 yards with a 5/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Muschamp wouldn't go there in preparation for this game, but Driskel's starting job could be equal to the head coach's job security. The back-up is athletic true freshman Treon Harris, who threw a pair of TD passes in his only attempts in the opener (albeit vs. Eastern Michigan).
-- Look for UF to employ a heavy dose of RBs Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor, both of whom are averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Jones has 258 rushing yards and two TDs, while Taylor has rushed for 143 yards and a pair of scores. Sophomore WR DeMarcus Robinson has emerged as the team's top wideout, hauling in 23 receptions for 353 yards and three TDs.
-- Florida starting DT Leon Orr is 'out' at UT. LB Michael Taylor, who is tied for team lead in tackles with 21, is 'questionable.'
-- Worley has completed 60.0 percent of his passes for 935 yards with a 9/3 TD-INT ratio. Marquez North is his favorite target and a rising star. North and Howard are tied for the team lead in receptions with 17. North has a team-best 188 receiving yards and three TDs. True freshman RB Jalen Hurd, a five-star recruit who was the gem in Jones's heralded 2014 class, has run for a team-high 328 yards and two scores while averaging 4.6 YPC.
-- Tennessee WR Josh Smith will his second straight game with a high ankle sprain. Before suffering the injury at Oklahoma, Smith was second on the team in catches (10) and receiving yards (135). UT has also been missing WR Von Pearson, who reportedly "practiced a little bit on Tuesday." Pearson, who had seven receptions for 98 yards in the Vols' first two games, remains a question mark vs. UF.
-- The Vols are 2-4 ATS as home favorites during Jones's tenure, 1-1 this season.
-- As a road underdog on Muschamp's watch, Florida owns a 4-4 spread record.
-- The 'over' is 3-0 for the Gators, whose games have averaged 64.7 points per game.
-- The 'under' is 3-1 for the Vols, 2-0 in their home games.
-- The 'over' has hit four straight times in the UF-UT rivalry.
-- The SEC Network will have the telecast at noon Eastern.
Baylor D getting overlooked due to potent offense
Stephen Campbell
The Baylor Bears' high-flying offense is getting a lot of attention this year, but their defense has been no slouch, either.
In week 5 against Iowa State, the Bears limited the Cyclones' runningbacks to just 28 yards on 20 carries. They boast the fifth best rushing defense in the nation, and are ranked sixth overall in total defense.
Baylor visits Texas for a date with the Longhorns Saturday. The Bears are presently -14.5 road faves with an O/U of 58.5 for the inter-state clash.
Stephen Campbell
The Baylor Bears' high-flying offense is getting a lot of attention this year, but their defense has been no slouch, either.
In week 5 against Iowa State, the Bears limited the Cyclones' runningbacks to just 28 yards on 20 carries. They boast the fifth best rushing defense in the nation, and are ranked sixth overall in total defense.
Baylor visits Texas for a date with the Longhorns Saturday. The Bears are presently -14.5 road faves with an O/U of 58.5 for the inter-state clash.
Wake Forest has ugly history against Top 25 teams
Stephen Campbell
If you're looking to back the underdog in a David vs. Goliath matchup in Week 6 college football action, trends are showing you may want to stay away from Wake Forest against No. 2 ranked Florida State.
The Demon Deacons' all-time record against Top 25 teams is an ugly 22-125-1. The last time they pulled off the upset, however, was in 2011 against the Seminoles.
The 'Noles are currently 38-point home faves with a total of 55.5 for the contest.
Stephen Campbell
If you're looking to back the underdog in a David vs. Goliath matchup in Week 6 college football action, trends are showing you may want to stay away from Wake Forest against No. 2 ranked Florida State.
The Demon Deacons' all-time record against Top 25 teams is an ugly 22-125-1. The last time they pulled off the upset, however, was in 2011 against the Seminoles.
The 'Noles are currently 38-point home faves with a total of 55.5 for the contest.
