Takes on College Football: Against the Spread, Week Eight

Over some college football chatter, we actually had a friend say to us recently that he didn’t care about the spread. What?! Look: we do. You do if you’re reading this. What’s better to bring some serious interest to the games than to lay that sweet, sweet dollar down. Let’s make some bets, win some cash. It’s our best guess at the best bets with the lowest stress. It’s our college football picks of the week!

2019 ATS Record
Blaine Duncan: 12-8-1 (Week Seven: 0-3)
TD Wood: 10-10-1 (Week Seven: 2-1)

Blaine Duncan
God dammit. Let’s just get to this week’s picks, and whatever I say, bet against it. (I went 0-3 again for the second time this season.)

Purdue at Iowa (UNDER: 48.5): Saying that Iowa doesn’t score a lot is an understatement. In their victories, they hold opponents to almost nothing while managing to get their touchdown or two for a win. Purdue can’t get in the end zone when they’re losing, and they’ll be overmatched in this one. Plus, the noon kickoff makes this an easier pick to make: noon kickoffs often equal less point totals.

Michigan at Penn State (-9): Michigan has to be the worst one-loss team thus far. Jim Harbaugh continually shows that he is an idiot; he just hasn’t gotten unlucky enough. I don’t think that Harbaugh and the Wolverines can beat the spread against a ranked team, either. Franklin and the Nittany Lions win by at least ten or more, right? Again, bet against anything I predict.

Texas A&M (-6.5) at Ole Miss: I don’t like picking all favorites, but the Aggies are a scrappy team, much more so than their 3-3 record would indicate. Ole Miss, while having fixed some issues, are back to their shit ways as whole. Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M aren’t Mizzou nor are they Vandy, whom the Rebels have beaten. This Ole Miss team doesn’t have as much to play for, either. Not like Texas A&M does. It’s almost a make-or-break game for the Aggies, and Fisher needs to start proving his worth.

 ***

TD Wood
Back to even and I’m feeling good about what we know about teams this far into the season. Then again: South Carolina 20, Georgia 17. So, what do we really know?

Arizona State (+14) at Utah: The Sun Devils don’t have the best offense, or even one you could reasonably call “good.” But, they do have a damn fine defense and Herm Edwards has got the boys playing tough. They just play close games, it’s what they do. Utah should win it, but ASU will make them fight for it.

Michigan at Penn State (-9): Michigan has trouble scoring. Michigan also has trouble winning road games against Top 10 teams under Jim Harbaugh. By trouble, I mean they have not done so. This game will be in Happy Valley, in a primetime White Out game, against a pretty good Penn St. defense. Take the Nittany Lions.

Oregon (+2.5) at Washington: Something seems off about the Huskies this year, and Oregon just happens to be hitting its stride. I like the Ducks to make a statement here, against a Huskies team struggling to find some consistency.

Note: All games are Against the Spread. Odds are taken from the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook.