College Football Futures – Passing Yards and Receiving Yards

For college football betting fans, now is the time to get in your picks!

Sure the games don’t start for a few more days, but the BetOnline.com sportsbook is already offering some exciting futures bets to whet your appetite. Here are a few head-to-head matchups you can wager on heading into the season:

More Passing Yards: Jack Locker -150 ½ Yards (-115) or Andrew Luck +150 ½ Yards (-115)- College football betting fans know that the Pac-10 is blessed with a handful of top signal-callers. None are expected to be better than these two, Locker from Washington and Luck, Stanford’s golden boy.

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Coming into the year huge things are expected from Locker. He took monumental leaps as a junior in Steve Sarkisian’s offense last year, throwing for 2,800 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2009, after tossing for just 512 yards in an injury plagued 2008 season. This year those numbers should only get better, as Locker welcomes back virtually every receiver of importance from last year, including Jermaine Kearse who led this team with 50 receptions.

Like Locker, Luck is a quarterback that NFL scouts are drooling over, and believe can be a difference maker, whenever he decides to go to the next level. In 2010, his skills should be on display that much more, as running back Toby Gerhart (who led the country in rushing with 1,871 yards) is now playing in the NFL. Because of it, Luck will have more opportunities to pass the ball, after throwing for 2,575 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

Regardless, the play here is still Locker. An uninformed assumption is that with Gerhart in the NFL, Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh is going to open up his offense and make it much more pass happy. That’s simply not the case. They’ll throw the ball more, but not nearly enough to assuage bettors.

Expect Stanford to continue to run the ball, behind an offensive line that returns four starters. Yes Luck’s numbers will improve, but so will Locker’s. Exponentially.

College football betting fans need to know one thing: Locker going for -150 ½ yards over Luck is a no-brainer. Make your wager now!

More Receiving Yards: Michael Floyd -10 ½ Yards (-115) or Ryan Broyles +10 ½ Yards (-115)- This is definitely one of the most intriguing wagers for college football betting fans. Do you go with the super-talented but injury prone Michael Floyd, or the more consistent Ryan Broyles.

Floyd certainly has the look of a future NFL superstar wide receiver. He’s 6’3, weighs 227 lbs., and has hands that most NFL receivers would kill for. He’s also been injured a lot in his first two seasons, missing five games last year with a bad shoulder, while missing three games in 2008 as well. When on the field Floyd is electric, as he had 44 catches for 795 yards last year, a staggering 18 yard average, all in just seven games. If he can stay healthy, he should comfortably eclipse Broyles. But can he stay on the field? That’s the question college football betting fans are asking themselves right now.

As for Broyles, he doesn’t have the size of Floyd, but can pick up yardage just as easily with his electric speed. Last season he made 89 grabs to lead the Sooners, while his 1,120 yards of receiving put him at No. 17 in the country. This year he likely won’t get quite as many grabs, as superstar freshman Kenny Stills will likely take the pressure off him.

Still, the play here is to take Broyles. Floyd certainly has the size, speed and capability to top Broyles, but his injury history is of concern. Also, remember, defenses will only be able to focus on him more in 2009, with his running mate from last year, Golden Tate, now in the NFL.

College football betting fans, take Broyles in this wager!