Taking Bets | Week Four | Upsets, Maybe

The weekly betting column continues throughout football season. This year, Mallory McCormack, host of The Staredown podcast each Friday, joins Blaine and TD as they sort out what bets to make each weekend. You can find The Staredown podcast on Fridays and Takin' On Sports on Mondays -- both distinct sports podcasts and both streaming here on the site. As with all of our podcasts, those two are also in any podcast app. Let's get to the bets that could easily ruin your weekend!

2023 ATS Record
Blaine Duncan: 3-7-1 (Week Three: 1-3)
TD Wood: 6-5 (Week Three: 2-2)
Mallory McCormack: 5-5-1 (Week Three: 1-2-1)

Blaine Duncan 
lol

Auburn at Texas A&M (OVER: 51.5) -- Freeze versus Petrino is why I'm taking the over here despite it being at the early kickoff which can hinder teams from looking fully at their best. It's conference play!

Ole Miss (+6.5) at Alabama -- Even with Milroe at the helm, little the Tide has shown on the field should convince anyone that they can beat a better-than-mediocre SEC opponent. Until that changes, count on Lane and his mind games to rattle Saban. Bama's O-Line woes continue, and the Rebels get a big win in Tuscaloosa.

UCF at Kansas State (-3.5) -- It took a recording-breaking, sixty-one-yard field goal for K State to lose to Missouri last week. The Wildcats are now back at home in the evening and Manhattan should be rocking for them to get a big, bounce-back, conference (Wait. Conference?) win this weekend.

NFL Game of the Week:
Patriots (-2.5) at Jets -- New England is hurting, and without a win this week, they may have no hopes for a playoff chance. However, the Jets are the walking dead at this point without Aaron Rodgers, and baring some stellar play, they'll lose this week to Bill Belichick and co.

***

TD Wood
Well, going big didn't quite work out as well as I'd hoped last week. Florida State looked to be on their way to a big win, but they had to hold off a Boston College comeback to survive. Arkansas losing at home to BYU shocked me, but at least Oklahoma and the Cowboys came through to help me escape with an even week. This week's schedule is amazing (which, of course, means I'm working out of town and won't be able to park myself in front of a TV), but that of course makes for tougher picking.

BYU (+9.5) at Kansas -- The Cougars looked great upsetting Arkansas in Fayetteville last week, with former USC QB Kedon Slovis leading the offense to a comeback win. The Jayhawks are off to a 3-0 start of their own, but I'm not sure the magic from last season is still there. I like the visiting Cougars to at least keep it interesting, if not win outright.

UCLA at Utah (-6) -- The Utes are battle-tested, having beaten Florida and Baylor already this season, without starting QB Cam Rising. UCLA's scores are more impressive, but the competition has been on a much lower level. Word is that Rising is making his comeback this week, which would be huge for Utah. Bruins QB Dante Moore has impressed so far, but a true freshman making his first career road start at Utah? Give me the Utes all day.

Cal at Washington (-20.5) -- The Huskies might be the most impressive team in the country, so far. Cal's two wins have come against lowly competition, and they looked absolutely helpless versus Auburn. I expect Michael Penix, Jr. to have Heisman-like day against the Golden Bears, en route to a huge home win for Washington to start their conference season.

NFL Game of the Week:
Cowboys (-12.5) at Cardinals -- The 'Boys have looked like the best team in the league, and the Cardinals have made a case for the worst. I see no reason why this one will flip the script. Dallas wins easily.

* * *

Mallory McCormack
Well good grief, y'all. I thought I had finally caught on to how this whole thing worked. LOL, guess I'll never think that again. But I'm really excited this week because conference play is starting in college, minus the one or two games so far, and I am here for even more chaotic shenanigans...including the fact that 2 of my 3 college picks aren't conference games! But don't worry, I don't think rushing the field will be in many of these picks' futures (Missouri, Colorado, stay in the stands. Use that money for NIL not fines!) Without further ado, let's get to it!

Florida State (-2.0) at Clemson -- I'm glad I didn't put FSU on here last week because that 2 point win over Boston College would have been hard for me to take. I think this is the year FSU beats Clemson, stopping the Clemson streak at 7 in a row. And I think they do it by at least a field goal.

UTSA at Tennessee (-21.5) -- I said on last week's episode of The Staredown that there was no way Florida would beat Tennessee. I was wrong. I think Tennessee bounces back and takes out their frustration on the Roadrunners.

Memphis at Missouri (-6.5) -- Just like Missouri's kicker got a second chance to win a game on a last second field goal, I'm hoping that I'll get a chance to correct my incorrectness on them from last week. Memphis is 3-0, but I feel like the advantage goes to Missouri in this neutral site game.

NFL Game of the Week:
Eagles (-5) at Buccaneers -- Note to self: stay away from the Packers. Instead, go somewhere interesting like Jalen Hurts vs. Baker Mayfield? Both teams are 2-0, but AJ Brown was not happy with 6 targets, 4 of which he caught. I think he shows up and JH finds him for at least 1 TD. That could be the difference in this game.

***

Note: All games are Against the Spread. Odds are taken from the Caesar's Sportsbook.