Syracuse begins ACC play Saturday with a home game against Clemson. Last year the Tigers limited Garrett Shrader to just 167 passing yards, as Syracuse could not generate offense in the second half. Similar to last season look for Clemson to give Syracuse their first loss, and put the Orange in a tough spot with three straight road games upcoming. Take Clemson

An ugly start for UTEP has featured an offense that is averaging just under fifteen points per game. Yet, three of their games were on the road including back to back games against power five schools. Returning home look for the Miners to have a leg up on a UNLV team that is coming off an over achieving win against Vanderbilt. 

To start the season Buffalo is 0-3, and is coming off consecutive home losses to Fordham and Liberty. Traveling on the road they will face a UL Lafayette team that has shown a potent offense under experienced quarterback Ben Wooldridge. This is a case where even having a senior quarterback with experience in Cole Snyder does not produce a proper impact. Lay it with UL Lafayette.

Thus far TCU has been tough for oddsmakers to get an accurate number on. They were defeated by Colorado as steep favorites, and last week blew out Houston on the road as touchdown favorites. That’s created ATS value in a home rivalry game against SMU. Expect the Mustangs to put forth a solid effort to keep within the touchdown spread. Take SMU

An area that Fresno State has excelled in is finding the right quarterback for their system. Two games in Mikey Keene has exhibited the strengths we saw in action last year for Central Florida. He has led the Bulldogs to an win over Purdue and survived last week against Eastern Washington. The Bulldogs should take full advantage of an Arizona State team with no identity.

A team that has had a slow start on the season has been New Mexico State. The Aggies lost to Massachusetts to begin the season, and lost by sixteen points last week to Liberty. In an in-state rivalry game against New Mexico look for Aggies quarterback Diego Pavia to finally get going on the season. Take the Aggies plus the points.

Florida International has surprised from an ATS stand point in their first two division one games this season. They covered against Louisiana Tech and pulled off an outright upset last week against North Texas. Although UConn is 0-2 they had a decisive 33 -12 victory over FIU last season. They will lean on that game plan and dictate the line of scrimmage. Back UConn.

Traveling to play on the road at Alabama is always a tough task. For Texas though they come in with the mindset they should have pulled out the victory last season. Expect Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns to play another close competitive game. There may be a double digit lead for Alabama at one point, but look for Texas to stay within range of the number. Take the Longhorns plus the full touchdown.

Jalon Daniels as the starting quarterback for Kansas certainly gives them better chances to win. Yet, to begin the season there will be expected rust. Illinois shook off a potential upset to get by Toledo by two points. They will be sharper tonight and rise to the occasion in their first road game. Grab the points with Illinois.

Over the years the Sun Belt conference has been able to surprise with consistent covers in week one. Last year South Alabama nearly upset UCLA in a narrow 32 to 31 contest. Yet, their twenty one point bowl loss to Western Kentucky was an eye opener for an offense that underachieved at the tail end of the season. Look for Tulane to have a big edge and cover the number.

Today Vanderbilt will be five touchdown favorites against Alabama A&M. Look for the experience of having one game under their belt to be a big boost tonight. A seven point victory over Hawaii last week should serve as a wake up call. Take Vanderbilt to cruise over FCS Alabama A&M.

Minus Coach Jim Harbaugh winning will not be a problem for Michigan against East Carolina. Yet, from a spread stand point the number is to big. Michigan will virtually have to play mistake free football and not settle for any field goals. To high of a spread here take the big underdog in East Carolina.

FCS teams have been valuable to back in their early season matchups against division one schools. This was the case yesterday with Southern Utah nearly upsetting Arizona State. As explosive as Kansas offense is with quarterback Jalon Daniels, Missouri State has confidence from losing to Arkansas by just eleven points last season. Take the underdog here in Missouri State.

College football week one features several blowouts. Expect one here today as Central Florida aims to make a statement now that they are in the Big 12. With a strong experience and talent disparity led by quarterback John Rhys Plumlee the Knights should be close to this number in the first half. Grab the Knights.

In week zero we get a rare conference matchup as Louisiana Tech hosts Florida International. Last season, the Panthers last win of the season came in a double overtime thriller against Louisiana Tech. From that point on Florida International lost their final four games by an average of thirty points. Take the revenge angle here on Louisiana Tech.

Early in the season big numbers ATS can be very tricky to evaluate. USC should no doubt be able to pour it on early and often against San Jose State. The worry is defensively giving up two to three touchdowns. To high of a number here even with last year’s Heisman winner Caleb Williams under center.

Over the past two seasons UMASS has went a combined 2-22 in college football. In fact, their only win last season was against a non division one school in Stony Brook. Yet, the Minutemen are just a touchdown underdog today against New Mexico State. The Aggies come in a bit over valued after winning six of their final seven games, including a bowl win over Bowling Green. Grab the points here with UMASS.

Cabe Klubnik is not your ordinary first time starter for Clemson. He has been used throughout the season. A comeback win over Syracuse and played the majority of their win over UNC in the ACC title game. Tennessee will have the offense under Joe Milton to compete against Clemson, but ultimately look for Clemson to wear down the Vols. Take Clemson on the small number

Kansas is a team that resurrected this year but we don’t know what could of been. Their early season success was stymied when quarterback Daniels was injured. He will play in today’s bowl game and even though his play is not significantly stellar, his presence raises the level of the entire team. Take Kansas and buy the hook to three if you need to.

As electric as Central Florida can be they have a tough matchup against Duke. Sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard has been terrific for the Blue Devils and started to blossom further as the season waned down. Seven of his twenty touchdowns came in the final two games. Take Duke to do enough to end their season above .500 at 7-6.

The bowl period between December 26th-29th is going to feature a lot of 6-6 teams. There are ones that make you scratch your head in why they did not finish with a better record. Memphis fits that category as the majority of their losses in American conference play were slim. As electric as their scoring drives are they somehow find a way to leave the door open for the opposition. That trait makes Utah State a worthy bet. Take them plus the touchdown.

ATS attraction of a quarterback facing his former team is more of a professional football angle in the NFL. Yet, Tuesday it is an angle for quarterback Kyle Vantrease who played for the Buffalo Bulls for five seasons. The quarterback has had a booming season statistically for Georgia Southern throwing for 3,900 yards and 25 touchdowns. A big issue though is he is turnover prone with fifteen interceptions. Expect two to three turnovers to be enough for the Bulls to close within this number. Take Buffalo.

After beginning the season losing five of their first six games, New Mexico State closed out the year winning five of their final six games. This occurred once Diego Pavia took over as the Aggies starting quarterback, who is 4-1 as starter for the Aggies. This will be a competitive bowl game against Bowling Green, but look for the Aggies to continue their strong finish to the season. Take the Aggies.

6-6 SEC teams have historically done well in bowl games. Missouri will have a big challenge on their hand as Wake Forest has been a featured ACC team for several years with their potent offensive attack. Yet, I think Missouri is looking forward to this bowl game as they needed they won their final two games to get in. The favored number on Wake Forest side is warranted but just look for Missouri to be the better team after the long layoff. Play Missouri.

After the first month of the college football season, South Alabama looked like a Sun Belt top tier level team that could be of the likes of former Top 25 conference representatives in Appalachian State and UL Lafayette. As the season progressed their offense tailed off. Their 10-2 record masks the issues that were evident as they pulled out several close wins. With nearly a month off since they last played look for Western Kentucky to expose the Jaguars and deliver a strong performance. 

Washington State has had a solid campaign under new quarterback Cameron Ward, but has yet to defeat any Pac-12 teams with a winning record this year. Tonight will be their final and best opportunity against 13th ranked Washington. The Huskies have been involved in close games all throughout conference play before last week’s eruption and forty-seven point win agains Colorado. Look for their knack of playing to the level of competition to occur again Saturday night. Take Washington State.  

Southern Miss is another college football team that has had to deal with a plethora of different quarterbacks to start this season. Starting Trey Lowe at quarterback the last three weeks has resulted in a 5-3 season reversing for three straight losses to 5-6. Yet, today is their last opportunity to become bowl eligible. Look for the Golden Eagles who have been in striking distance in their last two losses, to pull through with bowl eligibility on the line. Take Southern Miss over UL Monroe. 

Both Middle Tennessee State and Florida Atlantic are a win away from becoming bowl eligible. The Owls are coming off getting their first road win of the season defeating Florida International, 52 to 7. The all around performance on both sides of the football should lead to an early hot start from FAU. Middle Tennessee State will get back in the game but look for FAU to hang on and cover ATS.

A close victory over Georgia Tech was not indicative of the final score for Miami, as they pulled away late for a cruising double digit victory. From an offensive standpoint the passing game will have major lapses. Although Clemson has struggled to cover double digit spreads this season, today will be an opportunity where special teams and defense can be an extra catalyst for the Tigers. Take Clemson

Houston’s juggernaut offense has excelled in American Conference play as they have won four of five games, and averaged forty-four points. For as much offense the Cougars have displayed they are also giving up an exorbitant amount of points defensively. East Carolina has the athletes and an experienced quarterback to score at a rapid rate. This is also their last home game for seniors including quarterback and fan favorite Holton Ahlers. Take the Pirates. 

Last week the Baylor Bears were flat out unprepared and could not stop the Kansas State offense. An embarrassing loss would seem like another bad spot for the Bears against undefeated TCU. Yet, I expect Baylor’s home crowd and the will to want to give TCU their first loss of the season to carry Baylor. Grab them plus the points.

Ohio once again finds themselves as a small favorite in Tuesday Mac-tion. The Bobcats are on a five game winning streak in which they have defeated every opponent by seven points or more. Today’s spot is tricky though for the Bobcats against a Ball State team that has a knack for keeping games close. Take the home underdog to threaten to end Ohio’s win streak.

In the late games San Diego State finds themselves as a small home underdog against San Jose State. The Spartans have the showcase record at 6-2, but have had closer than expected calls in consecutive weeks against Nevada and Colorado State. In a road environment look for the Aztecs to churn the clock and keep this within range in the second half. Take the Aztecs as the Spartans succumb and falter in the waning moments.

Baylor will have their hands full against Adrian Martinez and Kansas State. As conference play has stretched on Martinez’s sacks have gone up, and his rushing yards have dipped. In fact, his last three full games played he has been sacked eight times. Also, Baylor has endured the easier scheduling stretch opponent wise versus Kansas State facing three consecutive top twenty five teams. Tail Baylor in this one.

Sitting at 4-5, the Hurricanes prospects of becoming bowl eligible are bleak. To get closer to eligibility they will have to find a way to bounce back from a 45 to 3 home loss to Florida State. The Hurricanes starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke will be not play today against Georgia Tech. Still, the Hurricanes have fared better on the road this year where they are 2-0 in-conference. Take Miami with the points.

Marshall can assuredly hang their head on a strong defense. Yet, their offense has been abysmal and complacent. Against Coastal Carolina they left several points off the board with a failure to execute in plus territory and the red zone. Additionally, in last week’s 12-0 win over Old Dominion they failed to score a touchdown. On the road tail Appalachian State. 

Washington State should have another big week in-store from a points perspective against a highly vulnerable Arizona State defense. The Sun Devils hung around against UCLA but could not stop the Bruins from scoring a week ago. Still, I love the confidence soaring from Arizona State’s new starting quarterback in Trenton Bourguet. Ride the points here with ASU.

Ohio’s four game win streak will be on the line tonight as they travel on the road to face Miami-Ohio. Last year’s contest against the Red Hawks was a great Tuesday Mac-tion contest as Ohio held on to defeat the Miami-Ohio 35 to 33. Ohio nearly blew a four touchdown lead thanks to Brett Gabbert throwing for 492 yards. This could be another high scoring affair but look for the Bobcats improving defense to stymie Miami-Ohio late. Take the Bobcats

The Akron Zips have went 2 and 30 over their last thirty-two MAC conference games. In fact, their lone win this season they had to go to overtime to defeat a non division one school in St. Francis (PA). As poor as their season has been, I do believe they can keep tonight’s contest against Eastern Michigan within the spread of seven points. The lone matchup the Eagles separated from a team was against their in-state rivals in Western Michigan. Take the dog here with Akron.

Out in the desert Arizona State may have discovered something with quarterback Trenton Bourguet. Bourguet is coming off a 435 yard performance in the Sun Devils victory over Colorado. A new look on offense mixed with different play call packages can confuse the opposition. UCLA may be 7-1, but this is a tricky road spot with a lot of points. Take the Sun Devils.

Just a couple of weeks ago James Madison was undefeated and reached 25th in the polls. Suddenly the Dukes have stumbled with consecutive losses to Georgia Southern and Marshall. After a bye week one would expect James Madison to be a refocused team. Yet, Louisville has caught a rhythm and has three straight statement wins by double digits. Take Louisville.

South Alabama’s offense has clearly taken a step back from where it was in September and early October. Defenses have adjusted to quarterback Carter Bradley and the patterned play calls from the Jaguars. While the offense may continue to be shaky it’s the defense of the Jaguars that has grown as the season has progressed. Look for South Alabama to get the edge on the road led by their defense, and halt the newfound team success of Georgia Southern. Play South Alabama.

Throughout this season we’ve seen ranked road Pac-12 teams struggle. This should be a solid spot for the Washington Huskies to take advantage of an Oregon State team that’s probably a season away. Sure, Washington has not looked the part in-conference but it takes time for a quarterback to transfer and get going. Look for Michael Penix to keep the offense above what Oregon State has to offer. Take Washington.

The Buffalo Bulls have had one of the best turn arounds of any team in college football. Buffalo had lost seven straight games dating back to last season and the first three games of this season. Suddenly they have now rolled off five straight wins. As great as their turn around has been playing a game on Tuesday is an aspect that can throw a team off. Take Ohio to threaten the Bulls win streak and cover the plus three. If you see 2.5 now buy the hook. 

Strength of schedule matters in every conference, even in the MAC. Kent State may be 3-5 but three of their losses were against Power 5 schools in Washington, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Additionally, another aspect of ATS value is the Golden Flashes have just 2-2 in-conference, and have not won a game by seven points or more. That ends today as the Golden Flashes defeat Ball State handily.

For weeks South Alabama’s decline has been evident with a string of ATS losses. Until last week’s loss against Troy they were able to still win outright but could not muster offense against Troy’s stingy defense. Saturday, expect the Jaguars to finally click on both sides of the football against a poor Arkansas State team. Take South Alabama.

Florida International surged in a rare offensive outburst last week to the tune of thirty four points against Charlotte. Friday, expect an offense to return back to lower levels. Prior to their win against Charlotte the Panthers had averaged just 11 points during a span of five games. Take Louisiana Tech even amidst uncertainty on who the starting quarterback will be. 

The difficult season for Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies finally took a turn for the worst. The Aggies have lost consecutive games and are just .500 after being ranked sixth in September. They’ve now had a full week off since their last game just like their opponent today in South Carolina. Expect the Aggies to finally play a game indicative of their pre-season hype, as they pull out a road victory over Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks. 

A week off at the right time can be a big catalyst over a top conference team. Boise State just started to have the balance on both sides of the football before their week off, and head into tonight’s showdown against Air Force 3-0 in-conference. They’re a confident team that should raise their level of play on the road against the experience of Air Force. Take Boise as they challenge Air Force to their first home loss this year. 

Georgia Southern is coming off their first Sun Belt conference victory in last week’s upset over 25th ranked James Madison. Starting quarterback Kyle Vantrease broke out in the game with 578 passing yards. Today the Golden Eagles will attempt to end a three game road losing streak against Old Dominion.  They’ll get the job done as the Monarchs step back after last week’s shocking outright blowout win over Coastal Carolina. Play Georgia Southern.

Two weeks ago the Houston Cougars had one of the more improbable comebacks in a late thriller over the Memphis Tigers. Saturday, look for the Cougars to build off of that and their bye week to have road success against Navy. Navy at just 2-4 is trending downward and does not have the defense to keep up with the Cougars for four quarters. Take Houston.

Tonight a small spread exists in a Conference USA clash between the home team of Western Kentucky and UAB. The Hilltoppers have the flash offense as they average forty points per game, but UAB’s defense gives up just seventeen points per game. I do expect Western Kentucky’s offense to have production but not to the degree they need to be comfortable against the Blazers. Take UAB as they small underdog.

The Sun belt has continued to deliver as a solid smaller conference and tonight will have a marquee matchup between Troy and South Alabama. The Jaguars have shown a bit of vulnerability from an ATS stand point in consecutive weeks. They were sloppy in both close victories over UL Monroe and UL-Lafayette. Troy has the offensive playbook to continue to give South Alabama’s defense problems. Play the road team in the Trojans.

Florida State has dropped consecutive games for the first time this season. Close wins against Louisville and LSU have shaded their record a tad. Although Florida State is a bit dinged up they have a knack of hanging around even with an ugly offensive display. Back the Seminoles in front of their home crowd getting a generous 4.5 points. 

Blowing a game that was in hand usually can haunt a team into their next game. Memphis had one of the worst meltdowns of the season in their last game a 33 to 32 loss to Houston. Look for East Carolina to be aggressive after scoring just nine points in last weeks loss against Tulane. At home grab the Pirates to win by a touchdown or more against the Memphis Tigers. 

Although Wisconsin’s season has not went their way theirs pales in comparison to the weekly new lows of Michigan State. The Spartans have dropped four straight and every loss in-conference has been by double figures. Take Wisconsin to build off their thirty five point victory over Northwestern, and win a second consecutive road game. 

TCU has survived a gauntlet of tough matchups and done so by covering the spread. They are one of two teams in division one football that has yet to not cover a spread. Ironically, Saturday they will face an Oklahoma State team that throttled them last season 63 to 17. The Cowboys success running the football in that contest is something they can carry over on the road Saturday. Take the Cowboys plus the points.

A potential obstacle in Coastal Carolina’s way may very well be Sun Belt newcomer in Old Dominion. Thus far this season Old Dominion has played better against higher level competition. In week one they defeated Virginia Tech 20 to 17, and also played Virginia to a close two point loss. Look for the Monarchs to be ready to test Coastal Carolina’s non competitive schedule. Grab the points with the underdog in Old Dominion. 

For three straight games SMU has vastly under produced in losses to Maryland, TCU, and Central Florida. Friday lies an opportunity for the Mustangs to utilize extra rest over Navy as SMU played last Wednesday. At home I expect the Mustangs to continue their surge of points against Navy as they scored 31 in last year’s contest and 51 two seasons ago. Grab the Mustangs to pull through on the double digit spread. 

Saturday night’s Mountain West game will feature Fresno State minus Jake Haener once again. Last week without Haener the Fresno State offense looked lost as quarterback Logan Fife struggled. He should get some help this week from his teammates that are in a more familiar environment and matchup against conference opponent Boise State. 

It’s strange to see UConn as a favorite in football in the month of October. It was not pretty but they gained a big home win last week against Fresno State as steep underdogs. Saturday, they’ll face an FIU team that’s defense surrendered 37 points to Bryant, 41 to Texas State, and 73 to Western Kentucky. Back the Huskies to get over .500 and pull off an important program building road victory.

UTEP’s Gavin Hardison has the big quarterback experience edge over Louisiana Tech’s Parker McNeil. The problem is Hardison has been turnover prone throughout his collegiate career and susceptible to taking sacks. With UTEP being on the road a second straight week there should be concern of the Miners losing the turnover battle. Grab the under performing Bulldogs to grab their first win over a division one school this season. 

TCU has soared into the top twenty five with big wins over SMU and Oklahoma that cruised past the ATS number. This week they’ll face another new rising top twenty five program in Kansas. One can’t discount the Jayhawks rise for a program that never sees this type of play in the football program. Yet, TCU has begun to click on all cylinders and look like a team that will not hold back. Take TCU as their offense is to much for the Jayhawks.  

The Houston Cougars have been a team downtrending ever since beginning the season with a triple overtime and double overtime games. They’re lucky that they are not 1-4 overall. A positive is they have a knack for playing in close games, as three of their five games have went to overtime. Friday’s marquee game against Memphis is the type of game you can expect the Cougars to be ready for. Look for Houston to challenge Memphis’s four-game win streak. Play Houston. 

All season long oddsmakers have had trouble with the number with Western Kentucky. After a ridiculous 73-0 victory last week against Florida International, the eyes are now on Hilltoppers quarterback Austin Reed. Reed has had no issue transferring in from a division II school, but there are bumps in the road for every player. Look for Reed to take a step back this week against a Troy defense that was stingy against Marshall. Grab the road team plus the points.

Even in a loss last week Washington State showed they have something special to build forward on with quarterback Cameron Ward. The sophomore dazzled on the big stage against Oregon, and put himself on the map nation wide. Still look for the California Bears to be able to neutralize what the Cougars want to do on both sides of the football. They’ll control the pace of play and keep this game within reach late. Take the Bears plus the points. 

South Alabama would be undefeated if not for a last second loss against UCLA. The Jaguars have the possibility to make some noise in the Sun Belt conference but will have to avoid a let down spot. Saturday on the road against UL Lafayette should pose an interesting challenge ATS-wise. South Alabama should continue to win but the challenge of covering steep numbers will be the issue here. Take the home underdog in UL Lafayette.

Last week the Buffalo Bulls ended a seven game losing streak by handily defeating Eastern Michigan, 50-31. Now for the second consecutive week they will aim to knock off a MAC opponent that is coming off defeating a Power 5 school. Look for the Bulls to accept the challenge as their offense continues to rise in play with quarterback Cole Snyder. Take the Bulls to topple the RedHawks who are coming off defeating Northwestern. 

Jumping up from American Conference football to the Big 12 was a huge leap for quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Thus far the pace and high level athletes has not deterred Gabriel as he has 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. That will be needed on the road against a TCU team that led from start to finish in last week’s victory over SMU. Expect a lot of points but for the Sooners to have the answers in a hostile road environment. Take Oklahoma.

Friday nights in the Pac-12 begins with a stellar matchup of two undefeated teams. The Washington Huskies have ascended to fifteenth in the country at 4-0, and will face a dynamic Bruins team led by fifth year senior quarterback in Dorian Thompson Robinson. Under new first year Coach Kalen DeBoer the Huskies have a new level of play and confidence. Take the road team Huskies to win their first road game this season.

Two of the worst rated division one teams will square off tonight as Hawaii travels to face New Mexico State. The Aggies have been trounced in every phase and have scored just three touchdowns their first four games. Tonight that should change against Hawaii’s poor defense. With New Mexico State being an independent school they have scheduled the easier portion of their schedule where conference play normally would be. Take New Mexico State.

If there is a team and coach that has big time pressure to respond off a bad loss it is Michigan State and Coach Tucker. They showed up late but the final score of 39 to 28 was not indicative of how poor the Spartans played against Washington. Now back at home they’ll face a Minnesota team that has a ton of experience and will be hungry to showcase themselves on the road. Take Minnesota as Michigan State is the team that was ranked improperly and will continue to falter. 

TCU Horned Frogs senior quarterback Max Duggan will get his last chance at toppling SMU. In two other career starts against SMU the Horned Frogs could not pull through in close contests. This includes aU 42-34 loss last season. In that contest they did intercept SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai three times, which is the most he has had in one game. Look for the Horned Frogs to battle the road elements and squeak out a win.