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Posts Tagged ‘Oregon State Beavers’

December 3rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers truly hate each other, and they will engage in the Civil War on Saturday afternoon with all to play for on both sidelines. Should the Ducks prove to be victorious, they will have their ticket stamped to the BCS Championship Game in Glendale in January. Oregon State needs this 'W' to qualify for a bowl game in December after playing the nation's most brutal schedule. Which one will get the job done? We have our Civil War picks right here at Cappers Info!

Matchup: Oregon Ducks vs. Oregon State Beavers
Date: Saturday, December 4th, 3:30 ET
Location: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR
Game Line: Oregon -16.5
Over/Under 64.5

Ducks Notes: Is there a team out there in the country that can stop the Quack Attack? The Ducks are on a roll right now, having won all 11 games this season by posting 42+ points in all but one of the 11. The bad news for those backing them on the college football odds is that they are only 0-2-1 ATS in their last three games, but that isn't going to bother HC Chip Kelly one bit. Kelly made a huge stand at the outset of the season by suspending his top rusher RB LaMichael James for one game for some off the field issues, but he made even bigger waves by kicking his quarterback, Heisman Trophy contending QB Jeremiah Masoli off of the team. With QB Nathan Costa being injured for most of the year, the pressure has fallen onto the shoulders of QB Darren Thomas. Talk about answering the bell! Thomas has rushed for 496 yards and five scores and has thrown for 2,355 yards and 26 TDs against just seven INTs on the campaign. As for James, he didn't turn out all that bad either. The sophomore has rushed for 1,568 yards, received for 169 yards, and has 20 total TDs on the campaign. Not too shabby for a man that was suspended for a game in which his team racked up 720 yards, eh? James is probably a Heisman Trophy finalist, as he is averaging well over 150 yards per game on the ground this year and is virtually impossible to keep out of the end zone. As always, keep an eye on WR Jeffrey Maehl as well. Maehl has 61 catches for 857 yards and 12 scores on the year, and he leads the team in all three categories. The only question is whether or not this defense is going to be able to slow down the Beavers. There is no doubt that the averages for the U of O are great, as allowing 328.5 yards and 18.3 points per game is nothing to sweat about, especially if you have an offense like this that is averaging over 50 points and nearly 550 yards per game, but this is a unit that has allowed at least 29 points three times this year and can be had.

Beavers Notes: The poor Beavers are probably the fourth best team or so in the Pac-10, and they are certainly deserving of going to a bowl game, but the fact that this is the fourth team this year that they are going to play that will be ranked in the final Top 10 in the country in nauseating. The averages for this team are terrible this year, as 330.2 yards and 24.8 points per game are not nearly what a HC Mike Riley team should be putting on the board on a regular basis. Nor should the defense be allowing 401.0 yards per game. Part of the problem has been that WR James Rodgers has been out for the majority of the season, which has really left QB Ryan Katz out to dry. Katz has thrown for 2,159 yards and 16 scores this year, but his eight picks have hurt, especially for a man that turns around and hands the ball off more often than he drops back to throw. And why wouldn't you want to turn around and give the pigskin to RB Jacquizz Rodgers? Many thought that Rodgers could be a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy this year, and though that hasn't panned out, he is clearly the man that the Ducks are most afraid of on Saturday. Rodgers has rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 scores and has caught 38 passes for 274 yards and two TDs. No one else has really been able to step into the shoes of the elder Rodgers brother though, as Markus Wheaton is the team's leading receiver with just 44 receptions, 523 yards, and three scores.

The Final Word: Though we know that taking points in rivalry games is usually a great idea, especially when you're talking about a ton of points for a team that is playing at home, we just can't do it on Saturday. The Beavers just appear to be snake bitten right now, and the fact that they were just shut out by the Stanford Cardinal last week isn't exactly appealing to us. There's just too much James, too much Maehl, and too much Thomas for OSU to stop. It will be a long, long night in Corvallis for the hosts, as they are going to end up waiting another year to return to a bowl game. The Ducks are heading to the BCS Championship Game with ease.

MAC Championship Game Picks: Oregon -16.5
Prediction: Oregon 52 – Oregon State 23

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November 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Virginia Cavaliers @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Game Line: Virginia Tech Hokies -23.5
Over/Under 57.5

The rivalry in the state of Virginia this year doesn't have all that much meaning to it, as the Hokies are already going to the ACC Championship Game next week, while the Cavaliers can't make it to a bowl game one way or the other. Both of these teams are solid ATS squads as well, as they are a combined 14-8 in that department. The Hokies have dominated this series, going 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS since 2003, and there is little reason to believe that that won't continue. The Hoos are trying out a bunch of new things this year, and unless QB Marc Verica plans on getting to the 3,000 yard mark this year (which requires 369 passing yards), we don't see how UVA is sticking around with the red hot Hokies, who just want to keep their mojo going into the conference title game.

Free College Football Picks: Virginia Tech -23.5
Prediction: Virginia Tech 38 – Virginia 10

Matchup: Michigan State Spartans @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Game Line: Michigan State -1.5
Over/Under 51

This is the game that will essentially lock up the Big Ten for the Wisconsin Badgers. The Spartans are just barely hanging on by a thread this season, as they have already had to post major comebacks against both the Northwestern Wildcats and the Purdue Boilermakers to hold on for victories. If those games went the other way and nothing else changed, we know that Penn State would be favored by close to a TD in this one. The bottom line here is that we've had this game circled for quite some time. The Spartans have killed off a number of National Championship hopes for the Nittany Lions over the years, and now Penn State can return the favor and end the Rose Bowl dreams of Michigan State. You know that Joe Pa's crew isn't going to want to pass up on that opportunity.

Free College Football Picks: Penn State +1.5
Prediction: Penn State 23 – Michigan State 17

Matchup: Michigan Wolverines @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Game Line: Ohio State -16.5
Over/Under 63.5

Ohio State has a chance to finish off an 11 win season if it can continue dominance over the Wolverines. Previous Michigan HC Lloyd Carr was canned because he couldn't beat the Buckeyes, and though we know that HC Rich Rodriguez is safe this year after winning seven games and taking Big Blue to a bowl game, eventually, a win over OSU is going to be required for him to keep his job. QB Denard Robinson is going to have to go wild against one of the top defenses in the country to pull off this upset, but with what we've seen thus far with the Buckeyes at home, where they are 7-0 SU and 7-0 ATS, the NCAA football odds aren't looking so good for the visitors.

Free College Football Picks: Ohio State -16.5
Prediction: Ohio State 41 – Michigan 21

Matchup: BYU Cougars @ Utah Utes
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Rice Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
Game Line: Utah -8.5
Over/Under 50

This is going to be one of the most interesting Holy Wars in years. The Utes are really slumping right now, as they only stopped a brutal two game skid in which they scored a total of just nine points last week. BYU, on the other hand, really has its offense in high gear right now, and it has salvaged a bowl bid in a year in which looked like it was going to be a disaster. This is the last meeting of these two teams as members of the MWC. The Cougs will be going independent next year, while Utah is headed to the Pac-10. QB Jake Heaps has really figured it out of late, as he is up to 1,824 yards and ten TDs on the campaign, while his counterpart in this one, QB Jordan Wynn, really hasn't gotten it together this year for the Utes to the fullest capability. Last year's game was an epic 26-23 overtime win for BYU in Provo, and this year's encounter should be every bit as entertaining. We think that Rice Eccles Stadium will claim another foe, but that the Cougs are going to find a way to get out of Salt Lake City with another cover.

Free College Football Picks: BYU +8.5
Prediction: Utah 27 – BYU 21

Matchup: Northwestern Wildcats @ Wisconsin Badgers
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game Line: Wisconsin -23.5
Over/Under 57

As long as nothing else screwy happens in the Big Ten over the course of the day, this is going to be the farewell song for the Badgers at home this year, as they head to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl or to Glendale for the BCS Championship Game. The equation in this one is painfully simply. The Wildcats gave up 360 rushing yards last week to Illinois' RB Mikel LeShoure. Last week, Wisconsin's RB Montee Ball and RB James White both rumbled for at least 170 yards apiece. Now, RB John Clay is going to be back in the fold this week as well. At this pace, all three of them could end up with 150 on the ground, especially since the Northwestern offense has totally fallen apart with QB Dan Persa out of the lineup with an Achilles tear. RB Jacob Schmidt and RB Mike Trumpy probably aren't playing either, and if this is the case, QB Evan Watkins is going to be looking like a deer in headlights. Camp Randall will be Jumpin' Around on Saturday afternoon, as their Badgers will have roses between their teeth when this one is over with.

Free College Football Picks: Wisconsin -23.5
Prediction: Wisconsin 63 – Northwestern 17

Matchup: NC State Wolfpack @ Maryland Terrapins
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD
Game Line: NC State -1.5
Over/Under 52

The Wolfpack haven't played all that well on the road this year, but they knew coming into last week's clash with the North Carolina Tar Heels that they needed to win twice in order to lock up the ACC Atlantic Division to go to their first ACC Championship Game. The equation is simple. An NCSU win sends the Wolfpack to the game. A loss puts the Florida State Seminoles there for the second time in school history. QB Russell Wilson has all of the pressure on his shoulders to try to take down a team that has played incredibly well at home this year. The Terps don't have anything to really play for except positioning in bowl games, but you can bet that after a great season, Maryland doesn't want to see it all come crashing down with a pair of home losses. Back the hosts, which will send FSU to the league title game.

Free College Football Picks: Maryland Terrapins +1.5
Prediction: Maryland 21 – NC State 20

Matchup: Florida Gators @ Florida State Seminoles
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Game Line: Florida State -2
Over/Under 51

The truth of the matter is that this game really doesn't mean much to either one of these teams from the perspective of where they are going to go to a bowl game. Odds have it, Florida's fate will be in the hands of the Outback Bowl, which may or may not take it. If not, there will be a lot of bowl games that surpass the Gators before they land one way or the other. The Noles though, are probably going to be the No. 2 or No. 3 team in the conference, which means that they will either be in the Gator Bowl or the Champs Sports Bowl unless they win the ACC. You know that there will be plenty of scoreboard watching in Tallahassee, win or lose against UF. The Maryland Terrapins will be rooted on just as hard as the Noles will at the Doak on Saturday. A win for the team that FSU disposed of last week will send it to the ACC Championship Game. Still, this game takes top priority for the men on the field, as the Seminoles haven't beaten the Gators in six tries. Florida just doesn't look like it has the oomph right now, particularly offensively, to be able to take down the men in garnet and gold. Florida State will get the job done, and there will be a ton of celebrating on the streets of Tallahassee for the first time in years.

Free College Football Picks: Florida State -2
Prediction: Florida State 30 – Florida 21

Matchup: LSU Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, AR
Game Line: Arkansas -3
Over/Under 54

These two teams really hate each other, as the battle for the Golden Boot is always one of the most brutal battles to watch on the collegiate gridiron all season long. Depending on what happens with the Iron Bowl on Friday afternoon, Arkansas might think that it has a great chance of playing for a BCS bowl game, as a second team from the SEC is likely going to find its way to a major bowl game. LSU knows that a spot in the BCS is guaranteed with a win, as a one loss SEC team is not going to be passed upon under any circumstance. The chance is still there for the Mad Hatter, HC Les Miles and company to go the National Championship Game, especially if they are impressive in this one on the road. We know that statistically speaking, all signs point to Arkansas winning this game, but we're not so sure. LSU just has this knack of winning games like this one, while the Hogs have had the nature to lose them. That parlayed with the fact that the Bayou Bengals have been the dominant team in this series over the years has us waving around purple and gold flags in college football betting action.

Free College Football Picks: LSU +3
Prediction: LSU 23 – Arkansas 20

Matchup: Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Mississippi Rebels
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:00 ET
Location: Vaught Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS
Game Line: Mississippi State -2.5
Over/Under 54

The annual Egg Bowl is usually a very close run thing, and this year is probably going to be no exception whatsoever. The Bulldogs have lost a pair of games in a row, but no one is blaming them after having a fantastic first nine games of the year. Ole Miss has been disappointing, losing close game after close game. HC Houston Nutt needs something to bring into next season, but we tend to think that the combination of QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB Brandon Bolden are going to get stuffed up. MSU has no fear about going on the road and winning games like this one. Just ask the Florida Gators. The Bulldogs are going to find a way to sneak out of Oxford with a big time win to hopefully snare a bid in a strong bowl like they deserve after a great regular season.

Free College Football Picks: Mississippi State -2.5
Prediction: Mississippi State 27 – Mississippi 20

Matchup: South Carolina Gamecocks @ Clemson Tigers
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Game Line: South Carolina -2.5
Over/Under 45

Winning in Death Valley is never an easy thing to do, but the Tigers just haven't looked like a team all season long that can beat a team the quality of the Gamecocks. South Carolina didn't take its foot off of the gas pedal last week in the demolition of the Troy Trojans, and we don't see it doing anything of the sorts again this week even though the SEC Championship Game is on deck. The Gamecocks are a legitimate team, and they are going to give Auburn fits for the second time this year inevitably. But before any of that takes place, RB Marcus Lattimore is once again going to prove that he is the best freshman in the entire country, as he leads Cocky over the Tigers in Death Valley on the road.

Free College Football Picks: South Carolina -2.5
Prediction: South Carolina 26 – Clemson 17

Matchup: Oregon State Beavers @ Stanford Cardinal
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:30 ET
Location: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
Game Line: Stanford -13
Over/Under 57

HC Mike Riley has his work cut out for him for his Beavers, as they need to beat either the Cardinal or the Oregon Ducks to go to a bowl game this year. The problem that the Beavs have is that they just can't win games on the road. They've had too many close calls to deal with and have just consistently found ways to drop. Stanford knows that this could be a play in game for the BCS, and maybe even for the BCS Championship if enough you know what breaks loose. The Cardinal are going to be locked in this dog fight with teams like the TCU Horned Frogs, LSU Tigers, and Ohio State Buckeyes for the last at large bowl bids to the BCS, and an impressive victory here against a former Top 25 team would go a long, long way. The offense for Stanford is just too strong, as it has put at least 42 on the board in three of the last four. The Cardinal are 3-0-1 ATS in those four games, and there is no reason that we can see that they would do anything less than come away with a three score victory against Oregon State.

Free College Football Picks: Stanford -13
Prediction: Stanford 38 – Oregon State 21

Matchup: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Georgia Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:45 ET
Location: Bulldog Stadium, Athens, GA
Game Line: Georgia -13.5
Over/Under 58.5

The winner of this game is certainly going bowling, while the loser might be in a bit of trouble. We already know that Georgia is playing for its bowl life, something that the Texas Longhorns failed at on Thanksgiving night. One of the most proud programs in the SEC posting a losing season would be fatal for the career of HC Mark Richt, as he will almost certainly be fired by the end of the weekend if the Dawgs don't come out on top in this one. QB Josh Nesbitt has been out of the lineup for the Ramblin' Wreck though, and he isn't going to be back in the fold for the rest of the year. Even though Georgia Tech already has the six wins required to be eligible for a bowl game, there is still a huge question as to whether or not anyone would take the Yellow Jackets if there are more bowl eligible teams than there are tie ins to these bowl games in the ACC. Some weird results have happened in this rivalry game, just like last year when UGA pulled off the upset in Atlanta in a game in which no one really gave the Bulldogs a shot. Don't be overly surprised if HC Paul Johnson has something in store for the Georgia offense that it hasn't seen this year. Take all the points you can get, as un upset might be in the cards.

Free College Football Picks: Georgia Tech +13.5
Prediction: Georgia Tech 21 – Georgia 17

Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ USC Trojans
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 8:00 ET
Location: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Game Line: USC -4.5
Over/Under 49.5

We're not so sure what in the heck the Fighting Irish have been doing in recent weeks, but even without five of their offensive stars, they just keep continuing to find ways to win games. The Golden Domers fortunately locked up their bowl berth before this game kicked off. But now that that has happened, does USC really have much in the way of motivation to finish off this year? The Trojans slumped down the end of the season last year, and that was with a bowl game coming up. Now, they don't even have one of those to look forward to. These are two of the most bi-polar teams in the entire country that we're dealing with, and as long as that remains the case, we'll take the hotter team with the points and pull for the Irish.

Free College Football Picks: Notre Dame +4.5
Prediction: Notre Dame 20 – USC 13

Matchup: Oklahoma Sooners @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 8:00 ET
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Game Line: Oklahoma State -2.5
Over/Under 67.5

Unless the BCS rankings have some tricks up their sleeves that we don't see coming, the winner of this game is going to be taking down the Big XII South and heading to the Big XII Championship Game, where they will be facing with the Nebraska Cornhuskers or Missouri Tigers. This is the first time that Okie State has been favored in this series in well over a decade, and for good reason. The men from Norman have won Bedlam 80 times in 104 meetings and have beaten up the Pokes seven times in a row. That all changes this year, though. This offense for Okie State is just downright scary, as QB Brandon Weeden, WR Justin Blackmon, and RB Kendall Hunter are all capable of putting up absolutely bananas numbers on a regular basis against anyone in the country. Though things have gotten better for Oklahoma, they still aren't where they should be. This defense is still certainly down from what we were expecting at the outset of the season. The team that deserves to win the Big XII South is Oklahoma State, and that's exactly how it is going to be playing out at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday night, as the goalposts are coming down in Stillwater.

Free College Football Picks: Oklahoma State -2.5
Prediction: Oklahoma State 37 – Oklahoma 31

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October 27th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Kansas State Wildcats
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 12:00 ET
Location: Bill Snyder Family Field, Manhattan, KS
Game Line: Kansas State +5
Over/Under 66

Had the Pokes won last weekend, we would be a lot more inclined to think that the Wildcats would be able to wake up just a tad and beat one of the top teams in the country. Now, we're not so sure, though. The Oklahoma State offense is a finely tuned machine, and the fact that WR Justin Blackmon is out of the lineup in this one isn't going to be a killer. Yes, Blackmon is the best receiver in the entire country, and yes, a DUI is going to prove to be costly, but QB Brandon Weeden has plenty of other options to throw the ball to. K-State is still a one man band with RB Daniel Thomas, if the Cowboys can just remotely contain him, the offense should prove to be good enough to score enough to win this one by at least a somewhat comfortable margin. If Okie State can score 41 on the Nebraska Cornhuskers with Blackmon, it can surely find a way to score at least in the 30s against Kansas State without him.

Free College Football Picks: Oklahoma State -5
Prediction: Oklahoma State 38 – Kansas State 30

Matchup: Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Cavaliers
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 12:00 ET
Location: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
Game Line: Virginia +15
Over/Under 51

The Hoos have three wins this year, but those three wins have come against the Eastern Michigan Eagles and a pair of teams from the FCS. We were fooled last week by the Canes, who came out and absolutely dominated the North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, we aren't so sure which Miami team is going to show up on Saturday. We know that the last time "The U" played on the road, it struggled mightily with the Duke Blue Devils for the full 60 minutes and only won by two scores. QB Marc Verica really isn't taking too many strides in the right direction, but we do believe that this Virginia team is good enough to get its act together and at least make this one respectable at home on Saturday afternoon, especially if the defense can find a way to put at least a tad bit of pressure on QB Jacory Harris.

Free College Football Picks: Virginia +15
Prediction: Miami 30 – Virginia 17

Matchup: Louisville Cardinals @ Pittsburgh Panthers
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 12:00 ET
Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Game Line: Pittsburgh -10
Over/Under 56

We've already talked about just how good RB Bilal Powell is turning out to be, as he is probably the best back in the Big East. We have totally forgotten about the Panthers, as they are probably the best of the worst in a very questionable conference. However, we just aren't so sure that QB Tino Sunseri and the U-Pitt offense are good enough to keep up with Powell and the gang, especially if the Redbirds keep pushing like this. The Panthers have proven nothing quite yet, and though this one won't necessarily showcase anything one way or the other, we do tend to believe that Louisville is taking one giant step towards a bowl game in HC Charlie Strong's first season on the job.

Free College Football Picks: Louisville +10
Prediction: Louisville 28 – Pittsburgh 24

Matchup: Northwestern Wildcats @ Indiana Hoosiers
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 12:00 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
Game Line: Indiana +3.5
Over/Under 58.5

It's hard to think that this could be one of the best games of the day. Both of these teams love running up and down the field, and neither one can really play defense that well when push comes to shove. Indiana's QB Ben Chappell could be in for a huge day against his instate rivals, and if that's the case, the Hoosiers are going to be tough to beat. There's something about the way that the Wildcats lost last week to the Michigan State Spartans that scares the wits out of us. We'll give Northwestern the slight nod here, because QB Dan Persa can take care of the football quite well, but we'll go with the fact that it should be decided at the gun. This arguably the toughest game on the entire board to try to handicap.

Free College Football Picks: Indiana +3.5
Prediction: Northwestern 41 – Indiana 39

Matchup: Tennessee Volunteers @ South Carolina Gamecocks
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 12:20 ET
Location: Williams Bryce Stadium, Columbia, SC
Game Line: South Carolina -18
Over/Under 48.5

We got burned by the Vols last week, as they really had no answers for WR Julio Jones and the offense of the Alabama Crimson Tide. That game at home might have finally been the backbreaker for this Tennessee team that we have been riding all season long. They're good enough to stick around in this game, but the combination of QB Stephen Garcia and WR Alshon Jeffrey are just going to be too tough to take out. Jeffrey is every bit as good as Jones is, and you can bet that HC Steve Spurrier was sitting back and watching this game last weekend and smirking. The SEC East is still wide open, but South Carolina is going to finally put away the Volunteers once and for all with a big time beat down to send a message to the rest of the teams in this conference.

Free College Football Picks: South Carolina -18
Prediction: South Carolina 35 – Tennessee 10

Matchup: Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 2:30 ET
Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
Game Line: Notre Dame -8.5
Over/Under 63

The Irish are in dire need of a win here, especially with four losses already to their name and games against the USC Trojans and Utah Utes sitting there on the schedule for the rest of the season. Still, this doesn't appear to be the first year in South Bend that HC Brian Kelly really envisioned, and the prospects of missing a bowl game are starting to look more and more real. There are just too many injuries on the offense to account for in South Bend, especially if WR Michael Floyd can't play as well. WR Theo Riddick and TE Kyle Rudolph, two of the top targets in America, are already both on the sidelines in this one. Tulsa has had a week to prepare for its first ever trip to South Bend, and QB GJ Kinne and the crew are licking their chops at going against this defense, which several teams have torched this year, even on the road. Tulsa is ready to pounce, and there's no reason that it should be such a sizeable underdog in this game.

Free College Football Picks: Tulsa +8.5
Prediction: Tulsa 33 – Notre Dame 20

Matchup: Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 3:30 ET
Location: Ever Life Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Game Line: Georgia -3
Over/Under 47

This is another game that we have already called the outright upset for, and there is no reason to believe that this won't be a game that goes in the way of the "visitors." First off, remember that Jacksonville is always the home of more Gator fans than Bulldog fans when these teams meet in the World's Largest Cocktail Party, and this season will be no exception even though Florida is down this year. Perception on the Gators took a total flop when they lost to the Mississippi State Bulldogs two weeks ago, but this team is still one of the best 25 in America, and we have no reservations about saying that. Bad coaching has kept this team down all season long, something that is uncharacteristic for an Urban Meyer coached team. Florida's game plan in this one is simple: Stop WR AJ Green. If you can take Green out of the game, you can stop the Bulldogs. Yes, RB Washaun Ealey has the ability to crack the century mark on the ground in this one, but we don't see it happening. Florida has the better defense, and it has the better talent level on offense. It won't take a ton from the 'O' to win this one outright, and we think that the 'D' will come up with just enough to put together the upset.

Free College Football Picks: Florida +3
Prediction: Florida 23 – Georgia 17

Matchup: Michigan State Spartans @ Iowa Hawkeyes
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 3:30 ET
Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA
Game Line: Iowa -6.5
Over/Under 50.5

They're calling this day "Roadblock Saturday," right? For whatever reason, we just aren't so sure that this game is going to be a "roadblock" for Michigan State after all. We have no choice but to believe in the Spartans at this point. They've won every game on their schedule, and regardless of how weak that slate is, they are still one of just seven clubs in the country with donuts in their loss column. Don't count this team out. Kinnick is an absolutely bear to play in, but the Wisconsin Badgers proved last week that it was doable to win there, even against QB Ricky Stanzi, who had never lost a game he both started and finished there in his career. The Spartans are a trendy pick to go down and go down in a big way on Saturday, but we aren't so sure that that's the case. The combination of QB Kirk Cousins throwing the ball with RB Le'Veon Bell and RB Edwin Baker running it is just enough for the Spartans to overcome a defense that has been shoddy every step of the way this year. Just don't count these guys out. Don't be shocked to see another Sparty upset, and you might even see MSU at No. 1 in the country by the time this week is said and done!

Free College Football Picks: Michigan State +6.5
Prediction: Michigan State 30 – Iowa 27

Matchup: East Carolina Pirates @ UCF Knights
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 3:30 ET
Location: Bright House Stadium, Orlando, FL
Game Line: UCF -7.5
Over/Under 53

Conference USA isn't a place that we take a look at games often, but this one has too much importance to let go. The Knights are already eyeing a trip to the Liberty Bowl this year to take on the Florida Gators in a game that could shift the balance of power of programs in the Sunshine State, but that can't happen unless they take care of business in games like this one against ECU. The Pirates have the best offense that UCF has run into all season long, but the same could be said about the ECU offense running into the Knights' 'D'. Bright House should be rocking on Saturday, and take it from this Orlando boy. The Knights are not getting beaten at home in this type of an environment by anyone in Conference USA on Saturday afternoon. Back UCF with confidence to shut down QB Dominique Davis and the Pirates.

Free College Football Picks: UCF -7.5
Prediction: UCF 28 – East Carolina 14

Matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Texas A&M Aggies
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 3:30 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, College Station, TX
Game Line: Texas A&M -7
Over/Under 59.5

The Red Raiders and Aggies don't have the greatest teams this year, but both of these squads still feel as though they at least have a remote chance of winning the Big XII this season. HC Tommy Tuberville would just be content getting to a bowl game in his first season to help take the pressure off of him after replacing the loved HC Mike Leach. QB Jerrod Johnson is totally a hit or miss guy for the Aggies this year, and if he's on, there isn't a team in the country that he can't single handedly beat. QB Taylor Potts has a great arm as well, and in the gimmicky "Air Raid" offense, he is destined to put up some huge numbers. Seven is a lot of points to be giving in a rivalry game, especially to a Texas Tech team that was upset as whopping 22 point favorites last year in Lubbock. We're not so sure that Tech is going to win outright, but it should keep A&M within this number.

Free College Football Picks: Texas Tech +7
Prediction: Texas A&M 31 – Texas Tech 30

Matchup: Cal Golden Bears @ Oregon State Beavers
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 3:30 ET
Location: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR
Game Line: Oregon State -2.5
Over/Under 53

Don't kid yourself about the Beavers. These guys are the best 3-3 team in the country, and they know it. QB Ryan Katz is starting to get his feet underneath him after replacing the departed QB Sean Canfield, and even though WR James Rodgers is out for the season, we still think that his brother, RB Jacquizz Rodgers, is set for a breakout game. The Golden Bears have lost all three times that they have gone on the road this year, including getting crippled by both the USC Trojans and the Nevada Wolf Pack. Oregon State is every bit as good as both of these teams are, and Reser Stadium is one of the most devastating places to travel in the country. A converted two point conversion two weeks ago against the Washington Huskies would probably have OSU favored by a touchdown in this game, as the Pac-10 title would still reasonably be a possibility. The Beavers have had two weeks to prepare and haven't had a home game since October 2nd. You'd better believe that they're bringing their 'A' game on Saturday.

Free College Football Picks: Oregon State -2.5
Prediction: Oregon State 34 – Cal 24

Matchup: Missouri Tigers @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 3:30 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Game Line: Nebraska -7.5
Over/Under 55.5

Here's another case of one of those teams that could be facing a "roadblock" on Saturday… The difference here is that the Tigers are going to get tamed. There's just no way that QB Taylor Martinez is going to let his Huskers lose this game, even if he is just a freshman. This young man has already done some truly remarkable things as a freshman, and he will likely become one of the handful of 1,000 yard rushers on the season this week with a good game against a suspect Missouri defense. We're sorry, Mizzou, but we just don't buy you yet. We know that you can play in Columbia, but struggling with the San Diego State Aztecs and Illinois Fighting Illini just doesn't do it for us. Big Red knows that this is the last shot to win the Big XII before heading on to the Big Ten next season. There's no way that they lose this opportunity and relegate themselves to a lesser bowl game this year.

Free College Football Picks: Nebraska -7.5
Prediction: Nebraska 38 – Missouri 24

Matchup: Arizona Wildcats @ UCLA Bruins
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 3:30 ET
Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
Game Line: UCLA +9
Over/Under 49.5

We could really care less whether or not QB Nick Foles plays in this game or not. QB Matt Scott proved to be a viable replacement last week against the Washington Huskies, and he really surprised us by outdueling QB Jake Locker and company. The bottom line is that this is a bet against UCLA, not a bet on Arizona. The Bruins have failed to cover five straight in conference dating back to last year, and the only two covers that they have this season have come via sheer luck, not total skill. As long as Foles and Scott don't get hurt, we don't see any way that there is enough offense with QB Richard Brehaut at quarterback for the Bruins to make it out of this one alive. There should be a big claw mark from the scratch that Arizona is going to leave UCLA when this one is over with.

Free College Football Picks: Arizona -9
Prediction: Arizona 28 – UCLA 6

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September 24th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Oklahoma Sooners (-13.5) @ Cincinnati Bearcats
Saturday, September 25th
6:00 ET, Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

The Sooners are simply the better team in this game, but that doesn't always mean a cover against the college football spreads. The Bearcats have been brutal this season and they have been incredibly unlucky as well. Losing WR Vidal Hazelton to injury is something that just won't be overcome easily. QB Zach Collaros can put points on the board in bunches when he has the help, but he just doesn't have that help anymore. Oklahoma has been playing at the level of its opponents all season long, as demonstrated by the close calls against Air Force and Utah State and the domination of Florida State. Will this defense be able to pick up the intensity in the team's first road game of the year? HC Bob Stoops had better hope so. We look for good things from QB Landry Jones, WR Ryan Broyles, and RB DeMarco Murray on Saturday night, which should lead to an NCAA football betting victory by a comfortable margin.

Prediction: Oklahoma 38 – Cincinnati 13
Nevada Wolfpack (-4.5) @ BYU Cougars
Saturday, September 25th
6:00 ET, Lavell Edwards Family Stadium, Provo, UT

If BYU is legitimately one of the best mid-major programs in the country, this game should be a snap at home against one of the other best mid-major programs in the country. However, we're not so sold on the Cougs yet. True freshman QB Jake Heaps might be phenomenal in the future, but he isn't now. He is only completing 50.0 percent of his passes and really has yet to have a truly good game. There's a reason that BYU is only averaging 15.7 points per game this year. As for Nevada, it is averaging somewhere around 15.7 points per QUARTER. There is no stopping this team right now, as the Pistol attack is putting together well over 500 yards per game of offense and has averaged over 50 points per game. QB Colin Kaepernick showed the whole world last week that he was a stud in a nationally televised duel against Cal at home. Now, he'll prove that he's that much better than the Cougs are in a romp in Provo.

Prediction: Nevada 48 – BYU 20
Kentucky Wildcats @ Florida Gators (-14)
Saturday, September 25th
7:00 ET, Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

The Gators have never really had any trouble disposing of the Wildcats, so we're trying to figure out why the oddsmakers are wondering whether they're going to have some issues at home on Saturday night. Kentucky might be a 3-0 team, but playing teams like Western Kentucky and Akron aren't going to win over many votes in the polls. This is the big leagues now that the Wildcats are about to enter into. UF fought off a stingy Tennessee team last weekend in a win that was a lot better than we probably give it credit for. The Gators might not look their best yet, but they are only going to get better and have surprisingly covered back to back games. QB Jeff Brantley is familiar with this UK squad, as this was the team he ran up against last year when QB Tim Tebow was injured. That was on the road and he did just fine. At Florida Field, this won't be an issue.

Prediction: Florida 41 – Kentucky 14
South Carolina Gamecocks (+3) @ Auburn Tigers
Saturday, September 25th
7:45 ET, Jordan Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL

The Gamecocks badly need to prove that they are legitimate contenders in the SEC East, and this game could be the absolutely perfect way to do just that. They are going to be going on the road to try to take out an Auburn team that is red hot as well and looking to make a statement of its own. However, we tend to like the Ol' Ball Coach in this one, as HC Steve Spurrier knows exactly how the game of QB Cam Newton works; after all, he coached up his brother, Syvelle for four years in Columbia. This was the recruit that South Carolina missed out on, and the Gamecocks would love nothing more than to punish Newton and wreck his Heisman Trophy campaign in one swoop. The oddsmakers know that this game is going to be a close call, which is why SC is only a pup by three points. We don't think the Cocks need it. They'll take this one outright against a bunch of Tigers that are due to be tamed after playing a very weak schedule to start the year.

Prediction: South Carolina 24 – Auburn 21
Oregon State Beavers @ Boise State Broncos (-18)
Saturday, September 25th
8:00 ET, Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID

The Broncos have simply demolished opponents that dare step foot on the Smurf Turf. Oregon State has done in three times, and three times, it has left with its tails between its legs .This version of the Broncos is better than any other that that OSU team has ever seen, and at least so far this year, we aren't certain that this is the best bunch of Beavers we've ever laid eyes upon. The Rodgers brothers, Jacquizz and James, just haven't produced enough offense this year, and a lot of that is probably due to the fact that QB Andy Katz just hasn't really produced at the same level of QB Sean Canfield from years past. This isn't a good time to be asking questions, now is it? The Broncos know exactly what they are doing, and they're coming off of a big time beat down on the road of a Wyoming Cowboys team that is still probably going to be good enough to go bowling this year. It just means more to Boise to win this game and win it with a statement than it does for Oregon State, and the end result is going to be exactly what we expect. It's going to be any blue field beat down.

Prediction: Boise State 52 – Oregon State 27
West Virginia Mountaineers (+10) @ LSU Tigers
Saturday, September 25th
9:00 ET, Tigers Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

We must be out of our minds to think that the Mountaineers can play their first major road game of the year in the Bayou at night and tame the Tigers, right? We just don't believe in LSU this year. QB Jordon Jefferson should be a backup at a middle of the road FBS conference school, not a starter here in big boy college football, and the rest of this offense, save RB Steven Ridley, is questionable at best. The defense is strong for HC Les Miles, but games against a depleted North Carolina Tar Heels squad and two of the worst teams in the SEC (Mississippi State Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores) just doesn't say anything to us. What does speak to us is the fact that the 'Neers have shown some grit this year. The Maryland Terrapins were at the top of their game when they came to Morgantown last week, and WVU sent them packing. The Marshall Thundering Herd gave everything to the blue and gold they had, but that ultimately wasn't enough either. This is a team that just finds ways to win games. QB Geno Smith could surprise everyone in the nation, and maybe some of his teammates as well, by proving that he is good enough to go out and win this game outright. This is going to be the most unlikely upset of the day in the NCAA football betting world.

Prediction: West Virginia 26 – LSU Tigers 20
California Golden Bears (+6.5) @ Arizona Wildcats
Saturday, September 25th
10:00 ET, Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ

It's all about perception, my friends. If the Wildcats don't get that last touchdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes last week, they probably lose that game and are favored by just 3-4 points instead of 6.5 in this one. If the California Golden Bears go into Reno and take out a very underrated Nevada Wolfpack team last week, there is probably also a 2-3 point swing in the NCAA football lines. However, nothing has really changed with these squads. Arizona is still very good, while Cal is still a legitimate contender for the Pac-10 title as well. This is a winnable fixture for the Golden Bears. QB Kevin Riley has played well this year and has thrown for 732 yards. He's going to be able to bring over some magic to the desert on Saturday night and help lead Cal to what maybe should be a relatively predictable upset over an Arizona team that has to be full of itself after last week's triumph. The Cats get caught napping and get nipped for the first time on Saturday.

Prediction: California 34 – Arizona 28
Oregon Ducks (-11.5) @ Arizona State Sun Devils
Saturday, September 25th
10:30 ET, Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ

There is some more perception here that could be implied incorrectly. Arizona State is getting a lot of respect after nearly going into Camp Randall and upsetting the Wisconsin Badgers last week. Wisky hasn't looked that great this year though, and we still can't base what ASU has accomplished off of a pair of FCS wins and one close call against an opponent that very well could be overrated. What we do know in this game is that the Ducks are as good as it gets in the country. Sure, there are going to be games where the U of O could get challenged and perhaps even picked off. However, this isn't one of those games. This is the first time that HC Chip Kelly gets to bring the Quack Attack on the road this year, and with the running of RB LaMichael James, QB Steven Threet and company just won't be able to keep up. It might be interesting for a little while, but when push comes to shove, these two teams don't belong on the same field.

Prediction: Oregon 44 – Arizona State 20

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September 3rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Miami (OH) Redhawks @ Florida Gators (-37.5)
Saturday, September 2nd
12:00 ET, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

The Gators are probably going to end up dominating this game. They are out to make a real statement now that QB Tim Tebow is gone. QB John Brantley is going to be getting a good test to begin his career as a starter. Many feel as though he might be better than Tebow as a passer, though he clearly doesn't have the mobility or the inherent leadership abilities of the departed No. 15. Still, this is going to be one of the best rushing games in the country still with RBs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. As for the Redhawks, they are coming off of an absolutely terrible season in which they only won one game. It is fairly clear that they aren't going to win this game, but they did a decent job last year sticking inside of college football betting lines. Unfortunately for Miami, this probably won't be a day in which it does that. If the Gators have a desire to win by at least six scores, they will. Brantley might cover the Redhawks all by himself.

Prediction: Florida 59 – Miami 7
Western Michigan Broncos (+23.5) @ Michigan State Spartans
Saturday, September 2nd
12:00 ET, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI

Michigan State seems to start every single season with unrealistic expectations. This year is probably no exception even though HC Mark Dantonio is clearly on the hot seat and is probably going to have to win at least seven or eight games to save his job. The good news is that QB Kirk Cousins is back after having a very respectable first season as a starter. He threw for 2,680 yards and 19 TDs against just nine picks, and there are high hopes for him this season. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they can't say the same thing. QB Tim Hiller was one of the best that this program has ever seen. With him gone, QB Alex Carder is going to take over. Carder only threw seven passes last year backing up Hiller, but he is going to be thrown into the fire right away in East Lansing as a sophomore. Still, this is a hefty point total for Sparty to be laying against a team that could reasonably still be one of the best in the MAC if Carder can keep his head on straight. Expect WMU to beat the college football odds in this one.

Prediction: Michigan State 34 – Western Michigan 21
Texas Longhorns (-31) vs. Rice Owls
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

The QB Garrett Gilbert is going to get the first start of his career this week in Houston against the Owls, which should be a nice little warm up for the real big boys coming up in the weeks to come for the Longhorns. There are a number of returners for this team even though there were a number of players that were drafted in the first two days of the NFL Draft this year off of the squad in burnt orange. The Owls are playing this close to the vest, as they haven't even announced a starting quarterback yet. The good news for the Longhorns is that they are 8-2 ATS in their L/10 games against Conference USA opponents. The bad news for Rice is that they are just 1-7 ATS in their L/8 against the Big XII. The even better news for Texas and worse news for Rice is that the Horns have outscored the Owls by an average score of 49-10 since 2003. That sounds about right for Saturday afternoon.

Prediction: Texas 49 – Rice 10
Purdue Boilermakers (+10.5) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN

For HC Brian Kelly, this will be his debut in South Bend and could be the most important game of his coaching career. Coaches that get off to a bad start at Notre Dame generally don't end up lasting very long, and Kelly is going to want to make sure that he doesn't blow this in a year of high expectations, especially against a team that is probably not going bowling this year. The Boilers were destroyed by RB Ralph Bolden's knee injury that is going to keep him out for the season. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is going to be breaking in a new quarterback in the form of QB Dayne Crist. TE Kyle Rudolph is questionable with a hamstring injury, and if he doesn't end up playing, Crist is going to be relying heavily on WR Michael Floyd, who could be one of the best receivers in the nation. Still, Purdue hung last year with the Irish, losing 24-21 at home. With QB Robert Marve eager to make a good debut for the black and gold, the Boilers have the potential to hang in this game, though the Boilermakers probably won't win it.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31 – Purdue 28
Kentucky Wildcats (-3) @ Louisville Cardinals
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Papa John's Stadium, Louisville, KY

It's the battle to determine whether the Bluegrass State will be blue or red on Saturday, and the annual Kentucky/Louisville battle has even higher stakes this season. Both teams will be entering this game with new head coaches, as Joker Phillips (Kentucky) and Charlie Strong (Louisville) are both making their head coaching debuts. QB Mike Hartline is going to have a lot of experience under his belt in this one even though he is a much maligned signal caller. Louisville is changing its offense to a spread attack, which is a drastic change from the offense that Steve Kragthorpe tried running over the last few years. The winning mentality isn't quite there yet for the Cardinals, which have fallen a long way in a short period of time. Kentucky is hoping to head to another bowl game this year, and it is the significantly better team, at least this early in the year. Take the Blue State in this NCAA football betting affair.

Prediction: Kentucky 27 – Louisville 20
Connecticut Huskies (+3) @ Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

If the maize and blue don't win this game to start off the 2010 season, the Big House might be burning. HC Rich Rodriguez knows that this is his last chance to try to impress the Ann Arbor faithful before he ends up on the unemployment lines, and this game against Connecticut is a very important one to start the season. Unfortunately for Big Blue, this won't be their day. The Huskies are one of the best teams in a conference that is relatively strong this season, and RB Jordan Todman might have a field day against a defense which struggled against the rush last season. Rodriguez still hasn't settled on a quarterback either, though QB Tate Forcier sounds like he is getting the nod. We are puzzled as to why the Wolverines are favored in this one, as we aren't buying into their hype as a team that is that much improved from the one that went 5-7 last year. The Huskies are going to be dogs that are barking very, very loudly.

Prediction: Connecticut 28 – Michigan 24
UCLA Bruins @ Kansas State Wildcats (-2)
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Bill Snyder Family Field, Manhattan, KS

The biggest question that we have in this game is whether or not QB Kevin Prince is really going to be able to play for the full 60 minutes with his back injury or not. If he can't go, UCLA is in a heck of a lot of trouble in this one. Trying to stop RB Daniel Thomas is going to be virtually impossible for a defensive line that has been beat up all offseason long for the second straight year with injuries. HC Rick Neuheisel has his work cut out for him this year. The Bruins only made the Eagle Bank Bowl on the back of their non-conference slate, as a 3-6 record in conference left little to the imagination. This year is going to be a tough grind for the blue and gold, and it is going to start with K-State getting some big time payback for last season's 23-9 loss in LA.

Prediction: Kansas State 30 – UCLA 10
Oregon State Beavers (+13) vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Saturday, September 2nd
7:45 ET, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

Though this is technically a neutral site game, we know that Oregon State is going to clearly be the road team in this duel. The Horned Frogs are going to try to make a huge statement for the rest of college football, proving that they deserve to be considered for the BCS Championship, not just for a regular BCS bowl game like last year in the Fiesta Bowl. A slew of returning starters on both sides of the ball are going to help that cause out dramatically. QB Andy Dalton is going to have to lead the way against a very talented Oregon State defense. The offense for the Beavers is going to once again feature both the Rodgers brothers, as Jacquizz and James are virtually impossible to stop. Though the secondary is entirely intact from last year for TCU, the front seven has two major holes to fill in the form of DE Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington. We give Oregon State a lot of credit for scheduling this game, and though the ultimate reward of an upset won't be the end result, we wouldn't be surprised to see HC Mike Riley's club hang around and make things quite uncomfortable for the de facto hosts.

Prediction: TCU 33 – Oregon State 28
LSU Tigers (-7.5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Saturday, September 2nd
8:00 ET, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

Suspensions have absolutely destroyed North Carolina's chances of accomplishing just about anything this year. Their offseason probe is going to end up seeing 13 players suspended for this opening game against the Bayou Bengals, including four of which were all projected NFL stars and were first team All-ACC members in the preseason. HC Les Miles now knows that this has gone from a game that would be a huge boost to win, to one that might ultimately decide whether he gets to stay in Baton Rouge or not next year. LSU needs to pick it up in a big way in order to make it back to the big time in the SEC, and winning a game like this against a quality ACC opponent would go a long way. Speaking of going a long way, if QB TJ Yates can find a way to pull this one off, he would suddenly go from being a zero in Chapel Hill to a hero. QB Jordon Jefferson hopes to just not see his name as a gigantic screw up in his '10 debut with the purple and gold. It's hard to see how North Carolina is doing enough damage on either side of the ball, and in spite of the fact that this is a hefty line that is only rising, we don't see how LSU can do anything but smash it.

Prediction: LSU 24 – North Carolina 13
Cincinnati Bearcats (+3) @ Fresno State Bulldogs
Saturday, September 2nd
10:00 ET, Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, CA

Is the wrong team really favored in this game? The Bearcats are getting absolutely no respect this year after going undefeated in the regular season in 2009. Yes, it's true that HC Brian Kelly has jumped to Notre Dame and both QB Tony Pike and WR Mardy Gilyard have moved on to the NFL, but there are a number of quality replacements set to step up. The oddsmakers were burned last year when QB Zach Collaros stepped into the starting lineup in place of Pike and looked like Joe Montana. Collaros is only a sophomore now, but he clearly has the tools to bring Cincinnati back to the BCS. Fresno State still has a lot of questions, none bigger than who is going to replace the departed RB Ryan Mathews, who at times last year, single handedly carried it to victory. Remember that Cincinnati traveled up to Reser Stadium last year and knocked off Oregon State in a very similar position. Expect the same on Saturday night.

Prediction: Cincinnati 41 – Fresno State 28
Wisconsin Badgers (-19.5) @ UNLV Runnin' Rebels
Saturday, September 2nd
11:00 ET, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

New Rebs HC Bobby Hauck made the first huge decision of his head coaching career when he named QB Mike Clausen his starter for this crucial, potentially program changing duel with the Badgers. Unfortunately for Hauck and UNLV, this is still a team that doesn't have the horses defensively to stop Wisky. Most years, the Badgers have a subpar offense and a stellar defense, but QB Scott Tolzien might be the best signal caller this team has had in well over a decade. This is also the first game of the potential Heisman Trophy campaign for RB John Clay. With Alabama's Mark Ingram sidelined, Clay might be the best running back in the nation that no one is talking about. This is a bunch of Badgers that might be severely underrated. This game is going to be the first of a slew of huge wins for a team that we think could be a big time sleeper in the Big Ten. The Badgers will round out Saturday night's slate with a monstrous victory over a hapless and unsuspecting foe.

Prediction: Wisconsin 51 – UNLV 20

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February 14th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Cappersinfo.com begins its new weekly installment of the Top 10 Teams to bet on across all of sports that you should be betting on religiously this season.  We breakdown the top teams ATS, combine all sports, and rank them. Teams ranked by Score Coefficient Ranking (SCR), which takes the amount of money earned over the course of the season and divides it by the number of games played in relation to games that will be played. Must have 18 games played to qualify.

1: Oregon State Beavers (College Basketball) (14-5 ATS, +$850) (SCR: 34.0) The Beavers continued to roll for college basketball betting fans by taking a 63-55 SU win at Arizona on Saturday and covering ASU by the hook on Thursday.

2: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (College Basketball) (14-5 ATS, +$850) (SCR: 34.0) Watch out for Southern Miss! The Golden Eagles have covered eight out of nine, including roadies at UTEP, UAB, Houston, and now Tulsa. A 66-50 win against Rice was more than enough to beat the spread on Saturday.

3: North Texas Mean Green (College Basketball) (13-5-1 ATS, +$750) (SCR: 33.9) North Texas' win over Denver on Saturday helped keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. A 68-46 win at New Orleans on Thursday was far more impressive.

4: Syracuse Orange (College Basketball) (15-6 ATS, +$840) (SCR: 31.2) Any time you can say that you've won ten straight Big East games and are 7-3 ATS in those games, you've done something special. Syracuse gets a pass for "only" beating Connecticut by five as ten-point favorites.

5: Kansas State Wildcats (College Basketball) (13-5-1 ATS, +$750) (SCR: 30.0) KSU's romp over Colorado erased the memory of a close call against Iowa State of two weeks ago. That's four out of five for what may be the Big XII's second best squad.

6: Villanova Wildcats (College Basketball) (16-7 ATS, +$830) (SCR: 28.5) The Cats won't mind not covering Providence this week, especially after going into Morgantown and absolutely demolishing the Mountaineers.

7: Northwestern Wildcats (College Basketball) (14-6 ATS, +$740) (SCR: 28.5) A loss to Iowa midweek probably signaled the end of the season for the Wildcats. More defeats like that one will send Northwestern off of this list as well.

8: New Mexico Lobos (College Basketball) (16-7-2 ATS, +$830) (SCR: 27.6) Here's a team on the rise. The Lobos spanked UNLV midweek to assert itself as the top team in the MWC. They nearly blew it against Utah on Saturday, but a 68-65 win at least salvaged an ATS push.

9: Washington Capitals (Hockey) (33-29 ATS, +$2,000) (SCR: 24.3) The Caps slumped to three straight losses after posting 14 straight victories. Still, as long as the offense is averaging 3.9 goals per game and has scored at least three in 21 straight, the Caps are probably going to hang on to a spot on this list.

10: San Jose Sharks (Hockey) (31-31 ATS, +$1,908) (SCR: 23.3) San Jose only covered twice in this wicked five-game road trip right before the NHL's sabbatical for the Winter Olympics. The Sharks have a slew of home games coming up, and a lot of those will need to be multi-goal victories to move up on the power polls.

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