College Football Week 5 Preview – Conference Rivals and Top 25 Showdowns

College football betting has some huge games on this weekend’s schedule. Bettors can choose from Top 25 showdowns, classic conference rivals, and teams trying to stay in the bowl game chase. Here are three of the most intriguing games on Saturday’s slate . . .

#8 Oklahoma Sooners at #17 Miami Hurricanes

The eyes of the college football world are locked on Heisman winner Sam Bradford and his injured shoulder. Bradford, who has been out since a Week 1 loss to BYU, is trying to get the medical nod to make his return in this huge non-conference matchup. Sooners coach Bob Stoops may wait until gametime to announce whether his star player is returning. In Bradford’s absence, OU has gone 2-0 behind backup QB Landry Jones. The freshman has passed for more than 224 yards per game but has done so against weaker opponents. The Sooners’ defense has also feasted on cupcakes, shutting out Tulsa and Idaho State before last weekend’s bye.

The Hurricanes were sent plummeting to earth after getting dumped by Virginia Tech, 31-7, last Saturday night. Miami’s offense struggled to gain ground in the rain, and standout sophomore QB Jacory Harris managed to pass for just 150 yards and was picked off once. The Canes’ rushing game is facing the top run-stop unit in the land. Last Saturday, Miami managed just 56 yards on the ground, and they have mustered only 111 rushing yards per game this season. Oklahoma has budged for just over an average of 40 yards.

#4 LSU Tigers at #18 Georgia Bulldogs

These SEC foes are holding on to Top 25 rankings heading into this weekend. Louisiana State has been unimpressive for a team ranked fourth in the country. The Tigers are coming off a scare against Mississippi State in which they needed a goal-line stand to avoid the upset. Louisiana State’s defense, which is usually the heart of the program, has looked sluggish and is allowing more than 333 total yards of offense against – fourth worst in the SEC. The Tigers have lost the last three games against Georgia, giving up over 43 points per game in those defeats.

However, most of those numbers came while former QB Matthew Stafford was under center. Now that Stafford is picking up wins in the NFL, the Bulldogs’ offense has had to rely on senior playcaller Joe Cox. He followed an impressive performance in Week 3 with a poor showing in a near upset to Arkansas State last Saturday. Turnovers plagued Georgia in the early going. Cox has been picked off five times this year while the Bulldogs have lost seven of their eight fumbles.

#21 Michigan Wolverines at Michigan State Spartans

The Wolverines escaped an upset against Indiana thanks to some late-game magic from freshman QB Tate Forcier and questionable officiating that leaned in Michigan’s favor. The Wolverines’ defense did not look sharp against a much-weaker Hoosiers squad and has allowed almost 386 yards per game this year. Forcier, who added a touchdown on the ground to go along with his 184 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, is nursing a tender shoulder but is expected to play against Michigan State.

The Spartans have been one of the toughest teams to gauge this college football season. Michigan State lost to MAC rivals Central Michigan, put up a good fight against Notre Dame, and then coughed the ball up in a loss to Wisconsin last Saturday. Injuries have forced MSU to juggle their linemen, and heading into Saturday head coach Mark Dantonio may not be through making moves. The Spartans’ blend of explosive offense and lumbering defense has combined for a 3-0 over/under mark. Michigan State snapped a six-game losing streak against their state rivals last season with a 35-21 win. However, their big weapons from 2008 are now all playing their football on Sundays.

College Football Betting – Pittsburgh vs. Louisville

NCAA Football Picks: Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Louisville Cardinals

Game-day: 10/2/2009

Kick-off: 8:00 pm EST

The Pitt Panthers have actually been pretty good so far this 2009 NCAA Season. With 3 victories and only 1 loss, Pittsburgh is one of the better teams in the Big East this year. Pitt is also 2 and 1 against the spread which makes them a pretty good team to key a wager on.

By contrast, the Louisville Cardinals haven’t had a very good season in a long time. 2009 hasn’t started out any differently for Louisville. They are currently 1 and 2 straight-up and 1 and 1 ATS. The Cardinals will try to use their home field advantage in order to frustrate the Panthers.

Here are the BetOnline online sportsbook betting lines for this game.

Pittsburgh Panthers -6 ½ -110
Louisville Cardinals +6 ½ -110

Here are a few NCAAF wagering trends for this game.

• The Pittsburgh Panthers are 6 and 1 against the spread in their last 7 games on grass.
• The Pittsburgh Panthers are 0 and 4 ATS in their last 4 games versus a team with a losing record.
• The Louisville Cardinals 1 and 5 ATS in their last 6 games versus a team with a winning record.
• The Louisville Cardinals are 0 and 5 ATS in their last 5 conference games.

Louisville should be better than they are with 20 seniors and 33 juniors, but they’ve been awful in 2009 and it probably won’t get any better on Friday night when they face the Pitt Panthers.

The Cardinals did lose a close one to the Kentucky Wildcats, but the Wildcats aren’t any better than Louisville.

The loss to Utah in their last game, by a score of 30 to 14, was terrible.

Pittsburgh lost their first game of the year the last time they took the field, a 38 to 31 loss to North Carolina State on the road. Before that, the Panthers had beaten Buffalo and Navy and had covered the spread in both games.

Louisville was beaten 41 to 7 by Pittsburgh in 2008. It won’t be that bad in 2009 but Pitt will cover the spread.

The bet is on Pittsburgh at -6 ½ in the sportsbook.

NCAA Football Picks Colorado Buffaloes vs. West Virginia Mountaineers

Game-day: 10/1/2009

Kick-off: 7:30 pm EST

The Colorado Buffaloes travel to West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers in a game that both teams need. Colorado probably needs a victory more than West Virginia as the Buffs have gone 1 and 2 straight-up and 1 and 1 ATS. Colorado will be looking to stay on the winning track after losing their first two games of the season and then beating Wyoming by a score of 24 to 0 last week.

West Virginia isn’t nearly formidable in 2009 as they used to be. Every season, teams cowered at the thought of facing the Mountaineers. Now, West Virginia is lucky to get away with a victory. The Mountaineers are 2 and 1 straight-up and 1 and 1 ATS. They will be trying to get back on the winning track after getting beat by the Auburn Tigers 41 to 30 in their last game.

Here are the BetOnline online sportsbook NCAA betting odds for this game.

Colorado Buffaloes +17 ½ -110

West Virginia Mountaineers -17 ½ -110

Here are a few football college betting trends for this game.

• The Colorado Buffaloes are 1 and 5 ATS in their last 6 games on the road.
• The Colorado Buffaloes are 2 and 6 ATS in their last 8 games versus a team with a winning record.
• The West Virginia Mountaineers are 4 and 9 ATS in their last 13 games versus a team with a losing record.
• The West Virginia Mountaineers are 1 and 4 against the spread in their last 5 games overall.

This game is going to come down to whether or not Colorado’s defense, which was fantastic against Wyoming, will be able to slow down the West Virginia offense. A shut down isn’t necessary. A slow down is.

The Mountaineers don’t really like to play defense. So, the Buffs should have a good shot at getting some points on the board. If they can just stay within 10 points going into the 4th quarter, Colorado might have a chance to actually win this game, but why worry?

West Virginia isn’t going to worry about stopping Colorado’s offense while trying to put as many points on the board as possible. That means that Colorado could run some clock and keep this game within the number. I like the Buffs.

The bet is on Colorado at +17 ½ in the sportsbook.

Champions League Group C: AC Milan vs. FC Zurich

AC Milan opened their UEFA Champions League season with a 2:1 away win at Olympique de Marseille and they will be looking to build on that result in their first home UEFA Champions League group match. AC Milan fans have been subjected to a goal drought at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan as their side have contributed for only one home goal all season long and understandably, there is cause for concern ahead of this important match.

As AC Milan hopes to find their scoring feet, naturally, FC Zurich will be hoping otherwise. Zurich are pointless in Group C after capitulating to Real Madrid 5:2 in their home UEFA Champions League group opener. They will be looking to get on the board against a troubled AC Milan.

Soccer Betting Line:

AC Milan -1½ -135 -475 3 O -115 U -105 2½ O -110 U -120 Draw +475
FC Zurich +1½ +115 +1400 3 O -115 U -105 ½ O -110 U -120 Draw +475

Match Time: 2:45 P.M. Eastern Time Wednesday September 30 2009
Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza – Milan – Italy

Soccer Betting Verdict: That AC Milan are suffering a home scoring crisis hasn’t affected the market on this match as bookies are tipping the home side as firm favourites for the outright win at -475 and setting the totals at a rather high goal tally of 2.5 goals for AC Milan.

Given all the problems AC Milan are facing with scoring at home and the rather unimpressive domestic form overall they have displayed so far, I am not convinced they are worth the risk at such lofty favourite odds. I would recommend giving their money line odds, which are a tad overrated, a skip even though they are likely to win the match I suppose.

The better value in my opinion for soccer bettors looking to back AC Milan to victory is to take the Italians to cover the spread at -1 ½ -135.

Naturally, with the scoring issues they are facing, combined with a rather solid defensive mentality on the Swiss bench, this match should be a low scoring affair. So the Under 3 -105 team totals is a good pick as well as Under 2 ½ -120 for AC Milan. FC Zurich can score and I think they will find the net once so taking the Over ½ -110 for them is a good play as well.

For my part, if I were to play with house money I would go for the draw at +475. It is a real possibility as the Italians are not as good as they once were and the Swiss are better than the market is giving them credit for (+1400).

College Football Lock Alert – Washington Huskies vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

NCAA: Washington Huskies vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Game-day: 10/3/2009

Kick-off: 3:30 pm EST

The Washington Huskies, fresh off of spanking the USC Trojans, couldn’t handle Stanford and ended up getting beat pretty badly 34 to 14 last week. The Huskies are now 2 and 2 straight-up and 2 and 2 ATS. Their superb quarterback, Jake Locker, couldn’t get anything going against the Cardinals last Saturday. He’ll try to turn that around against a porous Notre Dame defense.

The Fighting Irish haven’t lost straight-up since blowing the game against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor three weeks ago. That’s all well and good but save for a victory ATS against Nevada in their first game of the season, Notre Dame has been terrible against the spread. The Irish have gone 0 and 3 since their opening victory over Nevada ATS and look who they have struggled against, Michigan State as 10 ½ point favorites and Purdue as 6 ½ point favorites.

Here are the BetOnline online sportsbook football betting odds for this game.

Washington Huskies +13 ½ -110
Notre Dame Fighting Irish -13 ½ -110

Here are a few online wagering trends for this game.

• The Washington Huskies are 0 and 6 ATS in their last 6 games on the road.
• The Washington Huskies are 1 and 5 against the spread in their last 6 games on grass.
• The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 1 and 4 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
• The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 2 and 7 against the spread in their last 9 non-conference games.

I don’t understand the online betting spread. The Fighting Irish haven’t covered a spread since their first game of the season. They have a terrible defensive backfield. They can put up points, but their play calling has come under fire and, once again, the heat is rising under Charlie Weis’ seat.

The Irish aren’t a bad team, but they definitely aren’t 13 ½ points better than Washington.

Coach Steve Sarkisian’s group has a terrific quarterback in Jake Locker and a better than expected defense. Yes, the Huskies were pounded by Stanford last week, but that loss should give them motivation going into South Bend.

Washington is an easy winner ATS in this game, in my opinion. Bet the Huskies and cash.

The bet is on the Washington Huskies at +13 ½ in the sportsbook.

MAC Power Poll – Central Michigan and Temple are the Best Bets

The MAC has had a mixed bag of college football betting results so far in the 2009 season. Check out this week’s MAC power poll brought to you by BetOnline Sportsbook!

1: Central Michigan Chippewas (3-0 ATS, 3-1 SU) (LW: 2) Give the Chippies some credit for bouncing back from a 19-6 loss to Arizona in the first week of the season to post three very strong victories in a row. Truth be told, Central Michigan should be well on its way to the Motor City Bowl, as it doesn’t seem like there is anyone else in this conference that can hang with QB Dan LeFevour and this offense.

Up Next: Away @ Buffalo (-8)

2: Temple Owls (2-0 ATS, 1-2 SU) (LW: 5) Had the Owls not lost to Villanova in Week 1, we could be talking about a team that would be thinking about bowl eligibility. As it is, Temple will be favored in its next three games, and it’s very possible to believe that six wins is still at least fathomable. There can’t be a slip up in the near future though.

Up Next: Away @ Eastern Michigan (-5)

3: Northern Illinois Huskies (3-1 ATS, 2-2 SU) (LW: 1) Funny things happen in college football sometimes, and Northern Illinois was about as strange as it gets over these L/2 weeks. After beating Purdue in Lafayette two weeks ago, the Huskies turned around and were upset at home by lowly Idaho as double-digit home favorites. Will the real NIU team please stand up?

Up Next: Home vs. Western Michigan (-7)

4: Toledo Rockets (2-2 ATS, 2-2 SU) (LW: 6) Toledo’s offense rolled up 566 yards against Florida International last Saturday. Don’t let the ten-point margin of victory fool you into thinking that this was a close game; the Rockets would’ve won by a much more impressive final if not for a late inconsequential Golden Panthers touchdown with just 0:03 to play. MAC play kicks off for the Rockets this week in Muncie.

Up Next: Away @ Ball State (-6)

5: Bowling Green Falcons (2-2 ATS, 1-3 SU) (LW: 4) Boise State got really angry at Bowling Green on Saturday night, as the Falcons never stood a chance against the mighty Broncos. This Saturday starts a brand new season for BGSU as conference play starts, so it’ll have to get these last three losses out of its head quickly.

Up Next: Home vs. Ohio (-3)

6: Akron Zips (2-2 ATS, 1-3 SU) (LW: 4) The Zips did… well… zip… against Central Michigan last week, losing 48-21 and coming nowhere near covering the 16-point spread. We don’t know what’s scarier for this offense… The fact that the leading rusher on the team has mustered just 90 yards through four games or that the leading passer only has 320.

Up Next: Bye

And the rest…

7: Ohio Bobcats (2-2 ATS, 2-2 SU) (LW:

8: Buffalo Bulls (1-3 ATS, 1-3 SU) (LW: 7)

9: Kent State Golden Flashes (1-2 ATS, 2-2 SU) (LW: 11)

10: Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-2 ATS, 0-3 SU) (LW: 9)

11: Western Michigan Broncos (1-3 ATS, 2-2 SU) (LW: 10)

12: Miami Redhawks (0-4 ATS, 0-4 SU) (LW: 12)

College Football Pick: Colorado vs West Virginia

Colorado at West Virginia

The 17 points favorite West Virginia Mountaineers host the Colorado Buffaloes at 7:45 PM.

The Mountaineers had a 2-1 record and their only defeat was at Auburn (who remains undefeated) 41-30 last week. Their offense average 36 points per game and are rank 9 th in total yards.

However their defense is awful, they are 33 rd in rushing yards and points allowed. Another downside is QB Jarret Brown, who can’t take good care of the football; he has 5 TD but with 5 interceptions.

On the other side Colorado just won for the first time this season in the victory 24-0 over Wyoming. Buffaloes’ QB Cody Hawkins doesn’t have great numbers either as he has thrown 5 TD with 4 interceptions so far this season.

Last year Colorado beat West Virginia 17-14 in overtime.

Colorado is 3-7 when playing in month of October and West Virginia is 10-0.

Colorado Buffaloes +17 -110
West Virginia Mountainers-17 -110

My pick: Bet West Virginia, but they won’t cover the spread.

The Best Bets in the PAC 10 – Week 5 Power Poll

The carnage of Top-25 upsets took its toll on the PAC 10 this week with two of its ranked teams getting beaten badly in conference showdowns. Find out where this leaves all of them heading into another big week of CFB betting affairs with the BetOnline Power Poll…

1: UCLA Bruins (3-0 ATS, 3-0 SU) (LW: 2) Fortunately for the Bruins, they were off in what amounted to be a bad week for a lot of the best teams in the Pac-10. Does anyone realize that this is the last undefeated team standing in this conference? How about some respect for UCLA? A win this week will surely open eyes.

Up Next: Away @ Stanford (+6)

2: Arizona State Sun Devils (2-0 ATS, 2-1 SU) (LW: 5) So close, yet so far… Arizona State came all the way across the country last week to battle the Bulldogs "Between the Hedges" and nearly pulled off a big upset. Though UGA’s field goal as time expired sent the Sun Devils to defeat, their sports betting fans had no problem cashing winning tickets.

Up Next: Home vs. Oregon State (-4.5)

3: Stanford Cardinal (3-1 ATS, 3-1 SU) (LW: 3) Stanford pulled off one of the "upsets" last week when it took out #24 Washington 34-14. However, the oddsmakers saw right through that ranking next to the Huskies’ name. There’s a reason the Cardinal were lined at (-9.5) in the game. There’s probably a reason that it’s favored by almost a touchdown this week against an undefeated Bruins team as well.

Up Next: Home vs. UCLA (-6)

4: California Golden Bears (3-1 ATS, 3-1 SU) (LW: 1) Shame on you, Cal! HC Jeff Tedford’s bunch clearly got caught napping in their trip to Eugene last week. The Ducks didn’t just beat the Golden Bears… they beat them into submission! Are the oddsmakers overreacting to the 42-3 defeat by making them sizeable home underdogs this week?

Up Next: Home vs. USC (+5)

5: Oregon Ducks (2-2 ATS, 3-1 SU) (LW: 7) For every big loser there has to be a big winner, and my, were the Ducks big winners this weekend! They crushed Cal 42-3 to kick off Pac-10 play in style, and they’ve now beaten back-to-back ranked opponents. This week shouldn’t be nearly as big a hassle…

Up Next: Home vs. Washington State (-32.5)

6: Washington State Cougars (2-2 ATS, 1-3 SU) (LW: Let’s take a moment and give some love to the Cougars, who have found a way to cover back-to-back games. Believe it or not, they’ve stuck in front of the number in six of their L/8 overall dating back to last season, but it’s pretty clear that this is still one of the worst teams in the Pac-10 and in the BCS conferences as a whole.

Up Next: Away @ Oregon (+32.5)

And the rest…

7: Washington Huskies (2-2 ATS, 2-2 SU) (LW: 4)

8: Arizona Wildcats (1-3 ATS, 3-1 SU) (LW: 10)

9: USC Trojans (1-3 ATS, 3-1 SU) (LW: 6)

10: Oregon State Beavers (0-3 ATS, 2-2 SU) (LW: 9)

Boise State is Tops in the WAC Betting Power Poll

The WAC continued to be impressive in the fourth week of the NCAA Football wagering campaign. See how BetOnline stacks the teams up against each other in this week’s power poll…

1: Boise State Broncos (4-0 ATS, 4-0 SU) (LW: 1) No team in the entire country was happier than Boise State was last week. The Broncos moved all the way up to #5 in the AP Poll this week, and with a guaranteed loss for either Florida or Alabama to come, they may legitimately just be two more upsets away from playing for a National Championship. They’re going to have to keep posting impressive victories though, and any sign of weakness this week is going to be punished.

Up Next: Home vs. UC-Davis (OTB)

2: Idaho Vandals (4-0 ATS, 3-1 SU) (LW: 2) What the heck got into Idaho? All of a sudden, Boise State doesn’t seem like it’s Idaho’s only team, as the Vandals shocked a lot of football bettors by recording a tremendous upset at Northern Illinois over the weekend. They already have the same number of wins that they had over the last two seasons combined, and they’ve got a great shot at ‘W’ #4 this weekend.

Up Next: Home vs. Colorado State (+3.5)

3: Hawaii Warriors (2-0 ATS, 2-1 SU) (LW: 3) The Warriors’ #1 ranked passing attack took a week off last week, and now it has a short week of preparation before taking the national spotlight in a Wednesday nighter a long, long way away from home.

Up Next: Away @ Louisiana Tech (+3.5)

4: Fresno State Bulldogs (2-1 ATS, 1-3 SU) (LW: 5) Fresno State traveled across the country for the second time this season, and for the second time in three weeks, it narrowly missed pulling off a major upset. The bye week comes at a perfect time for a team that needs to regain its focus in a hurry. The Bulldogs can’t afford to not go bowling this year.

Up Next: Bye

5: Utah State Aggies (2-1 ATS, 1-2 SU) (LW: 4) The Aggies are in the win column for the first time this season, but there probably isn’t much pride in the fact that a 21-3 lead in the second quarter against Southern Utah nearly totally disappeared in the third. Still, Utah State will take any win it can get any way it can get it. Barring a miracle, there sure isn’t another win in the cards this week.

Up Next: Away @ BYU (+24.5)

6: San Jose State Spartans (2-2 ATS, 1-3 SU) (LW: 7) It’s never a good sign when you’re only a six-point favorite against an FCS team, but it’s even more embarrassing when you almost lose the game outright. The Spartans finally woke up in the second half and put away Cal-Poly to notch a cover, but boy, were the fans at SJSU sweating bullets for awhile. Good thing the bye week is on tap.

Up Next: Bye

And the rest…

7: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (1-2 ATS, 1-2 SU) (LW: 6)

8: New Mexico State Aztecs (0-4 ATS, 2-2 SU) (LW: 9)

9: Nevada Wolfpack (0-3 ATS, 0-3 SU) (LW:

College Football Betting – #4 LSU Fighting Tigers vs. #16 Georgia Bulldogs

Game-day: 10/3/2009

Kick-off: 3:30 pm EST

The LSU Fighting Tigers, ranked 4th in my NCAA BetOnline Power Rankings, take on the Georgia Bulldogs in a game where both teams figure to be looking to set themselves up as a superior force in the SEC Conference. Because of Tim Tebow’s injury, the Florida Gators’ star quarterback suffered a concussion last week, LSU and Georgia have a window of opportunity here to solidify themselves as one of the best in the SEC.

LSU was all out to beat Mississippi State on the road last week. They did so even though they didn’t cover ATS and now can concentrate on a team that should make things tougher for them, the Georgia Bulldogs.

Georgia almost loss to the ASU Sun Devils as 14 ½ point favorites last Saturday. They will be looking to beat down one of their fiercest rivals this Saturday.

Here are the BetOnline online sportsbook football wagering lines for this game.

LSU Fighting Tigers +3 -110

Georgia Bulldogs -3 -110

Here are a few online betting trends for this game.

• The LSU Fighting Tigers are 1 and 4 ATS in their last 5 games as the underdog.
• The LSU Fighting Tigers are 1 and 7 against the spread in their last 8 games following a straight-up victory.
• The Georgia Bulldogs are 1 and 8 ATS in their last 9 games as the favorite.
• The Home team is 4 and 1 against the spread in the last 5 meetings between these two teams.
• LSU is tied for 5th in the nation for the best turnover margin nationally. Georgia? Those guys love to give the ball up.

The Bulldogs have given it up 11 times already in 2009. That’s a terrible sign because the LSU defense is full of ball hawking athletes like Chad Jones.

I wanted to make a case for Georgia in this game, but LSU had their “scare” game against Mississippi State. LSU’s offense, if anything, is consistent and quarterback Jordan Jefferson has 7 touchdown passes to only 1 interception in 2009. This is in stark contrast to Georgia quarterback Joe Cox who has thrown for 5 interceptions to go along with his 9 touchdown passes.

This game will come down to protecting the ball, Jefferson does it, Cox does not.

I like LSU in this game.

The bet is on the LSU Fighting Tigers at +3 in the sportsbook.

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