Would you believe it? A week in the black for the RW team!
Weekly Reminder 1: As always, our strategy for most games (we go with our gut occasionally) is pretty simple: Vegas doesn’t like losing money so we go against the overwhelming trends (e.g. when one team has 80% of the public behind it), which leads to many underdog picks because the public is always in love with favorites. Unfortunately, our strategy also incorporates picking UCLA every week because Mr. Rudin went there. We still won somehow.
Weekly Reminder 2: Some of the games on Yahoo show the spread as “off”, which means a spread has not been assigned. Yahoo makes those games an even line. We won’t be making picks for those in this column. Our picks will appear here in a weekly column on Thursday mornings until season’s end or the time where we realize that our picks have become so putrid that they become embarrassing to post, whichever comes first.
WAKE FOREST +21.5 at CLEMSON
Wake Forest should get killed in this game, right? 85% of the public is on Clemson. So why does Vegas only have the spread at a hair over 3 TD’s? Don’t doubt the bookmakers.
ILLINOIS +18.5 at IOWA
Are we sure that Iowa can score 18 points?
NORTHWESTERN +14.5 vs. PENN STATE
Northwestern is a game dog in this game. Don’t be surprised if they’re close late.
TOLEDO -13.5 vs. EASTERN MICHIGAN
Toledo wouldn’t fail us two weeks in a row, would they?
VANDERBILT +17.5 vs. GEORGIA
The line moved a point higher, but 85% is still on Georgia. You know what to do.
VIRGINIA -2.5 vs. DUKE
Hopefully you won’t be subjected to watching this game.
PITTSBURGH +3.5 at SYRACUSE
We think the spread should have been a field goal and are happy to have the extra half a point.
FLORIDA STATE +3 vs. MIAMI
A renewed rivalry and a must win for the Seminoles who are reeling. We like the ‘Noles chances of turning it around.
NOTRE DAME -14.5 at NORTH CAROLINA
Both of these teams love nothing more than to burn us week in and week out. We’ll take the team that doesn’t stink.
MINNESOTA +4 at PURDUE
This game could go either way. The four points are impossible to turn down.
FLORIDA -3 vs. LSU
Florida is starting to become the team we thought they’d be at the beginning of the season, Del Rio’s injury notwithstanding.
WEST VIRGINIA +13.5 at TCU
That’s a lot of points for a solid team to be getting, even on the road against a well-coached team.
AIR FORCE +7.5 at NAVY
This game feels like it’s going to end with one team losing by less than a touchdown.
NEW MEXICO STATE +10.5 at APPALACHIAN STATE
Like you know how to bet this game.
OHIO STATE -30 vs. MARYLAND
It’s that time of year when Ohio State starts rounding into form.
MICHIGAN STATE +10 at MICHIGAN
Careful if you’re a Michigan fan. Remember what happened last time this game was in Ann Arbor.
SOUTH CAROLINA +1.5 vs. ARKANSAS
Neither of these programs is where they want to be. We’ll go with the home team in a pick’em type game.
COLORADO STATE -8 at UTAH STATE
Utah State is bad this year.
SMU +7 at HOUSTON
This feels like a let down game for Houston.
TEXAS -3.5 vs. KANSAS STATE
Texas has quietly been playing some good football since the opening game stinker.
ALABAMA -26.5 at TEXAS A&M
Too many points on the road. The Aggies aren’t good, but they’re not as bad as the spread would have you think.
ARIZONA +7 at COLORADO
84% of you are on Colorado. Don’t be that guy or gal.
NEBRASKA +12 vs. WISCONSIN
This spread feels a few points to high.
OREGON -2 vs. WASHINGTON STATE
Everyone is on Wazzu in this one. It’s like they forgot what playing at Oregon is like for the road teams.
STANFORD -5.5 at UTAH
We liked Utah with a full touchdown but Vegas has lowered the line. We think Stanford wins this game by six or seven points.
LAST WEEK: 14-10
SEASON: 48-68