Louisiana Monroe is one of the hottest teams in the conference as they enter this one on a four game win streak. The team has road wins at Coastal Carolina and South Alabama in that span. They have an offense led by Caleb Evans that could be very tricky to defend. ASU's defense hasn't been their strong suit at times allowing 47 to Lafayette and 35 to Georgia State. ASU's offense will stress the Warhawks. This is when Monroe shines as they've won five of their last eight in November. I'll take the underdog in this one with a decent shot to win outright.

Maybe there's a letdown for Northwestern who clinched the Big Ten West Division already. The Wildcats beat Iowa 14-10 last week on the road and that gave them the honor. The Wildcats will be without Jared McGee, Trae Williams and Montre Hartage in the secondary which may hurt against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have won two of their last three including a 41-10 victory over Purdue last time out. The team has played better defensively since firing their coordinator. Minnesota is 5-1 at home straight up and against the spread. I'll take the chance that Northwestern is a little unfocused and take the home team to win the game.

Colgate is putting up some incredible numbers defensively this season. They've allowed just 29 points this season with 17 of those coming in week one against Holy Cross. They allowed a TD last week to Lehigh which was the first in 29 quarters of play. Colgate is a lot like Army in that they want to grind clock and run the ball a lot. Grant Breneman is the starting quarterback and he's managed the game very well. James Holland is one of their biggest threats too. I think this game goes very quickly and getting 11 points with a game that has a total in the 30s is good enough for me.

The other half of last week's big game also is in an epic sandwich situation as the Rams take on the Seahawks. Los Angeles lost a heartbreaker to the Saints in New Orleans and has a HUGE matchup with the Chiefs in Week 11 in Mexico City. Many have tabbed that as a Super Bowl preview. Seattle lost to the Rams at home back on Oct. 7 33-31 in a game that saw the Seahawks keep up on the scoreboard despite giving up a ton of yards. Seattle has been a tough team to figure out, as evidenced by last week's 25-17 home loss to the Chargers. The emphasis on getting back to running the football has paid off and the defense has held its own for the most part, but the record shows a .500 team. Los Angeles' defense needs to play better if the Rams hope to go far in the playoffs. To me, this one should be closer than the double-digit spread. I can't imagine that the Rams are 100 percent focused for this despite the loss last week.

The Saints are the talk of the NFL after their home win over the Rams. They added Dez Bryant days ago to an already potent offense. Last week, they went out to a big lead then held on somewhat at the end to get the win. This is their fifth road game over the last seven game weeks so who knows if it'll affect them at all. This is also an epic sandwich game for New Orleans with the defending Super Bowl champions coming to New Orleans next week. I'm not a huge fan of the Saints defense, but I don't know if Cincy can take advantage of it without AJ Green. The Bengals offense will have to get back to the team that scored 37 points on Tampa Bay and Atlanta. They have had the bye week to prepare some stuff and John Ross might be able to play in this one. Cincy's defense scares me, but really I just think this is too perfect a situation for them with New Orleans maybe struggling for focus.

I don't like what i'm hearing from Jacksonville. AJ Bouye told reporters he wasn't playing this weekend and the coach said he had heard differently. The defense is no longer feared that much and although they are coming off a bye week, so are the Colts. I think Indy's offense could give Jacksonville fits and the defense is good enough to slow down Bortles and the boys. Fournette's return is nice, but i'm still stacking the box against him and making the QB beat them. 

The Jets shouldn't be touchdown favorites over anyone. They've lost three straight and six of their last eight games. The Jets will be starting Josh McCown with Sam Darnold dealing with a foot injury. Oddly, this probably makes some people want to back the Jets more. Now, Buffalo has scored just 33 points over its last four games and a lot of that is because Nathan Peterman is the worst quarterback to ever put on the jersey. The team's defense has played very well for the most part, but they are being put in the worst positions. It's crazy to think I like Matt Barkley to cover this number considering he just joined the team but he's better then Peterman. Give me the better defense in this one. 

Kentucky is coming off a 34-17 loss to Georgia last week and now their hopes are dashed for the SEC East title. In that game they struggled to get the run going and allowed UGA to rush for over 300 yards. Now they have to head to Knoxville to take on a Tennessee team that only beat lowly Charlotte 14-3. The Vols offense has been pretty pitiful lately, but their defense has shown some flashes. The secondary has played well meaning they can stack the box on Benny Snell. A lot of this play is because I just don't think the Wildcats will be 100% focused for this one. There has to be some sort of letdown after playing so poorly in their big game. I think the home team could get the win outright.

Furman is 4-4 on the season with an offense that is heavily run based. They are putting up just under 24 points per game as a unit, but are allowing nearly 30. They are getting gashed allowing over 400 yards per contest. Clemson put up 48 on them, Elon 45, Western Carolina and Samford each racked up 38 points apiece. They've won four of their last five, but I think they'll struggle in this one. The Paladins have had a healthy stretch of home games with just one road contest since September 29th. VMI has just one win and it came last week against Tusculum 20-11. Before that they lost by 7 at Chattanooga and by 2 at home to The Citadel. This team is throwing the ball better in the air raid offense and should cause some problems for the Paladins through the air. The defense is getting a little bit better but is a concern. I think this one is a one score game so we'll take the dog. 

This game is the classic case of a low total and high point underdog. William and Mary has had a season to forget so far as they've won just three games in Jimmye Laycock's final year. This team is coming off a 21-10 loss at Rhode Island which was a really good effort by the defense. They are coming off the bye week and figure to be pretty healthy for this one on both sides of the ball. Plus, a late bye sometimes helps teams re-focus and get ready for the stretch run especially when coach has just two games left. Villanova's year hasn't been that much better going 4-5 overall. They are coming off a 45-21 win over Richmond in which the Spiders basically handed the game with turnovers and poor play. Before that the Wildcats had been shut out twice in a row by James Madison and lowly New Hampshire. Nova's offense is highly unimaginative and shouldn't really scare anyone. I think in a game that's expecting to see so few points, that the underdog is worth a look. 

I've made some money with Charlotte as of late considering the 49ers have covered four straight contests. They are stopping the run at a great clip in Conference USA holding opponents to just 81.7 yards per contest. Their problem has been that the offense has struggled scoring just 36 points the last three weeks combined. This team is coming off a tough loss at Tennessee in which they held the Vols to 14 points and 192 yards of total offense. Marshall has won three of their last five with a solid defense and just enough offense. They are coming off a two point loss at Southern Miss and have already lost to NC State and Middle Tennessee at home. These two have played close games with the 49ers winning at Marshall in 2016 and losing 14-3 at home as a 14 point underdog in 2017. Charlotte has a chance at a bowl berth with two more wins so they'll be highly motivated. I think they keep things close in this one.

It's the basketball rivalry as Duke hosts North Carolina. The Blue Devils snapped a losing skid by beating Miami in Coral Gables 20-12 last time out. The team has allowed almost 800 rushing yards the last two games as the defense experiences more and more injuries. Joe Giles-Harris is the latest who most likely will not be out there for the Blue Devils. Their offense has been putting up good numbers as well. The Tar Heels may have just one win, but they've lost four straight by 10 points or less. Nathan Elliott has been pretty good for the offense, but the defense just hasn't made the stop when it had to. Duke has covered just nine of their last 21 in the ACC. I could see this one being close on Saturday.

It's a long road trip for BYU as they try to snap a losing skid of four of their last five. The Cougars lost a heartbreaker against Boise State last time out and has now scored just 22 points in their last two contests. BYU's defense lost Chris Wilcox at cornerback which will be tough against Andy Isabella who is one of the best WRs in college football. UMass has won two straight beating UConn and Liberty. The team's defense is still pretty bad, but they've gotten some better play as of late. This is the classic case of can a slumping offense find success against a bad defense? UMass won this game in BYU 16-10 last year in a game that they forced four interceptions. I don't know if they'll win, but I think the offense could keep up. I like the home dog in this one.

The Hoosiers have lost four straight and are coming off a very tough loss two weeks ago against Minnesota. Indiana had a bye week last week giving them time to reset everything as they push for a bowl bid. The offense hasn't been the issue although they need to cut down on the turnovers with six straight games of 2 or more. Maryland is coming off a 24-3 loss to Michigan State after dealing with all of the off the field drama. I really think it'll continue to linger giving me another reason to back the home team. Their offense is highly inconsistent and was non-existent in their last road game at Iowa. I think the Hoosiers are worth a look.

Way back in Week 2 I backed Miami against the Jets in New York. The Dolphins won the game 20-12, holding the Jets to just 42 rushing yards while forcing three turnovers. Miami put up only 257 yards of total offense but had just two penalties. The Dolphins have lost two straight and four of their last five since putting together a three-game winning streak. The defense has been beaten up and Brock Osweiler has reverted back to normal after a good game against the Bears. The Jets have lost two straight and five of their last seven overall. Sam Darnold has struggled and the running game has been pretty close to non-existent. The defense has actually performed pretty well, but is on the field too much and is tiring towards the end of games. The Jets have covered just six of their last 20 road games. I think the Dolphins add to New York's misery on Sunday.

The Redskins continue to lead the NFC East without even playing their best football. They are on a three-game winning streak because of a very good defense and the revitalization of Adrian Peterson. The front line is really good and the addition of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will make the back end even better. They aren't even getting much from Alex Smith so if he figures things out then watch out. Atlanta has won two straight and is coming off its bye. I know I said above that I don't like fading teams off their bye, but I'm just not buying the Falcons outside of their dome. They lost in Philadelphia 18-12 back in Week 1 and 41-17 at Pittsburgh to start October. The defense is terrible against the pass and the run game has been bad. Matt Ryan is just not as good outdoors and I think Josh Norman can slow down Julio Jones enough to make the Falcons settle for FGs. Give me the home team in this one.

I've faded Miami whenever I can and it's been profitable so far. They've lost two straight and needed a late comeback to beat FSU at home by one. The team's quarterback play has been pathetic this season and Malik Rosier is under center. This means that teams can focus on their run game. Duke's defense has shown flashes of brilliance all year, but then they give up nearly 500 yards on the ground to Pittsburgh in a 54-45 loss. The Blue Devils have a pretty good offense with Daniel Jones under center. They'll have to be against the Canes who are playing incredible defense. Miami has covered just nine of their last 21 ACC games. They'll either be in for a battle or blow Duke out. I'll bet they don't figure it out this week and take the road team.

App State has had a little extra time to stew after a bad 34-14 loss at Georgia Southern. They are already without Jalin Moore and could be without signal caller Zac Thomas who had a concussion last game. The defense showed some cracks for the first time this season. They are still better then Coastal's D which has been bad all season. Still, they run the ball well and pass it just good enough to keep team's honest. I think this is a lot of points for a team to lay without their #1 RB and potentially their starting QB. Give me the home team as a live dog.

For just the sixth time since 1992, Virginia Tech is a home underdog of 3 points or less as they host Boston College. The Hokies were blasted in their last two games at Lane Stadium falling 45-23 to Notre Dame and 49-28 to Georgia Tech. The offense isn't working and the defense has been allowing large chunks of yards. The Eagles have won two straight and three of their last five. BC has a road win at Wake Forest on the docket, but has played just three games outside of Chestnut Hill all year. AJ Dillon is back and the Eagles are moving the ball better with him in. Anthony Brown is not a bad game manager for Steve Addazio's bunch. The defense has been good although they did allow over 30 points to the Demon Deacons and Temple Owls. I'll take the points with the home team. I think they bounce back in this one. They have won 18 of their last 26 in this series and that trend continues Saturday. 

Cincinnati has lost a bit of their shine after falling to the Owls two weeks ago for their first loss of the season. They followed that up with a 26-20 victory at SMU in which they had three turnovers and nearly lost in overtime. Their defense has been pretty strong this season, but they really haven't been challenged a ton either. Navy has lost five straight, but it looks like the triple option has improved a little over the past few weeks. Granted they were all in losses, but to quality opponents Temple, Houston and Notre Dame. Navy's defense is bad and that scares me tremendously. The Bearcats have covered just four of their last 16 at home and 12 of their last 32 overall. Navy has covered nine of their last 10 as a road underdog of 10.5 to 14 points. I think they are worth a look here too.

This has not been a great season for FSU who will need a late miracle to get to bowl eligibility. They are coming off a 59-10 loss to Clemson in which they were barely competitive. There is a question mark at quarterback, but I think some people would love to see James Blackmon play. Their defense has played pretty well at times especially against the pass which is where NC State wants to beat you. One has to wonder what NC State's mindset is like after two losses that have taken away their chances of winning the ACC Atlantic. The offense worked in Syracuse, but the defense has had some issues especially against the pass. These two have played a couple of close games as of late with the road team winning outright. I dont see that happening, but I think the Noles keep it close. 

The Flames have won three of their last four and are coming off a bye week. The team already has a win at New Mexico and has the better offense in this one. They should be really healthy with extra time to try and fix their leaky defense. UMass has lost three of four and five of their last seven. They are coming off a 22-17 road win at UConn which is a rare defensive struggle for them. The Minutemen allowed 58 to Ohio and South Florida and 63 to FIU. There isn't much homefield advantage for UMass so I think Liberty can get the win.

ULM has had two weeks to prepare for the triple option of Georgia Southern. The Warhawks have won two straight and have the offense to keep up if this game becomes a shootout. Their defense has been bad against the run, but they've also had three performances of 150 rushing yards allowed or less. Georgia Southern is in the ultimate sandwich with home games against App State and Troy before and after this. They are flying high after beating the rival Mountaineers and will get a winner take all game against Troy next. Last year GSU won this game 23-21 at home. They've covered just seven of their last 17 on the road. I think the home team is worth a look here. 

This line befuddles me a bit as the Orange are getting money from the public. Yes, my alma mater beat NC State and is 6-2 and nationally ranked. All of those accolades though make me worried they will be unfocused for this one. Their defense has been horrific as of late getting gashed by North Carolina and NC State the last two weeks. They struggle against the pass with all the injuries suffered and the Demon Deacons can exploit that with Greg Dortch. Yes, Wake only went 2-3 during their early five game homestand, but I think they are in better form right now. The run game beat up Louisville last week. These two teams played a 64-43 game in Syracuse last season in which Wake Forest put up over 700 yards of offense. Syracuse has been a road favorite of 3.5 to 7 points just once the last three years and that came in week one against Western Michigan. I think Wake covers this one and has a shot to win the game outright.

It's a rematch of the NFC matchup that ended with a Stefon Diggs long touchdown catch and New Orleans experiencing heartbreak. After losing week one to the Bucs, the Saints have won five straight games with three of those being by one score. New Orleans has been running it well with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram in the backfield. The duo provide a different look to the defense. The problem for New Orleans has been their defense which has had it's issues at times this season. They managed to hold down the Browns and Redskins at home and the Giants on the road. Of note, this is their fourth road game over five weeks so there could be some weariness which comes into play. Minnesota has won three straight games and has bounced back nicely since losing to the Bills and Rams after a tie against Green Bay. The Vikes are getting good production from Kirk Cousins and the feared defense from last year is finally starting to show up. Last year, the Vikings won both home games against the Saints 29-24 and 29-19 in games that saw the road team fail to run the ball successfully. Minnesota has won 15 of their last 20 home games straight up, covering 14 of them in the process. In a toss up situation like this, I usually lean to the home team especially one that has as tough of a homefield advantage as I've seen in the NFL.

Does anyone else think it's odd that the Giants traded Eli Apple and Damon Harrison this week and yet the line really hasn't moved at all? Apple is a decent cornerback while Harrison is a run stuffer up the middle. New York has been close but no cigar in two of their last three games against the Falcons and Panthers on the road. They showed flashes of a good team on offense, but then the defense couldn't stop the pass. Washington has won two straight and three of their last four yet this line is exceedingly tight. To me, that means there's a bit of a trap involved with this one and I'll take a look at the home team. We know there should be some fireworks between Odell Beckham and Josh Norman. I also think that if New York commits to giving Saquon Barkley the ball consistently, then they could succeed. Both the Panthers and Cowboys got away from the run unreasonably quick and that helped in their demise in DC. I know about the quick turnaround and that Washington is the better team, but this line should be bigger. Last year, New York won at home 18-10 and lost in DC 20-10. This line reeks out loud so I'll take a shot here.

The Seahawks are coming off a bye week to play the Lions on Sunday. Seattle has won three of their last four by pretty much beating up on bad competition. The Seahawks wins have come over Dallas, Arizona and Oakland which don't inspire a ton of confidence. They lost at Denver and at Chicago to go along with a two point home loss to the Rams. Detroit has also won three of their last four with victories over New England, Green Bay and Miami. The Lions have actually discovered a run game which will help them in this one. Seattle no longer has the "Legion of Boom" and has a shell of a defense. Detroit's D has actually held five of their six opponents to less then 250 yards passing as Darius Slay is one of the best corners in football that no one talks about. The Lions lost to the Seahawks in Seattle 26-6 last year in a game that was a mismatch of sorts. Now Detroit is home for this one and I think they play better there and will get the win.

The Orange nearly lost at home to the Heels last week, but pulled it out and is one win away from bowl eligibility. You could potentially make the case that this game is for the second best team in the conference behind Clemson. NC State got blasted last week so who knows what their mindset is for this one after that beating. They could be flat to start or fired up. Eric Dungey got pulled last week for Tommy DeVito and there is now a modest qb controversy in Syracuse. I think Coach Babers can use both to his advantage though. The Orange's defense sprung some leaks so that's a concern against the Pack. NC State has not been a road favorite of 3 points or less the past three seasons. I'm going to back the home team and hope they get up for this one. 

Air Force's triple option should give Boise State some fits in this one as the Broncos have struggled at times on the road. The Broncos offense has been very hot and cold while the Falcons have been surprisingly good against the run. I think this is a large number and the home team has a shot to cover it. 

This year's version of the 49ers are 3-4 on the season with home wins over Fordham, ODU and Western Kentucky. Their offense is running the ball well and doing just enough through the air to make the offense work at times. They are actually really good on defense especially against the run where they are ranked sixth. The secondary has held five straight opponents to 215 yards passing or less. In comes Southern Miss whose offense has been underwhelming to say the least. They don't run the ball very well, but play really good defense. I wonder if the Golden Eagles have one eye on the home game against Marshall next week. I think the home team is a live dog in this one.

The Wahoos surprised me last week in their victory at Duke. The handicapper in me said that they were going to struggle with focus after the huge win over Miami. In the victory, the run game continued to be fantastic while the defense clamped down on the Blue Devils. In comes UNC which is fresh off two close losses to Virginia Tech and Syracuse. The quarterback play has been a little bit better as of late but there's so much inconsistency with this team. Some weeks the run game works, but others it struggles terribly. The defense plays well against the run while other weeks the Heels shut down the pass. Last year the Hoos won 20-14 in Chapel Hill in an ugly contest that saw Carolina put up 46 yards passing and throw three INTs. UVa has been a home favorite of between 7.5 to 10 points just 10 times since 1992 and has covered only three of them. I don't know how this will be taken but I trust the Wahoos to win this game but not to cover. UNC will either fall apart after the two close losses or keep some semblance of momentum and keep it close.

Two teams coming off different weeks play in East Lansing as MSU hosts Purdue. Sparty put up 94 yards of offense in a 21-7 loss to Michigan. The team now has lost to Arizona State, Northwestern and the Wolverines. Their defense has been very good as of late and will have to continue to do that against a Boilers team coming off a win over Ohio State. You can beat Purdue through the air. This is also their third road game over their last four and they got plenty of attention this week. The offense is clicking, but for the most part it was against easy defenses outside of OSU. I think order gets restored a bit and the home team wins. 

In a game that won't make any sort of ripples on the college football landscape, UConn hosts UMass. The Huskies are allowing almost 700 yards of offense although they nearly knocked off South Florida last week. The numbers are really ugly, but they are running into a UMass team. David Pindell makes some mistakes but I think he'll find some holes against the Minutemen. UMass has allowed 30 points or more in six of their seven games with Coastal Carolina scoring only 24. The over is probably worth a look, but there's no reason for UMass to be favored on the road over almost anyone this season.

Last week we had the Cowboys and they came through with flying colors. They were able to run it well enough that Dak Prescott could use the playaction game. This doesn't mean that all of a sudden Dallas is fixed and that the anemic offense is going to work. I'm actually more scared of the Cowboys defense then their O and they may get Sean Lee back on Sunday. The Redskins are coming off a 23-17 win against Carolina in which Adrian Peterson ran hard and the defense made the stops when they needed to. Injuries are still a concern with this team, but AP ran hard with a separated shoulder. I still think Washington's offense could be so much better if Alex Smith gets on the same page with his weapons. Dallas swept the Skins last year in two easy victories. This is a feel play for me as I think the Redskins can slow down Ezekiel Elliott and can get just enough points on a Dallas team who is 0-3 on the road.

Upon first glance, this seems to be an easy win for the road team who has put up nearly 500 yards of offense per game. The 49ers have lost four straight and are starting CJ Beathard under center. If you look closer though, there are some scenarios that say the home team is a live dog. This is the Rams third straight road game after two really close wins over Seattle and Denver. They have a stretch of games coming up against Green Bay and New Orleans which are bigger tests in the scope of NFC play. LA's defense can be beaten as evidenced by the solid rushing performance by the Seahawks while three others have put up at least 295 yards passing. Kyle Shanahan's bunch went toe-to-toe with the Packers last week and have actually played several teams close this season. They lost by eight at Minnesota, by two at the Chargers and by three at Green Bay. The defensive numbers aren't the best, but they've done well against the run and have had some success against quarterbacks that aren't Aaron Rodgers. Last year LA won by two in San Francisco and lost by 21 at home to the Niners. The Rams have covered just 16 of their last 39 games. I could look really dumb when LA wins this one easily, but I think they struggle with focus and pull out a close one.

Jacksonville was undressed by the Cowboys last week and have now lost two straight and three of their last four. The defense has given up 70 points the last two weeks at Kansas City while the offense has pitifully scored just 21. Blake Bortles has had some issues while the run game struggled without Leonard Fournette. This team has not played well this season outside of a couple of early games. Houston has won three straight since opening up the year with three losses. Deshaun Watson has played well for the most part outside of last week's headscratching performance. The defense is playing a lot better as of late and this team will be looking for revenge after two asskickings at the hands of the Jags last year. Jacksonville has covered just seven of their last 18 games at home. Give me the live road dog in this one.

I think the Bills defense is one of the most underrated units in football and the Colts have a tremendous amount of injuries on offense. Derek Anderson starting for Buffalo will motivate them a lot more then Nathan Peterman. I just think this is a rather large number and Indy will struggle to cover it. 

FIU is 4-2 on the season and should pick up another win on Saturday. The Golden Panthers have beaten up really bad teams at home taking UMass by 39 and UAPB by 46. Both of those teams might be comparable to Rice right now who is bringing in a backup quarterback for this one. The Owls have road losses of 14 at Hawaii, 18 at Southern Miss and 32 at Wake Forest. They've scored just three points in two home games against UTSA and UAB. Rice's defense is pretty bad and should struggle with the balance that the Owls bring. FIU has covered 15 of their last 25 Saturday's including five of six this season. I think this one is a rout in Florida.

I can't believe I'm going back to ODU after they've disappointed me so much this season. The Monarchs only win came against Virginia Tech with the rest of the games being pretty awful. It's because of a porous defense and an offense that is really inconsistent. You could use those same terms on Western Kentucky who is 1-5 with their only win coming against Ball State. This team can't run it well and has had six turnovers in their last two games as the quarterbacks have been bad. You can run on WKU and some teams have passed on them as well. I know it's a road game, but I'll take one last shot with the Monarchs in this one.

I'm going to play a spot here in this one as Appalachian State comes off an emotional 35-9 win at Arkansas State and is staring at a rivalry game at Georgia Southern five days later. App State lost running back Jalin Moore last time out to an injury for the rest of the season so they'll have to find some other backs to take over. ASU has not played too many great offenses this season so their defensive stats look really good. Lafayette has won two straight scoring 108 points on Texas State and New Mexico State. Their defense isn't very good so I'm a bit worried about that, but I think they could keep up somewhat in a shootout. App State has covered just one of their last six as a favorite of 21.5 to 31 points. I think the road team is worth a look here.

This one relies heavily on Brent Stockstill not playing for the Blue Raiders. He is the guy who stirs the drink in Murfreesboro. They lost at FIU last week 24-21 as the offense just failed to move the ball. MTSU's defense is alright, but you can run on them. Charlotte isn't great, but they are coming off a convincing 40-14 home win over Western Kentucky. This team has wins over Fordham and ODU and it's because of a really good run game and a rush defense that clamps down on it's opponents. The 49ers actually have a decent defense which will surprise some folks considering their record. MTSU has covered just 14 of their last 32 games. I think they struggle to win this one without Stockstill.

Cincinnati is one of the few teams left that are undefeated in college football. The problem is that they've really beaten almost no one of substance. The road trip to UCLA was impressive at the time, but we've realized the Bruins aren't very good. They then beat Miami-Ohio, Alabama A&M, Ohio, UConn and Tulane. The offense wants to run the ball and have Desmond Kidder manage everything else. Defensively they put up good numbers, but once again how good have they been. On the other side you have Temple who has won four of their last five and is doing so with their trademark defense and solid passing from Anthony Russo. Ventell Bryant is very good outside and Ryquell Armstead figures to be healthy for this one. I think Temple's balance will vex the Bearcats and the Owls defense will keep this game close. They've held five straight opponents to less then 200 yards passing. Temple has dominated this series a bit as of late. I think they get the win on Saturday.

Jacksonville is coming off getting undressed by the Chiefs last week in a game that they hyped up as a potential AFC title game. The Jags offense had five turnovers while the defense couldn't make stops when they had to. Blake Bortles is putting up a lot of yardage, but this could actually be the team's stiffest test on defense. Dallas has held three of their opponents to 20 points or less and has done well against the ground game. Yes, they were gashed in Houston by Deshaun Watson, but there's no DeAndre Hopkins in Jacksonville. The Cowboys offense has been a massive issue with Dak Prescott struggling and no real weapons to use other then Ezekiel Elliott. Still, with them coming home, I think we see a better effort. The team is 2-0 in front of their fans and Jacksonville has a home divisional game on tap next week. Dallas has been a home underdog of 3 points or less three times the last three seasons and has won two of them outright. I'll take Dallas plus the points.

I wrote the preview for the Chiefs/Broncos game a couple of weeks ago and called for a Denver victory which did not come. The Broncos were a completed pass to Thomas late in the game away from making that prediction come true. The Rams are one of the best teams in football, but their leaky defense concerns me. I'll call for the upset once again this one as I think Denver's defense could present some problems for LA. The elevation could always be a factor as well. I think we get Case Keenum's best effort and Jared Goff gets harassed into a couple of turnovers as the road team loses their first game of the year.

I've been involved with the Dolphins a little too much so far this season, but I've also been 4-0 against the spread in those matchups. Miami has lost two straight against the Patriots and Bengals, but return home where they are 2-0. Their offense is rather underwhelming with just 288.2 yards per contest. They've struggled with turnovers as of late with five over the last two games. The team was beating the Bengals 17-10 entering the fourth quarter before self-destructing. I'm higher on the Dolphins then most, and somewhat lower on the Bears then others. They are 3-1 and coming off a bye week. Last time out Chicago destroyed the Bucs 48-10 in a game that saw Mitchell Trubisky go crazy. That's been a bit of an outlier for the offense as they scored just 63 points in the other three games. This is their third road game so far and they do have New England at home next week. Chicago has failed to cover in 12 of their last 18 road games and six of their last nine as a favorite. Give me the Dolphins in this one. 

Continuing the theme of taking teams at their lowest, I'm going to back Atlanta in this one. Tampa Bay is coming off their bye week and is turning back to Jameis Winston under center. Winston cannot fix a defense that is allowing almost 450 yards per game. Tampa allowed 40 points at New Orleans and 48 at Chicago. They have a non-existent run game unless Ronald Jones gets more looks. Yes, Atlanta's defense has been terrible and may not get better due to injuries. They've lost a couple of safeties and a linebacker and that's going to weaken their back end. Still, Matt Ryan is a lot better at home and the likes of Freeman and Coleman should be able to find holes against the awful Buccaneers. The Falcons have covered 19 of their last 31 against conference opponents. I think we see them win and win rather easily.

The Seahawks are getting their first taste of football in London on Sunday. Six teams have not stepped foot in England yet so far and it seems to be a bit of a hinderance to the first timers. The Cardinals, Ravens and Browns all had their first taste last year and all lost to their opponents by a combined score of 110-23. Oakland played in Wembley Stadium back in 2014 and also has played twice in Mexico City. The roster is different from that first European game, but some of the key players have done this before. On the field, Oakland has won just one game and are coming off a 26-10 loss against the Chargers. This would be their fourth game away from home so far this season. Let's not forget it's also Marshawn Lynch's revenge game. Seattle is 2-3 and also playing their fourth game away from home. Their offense has been a bit stagnant lately with the defense having issues slowing down opponents with good passing games. I think the Lynch factor as well as well the newness of European games for Seattle means I like the Raiders even as slight underdogs.

Cole McDonald is back under center and Hawaii's offense is on the road at BYU. They beat a good Wyoming team 17-13 last week without him. The team's only loss came at Army back on 9/15 28-21 in a game they probably should have won. Hawaii's rush defense is pretty strong and the secondary is too. BYU has lost two straight and is making a change at quarterback with Tanner Mangum leaving. Their wins were at Arizona and Wisconsin and over McNeese State. BYU's rushing defense isn't great so maybe Hawaii can take advantage of that. BYU has covered just five of their last 15 home games. I like Hawaii to keep it close in this one 

The rare non Virginia Tech night game in Charlottesville as UVA hosts Miami off the bye week. I think it came at a good time for the Hoos who had two weeks to stew after losing to NC State. Hopefully they come back a little healthier, a little wiser and more focused. I actually made UVA my bet of the year a couple of years ago at home in a game I figured the Canes would come in unfocused and they did and lost. I'm glad Miami won their game at home against Florida State as that may get them unfocused for this one. I think the "U" is highly overrated although not quite as much with N'Kosi Perry under center. Miami's wins aren't exactly over great competition this season. They've been really good against the pass, but outside of Toledo, they haven't faced anyone who will stress them there. If you can force them to become one dimensional on offense, then that side of the ball will flounder. UVA has covered nine of their last 15 in this series. I'm calling my shot and taking them to win outright so any sort of points we're getting is a gift.

The Roadrunners have won three straight after a three game losing streak to start the year out. They have done it with solid defense and just enough offense....and I mean just enough. They have failed to get to 300 yards total this season, but have beaten Texas State and UTEP at home. The defense has been good for the most part against the run and as of late has clamped down on the pass. Now, the offenses they have faced during this streak aren't great, but I think Louisiana Tech's inconsistency will hurt them. The Bulldogs have lost two of their last three and are coming off a headscratching 28-7 home loss to UAB as a seven point underdog. Louisiana Tech is playing their fourth road game of six so far. This one will be lower scoring. I think the home team is worth a look.

I think this is a bit of an overreaction. Richmond's offense is good but they can be beaten on defense. Albany's offense moves through the air and has a decent running back. Spiders were in somewhat of a similar situation a couple of weeks ago playing at St. Francis of PA and they needed a late TD to win this game. I think the home dog is worth a look in this one.

Colorado State is 2-4 on the season with wins over Arkansas and San Jose State. The Rams have shown plenty of offensive inconsistency with three games of 20 points scored or less. CSU's defense has been gashed by the run with four teams rushing for over 200 yards with a fifth team putting up 199. New Mexico is coming off a 50-14 win over UNLV and is playing their fourth road game over a six week span. They also have a win at New Mexico State and have put up 40 points or more in all but one of their matchups. New Mexico's backup quarterback has been very impressive. The defense has played well in spurts this season. CSU has covered just two of their six contests. I don't think they are that impressive so give me the road team. 

I think we are getting a good price on Navy at home. This is kind of like the week 2 matchup between them and Memphis at home where the Tigers were a favorite of around the same. Navy has lost two straight and is at a low point right now as they lost to Air Force 35-7 in a game that saw them struggle big time. The Middies triple option has worked for the most part this season. Temple has had a mixed bag of results on the road winning at Maryland while losing at BC. They've given up 200 yards rushing to two teams so far this season. Ryquell Armstead is the only rushing threat for the Owls and he's banged up. Navy is 95-57 ATS since 1992 as an underdog and has covered five of their last eight as a home underdog of 3.5 to 7 points. I think this one is close.

The Cardinals are 2-4 this season with wins over Central Connecticut and Kent State. They've been competitive in losses to Notre Dame, Western Kentucky and Northern Illinois as well. Riley Neal and James Gilbert have shown some offensive proficiency, but the issues come on defense where they've either been beaten up by the run or the pass. Central Michigan's only win has come against FCS level Maine and even that was just a 17-5 victory. CMU lost at home to Kansas and is coming off a loss to Buffalo there as well. The Chips have had QB issues with Tommy Lazzaro taking over in week three. He has just four touchdowns to eight interceptions. The team's leading running back is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry and has no touchdowns on the ground. Ball State has covered and won nine of their last 11 games as a road underdog of three points or less. I think the Cardinals are the better team.

This is a big game in the ACC Coastal as Georgia Tech hosts Duke. The Jackets have scored 63 and 66 in their last two games as the triple option is humming. The problem is that before those two contests they lost three straight to USF, Pitt and Clemson. GT's defense is pretty exploitable especially through the air. Duke loves to throw it when they can with Daniel Jones who had an extra week to get healthy. The Blue Devils had the all important extra week to prepare for the triple option. They beat Army 34-14 in week one holding them to just 168 yards on 47 rushes. That's very important when handicapping Georgia Tech games. The Blue Devils defense has been good with their biggest weakness being the pass which Tech won't go after. Duke won this game last year at home 43-20 after losing 38-35 to them in Atlanta in 2016. I will be looking hard at the road team in this one.

The Cowboys are coming off a 26-24 home win over the Lions in which they were able to run the ball a ton and get just enough from Dak Prescott. The defense did its part although it has allowed 24 points in each of the last two games. Houston picked up its first win of the season, beating the Colts 37-34 in overtime at their place. Deshaun Watson has come alive the last two games and has flashed the potential we saw last year. The Texans' D has had its issues this season against the pass although the secondary doesn't figure to be challenged by Allen Hurns and Michael Gallup. I don't think Dallas' issues are fixed because of one victory. I think Houston's crowd will be pumped up to be home for just the second time this season. The Texans are by far the better team in this game. 

The Giants are going to be healthier on defense for this matchup on Sunday. It looks like Eli Apple and Olivier Vernon will be ready and the front line will add Josh Mauro, who can help an anemic pass rush. Carolina is 2-1 and are coming off one of those early bye weeks. The Panthers really have yet to put it all together on offense with two games in which they featured a solid run game and one (at Atlanta) in which they were successful through the air. Carolina's secondary is suspect so if New York's offensive line can give Eli Manning enough time, he should be able to find Odell Beckham Jr. or Sterling Shepard downfield. I am by no means saying that the Giants are a good team, but I think this is a lot of points for a Panthers team that does a lot of things good, but nothing spectacularly. I'd like to see New York feed Saquon Barkley more, but that will depend on game flow. Carolina has covered just nine of its last 22 games as a favorite. As long as this stays at a touchdown or more, I'm taking the underdog.

The Browns are 1-0-1 so far this season at home and are coming off a tough loss at Oakland in overtime. They arguably had that game won after several bad calls from the officials. The offense was very balanced with ground and air success. I'll admit that I've undersold the Ravens all season, especially last week in Pittsburgh. Their WR group is good enough and the myriad of tight ends are effective as well. I like the home team in this one. I think Cleveland is a very live underdog.

UNLV lost Armani Rogers to injury so Max Gilliam steps in for the Rebels. UNLV has home wins over UTEP and Prairie View with losses to USC and Arkansas State. They want to pound you on the ground as the passing attack is rather anemic. Last week the QB's went 5-for-21 for just 23 yards. UNLV's defense has problems stopping the run so that'll play well with New Mexico who likes to run it. They are on their third QB of the season and a guy who may want to throw it more. They've put up 62, 14, 42 and 43 points so offense shouldn't be an issue. New Mexico's biggest defensive issues seem to come in the secondary who won't be tested as much. UNLV has covered just five of their last 14 home games and four of their last 12 as a favorite. I'll take a shot with the Lobos.

Akron has played just three games this season as they lost their matchup with Nebraska due to weather and they had their bye already. The Zips have wins over Morgan State and Northwestern and a close loss at Iowa State. Their offense has had some success while the defense has been very strong too. Despite giving up 26 points to ISU, they only allowed 365 yards to the Cyclones. Miami-Ohio is 1-4 with the win coming at Bowling Green 38-23. The Redhawks will be playing their third game over a four week span. They have struggled to stop anyone and have had problems on offense although not as of late. I'm not a huge trends guy but Miami is 3-16 against the spread since 1992 in road games with a total between 45.5 and 49. I think this is a bit of a mismatch so give me the home team.

William and Mary has a poor offense, but Albany has had problems on defense. The Tribe figure to get DeVante Dedmon involved a lot because he's an NFL caliber wide receiver. WM's defense is pretty good too. I know Albany has scored a lot but I don't think that happens in this one. It's a lower total which means getting two touchdowns is a good place to start. I'm taking the Tribe plus the points.

Go figure Temple. They started out the year with losses at home to Nova and Buffalo, but then beat Maryland and Tulsa before shooting themselves in the foot against Boston College. Anthony Russo has been under center the past few games and he's as inconsistent as the rest of the team. Russo makes several throws but also has some inconsistent tendencies. On defense, the Owls have been gashed on the ground the past two weeks, but have matched up well through the air. On the other side you have East Carolina who has lost to North Carolina A&T and South Florida. They've played well though since that opening week loss. The Pirates are running it better and getting good production from Holton Ahlers. On defense they've clamped down on the run and have played better against the pass. I think ECU is in better form right now and there's not a great homefield advantage for Temple. I think this one is closer then the spread says.

The Thundering Herd are 3-1 on the season with the loss coming to NC State at home in week 4. The line has been tumbling down a bit due to the uncertainty of the quarterback Isaiah Green who got hurt last week. If he doesn't play then grad transfer Alex Thomson is under center. He came over from Wagner and got FBS offers before settling in with Marshall. The team has plenty of offensive talent and a very good defense that can bottle up the run. MTSU is coming off an emotional win over FAU at home last Saturday in which it got a late two point conversion to get the win over the Owls. They have lost to Vandy and Georgia on the road and have struggled for much offensive consistency. Their defense isn't that good either as Tennessee-Martin scored 37 on them in week two. MTSU has had great teams in the past and still have been blasted by the Herd. Last year Marshall won 38-10 as two point favorites and 42-17 in 2016 as eight point underdogs. MTSU has covered just four of their last 16 road games. I think this one goes in favor of the home team. 

This feels like another Patriots blowout on Thursday night as they host the Colts. New England is coming off a 38-7 win over the Dolphins at home last week. They got solid work from Sony Michel and James White out of the backfield while Tom Brady was efficient as usual. The defense ate up Miami and could do the same against the Colts. Indy is playing their third road game over their last four weeks. They lost a tough one to the Texans last time out 37-34 at home in a game that saw Frank Reich go for it on 4th down in overtime in their own territory. Andrew Luck was great as he always is at home. The problem is his road splits as he's thrown for 177 and 141 yards away from home against the Redskins and Eagles. Injuries will be a huge issue for the road team as well. They had 11 players not participate in Tuesday's practice and it looks like Jack Doyle and TY Hilton may not play on offense as well as Darius Leonard, Kenny Moore and Clayton Geathers on defense. Heck, Adam Vinatieri is dealing with a groin injury and isn't guaranteed. Yes, the Pats may not have Gronk, but Julian Edelman is due back for this one. Anthony Castonzo and Marlon Mack had limited participation and there's a chance neither of them will play. New England's last home Thursday night game was 2016 when they shut out the Texans 27-0. In short quick weeks, the edge also has to go to the better coach and that's the home team. They've covered 30 of their last 42 games overall. This one should be a romp on Thursday.  

It's gutsy to get in front of the Chiefs right now considering they are putting up almost 40 points per game. Still, I think the run ends on Monday night. Their defense is allowing nearly 500 yards per game. This is the third road game over the first four weeks for the Chiefs. Pat Mahomes is putting up incredible numbers and I'm not going to take that way from them. This is the best defense they will have faced though to start out the season. Denver's secondary has been a little bit disappointing, but Roby and Harris are one of the best duos in the league and they have solid safeties as well. I think Case Keenum and that offense can move the ball on KC and I think they can play just enough to defense to make things interesting.  I'm concerned about the coaching advantage that the road team has, but I just think home dogs on Monday night are worth a look often.

The Steelers picked up the win on Monday night 30-27 over the Buccaneers. I think a victory like that helps with confidence especially with the Ravens coming to town. Big Ben racked up the yards once again and the defense forced four turnovers. It's a concern that the secondary has been bad the last two weeks, but I'm really not a believer in the Ravens offense. They use a mediocre group of running backs to go along with their revamped WR corps. Baltimore's defense held up well in their two home games, but were gashed by the Bengals in week two on the road. This starts a stretch of three straight and four of five away from Baltimore. The Browns and Chiefs at least threatened the Steelers with a run attack that the Ravens just can't produce. Pittsburgh is the better team right now despite the worse record. I think they get the win in this one.

We couldn't be getting the Patriots any lower then we are this week. New England is coming off a 26-10 loss at Detroit in which they looked really anemic and slow as a team. They managed just 120 passing yards while allowing over 400 yards to the Lions. Typically, a bounce-back always comes and it will on Sunday. They figure to have Josh Gordon out there which will open things up for everyone else. Miami is 3-0 and i'm glad for it because I've been on them all season long so far. The thing is, they've done it with just enough offense and stops on defense. The Fins have thrown for more then 250 yards just once while allowing the last two opponents to crack the 300 yard mark. Last year, New England won this game at home 35-17 while falling down in Miami 27-20. They've covered 17 of their last 27 meetings with the Fins at home. I think that trend continues.

Texas San Antonio is coming off their first win of the season as they beat Texas State 25-21. UTSA has losses to Arizona State, Baylor and Kansas State so they are pretty tested and proven. The offense has had it's issues, but should be able to move on UTEP who allowed 30 to Northern Arizona, 52 to UNLV and 27 to New Mexico State. The Miners did everything right last week and lost the game because they couldn't execute when it mattered. UTSA won this game by 17 last year on the road and lost to UTEP outright in 2016. They know that this game could be tough and will take it seriously. Give me the home team to get their second win in a row.

I know I'm buying the Huskers at their lowest point and Purdue at their highest, but I'm not convinced everything is fixed in Purdue-land. They beat up on Boston College last week as part of a home stretch of four straight. The team lost to Northwestern, EMU and Missouri beforehand as the defense struggled. Nebraska's offense has not performed too well since week one when they put up over 550 yards on the Buffaloes in a loss. Adrian Martinez is back under center and presumably healthier so he should perform better. The Huskers didn't show up at Michigan, but the Wolverines were in a good spot. Nebraska has been a home underdog of 3.5 to 7 points just six times since 1992 winning two of those games. Playing a hunch here and think that they get their first win here.

The Monarchs are coming off the biggest win in program history. ODU looked great against Virginia Tech beating the Hokies 49-35. They moved the ball with relative ease and made just enough stops to get the win. Now they hit the road to take on East Carolina who is 1-2 on the season. They beat UNC 41-19 at home, but lost to North Carolina A&T and South Florida. Last week, they fell to USF in a game that saw the defense play pretty well and the offense show some good balance. I completely understand that we may get an unfocused ODU team, but ECU isn't that great themselves. They are 8-19 against the spread the last three seasons and have won just six of their last 15 at home outright. Even with a lack of focus, I'll take ODU plus a touchdown in this one.

Things couldn't be any lower for the Cardinals right now. Arizona has scored just six points total in losses to the Redskins and Rams. Sam Bradford has been terrible under center leading me to believe Josh Rosen could see the field soon. Still, they have some talent with David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. The defense has been beaten up with the Redskins grinding them down on the ground while the Rams took to the air. The Bears are flying high after a home win over the Seahawks on Monday Night Football. It's a quick turnaround for this team and a long flight as well. Chicago arguably could be 2-0 after they blew the first week in Green Bay. Chicago has covered just five of their last 17 road games and won only two of them outright. I think there's a chance that they struggle in this one on the road.

The Bengals are 2-0 so far with 34-23 wins over the Colts and Ravens. This is part of a stretch where they have three of their first four on the road. I'm not buying Cincinnati yet this season despite their early success. Joe Mixon is injured so that means Gio Bernard is taking on a bigger role. Of course i'm concerned about AJ Green going nuts on this bad Carolina secondary, but I think the Panthers can get enough pressure to make Andy Dalton uncomfortable. Carolina lost 31-24 in Atlanta last time out. They struggled with the Falcons balance allowing 170 rushing yards in the loss. The Panthers are a better team at home though as showed in the team's 16-8 win over the Cowboys in week one. Cincy has allowed over 300 yards passing in both wins this season. Some of that is because the teams were throwing to come back, but still, I think there's opportunities for Cam Newton. Cincy is just 8-8 against the spread the last three seasons on the road. I like the Panthers in this spot especially at this key number.

This seems like an immense trap of a line, but I'll bite. I've been on the Dolphins twice already this season and have liked what I've seen. Kenyan Drake and the run game has taken some pressure off Ryan Tannehill. Still, the team has to cut down on the turnovers with four of them so far this season. Oakland's defense has been gashed on the ground and through the air because they've got no one to rush the pressure or make a difference. Miami's defense has actually played pretty well despite having a lack of stars. They've also seen two of the weaker offenses in football in the Titans and Jets. The Raiders have scored 32 points on the Rams and Broncos. The run game has not gotten to 100 yards in a game yet this season. It means more work for Derek Carr and Amari Cooper. It's the team's second straight road contest as they head to the east coast. Last year the Raiders won in Miami 27-24 in a game that saw both teams put up pretty close to the same numbers. I'll bite on the potential trick line and take the home team.

The Redskins are one of those teams giving their fans a huge swing of emotions. Week 1 brought an easy win in Arizona and the revitalization of Adrian Peterson in the win. Week 2 brought a 21-9 home loss in front of a bad crowd in which the offense struggled to get anything going. I think this team is somewhere in the middle as Alex Smith is better then he played last week. The Skins defense held up pretty well as well for the most part, but even they could improve. Green Bay comes into this one off two tough home divisional games. Aaron Rodgers isn't 100%, but is still throwing dimes out there. The defense was beaten up by Kirk Cousins last week. I think the home team is worth a look as an underdog. I think we get a better effort before their bye week.

Kentucky is 3-0 and has another chance to add to their resume on Saturday. The Wildcats have wins over Central Michigan and Murray State at home and Florida on the road. The common thread is a really good ground game and a defense that has limited their opponents through the air and on the ground. Benny Snell is one of the best running backs in the country and Terry Wilson has been a solid signal caller. MIssissippi State already has a win at Kansas State and has beaten Stephen F Austin and ULL. Nick Fitzgerald has been really good while the defense has done good work as well. My question is that they really havent been tested yet as K-State's offense isn't that great. The Wildcats have covered in 10 of their last 16 games as an underdog. I think the home team is a live dog.

All the talk will be about Troy in this one, but Louisiana Monroe has plenty of talent to bring. The Warhawks have wins over SE Louisiana and Southern Miss to go with a 38 point loss at Texas A&M. This is their only home game over a six week stretch so you know they'll be ready. Troy is coming off a 5 point win at Nebraska and has played well since getting blitzed by Boise in week one. The offense has struggled with passing the ball and has had six turnovers, but the defense has stepped up. The Warhawks have the talent to punch Troy in the mouth especially if the Trojans aren't focused. I'm playing a hunch, but I think the home team is worth a look. 

Liberty picked up an unexpected bye week because of Hurricane Florence. They are 1-1 on the season with a 52-10 win over Old Dominion and a 38-14 loss at Army. The Flames offense has worked this season and is led by Buckshot Calvert who is pretty good. They struggled with momentum the week after a great debut against the Monarchs. They've had plenty of time to prepare for this one. North Texas is coming off a dominating effort at Arkansas 44-17. This week it's been all about the Mean Green getting publicity and it's well deserved. That's also going to pump up the Liberty fans to get this 3-0 team in their place. UNT's other wins were against SMU and Incarnate Word so those were meh. Liberty is 11-1 ATS as an underdog since 1992. I just think they have the talent to push the Mean Green who may not be as focused for this one. 

BYU is coming off a great effort in Wisconsin and has a road trip to Washington coming up next week. Sandwiched in between is a matchup with McNeese State who is one of the better FCS teams in the country. They have a ton of speed and won't be intimidated by the tough environment. The team lost at ULL 30-22 in week one and has won three straight since then. With such a low total and a potentially unfocused BYU, I like the road team to keep it within three touchdowns.

The two teams in this game have just one win between themselves. The Cardinals won their first game 42-6 over Central Connecticut State. They lost at Notre Dame by eight and by 28 at Indiana. The offense has shown a lot of potential especially since the likes of James Gilbert and RIley Neal are healthy. The defense has had it's issues slowing down the opposition although it did force three turnovers against the Fighting Irish. Western Kentucky has losses to Louisville and Wisconsin on the road as well as one at home to Maine. This is their third road tilt in four weeks. The offense lost Mike White and has not been the same as good as they were last year. WKU allowed over 200 yards rushing to the two FBS opponents. They beat the Cardinals at home last year 33-21, but that was also with White under center. I think the team out of the MAC is worth a look. 

Both of these NFC East teams are 0-1 and are in risk of falling even further out of the race with another loss. The Cowboys scored eight points and failed to get Ezekiel Elliott on track. The team saw Dak Prescott struggle terribly to get the ball to his mediocre wide receivers. Defensively, Dallas played pretty well although they allowed nearly 150 yards on the ground. The Giants struggled to run against Jacksonville outside of one long run by Saquon Barkley. Eli Manning locked in on Odell Beckham and fed him a ton of talents. The Cowboys don't have a cornerback capable of covering him so OBJ should go nuts in this one. New York's defense hung tough against the Jaguars and will probably stuff the box once again in this one. Dallas is just 8-9 ATS at home the last three seasons. Vegas thinks this is essentially a pick'em on a neutral field. I think the road team is the better squad so give me the points.

The two teams in this matchup combined for nine turnovers in losses in week one. San Francisco coughed it up four times in a 24-16 loss to the Vikings. This is their only home game in the month of September. I'm just not a 49ers guy as I don't think their offense is good enough and I think their defense is exploitable. The running game features Matt Breida and Alfred Morris. You can't get much lower then the Lions who had five turnovers and looked awful on a larger stage falling to the Jets 48-17. Quite often, I like to fade teams making this quick turnaround, but really I think the Lions are better then they showed and this is a slight overreaction by Vegas. The defense should be able to shut down the Niners run game and the passing attack doesn't scare anyone either. SF has covered just five of their last 16 home games and 13 of their last 33 overall. I don't think the Lions win outright, but we'll see a better effort.

The Jets were arguably the biggest story outside of Aaron Rodgers in week one. Sam Darnold throws an interception on his very first pass and then the team goes nuts in a huge blowout win over the Lions. Darnold looked fantastic and the defense made a boatload of stops. They forced five turnovers in the win and were able to run the ball really well. Now they return home to host the Dolphins who are coming off a 27-20 win over the Titans. Ryan Tannehill looked pretty good going 20-for-28 for 222 yards. The defense played well enough to win themselves. Last year these two split their matchups with the home team winning. I really think it's a lot to ask the young Jets to keep their focus to the field after everyone talked about how great they are. 

Arizona State is flying high after knocking off Michigan State 16-13 at home. The Sun Devils defense flew around and shut down the Spartans run game. They now have the challenge of getting themselves up for a road game against San Diego State. The Aztecs are without quarterback Christian Chapman who is out for a few weeks with a knee injury. The backup is pretty competent so i'm not as worried about that. They are 1-1 on the season with a 31-10 loss at Stanford and a 28-14 win over Sacramento State. Juwan Washington is the newest flavor of the year at running back. The Aztecs defense has been very good against the run and good enough against the pass. Last year they won in Tempe 30-20 in a game that saw them rush for nearly 300 yards on the ground. I think the Aztecs are ready for this one and could get the win outright if ASU is a little sleepy.

The Warhawks are 2-0 with wins over SE Louisiana and Southern Miss. They've shown a balance being able to run the ball and throw it as well. If they can cut down the turnovers then Caleb Evans and the boys should be able to keep this close. Texas A&M is coming into this one off a heartbreaking 28-26 loss to Clemson. The team had their chances to win, but couldn't come up with the big play. The Aggies lost a starting linebacker for the season last game and may still be a bit hungover. Even worse, they have a road tilt at Alabama next week which could also get their focus. There's no doubt the Aggies are the more talented team in this one, but focus could be an issue. They've covered just six of their last 16 at home. ULM has covered nine of their last 15 road games and have split ATS their last two against the SEC. This one should be close on Saturday.

I'm a huge Buffalo guy. It was my favorite total from the preseason and so far so good for the Bulls. They have wins over Delaware State and Temple and have shown good offensive balance and a good defense as well. Anthony Johnson is one of the best wide receivers in college football. Eastern Michigan is coming off a win over Purdue so they are feeling good. Tyler Wiegers has been a really good quarterback and he's finding Blake Banham a lot. The offense has been fantastic but I think it comes down to earth in this one. Despite winning last week, they allowed almost 500 yards of offense to Purdue. The team gave up over 350 yards to Monmouth in a 51-17 win. Eastern Michigan is a covering machine lately, but they lose this one on Saturday.

I'm usually very leery with laying this many points, but San Jose State is just so bad. The Spartans were just shut out at Washington State 31-0 in a game that saw them manage just 109 yards of total offense. They lost at home in week one to UC Davis 44-38. Oregon has been steamrolling opponents beating Bowling Green 58-24 and Portland State 62-14. The Ducks didn't really take the foot off the pedal against the Vikings last week either with some of their starters playing later in the game. We may not see that happen in this one with a home contest against Stanford up next, but I still think their backups could keep it going. San Jose State has failed to cover in eight of their last 11 non-conference games. They are 4-10 against the spread the last three seasons on the road. This one is going to be really ugly.

Wyoming football started off their season with a 29-7 win at New Mexico State and a lot of good feelings. Since then they lost 41-19 at home to Washington State and 40-13 on the road at Missouri. The team is hosting Boise State on the 29th so there's a chance focus could be a bit of an issue for a team whose offense isn't good enough to blow out good teams. The team is also preparing for the triple option of Wofford that beat the Citadel 28-21 and VMI 59-14. Last year the Terriers lost 31-10 at South Carolina and 38-13 at Ole Miss two years ago. This should be a bit of a lower scoring game as the Cowboys don't scare me. I think this one is a good spread for the road team. 

Duke is 2-0 and coming off a road win at Northwestern but it was a mighty costly one. They lost quarterback Daniel Jones for around a month and their number one cornerback for the rest of the season. The team hasn't really been stressed on defense yet by Army and Northwestern. Baylor comes in feeling good after a 55-27 win over Abilene Christian and a 37-20 win at UTSA. The offense is clicking right now particularly through the air where they've put up over 700 yards. The defense was gashed in week one but has improved in week two. The Blue Devils won this game 34-20 at home last year and did so with a balanced attack. I just don't know if they can keep that balance without Jones under center. I think Baylor is looking for revenge and gets the double digit win.

This game on Saturday could have a very weird feel to it with Hurricane Florence in the area. Clemson moved this game up to a noon kickoff in order to try and beat it, but I still think there could be some wind and rain. Even if there's not, there's still a chance it's not the most attended. The Tigers are coming off a 28-26 road win and have ACC conference play up next at Georgia Tech. Clemson's defense will be quite ornery as they probably think they can do a lot better. In comes Georgia Southern who has wins over South Carolina State and UMass. The Eagles triple option has worked in both games with Shai Werts under center. GSU's defense has played well too although it's going to be a different challenge on Saturday. I think this is a vanilla gameplan from the home team and I think they may struggle a little bit with the option. GSU has covered in seven of their last eight games as a road underdog of 21.5 or more points. I'll take the road team in this one. 

I'm a huge Denver Broncos guy this season so if they continue to get underpriced then I will be on them often. Case Keenum comes in to save the quarterback position for the home team after years of ineptitude. Keenum has a pair of solid but aging receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Royce Freeman is also going to be an intriguing piece at running back. All of that on offense plus a nasty defense makes the Broncos scary. The secondary will be just as good while the front seven should get pressure on an awful OL. Seattle's defense is no longer the Legion of Boom and doesn't scare anyone. The Seahawks offense features a rotation of running backs and Doug Baldwin. I realize Denver has had their issues in the past, but this team is a lot more improved and very tough to beat at home.

This one is a feel play on my part. I'm not a Titans guy to say the least. Their offense doesn't scare me with Marcus Mariota leading the way. The wide receivers are young and have potential, but I don't like Mariota's chances of getting them the ball. The defense doesn't scare me that much despite their offseason additions. The team is 8-10 the last three years on the road and has covered just seven of those contests. Ryan Tannehill is running out of chances with his fanbase, but I still think he can be a talented quarterback. Kenyan Drake is not a bad running back and they have some good wide receivers. Miami's defense does scare me a bit, but I think they are a good bet as a home underdog. They've been a home dog just six times of three points or less the last three seasons and have won three of those games. Last year Miami won at home 16-10 in an ugly game. I think we could see another ugly one on Sunday.

This could be me being stubborn, but I see a lot of potential in Old Dominion and aren't going to let a loss to Liberty dissuade me. Yes, everything went wrong in that game with the defense allowing almost 600 yards of offense and the offense putting up only 10 points. Still, the O has plenty of weapons who will be a lot more active at home. ODU has won each of the last two matchups and that was as a 10 point underdog in 2017 and as a 14 point favorite in 2016. FIU lost 38-28 at home to Indiana and their offense just couldn't get things going. The passing attack had only 157 yards through the air and that's without Alex McGough who graduated. The defense was gashed on the ground and through the air. Depending when you get it, ODU could be a dog or a favorite. FIU has not covered as a fave in the last three years and is 12-13 ATS over that span overall. Norfolk will be rocking Saturday night and the Monarchs will get back on track in a big way.

The Cavaliers were very workmanlike in their 42-13 win over Richmond. They ran for over 300 yards and slowed down the Spiders on defense too. Jordan Ellis was very strong and Bryce Perkins was able to throw and run the ball while playing quarterback. For one week the defense did it's job and was able to overcome it's losses. Indiana also got a win and they did so with more balance and just enough defense. They were gashed for 170 yards on the ground by FIU. Last year the Hoosiers came to Charlottesville and beat up the Hoos. Indiana is 9-17 ATS the last three seasons. They've been a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points just twice the last three seasons splitting those two games. I think the road team is worth a definite look especially with wet weather potentially limiting the crowd and Indiana's creativity. 

Savannah State lost 52-0 to UAB last week. They were overmatched and that was with a stretch where the Blazers had some turnovers. The Tigers completed one pass and looked absolutely inept. Their FCS games have been absolutely ugly. The opponent Miami was embarrassed by LSU and should be mighty angry. If Savannah State crosses midfield, then i'll be shocked. Give me the Canes who might score 80. 

I think this is a case of overreacting to one week's results. Memphis beat Mercer 66-14 in a game which saw them put up over 700 yards of offense and look very good defensively. The Tigers played very well against an inferior opponent. Navy got gashed by Hawaii 59-41 in a game on the road. The defense was horrible, but the offense was very good. They rushed for over 300 yards, but just couldn't keep up. Last year Navy lost 30-27 on the road in this series in a game that was tied at 10 at half. In a week-to-week basis it's very tough to prepare for the triple option which was run pretty well despite the loss. Navy has been a home underdog of 3.5 to 7 points just seven times since 1992 and they've covered four of those games. They are 7-4 against the spread the last three seasons at home. I think this is an overreaction and the home team is worth a look.

The Bulls are another team that I will be on often this season. They steamrolled Delaware State 48-10 in week one and it's because of Tyree Jackson who is healthy and a defense that forced four turnovers. It's a bit concerning that they allowed nearly 200 rushing yards, but Temple only put up 46 yards on the ground at home against an FCS team. Their offense looked lethargic and the defense had too many mental breakdowns. There's not much in the way of homefield advantage here especially after the loss to the Wildcats. Buffalo is one of my favorite teams and I think they can win this one outright.

This is your basic lookahead factor as the Hokies come off a hugely emotional road win against Florida State. The last time they played five days after an emotional game, they lost to James Madison at home after falling to Boise State at FedEx Field. Virginia Tech's team is very young and I don't know how they'll handle the quick turnaround and not being in the spotlight. The offense struggled to get things going for the most part outside of a couple of touchdown passes. The defense is also really young. I feel like if the Tribe scores 3 or 7 points then we're good here. I could see a 35-3 game. William and Mary's offense is competent while the defense is good enough. We'll get an unfocused Tech team in this one. 

This one is going to get really ugly. Portland State lost 72-19 to Nevada and the Wolf Pack's offense is nowhere near as good as the Ducks. Oregon's defense will have to tighten up a bit after they allowed 24 points to Bowling Green. They put up 58 at least on the FBS defense. They should be able to score more here. Last year they knocked off Southern Utah 77-21 at home and have bludgeoned bad opponents at home. Give me the Ducks. 

The Eagles are going to be a fantastic team this season. The key phrase there is going to be. Philly will be playing this game without Carson Wentz, Alshon Jeffery and Timmy Jernigan. Three key pieces that will hopefully be back at some point. The coach is having a bit of a problem with the media and their reporting of his quarterback situation. Nick Foles most likely is getting the call and he's struggled during the preseason. Everyone seems to be thinking that he'll turn it on once the regular season begins, but that's not a guarantee. A full strength Atlanta team nearly won in Philly last year. The Eagles D is going to be very good and will keep the team in the game, but it'll be tired when the O struggles to move the ball. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones should be able to connect for a touchdown at least. The loss of Nigel Bradham means that Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman should be able to roam free in the passing game. I think the road team can win this game outright. There's so much not to like about the vibe coming out of Philly. The team is taking down a Super Bowl champs sign in the locker room because it was bothering them. They don't seem exactly focused.