Posts Tagged ‘Northwestern Wildcats’

March 13th, 2013 By Andrew Ryan

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CappersInfo is back with its Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Northwestern Wildcats picks and predictions, as we look to give you all of the college basketball advice and tips that you need to beat your online sportsbook for this crucial Thursday night tilt.

Big Ten Tournament Picks: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Date: Thursday, March 14th, 9:00 ET
Location: United Center, Chicago, IL
Iowa vs. Northwestern Live TV: ESPN2

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Oh, Iowa fans! You all had best be careful in this one. The Hawkeyes are going to be asked to lay a ton of points in this game, and it just isn’t something that is justifiable when push comes to shove. This is a huge pressure situation for Iowa, knowing that it absolutely has to win this game and the quarterfinal matchup against the Michigan State Spartans to even think about making it to the NCAA Tournament this year. Northwestern is probably the worst team in the Big Ten at the moment, knowing that the team has been beaten and battered by injuries, especially down the stretch of the season. Will Iowa find a way to get out of this game alive? Of course it probably will. However, to lay this many points in a conference championship game is a bit nuts. Northwestern’s stars, led by G Reggie Hearn have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. We saw the team play loose and push Michigan State in East Lansing for the majority of the 40 minutes over the weekend, and we think that that could be the case in this one once again. If Head Coach Fran McCafferty and his gang aren’t careful, this one could be Upset City. We don’t think it’ll be that bad, but we want to have those points when it counts.

Iowa vs. Northwestern Pick: Northwestern Wildcats +10
Big Ten First Round Prediction: Iowa 64 – Northwestern 61

 
February 27th, 2013 By Andrew Ryan
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The time is here for more of our sparkling CBB picks, as we look at the schedule for basketball for Thursday night. The Northwestern Wildcats and Ohio State Buckeyes will have it in a nationally televised game, which can be seen on the college basketball TV schedule on ESPN2.

Free College Hoops Picks: Ohio State Buckeyes @ Northwestern Wildcats
Date: Thursday, February 28th, 7:00 ET
Location: Ryan Arena, Evanston, IN
Ohio State vs. Northwestern Live TV: ESPN2

It’s going to be really tough for the Wildcats to even remotely stick around in this game against the Buckeyes. The oddsmakers just haven’t caught onto the fact that so many great players are sitting on the sidelines nursing injuries for Northwestern. Both F Jared Swopshire and G Drew Crawford are done for the year, and the team really looks like it has given up. On Sunday against the Purdue Boilermakers, one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, the Cats managed just 43 points in a 74-43 defeat. It marked the third straight game scoring just 43 points or fewer, and the fifth time in the last eight games that they have scored 49 points or fewer. Ohio State has every reason in the world to trip in this game. It is coming off of the big win against the Michigan State Spartans piggy-backed by the dominating win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. OSU was crushed in its last road game at the Wisconsin Badgers, and the next game on deck is a road trip to the Indiana Hoosiers. Still, it’s just impossible to think that the boys in purple are going to show up for this one. The Wildcats have had it, and they’re a fade team for the rest of the season.

Ohio State vs. Northwestern Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes -9
Ohio State vs. Northwestern Prediction: Ohio State 64 – Northwestern 47

 
January 3rd, 2013 By Andrew Ryan
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Our official Michigan Wolverines vs. Northwestern Wildcats pick is here at Cappers Info, as two great teams get set to square off on the college basketball odds. Join us for all of the great NCAA basketball predictions for what should be another great game on the college basketball schedule tonight!

Free College Basketball Picks: Michigan Wolverines @ Northwestern Wildcats
Date: Thursday, January 3rd, 7:00 ET
Location: Welsh Ryan Arena, Evanston, IN
Michigan vs. Northwestern Live TV: ESPN2

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The Michigan/Northwestern game might feel like a bit of an undercard battle between two teams out of the Big Ten on Thursday night with everything else that is going on in the world of sports, but this could be a fun one to watch. Northwestern is getting a heck of a lot of points for a home team in conference play, and what we have already seen early in the year with these conferences is that home court advantage really is making a difference, and it almost feels like the value of home court is getting bigger and bigger as the years go by. Yes, the Wolverines made it through the non-conference season undefeated and with very impressive marks, but we’re still not really all that sure who they beat of note. West Virginia? NC State at home? Bradley on the road? Pittsburgh on a neutral court? Arkansas at home? None of that was really all that impressive, and this could be as difficult of a game, factoring in home court advantage of course, as Big Blue has seen this year. We don’t think that Northwestern is going to quite have enough to figure out how to win this game when push comes to shove, but we do definitely want to have the points on our side. The Cats might be good enough to get into the dance this year, and with that on the line here in Evanston, that should be enough to at least keep this one within double digits.

Michigan vs. Northwestern Pick: Northwestern Wildcats +11
Michigan vs. Northwestern Prediction: Michigan 70 – Northwestern 64

 
December 31st, 2012 By Jack Wilshire

I’ve been studying the ‘total’ for the Gator Bowl odds for quite some time, and I’m ready to make my Gator Bowl picks for the clash between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Mississippi State vs. Northwestern kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, FL, and I’m going to show you which way to bet on college football to make your CFB pick on for this great game.

2013 Gator Bowl
Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4, 6-6 ATS) +1.5
Northwestern Wildcats (9-3, 11-1 ATS) -1.5
Over/Under 53.5

The Wildcats were one of the best ATS teams in the country this year at 11-1, and the common thought is that they should be the team to back in this game. This is about the ‘total’ though, and I know that I have a tough time justifying taking the ‘over’ in this one. The Wildcats are going to try to run the heck out of the football, and though they to operate at a breakneck pace when they can and do all sorts of goofy things with two quarterbacks and a slew of men rushing the ball, the Bulldogs have the defense to string things out and use speed to get to the football.

This is an MSU team that I think is severely underrated this year. The club allowed just 22.4 points per game this year, and if you take out the four losses, that average comes scream down into the low-teens. It was a defense that just didn’t relent this year, and hindsight 20/20, even holding QB Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies’ offense down 38 points this year is quite the accomplishment. Head Coach Dan Mullen is going to want to run the heck out of the football, and he is going to do so even though his reserve back, RB Nick Griffin tore his ACL in preparation for this game. I expect to see a lot out of RB LaDarius Perkins on Tuesday afternoon, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he touched the ball 20-25 times.

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Northwestern played some scary good defense this year as well, and most probably didn’t even realize it. The 38 points allowed to the Michigan Wolverines was aided by overtime, and the 39 points allowed to the Penn State Nittany Lions seemed to be a bit of an anomaly. The rest of the season since Week 1, the club was holding teams all over the place in the teens and the low 20s, and that’s what I expect to see once again in this one. I don’t think that neither club touches 30, and if that’s the case, it should be a game that stays beneath the number.

Mississippi State vs. Northwestern Picks & Tips: Under 53.5

 
December 31st, 2012 By Andrew Ryan

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The Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Northwestern Wildcats are going to square off on the Gator Bowl odds and betting lines. Join us here at Cappers Info, as we make our Gator Bowl picks & predictions for football for what should be a great game on Tuesday.

Gator Bowl Picks: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Date: Tuesday, January 1st, 12:00 ET
Location: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Gator Bowl Betting Odds: Northwestern -1.5
Mississippi State vs. Northwestern Live TV: ESPN2

The 2013 calendar year kicks off in Jacksonville with the Gator Bowl, which should be a heck of a game to take in. The Bulldogs are coming out of the SEC with eight wins to their credit, and when you look back at their four losses, you have to still remain impressed. There aren’t many teams that beat Alabama, LSU, or Texas A&M, and the slip in the Egg Bowl really wasn’t all that notable, knowing that the game meant a heck of a lot more to the Ole Miss Rebels than it did to MSU. The Bulldogs are led by QB Tyler Russell, who very quietly had a great year, throwing the ball for 2,791 yards and 22 TDs. RB LaDarius Perkins and WR Chad Bumphis do a little bit of everything, as they were stars offensively for the team and also were featured on special teams as returners. Both men had over 900 yards from scrimmage this year, and Perkins needs 59 yards in this game to become a 1,000-yard back.

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Northwestern just continued to cover spreads left and right this year, and the argument could be made that it exceeded its own expectations this year by more than any other team in the Big Ten. You don’t think of this as a team that averaged over 31 points per game, nor do you think of it as a team that averaged allowing less than 23 points per game, but that was the end result. The rushing attack was out of this world this year and ended up ranking No. 15 in the land at 230.9 yards per game. RB Venric Mark was outstanding, rushing for 1,310 yards and 11 TDs, while QB Kain Kolter ran some of the offense and ended with 820 rushing yards, 796 passing yards, and a total of 20 touchdowns. Watch out for Kolter to play some wide out as well, as he caught 16 passes in the rare instances that he was used as a receiver as well. This is definitely a team that has some talent on it, and QB Trevor Siemian is good enough to work the ball up the field if he is given the chance to do so.

Normally speaking, it’s awfully bad news to fade a team that went 11-1 ATS on the season. However, normally speaking, it’s awfully bad news to fade a team from the SEC against a team from the Big Ten. The Big Ten has just been atrocious in these situations in the past, especially in the bowl games played here in the Sunshine State, and knowing that we can get a very solid Mississippi State team with a point and a half on our side to start, we just can’t pass on the chance.

Mississippi State vs. Northwestern Pick: Mississippi State Bulldogs +1.5
Gator Bowl Score Prediction: Mississippi State 27 – Northwestern 24

 
November 9th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan
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The Northwestern Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines are going to square off in Week 11 of the college football betting campaign. Join us here at Cappers Info, as we make our predictions for football for what should be a great game on Saturday.

Week 11 College Football Picks: Northwestern Wildcats @ Michigan Wolverines
Date: Saturday, November 10th, 12:00 ET
Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
CFB Betting Odds: Michigan -10
Northwestern vs. Michigan Live TV: ESPN

The Wolverines and the Wildcats are battling it out for the right to stay alive in the Big Ten title race, as the loser is almost certainly going to be eliminated. QB Denard Robinson should be back in the fold as he continues a disappointing senior season. Northwestern is one of the best ATS teams in America at 8-1 this year, and the squad really has played well for the most part, losing to just the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Penn State Nittany Lions. Of course, there isn’t a win against a team that is going to end up in more than a low level bowl game this year, something that both of these teams are fighting to try to avoid. The winner is probably in good shape for either the Outback Bowl or the Capital One Bowl. Remember that Michigan hasn’t lost to a team this year with any shame for sure, knowing that the losses at the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Alabama Crimson Tide definitely were difficult. Again, there isn’t much in the way of quality wins here, but there hasn’t been a game in which the team has been outdone by 200+ yards, something that basically has happened twice to the Wildcats.

Northwestern @ Michigan Pick: Michigan Wolverines -10
Northwestern @ Michigan Score Prediction: Michigan 31 – Northwestern 19

 
October 27th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan
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College football betting fans are running to their online sportsbooks to place their Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Northwestern bets and predictions, and here at Cappers Info, we are making our Saturday football picks for this encounter.

Week 9 College Football Picks: Iowa Hawkeyes @ Northwestern Wildcats
Date: Saturday, September 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Ryan Stadium, Evanston, IN
CFB Betting Odds: Northwestern -5
Iowa vs. Northwestern Live TV: ESPN2

Over 70% of the betting public is backing the Wildcats in this game, and probably for awfully good reason. Northwestern has a dynamic team with the combination of RB Venric Mark and Do-It-All Kain Colter. The defense at times can be shoddy for sure, but the offense more than makes up for it. The only shot that Iowa has in this game is by running the ball and playing stout defense, something that has happened a heck of a lot easier over the course of the last few games. Last week’s game against Penn State was one for sore eyes though, and it wasn’t the best performance of the year for the Hawkeyes. This Iowa outfit is just far too inconsistent for our eyes, and in the end, it should end up getting covered against for the fourth time in five years and the sixth time in eight years.

Iowa @ Northwestern Pick: Northwestern -5
Iowa @ Northwestern Score Prediction: Northwestern 31 – Iowa 20

 
October 6th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan

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College football betting fans are running to their online sportsbooks to place their Northwestern Wildcats vs. Penn State bets and predictions, and here at Cappers Info, we are making our Saturday football picks for this encounter.

Week 6 College Football Picks: Northwestern Wildcats @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Date: Saturday, September 6th, 12:00 ET
Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
CFB Betting Odds: Penn State -2.5
Northwestern vs. Penn State Live TV: ESPN

The Big Ten has been a nightmare this year, and there would be nothing worse for this conference as a whole than to see Northwestern lose this game on Saturday. The possibility would be there to not see a single team in the conference ranked in the Top 25, which would be a calamity for a conference that has already lost four games to the MAC and three games to Notre Dame this year. The Wildcats are having some identity issues, as they are doing a lot of flipping around of their running backs and quarterback. Penn State meanwhile, is seeming to get a heck of a lot more cohesive as the season is wearing on, and QB Matthew McGloin is really looking like he is one of the best pure passers that the Big Ten has to offer. That’s not saying a whole heck of a lot on the national scheme, but in this game, it should be good enough to win.

Northwestern @ Penn State Pick: Penn State -2.5
Northwestern @ Penn State Score Prediction: Penn State 24 – Northwestern 21

 
August 31st, 2012 By Andrew Ryan
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The Northwestern Wildcats and the Syracuse Orange are going to square off in Week 1 of the college football betting campaign. Join us here at Cappers Info, as we make our predictions for football for what should be a great game on Saturday.

Week 1 College Football Picks: Northwestern Wildcats @ Syracuse Orange
Date: Saturday, September 1st, 12:00 ET
Location: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
CFB Betting Odds: Northwestern Pick ‘Em
Northwestern vs. Syracuse Live TV: ESPN2

This is going to be the third time in five years that these two teams have met, and the home team was able to take the first two. We think that this is a Syracuse team under Head Coach Doug Marrone that is a lot tougher than last year’s 5-7 team was, and it is a team that has a real chance of making a bowl game this year. QB Kain Kolter really is just a run-only quarterback, and though he is going to do a lot in the open space, we just don’t think that he is going to be able to make this offense all that two dimensional. That isn’t going to cut it in the Carrier Dome in all likelihood, where the Orange are really hoping to get off to a strong start to this season. Look for senior QB Ryan Nassib to get his year off on the right foot for the ‘Cuse.

Northwestern @ Syracuse Pick: Syracuse Pk
Northwestern @ Syracuse Score Prediction: Syracuse 30 – Northwestern 24

 
December 30th, 2011 By Andrew Ryan

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If you’re a fan of playing big time dogs with some motivation against favored teams that probably aren’t going to have a heck of a lot to give to the game, you’ve reached the right NCAA football bowl betting bash. The Northwestern Wildcats will take on the Texas A&M Aggies in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, and we are set to make our bowl picks and predictions for the first game on December 31st

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Meineke Car Care Bowl Matchup: Texas A&M Aggies vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Meineke Car Care Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st, 12:00 ET
Meineke Car Care Bowl Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Meineke Car Care Bowl Odds: Texas A&M -10
Meineke Car Care Bowl Total: 67
Meineke Car Care Bowl TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

Without looking at these two teams all that closely, it is apparently why Texas A&M is the favored side in this game. Being a team in the middle of the pack in the Big XII is generally a heck of a lot better than being in the middle of the pack in a mediocre Big Ten, and that definitely plays into the Aggies’ hands. They are going to have home field advantage, and at least on paper, they have the more balanced team on both sides of the ball. However, the Wildcats were already able to pull off one upset this year when they beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, and they have a tremendous chance to do some big time damage in this game as well.

QB Dan Persa really does a nice job taking care of the football for the Cats, as he almost always completes at least 70 percent of his passes every time out there. This year, QB Kain Kolter is also used quite a bit, and he is used in a number of ways. He is lined up at receiver and is third on the team in most receiving categories, he is the leading rusher, the leading touchdown scorer, and can throw the rock as well out of either the Wildcat or traditional sets. Sound familiar? It almost sounds like what the Aggies were doing with QB Ryan Tannehill before he took over as the starting quarterback halfway through last season…

Now that Tannehill had a full year under his belt, defenses started to figure him out. Sure, A&M still scores almost 40 points on the average game, but the best ‘D’s were able to at least contain him, especially from the point that RB Christine Michael got hurt. The ground game is now left to just RB Cyrus Gray, who is a great athlete, but he isn’t really that between the tackles type of back that would really make this team complete.

In the end, we really prefer Northwestern in this one. The Aggies really took advantage of the weak parts of their schedule, but they were never able to finish off the good teams. Northwestern won four in a row to become bowl eligible before losing in the finale to the Michigan State Spartans, but that won’t put a damper on anything that it is doing. The Wildcats were happy to go on the road this year to Chestnut Hill, where they took down the Boston College Eagles to start the year, just as they were pumped to beat the Huskers in Lincoln. They are going to come into this de facto road game with the same sort of mentality for sure, and it is a mentality that we think is going to end up leading to an upset to close out 2011.

Free Meineke Car Care Bowl Pick: Northwestern +10

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October 21st, 2011 By Andrew Ryan

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Here at Cappers Info, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Check out the potentially ugly dogs that could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren’t careful for the Week 8 of college football betting action!

Year To Date Record: 41-39 ATS
Upset Record: 9-18 -$150

Underdog Pick #1: Missouri Tigers (+210 at Wager Web Sportsbook) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys, Saturday, 12:00 ET: This seems to be a pretty darn trendy upset pick this week, but we agree with it. The Tigers are probably one of the best 25 teams in America, but they have played an absolutely brutal schedule this year, including games against Arizona State, Oklahoma, Kansas State. They really haven’t been blown out of the water yet, and they have gone up against some offenses that can really shoot it out like Okie State can. Remember that in the games that Mizzou has played against weak competition of late, it dropped 52 on Iowa State and 69 on Western Illinois. You have to go back almost two full years to find the last home game that the Tigers lost, and that includes knocking off Oklahoma last year. Faurot Field is a house of horrors for the opposition in general.

Underdog Pick #2: Northwestern Wildcats (+160 at Wager Web Sportsbook) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions, Saturday 7:00 ET: And we’re back on the Northwestern bandwagon once again… This is the fourth straight week that we are backing the Cats, and we refuse to relent, knowing that this team has the talent to do some real damage, especially in night games at home. Penn State is a Top 25 team, and it is a very deserving one. Yes, its schedule has been paper thin, and its only loss came against arguably the best team in the country in Alabama. However, these wins of late have just been downright brutal. Purdue by 5, Iowa by 10, Indiana by 6, Temple by 4… The offense for Joe Pa and the gang isn’t getting any better any time in the near future, and the Wildcats are the perfect bunch to take advantage of it.

Underdog Pick #3: North Carolina State Wolfpack (+180 at Wager Web Sportsbook) @ Virginia Cavaliers, Saturday, 3:30 ET: Our light week of upset picks continues with NC State in a game which features two teams which just flat out stink. We think that Virginia has been overhyped because of this win over Georgia Tech last week, but we saw that flat performance by the Yellow Jackets coming from a mile away. That line stunk from the second that it came out. Remember, this is the same bunch of Hoos that lost to Southern Miss at home and nearly lost to both Idaho and Indiana. Yikes. Needless to say, we don’t really think highly of either team, but at least the Wolfpack looked good last week against Central Michigan. We know that UVA isn’t Central Michigan bad, but we do think that it has the potential to lay a total egg in a letdown game.

 
October 14th, 2011 By Andrew Ryan

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Here at Cappers Info, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Check out the potentially ugly dogs that could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren’t careful for the Week 7 of college football betting action!

Year To Date Record: 39-32 ATS

Upset Record: 6-15 -$410

Underdog Pick #1: Mississippi State Bulldogs (+120 at Wager Web Sportsbook) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks, Saturday, 12:20 ET: We can’t help but wonder if things are going to fall apart for the Gamecocks in these next few weeks. South Carolina really hasn’t looked all that stellar for the most part this year, and now, it has to go on the road on a brutal test in Starkville. Mississippi State has all sorts of quarterback problems, but we have to think that it will come to play in what amounts to be one of the biggest games of the season. The Dogs were able to take down a lot of big time teams at home last season, and they’ll be able to slay the Cocks on Saturday.

Underdog Pick #2: Auburn Tigers (+110 at Wager Web Sportsbook) vs. Florida Gators, Saturday 7:00 ET: Auburn isn’t exactly the greatest team in the SEC this year, but we know that the Tigers have been able to play with some big time teams. All of a sudden, that loss against Clemson doesn’t look all that bad, knowing that the Tigers are in the Top 10 in the land. QB Barrett Trotter is going to have his work cut out for him against this Florida defense, but at home, he should be okay. The real questions are going to be for the Florida offense, as QB John Brantley is still out of the fold. No matter which one of the youngsters are going to end up going against these Tigers, they aren’t going to be able to pull off this victory on the road. The wrong team is absolutely favored in this game.

Underdog Pick #3: UCF Knights (+150 at Wager Web Sportsbook) @ SMU Mustangs, Saturday, 3:30 ET: UCF hasn’t had the greatest season in the world, and we have some real questions right now about this offense, but we have to remember that it has played against some reasonable defenses and has played in some awful weather at times. Everyone is high on the Mustangs right now after their upset of TCU, but we just aren’t all that sure. Last year, UCF absolutely dominated the ‘Stangs at Bright House Networks Stadium in the Conference USA Championship Game, which propelled the team to its first bowl win, the Liberty Bowl. This is a big game for an up and coming program, and if the Knights want to get into the Big East, this is the type of game that it really should win.

Underdog Pick #4: Northwestern Wildcats (+220 at Wager Web Sportsbook) @ Iowa Hawkeyes, Saturday, 7:00 ET: This is the third straight week that we have taken a chance on the Wildcats. We just believe that this team has the ability to win games in this conference now that it has QB Dan Persa back under center. Iowa hasn’t proven anything to us this year. We’re not convinced that the win over Pittsburgh, especially in that come from behind type of fashion was all that special, and we know that the loss to Iowa State was brutal. The Hawkeyes are probably rightfully favored playing at Kinnick Stadium, but there’s no way that the Cats should be more than +150 or so. Remember that this Northwestern team was the one that ended Iowa’s perfect season two years ago right here in the cornfields of Iowa.

Underdog Pick #5: Louisiana Monroe Warhawks (+260 at Wager Web Sportsbook) @ Troy Trojans, Saturday, 7:00 ET: These Sun Belt games are wacky, and there are often some tremendously unpredictable results. In this case, we can see how an upset can happen. Don’t confuse ULM as your average 1-4 team. Don’t worry about these four losses. The schedule has been brutal and last week’s loss to Arkansas State was against another Sun Belt team that we think has the ability to pull off some upsets this year. QB Kolton Browning is one of the better Sun Belt quarterbacks, and he has a team on his side that can shut down QB Corey Robinson. The Trojans lost this fixture last year, and we can totally see them doing the exact same thing this week as well.