Archive for the ‘College Football Picks’ Category
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – TBA Just before the bowl season gets underway this weekend, college football takes the spotlight this Friday night for the Division I AA National Championship as the Montana Grizzlies go to war with the Villanova Wildcats. Montana was the only team in the Football Championship Subdivision to go undefeated this season and held off Appalachian State 24-17 week to advance to the Championship Game. Villanova was shut out last week in the first half against William and Mary, but rallied back to edge the Tribe 14-13 to get make their first ever appearance in the FCS National Championship. The interesting match-up this Friday night will feature a highly regarded Grizzlies offense that will be up against one of the better defenses in the FCS in the Wildcats. In fact, Villanova ranked 5th in the FCS allowing just 13.67 points per game and also only gave up a little over 300 total yards on average as well. The Wildcats defense is yet to give up over 2 scores through the FCS Playoffs, but they will get their biggest test of the season through the Montana offense. The Grizzlies own the top scoring offense in the FCS averaging 36.86 points per game and responsible for more than 420 yards of total offense per game. The Grizzlies offense is led by a trio of playmakers that really carry the offense. Running back Chase Reynolds is the soul of the team and carries the work load on the ground. Reynolds has posted over 1,400 yards this season and an amazing 22 touchdowns on the ground. However, Reynolds will be up against a Wildcats defense that has allowed just 67 yards per game on the ground this season as the 3rd best rush defense in the FCS. If that trend continues, Montana will look for QB Andrew Selle lead the air assault. Selle has completed 61% on the year and thrown 25 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions. Selle’s biggest target is star wide out Marc Mariani who has nearly 3 times as many catches and yards than any other receiver on the team. Mariani has caught over 1,300 receiving yards this year and he will be the main guy to try and foil the Wildcats secondary. As for the Villanova offense, they run a version of the option style offense that is growing in popularity in the Football Bowl Subdivision. QB Chris Whitney leads the team in rushing with 885 yards, but he also has a decent arm to throw the ball as well. Whitney has completed 64% on the season with 17 touchdowns and 4 picks. Tailback Aaron Ball is an effective force on the ground as well carrying 4.7 yards per carry to total 743 yards on the season. Considering Villanova does not have an offense that scores points near as quickly as an offense like Montana, most would expect their game plan would be based around the running game to control the clock. If they run the ball well, the Grizzlies offense will have a tough time scoring with limited opportunities. Also, keep an eye on WR Matt Szczur for Villanova. Szczur is a playmaker that gets chances carrying the football and catching the football so the Wildcats will find a way to get his hands on the football. Pick – Montana
Montana Grizzlies vs. Villanova Wildcats
Friday December 18th, 8:00PM Eastern
Tags: Montana Grizzlies vs Villanova Wildcats Preview, Montana vs. Villanova
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Navy -14, 41 O/U Every college football season has to come to an end and every regular season in college football ends with the annual rivalry showdown between Army and Navy. These two teams will collide again this Saturday for the 110th time in one of the most historical rivalries in college football. Navy has enjoyed a solid season at 8-4 on the year with some close defeats along that path as well. Army at just 5-6 already has more wins than any other single season this decade and they are on the verge of being bowl bound. If Army could score the upset, it would mark their first bowl trip since 1996 but the odds may be stacked against them for that accomplishment. The Midshipmen run the triple style option threat similar to what has been so productive for Georgia Tech in the ACC. However, the offense has been around at Navy much longer and they again rank towards the top of the rushing ladder averaging 279 yards per game which is good enough for 3rd best in college football. QB Ricky Dobbs runs the offense from behind center and also leads the team in rushing yards with 913 total on the year. However, fullback Vince Murray may be the most dangerous runner on the team. Murray has carried the ball nearly 100 times less than Dobbs and has racked up 884 yards averaging just less than 6 yards per carry. However, the Midshipmen have many more guys that will come in and get touches with the football. Still, the common theme will be attacking on the ground and it has been very effective throughout the season beating the likes of Notre Dame, Wake Forest, and nearly Ohio State. Army has shown difficulty stopping the run at times this season and this will be the best rushing offense they have seen to date. Army is under their first season under the command of Coach Rich Ellerson who appears to have the program on the right track. The Black Knights have had 3 straight seasons of 3 wins a piece and they have to chance to double that this Saturday. The Black Knights are another football team that loves to keep the game on the ground. Army ranks 14th in the country with 212 yards per game on the ground. QB Trent Steelman leads the charge on the ground with 690 yards, but has carried the ball nearly 200 times as well. Steelman and the Army offense do not go to the air very often which is confirmed by 90 passing attempts on the season. Steelman has completed 47 of those passes for 560 yards 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. However, their strength is on the ground. Junior running back Patrick Mealy is an interesting runner who is averaging 6.4 yards per carry on just 97 carries this year resulting in 624 yards. Fullback Kingsley Ehie also gets into the mix quite often with 105 carries for 445 yards. The Black Knights have the same triple style formation, but have had less explosiveness than the Navy offense. If that is to change this Saturday, Mealy will have to be the guy to have a big day as he appears to be the only one that could carry the team. Pick – Navy has won 7 straight over Army and also held the Black Knights to just 3 points combined over the last two meetings. The Black Knights will give a better fight this time around, but with the same disappointing outcome. Navy covers -14
Army Black Knights (5-6) vs. Navy Midshipmen (8-4)
Saturday December 12th, 2:30PM Eastern
Tags: Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen, Army vs. Navy Rivalry
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – USC -7, 50 O/U The no. 18 USC Trojans host the Arizona Wildcats at the Coliseum in a season finale this Saturday afternoon. The Trojans have had a disappointing season for their high standards even at 8-3 on the year and another loss would put yet another dent in the season. Arizona on the other hand has had a better than expected season. The Wildcats were in the midst of a Pac-10 Championship before losing back to back games against Oregon and California. The one thing Arizona would love to do now is capture a win over one of their rivals in the Pac-10. The Wildcats have lost 7 straight to the Trojans and they are the only team that Arizona Coach Mike Stoops has not beaten in the Pac-10. The problem is that the game will be played at the Coliseum where the Trojans have triumphed more than any other home team over the last decade. However, expect Arizona to be up for the challenge as they may sense that this is not the once overpowering Trojans team of year’s past. The difference in this USC team than in the previous few seasons is their defense. The Trojans defense has terrified the Pac-10 in recent years, but only ranks 43rd overall this year allowing 344 yards per game. The Trojans have also relinquished 135 yards on the ground each game. This will be critical to Arizona’s efforts to win the game. The Wildcats have not dominated on the ground by any means this season, but they may have a better chance at running the ball against the USC defense than most would predict. Running backs Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin have combined for over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns this season. Both backs will be huge factors this Saturday especially if they can keep the chains moving. QB Nick Foles has been solid as well this season completing 67% with 17 touchdowns and 7 picks. Foles spreads the ball around well and has not made many mistakes over the past few outings. If that trend continues and they get help from the running game, there is no need to think Arizona will not have a legitimate chance at winning the ball game. One thing that has been evident in the Trojans less dominating season has been the play of the offense behind freshman quarterback Matt Barkley. Barkley has completed just 59% with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season. More importantly Barkley threw 8 interceptions in the last 5 games in which 2 of those games were losses. The Trojans offense has been much less explosive in the passing game and perhaps much less explosive overall. Running back Joe McKnight however may be the best of the bunch on offense. McKnight has rushed for 979 yards while averaging over 6 yards per carry this season to capture 8 touchdowns during the process. Without McKnight, one can only imagine the disastrous season that could be on the hands of Pete Carroll. However, the offense has been able to control tempo of the game and get the help of a defensive line that is known for forcing 3 and outs. In fact, the defensive line is averaging 3 sacks per game this season which ranks 7th in the country. It will be up to that same defensive line to penetrate the Arizona offensive front and control the game where it matters most which is in the trenches. Pick – Arizona has been within a touchdown the last two years and they are prime for the upset this time around. Take Arizona +7
Arizona Wildcats (7-4) at No. 18 USC Trojans (8-3)
Saturday December 5th, 3:30PM Eastern
Tags: Arizona at USC, Arizona Wildcats at USC Trojans Preview
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cincinnati -2, 58 ½ O/U The 5th ranked Cincinnati Bearcats have had a great undefeated season as they stand at 11-0 on the year with the taste of a BCS Bowl Game on their tongue. However, for much of the 2nd half of the season they have been on a collision course with the no. 14 Pittsburgh Panthers who until last week were also undefeated in Big East play. The Panthers were upset by West Virginia last week, but they still have the chance to win the conference title outright with a head to head victory over the Bearcats this Saturday. The Bearcats own one of the most dangerous offenses east of the Mississippi averaging 40 points per contest. QB Tony Pike was getting a lot of Heisman consideration before injuring his wrist this season. However, Pike battled his way back to start behind center last week and was very impressive completing 32 of 46 for 399 yards with a career high 6 touchdown passes. WR Mardy Gilyard had another big outing with 7 catches for 102 yards putting him over the 1,000 yard mark this season. Gilyard is the big play factor that the Panthers must maintain, but the Bearcats have plenty of talent in the receiving core that has the ability to have a big night. Pittsburgh has given up over 200 yards per game through the air which should mean Pike will have the opportunity to move the ball up and down the field again through the air. Bearcats running back Isaiah Pead has not posted huge numbers, but can give the offense plenty of balance averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Pead is usually very effective when the Bearcats can complete a few passes in a row and then pop the defense with a run up the middle. If the Bearcats offense can do that, it will really frustrate the Pittsburgh defensive efforts. The Panthers offense has one of the best running threats in the conference or the nation for that matter averaging 183 yards per game. Freshman running back Dion Lewis may just be one of those special rare talents that has a very bright future. Lewis ranks 5th in the country in individual rushing yards with 1,446 yards total this season and 13 touchdowns. Outside the running game, the Panthers are plenty affective in the passing game as well. QB Bill Stull is a proven veteran who has completed 65% with 19 touchdowns and 6 interceptions this season while accumulating 2,294 yards in the process. Wide outs Jonathan Baldwin and Dorin Dickerson are the main targets on the outside. Dickerson leads the team with 10 touchdowns while grabbing 45 passes. However, Baldwin has been the big play threat averaging over 20 yards a reception with 48 catches on the season to go along with 6 touchdowns. So which side of the offense will be most effective against the Bearcats? The best scenario would be to establish the ground game with Lewis because if that happens it helps keep the Bearcats dangerous offense off the field. If Pittsburgh establishes ball control, it will help the efforts tremendously. Betting Trends - The Bearcats have reached the over total in 6 of his last 9 games while holding a 4-1 ATS mark in the last 5 games. Pittsburgh is 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games and reached the under total in 6 of the last 7 games including the under in 4 of the last 5 games at home. Pick – Pittsburgh +2
No. 5 Cincinnati Bearcats (11-0) at No. 14 Pittsburgh Panthers (9-2)
Saturday December 5th, 12:00PM Eastern
Tags: Big East Championship Game, Cincinnati Bearcats at Pittsburgh Panthers Preview
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Florida -5 ½ , 41 ½ O/U The Florida Gators have been ranked as the number 1 team in the nation most of the season and their chance to repeat as National Champions takes a date with destiny this Saturday night as they will meet no. 2 Alabama in the SEC Championship. One year ago these two powerhouses collided with Florida pulling out a hard fought victory and going on to win a National Title. Well the exact same circumstances are on the line again in one of the most anticipated re-matches in SEC history and once again the winner will go to claim a shot at a National Championship. The magnitude of the SEC is beyond comparison with other football conferences around the nation and over the past few year’s their conference title game has been a version of their own National Championship. This is the match-up of the best of the best and it is no secret the winner of this colossal of titans will be favored to bring home yet another piece of hardware and represent the SEC in a chance to make it 4 straight National Title’s. The question is will Tim Tebow get the chance to go out on top as one of the greatest college football players in history or will Nick Saban lead the Crimson Tide back to glory? The ironic aspect to the game is both teams play eerie similar styles of football. Both teams have some of the best offensive and defensive lines a college football team could imagine. Both teams lead the nation in rushing and are relentless forces on the defensive side of the ball. The question is who is the better of the two? The Gators have a trio of running backs that could be superstars for any team in the country led by running back Jeffery Demps who is averaging 8 yards per carry with 7 touchdowns this season. Backups Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody are equally dangerous forces. However, if the Crimson Tide is going to stop the Gators they must stop the biggest Gator of them all in QB Tim Tebow. Tebow of course is the dual threat bulldozer that can run through defenses like a full back or step back and beat you with his arm. Tebow leads the Gators with 796 yards this season along with 13 touchdowns on the ground. If that is not enough, he has also completed 67% while throwing for 2,166 yards and 17 additional touchdowns. The only difference in the Gators offense this season compared to last is they are not as explosive. WR Riley Cooper can make big plays, but they do not come in the quantity as they did a year ago. Will the Gators have the firepower to take down the Crimson Tide yet again? The Crimson Tide defense is right there with the Gators dynamic defense that returned all 11 starters from last year’s National Championship team. In fact, Alabama may be even better on the defensive front especially with Florida’s DE Carlos Dunlap being suspended for the title game. Alabama has the 2nd ranked rush defense in the country holding teams to 77 yard per game on the ground as well as the nation’s number 2 scoring defense holding opponents to 10 points per game. This may very well be the best two defenses to every step on a college football field at the same time. How will the offenses react? Well Alabama will surely stick with their running game as will the Gators. However the Crimson Tide relies on mainly one back rather than 3, but Mark Ingram may just be the best in the nation. Of course Ingram is a top many of the Heisman ballots after rushing for 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. One of the main factors to the running game success is the huge Alabama offensive line which will face their biggest challenge to date with the Gators defensive front. Still, the Crimson Tide offensive line may be the only group that could win the battle against the Florida defensive front. Alabama QB Greg McElroy has been solid this season only throwing an interception in 3 games while throwing 16 touchdowns. McElroy’s main job will be to get the ball in position for playmakers like WR Julio Jones to have a chance to do some damage. Jones only has 545 receiving yards this season, but do not let the numbers fool you because he is a big time wide out. In what promises to be a defensive battle, big plays will be rare. However, those big plays will be huge in determining the outcome. Will Ingram be able to control the ground game or will Alabama have to result to the air game for those big plays? Pick – Both teams are extremely talented and picking the winner is tough. On that note, I think Alabama will win in the trenches resulting in a close win.
No. 1 Florida Gators (12-0) vs. No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0)
Saturday December 5th, 4:00PM Eastern
Tags: Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Preview, SEC Championship Predictions
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Ohio +13, 53 O/U The Mid-American Conference Championship will take place live from Ford Field this Friday night when the Ohio Bobcats meet up with the Central Michigan Chippewas. The Chippewas actually battled their way to an undefeated 8-0 mark in the conference this year and will be near two touchdowns favorites in the Championship Game on Friday night. Their opponent the Ohio Bobcats own a solid 7-1 mark in conference play with a slip-up to Kent State 20-11 earlier this year. However, Ohio has put together 4 straight wins and they seek the biggest of all this Friday. The Bobcats reached the championship game back in 2006, but were steam rolled by Central Michigan as Dan LeFevour threw for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns. After a few disappointing seasons, Ohio returns to the title game in attempt to bring home their first conference hardware since 1968. However, the same Dan LeFevour and Central Michigan stand in the way. LeFevour has had an excellent senior season completing a stout 71% passing while racking up 25 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions throughout the season. The biggest recipient of those passes has been junior wide out Antonio Brown. Brown has put together 954 receiving yards along with 9 scores this season and is the biggest threat to the Bobcats defense outside of LeFevour. The key for Central Michigan will be allowing LeFevour to throw the football. In the only two losses the Chippewas have experienced this year, their senior quarterback had just over 250 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in those games combined. It is safe to say when defenses can get pressure on the passing game it can be controlled. However, if the Bobcats can not get any type of pressure it could and may be a long day. Ohio on the other hand does not have an offense that is known for posting huge performances. In fact, the Bobcats offense ranks an embarrassing 99th in total offense averaging just 328 yards per game. So how has this team with no offense been able to cruise through the conference you may ask? Well the Bobcats play pretty solid defense as they have allowed just 21 points per game this season and they also rank 6th in the country in turnover margin with the help of an NCAA 2nd best 33 takeaways this season. The Bobcats secondary has picked off 19 passes this season and a few more this Friday would really help in bringing home the hardware. The best area of attack the Bobcats possess is in their passing game. QB Theo Scott has posted 19 touchdowns this season with 10 interceptions. However, Scott has been very impressive over the past two games throwing 6 touchdowns without a single pick. Ohio will need another mistake free effort from Scott in the passing game. Fortunately, Scott has a few veteran wide receivers in his arsenal. WR Taylor Price and WR LaVon Brazil have combined for 100 catches with 1,400 plus yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. These two guys will be huge difference makers in keeping the Bobcats in the game. Considering how neither offense has a strong running game it is likely that defenses could have the advantage in the game or then again the quarterbacks could be in store for a shootout. Pick – Central Michigan -13
Ohio Bobcats (9-3) vs. Central Michigan Chippewas (10-2)
Friday December 4th, 8:00PM Eastern
Tags: Ohio Bobcats at Central Michigan Chippewas
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – LSU -3.5, 51 ½ O/U Hopefully if you are an LSU fan, then you are trying to forget last week’s total meltdown in the closing seconds of the Mississippi game that resulted in a 25-23 loss. The Tigers had all the opportunities to pull of the come from behind win, but some bad play calling and mistakes towards the final seconds of the game allowed time to expire to hand the Tigers their 3rd loss of the year. LSU now attempts to rebound this week at home in their season finale against the Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday night. The Tigers will host the event in Death Valley where they have won 6 of their past 7 games and their defense will face a big test against one of the best offenses in the SEC. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett leads the Razorbacks premier passing attack that is averaging 310 yards per game through the air. The Razorbacks also ranks 1st in the SEC in both scoring and total yards. Arkansas has been able to produce 38 points per game along with 445 yards per contest. Mallett is a big reason to the success along with the help of a stellar group of young wide outs. On the season, Mallett has thrown for 3,198 yards with 28 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions. WR Greg Childs leads the dangerous young receiving cores with 40 catches for 741 yards and 7 touchdowns this season. However, players like Jarius Wright and Joe Adams are equally dangerous for the Tigers secondary. LSU ranks towards the bottom of the conference in scoring, but in all reality they have not had to have any big performances considering the defense has not allowed anyone over 26 points this season. However, it will be really interesting if Mallett and company can put the pressure on early to make the LSU offense have to rack up some points. As good as the Arkansas offense has been, the defense has not been that impressive. The Razorbacks defense has relinquished 25 points per game this season and that has mainly been through the air. That is not a good sign for future NFL wide outs Terrance Toliver and Brandon LaFell. Both of the Tigers stellar wide outs are big time playmakers catching over 45 passes a piece. Both receivers have racked up over 600 yards in SEC play this season as well and the two could be a dangerous combination for the Arkansas pass defense this Saturday. Of course if those expectations come true, we may witness a shootout type ball game. The type of game QB Jordan Jefferson may not be accustomed to, but he has been solid this season under center for LSU. Jefferson is completing 61% with 14 touchdowns and 5 interceptions on the year. Considering how LSU is still not running the ball very well, expect Coach Les Miles to put the game on the arm of Jefferson and look for him to hookup with their big time wide receivers while exposing the Razorbacks’ secondary. Pick – Over 51 ½
Arkansas Razorbacks (7-4) at No. 17 LSU Tigers (8-3)
Saturday November 28th, 7:00PM Eastern
Tags: Arkansas at LSU Preview, Arkansas Razorbacks at LSU Tigers Pick
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Florida -23 The biggest question entering this week’s annual rivalry showdown between the Florida State Seminoles and Florida Gators is not will the Seminoles have a chance to ruin the Gators chance at defending their National Title, but rather will this be Bobby Bowden’s last game coaching football? Bowden has been under heavy scrutiny all season after a disappointing 2-3 start and yet another average 6-5 season. Many think this will be Bowden’s last season as a coach after 34 years at Florida State even though there is no official announcement. Meanwhile, the Seminoles will be trying to capture the biggest of all upsets this Saturday by taking down the top ranked team in the country. The Florida Gators are well on their way to having a chance at winning yet another National Championship as they anticipate a huge collide with no. 2 Alabama which sits on the horizon just two weeks away. However, the Gators can not get caught looking ahead and they will try to cap off a perfect regular season this Saturday. The Gators are sure to present a ton of problems to the Florida State offense this weekend as they sport the nation’s number 2 defense that has held opponents to just 229 yards per game. The Gators elite defensive line will get plenty of pressure to Florida State quarterback E.J Manuel. The Seminoles lost their senior quarterback Christian Ponder to a shoulder injury and Manuel has been the guy to step in to pick up the slack. However, Manuel has thrown 4 picks to just 1 interception in two games and has not proved that he can move the ball down the field. Of course those struggles will be put under the microscope when they take on the Florida defense, and if Manuel gives up another 3 picks like he did last week to Maryland then things could get ugly quickly. To help Manuel, Florida State receivers Bert Reed and Rod Owens will have to get open quickly. Both guys can make plays, but Manuel will have to get rid of the ball quickly so they will have to get open quickly if there is to be any success in the passing game. Of course the Gators offense needs little introduction as they are led by senior quarterback Tim Tebow who now owns the SEC’s all time touchdown mark. Tebow has completed 14 touchdowns with just 4 picks for just less than 2,000 yards this season through the air. However, the Gators rushing game is the real cream of the crop. Tebow leads some of the best running backs in the nation with 706 yards on the ground. Running backs Jeffery Demps, Chris Rainey, and Emmanuel Moody are all averaging over 6.5 yards per carry to lead the Gators offense. Demps tends to get the biggest workload as the starter and he may be the most dangerous of the bunch. It just goes to show the type of depth Florida has as all of these tailbacks could be starts for any team in the conference, but rather they give Florida a carousal of dangerous threats in the running game. WR Riley Cooper is the big play guy in the passing game. Cooper has a knack in getting behind defensive backs and there will be big plays to be made against the Florida State secondary. The question will be if Tebow and Cooper can hook up and how often? For most teams, this could be an upset situation for the Gators. However, their defense and running game is just too good to cause any worry here. Pick – With Manuel now at quarterback, Florida’s defense will force a few turnovers turning this into a blowout.
Florida State Seminoles (6-5) at No. 1 Florida Gators (11-0)
Saturday November 28th, 3:30PM Eastern
Tags: Florida State at Florida Pick, Florida State Seminoles at Florida Gators Preview
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Alabama -12.5 The no. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide seek to cap off their 2nd straight perfect 12-0 regular season this Friday to kick start rivalry week. The Crimson Tide have already locked up their spot to play for the SEC Championship, but perhaps more importantly are on the pursuit of perfection. The Crimson Tide will take on their rivals in the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl this Friday afternoon in the final game of the year for both teams. Auburn has had a pretty solid season in Gene Chizik’s first season as coach, but they are looking to avenge a 36-0 blowout from the Crimson Tide one year ago. Auburn held a long run over the Crimson Tide prior to last year’s big loss winning 6 consecutive games before the 2008 massacre and they look to get the trend started once again. The Tigers have an offense that must be respected, but they are taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide who many consider the best team in America. Alabama wins ball games by controlling the trenches on both sides of the ball. Their offensive and defensive lines look like NFL type size guys and they are extremely strong up front. Auburn has one of the best running backs in the SEC in Ben Tate who also recently made the claim to be “the best running back in the state.” However, Tate’s ability to control the ground may not be a certainty against the Alabama defense. QB Chris Todd will have to spread out the defense and try picking them apart. After all, the Tigers do hold the advantage in the passing game with Todd behind center. Todd has thrown for 2,196 yards with 19 touchdowns this season. To beat the Crimson Tide defense, the key will be to completing a ton of passes and keeping the Alabama defense on their heels. If that happens, Tate may be able to break open some plays later in the game giving that dual threat, but I believe the passing game will have to jump out to a strong start for that to happen. Tate’s claim as the best back in the state may be valid in any other state outside of Alabama. However, the Crimson Tide have sophomore Mark Ingram who is leading most Heisman Trophy polls after racking up 1,399 yards this season. The impressive aspect to Ingram’s rushing yards is most of his biggest games have been against the biggest competition and you can expect Alabama to feed him the ball plenty this Friday. With Alabama’s huge offensive line and Ingram running through tackles, that could be enough in itself to win the football game. However QB Greg McElroy could take a ton of pressure of the Alabama if offense by completing some passes. The Alabama passing game has not been very strong over the 2nd half of the season which is disappointing with the outside presence of WR Julio Jones. Jones is a playmaker that has tremendous hands and speed to make big plays. However, he has been limited in touching the football in recent weeks. If McElroy can find Jones a few times this Friday it will go along way to helping the Crimson Tide cap off another perfect season. However, their defense still should make it very tough for Auburn to score points even if the passing game does not make any big plays and unless Ingram is shut down then the Crimson Tide should roll. Pick – Alabama -12.5
No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0) at Auburn Tigers (7-4)
Friday November 27th, 2:30PM Eastern
Tags: Alabama at Auburn Pick, Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers Preview, Iron Bowl Predictions
NCAA Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Pittsburgh -1.5 The no. 9 Pittsburgh Panthers go on the road this Friday night to take on a Big East foe in the West Virginia Mountaineers who hold a healthy 7-3 record on the season. The Panthers are anticipating a big match-up in two weeks with undefeated no. 5 Cincinnati that will have Big East Title implications. However, the Panthers can not get caught looking ahead as they have a difficult test this Friday night. West Virginia fought Cincinnati as well as anyone has all year in their last outing falling to the Bearcats just 24-21. The Mountaineers had an extra week off to prepare for Pittsburgh and they will get the chance to capture a big win at home. This Friday night’s battle will feature two of the top running backs in the conference. West Virginia’s Noel Devine is on track for yet another 1,200 plus yard campaign as he already has posted 1098 yards and 10 touchdowns thus far this season. On the other side of the field, people will get to witness one of the most promising young talents in the conference in freshman running back Dion Lewis. Lewis leads the Big East ahead of Devine with 1,291 yards this season and is one of the most exciting freshmen in college football to watch. However, the real question is that which outstanding running back will outshine the other this Friday night? One reason I really like Pittsburgh in this game is that there defense has played exceptional all season long. The Panthers defense has held opponents to just 17 points per game through the season and they are extremely talented up front where they will focus on stopping Devine in his track. The defensive front is only giving up 106 yards per game and those guys also lead the nation in getting to the quarterback averaging a little over 4 sacks per contest. If the Panthers can get some pressure on QB Jarrett Brown, then he has been subject to making mistakes this year hence the 8 interceptions on the season. West Virginia will have the home crowd in their favor in what expects to be a close game. However, they can not afford any turnovers or Pittsburgh will win the ball game. Outside of Dion Lewis, the Panthers also have a quarterback that can lead the troops down the field and put points on the scoreboard. QB Bill Stull is completing 66% with over 2,100 yards this season along with 18 touchdowns and only 4 picks on the season. The Mountaineers defense has been subject to giving up yards in the passing game allowing 220 per contest. Stull could steal the show from the running backs featured if he can get some opportunities to hook up with their go to guy in WR Jonathan Baldwin. Baldwin is averaging an eye opening 21 yards per catch on the season and has racked up 840 total receiving yards. If West Virginia slips up, look for Baldwin to be the rewarded recipient when these two teams collide this Friday night. Betting Trends - Pittsburgh is 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games while also going 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games on the road. The Panthers have also reached the under total in 5 of the last 6 games as well. West Virginia is just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games and also just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at home. The Mountaineers have also seen the under total quite a bit this season as that has been the outcome in 4 of their last 6 games this season. Pick – Turnovers tell the story. Pittsburgh wins the turnover battle and the game.
No. 9 Pittsburgh Panthers (9-1) at West Virginia Mountaineers (7-3)
Friday November 27th, 7:00PM Eastern
Tags: Pittsburgh at West Virginia Pick, Pittsburgh Panthers at West Virginia Mountaineers Preview
