At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Michigan State Spartans (180) plus the points versus the Northwestern Wildcats (179). THE SITUATION: Michigan State (1-3) looks to rebound from getting shutout out two weeks ago on November 14th by a 24-0 score as a 7.5-point favorite against Indiana. Northwestern (5-0) comes off a big 17-7 upset win at home against Wisconsin last week as a 7-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SPARTANS PLUS THE POINTS: Look for Northwestern to suffer an emotional letdown after their big win over the Badgers that put them in the college football playoff conversation. The Wildcats were outgained by -103 net yards but benefited from a +4 net turnover margin. Northwestern is only outgaining their opponents by +21.8 net YPG — and they are only outgaining their opponents by +3.5 net YPG on the road. The Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games are games after failing to score at least 20 points in their last game. Northwestern simply does not score enough to be a reliable two-touchdown favorite. They are scoring only 21.7 PPG in their last three games while averaging just 290.7 total YPG. The Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing a game where no more than 29 combined points were scored. And while Northwestern has played all five of their games Under the Total, the Wildcats have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after playing five straight Unders. Michigan State has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games after playing a game where no more than 24 combined points were scored. The Spartans should play better with an extra week to prepare. They have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 home games as an underdog getting 7.5 to 14 points. Head coach Mel Tucker has also seen his teams cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games as a dog.

FINAL TAKE: Northwestern has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as a favorite laying 10.5 to 21 points. 10* CFB Northwestern-Michigan State ESPN Special with the Michigan State Spartans (180) plus the points versus the Northwestern Wildcats (179). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Troy Trojans (213) and the Appalachian State Mountaineers (214). THE SITUATION: Troy (4-4) has lost two games in a row as well as three of their last four after their 20-17 upset loss to Middle Tennessee as an 11-point favorite. Appalachian State (6-2) looks to rebound from their 34-23 loss at Coastal Carolina last Saturday as a 3-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Trojans have played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after an upset loss. Additionally, Troy has played 5 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Furthermore, the Trojans have played 5 straight games Under the Total after failing to score more than 20 points in their last game. Troy is scoring only 22.7 PPG in their last three games which is -5.3 PPG below their season average — and the 349.8 total YPG they average on the road is -54.3 net YPG below their season average. The Trojans have played 5 straight games Under the Total on the road. They have also played 10 of their last 11 road games Under the Total as an underdog. And in their last 4 games as an underdog getting 10.5 to 21 points, Troy has played all 4 games Under the Total. Appalachian State has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. The Mountaineers rushed for 204 yards in the loss to the Chanticleers — and they have then seen the Under go 9-1-1 in their last 11 games after rushing for at least 200 yards in their last game. Appalachian State is scoring 26.0 PPG while averaging 383.7 total YPG in their last three contests — and those numbers are -5.0 PPG and -61.7 net YPG below their season average. The Mountaineers defense has only managed to force one turnover in each of their last two games as well — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after not forcing more than one turnover in their last game. Appalachian State does return home where they are holding their opponents to just 17.8 PPG and 314.0 total YPG. The Mountaineers have played 4 straight games Under the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Appalachian State has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total in November — and Troy has played 4 straight games Under the Total in November. 25* CFB Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Troy Trojans (213) and the Appalachian State Mountaineers (214). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Ball State Cardinals (199) plus the points versus the Toledo Rockets (200). THE SITUATION: Ball State (2-1) has won two games in a row with their 31-25 victory over Northern Illinois on November 18th as a 14.5-point favorite. Toledo (2-1) comes off a 45-28 win at Eastern Michigan as a 6.5-point favorite on November 18th in midweek MACtion.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CARDINALS PLUS THE POINTS: Ball State is a veteran team with 14 starters back including six all-conference players from the group that was 4-4 in Mid-American Conference play last season. That team outgained their conference opponents by +31 Yards-Per-Game but too often stymied by bad luck. The Cardinals have been typically a dangerous underdog to keep their games close under head coach Mike Neu in his fifth year with the program. Ball State has covered the point spread in 4 straight games as an underdog — and they have also covered the point spread in 4 straight games on the road getting the points. Led by senior quarterback Drew Plitt along with another six senior starters on offense, the Cardinals are scoring 33.3 PPG this season while averaging 476.3 total YPG. The Cardinals have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Toledo has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread victory. And while the Rockets went into halftime with a 24-7 lead over the Eagles, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after owning at least a 17-point halftime lead. Senior quarterback Eli Peters is questionable for this game wit the knee injury that knocked him out of last week’s game. Sophomore Carter Bradley came on as his understudy to complete 5 of 8 passes for 108 yards. Peters and Bradley combined for 298 passing yards — but Toledo has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after passing for at least 280 yards in their last game. The Rockets have played their last two games Over the Total — but not only have they failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game, they have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight games after playing two straight Overs. They return home to the Glass Bowl where they are just 4-11-1 ATS in their last 16 home games against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Ball State has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 trips to Toledo to face the Rockets. 25* CFB Mid-American Conference Game of the Month with the Ball State Cardinals (199) plus the points versus the Toledo Rockets (200). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels (136) plus the points versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (135). THE SITUATION: North Carolina (6-2) has won two games in a row with their 59-53 victory over Wake Forest as a 13-point favorite back on November 14th. Notre Dame (8-0) returns to action after a bye week last week coming off a 45-31 win at Boston College as a 13-point favorite on November 14th.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TAR HEELS PLUS THE POINTS: With the Fighting Irish opening as the second-ranked team in the college football playoff, the pressure is on for this team to win out their remaining games to play in the ACC Championship Game with a win securing one of the four spots in the college football playoff. Yet Notre Dame has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after winning at least eight games in a row. The Irish have also failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 22 games after playing a game where both teams scored at least 30 points. Notre Dame averaged 7.58 Yards-Per-Play to defeat the Eagles two weeks ago — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games on the road after averaging at least 7.25 Yards-Per-Play in their last game. The Irish have scored at least 31 points in four straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after scoring at least 31 points in four straight games. The foundation of this outstanding Notre Dame offense this season has been their offensive line that returned all five of their starters. But that chemistry and cohesion are now in flux with two starters on that line out for this game. Center Jarrett Patterson is out the season with a broken foot and right guard Tommy Kraemer, a four-year starter, is out this week after having an appendectomy. Those are ominous absences for a team that has looked vulnerable on defense in their last two games as they have surrendered 71 combined points in those games. North Carolina rallied from a three-touchdown deficit to defeat the Demon Deacons two weeks ago — and they have then covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread loss. Sophomore quarterback Sam Howell completed 32 of 45 passes for 550 yards with six touchdown passes in the victory — and the Tar Heels have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after passing for at least 280 yards in their last game. North Carolina has a potent offense that should be able to keep up with the Irish. The Tar Heels rank 4th in the nation by averaging 563.4 total YPG — and their 43.1 PPG scoring average is 10th in the nation. North Carolina has struggled on defense — but they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after allowing at least 40 points in their last game. They host this game in their final conference home game this season where they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games as an underdog. The Tar Heels have also covered the point spread in 25 of their last 32 home games against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: North Carolina can play this game loose in the role of the spoiler in this one — and they are undefeated at home with a 4-0 mark while scoring 48.5 PPG and averaging a whopping 609.8 total YPG in those games. Expect a close game with the Tar Heels in a position to pull the upset. 25* CFB ACC Game of the Year with the North Carolina Tar Heels (136) plus the points versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (135). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Texas Longhorns (144) plus the points versus the Iowa State Cyclones (143). THE SITUATION: Texas (5-2) finally returns to action for the first time since November 7th after their 17-13 win over West Virginia as a 6.5-point favorite. Iowa State (6-2) has won three straight games with their 45-0 win over Kansas State last week as a 13.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LONGHORNS PLUS THE POINTS: Iowa State is 6-1 in the Big 12 with aspirations of reaching the Big 12 championship game — so they will be feeling the pressure. Yet the Cyclones are just 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after a win by at least 20 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. Iowa State gained 539 yards in their last game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. They also held the Wildcats to just 149 yards — but they are just 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games after not allowing more than 275 yards in their last game. Now Iowa State goes back on the road where they are just 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 road games against teams with a winning record at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games when favored by 3 points or less. And in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record, the Cyclones have failed to cover the point spread 4 times. Texas has not played given complications with COVID — but they were ready to play last week before issues with Kansas prompted the cancellation. Head coach Tom Herman’s roster should be ready to go. The Longhorns defeated Oklahoma State by a 41-34 score in their previous game before their win over the Mountaineers to begin the month — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after winning their last two games by a touchdown or less against Big 12 opponents. And while Texas has only covered the point spread once in their last six games, they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. The Longhorns are also 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games after not scoring more than 20 points in their last game. Herman’s teams do certainly seem to perform better with a chip on their shoulder as his teams have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Texas will also have revenge on their minds from a 23-21 loss in Ames as a 7-point underdog last season. 10* CFB Iowa State-Texas ABC-TV Special with the Texas Longhorns (144) plus the points versus the Iowa State Cyclones (143). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Oklahoma State Cowboys (401) plus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (402). THE SITUATION: Oklahoma State (5-1) takes the field again after their 20-18 win at Kansas State two weeks ago as a 14-point favorite. Oklahoma (5-2) has won four games in a row with their 62-9 victory against Kansas two weeks ago as a 38.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COWBOYS PLUS THE POINTS: I held off on this play until getting the final update on the Oklahoma State injury situation. The reports are that this team is back to 100% health with the extra week off to prepare for this game. Running back Chuba Hubbard, wide receiver Tylan Wallace, and three starters on the offensive line have been either out or slowed with injuries — so this is a significant development. The Cowboys managed only 256 yards against the Wildcats in their last game which was the lowest yardage output for them since 2014 — but these injuries played a role in that output. Oklahoma State should be racing to go in this game —and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after their bye week. The Cowboys have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a point spread loss — and they are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games after a straight-up win. Oklahoma State has a solid defense even above typical Big 12 standards as they are holding their opponents to just 17.8 PPG along with only 311.7 total YPG. They are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. Now they go back on the road where they are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games as a road dog. Oklahoma has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a win by at least 20 points. The Sooners have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. Oklahoma flexed their muscles on defense by limiting the Jayhawks to just 246 yards. But the Sooners have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing no more than 275 yards in their last contest — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last contest. Oklahoma has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record — and they are also 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games in November.

FINAL TAKE: Oklahoma State has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record — and they have also covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games as an underdog. The road team has covered the point spread in 7 of the last 8 meetings between these two teams — expect a close game. 10* CFB Oklahoma State-Oklahoma ABC-TV Special with the Oklahoma State Cowboys (401) plus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (402). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Central Florida Knights (344) plus the points versus the Cincinnati Bearcats (343). THE SITUATION: Central Florida (5-2) has won three straight games after their 38-13 win over Temple last week as a 28.5-point favorite last Saturday. Cincinnati (7-0) remained unbeaten last week with their 55-13 win over East Carolina as a 27.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE KNIGHTS PLUS THE POINTS: Central Florida has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after a victory where they did not cover the point spread as a favorite. After losing to Tulsa and Memphis, the Knights have rattled off three-straight wins while scoring 44.3 PPG in those games. This team is an offensive juggernaut under head coach Josh Heupel. They lead the nation by averaging a whopping 619.1 total YPG in their up-tempo attack. Sophomore quarterback Dillon Gabriel has found a nice rhythm as he has completed 57 of 95 passes for 1018 yards with nine touchdown passes and no interceptions. For the season, the lefty is completing 63.3% of his passes with 23 touchdown passes and just two interceptions while averaging 393.6 passing YPG which leads the nation. Their +129 net yardage edge over the Owls was the slimmest margin in their last three contests — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after outgaining their last three opponents by at least +125 net yards. They have covered the point spread in 38 of their last 54 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 8 straight games after not allowing more than 14 points. Additionally, the Knights have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog. Cincinnati has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite. The Bearcats benefited from a +3 net turnover margin against the Pirates — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after enjoying a +2 or better net turnover margin in their last game. Cincinnati has college football playoff aspirations on their minds — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after winning at least seven games in a row. And while they have covered the point spread in four straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. The Bearcats have feasted on a soft schedule — their opponents have a combined 15-13 record with 11 of those victories coming from SMU and Memphis. The Bearcats are allowing only 12.4 PPG this season but they have yet to play an opponent who pushes the pace like the Knights. This Cincy may be overrated given their easy schedule. Tulsa ranks just ahead of them in Defensive Expected Points Allowed — and Central Florida put up 455 yards against the Golden Hurricane defense.

FINAL TAKE: UCF should put up plenty of points against the Bearcats who are not as comfortable playing in shootouts. Cincinnati has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games with the total set in the 63.5 to 70 point range — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games away from home with the Total set in the 63.5 to 70 point range. The Bearcats upset the Knights last season by a 27-24 score at home as a 3.5-point underdog on October 4th — so this is a prime opportunity for UCF to exact some revenge. 25* CFB American Athletic Conference Underdog of the Year with the Central Florida Knights (344) plus the points versus the Cincinnati Bearcats (343). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the UTSA Roadrunners (385) and the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (386). THE SITUATION: UTSA (5-4) has now two of their last three games with their 52-21 win over UTEP as a 5.5-point favorite last week. Southern Mississippi (2-6) has lost three of their last four games with their 10-7 loss at Western Kentucky last week as an 8-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Roadrunners have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a win at home against a conference rival. UTSA has also played 4 straight games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Roadrunners generated 600 yards of offense to blowout the Miners. But UTSA has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. Additionally, UTEP has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after scoring at least 50 points in their last game — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a game where at least 70 combined points were scored. The Roadrunners are scoring 27.0 PPG while averaging 402.8 total YPG this season but those numbers drop to just 21.8 PPG and 342.0 YPG in their four games on the road. UTSA did hold the Miners to just 246 total yards — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 275 yards in their last contest. UTSA has held their last three opponents to just 23.7 PPG and 275.0 YPG. They go back on the road where they have played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total with the number in the 49.5 to 56 range. They have also played 4 straight road games Under the Total when favored. Southern Miss has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Golden Eagles have played a decisive 41 of their last 60 games Under the Total after a loss on the road — and they have played 7 of their last 9 road games Under the Total after a loss by a field goal or less. The Southern Miss offensive attack took a hit when senior quarterback Jack Abraham opted-out for the rest of the season and he has since entered the transfer portal. Since he left the team, the Golden Eagles are averaging just 12.3 PPG along with 278.3 total YPG — and 24 of their 37 combined points were against Northern Alabama. Trey Lowe completed only 6 of 14 passes for 67 yards under center last week while leading an offense that gained only 221 yards against the Hilltoppers last week. Southern Miss has played 4 straight games Under the Total after failing to gain at least 275 yards in their last game. They return home where they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total. Furthermore, the Golden Eagles have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total with the number set in the 49.5 to 56 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Southern Miss has played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total in conference play while the Under is 18-8-1 in UTSA’s last 27 games against Conference USA rivals. 20* CFB Saturday Afternoon Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the UTSA Roadrunners (385) and the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (386). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Ohio State Buckeyes (358) minus the points versus the Indiana Hoosiers (357). THE SITUATION: Ohio State (3-0) enters this showdown of undefeated teams coming off a 49-27 victory against Rutgers as a 37.5-point favorite. Indiana (4-0) comes off a 24-0 win at Michigan State as a 7.5-point favorite last week.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKEYES MINUS THE POINTS: Ohio State’s victory over the Scarlet Knights was not as close as the final score indicated with Rutgers scoring from a 58-yard punt return and then a late garbage touchdown in the second half. The Buckeyes went into the locker room at halftime with a 35-3 lead. Ohio State should build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a win by at least 20 points. The Buckeyes have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after scoring at least 40 points. They stay at home where they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 home games when favored. Ohio State has also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games when favored. Indiana has been a nice story — but they are just 2-10-1 ATS in their last 13 games after a win by at least 20 points. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a shutout victory. The Hoosiers limited the Spartans to just 191 yards — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after not allowing more than 275 yards in their last game. Now Indiana goes back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 24 road games when getting 14.5 to 21 points.

FINAL TAKE: Ohio State crushed Indiana by a 51-10 score last season in September. There remains a significant talent differential between these two teams. And the Buckeyes usually get riled up when facing good competition as they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games against teams with a winning record. 10* CFB Indiana-Ohio State Fox-TV Special with the Ohio State Buckeyes (358) minus the points versus the Indiana Hoosiers (357). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Georgia Southern Eagles (365) plus the points versus the Army Black Knights (366). THE SITUATION: Georgia Southern (6-2) has won three games in a row with their 40-38 win against Texas State last week as a 12.5-point favorite. Army (6-2) saw their four-game winning streak snapped last Saturday as a 3-point underdog with their 38-12 loss at Tulane.

REASONS TO TAKE THE EAGLES PLUS THE POINTS: Georgia Southern has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. The Eagles have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a win by 7 points or less against a conference opponent. Georgia Southern has also covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a point spread loss. The Eagles did get their ground game rolling last week as they generated 386 yards on the ground while outgaining the Bobcats by +356 net rushing yards which is a great sign for them in this game. Georgia Southern has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after rushing for at least 300 yards in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after outrushing their last opponent by at least 200 yards. Now the Eagles go back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games. Army endured a -3 net turnover margin in their loss last week — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 25 of their last 39 games after having a -2 or worse net turnover margin in their last game. The Black Knights have also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 home games after winning two of their last three games. Army may be  a paper tiger — three of their victories have come against FCS opponents with their other three wins being against teams ranked 108th, 122nd, and 123rd in the ESPN Football Power Index (for what those rankings are worth). The Black Knights’ losses have been against Cincinnati and the Green Wave last week — and they have only scored 22 combined points in those two games. Army may struggle to get their triple option rushing attack going against this Appalachian State defense that leads the Sun Belt Conference by holding opposing rushers to just 3.48 Yards-Per-Carry. This is expected to be a lower-scoring game with the total dropping below 42. But the Black Knights have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games with the over/under set at 42 or less — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when playing at home with the total no higher than 42.

FINAL TAKE: Army has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. Don’t be surprised if Georgia Southern pulls the upset — but take the points for some insurance. 10* CFB Don’t Need the Points (but we will take the points) Underdog Special with the Georgia Southern Eagles (365) plus the points versus the Army Black Knights (366). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Louisville Cardinals (326) minus the points versus the Syracuse Orange (325). THE SITUATION: Louisville (2-6) has lost two straight games as well as six of their last seven contests after their 31-17 loss at Virginia as a 6.5-point underdog last Saturday. Syracuse (1-7) has lost five games in a row with their 16-13 loss to Boston College as a 14.5-point underdog two weeks ago on November 7th.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CARDINALS MINUS THE POINTS: Turnovers were the culprit for Louisville not being in a position to defeat the Cavaliers. Junior quarterback threw an interception that was returned for an 85-yard touchdown in the first quarter that served as a 10 to 14-point swing with the Cardinals in the red zone. Cunningham then fumbled in Virginia territory at the 8:22 minute mark in the fourth quarter to ruin a potential game-tying touchdown drive. Louisville outgained the Cavaliers by +110 net yards. Head coach Scott Satterfield’s team should bounce-back as they are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games after a point spread defeat. Furthermore, Louisville has covered the point spread in 5 straight games after not scoring more than 20 points in their last game. The Cardinals have been held back by a -12 net turnover margin with their 18 giveaways ranking 3rd most in the FBS. Louisville is outgaining their opponents by +48.5 net YPG this season which tracks with their preseason expectations. Satterfield returned 16 starters from last year’s 8-5 team. Defense was considered the biggest concern for this team but they did hold Notre Dame to only 12 points and they also held Florida State to just 16 points. Their return home where they are outgaining their opponents by +128.7 net YPG. They have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games as a favorite. Cunningham is a dynamic talent at quarterback who rushed for 197 yards with two touchdowns in the losing effort against the Cavaliers. He is completing 63.2% of his passes for 1907 yards with 15 touchdown passes but his nine interceptions are a problem — but he faces an Orange defense that has forced only one turnover in their last three games. Louisville averages 38.0 PPG along with 530.0 total YPG in their four home games — so they have the offensive firepower to blow Syracuse out. The Cardinals have covered the point spread in 3 straight games when favored by 10.5 to 21 points. Syracuse has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 23 games after a loss by a touchdown or less again an ACC opponent — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread win. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. The Orange managed only 240 yards of offense in the loss. Syracuse entered the season with only 11 starters back from last year’s 5-7 that finished only 2-6 in ACC play. Injuries and opt-outs have further decimated what was already a shaky roster. The Orange are now without their top two running backs from their original depth chart along with their top two defensive backs including safety Andre Cisco who enter the leading the nation with his 12 career interceptions (which correlates with the steep decline in the team’s takeaways). Syracuse also lost their starting quarterback Tommy Devito in mid-October. After three subpar starts from senior Rex Culpepper, head coach Dino Babers turned to a true freshman in JaCobian Morgan to make his first start against the Eagles two weeks ago. Morgan was OK that week — he completed 19 of 30 passes for 188 yards with a TD and an interception. But this is a tough assignment being asked to outduel Cunningham leading a team that is just 3-8-2 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record. Syracuse has also failed to cover the point spread in 37 of their last 58 games as an underdog getting 10.5 to 21 points.

FINAL TAKE: Louisville will not have their top running back, Javian Hawkins, who has opted-out for the rest of the season — but they expect to get their speedy junior Hassan Hill to return to action after missing the last three games. The Cardinals have covered the point spread in their last 4 opportunities to host the Orange. This may look like a lot of points to lay for a 2-6 team — but let’s trust the wisdom of the oddsmakers. 25* CFB Friday ESPN Game of the Month with the Louisville Cardinals (326) minus the points versus the Syracuse Orange (325). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (426) minus the points versus the Tulane Green Wave (425). THE SITUATION: Tulsa (4-1) has won four straight games with their 28-24 victory over SMU last Saturday as a 1-point favorite. Tulane (5-4) has won three straight games with their 38-12 win over Army on Saturday as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN HURRICANE MINUS THE POINTS: Tulsa rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit to defeat the Mustangs. Don’t tear up your tickets with head coach Phillip Montgomery’s team as they have also rallied from an 18-point deficit to Central Florida and a 14-point hole to East Carolina. This team seems to be putting it all together this season after going 4-8 last year in a rugged schedule that featured nine bowl teams. That group dealt with a handful of heartbreaking missed field goals that overwhelmed their +45 net YPG mark in conference play. The Golden Hurricane is outscoring their opponents by +7.2 PPG this season while outgaining them by +43.4 net YPG. Tulsa gained 455 yards against SMU — and they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Golden Hurricane is also 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games after a point spread victory. They stay at home where they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games at home against teams with winning records. And in their last 26 games overall against teams with a winning record, Montgomery’s teams have covered the point spread in 19 of these contests. Tulane has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a victory by at least 20 points. The Green Wave limited the Black Knights to just 303 yards of offense — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last contest. This Tulane defense is still allowing 27.6 PPG along with 421.7 total YPG — and those marks rise to 33.8 PPG and 467.8 YPG in their five games on the road. The Green Wave have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Tulane has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Tulane has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 trips to Tulsa to play the Golden Hurricane. They have won three in a row against Tulsa after their 38-26 win at home as a 10-point favorite last year. That loss should provide bulletin-board fodder for Montgomery for this rematch. 10* CFB Tulane-Tulsa ESPN Special with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (426) minus the points versus the Tulane Green Wave (425). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Central Michigan Chippewas (314) plus the points versus the Western Michigan Broncos (313). THE SITUATION: Central Michigan (2-0) remained unbeaten so far this season with their 40-10 win at Northern Illinois as a 5.5-point favorite last Wednesday. Western Michigan (2-0) comes off a 41-38 win against Toledo last Wednesday as a 1-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CHIPPEWAS PLUS THE POINT(S): Central Michigan has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Chippewas has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a win by at least 20 points. The Central Michigan defense is playing outstanding as they lead the Mid-American Conference by holding their opponents to just 18.5 PPG. They already have four takeaways with 13 tackles-for-loss — and they have allowed only one play of more than 40 yards. They have a balanced offense that is averaging 210.5 rushing YPG and 219.5 passing YPG. They return  home where they have won all seven of their games since the start of last season. They have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games at home. Western Michigan has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 21 games after a point spread victory. And while the Broncos have won and covered the point spread in their first two games after defeating Akron by a 58-13 score in their opening game, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after winning and covering the point spread in two straight games. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least 31 points in two straight games. Western Michigan did surrender 501 yards against the Rockets — and they are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games after allowing at least 450 yards in their last game. They needed to recover an onside kick with under a minute to go to orchestrate their 10-point rally with under three minutes to go to eke out that game against Toledo. The Broncos have won the turnover battle in their first two games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after enjoying a +1 or better turnover margin in their last game. And in their last 9 games on the road, Western Michigan has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Central Michigan will be looking to avenge a 31-15 loss at Western Michigan last season which should ensure they are very motivated for this MAC West division clash. 10* CFB Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Central Michigan Chippewas (314) plus the points versus the Western Michigan Broncos (313). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Akron Zips (301) and the Kent State Golden Flashes (302). THE SITUATION: Akron (0-2) remained winless last week with their 24-10 loss at Ohio last Tuesday as a 27.5-point underdog. Kent State (2-0) is undefeated after their 62-24 win at Bowling Green last Tuesday as a 20.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Zips may still be winless in the 14 games coached by Tom Arth in his second season with the program — but there is reason for optimism. Arth has 70 new players on the roster consisting of transfers, redshirt freshman, and true freshmen from the group that was 0-12 last year. Six starters are back on defense along with eleven of the top sixteen tacklers — and Akron limited the Bobcats last week to just 307 yards of offense. The Zips have a solid rushing attack led by junior college transfer Teon Dollard who ran the ball 22 times for 165 yards against Ohio for a robust 7.5 Yards-Per-Carry average in that game. Akron ran for 218 yards last week to improve their rushing Yards-Per-Game average to a 173.0 clip for the season. The Zips should be able to shorten the length of this game with their rushing attack — they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after rushing for at least 200 yards in their last game. Arth has a redshirt freshman under center in Zach Gibson with the team’s senior three-year starter, Kato Nelson, recovering from shoulder surgery in August. As it is, the Zips have played a decisive 39 of their last 57 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 11 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Akron has also played 27 of their last 38 games Under the Total after login two straight games against conference rivals. Now the Zips go back on the road where they have played 35 of their last 51 games Under the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 7 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Kent State has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win by at least 20 points. The Golden Flashes have also played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a game where at least 70 combined points were scored. Additionally, Kent State has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. The Golden Flashes generated 372 passing yards against the Falcons — and they have played 7 straight games Under the Total after passing for at least 280 yards in their last game. Kent State averaged an explosive 11.94 Yards-Per-Play for 657 total yards — yet they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after averaging at least 6.25 YPP in their last game and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after gaining at least 475 yards in their last game. The Golden Flashes return home where the Under is 11-5-1 in their last 17 games when they are favored. Kent State has excelled in their pass defense so far this season with seven sacks while holding their opponents to just 173.0 passing YPG which is the best mark in the MAC.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 8 of their last 10 meetings Under the Total. Expect a lower-scoring game. 25* CFB Tuesday ESPN Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Akron Zips (301) and the Kent State Golden Flashes (302). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (147) and the Boston College Eagles (148). THE SITUATION: Notre Dame (7-0) comes off their triumphant 47-40 win in overtime at home against Clemson as a 5-point underdog. Boston College (5-3) looks to build off their 16-13 win at Syracuse last Saturday as a 14.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Fighting Irish have played 15 of their last 20 games Under the Total after a game where they scored and allowed at least 30 points. Notre Dame has also played 24 of their last 32 games Under the Total after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. Ian Book completed 22 of 39 passes for 310 yards to lead the Irish to the upset win — but Notre Dame has played 7 straight games Under the Total after passing for at least 280 yards in their last game. Now the Fighting Irish go back on the road where they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 7 road games Under the Total when favored. Notre Dame has a good defense — they are allowing only 14.6 PPG along with just 296.6 total YPG. Boston College has played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Under is 37-14-1 in the Eagles’ last 52 games after scoring no more than 20 points in their last game — and the Under is 38-14-2 in the last 54 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last contest. Boston College held the Orange to just 240 total yards last week — and the Under is 23-9-1 in their last 33 games after not allowing more than 275 yards in their last game. They return home where they have played 6 of their last 7 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 8 of their last 9 meetings Under the Total. The Irish may be a bit emotionally flat after last week — but their defense should show up. 10* CFB Notre Dame-Boston College ABC-TV O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (147) and the Boston College Eagles (148). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Virginia Tech Hokies (156) minus the points versus the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (155). THE SITUATION: Virginia Tech (4-3) looks to bounce-back from their 38-35 upset loss at home to Liberty last Saturday as a 17-point favorite. Miami (6-1) has won three games in a row with their 44-41 win at North Carolina State as a 10.5-point favorite last Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HOKIES MINUS THE POINTS: Virginia Tech thought they had staved-off the embarrassing upset last week as they blocked Liberty’s attempt at a game-winning field goal and returned it for their potential 42-35 victory. But Hokies’ head coach Justin Fuente had called a time out in an attempt to freeze the Flames’ kicker which instead stymied his special teams’ great play. Liberty went on to kick the game-winning field goal. Virginia Tech should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss. And while the Hokies have scored 77 combined points in their last two games — and they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after scoring at least 31 points in two straight games. Virginia Tech stays at home where they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games — and they have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 26 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Additionally, the Hokies have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games in November. Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after winning at least four of their last five games. And while the Hurricanes preceded their victory the Wolfpack with a 19-14 win versus Virginia, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after winning two games in a row by no more than 7 points against ACC foes. Miami put up 620 yards of offense against NC State in their win — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Hurricanes have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. Miami has won the turnover battle in each of their last two games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after their turnover chain helped them accrue a +1 or better turnover margin in at least two straight games. The Hurricanes stay on the road where they are allowing their home hosts to score 39.0 PPG while allowing these foes to average 492.0 total YPG. Miami is not getting much from their running game outside D’Eriq King either — lead running back Cam’ron Harris has not topped 50 rushing yards in his last six games.

FINAL TAKE: The Hurricanes have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Miami has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games with the Total set at 63 or higher. 20* CFB Miami-Virginia Tech ESPN Special with the Virginia Tech Hokies (156) minus the points versus the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (155). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Michigan State Spartans (164) plus the points versus the Indiana Hoosiers (163). THE SITUATION: Michigan State (1-2) looks to bounce back from their 49-7 loss at Iowa last week as a 5.5-point underdog. Indiana (3-0) look to build off their 38-21 upset victory over Michigan last Saturday as a 4.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SPARTANS PLUS THE POINTS: Michigan State was likely due for an emotional letdown after upsetting Michigan in Ann Arbor the previous week. A -3 net turnover margin did Sparty in against the Hawkeyes. Michigan State committed 7 turnovers in their opening week upset loss against Rutgers. The Spartans have a -7 net turnover margin on the season. Now Michigan State returns home where they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 home games as a dog getting 7.5 to 14 points. The Spartans have also covered the point spread in 16 of their last 26 home games with the Total set in the 49.5 to 52 point range. Indiana had failed to cover the point spread in 25 of their last 34 games after a win at home by at least 17 points. The Hoosiers benefited from a +2 net turnover margin in that game. Indiana has been fortunate with turnover luck as they have a +6 net turnover margin on the season. Now they go back on the road where have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight road games against teams with a losing record at home.

FINAL TAKE: While I am not surprised that the Hoosiers have started the season with three wins, they don’t deserve to be touchdown road favorites — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games when favored. Michigan State's first-year head coach Mel Tucker is good. 10* CFB Indiana-Michigan State ABC-TV Special with the Michigan State Spartans (164) plus the points versus the Indiana Hoosiers (163). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (149) and the North Carolina Tar Heels (150). THE SITUATION: Wake Forest (4-2) has won four games in a row with their 38-14 win at Syracuse as a 14-point favorite two weeks ago on October 31st. North Carolina (5-2) has won two of their last three games with their 56-24 win at Duke as a 10.5-point favorite last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Demon Deacons have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the total after a straight-up win — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, Wake Forest has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a win by at least 20 points. The Demon Deacons limited the Orange to just 221 yards of offense — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than 275 yards in their last game. Wake Forest has also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 20 points in their last contest. This team has steadily improved their play on defense this season for head coach Dave Clawson. They have held their last three opponents to just 17.7 PPG along with only 358.0 total YPG. Furthermore, the Demon Deacons have played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total as an underdog. North Carolina has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a win by at least 20 points. The Tar Heels have also played 31 of their last 47 home games Under the Total after a game where at least 60 combined points were scored. North Carolina has played three straight Overs where at least 69 combined points were scored — and their last two contests reaching at least 80 points. Yet the Tar Heels have played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total after playing at least three straight Overs. North Carolina has also played 22 of their last 20 games Under the Total when they played two straight games where at least 60 combined points were scored — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games when they have played three straight games where at least 60 combined points were scored. Despite these higher scoring games, the Tar Heels are playing pretty good defense when playing at home. North Carolina holds its visitors to just 24.0 PPG along with 363.0 total YPG.

FINAL TAKE: North Carolina has played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total with the Total set at 63 or higher — and they have played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total with the Total set at 63 or higher. 25* CFB ACC Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (149) and the North Carolina Tar Heels (150). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers (128) plus the points versus the Iowa Hawkeyes (127). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (1-2) won their first game of the season last week with their 41-14 win at Illinois as a 7.5-point favorite. Iowa (1-2) also snapped a two-game losing streak to win their opening game of the season last Saturday with their 49-7 victory over Michigan State as a 5.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN GOPHERS PLUS THE POINTS: Minnesota should build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread setback. Additionally, the Golden Gophers have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a win by at least 20 points — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a victory by at least three touchdowns against a Big Ten rival. The Minnesota defense played their best game of the season by holding the Illini to just 287 yards of offense. The Gophers have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. The Minnesota offense has been quite good as they are scoring 36.3 Points-Per-Game while averaging 444.3 total YPG. Running back Mo Ibrahim leads the nation by averaging 190.3 rushing YPG. They have 85 combined points in their last two games — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after scoring at least 31 points in two straight games. The Gophers return home where they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games with the Total set in the 56.5 to 63 point range. Additionally, Minnesota is 28-12-2 ATS in their last 42 games in November. Iowa may be due for an emotional letdown after they crushed the Spartans last week. The Hawkeyes have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a win by at least 20 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread win. Iowa scored on a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown and then a 54-yard interception touchdown return to close out the second quarter and go into halftime with a 35-0 lead. Yet Iowa has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after owning at least a 17-point lead at halftime in their last game. The Hawkeyes have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. And in their last 6 games are not allowing more than 20 points in their last game, Iowa has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Minnesota will have revenge on their minds for this one as Iowa ruined their unbeaten season last year on November 16th with their 23-19 win in Iowa City as a 3.5-point favorite. The Golden Gophers have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games as an underdog under head coach P.J. Fleck. 25* CFB Big Ten Underdog of the Month with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (128) plus the points versus the Iowa Hawkeyes (127). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Western Michigan Broncos (120) minus the points versus the Toledo Rockets (119). THE SITUATION: Western Michigan (1-0) opened their season last week with a 58-13 win at Akron as a 19.5-point favorite. Toledo (1-0) opened their season last Wednesday with a 38-3 victory over Bowling Green.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRONCOS MINUS THE POINTS: Western Michigan dominated the Zips last week by outgaining them by +228 net yards. Redshirt sophomore Kaleb Eleby completed 12 of 16 passes for 262 yards in his first collegiate start — and he tossed three touchdown passes. He leads the Broncos’ offense to 484 total yards — and they are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. Eleby redshirted last season during Jon Wassink’s senior season where he won the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year. In 2018, Eleby completed 92 of 147 passes for 1092 yards with four touchdown passes in five games after Wassink suffered a knee injury. He threw for 293 yards against Toledo that season. This is a consistent program in the fourth season under head coach Tim Lester which was bowl eligible for the sixth straight season last year with their 7-6 record. Eleven starters return from the group that lost to Western Kentucky in the First Responder Bowl. Six starters are back on defense with the unit that held Akron to just 256 yards last week. The Broncos have covered the point spread in 32 of their last 54 games after allowing no more than 14 points in their last game. Western Michigan is also 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games at home. Toledo has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread victory. The Rockets have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. Now they go on the road where they were winless in four conference games last season while being outscored by -28 Points-Per-Game. Toledo has failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games on the road. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Western Michigan will be looking to avenge a 31-24 loss at Toledo last season as a 1.5-point underdog on October 5th. 10* CFB Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the Western Michigan Broncos (120) minus the points versus the Toledo Rockets (119). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Kent State Golden Flashes (109) and the Bowling Green Falcons (110). THE SITUATION: Kent State (1-0) enters this game coming off their 27-23 win over Eastern Michigan last Wednesday as a 4.5-point favorite. Bowling Green (0-1) looks to rebound from their 38-3 loss at Toledo as a 24-point underdog last Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Golden Flashes flexed their muscles on defense last week by holding the Eagles to just 302 total awards along with just 1.9 Yards-Per-Carry in their rushing game. Kent State should be improved on defense with their young unit that returned six starters and their top-three tacklers from last year’s group. The Golden Flashes generated 219 rushing yards in the win — and they have then played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total after rushing for at least 200 yards in their last game. Now this team goes on the road where they played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total as a favorite. They also have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total when laying 10.5 to 21 points. And in their last 5 games with the Total set in the 56.5 to 63 point range, Kent State has played 4 of these games Under the Total. Bowling Green managed only 267 total yards last week in scoring only a field goal. The Falcons have then played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they also played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a setback by at least 20 points. Furthermore, Bowling Green has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after not scoring more than 6 points in their last game — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after not gaining more than 275 yards in their last contest. They return home where they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total. They also have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing at Bowling Green. With the winds up to 23 miles-per-hour which will wreak havoc on the passing games, expect a lower-scoring game. 10* CFB Tuesday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Kent State Golden Flashes (109) and the Bowling Green Falcons (110). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Arkansas State Red Wolves (389) and the UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (390). THE SITUATION: Arkansas State (3-4) has lost two straight games after their 38-10 loss to Troy last week as a 3.5-point favorite. UL-Lafayette (5-1) has won their last two games after their 44-34 win at Texas State as a 17-point favorite last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Red Wolves have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after suffering an upset loss at home. Now Arkansas State goes back on the road where they are scoring only 24.8 PPG along with averaging 416.5 total YPG in four games which is a significant drop off from their 31.1 PPG and 461.0 total YPG season averages. The Red Wolves have played 5 of their last 7 road games Under the Total as an underdog — and the Under is also a decisive 30-13-1 in their last 44 road games against teams with a winning record at home. UL-Lafayette has played 4 straight games Under the Total after a point spread loss. And while the Ragin’ Cajuns generated 614 yards of offense in their win over the Bobcats, they have then played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. They return home where they have played 6 straight games Under the Total. And in their last 13 games when they were favored, UL-Lafayette has played 10 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: The Ragin’ Cajuns have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total in November — and the Red Wolves have seen the Under go 10-4-1 in their last 15 games in November. With the Total approaching 70, expect a lower than expected final score. 10* CFB Saturday Afternoon Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Arkansas State Red Wolves (389) and the UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (390). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:45 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boise State Broncos (314) and the Brigham Young University Cougars (313). THE SITUATION: BYU (7-0) remained unbeaten this season last Saturday with their 41-10 victory at home against Western Kentucky as a 31.5-point favorite. Boise State (2-0) won their second-straight game this season with their 49-30 win at Air Force last Saturday as a 13-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Cougars held the Hilltoppers to just 262 total yards to earn the victory last week. The BYU defense is only allowing 13.4 PPG along with 281.3 total YPG this season. The Cougars have played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 275 yards in their last contest — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than 20 points in their last contest. Furthermore, BYU has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a win by at least three touchdowns — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread to cover as a double-digit favorite. The Cougars are scoring 44.7 PPG this season and they have put up at least 41 points on the scoreboard in three straight games — but they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after scoring at least 37 points in two straight games. They also have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least 40 points in their last contest. Now this team goes back on the road after covering the point spread in six of their seven games. BYU has played 16 of their last 22 games Under the Total way from home after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven contests. Boise State has played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. This Broncos defense returned six starters from the group that allowed only 21.9 PPG last season. They did allow Air Force to gain 484 yards last week but 415 of those yards were on the ground against their unique spread triple option. Boise State has played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. They also have played 25 of their last 35 home games Under the Total — and they have played 7 straight home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Boise State has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total in November in that colder Idaho weather — and BYU has played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total with the Total set at 56.5 to 63. 10* CFB Friday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Boise State Broncos (314) and the Brigham Young University Cougars (313). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:45 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Boise State Broncos (314) plus the points versus the Brigham Young University Cougars (313). THE SITUATION: Boise State (2-0) won their second-straight game this season with their 49-30 win at Air Force last Saturday as a 13-point favorite. BYU (7-0) remained unbeaten this season last Saturday with their 41-10 victory at home against Western Kentucky as a 31.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRONCOS PLUS THE POINTS: Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier did not get on the plane to Air Force last week for an undisclosed reason — the Broncos did have one player who tested positive for COVID but privacy reasons preclude the release of that information (and they had another player not make the trip). Just as well, competitively, as it allowed Jack Sears to get his shot under center. The USC transfer completed 17 of 20 passes for 280 yards with three touchdown passes (no interceptions) with another 36 rushing yards with a touchdown. Boise State has not announced their starting quarterback for this game — frankly, I think Sears is better but I was prepared to still back the Broncos if Bachmeier was the confirmed starter. Put another way, if Bachmeier starts but struggles, head coach Bryan Harsin is going to turn to Sears. As it is, the Broncos have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 28 home games after a win by at least five touchdowns against a conference rival. Sears led an offense that generated 459 yards last week — and they are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. Boise State did allow the Falcons to gain 484 yards in that game but they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after allowing at least 450 yards in their last game. The Broncos have only forced one turnover this season — and they have covered the point spread in 27 of their last 38 games after not forcing more than one turnover in two straight games. They return home to their blue field where they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games. They also have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games as an underdog. BYU has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a victory by at least 20 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. The Cougars have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last contest. BYU has not allowed more than 267 yards in two straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 23 games after not allowing more than 275 yards in two straight games. This is the Cougars’ best start since 2001 — but their best competition has been against middling Houston and Navy teams this season. BYU was a two-touchdown or more favorite in their other five games this season. And this remains a program that entered the season with a 14-74 straight-up record against top-25 teams since 1972. The Cougars have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games in November.

FINAL TAKE: This game does have playoff implications with BYU ranked 9th in the AP poll with Boise State ranked 21st but a potential playoff team if they go undefeated to win the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos will be looking to avenge a 28-25 upset loss at BYU last year on October 19th where they were 7-point favorites. Boise State has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a Friday night. 25* CFB Friday FS1-TV Game of the Year with the Boise State Broncos (314) plus the points versus the Brigham Young University Cougars (313). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Colorado State Rams (306) plus the points versus the Wyoming Cowboys (305). THE SITUATION: Colorado State (0-1) lost its opening game of the season last Thursday in their 38-17 upset loss at Fresno State as a 2.5-point favorite. Wyoming (1-1) comes off a 31-7 win at home against Hawai’i last Friday as a 2.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAMS PLUS THE POINTS: Colorado finally played their first game of the season last week after having their opening game with New Mexico canceled because of some COVID issues with the Lobos. The Rams also had COVID issues that kept sophomore wide receiver Dante Wright and tight end, Trey McBride, out for that game. With Warren Jackson leaving the team earlier this fall, those absences left this offense thin with their passing targets. Getting the updated COVID lists for all of these teams is simply essential before investing. Both Wright and McBride will return for this game which will make a huge difference. Wright is a speedy sophomore and McBride is a potential NFL prospect. First-year head coach Steve Addazio was frustrated with the mistakes his team made last week. Said the former Boston College head coach after the game: “We've just got to get rid of the massive amount of mistakes that we had on both sides of the ball … Blown coverages, misaligned on defense ... Then (on offense), we had a couple of ridiculous mistakes that were drive-killers … We just need to be way, way more consistent.” The biggest jumps in improvement often come after the opening game of the season — I expect a much better effort from this Rams team tonight. As it is, Colorado State has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. The Rams have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a loss by at least 20 points. And in their last 5 games after failing to score at last 20 points, Colorado State has covered the point spread in 4 of these games. They returned 15 starters from last year’s team that was only 4-8 — but they did outgain their Mountain West Conference foes by +34 Yards-Per-Game. They return home where they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games. Wyoming has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after an upset victory by at least 10 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games if they come off a home game where they pulled off an upset victory by double-digits. The Cowboys only committed one turnover in that game which helped them win the turnover battle for the second-straight week — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after not turning the ball over more than once in their last game. We had Wyoming in that game in just a great situation with them returning home to host the Rainbow Warriors in very cold weather. The Cowboys have now won seven straight games at home to improve their 30-15 straight-up mark in the last forty-five games at War Memorial Stadium. But Wyoming has lost six of their last eight games away from home. Twelve starters returned from the team last year that finished 8-5 — but they lost their top three tacklers from that group. Nevada rolled up 496 yards against them in their opening game loss in Reno. Wyoming has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 road games when laying 3.5 to 7 points.

FINAL TAKE: The Cowboys have won the last four Border Wars between these two teams after last year’s 17-7 victory at home in Laramie. Look for Colorado State to be in a position to pull the upset tonight in Addazio’s second game with the team. 25* CFB Thursday CBS Sports Network Game of the Year with the Colorado State Rams (306) plus the points versus the Wyoming Cowboys (305). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Mississippi Rebels (185) and the Vanderbilt Commodores (186). THE SITUATION: Ole Miss (1-4) has lost three games in a row after their 35-28 loss at home to Auburn as a 3.5-point underdog. Vanderbilt (0-3) returns to the field after getting last week off looking to rebound from a 41-7 loss at home to South Carolina as a 14.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Commodores managed only 249 total yards against the Gamecocks’ defense. Vandy has scored only 26 combined this season — they are averaging a mere 8.7 PPG along with just 256.7 total YPG. The Under is 27-13-1 in their last 41 games after a double-digit loss at home. The Commodores have also played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a bye week. Vandy allowed South Carolina to generated 485 yards in that loss — but the Under a 36-14-1 in their last 51 games after allowing at least 450 yards in their last game. They stay at home where they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 10 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. Vanderbilt has also played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record. Mississippi has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. The Rebels ran the 51 times against the Tigers (as opposed to just 28 pass attempts) to gain 283 rushing yards for head coach Lane Kiffin’s offense — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after rushing for at least 200 yards in their last game. Now Ole Miss goes back on the road where they have played 21 of their last 27 road games Under the Total as a favorite — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 10 of their last 14 meetings Under the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 7 encounters in Nashville at Vandy Under the Total. 10* CFB Saturday Afternoon O/U Discounted Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Mississippi Rebels (185) and the Vanderbilt Commodores (186). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:45 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Wyoming Cowboys (142) minus the point(s) versus the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (141). THE SITUATION: Wyoming (0-1) looks to rebound from their 37-34 upset loss at Nevada in overtime last week by a 3-point favorite. Hawai’i (1-0) comes off a 34-19 upset win at Fresno State last Saturday as a 2.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COWBOYS MINUS THE POINT(S): Wyoming started slowly as they fell behind by a 28-6 margin before rallying to force overtime where they eventually failed to steal the victory. But the Cowboys have then bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread setback. Wyoming endured sophomore quarterback Sean Chambers suffer a season-ending broken leg in the third play of this game. Chambers started the first seven games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury. However, the Cowboys have a capable replacement in redshirt freshman Levi Williams, who led the team to 38 points as the starter last year in their 38-17 victory over Georgia State in the Arizona Bowl. Williams completed 16 of 31 passes for 227 yards while adding another 40 yards on the ground with two touchdowns in almost leading his team to the comeback win. Chambers is a run-first quarterback — Williams is the better passer while still offering running skills. Despite the loss, this is a good Wyoming team that returned over 70% of the two-deep from the team last year that finished 8-5. Many observers have commented on the lack of a home-field advantage when playing in a pandemic without crowded stadiums — but this has been a myopic view of the intangibles that offer teams a home edge. The Cowboys retain a significant home edge playing in Laramie, with it being 7220 feet above sea level. Becoming comfortable playing in a high altitude is not as easy for visiting teams — Wyoming has won 29 of their last 44 games at home on Jonah Field in War Memorial Stadium, including all six home contests last season. The Cowboys have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games at home — and they have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 20 games when favored. Hawai’i has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after an upset win by at least 10 points as a road underdog. The Rainbow Warriors ran for 323 yards in the first game under first-year head coach Todd Graham who has molded the team’s Run-and-Shoot attack with Air Raid principles and an increased emphasis on running the football. But Hawai’i has failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after rushing for at least 200 yards. Graham inherited eleven starters from last year’s team finished 10-5 with their 38-34 win over BYU in the Hawai’i Bowl. That team enjoyed four net victories in games decided by one scoring possession — so that winning record could have been flipped with some bad breaks. They did have a -11 net turnover margin last year — but they enjoyed a fortunate +3 net turnover edge against the Bulldogs last week. Now this team goes on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games with the Total set in the 56.5 to 63 point range. Additionally, the Rainbow Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 26 games against teams with a losing record — and they are just 7-16-1 ATS in their last 24 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Graham had scheduled practice time in the Rocky Mountains this week — but seven inches of snow in Denver led to the postponement of those outdoor practices. That is not a good sign for this team from the tropics, who are just 9-24-1 ATS in their last 35 games in October. Wyoming has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games in October — and the temperature is expected to drop below the freezing level tonight. Head coach Craig Bohl will have his team ready to play against this Rainbow Warriors team that upset them last week by a 17-13 score as a 4-point underdog. 25* College Football Game of the Month with the Wyoming Cowboys (142) minus the point(s) versus the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (141). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the South Alabama Jaguars (103) and the Georgia Southern Eagles (104). THE SITUATION: South Alabama (3-2) has won two straight games against Sun Belt Conference rivals after their 38-14 win over UL-Monroe on Saturday as a 14-point favorite. Georgia Southern (3-2) looks to rebound from a 28-14 loss at Coastal Carolina a 1-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Jaguars have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after winning two in a row — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after winning their last two games against conference rivals. And while South Alabama allows 282 passing yards to the War Hawks, the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game. Now after playing their last two games at home, the Jaguars go back on the road where they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total. South Alabama has also played 9 of their last 13 road games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total after playing their last two games at home. Additionally, the Jaguars have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total in October. Georgia Southern has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. And while quarterback Shai Werts passed for only 94 passing yards last week after completing only 7 of 20 passes, the Eagles have then played 5 straight games Under the Total after not passing for more than 170 yards in their last game. Now after playing three of their last four games on the road, Georgia Southern returns home where they have played 4 straight games Under the Total as a favorite. The Eagles have also played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Georgia Southern returned their top four tacklers from last season — and they are allowing only 20.8 PPG this year.

FINAL TAKE: Georgia Southern has played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing on a Thursday — and the Under is 4-1-2 in South Alabama’s last 7 games played on a Thursday night. 25* CFB Thursday ESPN Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the South Alabama Jaguars (103) and the Georgia Southern Eagles (104). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels (322) minus the points versus North Carolina State (321). THE SITUATION: North Carolina (3-1) suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday with their 31-28 upset loss at Florida State as a 13.5-point favorite. North Carolina State (4-1) has won three games in a row with their 31-20 win over Duke last Saturday as a 3.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TAR HEELS MINUS THE POINTS: North Carolina was caught flat in the first half last week as they allowed a 25-yard interception that was returned for a touchdown en route to going into halftime with a 31-7 deficit. Head coach Mack Brown’s team almost came back but their rally fell just short despite outgaining the Seminoles by +26 net yards. The Tar Heels have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. They return home where they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games — and they have covered the point spread in 24 of their last 31 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. North Carolina has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games when favored. NC State benefited from an 8-yard blocked punt that they returned for a touchdown to defeat the Blue Devils last week. But the Wolfpack has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win. NC State has also failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 33 road games after winning at least three games in a row. The Wolfpack has not been overwhelming with their four victories. They only defeated Wake Forest by a field goal. They allowed 500 yards to Pittsburgh yet defeated the Panthers despite being outgained by 100 yards. And in their wins over Duke and Virginia, they benefited from forcing seven turnovers. They will be without starting quarterback Devin Leary who is out indefinitely with a fibula injury so it will be junior Bailey Hockman under center. NC State has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games on the road. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: NC State enters this game ranked 23rd in the nation with North Carolina ranked 14th. In the last ten seasons, this is just the sixth time that a game between two ranked teams outside the top-ten had the favorite laying more than 14 points. Those favorites are 4-1 ATS going into this afternoon clash. Trust the oddsmakers on this one. 20* CFB NC State-North Carolina ESPN Special with the North Carolina Tar Heels (322) minus the points versus North Carolina State (321). Best of luck for us — Frank.

PLEASE NOTE: This play is for Tulsa-South Florida Under (I incorrectly loaded that Report for this Louisiana-UAB Under which was my Free Play here at Sportscapping). I apologize for the error and confusion -- Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (307) and the South Florida Bulls (308). THE SITUATION: Tulsa (1-1) takes the field again for the first time in 20 days after their 34-26 upset win at Central Florida as a 20.5-point underdog on October 3rd. South Florida (1-4) has lost four games in a row with their 39-37 loss at Temple last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Golden Hurricanes have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a point spread win. They have also played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a game where at least 60 combined points were scored. Tulsa did surrender 330 passing yards in that game along with 455 total yards to the Knights — but they have then played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total after allowing at least 450 yards in their last game. They also have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after giving up at least 280 passing yards in their last contest. Now they stay on the road where they have played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total. The Golden Hurricanes have an improved defense this season. They have are allowing just 21.0 PPG this year along with 369.5 total YPG which is about 25 YPG below last year’s season average after losing a low scoring game to begin their season at Oklahoma State by a 16-7 score. Tulsa’s first two games have finished Under the Total — and they have then played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after playing two straight Unders. And in their last 12 games played in October, the Golden Hurricanes have played 9 of these games Under the Total. South Florida has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a loss to an American Athletic Conference rival. They also have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after allowing at least 37 points in their last game. And while the Bulls have lost their last three games to American Athletic Conference rivals, they have then played 7 straight games Under the Total after losing at least two straight games against conference foes. They return where the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games. South Florida is struggling to score points this season as they are averaging just 19.0 PPG while averaging only 329.6 total YPG behind redshirt sophomore QB Jordan McCloud. The Bulls have played 7 straight games Under the Total as an underdog getting 10.5 to 21 points.

FINAL TAKE: Tulsa is scoring only 20.5 PPG themselves which is the tenth lowest of all teams that started play this season. The Golden Hurricanes have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total in October. 10* CFB Friday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (307) and the South Florida Bulls (308). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (309) plus the points versus the UAB Blazers (310). THE SITUATION: UL-Lafayette (3-1) looks to rebound from their 30-27 upset loss at home to Coastal Carolina as a 9-point favorite back on October 14th. UAB (4-1) has won three straight games after their 37-14 victory over Western Kentucky last Saturday as a 10.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS MINUS THE POINTS: UL-Lafayette should respond with a big effort tonight. The Ragin’ Cajuns have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games on the road after an upset loss to a conference rival. UL-Lafayette returned fourteen starters from the group that finished 11-3 with a 27-17 victory over Miami (OH) in the Lending Tree Bowl. Led by senior quarterback Levi Lewis, the Ragin’ Cajuns are averaging 456.7 total YPG over their last three contests. They also have averaged 7.55 and 7.57 Yards-Per-Play in their last two games — and they have then covered the point spread in 12 of their last 15 road games after averaging at least 6.25 YPP in their last two games. Now UL-Lafayette goes back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 road games against teams with a winning record at home — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games with the Total set in the 49.5 to 52 range. UAB may be due for a letdown after they crushed the Hilltoppers last week. The Blazers gave failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread victory. UAB has also failed to cover the point in 6 straight games after a win by at least 20 points. And in their last 17 games after winning at least three games in a row, the Blazers have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of these games. UAB rushed for 358 yards to help lead them to victory — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after rushing for at least 200 yards in their last game. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least 37 points in their last game. They are playing without their starting quarterback Tyler Johnston III who is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Redshirt freshman Bryson Lucero was shaky under center for the Blazers as he completed only 15 of 31 passes for 141 yards with a touchdown and an interception while not contributing to the running game. UAB is at a significant disadvantage in this game at the quarterback position. This team returned eighteen starters from head coach Bill Clark’s team that finished 9-5 last season. They only had one victory over an FBS team with a winning record — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. UAB has beaten three FBS teams this season in South Alabama, UTSA, and Western Kentucky last week — none of these teams have a record above .500. The Blazers' one loss was by 17 points at Miami (FL).

FINAL TAKE: UL-Lafayette has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games in October. Look for them to pull away to win this game comfortably. 25* CFB Friday CBS Sports Network Game of the Month with the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (309) plus the points versus the UAB Blazers (310). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (307) and the South Florida Bulls (308). THE SITUATION: Tulsa (1-1) takes the field again for the first time in 20 days after their 34-26 upset win at Central Florida as a 20.5-point underdog on October 3rd. South Florida (1-4) has lost four games in a row with their 39-37 loss at Temple last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Golden Hurricanes have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a point spread win. They have also played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a game where at least 60 combined points were scored. Tulsa did surrender 330 passing yards in that game along with 455 total yards to the Knights — but they have then played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total after allowing at least 450 yards in their last game. They also have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after giving up at least 280 passing yards in their last contest. Now they stay on the road where they have played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total. The Golden Hurricanes have an improved defense this season. They have are allowing just 21.0 PPG this year along with 369.5 total YPG which is about 25 YPG below last year’s season average after losing a low scoring game to begin their season at Oklahoma State by a 16-7 score. Tulsa’s first two games have finished Under the Total — and they have then played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after playing two straight Unders. And in their last 12 games played in October, the Golden Hurricanes have played 9 of these games Under the Total. South Florida has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a loss to an American Athletic Conference rival. They also have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after allowing at least 37 points in their last game. And while the Bulls have lost their last three games to American Athletic Conference rivals, they have then played 7 straight games Under the Total after losing at least two straight games against conference foes. They return where the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games. South Florida is struggling to score points this season as they are averaging just 19.0 PPG while averaging only 329.6 total YPG behind redshirt sophomore QB Jordan McCloud. The Bulls have played 7 straight games Under the Total as an underdog getting 10.5 to 21 points.

FINAL TAKE: Tulsa is scoring only 20.5 PPG themselves which is the tenth lowest of all teams that started play this season. The Golden Hurricanes have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total in October. 10* CFB Friday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (307) and the South Florida Bulls (308). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Appalachian State Mountaineers (312) minus the points versus the Arkansas State Red Wolves (311). THE SITUATION: Appalachian State (2-1) has won two straight games after their 52-21 win over Campbell as a 33.5-point favorite back on September 26th. Arkansas State (3-2) has won three of their last four games after their 59-52 win over Georgia State last Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MOUNTAINEERS MINUS THE POINTS: Appalachian State lost their opening game in a very tough game at Marshall by a 17-7 score in a rescheduled game after COVID that might have featured the best two non-Power Five football teams this season. The Mountaineers have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after winning two of their last three games. The break due to some cancellations and planned bye weeks should help this team under first-year head coach Shawn Clark since it helps make up for the limited fall prep. That said, Appalachian State did get in all thirteen of their spring practices. They also have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games when playing with at least two weeks of rest and preparation. Their win over Campbell flew over the 54 point total — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a game that finished Over the Total. This is a team that returned thirteen starters from the team that finished 13-1 last year. They rushed for a whopping 404 yards against Campbell while outgaining them on the ground by 187 net yards. Appalachian State has then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after outrushing their last opponent by at least 200 yards. They are 5th in the nation by averaging 269.3 rushing YPG. They stay at home where they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record on the road. And in their last 6 expected high scoring games with the total set in the 63.5 to 70 point range, the Mountaineers have covered the point spread in 5 times. Arkansas State has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a game where both teams scored at least 30 points. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a game where they allowed at least 40 points. The Red Wolves defense looked very vulnerable against the Panthers as they surrendered 583 total yards in that game. Georgia State quarterback Cornelius Brown IV passed for 314 yards with three touchdowns while adding another 83 rushing yards with two more touchdowns on the ground. Arkansas State faces another explosive dual-threat quarterback tonight in Zac Thomas completed 62.7% of his passes last year for 2718 passing yards with 28 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. And while Red Wolves offense rotating between quarterbacks Logan Bonner and Layne Hatcher helped generate 609 total yards last Thursday, they now face a stout Appalachian State defense that is holding their opponents to just 19.3 PPG along with only 323.3 total YPG. As it is, Arkansas State has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after gaining at least 575 yards in their last game. Now the Red Wolves go back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record at home.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams last played on October 9th in 2018 where Appalachian State won by 35-9 score. Arkansas State has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. 10* CFB Arkansas State-Appalachian State ESPN Special with the Appalachian State Mountaineers (312) minus the points versus the Arkansas State Red Wolves (311). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Alabama Crimson Tide (166) minus the points versus the Georgia Bulldogs (165). THE SITUATION: Alabama (3-0) enter this game coming off their 63-48 victory over Ole Miss last Saturday as a 24-point favorite. Georgia (3-0) comes off a 44-21 win at home against Tennessee last Saturday as a 13-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CRIMSON TIDE MINUS THE POINTS: What’s up with the Alabama defense that surrendered a whopping 647 yards last week to the Rebels. The Tide returned five starters on a defense that had many freshmen forced into duty last season because of injuries. The front seven should be outstanding with the secondary work in progress with only one returning starter in junior cornerback Patrick Surtain. This inexperienced secondary got exposed by a Mississippi offense coached by a former offensive coordinator in Lane Kiffin who was able to (a) use a quick tempo to his advantage; (b) deploy a spread passing attack following the principles of Art Briles to expose this secondary with (c) a former blue-chip quarterback in Matt Corral who was also able to burn the Bama defense at times with his legs. I will mention this again below — but these are all tendencies that Georgia will not be able to replicate. That might have been the worst defensive performance for an Alabama team in the Nick Saban 14-year era. This unit will play better this week — and his teams have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after allowing at least 40 points in their last game. The Crimson Tide has also covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a point spread loss. But the encouraging developments for the Alabama faithful is the development of their offense under QB Mac Jones. The junior completed 28 of 32 passes against Ole Miss for 417 yards with two touchdowns. He is completing 79.5% of his passes while posting the second-best QBR in the nation. Jones was quite good playing for Tua Tagovailoa last season. He had two bad pick-sixes on the road at Auburn in a game that the Crimson Tide lost despite outgaining them by a 515-354 yardage margin. Alabama then sleepwalked in the first half in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan before rallying to crush the Wolverines by a 35-16 score. This will be the Crimson Tide’s biggest game since bitterly losing the Iron Bowl despite dominating that game. Expect this Alabama team to be very chippy. The Tide are very tough to beat when they have a powerful offense. Alabama averaged 9.89 Yards-Per-Play two weeks ago against Texas A&M for 544 yards before ripping off 10.2 YPP last week against Ole Miss for an incredible 723 yards. The Tide have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after gaining at least 525 yards in two straight games — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 home games after averaging at least 7.25 YPP in two straight contests. Additionally, Alabama rushed for 306 yards last week — and they have then covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 home games after rushing for at least 300 yards in their last game. Georgia has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread cover — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a point spread cover as a double-digit favorite. The Bulldogs may have the best defense in the nation — but their eight starters that returned this season were torched for 37 points and 6.5 YPP when playing against LSU in the SEC Championship Game last season. The Crimson Tide have four returning starters on their offensive line with three seniors that will challenge the Bulldogs’ defensive line. They have a threatening passing attack that will stretch Georgia vertically and horizontally — and that should create huge rushing lanes for running back Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr.  That will likely be the difference for Alabama: Harris rushed for 206 yards with five touchdowns last week. He is averaging 3.1 yards-per-carry BEFORE contact (8th in the nation) and another 3.6 YPC AFTER contact (3rd in the nation). Led by Harris, the Tide offense leads the nation in both Success Rate and with their 6.5 rushing YPC average. The offensive firepower of Alabama simply cannot be matched by the Bulldogs offense which is the weak link in this game. Georgia only returned three starters from what was a pedestrian offense that was just 50th in scoring and 61st in total yardage. The young offensive line which remains a work-in-progress. The running backs and wide receivers are mostly a new group. And then there is the quarterback situation with walk-on Stetson Bennett the (current) starter. Bennett is playing because their two prized freshman recruits are not ready and former USC blue-chipper J.T. Daniels was only cleared to play two weeks ago. Head coach Kirby Smart likes Bennett because he is safe with the football while being capable with the passing attack — a junior level version of Jake Fromm. Well, that ain’t gonna get it done against Alabama. Bennett is small — just 5’11 and 190-lbs. He is a statue in the pocket. This is the profile of the quarterbacks that Saban defenses swallow and devour. The Bulldogs do not play with tempo and deploy a conventional pro-style offense that is designed to overwhelm lesser opponents. They are just 7th in the SEC on third-down conversion rate. I think first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Monken is fine — I think his impact on this game would have been stronger if it was being played in December rather than in their fourth game with this inexperienced offense. I suspect that Georgia will look to Daniels or another one of their quarterbacks before this game is over. The Bulldogs have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games as an underdog — and Alabama has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games when favored.

FINAL TAKE: Saban has tested negative for COVID three straight times — so he has been cleared to be on the sidelines. Bottom-line: the Tide have won the last five meetings against Bulldogs teams with better offenses and certainly more threatening quarterbacks  — and this offense is catching the Bama defense on the wrong week after last week’s embarrassment. 25* CFB CBS-TV Game of the Month with the Alabama Crimson Tide (166) minus the points versus the Georgia Bulldogs (165). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (162) plus the points versus the Marshall Thundering Herd (161). THE SITUATION: Louisiana Tech (3-1) enters this game coming off a narrow 21-17  win over UTEP last Saturday as a 14.5-point favorite. Marshall (3-0) is unbeaten after their 38-14 win at Western Kentucky last week as a 6.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS PLUS THE POINTS: Louisiana Tech has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a straight-up win as a favorite where they did not cover the point spread. They also have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. The Bulldogs managed only 210 yards of offense in that game — but they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after failing to gain at least 275 yards in their last contest. Head coach Skip Holtz can lean on his defense that limited the Miners to just 266 total yards. UTEP scored one of their touchdowns via a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Louisiana Tech returns home where they have covered the point spread in 40 of their last 62 games when playing with six days or less of rest. The Bulldogs have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games as an underdog. Marshall has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a win over a conference rival. The Thundering Herd has also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a point spread victory. Marshall forced three Hilltoppers’ turnovers last week for a +3 net turnover margin that made a big difference in that game. But the Thundering Herd have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after forcing at least three turnovers — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games after enjoying a +3 or better turnover margin in their last game. Marshall has won the turnover battle in all three of their games this season — but the Regression Gods are fickle and they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after having a +1 or better turnover margin in at least two straight games. And while the Thundering Herd has only allowed 21 points this season, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games after not allowing more than 14 points in two straight games. Additionally, Marshall has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games with the Total set in the 42.5 to 49 point range.

FINAL TAKE: The Thundering Herd has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 23 games when favored — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 20 road games when laying 7.5 to 14 points. 10* CFB Marshall-Louisiana Tech CBS-Sports Network Special with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (162) plus the points versus the Marshall Thundering Herd (161). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Auburn Tigers (123) minus the points versus South Carolina Gamecocks (124). THE SITUATION: Auburn (2-1) enters this game coming off a narrow 30-28 win at home against Arkansas as a 13.5-point favorite last Saturday. South Carolina (1-2) won their first game of the season with their 41-7 blowout victory at Vanderbilt as a 14.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TIGERS MINUS THE POINTS: Auburn was flat last week after the hangover of losing their showdown with Georgia that likely ended their National Championship aspirations. But the Tigers should get back to business in this game against a Gamecocks team that will be overmatched in talent. Auburn has bounce-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. The Tigers are due to get some turnover luck as they have not earned a takeaway in two straight games despite having a strong defense. Auburn has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after not forcing a turnover in their previous game — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after not forcing a turnover in two straight contests. The Tigers have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 26 games against teams with a losing record. Additionally, Auburn has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games when laying the points — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games on the road when favored. South Carolina opened their season with losses to Florida and Tennessee before getting the opportunity to crush a bad Commodores team this season. The Gamecocks return home where they are just 1-3-1 ATS — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games as an underdog. South Carolina has also failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 home games as a dog getting no more than 3 points.

FINAL TAKE: This is the first meeting between these two teams since 2014 — but the Gamecocks have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. South Carolina has lost sixteen of their eighteen games against teams who are ranked in the Will Muschamp era — they have lost eight of their last nine games at home when hosting a ranked team under his leadership. 10* CFB Auburn-South Carolina ESPN Special with the Auburn Tigers (123) minus the points versus South Carolina Gamecocks (124). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Houston Cougars (110) plus the points versus the BYU Cougars (109). THE SITUATION: Houston (1-0) won their opening game of the season last Thursday with their 49-31 win over Tulane as a 6.5-point favorite. BYU (4-0) remained undefeated last Saturday with their 27-20 win over UTSA as a 34-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE HOUSTON PLUS THE POINTS: Houston started slowly in finally getting their season started last week as they surrendered two defensive touchdowns to the Green Wave to find themselves down 24-7 early in the 2nd quarter. The Cougars then demolished Tulane the rest of the way by outscoring them by a 42-7 margin while outgaining them by 476 to 211 yards. Houston has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least 24 points in their last game. BYU is getting the hype with their perfect record and +32.8 net PPG average — but I think it is the other Cougars in this game that are undervalued. Second-year head coach Dana Holgorsen returned nineteen starters while adding a whopping 33 transfer players from FBS, FCS, and junior college programs from last year’s group that finished 4-8. Holgorsen brought tanking and the de-facto “process” to college football last season with eleven players choosing to redshirt before losing eligibility by playing in their fifth game. This is a team loaded with talent coming off their worst won/loss record in 15 years. Holgorsen seems to have his QB to operate his version of the Air Raid in junior Clayton Tune who completed 20 of 33 passes for 319 yards with two touchdowns last week. Quarterbacks tend to see a big jump in their second-season under Holgorsen and his system. Houston has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after passing for at least 280 yards in their last game. The Cougars’ defense returns 93% of its productivity from last season while getting a bunch of new talent from transfers. Houston is a dangerous home dog as they are 21-7-1 ATS in their last 29 games when getting the points. These Cougars have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games in October — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games played on a Friday night. BYU has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread after a point spread loss. This team struggled against the Roadrunners as they struggled to finish drives in the Red Zone. This is troubling as they were 120th in the Red Zone last season. They also allowed UTSA to pass for 287 yards which were the most they allowed in the air all season. That is not a good sign when facing a Holgorsen Air Raid attack — and BYU has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game. QB Zach Wilson did complete 21 of 30 passes for 292 yards in the win — but these Cougars have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after passing for at least 280 yards in their last game. Frankly, I have considered this Cougars team to be a paper tiger: they opened their season by crushing a Navy team that was not physically prepared to play given their limited workouts due to COVID before returning home for three straight games at home against Troy and Louisiana Tech before the UTSA “showdown” last week. BYU has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after winning at least two in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after winning three games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing their last two games at home. BYU is not a good frontrunner either — they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when favored and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on the road when laying the points.

FINAL TAKE: BYU has failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 34 games with the Total set at 63 or higher. Houston has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games with the Total set in the 56.5 to 63 point range. 25* CFB Non-Conference Game of the Month with the Houston Cougars (110) plus the points versus the BYU Cougars (109). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Tulane Green Wave (108) plus the points versus the SMU Tigers (107). THE SITUATION: Tulane (2-2) has lost two of their last three games after their 49-31 loss at Houston last Thursday as a 6.5-point underdog. SMU (4-0) returns to action after defeating Memphis back on October 3rd by a 30-27 score as a 1.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GREEN WAVE PLUS THE POINTS: Tulane should respond with a strong effort under head coach Willie Fritz as they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. They faced a Houston team that had weeks to prepare against their version of their run-oriented spread offense with it being the Cougars first game of the season given several COVID cancellations. The Green Wave managed to rush for only 70 yards on 45 carries in that game — but they have then covered the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games after not rushing for at least 100 yards in their last game. Tulane only gained 211 yards in that game overall — yet they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after failing to gain at least 275 yards in their last contest. The Green Wave have also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 40 points in their last game. They return home where they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games at home as an underdog. SMU has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games after a win at home by 3 points or less. Now this team goes back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games away from home with the Total set at 63 or higher. The Mustangs have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 road games when favored. Defense could be an issue with this SMU team after they surrendered 585 total yards to the Tigers. The Mustangs surrendered 380 of those yards in the air — and they then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game.

FINAL TAKE: SMU suffered two crushing season-ending injuries in that win over Memphis with both star wide receiver Reggie Roberson and starting running back T.J. McDaniel out the season. These Friday night games have not been great for the Mustangs either as they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a Friday. 10* CFB SMU-Tulane ESPN Special with the Tulane Green Wave (108) plus the points versus the SMU Tigers (107). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Arkansas State Red Wolves (106) minus the points versus the Georgia State Panthers (105). THE SITUATION: Arkansas State (2-2) enters this game coming off a 50-27 win over Central Arkansas last Saturday as a 14.5-point favorite. Georgia State (1-1) returns to action after last playing on October 3rd when they upset East Carolina by a 49-29 score as a 2-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RED WOLVES MINUS THE POINTS: Arkansas State will have something to prove in this game after being upset in their last game against an FBS opponent on October 3rd in their 52-23 loss at Coastal Carolina as a 3.5-point favorite. That was a difficult situation for the Red Wolves as they were playing their third straight game away from home. The Chanticleers are an underrated football team as well — as UL-Lafayette found out on Thursday night when they were upset at home against them. Arkansas State returned fifteen starters from last year’s team that finished 8-5 in a season culminating with a 34-26 win in the Camellia Bowl against FIU. The Red Wolves proved their mettle last month with a 35-31 upset win at Kansas State as a 15-point underdog (and perhaps they were due for a letdown when facing Coastal Carolina in their next game three weeks later). Despite their 2-2 record, they are outgaining their opponents by +56.8 net YPG. They stay at home in Jonesboro for just their second game this season where they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 home games when favored by 3.5 to 7 points. Arkansas State has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games with the Total set at 70 or higher. The Red Wolves have been playing high-scoring games with each of their four games totaling at least 61 combined points. These are the games that Arkansas State tends to thrive in under head coach Blake Anderson as they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing four straight games where at least 60 combined points were scored. Anderson has yet to settle on a full-time quarterback with junior Logan Bonner the starter last season for the first four games before suffering a season-ending hand injury which presented the opportunity to former Alabama transfer Layne Hatcher to step in with the redshirt sophomore finish 8th in the FBS by averaging 294.6 passing YPG. Anderson is rotating both quarterbacks with them both combining to complete 61.2% of their passes for an offense that is averaging 342 passing YPG along with an 8.3 Yards-Per-Attempt average. Georgia State scored a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown against the Pirates to help them win their last game. They are just 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. They also gained 485 yards in that game but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after gaining at least 475 yards in their last game. The Panthers are using redshirt freshman Cornelius Brown as their quarterback who will be making his first start on the road with this being Georgia State’s first game away from their home in Atlanta at Georgia State Stadium which was previously Turner Field for the Atlanta Braves. Georgia State is just 2-10-2 ATS in their last 14 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games on the road. The Panthers have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a game where at least 70 combined points were scored.

FINAL TAKE: Arkansas State will also be motivated to avenge a 52-38 upset loss at Georgia State last season where they were 6.5-point favorites. The Red Wolves have only had ten defensive players who have been available for all four of their games given injuries and COVID — but this unit will likely be at their healthiest for this game. 25* CFB Thursday ESPN Game of the Year with the Arkansas State Red Wolves (106) minus the points versus the Georgia State Panthers (105). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET Wednesday, we will be playing the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (170) minus the points versus the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (169). THE SITUATION: UL-Lafayette (3-0) takes the field again for the first time since September 26th with their 20-18 win over Georgia Southern as an 11.5-point favorite. Coastal Carolina (3-0) looks to build off their 52-23 upset win over Arkansas State on October 3rd as a 3.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS MINUS THE POINTS: UL-Lafayette averaged 7.55 Yards-Per-play against the Eagles in their last game after averaging 6.82 YPP in their victory over Georgia State in the previous week — and they have then covered the point spread in 16 of their last 23 games after averaging at least 6.25 YPP in two straight games. The Ragin’ Cajuns returned seven starters on offense including quarterback Levi Lewis from last year’s team that finished 11-3 with a 27-17 win over Miami (OH) in the Lending Tree Bowl. This team opened the season with a big upset victory over Iowa State (the team that later upset Texas and lost to Oklahoma by one point) by a 31-14 score. The Ragin’ Cajuns committed only one turnover in their last game — and they have then covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after not turning the ball over more than once in their last game. UL-Louisiana only scored 7 points in the first half against Georgia Southern after scoring only 7 points the previous week at Georgia State — but they have then covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games after not scoring more than a touchdown in the first half in two straight games. This team under head coach Billy Napier has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games in October. Coastal Carolina has failed to cover the point spread in 3 straight games after a win over a Sun Belt rival. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after scoring at least 37 points in their last game. The Chanticleers have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a game where at least 70 combined points were scored. Coastal Carolina did pass for 322 yards against the Red Wolves defense — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after passing at least 280 yards in their last game.

FINAL TAKE: The Chanticleers have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. Look for UL-Lafayette to win comfortably. 10* CFB Coastal Carolina-Louisiana ESPN Special with the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (170) minus the points versus the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (169). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Clemson Tigers (318) minus the points versus the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (317). THE SITUATION: Clemson (3-0) is unbeaten so far this season after their 41-23 victory over Virginia last week as a 27.5-point favorite. Miami (3-0) is also undefeated on the season after they crushed Florida State two weeks ago by a 52-10 score as a 12-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TIGERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Hurricanes look to be an improved team after second-year head coach Manny Diaz modernized his offense by bringing in former SMU offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee to implement his version of an up-tempo spread offense while matching him with former Houston QB D’Eriq King who transferred to the program in the offseason. Miami is 7th in the nation by averaging 43.3 PPG which is taking a lot of pressure off their usually-talented defense. But after playing UAB, Louisville (now 1-3), and the Seminoles (who are a mess), this is a significant upgrade in competition. Yet the Hurricanes have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a win by at least 20 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. Miami generated 517 yards of offense against Florida State after gaining 485 yards against Louisville — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games after gaining at least 475 yards in two straight games. We are supposed to believe that this Hurricanes’ defense is loaded — but they did lose 25.5 of their sacks from last season. There are warning signs that this is not an elite unit. Louisville — the team Georgia Tech beat last night — generated 516 yards against them two weeks ago while exposing the Miami defense against both the run (209 rushing yards allowed) and the pass (307 passing yards allowed). The Hurricanes are allowing 3.96 Yards-Per-Carry which is 10th in the ACC in run defense. Miami’s Achilles heel in their bigger games last season was their suspect offensive line that struggled in the run game while surrendering 51 sacks which was the most of all Power Five conference teams. Four starters return from that group who are now coached by Garin Justice. They face a handful of future NFL players from this Clemson front seven that has racked up 27 tackles-for-loss along with 13 sacks already this season. The Tigers have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 28 games after a win by at least 20 points. They also have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. The Tigers allowed Virginia to generate 417 yards last week in their comfortable victory — and that lackluster effort is probably just what defensive coordinator Brent Venables needs to get his unit’s attention in practice this week. Clemson tends to raise their level of play at this point in the season. Since 2015, Dabo Swinney’s team is just 12-12-1 ATS against FBS opponents in their opening games through the first weekend in October. The offense averages 34.2 PPG in those contests with 42% of their victories being by at least three touchdowns. Swinney is still learning his team while experimenting with some things — and the schedule is usually pretty soft. However, from the second week of October through the rest of the season since 2015, the Tigers are 29-15-2 ATS with a 40.8 PPG scoring average along with 51% of their victories being by at least three touchdowns. After their 21-20 scare against the Cavaliers last year, Clemson’s next eight regular-season victories were by an averaging winning margin of +42.1 PPG with the team outgaining their opponents by +348 net YPG. The Tigers have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 home games. Furthermore, Clemson is 6-1-1 ATS in October — and the Hurricanes have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games in October.

FINAL TAKE: This is Clemson’s first high-profile game since their 42-25 loss to LSU in the National Championship Game — so I expect Trevor Lawrence and company to be very motivated. This Miami team lacks big-game experience — and this is a program that has lost their last three opportunities to defeat a top-ten team. A paper tiger will be exposed to real tigers. 25* CBB ACC Game of the Month with the Clemson Tigers (318) minus the points versus the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (317). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (352) minus the points versus the Texas-El Paso Miners (351). THE SITUATION: Louisiana Tech (2-1) looks to bounce back from their 45-17 loss at BYU last Friday as a 24-point underdog. UTEP (3-1) returns to the field again after they upset UL-Monroe on the road two weeks ago by a 31-6 score as a 10-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS MINUS THE POINTS: Head coach Skip Holtz should see his team rebound from what was a tough assignment in Provo last week (we had BYU). Louisiana Tech has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a loss by at least 20 points. The Bulldogs have also covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread loss — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after allowing at least 40 points in their last game. Louisiana Tech usually plays much better at home where they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games. The Bulldogs have also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as a favorite — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games in October. UTEP is just 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after a point spread victory. The Miners did generate 512 yards of offense against the War Hawks defense last week — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. Now UTEP stays on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games.

FINAL TAKE: The Miners are just 7-23-1 ATS in their last 31 games against teams with a winning record. Louisiana Tech easily won last year’s meeting between these two teams by a 42-21 score where the Bulldogs were -17.5 road favorites. Expect another blowout win for an angry Louisiana Tech team. 10* CFB Blowout Bookie Buster with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (352) minus the points versus the Texas-El Paso Miners (351). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (358) plus the points versus the Marshall Thundering Herd (357). THE SITUATION: Western Kentucky (1-2) won their first game of the season last week with their 20-17 win at Middle Tennessee as a 7-point favorite. Marshall (2-0) takes the field again for the first time since September 19th where they upset Appalachian State by a 17-7 score as a 6-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HILLTOPPERS PLUS THE POINTS: Western Kentucky should build off their momentum as they are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games after a straight-up win. They are also 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a point spread loss. The Hilltoppers’ defense should keep them in this game. They returned nine starters from last year’s group that was 22nd in the nation by allowing just 20.1 PPG — and they were also 24th in the country by limiting their opponents to only 335.5 total YPG. Western Kentucky has covered the point spread in 36 of their last 53 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 14 home games when getting the points. The biggest challenge for head coach Tyson Helton was deciding on his new starting quarterback — and losing all of spring practice to COVID-19 restrictions impaired that effort. Helton seems to have found his answer in Maryland grad transfer Tyrrel Pigrome who completed 21 of 36 passes for 188 yards for two touchdowns while adding another 55 rushing yards in last week’s win. Marshall has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after a point spread win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after scoring no more than 20 points in their last game. COVID has caused the cancellation of their scheduled games since that upset win over the Mountaineers — they may be rusty when facing hostile competition again tonight. They go back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a losing record at home. The Thundering Herd have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a losing record — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games when laying the points.

FINAL TAKE: Western Kentucky will also be motivated to avenge a 26-23 loss to the Thundering Herd in last year’s meeting between these two teams as a 3.5-point underdog back on October 26th. Don’t be surprised if the Hilltoppers pull the upset — but take the points for some insurance. 20* CFB Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (358) plus the points versus the Marshall Thundering Herd (357). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Tennessee Volunteers (321) and the Georgia Bulldogs (322). THE SITUATION: Tennessee (2-0) enters this game with eight straight wins going back to last season with their 35-12 win over Missouri last Saturday as a 10-point favorite. Georgia (2-0) comes off their triumphant 27-6 victory over Auburn as a 7.5-point favorite last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bulldogs flexed their defensive muscles last week by making their claim that they have the best defense in the nation. Georgia held the Tigers to just 216 yards of offense in that game. The Bulldogs have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Georgia has also played 7 straight games Under the Total after a win by at least 20 points. The Bulldogs are holding their opponents to just 8.0 PPG along with only 248 YPG. Georgia did rush for 202 yards against the Auburn defense — but they have then played 5 straight games Under the Total after rushing for at least 200 yards in their last game. Georgia got a great quarterbacking effort from former walk-on Stetson Bennett who completed 17 of 28 passes for 240 yards. While the Bulldog Nation starts anointing him a Heisman Trophy candidate, I am not so sure that he does not take a step back this week with another week of game tape on him and now the clear starter after last week’s mystery regarding who head coach Kirby Smart would tap as his starter under center. Georgia stays at home where the Under is 29-9-2 in their last 41 games — and the Under is 5-0-1 in their last 6 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The Bulldogs have also played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total when favored. Tennessee has played 8 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Volunteers have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a win by at least 20 points. Tennessee held the Tigers to just 344 yards last week in their victory (and that Mizzou offense is scoring at will on LSU this afternoon). The Vols are holding their opponents to just 19.5 PPG. Tennessee has also played 5 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game.

FINAL TAKE: The Volunteers rank just 71st of the 74 competing FBS teams in Success Rate on offense in blitz downs — and they are 44th in the nation in Big Plays and a daunting 72nd of 74 teams in opponent sack rate. They have scored only 26 combined points in their last three meetings against Georgia with quarterback Jarrett Gaurantano playing in all three of those games. He has been asked four times in those three games while averaging just 5.2 Yards-Per-Attempt. 10* CFB Tennessee-Georgia CBS-TV O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Tennessee Volunteers (321) and the Georgia Bulldogs (322). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (306) plus the points versus the Louisville Cardinals (305). THE SITUATION: Georgia Tech (1-2) has lost their last two games after their 37-20 upset loss at Syracuse as a 7.5-point favorite back on September 26th. Louisville (1-2) has also lost two straight games after their 23-20 loss at Pittsburgh as a 3-point underdog two weeks ago.

REASONS TO TAKE THE YELLOW JACKETS: Georgia Tech did outgain the Orange by +96 net yards in the loss — but a -4 net turnover margin did them in with Syracuse returning an interception back for a 43-yard touchdown. Freshman QB Jeff Sims threw four interceptions in that game. Turnovers are holding this team back — they had five turnovers and a -3 net turnover margin in their previous game which was a loss to Central Florida. Second-year head coach Geoff Collins made protecting the football a high priority in the two weeks off since that game. His teams have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after losing the turnover battle in two straight games going back to his time as the head coach at Temple. The Yellow Jackets are much improved from last year’s group that finished the season just 3-9. Nineteen starters are back from that team with another year under their belt learning new systems on both sides of the football since the eleven-year Paul Johnson era. Sims is a highly-touted recruit with a big arm and great touch — and he is protected by an offensive line that added three transfers from SEC schools to add bulk to that group. Georgia Tech has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a double-digit loss to an ACC rival. And Collins’ teams in his coaching tenure have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a loss to a conference rival. Louisville managed only 223 yards of offense in their loss to Pitt two weeks ago. Junior QB Micale Cunningham struggled by completing only 9 of 21 passes for just 107 yards with three interceptions. That loss came on the heels of a high-profile loss to Miami (FL) —and the Cardinals have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after losing two games in a row against ACC foes. Louisville returned sixteen starters from last year’s 8-5 team in head coach Scott Satterfield’s first year with the program. But the Cardinals stay on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games away from home. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a bye week.

FINAL TAKE: Georgia Tech opened their season with a 16-13 win against Florida State that has not looked as impressive given the Seminoles results since that loss. But don’t underestimate the deflation that the Florida State team felt from blowing their double-digit lead to lose that opening game against a conference opponent. Louisville’s lone win was a 35-21 win against Western Kentucky. But the Cardinals have failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 29 games in October — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games in expected higher scoring games with the Total set at 63 or higher. 10* CFB Louisville-Georgia Tech ESPN Special with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (306) plus the points versus the Louisville Cardinals (305). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Auburn Tigers (153) and the Georgia Bulldogs (154). THE SITUATION: Auburn (1-0) comes off a 29-13 win over Kentucky last Saturday as a 6.5-point favorite in the opening game of their season. Georgia (1-0) also won their first game of the season last Saturday when defeated Arkansas on the road as a 6.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Tigers’ 29 points is a bit deceptive regarding the quality of their offensive effort last week. Auburn only gained 324 yards of offense last week. They were given a short field from a fumble recovery near the Red Zone along with a failed fake punt by the Wildcats. The Tigers rushed for only 91 yards on 30 carries with their best run being of just 12 yards. Auburn has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after failing to rush for at least 100 yards in their last game. The Tigers now go on the road where they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 13 of their last 17 games Under the Total as an underdog overall. Additionally, Auburn has played 11 of their last 17 road games Under the Total as a dog getting 7.5 to 14 points. And in their last 5 games against SEC foes, the Tigers have played 4 of these games Under the Total. Auburn will have trouble moving the ball against what might be the best defensive unit in the country. Georgia returns eight starters from a defense that led the nation by allowing only 12.6 PPG last season. The Bulldogs’ defense held the Razorbacks last week to just 280 yards. Both of Arkansas’ scoring drives were just 24 and 43 yards. Georgia has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a win by 20 or more points. The Bulldogs have also played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. But the Georgia offense is an entirely different story. For starters, who will be their starter under center? Redshirt freshman Dawn Mathis got the start last week but struggled to move the offense with the Bulldogs leading by just a 7-5 score at halftime. Junior Stetson Bennett came on in relief with the former walk-on completing 20 of 29 passes for 211 yards to lead his to the easy win. That performance will likely be enough for head coach Kirby Smart to tap him as his starter. Yet Georgia still averaged only 4.3 Yards-Per-Play against Arkansas while generating 360 hidden yards stemming from their defense and special teams to help get their 37 points — and one of their scores came from a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown. Former USC QB J.T. Daniels was also medically cleared to play this week after recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in the opening game last year for the Trojans — but the spring transfer has only begun full-contact practices on Monday. The problem for Georgia is this unsettled QB situation is combined by a young offensive line as well as a rebuilt running back and wide receiver groups. The Bulldogs rushed for only 121 yards last week while averaging 2.9 Yards-Per-Carry. Georgia has played 7 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 4 straight Unders against teams ranked in the top-ten. The Under is also 28-9-2 in the Bulldogs’ last 39 games at home — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total when favored.

FINAL TAKE: Georgia won last year’s meeting on the road by a 21-14 score. Tigers’ QB made the start last year in his freshman campaign — he completed 30 of 50 passes for 245 yards but he averaged just 4.9 Yards-Per-Attempt. These two teams have played 6 of their last 7 meetings Under the Total — and the Under is 4-0-1 in the last 5 encounters in Athens. 25* CFB SEC Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Auburn Tigers (153) and the Georgia Bulldogs (154). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the BYU Cougars (104) minus the points versus the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (103). THE SITUATION: BYU (2-0) enters this game coming off their 48-7 win over Troy last Saturday as a 14-point favorite. Louisiana Tech (2-0) is also unbeaten in their first two games of the season after their 66-38 victory over Houston-Baptist last week as a 23.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COUGARS MINUS THE POINTS: BYU should build off their momentum as they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a point spread victory. The Cougars had to wait three weeks for that game after their opening win at Navy by a 55-3 score on September 7th. BYU has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after winning their last two games by at least four touchdowns. This Cougars’ offense may be the best one in the five years of head coach Kalani Sitake's tenure at Provo. BYU generated 666 yards of offense while controlling possession for over 40 minutes against the Trojans — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Cougars are scoring 51.5 PPG so far this season while accumulating 622.0 total YPG — so they can certainly cover the point spread tonight. The BYU defense is also playing quite well by holding their first two opponents to just 10 combined points along with just 230 total yards of offense. The Cougars host this game where they have covered the point spread in 5 straight home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Louisiana Tech has failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 22 games on the road off a game where they covered the point spread as a double-digit favorite. But the defense remains an issue for this team that returned only two starters from last year’s group. The Bulldogs did not have spring practice because of COVID which is very important for the defense with a new coordinator in David Blackwell. They have allowed 34.0 PPG along with 447.07 total YPG this season.

FINAL TAKE: Louisiana Tech has not fared well when they appear vulnerable to getting blown out — they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games as an underdog getting 21.5 to 30 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 road games getting 21.5 to 28 points as the dog. 10* CFB Friday Night Discounted Deal with the BYU Cougars (104) minus the points versus the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (103). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Florida State Seminoles (395) plus the points versus the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (396). THE SITUATION: Florida State (0-1) takes the field again after suffering a 16-13 upset loss at Georgia Tech two weeks ago on September 12th as a 13-point favorite. Miami (2-0) is unbeaten so far this season after they defeated Louisville on the road by a 47-34 score as a 2.5-point favorite last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SEMINOLES PLUS THE POINTS: Things started well in the first game under first-year head coach Mike Norvell. Junior quarterback James Blackman led the offense to 10 points in their first two possessions — but then things went off the rails. Blackman turned the ball over twice on fumbles while throwing an interception and two others drives were stopped by failed 4th down conversions. The Seminoles generated 438 yards of offense but scored only three more points the rest of the way to suffer the upset despite outgaining the Yellow Jackets by +221 net yards. Florida State should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have covered the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after suffering an upset loss to an ACC rival — and they have covered the point spread in 3 straight games after a loss by a touchdown or less against a conference foe. The Seminoles have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after a game where neither team scored more than 17 points. Florida State will be a bit healthier for this game with FAU transfer Meiko Dotson and Hamsar Nasirildeen bolstering their defensive backfield after missing the Georgia Tech game. The team will also be inspired to play for Norvell who is not making the trip to Miami given quarantine protocols after he tested positive for COVID-19. I do think think his absence will negatively impact the Seminoles. He was able to work with the team remotely to help establish game plans and purpose for this showdown. While Norvell always has called the offensive plays going back to his four-year tenure as the head coach at Memphis, offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham who was his OC and quarterbacks coach for two seasons at Memphis will take on those responsibilities. Dillingham was the offensive coordinator for Auburn last season. Tight ends coach Chris Thomsen will handle the head coaching responsibilities with his head coaching experience at Abilene Christian from 2005 to 2011. Miami may be due for an emotional letdown after their big won on national television last week against the Cardinals. The Hurricanes have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a win over a conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. Miami has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. The Hurricanes defeated Louisville despite getting outgained by -31 net yards. Second-year head coach Manny Diaz has to be happy with his new-look offense behind transfer QB D’Eriq King as they generated 485 total yards last week — but Miami has failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last contest. And while the Hurricanes also gained 495 yards against UAB in their opening game, they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games after gaining at least 475 yards in two straight games. But the defense is an issue despite their 18 tackles-for-less that they have generated this season. Louisville torched them for 516 yards last week but it was the three takeaways and their +3 net turnover margin that made the winning difference in that game. Yet the Hurricanes have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after not committing a turnover in their last game.

FINAL TAKE: Miami has not been a reliable favorite as of late as they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 24 games as a favorite — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 home games when laying 10.5 to 14 points. Florida State has lost the last three meetings between these two teams after getting upset last year in Tallahassee by a 27-10 score as a 3-point underdog. Look for a close game between these in-state rivals. 25* College Football Game of the Month with the Florida State Seminoles (395) plus the points versus the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (396). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (455) plus the points versus the University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (456). THE SITUATION: Middle Tennessee (0-2) is winless so far this season after getting crushed at home to Troy by a 47-14 score as a 1.5-point underdog last Saturday. UTSA (2-0) is unbeaten this season after they defeated Stephen F. Austin on Saturday by a 24-10 score as a 17-point favorite. This game was scheduled just last Saturday after Memphis canceled their game with the Roadrunners due to COVID-19 and the Blue Raiders had an open date today after Old Dominion canceled their football season last month.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE RAIDERS PLUS THE POINTS: Middle Tennessee is struggling — having their two high-profile transfer running backs in Amir Rash from Florida State and Martell Pettaway from West Virginia opt-out to play this season left head coach Rick Stockstill without a credible rushing attack to complement dual-threat quarterback Asher O’Hara. Opposing defenses are not being punished for backing off defending the Blue Raiders ground game to pay more attention to O’Hara’s running threat or their passing attack. And the Middle Tennessee defense is getting pounded. The Blue Raiders managed just 241 yards of offense last week against the Trojans while being on offense for just 24:15 minutes of that game. Well, in Stockstill I trust to right-the-ship. Middle Tennessee has rebounded to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after a loss by at least four touchdowns. And while the Blue Raiders were outgained by a whopping 255 yards last week, they have then covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games after being outgained by at least 225 yards. Furthermore, Middle Tennessee has covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games after failing to score more than 20 points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than 14 points in their last contest. The Blue Raiders have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after failing to gain more than 275 yards in their last game. Better production on offense will take the pressure off the Middle Tennessee defense that allowed 496 yards last week. The Blue Raiders have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 475 yards in their last game. And while they also allowed 42 points to Army in the opening game of the season, they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 31 points in two straight games. UTSA has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. The Roadrunners remain a team that was just 4-8 last season — and those four victories were against teams that accrued only three victories against FBS opponents last season. UTSA has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games in September. Furthermore, the Roadrunners are just 4-13-1 ATS in their last 18 games at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 home games against teams with a losing record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Don’t be surprised if junior quarterback Chase Cunningham gets more snaps under center for Middle Tennessee as he is a better pure passer than O’Hara. UTSA has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games as a favorite — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 24 home games when laying the points. 10* CFB Friday Daily Discounted Deal with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (455) plus the points versus the University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (456). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the South Alabama Jaguars (235) plus the points versus the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (236). THE SITUATION: South Alabama (0-0) returns fifteen starters from last year’s hard-luck 2-10 team. Southern Mississippi (0-0) returns eleven starters from last year’s team that finished 7-6 after losing to Tulane in the Armed Forces Bowl by a 30-13 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAGUARS: Welcome to pandemic college football — and these are two teams that were not able to hold spring practices given COVID-19 concerns. It is always a challenge for players to learn new systems when the offensive and defensive coordinators change — but not to have spring practice to begin making these changes will likely lead to sloppy play. 5th-year head coach Jay Hopson has two new coordinators in offensive coordinator Matt Kubik and defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro. This adjustment is a big challenge for the Golden Eagles. The defense also lost three of their top returning starters from each level of the defense with defensive end Jacques Turner, linebacker Racheem Boothe, and free safety Shannon Showers all decided to transfer after the pandemic hit to alter the college football season. The lack of a crown also takes away a big part of the Southern Miss home-field advantage — this team begins the season on a 21-8 straight-up run at “the Rock.” The Golden Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 home games when laying 14.5 to 17 points. The offense returns eight starters led third-year starting quarterback Jack Abraham. Interceptions are a problem for the senior has he threw fifteen picks last year with eleven coming in his final seven games — and that is not an ideal situation for a QB facing hostile competition for the first time with a new coordinator without the benefit of spring practice. Abraham will be without his key weapon from last year in wide receiver Quez Watkins who left early for the NFL after his junior season. South Alabama does have the benefit of continuity with offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield and defensive coordinator Greg Stewart both back this season. This is a critical season for third-year head coach Steve Campbell who is just 5-19 in two seasons at South Alabama. The Jaguars were better than a two-win team last year. They outgained Nebraska in their opening game but lost due to giving up three touchdowns from the Cornhuskers defense and special teams. They lost to a good Georgia Southern team in overtime. They missed a field goal with 1:08 left in the game in a 2-point loss to Texas State. They outgained UL-Lafayette by a 467 to 391 margin a loss. And they closed out their season strong with an upset victory over Arkansas State in their home finale. Campbell may have found his answer at quarterback in sophomore Desmond Trotter who started the last four games of the season. The offense averaged 26 PPG along with 409 YPG under Trotter which was big improvements over the 14.6 PPG and 290.4 total YPG they were averaging in their first eight games. The defense returns six of the top eight tacklers from last season. Campbell also brought in eight junior college transfers including three from his former coaching location at Mississippi Gulf Coast who won the national junior college championship last season. South Alabama has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 27 road games in the first half of the season as an underdog. The Jaguars have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 road games as an underdog getting 14.5 to 21 points.

FINAL TAKE: South Alabama has a big edge in continuity from last year — and I do not think the gap between these two teams was a large as the point spread suggests. Southern Miss has lost their last four home openers when hosting an FBS opponent. 10* CFB South Alabama-Southern Miss CBS Sports Network Special with the South Alabama Jaguars (235) plus the points versus the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (236). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, January 13th, we will be playing the Clemson Tigers (283) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (284) in the National Championship Game. THE SITUATION: Clemson (14-0) reached the National Championship game for the second straight season with their 29-23 win over Ohio State on December 28th as a 2.5-point favorite. LSU (14-0) joined them earlier that day with their 63-28 blowout win over Oklahoma as a 16.5-point favorite. This game will be played on a neutral field in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

REASONS TO TAKE CLEMSON PLUS THE POINTS: The various Power Ranking quantitive analytical forecasts for this game have things closer to a pick ‘em — LSU entered the playoffs overvalued and those inclinations were rewarded with their blowout victory over the Sooners. Both semifinals games were an interesting example of how one or two big plays can dramatically swing the balance of the game. Clemson was on the verge of being blown out by the Buckeyes before a targeting penalty was called on a questionable hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence. That resurrected a dead drive which the Tigers then scored a touchdown to completely reverse the momentum of that game. Oklahoma might have seen the same fortune if an obvious pass interference call was made to sustain an early drive for them — instead, the refs missed it and a frustrated defense was soon called for targeting themselves which not only fueled another LSU touchdown but resulted in an undermanned Sooners’ defense seeing a key defensive back ejected from the game. And the route was on. LSU has now covered the point spread in three straight games after gaining a whopping 532 total yards against an Oklahoma defense missing several key pieces via team suspension and then that in-game ejection. But LSU has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 27 games after covering the point spread in at least three straight games. I am still not sold on this LSU defense that has surrendered 29.3 PPG along with 429.6 total YPG in their seven games away from home. They held their last three opponents to just 15.0 PPG but those games were against a tapped-out Texas A&M team along with an offensively-challenged Georgia group before the Sooners. LSU allowed more than 450 yards in four of their games with Texas, Florida, Ole Miss, and Alabama all scoring at least 28 points against them. Clemson took their first big punch to the mouth this season but got off the mat to defeat an Ohio State team I think is at least as talented as LSU. The quants that measure in-season performance mostly rated Ohio and LSU as the better team — but those quantitative assessments do not take into account anything from last season. Dabo Swinney returned twelve starters from last year’s perfect 15-0 national champion squad including is a phenom at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. I am just not going to hand out any demerits for the Tigers' failure to overly impress the College Football Playoff committee by failing to generate enough style points against teams like Syracuse and North Carolina early in their schedule. Given that Clemson was likely to reach the playoff even if they suffered an early-season loss, it was reasonable for Swinney to prime his team to play their best football in the second half of the season. Clemson has now allowed only 42 combined points in their last three playoff games over the last two seasons. The Tigers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games in December — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 bowl games. Clemson has also covered the point spread in 17 of their last 22 games against teams with a winning record including their last seven contests against winners — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games against teams with a winning percentage of 75% or higher. The Tigers are rarely the underdog — but they have covered the point spread in 37 of their last 55 games when getting points. Swinney’s teams at Clemson have also covered the point spread in 8 of their 9 postseason games as an underdog while pulling the upset six times. Additionally, Clemson has covered the point spread in 17 of their last 21 games played on a neutral field — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games on a neutral field as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: LSU will have a geographical advantage with this game being played 81.3 miles away from their Baton Rouge campus. I just do not assign much value at all to the potential crowd noise that a team may enjoy on a neutral field. The familiar environment along with the routine of being at home play as much (or more) of a role for home-field advantage than potential crowd noise — especially in a dome where the audience cheering and yelling tends to get drowned out. However, I think the championship experience that this Clemson team enjoys over LSU’s players and coaching staff gives them another big edge. 25* CFB National Championship Game *A-List* Special with the Clemson Tigers (283) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (284). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the National Championship Game between the Clemson Tigers (283) and the LSU Tigers (284). THE SITUATION: Clemson (14-0) reached the National Championship game for the second straight season with their 29-23 win over Ohio State on December 28th as a 2.5-point favorite. LSU (14-0) joined them earlier that day with their 63-28 blowout win over Oklahoma as a 16.5-point favorite. This game will be played on a neutral field in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The offenses are getting all the headlines — and most of the bettor’s attention with the Total approaching the 70 threshold — yet I think both defenses of these teams are being under-appreciated. Clemson surrendered 516 yards of offense to Ohio State but it was their ability thwart three Red Zone trips by the Buckeyes in the first half of that showdown which kept the Tigers in that game. After giving up 16 points in the first 22:20 minutes of that game, the Tigers only gave up one final touchdown over the remaining 37:40 minutes of that game. Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venerable is one of the best in the business — keep in mind his ability to make in-game adjustments if LSU racks up the points early in this game. In the Tigers’ last three Championship Games (all with Venerable), Clemson allowed only 7 combined points in the second half while registering nine combined sacks. On paper, this may be a better statistical defense this season than the one that limited Tua Tagovailoa and a potent Alabama offense to just 16 points in last year’s National Championship Game. Last year’s Tigers’ defense allowed touchdowns in 10.8% of their opponent’s possessions while forcing turnovers in 12.1% of their opponent’s possessions and allowing 29.6% of the available yards per drive to their opponent. The 2019 Clemson defense improved on all those numbers against a comparable schedule: they held their opponents to TD drives in just 8.0% of their possessions while forcing a turnover in 18.0% of their drives while allowing only 26.4% of the available yards per drive to their opponent. The Tigers led the country by allowing their opponents to -152 YPG below their season average. LSU will offer a stiff challenge with them averaging 397.2 passing YPG with a 10.7 Yards-Per-Attempt average — but Clemson has played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total against teams who average at least 8.0 YPA and they have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams who average at least 250 passing YPG. The extra week to prepare for this game should help Venable as well as they have played 33 of their last 45 games Under the Total with at least two weeks to prepare including seven straight Unders. Clemson has also played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of at least 75% — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams who are outscoring their opponents by at least +17.0 PPG. LSU is outscoring its opponents by +27.8 PPG after their blowout victory over the Sooners. Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda devised a scheme that limited the explosive Oklahoma offense to just 322 yards of offense. It was key plays early in that game that stalled the Sooners’ offense which put them behind the eight-ball versus the Joe Burrow-Tigers offense. LSU held its last four opponents to 270 total YPG. Even better, after taking out that fourth game against Arkansas, the Tigers held their last three opponents to just 15.0 PPG along with only 259.0 total YPG against three above-average offenses in Texas A&M, Georgia and Ole Miss. LSU did generate 692 total yards against a depleted Oklahoma defense — but they have then played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total after gaining at least 575 yards in their last game. And while the Tigers have scored at least 37 points in six straight games, they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after scoring at least 37 points in four straight games.

FINAL TAKE: LSU has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total on a neutral field as a favorite. Clemson has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total on a neutral field — and they have played 13 of their last 14 games in a dome Under the Total. While the field conditions help the speed of the offenses, it also helps the speed of the defenses. It does not take many Red Zone stops to keep the scoring below the number when it is approaching the 70 point range. Try to wait in placing this bet since I suspect the number will keep being pushed up by the betting public. 25* CFB Bowl Total of the Year with National Championship Game between the Clemson Tigers (283) and the LSU Tigers (284). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Miami (OH) RedHawks (279) plus the points versus the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (280). THE SITUATION: Miami (OH) (8-5) has won six of their last seven games after winning the Mid-American Conference Championship Game on December 7th with their 26-21 upset victory over Central Michigan as a 5.5-point underdog. Lafayette (10-3) saw their six-game winning streak snapped in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game on December 7th with their 45-38 loss at Appalachian State as a 5-point underdog. This game is being played at Land Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

REASONS TO TAKE THE REDHAWKS PLUS THE POINTS: Miami has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after pulling off an upset win — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a victory over a Mid-American Conference rival. The RedHawks have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a point spread win. And in their last 26 games after winning four or five of their last six games, Miami has covered the point spread in 20 of these contests. This team is better than their numbers suggest as they endured a brutal non-conference schedule that skewed their statistics with games at Ohio State, Iowa, and Cincinnati. The RedHawks have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog. Lafayette has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after a narrow loss by 7 points or less against a Sun Belt Conference opponent. The Ragin’ Cajuns are led by junior quarterback Levi Lewis who led an offense that completed 64.7% of their passes — but the RedHawks have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams who complete at least 62% of his passes. Louisiana has failed to cover the point spread in their last 3 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 60% to 75% range. And while the Ragin’ Cajuns have scored at least 31 points in seven straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after scoring at least 31 points in three straight games.

FINAL TAKE: Miami has covered the point spread in their last 4 games when playing on a neutral field. Look for the RedHawks to keep this game closer than expected as a double-digit underdog. 10* CFB Lending Tree Bowl ESPN Special with the Miami (OH) RedHawks (279) plus the points versus the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (280). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the Lending Tree Bowl between the Miami (OH) RedHawks (279) and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (280). THE SITUATION: Miami (OH) (8-5) has won six of their last seven games after winning the Mid-American Conference Championship Game on December 7th with their 26-21 upset victory over Central Michigan as a 5.5-point underdog. Lafayette (10-3) saw their six-game winning streak snapped in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game on December 7th with their 45-38 loss at Appalachian State as a 5-point underdog. This game is being played at Land Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The RedHawks have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a pint spread victory. Miami (OH) has also played 10 of their last 16 games Under the Total after winning at least four of their last five games. And while the RedHawks have only forced one turnover in each of their last two games, they have then played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after not forcing more than one turnover in two straight contests. Miami has a better defense than their numbers suggest — those statistics are skewed a bit from a difficult non-conference schedule that included road games at Ohio State, Iowa, and Cincinnati. The RedHawks will look to run the ball to control the Time of Possession — they averaged 38 rushing attempts per game while running on over 63% of their offensive snaps. But Miami averages only 3.5 Yards-Per-Carry while ranking just 122nd in the nation by averaging 305.9 total YPG. The RedHawks average -84 YPG below their opponent’s season defensive average. The Ragin’ Cajuns have a good defense that allowed only 19.9 PPG which was 20th best in the nation. It will be particularly difficult for freshman quarterback Brett Gabbert to throw on the Lafayette defense that is 16th in the nation by allowing just 193.8 passing YPG. The Ragin’ Cajuns have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after winning at least four of their last five games. Lafayette did generate 513 yards of offense in their loss to the Mountaineers — but they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Ragin’ Cajuns have scored at least 31 points in seven straight games — but they have also played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after scoring at least 31 points in four straight contests. Lafayette has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. They also have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total as a favorite — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when favored in the 10.5 to 21 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Miami has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral field. With the RedHawks scoring only 18.5 PPG when away from home, they will only need to slow down the Ragin’ Cajuns offense a bit to keep this game below the number. 25* CFB Group of Five Bowl Total of the Year with Under the Total in the Lending Tree Bowl between the Miami (OH) RedHawks (279) and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (280). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:30 AM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (278) plus the points versus the Tulane Green Wave (277) in the Armed Forces Bowl. THE SITUATION: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (7-5) enters this bowl game off two straight losses after their 34-17 loss at FAU on November 30th as an 8-point underdog. Tulane (6-6) has lost three straight games as well as five of their last six contests with their 37-20 loss at SMU as a 3-point underdog on November 30th. This game is being played at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN EAGLES PLUS THE POINTS: Southern Mississippi has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. The Golden Eagles lost that game with the Owls due to quarterback Jack Abraham throwing for turnovers which accounted for their -4 net turnover margin in that game — but they have then covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after suffering a -4 or worse net turnover margin. Look for Abraham to respond with a strong effort after playing his worst game of the season. Abraham completed 67.5% of his passes for 3329 passing yards while averaging 8.7 Yards-Per-Pass-Attempt. Southern Miss did hold Florida Atlantic to just 156 passing yards in that game — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than 170 passing yards in their last game. The Golden Eagles were solid when playing away from home this season where they were only outgained by -2.4 net YPG. Overall, Southern Miss outgained their twelve opponents by +59.7 net YPG. Tulane has failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after a double-digit loss to an American Athletic Conference rival. And while they have played three straight Unders, the Green Wave have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after playing at least three straight Unders. Tulane was a much better home team this season where they won five of their six games. But the Green Wave were 1-5 on the road where they were outscored by -11.2 PPG. Tulane also scored just 24.0 PPG over their final three games of the regular season which was -9.3 PPG below their season average. Head coach Willie Fritz has his team deploy a spread triple option that he brought over from his tenure at Georgia Southern — but the Golden Eagles will benefit from the extra time to prepare for this specific offense in this bowl game. As it is, it has been tough to run on this Southern Miss team as they held their opponents to averaging just 3.4 Yards-Per-Carry which translated into 111.8 rushing YPG which was 14th lowest in the nation. And while the Golden Eagles average 8.8 Yards-Per-Pass-Attempt overall this season, the Green Wave have failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 32 games against opponents that average at least 8.5 YPA. Furthermore, Tulane is just 2-7-1 ATS in their last 9 games played on grass.

FINAL TAKE: The Green Wave have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games against opponents with a winning percentage in the 51% to 60% percent range. 10* CFB Armed Forces Bowl ESPN Special with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (278) plus the points versus the Tulane Green Wave (277). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Nevada Wolf Pack (276) plus the points versus the Ohio Bobcats (275) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. THE SITUATION: Nevada (7-5) looks to bounce-back from their 33-30 upset loss to UNLV on November 30th as a 6.5-point favorite. Ohio (6-6) has won two games in a row with their 52-3 win over Akron as a 27.5-point favorite on November 26th. This game is played on Boise State’s blue home field.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WOLF PACK PLUS THE POINTS: The Bobcats have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 27 games after a win by at least 20 points. Ohio has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. And while the Bobcats generated 603 yards of offense against the Zips, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. Ohio has been an unreliable favorite as they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games when laying the points. Nevada is 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a straight-up loss. The Wolf Pack are getting better play from their freshman quarterback Carson Strong who completed 100 of 151 passes over the last month of the season for 951 yards. The Nevada defense also improved as the season went on as they allowed only 24.7 PPG along with 350.7 total YPG which was -7.4 PPG and -47.0 net YPG below their season average. The Wolf Pack are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games played on a neutral field — and they are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 bowl games.

FINAL TAKE: The Nevada defense will be undermanned with suspensions removing three of their top ten tacklers. But as an underdog in the touchdown range, the Wolf Pack should still keep this game close. 10* CFB Famous Idaho Potato Bowl with the Nevada Wolf Pack (276) plus the points versus the Ohio Bobcats (275). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Indiana Hoosiers (288) plus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (287) in the Gator Bowl. THE SITUATION: Indiana (7-5) snapped a two-game losing streak to end the season with their 44-41 win in overtime at Purdue on November 30th as a 7-point favorite. Tennessee (8-4) has won five in a row after their 28-10 win over Vanderbilt as a 24-point favorite on November 30th as a 24-point favorite. This game is being played at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HOOSIERS PLUS THE POINTS: Indiana has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. The Hoosiers have also covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a win on the road against a conference rival. And while Indiana has won five of their last seven games, Indiana has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after winning five or six of their last seven games. Some bettors have been scared off this Hoosiers team because they have not defeated a team with more than five victories this season — but all five of their losses were against teams that were ranked at the time. Indiana has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. Tennessee has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after winning three straight games against SEC rivals. The Volunteers outgained the Commodores by +138 net yards in their last game — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after outgaining their last opponent by at least +125 net yards. And while Tennessee had covered the point spread in six straight games before their contest with Vanderbilt, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after covering the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. Additionally, the Volunteers have played four straight Unders — and they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after playing at least three straight Unders. Furthermore, Tennessee has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams outside the SEC. And in their last 13 games as the favorite, the Volunteers have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Tennessee will be without their top wide receiver and emotional leader of the team in Javan Jennings who will be suspended for the first half of this game. Expect a close one where the Hoosiers have the opportunity to pull the upset. 10* CFB Gator Bowl ESPN Special with the Indiana Hoosiers (288) plus the points versus the Tennessee Volunteers (287). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:45 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Baylor Bears (269) plus the points versus the Georgia Bulldogs (270) in the Sugar Bowl. THE SITUATION: Baylor (11-2) enters this bowl game coming off a 30-23 loss to Oklahoma as a 9-point underdog in the Big 12 Championship Game back on December 7th. Georgia (11-2) comes off a 37-10 loss to LSU on December 7th as a 7.5-point underdog in the SEC Championship Game. This game is being played in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BEARS PLUS THE POINTS: The reports I am getting from the Big Easy is that this Georgia team has shown little from their body language and attitude since arriving for this bowl game that they have recovered from that devastating loss to the Tigers. The Bulldogs are a peculiar football program in that they perceive themselves as a true blue blood despite not having the historical resume to back up that claim. This is a team that expected to be in the College Football Playoff after making the National Championship Game two years ago. After losing in the SEC Championship Game last season, they were completing unmotivated to play Texas in last year’s Sugar Bowl and were upset by a mediocre Longhorns team by a 28-21 score. My initial reaction to their opportunity to return to New Orleans for another Sugar Bowl this season was that this was their chance for redemption. But the attrition rate of players unable or unwilling to play in this game speaks loudly about the importance (or lack thereof) to play this Baylor team that was 1-11 last year. Georgia is missing three starters on their offensive line with two skipping the game for the NFL and one player suspended due to academics. The Bulldogs are also thin at wide receiver with their star, Lawrence Cager, likely out with the ankle injury that kept him out for the previous two games, along with Dominick Black with a torn ACL that he suffered versus LSU. Defensive tackle Tyler Clark along with running back Brian Herrien did not make the trip. And running back D’Andre Swift is questionable with the bruised shoulder he suffered against Georgia Tech that limited him to five snaps against LSU. For a team that was already lacking elite talent at the skill positions, these losses are devastating. The Bulldogs have averaged just 348.7 total YPG over their last three games which is -61.5 net YPG below their season average. Junior quarterback Jake Fromm may be hiding an injury himself — or he simply is suffering from a lack of confidence that has worsened with the lack of help from his teammates. After being the highest-graded quarterback by Pro Football Focus after the first six weeks of the season, Fromm has completed only 47% of his passes over his last five games. The defense has played at an elite level for most of the season — but they were exposed by LSU who generated 481 yards against them QB Joe Burrow passing for 349 yards. Georgia has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 21 games after allowing at least 325 passing yards in their last game. The Bulldogs have not had more than one takeaway in eight games as well — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after not getting more than one turnover in five straight contests. This is not a good matchup for Georgia either. The Bears average 6.4 Yards-Per-Play along with averaging 6.4 Yards-Per-Carry — and they have both failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams that average at least 4.75 YPC but they have also failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games against opponents who average at least 5.9 YPP. After enduring a 1-11 season last year, this Baylor team is excited with this opportunity to play in prime-time in a New Year’s Six Bowl game. They have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread victory. And while the Bears managed only 265 total yards against the Sooners, they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after failing to gain at least 275 yards in their last game. Oklahoma outgained Baylor by -168 net yards — but Baylor has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after being outgained by at least -125 yards. The Bears have an outstanding pass rush which will challenge this Bulldogs’ offensive line that will be elevating three backups to starting positions. Baylor has 43 sacks this season and PFF ranks their pass rush as the 14th best in the nation. The Bears also generated 23 sacks rushing just three players which leaves eight defenders against the pass in those situations. Moving forward, Baylor has covered the point spread in 35 of their last 52 games against teams with a winning record. They also have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 bowl games.

FINAL TAKE: Baylor has covered the point spread in 24 of their last 33 games as an underdog — and this includes them covering the point spread in 8 straight games with five outright upset victories in that span. And head coach Matt Rhule has seen his teams cover the point spread in 34 of the last 48 games he has coached as the dog while leading his team to sixteen upset wins. 10* CFB Sugar Bowl ESPN Special with the Baylor Bears (269) plus the points versus the Georgia Bulldogs (270). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Wisconsin Badgers (267) minus the points versus the Oregon Ducks (268) in the Rose Bowl. THE SITUATION: Wisconsin (10-3) saw their four-game winning streak snapped in the Big Ten Championship Game on December 7th with their 34-21 loss to Ohio State. Oregon (11-2) has won their last two games with their 37-15 upset win over Utah as a 6.5-point underdog in the Pac-12 Championship Game on December 6th. The Rose Bowl is played in Pasadena, California.

FINAL TAKE: The Ducks have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams outside the Pac-12 — and the Badgers have covered the point spread in 4 straight games against teams outside the Big Ten. 10* CFB Rose Bowl ESPN Special with the Wisconsin Badgers (267) minus the points versus the Oregon Ducks (268). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the Citrus Bowl between the Michigan Wolverines (263) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (264). THE SITUATION: Michigan (9-3) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on November 30th with their 56-27 loss at home to Ohio State as a 9-point underdog. Alabama (10-2) looks to rebound from their 48-45 upset loss at Auburn as a 3.5-point favorite on November 30th. This game is being played on a neutral field at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wolverines may have a defense ranked 7th in the nation by allowing just 292.8 total YPG but they were exposed by the Buckeyes who torched them for 577 yards of offense. Michigan has played 5 straight games Over the Total after allowing at least 40 points in their last game. The Wolverines have also played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total after a double-digit loss at home. This Michigan offense did begin to click in the second half of their game at Penn State under first-year offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. The Wolverines have scored 36.7 PPG over their last three games while averaging 438.7 total YPG which is +36.6 YPG above their season average. Michigan has played 4 straight games Over the Total as an underdog. Alabama generated 515 yards of offense in their loss to the Tigers with quarterback Mac Jones completed 26 of 39 passes for 335 yards with four touchdown passes and another 32 yards rushing. Frankly, the Tide should have defeated Auburn that day (our CFB Game of the Year, dammit) with a comedy of officiating errors, fluke plays and two defensive touchdowns by the Tigers all playing crucial roles in the loss. This Alabama remains loaded even without Tua Tagovailoa healthy — Jones led this offense just fine. The Over is 8-3-1 in the Tide’s last 12 games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. Alabama has also played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total against teams outside the SEC. Furthermore, the Over is 21-7-2 in the Tide’s last 30 games played on a neutral field as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Alabama has played 7 of their last 8 bowl games Over the Total. Michigan has played 4 straight bowl games Over the Total. Expect a higher scoring game. 10* CFB Citrus Bowl ABC-TV O/U Special with Over the Total in the Citrus Bowl between the Michigan Wolverines (263) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (264). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers (265) plus the points versus the Auburn Tigers (266) in the Outback Bowl. THE SITUATION: Minnesota (10-2) has lost two of their last three games with their 38-17 loss to Wisconsin as a 3-point underdog on November 30th. Auburn (9-3) has won two straight games after their 48-45 upset win over Alabama as a 3.5-point underdog on November 30th. This game is being played on Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN GOPHERS PLUS THE POINTS: Look for the Tigers to suffer from the hangover of their huge win over their arch rivals in the Iron Bowl. Auburn has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a win at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games after a win at home over an SEC rival. And while the Tigers have covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after covering the point spread in two of their last three games. Auburn has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when played on a neutral field with the Total set in the 52.5 to 56 point range. Minnesota has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games after a double-digit loss at home. The Golden Gophers have also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after failing to score at least 20 points in their last game. Moving forward, Minnesota is 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games against teams outside the Big Ten.

FINAL TAKE: This Golden Gophers team has been a feisty underdog under head coach P.J.Fleck. Minnesota has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games as a dog — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a neutral field as an underdog. 10* CFB Outback Bowl ESPN Special with Minnesota Golden Gophers (265) plus the points versus the Auburn Tigers (266) in the Outback Bowl. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Utah Utes (262) minus the points versus the Texas Longhorns (261) in the Alamo Bowl. THE SITUATION: Utah (11-2) looks to pick themselves off the after laying the proverbial egg in the Pac-12 Championship Game in their 37-15 upset loss to Oregon on December 6th. Texas (7-5) snapped a two-game losing streak to close out their regular season with their 49-24 win over Texas Tech as a 9.5-point favorite on November 29th. This game is being played on a neutral field in San Antonio.

REASONS TO TAKE THE UTES MINUS THE POINTS: Utah should respond with a strong effort with this high-profile game on New Year’s Eve to remove the stink from their embarrassing loss to the Ducks. The Utes have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a loss by at least 20 points. Utah has also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after suffering an upset loss. The Utes were serious contenders to make the College Football Playoff because they a legitimate outstanding team this season. They lead the nation by allowing only 256.2 total YPG — and they are 4th in the nation by only giving up 13.2 PPG. The offense is as prolific as any unit in the Kyle Whittingham era as they are 25th in the FBS by scoring 34.0 PPG. Senior quarterback Ty Huntley if 5th in the FBS in Passing Efficiency while proving his offense with a threat with his legs. Senior running back Zack Moss averages 6.2 Yards-Per-Carry. The Utes have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Utah has also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games as a favorite — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games when laying 3.5 to 10 points. Texas may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a win by at least 20 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread victory. Expectations were sky-high for this team after last year’s bowl game where the Longhorns upset Georgia. In hindsight, more attention should have been paid that the Bulldogs were completely disinterested in that game after failing to make the College Football Playoff before seeing a handful of their best players skip the game to prepare for the NFL draft. Head coach Tom Herman has been very dangerous when motivating his team when they are playing the role of the underdog — his teams are 11-5 ATS with ten upset victories when getting the points. But he seems to be using this game entirely to prepare for an important 2020 season as he sacked both his offensive coordinator Tim Beck and his defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. This lack of continuity will be very difficult for his team to overcome even with a few extra weeks to prepare. As it is, the Longhorns have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games played on a neutral field wit the Total set in the 52.5 to 56 point range. Texas has been fortunate with turnovers to close out their regular season as well as they have only committed two turnovers (in separate games) over their last four contests. But the Longhorns have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after playing four straight games where they did not commit more than one turnover.

FINAL TAKE: I would worry about some teams not taking this bowl game seriously after suffering the emotional letdown of not making the College Football Playoff — but not a Whittingham-coached team. Whittingham is 11-2 straight-up in bowl games — and the Utes have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 bowl games. The route may be on … lay the points. 25* College Football Game of the Month with the Utah Utes (262) minus the points versus the Texas Longhorns (261). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Georgia State Panthers (259) plus the points versus the Wyoming Cowboys (260) in the Arizona Bowl. THE SITUATION: Georgia State (7-5) stumbles into this bowl game having lost three of their last four games after their 38-10 loss at Georgia Southern as a 6.5-point underdog back on November 30th. Wyoming (7-5) has also lost three of their last four games with their 20-6 loss at the Air Force as a 13.5-point underdog on November 30th. This game is being played on a neutral field in Tuscon.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PANTHERS PLUS THE POINTS: Georgia State has covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 games after failing to score more than 14 points in their last game. The Panthers offense has been slowed down since quarterback Dan Ellington suffered a partially torn ACL in the ninth game of the season against Louisiana-Monroe. Ellington has played through the injury but it limited his mobility. The month off since their loss to the Eagles should help the healing in the process — but Ellington is going to have to defeat the Cowboys with his passing. Ellington did have two 300-yard passing games this season en route to his 2291 passing yards — and he threw 21 touchdown passes. Wyoming has a great defense but they were vulnerable against the pass as they surrendered 265.1 passing YPG which was 112th in the nation. Georgia State has covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games against teams that allowed at least 250 passing YPG. The Panthers also need to play better on defense after allowing Georgia Southern to rush for 279 yards — but they are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing at least 200 rushing yards in their last game. Wyoming managed only 225 total yards in their loss to the Falcons in their last game. The Cowboys have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after failing to gain at least 275 yards in their last game — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after failing to score more than 20 points in their last game. Furthermore, Wyoming has failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 34 games after a game where no more than 29 combined points were scored. Wyoming has their own issues at QB after redshirt freshman Sean Chambers suffered a season-ending knee injury. Chambers was effective with his legs as he averaged 6.7 YPC which accounted for 567 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Vander Waal was ineffective in his absence under center with things being so bad that he decided to enter the transfer portal after the Air Force game. That leaves little-used freshman Levi Williams as the Cowboys’ quarterback for this game. Wyoming has scored only 14.7 PPG while averaging just 280.3 total YPG over their last three games. The Cowboys were a much better team at home where they were 6-1 in the high altitude air in Laramie. But this team was just 1-5 on the road where they only scored 18.3 PPG while averaging only 294.5 total YPG.

FINAL TAKE: Wyoming failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. A Georgia State team focused on passing the football may be a blessing in disguise for them because they won four of their five games when Ellington passed for at least 200 yards. 10* CFB Arizona Bowl CBS Sports Network Special with the Georgia State Panthers (259) plus the points versus the Wyoming Cowboys (260). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the Arizona Bowl between the Georgia State Panthers (259) and the Wyoming Cowboys (260). THE SITUATION: Georgia State (7-5) stumbles into this bowl game having lost three of their last four games after their 38-10 loss at Georgia Southern as a 6.5-point underdog back on November 30th. Wyoming (7-5) has also lost three of their last four games with their 20-6 loss at the Air Force as a 13.5-point underdog on November 30th. This game is being played on a neutral field in Tuscon.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Panthers have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a loss by at least 20 points.  And while Georgia State did not commit a turnover in their loss to the Eagles, they have then played 9 of their last 10 games Under the total after not committing a turnover in their last game. The Panthers’ offense slowed down after the injury to quarterback Dan Ellington during the ninth game of the season. He had rushed for 603 yards through the first-half of that game against Louisiana-Monroe before suffering what turned out to be a torn ACL. In his last three starts, Ellington rushed for -5 yards overall which dramatically impacted the Georgia State offense as they averaged only 157 rushing YPG over their last final three games which was a far cry from their 275 rushing YPG before his injury. Over their last three games, the Panthers scored only 21.7 PPG while averaging just 332.7 total YPG with both those numbers -10.7 PPG and -112.2 total YPG below their season average. Georgia State also scored only 25.7 PPG while averaging 401.5 total YPG away from home which was -6.7 PPG and -45.4 YPG below their season average. The Panthers have played 5 straight games Under the Total in December. Georgia State has also played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total as an underdog getting 3.5 to 10 points. The Panthers will have difficulties moving the ball against this Cowboys defense the ranks 11th in the nation by allowing only 17.8 PPG. Wyoming has an outstanding run defense that allows only 99.4 rushing YPG which is 6th in the FBS. They held their opponents to -73 YPG below their season average on offense this season. They have held their last three opponents to just 17.7 PPG along with only 330.7 YPG. The Under is 19-7-1 in the Cowboys’ last 27 games after a loss — and the Under is 19-6-1 in their last 26 games after a point spread loss. Furthermore, Wyoming has seen the Under go 15-5-1 in their last 21 games after failing to score at least 20 points in their last game — and they have played 7 straight Unders after failing to score at least 20 points in their last contest. Additionally, the Cowboys have played 11 straight games Under the Total after a game where no more than 29 combined points were scored. Wyoming has their own issues at QB after redshirt freshman Sean Chambers suffered a season-ending knee injury. Chambers was effective with his legs as he averaged 6.7 YPC which accounted for 567 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Vander Waal was ineffective in his absence under center with things being so bad that he decided to enter the transfer portal after the Air Force game. That leaves little-used freshman Levi Williams as the Cowboys’ quarterback for this game. Wyoming has scored only 14.7 PPG while averaging just 280.3 total YPG over their last three games. The Cowboys were a much better team at home where they were 6-1 in the high altitude air in Laramie. But this team was just 1-5 on the road where they only scored 18.3 PPG while averaging only 294.5 total YPG. They managed just 225 yards of offense between Vander Waal and Williams against the Falcons — and the Under is 9-1-1 in their last 11 games after failing to gain at least 275 yards in their last game.

FINAL TAKE: Wyoming’s main source of offense will be behind running back Xavavian Valladay who rushed for 1061 yards this season. Between Valladay’s running and the Cowboys’ defense, this game should move quickly. The Under is 18-7-1 in Wyoming’s last 26 games against teams with a winning record. 25* CFB CBS Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the Arizona Bowl between the Georgia State Panthers (259) and the Wyoming Cowboys (260). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:45 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Navy Midshipmen (258) minus the points versus the Kansas State Wildcats (257) in the Liberty Bowl. THE SITUATION: Navy (10-2) has won their last three games after their 31-7 triumph over Army as an 11.5-point favorite on December 14th. Kansas State (8-4) has won their last two games after their 27-17 upset victory over Iowa State as a 4-point underdog on November 30th. This game is being played on a neutral field in Memphis.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MIDSHIPMEN MINUS THE POINTS: Navy is 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 games after a point spread win. The Midshipmen should not be taken lightly in bowl games as they have covered the point spread in 5 straight bowl game appearances. One of the reasons for this success is that the spread triple option travels — Navy scored 38.5 PPG in their six road games while averaging 446.5 total YPG in those contests. The Midshipmen also play very solid defense — they ranked 22nd in the nation by holding their opponents to just 326.2 total YPG. Navy held their opponents to -89 YPG below their opponent’s season average. They are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games in December — and they are 3-1-1 in their last 5 games against teams outside the American Athletic Conference. They have outscored their last three opponents by +15.4 net PPG. And they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games as the favorite. Kansas State may be due for a letdown as they have registered two straight upset victories with a 30-27 win at Texas Tech as a 2-point dog preceding their upset victory over the Cyclones to close out the regular season. But that was 31 days ago which risks them being rusty against an opponent that played a very big game for them two weeks ago. The Wildcats can struggle to move the football as they are just 93rd in the nation by averaging 374.7 total YPG. Kansas State was also outgained in their five road games by -93.6 net YPG. The Wildcats averaged just 332.0 total YPG away from home which was -42.7 net YPG below their season average — and they surrendered 425.6 YPG on the road which was -61.6 YPG more than they allowed overall this season. Kansas State has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after winning two of their last three games. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. And in their last 5 games played on a neutral field as an underdog, the Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread 4 times.

FINAL TAKE: The service academies have won ten of their last twelve bowl games. While it would be foolish to just zombie bet on Army, Navy, or the Air Force in bowl games, the success of these programs in bowl games comes from their consistency of play from week-to-week along with using spread triple-option rushing attacks that are not weather dependent to succeed. And while their opponents benefit from the extra weeks to prepare, these are sophisticated offensive attacks that leave play-callers plenty of options to counter against the defensive adjustments while expanding the plays in the playbook. 10* CFB Liberty Bowl ESPN Special with the Navy Midshipmen (258) minus the points versus the Kansas State Wildcats (257). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Florida State Seminoles (255) plus the points versus the Arizona State Sun Devils (256). THE SITUATION: Florida State (6-6) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on November 30th with their 40-17 loss at Florida as a 17-point underdog. Arizona State (7-5) has won their last two games with their 24-14 win over Arizona on November 30th as a 12-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SEMINOLES PLUS THE POINTS: Florida State managed only 250 yards against the Gators offense — but they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after failing to gain at least 275 yards in their last game. And while the Seminoles surrendered 390 passing yards to Florida, they have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game. This team is playing under interim head coach Odell Haggins who took over the team after Willie Taggart was sacked in November. The players play hard under Haggins as he is 4-1 as an interim head coach with Florida State which includes a 42-13 victory over Southern Mississippi in the Independence Bowl two years ago. Over their last three games, the Seminoles have scored 34.3 PPG while averaging 433.0 total YPG which is +5.6 PPG and +29.8 net YPG above their season average. Florida State is 10-2-1 ATS in their last 13 bowl games — and they are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 bowl games as an underdog. Arizona State has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win. The Sun Devils secured five wins against Power-Five teams this season but with a low margin of victory in those contests of just +5.4 PPG. This team was outgained this season overall in yardage behind an offense that was just 89th in the nation by averaging a mere 379.6 total YPG. Arizona State scored only 20.6 PPG while averaging just 301.6 total YPG in their five games on the road. Pass defense is also an issue for this team as they ranked 115th in the nation by allowing 270.1 passing YPG. These characteristics make the Sun Devils unreliable favorites as they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 straight games when laying the points. Arizona State has also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams outside the Pac-12 — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral field as the favorite. The Sun Devils have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 bowl games.

FINAL TAKE: Both teams are missing significant players in this game who decided to skip for preparation for the NFL draft. Florida State will be without a scholarship player at running back given injuries along with Cam Akers' decision to bypass the game. The Seminoles have been jumpstarted on offense as of late by quarterback Jordan Davis who they have used in their running game. But Arizona State will be without their 1000-yard rusher in Eno Benjamin and 1000-yard wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk who are skipping this game for the NFL draft. The Sun Devils’ losses are probably the bigger blow for an offense that was not much without them. 10* CFB Sun Bowl CBS-TV Special with the Florida State Seminoles (255) plus the points versus the Arizona State Sun Devils (256). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Virginia Tech Hokies (286) minus the points versus the Kentucky Wildcats (285) in the Belk Bowl. THE SITUATION: Virginia Tech (8-4) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on November 29th with their 39-30 upset loss at Virginia as a 1.5-point favorite. Kentucky (7-5) has won three in a row after their 45-13 win over Louisville as a 3.5-point favorite on November 30th. This game is being played in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HOKIES MINUS THE POINTS: Virginia Tech will have something to prove on defense in what will be the last game for their legendary defensive coordinator Bud Carson before he enters retirement. The Hokies surrendered 492 yards to the Cavaliers with 311 of those yards coming in the air. Virginia Tech has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least 450 yards in their last game — and they are 6-0-2 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game. Despite that performance against Virginia, the Hokies defense steadily improves as they held their last four opponents to just 276 YPG while keeping these foes -115 YPG below their season average. This is a team that bottomed out early after a 45-10 loss at Duke in late September. The team moved to sophomore Hendon Hooker under center after that and he led the team to six wins in seven starts while leading the offense to average 36.8 PPG. Hooker completed 62.1% of his passes while throwing 11 touchdown passes to just two interceptions and he added another five touchdowns with his legs. Virginia Tech has covered the point spread in five of their last six games — and they have then covered the point spread in 25 of their last 37 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. Additionally, the Hokies have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games in December. Kentucky has won five of their last seven games while covering the point spread in six of their last seven contests. But the Wildcats have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after winning five or six of their last seven games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 11 games after covering the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. This Kentucky coaching staff had to scramble after the season-ending injury to junior quarterback Terry Wilson — but they found an answer in converting speedster wide receiver Lynn Bowden to the QB position. This tactic worked as having their best offensive player touching the ball on every snap helped them in those final seven games with his 1235 rushing yards propelling the offense to average a whopping 352 rushing YPG. But Bowden and company will now be facing a stour Hokies run defense that ranked 27th in the nation by allowing 123.3 rushing YPG — and giving Carson three weeks to prepare for this system in his swan song should mean this Virginia Tech defense will be very prepared. Kentucky has scored 95 points in their last two games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after scoring at least 42 points in two straight games. The Wildcats are limited in their passing attack behind Bowden as they averaged just 117.1 passing YPG which is 126th in the nation. This team also scored just 14.5 PPG along with 325.7 total YPG in their four true road games.

FINAL TAKE: Kentucky has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a neutral field. Virginia Tech has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral field. 10* CFB Belk Bowl ESPN Special with the Virginia Tech Hokies (286) minus the points versus the Kentucky Wildcats (285) in the Belk Bowl. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Virginia Cavaliers (251) plus the points versus the Florida Gators (252) in the Orange Bowl. THE SITUATION: Virginia (9-4) looks to bounce-back from their 62-17 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game where they were 29-point underdogs back on December 7th. Florida (10-2) has won three straight games with their 40-17 win over Florida State as a 17-point favorite on November 30th. This game is being played on a neutral field at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAVALIERS PLUS THE POINTS: Virginia has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. And while they surrender 211 rushing yards to the Tigers in the ACC Championship Game, they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after allowing at least 200 rushing yards in their last game. Virginia has a potent offense in the fourth season under head coach Bronco Mendenhall. Virginia was 42nd in the nation by averaging 32.4 PPG. They are led by senior quarterback Bryce Perkins who led the ACC by averaging 304.6 total YPG from his passing and running. He completed 27 of 43 passes for 266 yards against Clemson while adding another 58 rushing with his legs. Over their last three games, the Cavaliers have averaged 459.3 total YPG which is +69.0 net YPG above their season average. Virginia has played five straight games Over the Total — and they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after playing at least three straight Overs. The Cavaliers have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing with at least two weeks of preparation. Florida has covered the point spread in five of their last seven games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 3 straight games after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven contests. The Gators have not allowed more than 256 total yards in three straight games as well — but they have failed to then cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games are not allowing more than 275 yards in three straight contests. Florida has become primarily a passing team on offense behind junior Kyle Trask — they are 16th in the nation by averaging 300.4 passing YPG. But the Gators have not rushed for more than 77 yards in two straight games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after failing to rush for at least 100 yards in two straight contests. Florida was not as dominant on the road this year where they only outscored their opponents by +3.2 PPG while being outgained in those six games by -8.0 net YPG. The Gators have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games when playing with at least two weeks of rest and preparation.

FINAL TAKE: Florida scored an emotional 41-15 victory over Michigan in last year’s Peach Bowl in what was revenge to two recent losses to the Wolverines. Now after a 10-2 season where they lost their two biggest games against LSU and Georgia, being a two-touchdown favorite may be uninspiring for this team now. The Gators have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games played on a neutral field. 10* CFB Orange Bowl ESPN Special with Virginia Cavaliers (251) plus the points versus the Florida Gators (252) in the Orange Bowl. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the Orange Bowl between the Virginia Cavaliers (251) and the Florida Gators (252). THE SITUATION: Virginia (9-4) looks to bounce-back from their 62-17 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game where they were 29-point underdogs back on December 7th. Florida (10-2) has won three straight games with their 40-17 win over Florida State as a 17-point favorite on November 30th. This game is being played on a neutral field at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Cavaliers have played 5 straight games Over the Total after a loss by at least 20 points. Virginia has also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after failing to score at least 20 points in their last game. This is potent offense in the fourth season under head coach Bronco Mendenhall. Virginia was 42nd in the nation by averaging 32.4 PPG. They are led by senior quarterback Bryce Perkins who led the ACC by averaging 304.6 total YPG from his passing and running. He completed 27 of 43 passes for 266 yards against Clemson while adding another 58 rushing with his legs. Over their last three games, the Cavaliers have averaged 459.3 total YPG which is +69.0 net YPG above their season average. The problem for this Cavs team has been the deterioration of their play on defense. Virginia allowed only 281 total YPG in their first eight games — but injuries contributed to them surrendering 481 YPG over their last final five contests. The Cavaliers lost two starters in their secondary, senior cornerback Bryce Hall and junior safety Brenton Nelson, to season-ending injuries. Clemson racked up 619 yards of offense against Virginia with 211 of those yards coming on the ground. The Cavaliers have then played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after surrendering at least 450 yards in their last game — and they have also played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after giving up at least 200 rushing yards in their last contest. Over their last three games, Virginia has allowed 39.7 PPG along with 498.0 total YPG. The Cavs have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total played on a neutral field — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total in bowl games. Florida has played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a win at home — and they have seen the Over go 8-3-1 in their last 12 games after a point spread win. The Gators held the Seminoles to just 250 yards of offense in their last game — and they have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 275 total yards in their last game. The Florida offense saw a season-ending injury early on to incumbent quarterback Feleipe Franks but the offense raised their level of play under the direction of junior Kyle Trask who threw 24 touchdown passes to just six interceptions in his eleven games. Over their last three games, the Gators scored 39.7 PPG while averaging 471.0 total YPG. They outgained Florida State by +217 net yards on the heels of outgaining Missouri by +130 net yards — and not only have they then played 9 of their last 14 games Over the Total after outgaining their last opponent by at least +125 yards but they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after outgaining their last two opponents by at least +125 net yards.

FINAL TAKE: The Gators ranked 9th in the nation by allowing just 299.0 total YPG — but that number skyrocketed by +78.8 net YPG in their six games on the road. Florida has played 4 straight games Over the Total in December. 25* CFB New Year’s Day Six Bowl Total of the Year with Over the Total in the Orange Bowl between the Virginia Cavaliers (251) and the Florida Gators (252). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Illinois Fighting Illini (249) plus the points versus the California Golden Bears (250) in the RedBox Bowl. THE SITUATION: Illinois (6-6) stumbled into the postseason with two straight losses after suffering a 29-10 upset loss at home to Northwestern as a 6.5-point favorite back on November 30th. California (7-5) has won their last two games with their 28-18 upset win at UCLA on November 30th as a 1-point underdog. This game will be played in Levi’s’ Stadium in Santa Clara.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FIGHTING ILLINI PLUS THE POINTS: Illinois managed only 160 yards of offense in that loss to the Wildcats which was their de-facto bowl game in what was otherwise a very disappointing season for them. The Illini were only on the field of 18:42 minutes in that game with Northwestern controlling time of possession. But Illinois has covered the point spread in 4 straight games after failing to generate at least 275 yards of offense in their last game. They also have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after playing their last two games against Big Ten opponents. This has been a breakthrough season in the fourth season under head coach Lovie Smith with this team pulling off upset victories over Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Purdue while also playing Michigan and Iowa on the road pretty tough. The Illini have covered the point spread in 5 straight games as the underdog. Injuries have held back this team but they look to get their best quarterback back in Brandon Peters for this game after clearing the concussion protocol that kept him out in that loss to Northwestern. The former Michigan QB had 17 touchdown passes to just 7 interceptions in ten games while posting a nice QBR of 129.7. But the underappreciated element of this Illini team is their opportunistic defense that generated 22 sacks with 18 forced fumbles, 12 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns. Smith was the defensive coordinator for a St. Louis Rams’ team that went to the Super Bowl before taking the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl as their head coach — he knows a thing or two about coaching defense. Illinois has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Fighting Illini have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games played on a neutral field. Cal may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread win. The Golden Bears also had injury issues at quarterback with them being a perfect 6-0 when sophomore QB Chase Garbers played the entire game. While Garbers is healthy, I am not sure he will still not split time between him and fellow (graduate transfer) redshirt sophomore Devon Modster who has potential after transferring from UCLA. The Bears benefited from four close wins decided by one scoring possession this season. They are an unreliable favorite laying close to a touchdown when considering they were outscored this season while being outgained by -62.5 net YPG. While their defense held their opponents to just 22.1 PPG which was 33rd in the nation, they surrendered 385.5 total YPG which was a bit out of whack with those scoring numbers since that total defensive mark drops to 63rd best in the FBS. Cal allowed 415.8 total YPG in their six games away from home where they were outgained by -97.3 YPG. They also were outgained by -36.0 net YPG over their last three games despite winning two of them. The Golden Bears have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as the favorite. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games in December — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games played on a neutral field.

FINAL TAKE: Cal has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 bowl games. This contest will be played within an hour of their Berkeley campus. But if you think a big crowd is coming from their students over Christmas break — and that they will make enough noise to play more than a small role in this game — well, I have some property in the Florida swamplands that you may be interested in purchasing. Much of a home-field advantage comes from actually playing on a team’s home field — and this game is being played in the home of the 49ers. 25* CFB Fox-TV Game of the Year with the Illinois Fighting Illini (249) plus the points versus the California Golden Bears (250) in the RedBox Bowl. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Western Michigan Broncos (245) plus the points versus the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (246) in the First Responder Bowl. THE SITUATION: Western Michigan (7-5) looks to bounce-back from a 17-14 upset loss at Northern Illinois as a 10-point favorite that ended their regular season on November 26th. Western Kentucky (8-4) has won their last three games after their 31-26 win over Middle Tennessee on November 30th as a 10.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRONCOS PLUS THE POINTS: That was an excruciating loss for head coach Tim Lester’s team as it cost them an opportunity to play in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game. Western Michigan defeated both of those participants, Miami (OH) and Central Michigan by at least two touchdowns so there is a case to be made that they were the best team in the conference overall this season. But the seventeen returning starters from last years' 7-6 team have the opportunity to improve on that record while redeeming themselves from their ugly 49-18 loss to BYU in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The Broncos should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a point spread loss. Additionally, Western Michigan has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset loss to a MAC opponent — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by 7 points or less to a conference rival. Furthermore, the Broncos have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after failing to score at least 20 points in their last game. Western Michigan did outgain the Huskies in that game by +98 net yards while also winning the first down battle by a 16 to 9 margin. The offense is led by senior Jon Wassink who leads an attack that finished 19th in the nation by averaging 457.3 total YPG while also averaging 24th in the FBS by scoring 34.2 PPG. Defense was the Achilles’ heel for this team — but they did hold their last three opponents to 366.7 YPG which was -47.9 net YPG below their season average. Wassink should get plenty of time to throw this afternoon behind an offensive line that Pro Football Focus grades as the 28th best pass protection unit in the nation. PFF also grades the Hilltoppers’ pass rush as just 80th best in the country. Western Kentucky surrendered 301 passing yards in their victory over the Blue Raiders a month ago — and they are 8-22-1 ATS in their last 31 games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game. This team under first-year head coach Tyson Helton pulled off five upset wins this season while defeating four teams that qualified for bowl games. But the group might be satisfied with their accomplishment — and they have a rookie head coach leading them into this bowl game. The Western Kentucky defense has been shaky down the stretch as they allowed their last three opponents to average 398.0 YPG which was +60.2 net YPG above their season average.

FINAL TAKE: The Hilltoppers relished in the role of the underdog this season after going just 3-9 in last year’s disastrous campaign — but this program has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games as the favorite. 10* CFB First Responder Bowl with the Western Michigan Broncos (245) plus the points versus the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (246). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Clemson Tigers (243) minus the points versus the Ohio State Buckeyes (244) in the Fiesta Bowl College Football Semifinals. THE SITUATION: Clemson (13-0) remained undefeated this season with their 62-17 win over Virginia as a 29-point favorite in the ACC Championship Game on December 7th. Ohio State (13-0) won the Big Ten Championship that same day with their 34-21 win over Wisconsin as a 16.5-point favorite. This game is being played on a neutral field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TIGERS MINUS THE POINTS: The quants that measure in-season performance mostly rate the Buckeyes as the better team entering this game — but those quantitative assessments do not take into account anything from last season. Dabo Swinney returned twelve starters from last year’s perfect 15-0 national champion squad including is phenom at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. I am just not going to hand out any demerits for the Tigers failure to overly impress the College Football Playoff committee by failing to generate enough style points against teams like Syracuse and North Carolina early in their schedule. Given that Clemson was likely to reach the playoff even if they suffered an early season loss, it was reasonable for Swinney to prime his team to play their best football in the second half of the season. The Tigers displayed the balance on offense that will make it very hard for any defense to slow them down this postseason. In generating 619 yards of offense against the Cavaliers, Clemson rushed for 211 yards while adding another 408 yards in the air. Lawrence leads a loaded offense that is 4th in the nation that scores 46.5 PPG while also ranking 3rd in the nation by averaging 547.7 total YPG. Lawrence has not thrown an interception since October 19th while producing the highest Pro Football Focus quarterback grade over the last four weeks of the regular season in all of college football. Since Week Nine of the regular season, Lawrence leads the nation with 20 touchdown passes while averaging 11.1 Yards-Per-Passing Attempt which is also best in the nation. His 214 Efficiency Rating over that span is also best in the nation. Where Lawrence has improved from leading the Tigers to the national championship as a freshman was with his mobility — he rushed for 407 yards on 77 carries while reaching the end zone seven times. Over their last three games, Clemson is scoring 50.7 PPG. The Tigers also have the nation’s top statistical defense that holds their opponents to just 10.6 PPG along with only 244.7 total YPG. Clemson allowed only 19 combined points in their two playoff wins last season. The Tigers have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 games in December — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 bowl games. Clemson has also covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 games against teams with a winning record including their last six contests against winners — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage of 75% or higher. The Tigers have also covered the point spread in 17 of their last 22 games as the favorite. Clemson leads the nation by allowing only 138.5 passing YPG — and Ohio State has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games against opponents that do not allow more than 150 passing YPG. I do give the edge to the Tigers at quarterback with Lawrence versus the Buckeyes’ Justin Fields. Not only does Fields lack playoff experience but he can also stand in the pocket a tick or two too long — he has been sacked nine times. Fields is very good — but he may not be at full strength either with an injured knee that has required him to wear a brace over his last few games which has limited his mobility. Ohio State has averaged 534.5 total YPG over their last two games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after averaging at least 450 YPG in their last two contests. The Buckeyes allowed just 12.5 PPG this season — but they surrendered 21.0 PPG over their last four games and they have not played a team with as much speed as the Tigers. Ohio State has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after winning five straight games. The Buckeyes have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games against teams from the ACC.

FINAL TAKE: Nick Saban was on the record after seeing his Alabama teams lose the National Championship to Clemson last January by a 44-16 score that he has never faced off against a better coached team than that group. All those Tigers coaches are back. Swinney has built the best program in the country in terms of recruiting and production — there is a reason they have won 28 games in a row while enjoying a 71-4 run over the last five seasons where they have reached the playoffs all five times. I like first-year head coach Ryan Day — but this Buckeyes team does not recruit quite as well as the Tigers and this is their first playoff experience since 2016. 10* CFB Clemson-Ohio State ESPN Special with the Clemson Tigers (243) minus the points versus the Ohio State Buckeyes (244). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the Fiesta Bowl between the Clemson Tigers (243) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (244) in the College Football Semifinals. THE SITUATION: Clemson (13-0) remained undefeated this season with their 62-17 win over Virginia as a 29-point favorite in the ACC Championship Game on December 7th. Ohio State (13-0) won the Big Ten Championship that same day with their 34-21 win over Wisconsin as a 16.5-point favorite. This game is being played on a neutral field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Tigers displayed the balance on offense that will make it very hard for any defense to slow them down this postseason. In generating 619 yards of offense against the Cavaliers, Clemson rushed for 211 yards while adding another 408 yards in the air. The Tigers have then played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after rushing for at least 200 yards — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after passing for at least 280 yards in their last game. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence leads a loaded offense that is 4th in the nation that scores 46.5 PPG while also ranking 3rd in the nation by averaging 547.7 total YPG. Lawrence has not thrown an interception since October 19th while producing the highest Pro Football Focus quarterback grade over the last four weeks of the regular season in all of college football. Since Week Nine of the regular season, Lawrence leads the nation with 20 touchdown passes while averaging 11.1 Yards-Per-Passing Attempt which is also best in the nation. His 214 Efficiency Rating over that span is also best in the nation. Where Lawrence has improved from leading the Tigers to the national championship as a freshman was with his mobility — he rushed for 407 yards on 77 carries while reaching the end zone seven times. Over their last three games, Clemson is scoring 50.7 PPG. And while the Buckeyes are 2nd in the nation by allowing just 148.1 passing YPG, the Tigers have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total under head coach Dabo Swinney against teams who do not allow more than 150 passing YPG. Ohio State generated 492 yards against the Badgers in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Over is 5-0-1 in their last 6 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Buckeyes averaged 39.3 PPG over their last three games along with 495.3 total YPG against three of the best defenses in the nation against Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Their win against the Badgers three weeks ago finished below the 58 point total — but the Buckeyes have then played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after coming off a game that finished below the number. And while Ohio State has only covered the point spread once in their last four games, they have then played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. Sophomore quarterback Justin Fields leads the Buckeyes offense that leads the nation by scoring 48.7 PPG — and they rank 5th in the nation by generating 531.0 total YPG. Fields has completed 67.5% of his passes while posting an incredible 40:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Like Lawrence, Fields can extend drives with his legs as he rushed for 471 yards with 10 touchdowns. I see more touchdowns than field goals from both teams given the wealth of weapons on offense. Ohio State has also played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total in the rare occasions they are an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The defensive numbers of both teams have come mostly against soft competition. The Clemson defense was not tested this season — the Buckeyes will offer their most difficult challenge by far. Ohio State allowed 12.5 PPG this season — but they surrendered 21.0 PPG over their last four games. The Buckeyes’ have not played a team with as much speed as the Tigers. I am expecting both teams to reach the 30-point threshold in what should be a shootout. 25* CFB Playoff Semifinals Total of the Year with Over the Total in the Fiesta Bowl between the Clemson Tigers (243) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (244). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Oklahoma Sooners (241) and the LSU Tigers (242) in the Peach Bowl College Football Semifinals. THE SITUATION: Oklahoma (12-1) has won five straight games after defeating Baylor as a 9-point favorite by a 30-23 score on December 7th in the Big 12 Championship Game. LSU (13-0) remained undefeated this season by defeating Georgia by a 37-10 score as a 7.5-point favorite to win the SEC Championship on December 7th. This game will be played in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Sooners have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up win. Oklahoma has only covered the point spread once in their last six games and twice in their last nine contests — and not only have they then played 14 of their last 17 games Under the Total after failing to cover the point spread in five or six of their last seven games but they have also played 9 straight Unders when failing to cover the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. This Sooners team has improved on defense under first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. After allowing 33.3 PPG along with 6.1 Yards-Per-Play last season, Oklahoma improved by giving up just 24.5 PPG along with only 5.3 YPP this year. The Sooners’ defense was 25th in the nation by allowing 330.6 total YPG fueled by a pass defense that limited their opponents to just 198.5 passing YPG which was 23rd in the nation. And this is a unit that will be very familiar facing the spread passing attack that the Tigers’ installed this season. Over their last three games, Oklahoma allowed only 21.0 PPG along with just 268.0 total YPG. The Sooners are going to run the football to burn time off the clock while keeping the powerful LSU offense off the field. They controlled the clock for 36:36 minutes in the Big 12 Championship Game which helped them limit Baylor to just 265 yards of offense. Oklahoma has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total on a neutral field as an underdog — and they have played 11 of their last 13 games on a neutral field Under the Total with the number set at 63 or higher. The Under is also 18-3-1 in the Sooners’ last 22 games in December which includes them playing eight of their last nine December bowl games Under the Total. And in their last 13 games against teams from the SEC, the game finished Under the Total 10 times. LSU has played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a double-digit win over an SEC rival. And while that 27 point margin was the closest game the Tigers have played in their last three contests, they have then played 9 of their last 10 games on the road Under the Total after registering at least three straight wins by at least 17 points — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after two straight double-digit victories over conference rivals. LSU did generate 481 yards against the Bulldogs defense — and that was the lowest yardage mark in their last six games. The Tigers have then played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after gaining at least 450 yards in four straight games. LSU has scored at least 37 points in five straight games as well — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least 37 points in four straight contests. The Tigers defense has stepped up as well as of late after holding Texas A&M to just 7 points before limiting Georgia to just 10 points and a mere 286 total yards. Over their last three games, the Bulldogs have allowed only 12.3 PPG along with just 253.0 total YPG.

FINAL TAKE: LSU has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total on a neutral field — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when favored on a neutral field. The Tigers have also played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total when favored by 10.5 to 21 points. 10* CFB Oklahoma-LSU ESPN O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Oklahoma Sooners (241) and the LSU Tigers (242) in the Peach Bowl College Football Semifinals. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Oklahoma Sooners (241) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (242) in Peach Bowl College Football Semifinals. THE SITUATION: Oklahoma (12-1) has won five straight games after defeating Baylor as a 9-point favorite by a 30-23 score on December 7th in the Big 12 Championship Game. LSU (13-0) remained undefeated this season by defeating Georgia by a 37-10 score as a 7.5-point favorite to win the SEC Championship on December 7th. This game will be played in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SOONERS PLUS THE POINTS: This Oklahoma team is a very dangerous underdog in this spot. This is an experienced group of players and coaching staff that is more familiar with the playoff atmosphere this game will have then that of LSU. This will be the fourth CFB Playoff in the last five years for this program. And quarterback Jalen Hurts has starting experience in the CFB Playoffs with Alabama — and he is very familiar with the LSU defense as well given his two previous starts against the Tigers. Oklahoma has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 meetings against teams from the SEC. The Sooners may be a more dangerous underdog this time around than they have been in the last two College Football Playoff Semifinals due to the improvement of their defense under first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. After allowing 33.3 PPG along with 6.1 Yards-Per-Play last season, Oklahoma improved to giving up just 24.5 PPG along with only 5.3 YPP this year. The Sooners’ defense was 25th in the nation by allowing 330.6 total YPG fueled by a pass defense that limited their opponents to just 198.5 passing YPG which was 23rd in the nation. And this is a unit that will be very familiar facing the spread passing attack that the Tigers’ installed this season. Over their last three games, Oklahoma allowed only 21.0 PPG along with just 268.0 total YPG. The Sooners are still a very potent football team on offense as they averaged 43.2 PPG while totaling 554.2 YPG which ranked 6th and 2nd in the nation. Third-year head coach Lincoln Riley has seen his team average 41 PPG over the last two College Football Playoff Semifinals against outstanding defenses from Alabama and Georgia. In many ways, Riley’s schemes are just fancy window dressing for Oklahoma’s old school wishbone offense — they are 11th in the nation by averaging 257.2 rushing YPG. Riley is a master at designing run plays that best put his offensive line in a position to succeed. Hurts has rushed the ball at least 20 times in four of his last five games since the team suffered their lone loss of the season to Kansas State. Hurts also completed 71.8% of his passes for 3634 passing yards with 32 touchdown passes and just 7 interceptions. Hurts offers the team a genuine deep passing threat to keep opposing defenses honest as he ranked 6th in the nation with 30 completions of 30 or more yards. This combination of characteristics has helped the Sooners cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games as an underdog. Oklahoma has also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games in December. And while the Sooners have not covered the point spread in five of their last six games, they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. When it comes to LSU, I worry about teams that achieved so many goals in the regular season to now let their guard down just a bit. The Tigers enjoyed their best regular season in years by going undefeated to win the SEC which, of course, included a victory over Alabama. Quarterback Joe Burrow went through an emotional Heisman Trophy celebration. Does this group think they are a team of destiny now? They are facing a very feisty Sooners’ team that will be playing in this game for a third straight season. This Tigers defense is not elite after ranking just 32nd in the nation by allowing 341.3 total YPG. Even worse, in their six games away from Death Valley, LSU allowed 29.5 PPG along with 447.5 total YPG. The Tigers have struggled against teams with mobile quarterbacks like Ole Miss who jacked them for 614 total yards with 404 of that production coming on the ground. LSU gained 481 yards against the outstanding Georgia defense — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. And while the Tigers have not committed a turnover in two straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after not committing a turnover in two straight games.

FINAL TAKE: While LSU is the top seed in these Semifinals, bare in mind that no number one seed has gone on to win the National Championship. I appreciate that the Sooners are out a few key players due to suspension and injury — most notably defensive end Ronnie Perkins and safety Dellarin Turner-Yell. The MVP for this Oklahoma defense is their coordinator in Grinch — and he has had time to adjust. I expect this team to rally around each other after Riley had the guts to suspend players. LSU has a big injury of their own with running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire questionable with a hamstring injury he suffered last week. At the end of the day, the Tigers are simply overvalued by the public in being asked to lay around two touchdowns. 25* College Football Playoff Game of the Year with the Oklahoma Sooners (241) plus the points versus the LSU Tigers (242). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Iowa State Cyclones (237) plus the points versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (238) in the Camping World Bowl. THE SITUATION: Iowa State (7-5) saw their two-game winning streak snapped to end their regular season with their 27-17 upset loss at Kansas State as a 4-point favorite on November 30th. Notre Dame (10-2) has won five straight games with their 45-24 win at Stanford as a 17.5-point favorite on November 30th. This game will be played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CYCLONES PLUS THE POINTS: Iowa State should bounce-back with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after a straight-up loss. The Cyclones have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a loss to a Big 12 rival — and they have also covered the point spread in 6 straight road games after a loss. This is a dangerous football, especially as an underdog. Head coach Matt Campbell’s team played six bowl teams this season — and they saw four of their losses decided by just 11 combined points. Iowa State suffered heartbreaking losses to Oklahoma by 1-point and Baylor by 2-points. Led by sophomore quarterback Brock Purdy, the Cyclones are tied for 20th in the nation by averaging 458.7 total YPG fueled by a passing attack that is 8th in the FBS by averaging 318.3 passing YPG. Iowa State has been tough away from him where they are outscoring their opponents by +3.8 PPG while outgaining them by +51.0 net YPG despite a 2-3 record on the road. The Cyclones have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games as a dog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points. Iowa State has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games on a neutral field as an underdog. Furthermore, the Cyclones have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games with the Total set int he 49.5 to 56 point range — and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games when playing with at least two weeks of rest and preparation. Notre Dame has now covered the point spread in four straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six contests. The Fighting Irish have not committed a turnover in three straight games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 games after not committing a turnover in at least two straight contests. The Notre Dame offense had been clicking on all cylinders to close out the regular season as they have scored at least 38 points in their last four games. But the Irish have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 road games after scoring at least 31 points in three straight games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight road games after scoring at least 31 points in four straight contests. The Irish have also failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 28 games after winning at least eight of their last ten games.

FINAL TAKE: After losing their two biggest games of the year at Georgia and Michigan, it is hard to see this Notre Dame team being that excited to face the Cyclones. They have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 20 bowl games including failing to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 bowl games. Iowa State can salvage their season after some tough narrow losses with a victory over a blue blood like the Irish. 10* CFB Camping World Bowl ABC-TV Special with the Iowa State Cyclones (237) plus the points versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (238). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the Cotton Bowl between the Memphis Tigers (239) and the Penn State Nittany Lions (240). THE SITUATION: Memphis (12-1) has won seven straight games with their 29-24 win over Cincinnati as a 9-point favorite in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game on December 7th. Penn State (10-2) has won two of their last three games with their 27-6 win over Rutgers on November 30th as a 38.5-point favorite. This game is being played in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Tigers have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total after a straight-up win. This team saw their fourth-year head coach Mike Norvell leave the team to take the Florida State job but with offensive line coach, Ryan Silverfield, taking over, the emphasis of this team should continue to be on the offensive side of the football. Led by junior quarterback Brady White, Memphis was 8th in the FBS by averaging 40.5 PPG — and they were 10th in the nation by averaging 480.7 total YPG. This offense was even more potent on the road where they averaged 43.0 PPG along with 524.5 total YPG in their six games away from home. The Tigers also have an elite return game with their special teams which generates hidden yardage that does not show up on the boxscore but puts White into better initial field position. Memphis has played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. The Tigers have also played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total against teams outside the American Athletic Conference. And in their last 12 games as an underdog, Memphis has played 10 of these games Over the Total. Penn State has played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total after a win by at least 20 points. They have also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. Quarterback Sean Clifford did not play in that game against the Scarlet Knights — but he should be close to 100% for this game with head coach James Franklin claiming he was a game-time decision who could have played if necessary in that game. The Nittany Lions also lost a coach with offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne leaving to take the head coaching job at Old Dominion — but the offense should be fine with Franklin still overseeing everything for this team. I worry about the Penn State pass defense in this matchup — they surrendered 232.5 passing YPG which was 76th in the nation. Before facing the anemic Rutgers offense, the Nittany Lions had surrendered 86 combined points in their previous three games — and they have allowed their last three opponents including the Scarlet Knights to average 420.7 total YPG. Penn State has played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total against teams outside the Big Ten.

FINAL TAKE: The Nittany Lions have played 4 straight games Over the Total played on a neutral field — and they have played 4 of their last 5 bowl games Over the Total. Group of Five schools have won three of their five New Year’s Six Bowl games — so even if Penn State takes a big lead, the potent Memphis passing attack should keep them scoring points throughout this game. 10* CFB Cotton Bowl ESPN O/U Special with Over the Total in the Cotton Bowl between the Memphis Tigers (239) and the Penn State Nittany Lions (240). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the Camping World Bowl between the Iowa State Cyclones (237) and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (238). THE SITUATION: Iowa State (7-5) saw their two-game winning streak snapped to end their regular season with their 27-17 upset loss at Kansas State as a 4-point favorite on November 30th. Notre Dame (10-2) has won five straight games with their 45-24 win at Stanford as a 17.5-point favorite on November 30th. This game will be played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Cyclones were crushed on the ground by the Wildcats in that game by allowing 231 rushing yards — but they have then seen the Under go 44-19-2 in their last 65 games after allowing at least 200 rushing yards in their last game. Iowa State only allowed 288 total yards in that game with Kansas State managing to pass for just 57 yards — and the Under is then 5-2-1 in their last 8 games after not allowing more than 170 passing yards in their last contest. The Cyclones managed only 236 yards of offense in that game — and they have averaged just 397.0 total YPG over their last three contests which is over 60 yards below their 458.7 total YPG average. The Under is 9-2-1 in Iowa State’s last 12 games against teams with a winning record. Additionally, the Under is 6-2-1 in the Cyclones’ last 9 games against teams outside the Big 12. And Iowa State has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total as an underdog — and the Under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 games played on a neutral field as an underdog. The Under is 6-0-1 in the Cyclones’ last 7 bowl game appearances — and the Under is a decisive 18-7-2 in their last 27 games played on field turf. Notre Dame has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a victory by at least 20 points. The Fighting Irish have also played 21 of their last 28 games Under the Total after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. The Irish have an outstanding defense that ranks 14th in the nation by allowing just 18.7 PPG — and their defense is 3rd in the FBS by allowing only 163.7 passing YPG. After losing to Michigan, Notre Dame only allowed more than 20 points just once in their last five games. They held their opponents to -86 YPG below their season offensive average — and they also ranked 7th in the nation by Expected Points Added per play. The Irish offense did slow down when playing away from South Bend as they scored just 29.8 PPG while averaging just 367.6 total YPG in their last five road games which was over a touchdown less along with over 60 yards less than their 37.1 PPG and 429.4 total YPG averages. Notre Dame has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: The Fighting Irish have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total played on a neutral field — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total on a neutral field as the favorite. 25* CFB ABC-TV Bowl Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Iowa State Cyclones (237) and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (238). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:15 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Washington State Cougars (235) plus the points versus the Air Force Falcons (236) in the Cheez-It Bowl. THE SITUATION: Washington State (6-6) saw their two-game winning streak snapped in the Apple Bowl with their loss at Washington by a 31-13 score on November 29th as a 7.5-point underdog. Air Force (10-2) has won seven straight games with their 20-6 win over Wyoming as a 13.5-point favorite on November 30th. This game is being played at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COUGARS PLUS THE POINTS: The Falcons may be due for a letdown in this bowl game as they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a win at home over a Mountain West Conference rival — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after a double-digit win over a conference foe. Air Force has also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after playing a game that finished Under the Total. And while the Falcons have covered the point spread in two of their last three games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after covering the point spread in two of their last three contests. Air Force has been helped by only committing one turnover in each of their last two games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after not committing more than one turnover in their last game. The historical team trends regarding the respective personalities of both teams suggest this clash of styles is not favorable for the Air Force. The Cougars allow their opponents to average 456.8 total YPG — but the Falcons have failed to cover the point spread in 25 of their last 34 games against teams who allow at least 450 YPG. And while the Air Force controls the clock on average of 33:43 minutes per game, Washington State has covered the point spread in 28 of their last 42 games against opponents that average at least 32 minutes with the football per game. The Falcons average 292.5 rushing YPG — but the Cougars have covered the point spread in 19 of their last 27 games against teams who average at least 230 rushing YPG. Additionally, Washington State has covered the point spread in expected higher scoring games as they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games with the Total set in the 63.5 to 70 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Washington State is reliable in the role of the underdog where they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games. The Cougars have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams outside the Pac-12. 10* CFB Friday Late Show Bailout with the Washington State Cougars (235) plus the points versus the Air Force Falcons (236) in the Cheez-It Bowl. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the USC Trojans (233) and the Iowa Hawkeyes (234) in the Military Bowl. THE SITUATION: USC (8-4) has also won three straight games with their 52-35 win over UCLA as a 12.5-point favorite back on November 23rd as a 12.5-point favorite. Iowa (9-3) has won three straight games with their 27-24 win over Nebraska as a 4-point favorite back on November 29th. This game is being played on a neutral field at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Trojans have played 4 straight games Over the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after scoring at least 40 points in their last game. USC generated a whopping 643 yards against the Bruins in their last game — and they have played 4 straight games Over the Total after gaining at least 450 yards in their last contest. USC is loaded on offense behind freshman QB Kedon Slovis and three uber-talented wide receivers that ranks 17th in the nation by averaging 463.7 total YPG. Iowa’s defense ranks 11th in the nation by allowing just 304.3 total YPG but they only faced three quarterbacks that ranked in the top-twenty in pass efficiency. In those three games, the Hawkeyes surrendered 441 total YPG. The Iowa offense is led by senior quarterback Nate Stanley who will be using this opportunity to bolster his NFL draft prospects. He will be facing a suspect USC defense that has been riddled by injuries all season. The Trojans are 84th in the nation by allowing 415.4 total YPG while also ranking 99th in the FBS by surrendering 248.9 passing YPG. USC allows their opponents to average +13 YPG above their season average — and they have allowed their last four opponents to average 34 PPG. The Trojans rank 111th in the nation in opponent’s Success Rate on offense — and the Hawkeyes faced only one team (Rutgers) with a worse opponent Success Rate all season. The Over is 3-1-1 in the Hawkeyes’ last 5 games against teams outside the Big Ten.

FINAL TAKE: Iowa has played 4 of their last 5 bowl games Over the Total. USC has seen the Over go 11-4-1 in their last 16 games played on a neutral field. 10* CFB Holiday Bowl ESPN O/U Special with Over the Total in the game between the USC Trojans (233) and the Iowa Hawkeyes (234). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Iowa Hawkeyes (234) minus the points versus the USC Trojans (233) in the Holiday Bowl. THE SITUATION: Iowa (9-3) has won three straight games with their 27-24 win over Nebraska as a 4-point favorite back on November 29th. USC (8-4) has also won three straight games with their 52-35 win over UCLA as a 12.5-point favorite back on November 23rd as a 12.5-point favorite. This game is being played on a neutral field at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HAWKEYES MINUS THE POINTS: Iowa has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a narrow win by 3 points or less against a Big Ten rival. And while the Hawkeyes have not covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after failing to cover the point spread in their last two games. This Iowa team lost their three games by a combined 14 points. This is a typical Kirk Ferentz team that is very physical with an outstanding defense and playmakers on offense. The Hawkeyes are 5th in the nation by allowing only 13.2 PPG — and they are 11th in the FBS by giving up just 304.3 total YPG. Iowa held their opponents to -81 YPG below their opponent’s season average. The offense is led by senior quarterback Nate Stanley who will be using this opportunity to bolster his NFL draft prospects. Iowa has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when given at least two weeks to prepare under Ferentz. The Hawkeyes are also 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games in December. And in their last 8 games against teams outside the Big Ten, Iowa has covered the point spread 6 times. USC may be due for a letdown after avenging their 2018 loss to cross-town rival UCLA as they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a win at home by at least 17 points — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 19 games after a win at home over a Pac-12 opponent. Additionally, USC is just 6-15-1 ATS in their last 22 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory so consistency is an issue for this team. This team has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games after winning at least three straight contests. Complacency is also an issue for this program — while the program decided to retain head coach Clay Helton for a sixth season, the Trojans then brought-in the bottom rated recruiting class earlier this month. While this remains a talented team tonight, this is a group that makes too many mistakes under Helton’s leadership. USC is 111th in the nation by averaging -0.58 net turnovers per game. The Trojans are also tied for 111th in the nation by averaging 7.25 penalties per game — and they rank 124th by surrendering an average of 71.33 penalty YPG. These are the type of teams that Ferentz’s teams exploit — Iowa has covered the point spread in 35 of their last 55 games against teams that average at least 60 penalty YPG. USC also is suspect on defense with a unit that has been riddled by injuries all season. The Trojans are 84th in the nation by allowing 415.4 total YPG while also ranking 99th in the FBS by surrendering 248.9 passing YPG. USC allows their opponents to average +13 YPG above their season average — and they have allowed their last four opponents to average 34 PPG. UCLA passed for 383 yards against them a month ago — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game. The Trojans rank 111th in the nation in opponent’s Success Rate on offense — and the Hawkeyes faced only one team (Rutgers) with a worse opponent Success Rate all season. USC is loaded on offense behind freshman QB Kedon Slovis and three uber-talented wide receivers. But this passing game will be tested by an Iowa defense that ranked 11th in the nation by allowing just 184.2 passing YPG. USC has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games as an underdog — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games against teams outside the Pac-12. The Trojans have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight games played on a neutral field — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games played in December including failing to cover their last 5 December contests.

FINAL TAKE: USC has failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight bowl games while also failing to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 minor bowl games. Iowa has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 minor bowl games under Ferentz. This will be an emotional game for this Iowa program after their legendary coach, Hayden Fry, passed away ten days earlier. Ferentz took over the program from Fry in 1999 — and a victory tonight would secure the Hawkeyes’ first 10-win season since 2015. 25* CFB FS1-TV Game of the Year with the Iowa Hawkeyes (234) minus the points versus the USC Trojans (233). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:45 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Texas A&M Aggies (232) minus the points versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys (231) in the Texas Bowl. THE SITUATION: Texas A&M (7-5) has lost their last two games after being humiliated by LSU by a 50-7 score as an 18-point underdog back on November 30th. Oklahoma State (8-4) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on November 30th with their 34-16 loss to Oklahoma as a 14-point underdog. This game will be played on a neutral field in Houston’s NRG Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AGGIES MINUS THE POINTS: Texas A&M played a brutal schedule this season with their five losses all occurring against teams that are currently ranked in the top thirteen teams in the nation. Head coach Jimbo Fisher has a young team that he is trying to build into a national championship contender — so erasing the bad taste from everyone’s mouth from getting shellacked by the Tigers is important. The Aggies have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a point spread loss — and they are also 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing at least 40 points in their last game. A -3 net turnover margin to LSU certainly did not help matters — but they have then covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after suffering a -2 or worse net turnover margin. Despite facing three of the top offenses in the nation in Clemson, Alabama, and the LSU, this Texas A&M defense held their opponents to -78 YPG below their season average. Overall, they rank 31st in the nation by holding their opponents to just 340.8 total YPG. The Aggies were very competitive in their previous game in Athens in what ended up being a 19-13 loss to Georgia. That is a brutal final two games on the road — and Texas A&M has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after failing to score more than 17 points in two straight games. This Aggies’ offense led by junior dual-threat QB Kellen Mond scored at least 30 points in six games this season when not facing Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, and Auburn’s stout defense. Oklahoma State was a shell of itself by the end of the season given the season-ending injuries to quarterback Spencer Sanders and All-American wide receiver Tylan Wallace. In their last two games with former Hawai’i transfer Dru Brown under center, the Cowboys averaged just 18 PPG while averaging only 305 YPG. This is not a good sign for a Mike Gundy coached team who has seen his team play three straight Unders as they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after playing three straight Unders. Defense is an issue for this team after they allowed 418.1 total YPG this season which was 87th in the nation. While Oklahoma State was 4-2 on the road, they only outgained those opponents by +4.0 net YPG due to their defense giving up 454.5 total YPG. The Cowboys have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after winning four of their last five games.

FINAL TAKE: Fisher has led his team to victories in six of his eight bowl games. Texas A&M has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 games outside the SEC. They are also 16-5-1 ATS in their last 22 games when favored. 10* CFB Texas Bowl ESPN Special with the Texas A&M Aggies (232) minus the points versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys (231). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels (227) minus the points versus the Temple Owls (228) in the Military Bowl. THE SITUATION: North Carolina (6-6) has won their last two games to become bowl eligible with their 41-0 win at North Carolina State as an 11-point favorite on November 30th. Temple (8-4) has won three of their last four games with their 49-17 win over UConn as a 26-point favorite to close out their season on November 30th. This game will be played on a neutral field in Annapolis, Maryland.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TAR HEELS MINUS THE POINTS: North Carolina should feed off the momentum from decisively defeating their in-state rival to secure bowl eligibility with their sixth victory of the season. The Tar Heels have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after scoring at least 40 points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. This is certainly a battle-tested North Carolina team that took the reigning National Champions in Clemson to their closest game of the season in that 21-20 loss. The Tar Heels have played ten Power-Five conference opponents, along with one of the best Group of Five football programs in Appalachian State this season. North Carolina suffered six losses decided by one scoring possession including two of those losses in overtime. The Tar Heels are led by freshman quarterback Sam Howell who led an offense that ranked 24th in the nation by averaging 285.0 passing YPG. Howell threw for 35 touchdown passes while tossing just 7 interceptions. Howell was also third in the nation with 18 touchdown passes of more than 20 yards — and he was 9th in the nation with an Adjusted Completion Percentage of 49.4%. This is a talented North Carolina offense that should benefit from the extra weeks of practice and preparation for this game. They averaged +111 net YPG above the average opponent’s YPG season defensive average. The Tar Heels were also effective on the road where they outscored their opponents by +6.0 PPG while outgaining them by +111.3 net YPG. Additionally, North Carolina has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games as the favorite. Temple has failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after winning three of their last four contests. The Owls have not faced nearly as competitive a schedule as the Tar Heels with just two Power Five conference opponents in Maryland and Georgia Tech who were both bottom feeders in their conferences. Yet Temple was outscored away from home by -4.4 PPG while being outgained in their five games on the road by -15.0 net YPG. I am not a big fan of junior quarterback Anthony Russo who led an offense that averaged -26 YPG below their opponent’s season defensive average. The supposed calling card for this Owls team is their defense that ranked 43rd in the nation by allowing just 23.5 PPG while also ranking 46th in the FBS by giving up only 364.8 total YPG. Yet North Carolina’s defensive numbers are comparable as they allowed 24.6 PPG (49th in the nation) and 381.6 total YPG (61st in the nation) despite facing a vastly superior schedule. Temple has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games played on a neutral field.

FINAL TAKE: It is worth mentioning that Temple head coach Rod Carey lost all six of his bowl games during his tenure at Northern Illinois. Frankly, I worry that this consideration would be overvalued by the betting public — but with a few more tickets going the Owls’ way (as of this writing) as an underdog, that concern does not deter me from investing in the Tar Heels. Perhaps Carey is not as averse to prepare his teams for bowl games? I suspect his bad record says more about the talent he had with the Huskies. Mack Brown has a 13-8 bowl record in his long career — and he should be motivated to lead his team to victory since he has not overseen a bowl victory since 2012. I suspect that Brown’s tenure at ESPN makes him value these postseason games a little more than other coaches — and a victory would fuel the momentum of the resurrection of the Tar Heels program. However, the bottom line is that this North Carolina roster is more talented and better tested than this Temple team. 10* CFB Military Bowl ESPN Special with the North Carolina Tar Heels (227) minus the points versus the Temple Owls (228). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Eastern Michigan Eagles (226) plus the points versus the Pittsburgh Panthers (225) in the Quick Lane Bowl. THE SITUATION: Eastern Michigan (6-6) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on November 29th with their 34-26 upset loss at home against Kent State as a 4-point favorite. Pittsburgh (7-5) has lost two straight games after their 26-19 upset loss at home to Boston College as a 9-point favorite on November 30th. This bowl game will be played at Ford Field in Detroit.

REASONS TO TAKE THE EAGLES PLUS THE POINTS: Eastern Michigan should respond with a strong effort under sixth-year head coach Chris Creighton as they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 18 games after a point spread loss. The Eagles should be very motivated to play well in this bowl game a little less than an hour away from their Ypsilanti campus. This the third bowl game for this program in their last four years but they are fortunate to get the invitation with their 6-6 record coming out of the Mid-American Conference. Ten starters returned from last year’s 7-6 team that lost to Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl by a 23-21 score. The Eagles should be able to score points behind quarterback Mike Glass III who completed 67.8% of his passes with 22 touchdown passes. Eastern Michigan averaged 37.7 PPG along with 478.3 total YPG over their last three contests. The Eagles generated 409 yards in their loss to the Golden Flashes — and they have then covered the point spread in 23 of their last 34 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. Getting their senior running back, Shaq Vann back has also helped this offense. After missing three games midseason, Vann has returned to rush for 556 yards in his last six games while scoring all eight of his touchdowns over that span. The Eastern Michigan defense has also played better to close out their regular season — they have held their last three opponents to 21.7 PPG along with 376.3 total YPG. The Eagles have covered the point spread in 21 of their last 28 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games as a double-digit underdog. Eastern Michigan has also covered the point spread in 17 of their last 22 games against teams outside the MAC. Pittsburgh has been an unreliable big favorite as they are just 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games as a double-digit favorite. Eight of their games this season were decided by one scoring possession with them winning five of those contests to secure their bowl eligibility. The Panthers enter this bowl game disappointed after a late-season slide took them out of contention to win the Coastal Division of the ACC. This team limps into this game having scored just 17.7 PPG over their last three contests while being outscored by -9.3 PPG in those last three games while surrendering 369.3 total YPG which is -66.8 net YPG above their season average. Injuries on the defensive side of the ball along with the continual slide away from the typical offense that head coach Pat Narduzzi likes to implement likely explains that decline of play. While the Panthers averaged 5.6 Yards-Per-Carry last season, they averaged just 3.5 YPC this season. They are also passing the ball 53% of the time which is uncharacteristic of a ground-and-pound Narduzzi offense. Quarterback Kenny Pickett completes only 60.9% of his passes while tossing just 10 touchdown passes with 9 interceptions.

FINAL TAKE: Pittsburgh has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral field — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 bowl games. 10* CFB Quick Lane Bowl ESPN Special with the Eastern Michigan Eagles (226) plus the points versus the Pittsburgh Panthers (225) in the Quick Lane Bowl. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (223) minus the points versus the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (224) in the Independence Bowl. THE SITUATION: Miami (6-6) has suffered two straight upset losses after their 27-17 loss at Duke as a 9.5-point favorite on November 30th. Louisiana Tech (9-3) snapped a two-game losing streak on November 30th with their 41-27 win over UTSA as a 21-point favorite. This game is being played on a neutral field in Shreveport, Louisiana.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES MINUS THE POINTS: The Bulldogs are a trendy pick as an underdog behind seventh-year head coach Skip Holtz that has overseen a perfect 5-0 record straight-up in bowl games in his tenure at Louisiana Tech. And with this game being played just about an hour away from the Bulldogs’ campus in Ruston, some observers fancy some level of home-field advantage for Louisiana Tech. Well, the Bulldogs are not very familiar with the stadium and they will need the sparse crowd to be very loud to make a tangible difference even with the majority of the ticket-goers rooting for them. Louisiana Tech played the 141st most difficult schedule this season which means there were a handful of FCS opponents that had a more challenging slate of games this season. The Bulldogs played only one Power-Five conference opponent in Texas who crushed them by a 45-14 score in their opening game of the season. Their best victory is probably against Southern Mississippi depending on one’s feelings about Florida International. Yet this team was still outscored in their last three games by -4.3 PPG while being outgained in these contests by -45.4 net YPG. It is telling that Louisiana Tech has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the ACC. The Bulldogs have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after winning eight of their last ten games. Observers are questioning the motivation level for this Miami team playing in a lesser bowl game — but I expect a highly motivated group under first-year head coach Manny Diaz. Diaz needs to end his first season as a head coach on a positive note after ending the season with two straight upset losses to that FIU team (in embarrassing fashion on a neutral field) before the loss on the road to the Blue Devils. The Hurricanes are also missing a handful of players who are either injury or skipping this game to prepare for the NFL draft. In that respect, the practices for this bowl game have been the first practices for the 2020 season for Diaz. Miami has tons of depth on their defensive line so losing two of those players in that rotation are not as devastating as they would be if the Hurricanes were playing one of the better Power-Five conference programs. The core of the team that was ranked 13th in the nation by allowing just 307.6 total PPG remains. Diaz has also used the bowl practices as an opportunity for a new quarterback competition between redshirt freshman Jarren Williams and redshirt sophomore N’Kosi Perry who split time this season along with former Ohio State transfer Tate Martell who had to leave the team twice this season but who has been back with the team this month. The Hurricanes defeated five bowl teams this season in what was a vastly superior strength of schedule than the Bulldogs. They have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. And while Louisiana Tech averages 277.3 passing YPG, Miami has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games against teams who average at least 250 passing YPG.

FINAL TAKE: Louisiana Tech is also not at optimal strength with two-time All-American cornerback Amik Robertson skipping this game to prepare for the NFL draft. He leaves a defense that was just 98th in the nation by allowing 247.8 passing YPG. I trust the oddsmakers on this one with them installing the Hurricanes as around a touchdown favorite. Miami has lost eight of their last nine bowl games so I do expect their players to be motivated to end this season on a high note under their first-year head coach. And I do not think highly of the argument that Louisiana Tech retains much of an advantage at all in that their bus ride to a near-empty stadium will have been only around an hour. 10* CFB Independence Bowl ESPN Special with the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (223) minus the points versus the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (224). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the BYU Cougars (221) minus the point(s) versus the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (222) in the Hawai’i Bowl. THE SITUATION: BYU (7-5) saw their five-game winning streak snapped back on November 30th with their 13-3 upset loss at San Diego State as a 4-point favorite. Hawai’i (9-5) had their five-game winning streak snapped on December 7th with their 31-10 loss at Boise State as a 14-point underdog in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game. Hawai’i hosts this game in their Aloha Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COUGARS MINUS THE POINT(S): BYU has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after an upset loss. BYU has also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after failing to score more than 20 points in their last game. The Cougars outgained the Aztecs by a decisive 416 to 269 yardage margin but they suffered a -3 net turnover margin in that contest— and they have covered the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after enduring a -3 or worse net turnover margin in their last game. Quarterback Zach Wilson should benefit from the extra time to rest and prepare for this bowl game after missing four games during the season. He returned to play the last three games of the season — and he should be fired up to play in this bowl game after completing all 18 of his passes last year in BYU’s 49-18 thrashing of Western Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Despite their difficulties to score points against the stout San Diego State defense, they have still averaged 33.7 PPG in their last three games along with 497.7 total YPG which +59.0 Net YPG above their season average. BYU has also held its last three opponents to just 15.7 PPG along with only 277.3 total YPG. BYU has also been a good road warrior despite their 3-3 record as they are outgaining their home hosts by +98.8 net YPG. Additionally, the Cougars have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games against Mountain West Conference opponents. Hawai’i has failed to cover the point spread in 44 of their last 52 games after a straight-up loss — and they are just 17-43-1 ATS in their last 61 games after a point spread loss. Furthermore, the Rainbow Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after a loss on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a loss on the road by at least 21 points. Hawai’i has also failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after a loss to an MWC rival. Quarterback Cole McDonald completed just 20 of 36 passes for 241 yards with no touchdown passes and one interception against the Broncos as he continued to be inconsistent in the second half of this season. The Rainbow Warriors run-and-shoot offense has been too loose with the football as they are averaging -1.0 net turnovers per game which listed for 124th in the nation. Hawai’i also has a suspect defense that ranks 91st in the nation by allowing 426.1 total YPG due largely to a suspect run defense that ranks 105th in the nation by allowing 200.8 rushing YPG. The Rainbow Warriors are 6-2 at home but they are allowing their visitors to generate 461.0 YPG. Hawai’i has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games at home. The Rainbow Warriors have also failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 26 games against teams with a winning record — and they are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Hawai’i is just 4-4 straight-up in their eight opportunities to play in the Hawai’i Bowl on their home field — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of those games. The Rainbow Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 bowl games. Hawai’i is playing their third bowl game in Hawai’i over the last four seasons — so their motivation is a question. BYU has won their first two bowl games under head coach Kalani Sitake. 10* CFB Hawai’i ESPN Special with the BYU Cougars (221) minus the point(s) versus the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (222). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Marshall Thundering Herd (219) plus the points versus the Central Florida Knights in the Gasparilla Bowl. THE SITUATION: Marshall (8-4) enters this game coming off a 34-27 win in overtime over Florida International as a 10-point underdog back on November 30th. Central Florida (9-3) comes off a 34-7 win over South Florida as a 24-point favorite on November 29th. This game is being played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE THE THUNDERING HERD PLUS THE POINTS: In head coach Doc Holliday we trust in bowl games — he has led Marshall to six straight bowl victories. The Thundering Herd has covered the point spread in 7 straight bowl games. This team is playing better defense to close out the season. Over their last three games, they have held their opponents to just 20.3 PPG along with only 335.0 total YPG which is over 27 YPG below their season average. Marshall has covered the point spread in 6 straight games when playing on a neutral field. Additionally, the Thundering Herd has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games as an underdog. And in their last 7 games with the Total set in the 56.5 to 63 point range, Marshall has covered the point spread 6 times. Central Florida may have some difficulties getting motivated to play as a double-digit favorite with this bowl being played in their home state. They generated 539 yards of offense in their win against the Bulls with 307 of those yards coming in the air. But the Knights have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after passing for at least 280 yards in their last game. Central Florida has averaged 493.3 total YPG over their last three games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after averaging at least 450 YPG over their last three games. They are averaging 33.0 PPG over those last three contests as well which is -10 PPG below their season average. The Knights have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after averaging 31 PPG in their last three games. This team has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning three of their last four games. Additionally, UCF has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing on a neutral field — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games when playing on a neutral field as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: The Knights have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games as the favorite. This is the first non-New Year’s Six Bowl game that this will be playing in since 2016. Expect the Thundering Herd to keep this game closer than expected. 10* CFB Gasparilla Bowl ESPN Special with the Marshall Thundering Herd (219) plus the points versus the Central Florida Knights. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the UAB Blazers (217) plus the points versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers (218). THE SITUATION: UAB (9-4) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on the Conference USA Championship Game with their 49-7 loss at FAU as a 9-point underdog. Appalachian State (12-1) won the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game that day with their 45-38 win over UL-Lafayette at home as a 5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLAZERS PLUS THE POINTS: UAB probably played their worst game of the season in that loss to the Owls.  Look for head coach Bill Clark to have his team ready to respond with a strong effort tonight. The Blazers are 10-2-1 ATS in their last 13 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. UAB surrendered 585 yards in that game to FAU playing at home — but they have responded to then cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least 40 points in their last game. The Blazers have been a strong defensive team this season as they rank 9th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 294.1 total YPG. UAB also only managed 223 yards on offense in that game — but they are 12-5-2 ATS in their last 19 games after failing to gain at least 275 yards in their last game. The Blazers are also 23-9-2 ATS in their last 34 games after failing to score more than 20 points in their last game. This is a team that has been riddled with injuries all season. The incumbent starting quarterback, Tyler Johnston III, has missed four games this season. But the two weeks of rest and preparation will help this team get closer to full strength which includes a healthy Johnston. Admittedly, UAB has benefitted from a soft schedule this season — but so has Appalachian State. Remember, the Mountaineers last loss was against a Georgia Southern team that just got upset this afternoon to a Liberty team which had generally considered to have played the weakest schedule in the nation. The analytics folks who crunch strength of schedule into their laptops before projecting their (albeit flawed) point spread projections tend to have Appalachian State as a -12 to -18.5 point favorite — so we are getting value from most of the projections that take seriously strength of schedule. This Mountaineers team was outgained in four of their victories this season — and they lost the first down battle by a whopping 106 to 63 margin in those four games. They forced three turnovers by the Ragin’ Cajuns in their win two weeks ago — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after securing at least three takeaways in their last game. These big favorites in bowl games have been known to not bring their A-Game when traveling — and who knows what the mental shape of this team is with head coach Eli Drinkwater leaving the program to take the Missouri job. Offensive line coach Shawn Clark has been named the new head coach — but this team has been susceptible to letdowns under much less dramatic situations than winning the Sun Belt Championship before seeing their head coach leave them. The Mountaineers have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after winning at least five games in a row. Appalachian State has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after winning three in a row against conference rivals.

FINAL TAKE: Too many points to lay against an extremely well-coached team that has had a very captive audience since they embarrassed themselves on national television two weeks ago. While Appalachian State is the better team (and program), the divide is not as large as the point spread suggests. 10* CFB Saturday Late Show Bailout with the UAB Blazers (217) plus the points versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers (218). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Liberty Flames (209) plus the points versus the Georgia Southern Eagles in the Cure Bowl. THE SITUATION: Liberty (7-5) snapped a two-game losing streak on November 30th with their 49-28 win over New Mexico State as a 14.5-point favorite. Georgia Southern (7-5) has won two of their last three games as well as eight of their last ten contests with their 38-10 victory over Georgia State as a 6.5-point favorite on November 30th. The Cure Bowl game takes place on a neutral field in Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLAMES PLUS THE POINTS: Liberty generated 486 yards of offense against the Aggies to close out their regular season — and they are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last contest. These Flames are a high-scoring offense led by senior quarterback Stephen Calvert who threw for 26 touchdown passes while tossing just five interceptions. Calvert has a dynamic target in wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden who has 1333 receiving yards with nine touchdown receptions. Calvert leads an offense that is tied for 31st in the FBS by scoring 33.7 PPG while averaging 442.5 total YPG which is 34th in the nation. Calvert leads a passing attack that is 21st in the FBS by averaging 290.5 passing YPG. He should have success this afternoon against a suspect Eagles pass defense that allows their opponents to average 240.6 passing YPG which is 91st in the nation. This team is comfortable in getting into high scoring affairs. They have seen 82 and 77 combined points scored in their last two games — and they have then covered the point spread in 4 straight games after playing two straight games where at least 70 combined points were scored. Liberty has also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games with the Total set in the 56.5 to 63 point range. This team has a veteran head coach in Hugh Freeze who has dealt with adversity this season after contracting a staph infection that led to him coaching a handful of games from his bed. Look for this team to rally around their coach in this game. The knock-on this Flames team not affiliated with a conference is that they reached seven wins on one of the softest schedules in the nation. But also keep in mind that Liberty upset the same Buffalo team that easily defeated Charlotte in yesterday’s Bahamas Bowl — and Georgia Southern deploys a similar run-oriented style of offense. Being an independent also required the Flames to endure a difficult late-season four-game road trip that included trips to BYU and Virginia — so this is a battle-tested group. They have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games against non-conference opponents. Liberty has also covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games as an underdog. Georgia Southern has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win over a Sun Belt Conference rival — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. And while the Eagles did not commit a turnover in their last victory over the Panthers, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 road games after not committing a turnover in their last game. Georgia Southern has won four games decided by one scoring possession with two of those victories coming in overtime — so this team was a couple of bad breaks from bot even being bowl eligible. The Eagles were outgained by -43.0 net YPG overall this season — and they were outscored by -12.5 PPG in their six games away from home while being outgained by -124.5 net YPG in those contests. Georgia Southern deploys a spread triple offense that is effective in running the ball — but things are not as smooth if quarterback Shai Werts has to throw the football with the Eagles averaging just 72.8 passing YPG which is last in the FBS with Werts averaging below 11 passing attempts per game in his ten contests.

FINAL TAKE: Georgia Southern returned fourteen starters from last year’s 10-3 team that won the Camellia Bowl over Eastern Michigan by a 23-21 score. Their motivation to prepare for this bowl game may not be as high in these preceding weeks — and the Eagles have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games with at least two weeks of rest and preparation. 25* CFB CBS Sports Network Game of the Year with the Liberty Flames (209) plus the points versus the Georgia Southern Eagles in the Cure Bowl. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Central Michigan Chippewas (207) plus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (208) in the New Mexico Bowl. THE SITUATION: Central Michigan (8-5) looks to bounce-back from being upset in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game to Miami (OH) by a 26-21 score despite being a 5.5-point favorite. San Diego State (9-3) looks to build off their 13-3 upset victory BYU as a 4-point underdog on November 30th. The New Mexico Bowl takes place in Albuquerque.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CHIPPEWAS PLUS THE POINTS: Central Michigan was upset by the Red Hawks despite outgaining them by +83 net yards in that game. The Chippewas limited Miami (OH) to just 272 total yards in that game — and they have then covered the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games after not allowing more than 275 yards in their last game. Central Michigan has also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. This team is led by MAC Coach of the Year, Jim McElwain, who is very familiar with Rocky Long’s coached-teams at San Diego State after his tenure in the Mountain West Conference as the head coach at Colorado State. Long deploys a tricky 3-3-5 defense that McElwain has spent many hours dissecting even before this bowl matchup was announced. This team has steadily improved this season after suffering a 1-10 record last season. Former Tennessee quarterback Quentin Dormady has completed 71% of his passes over his last three games and will not shrink under the scrutiny of this game given his previous starting experience in SEC play. Over their last three games, the Chippewas are averaging 467.3 total YPG while outgaining their opponents by +120 net YPG. This team has a stout defense that ranked 20th in the nation by allowing only 115.1 rushing YPG — and they rank 38th in the nation in total defense by giving up one y351.7 total YPG. Central Michigan has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams outside the MAC. San Diego State has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a point spread win. And while the Aztecs surrendered 338 passing yards to the Cougars which is not a good sign for this game considering that they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game. San Diego State upset BYU despite being without their starting quarterback Ryan Agnew. While Agnew has recovered and will play in this game, he leads an anemic offense the did not score more than 20 points in five games this season. Don’t be surprised if Long uses this game to get his freshman QB Carson Baker more playing time after he started against BYU. This is an offense that is 119th in the nation by averaging just 19.0 PPG while also ranking 115th in the FBS by averaging only 329.3 total YPG. And over their last three games, the Aztecs are scoring only 13.3 PPG.

FINAL TAKE: San Diego State was embarrassed last season in their bowl game against Ohio which ended in a 27-0 loss. But the Aztecs have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games in December. Expect Central Michigan to keep this game close. 10* CFB New Mexico Bowl ESPN Special with the Central Michigan Chippewas (207) plus the points versus the San Diego State Aztecs (208). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Kent State Golden Flashes (203) plus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (204) in the Frisco Bowl. THE SITUATION: Kent State (6-6) has won three games in a row with their 34-26 upset win at Eastern Michigan as a 4-point underdog on November 29th. Utah State (7-5) has won three of their last four games with their 38-25 win at New Mexico as a 12-point favorite on November 30th. This bowl will take place in Frisco, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN FLASHES PLUS THE POINTS: Kent State became bowl-eligible by pulling upsets in their last three games of the season. The Golden Flashes upset Buffalo by a 30-27 score getting +6.5 points before stunning Ball State by a 41-38 score as a +3 point dog before their upset win against the Eagles to close out the regular season. Some may look at those results and expect this team to experience an emotional letdown after reaching the mountain of a bowl game. However, this is a team that continued to improve and develop during the regular season after facing a very difficult non-conference schedule that featured Wisconsin, Auburn, and Arizona State. At 32-years old, Sean Lewis is the youngest head coach in the FBS in his second-year with the program. The Golden Flashes have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. And while Kent State has covered the point spread in four straight games, they have then covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games after covering the point spread in four of their last five games. Over their last three games, the Golden Flashes are scoring 35.0 PPG while averaging 456.3 total YPG which is +7.6 PPG and +62.7 YPG above their season average. This team is led by an underrated junior quarterback in Dustin Crum who beat out a former Auburn transfer in Woody Barrett during fall practice. Crum threw 18 touchdown passes this season while tossing just two interceptions while completing 68.2% of his passes and averaging a robust 8.2 Yards-Per-Attempt. His 156.07 Passer Rating was tops in the Mid-American Conference. The dual-threat QB also led the team with 560 rushing yards entering this game. Crum’s offensive talent should keep Kent State competitive in this game. The Golden Flashes have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games with the Total set at 63 or higher. Kent State has also covered the point spread in 5 straight games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 10 points. This team has also covered the point spread in 5 straight games as a dog when facing a non-Power Five opponent. The Golden Flashes have rushed for 266 and 253 yards in each of their last two games — and they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after rushing for at least 225 yards in two straight games. Kent State is 44th in the nation by averaging 181.3 rushing YPG — and they will be facing an Aggies defense that has been vulnerable against the run by allowing 197.8 rushing YPG which is 103rd in the FBS. Utah State has allowed 297 and 276 rushing yards in their last two games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after allowing at least 225 rushing yards in two straight games. Additionally, the Aggies have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against conference opponents. This is a team that appears to be a prime candidate to be taking this bowl game lightly. They are distracted after four players were busted for pot possession on Saturday including their junior quarterback Jordan Love. This program peaked last season with their 11-2 campaign that ended with a 52-13 win over North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. That team averaged 48 PPG — but with only two starters back on offense and their offensive guru in head coach Matt Wells leaving the program for Temple, the scoring plummeted to just 28.3 PPG this season (68th in the nation). Love had an uninspiring 17:16 touchdown-to-interception ratio after boasting a 32:6 ratio last season — yet he is still bailing on his senior year to enter the NFL draft while the iron remains (relatively) hot. The Regression Gods were expected to visit this team this season — but even with former head coach Gary Andersen returning to the program, this team was outscored and outgained in yardage this season. Three net close victories by one scoring possession were essential in them becoming bowl eligible. The Aggies were outscored by -7.0 PPG when playing on the road while being outgained by -113.0 net YPG. Utah State was also outscored by -6.7 PPG over their last three games.

FINAL TAKE: Losing their All-American linebacker, David Woodward, midseason certainly did not help the development of the Aggies in Andersen’s return to the program. Utah State ranks 96th in the nation by allowing 431.4 total YPG. This is Kent State’s just third bowl game appearance in program history with this being their first bowl opportunity since 2012. They should be fired up — and their skill on offense should keep this game close. 10* CFB Frisco Bowl ESPN Special with the Kent State Golden Flashes (203) plus the points versus the Utah State Aggies (204). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Charlotte 49ers (202) plus the points versus the Buffalo Bulls (201) in the Bahamas Bowl. THE SITUATION: Charlotte (7-5) has won five games in a row with their 38-22 win at Old Dominion to close out their regular season on November 30th as a 10.5-point favorite. Buffalo (7-5) has won their last two games as well as five of their last six contests with their 49-7 win over Bowling Green as a 28-point favorite back on November 29th. This game is being played in Nassau in the Bahamas.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 49ERS PLUS THE POINTS: Charlotte is a team that got significantly better as the season went on under first-year head coach Will Healy. After allowing at least 30 points in five of their first six games against FBS opponents, the 49ers did not allow more than 22 points in their final four games while holding both their last two opponents in Marshall and the Monarchs to below 5.0 Yards-Per-Play. Charlotte had nine starters back from a defense that ranked 22nd in the nation last year by holding their opponents to just 337.3 total YPG last season but it took that group some time to adapt to the new 4-2-5 scheme implemented by defensive coordinators Brandon Cooper and Marcus West. The extra defensive back helped as the 49ers limited their opponents to just 198.3 passing YPG which was 23rd in the nation. Slowing down the run will be critical against the Bulls but this was a group that was 9th in the FBS two seasons ago by allowing just 105.7 rushing YPG so don’t be surprised if they deploy some of their familiar 5-2-4 looks that they used two years ago with three returning starters on that defensive line. Healy’s bigger assignment in his first season was improving an offense that scored just 21.7 PPG (tied for 113th in the FBS) last season. Mission accomplished: Charlotte raised that mark 31.6 PPG this season which was tied for 41st best. The offense is led by senior running back Benny LeMay who led a ground attack that averaged 5.1 Yards-Per-Carry while ranking 24th in the nation by averaging 213.3 rushing YPG. LeMay missed two games midseason but came back to put together back-to-back 100 yard plus rushing games to end the regular season. The improvement in the offense can be traced to the improved play of sophomore quarterback Chris Reynolds who completed 62.2% of his passes while throwing 21 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions while adding 757 rushing yards with 6 rushing touchdowns. Over Reynolds' last five games, he threw 9 TD passes with two games where he passed for 336 and 354 yards while adding a minimum of 94 rushing yards in each contest. Over their last three games, the 49ers outscored their opponents by +12.3 PPG while outgaining them by +122.3 net YPG. Charlotte has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a win over a Conference USA rival. They also have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games with the Total set in the 49.5 to 56 point range. And in their last 12 games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 10 points, the 49ers have covered the point spread 8 times. Buffalo may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point sped in 5 of their last 6 games after a victory by at least four touchdowns. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last contest. The Bulls were an impressive 6-1 at home this season — but they were only 2-4 away from home while being outscored by -2.8 PPG in those games. The weakness of this team is when they have to rely on their passing attack. Sophomore Kyle Vantrease did not win the starting quarterback job out of camp but took over after the season-ending injury to redshirt freshman Matt Myers. Vantrease averaged only 155 passing YPG in his seven starters. More telling, while Buffalo averaged just 18.7 passing attempts per game in their seven wins, that number rose to 26 passing attempts per game in their five losses — so the ability of the 49ers to slow down their rushing attack looks critical. The Bulls have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams outside the Mid-American Conference — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 straight games played on a neutral field. Buffalo has also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games when getting at least two weeks to prepare.

FINAL TAKE: This is Buffalo’s first back-to-back bowl appearance in program history after playing and losing in last year’s Dollar General Bowl to Troy by a 42-32 score after blowing a 4th quarter lead. Buffalo is looking to win their first bowl game in their fourth try this afternoon. This will be the first bowl game for Charlotte in just their fifth year in the FBS — and the players will be excited to trigger the strobe light post-victory ritual that has been implemented by Healy. The first five Bahamas Bowls have all been decided by 4 points or less — expect another close game in the sixth incarnation of this bowl game. 20* CFB Bahamas Bowl ESPN Special with the Charlotte 49ers (202) plus the points versus the Buffalo Bulls (201). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Army Black Knights (303) plus the points versus the Navy Midshipmen (304). THE SITUATION: Army (5-7) saw their two-game winning streak snapped back in their last game back on November 30th in their 52-31 loss at Hawai’i as a 2.5-point underdog. Navy (9-2) has won two straight games after their 56-41 win at Houston as a 9-point favorite back on November 30th. This game is being played on a neutral field in Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLACK KNIGHTS PLUS THE POINTS: Army outgained Hawai’i by +46 net yards but managed to lose the game — although allowing a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown reversed what could have been a 45-38 score late in the 4th quarter. The Black Knights did rush for 411 yards in that game —and they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games away from home after rushing for at least 275 rushing yards in their last contest. This Army team has improved on offense as the season has continued — they have generated at least 500 yards of offense in three straight games while averaging 47.0 PPG along with 575.2 total YPG in those games. But the Black Knights need to play better on defense after surrendering 492 yards to the Rainbow Warriors. Army has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after allowing at least 50 points in their last game. The Black Knights do have a good defense that allows only 22.3 PPG and just 337.8 total YPG which ranks 34th and 29th best in the nation. This was a disappointing season for an Army team that returned eleven starters from last year’s group that finished 11-2 after winning their final nine games. Monken has made this program into a juggernaut as they had won 29 games in their previous three seasons. The Black Knights endured four close losses decided by one scoring possession including a double-overtime loss at Michigan. But a victory over Navy offers this team an opportunity to salvage their season. Army is 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games in December. The Black Knights are also 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games played on a neutral field — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games on a neutral field as an underdog. Navy enjoyed a +5 net turnover margin against the Cougars but they have failed to cover the point spread in 3 straight games after having at least a +3 net turnover margin in their last game. And while the Midshipmen have played five straight games where at least 66 combined points were scored, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after playing at least four straight games where at least 60 combined points were scored. Navy is also just 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games after a bye week. The Midshipmen have slipped on defense to close out this season — they have allowed 40.3 PPG along with 427.0 total YPG over their last three contests. Navy has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams outside the American Athletic Conference. Additionally, the Midshipmen are just 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games played on a neutral field — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on a neutral field as the favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Army has won the last three meetings between these two teams — and the seniors will be motivated to graduate with an undefeated record against the Midshipmen. Navy will be very motivated to end their losing streak to the Black Knights — but this should be a close game with Army having covered the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games as an underdog. Together, these team trends produce our specific 58-17-4 ATS combined angle for this situation. 10* CFB Army-Navy CBS-TV Special with the Army Black Knights (303) plus the points versus the Navy Midshipmen (304). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Army Black Knights (303) and the Navy Midshipmen (304). THE SITUATION: Army (5-7) saw their two-game winning streak snapped back in their last game back on November 30th in their 52-31 loss at Hawai’i as a 2.5-point underdog. Navy (9-2) has won two straight games after their 56-41 win at Houston as a 9-point favorite back on November 30th. This game is being played on a neutral field in Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Black Knights surrendered 359 passing yards to the Rainbow Warriors in their last game — but they have then played 20 of their last 27 games Under the Total after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last contest. Head coach Jeff Monken will have his defense ready to play in this game as Army has played 22 of their last 29 games Under the Total after a bye week. Despite surrendering 492 total yards to Hawai’i, the Black Knights have a good defense that allows only 22.3 PPG and just 337.8 total YPG which ranks 34th and 29th best in the nation. But the struggle for this team may be on the other side of the ball as Army averages just 20.8 PPG along with 338.8 total YPG away from home which is -9.5 PPG and -59.4 YPG below their season average. The Black Knights have played 17 of their last 23 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral field — and they have played 16 of their last 21 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral field as an underdog. Furthermore, Army has played 14 of their last 17 games Under the Total in December — and they have played 27 of their last 38 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Navy surrounded 393 passing yards to the Cougars in their last game — but they have then played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last game. The Under is also 19-7-1 in the Midshipmen’s last 27 games after allowing at least 40 points in their last contest. Navy thrives with their run defense as they hold their opponents to only 109.7 rushing YPG which is 17th best in the nation. The most rushing yards they allowed all season was against Tulane who ran for 187 yards which was far below their 249.8 rushing YPG which is 13th best in the nation. The Midshipmen have played 16 of their last 21 games Under the Total in December. They also have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral field — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total playing on a neutral field as the favorite.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 14 of their last 16 meetings Under the Total. With both teams deploying a spread triple option offensive attack, not only is the typical element of surprise gone for these respective offensive attacks who usually face opponents unfamiliar with their unique schemes but they are facing defenses that practice every day against their style. Army won last year’s game by a 17-10 score despite generating only 283 yards of offense with just 59 plays from scrimmage. Navy only had 208 total yards in that game on 54 plays. And in the Black Knights’ 14-13 victory in 2017, they had only 296 yards of offense on 48 plays but they limited the Midshipmen to just 241 total yards on 50 plays. 25* CFB Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Army Black Knights (303) and the Navy Midshipmen (304). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Wisconsin Badgers (119) plus the points versus the Ohio State Buckeyes (120). THE SITUATION: Wisconsin (10-2) has won four straight games after their 38-17 win over Minnesota as a 3-point favorite. Ohio State (12-0) defeated Michigan in Ann Arbor last Saturday by a 56-27 score as an 8.5-point favorite. This game is being played on a neutral field in Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BADGERS PLUS THE POINTS: Wisconsin played the Buckeyes close for 35 minutes in the first meeting between these two teams before they game got out of control late in a 38-7 loss on October 26th. Ohio State had just a 10-7 lead in the 3rd quarter of that game. The Badgers’ physical style of defense and running the football has helped them go 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games in the Big Ten Championship or a bowl game as an underdog with Wisconsin pulling the upset five times. The Badgers has scored at least 37 points in each of their last three games — and they are tough to handle when they get their offense going. Wisconsin has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after scoring at least 37 points in three straight games. They generated 453 yards in their win against the Golden Gophers — and they are 23-10-1 ATS in their last 34 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. Additionally, the Badgers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. And while Wisconsin has only covered the point spread twice in their last six games, they have then covered the point spread in 34 of their last 48 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Ohio State has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after winning at least five games in a row. They dominated the Wolverines last week with 28 first downs while controlling the clock for 36:25 minutes — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after holding the ball for at least 34 minutes and gaining at least 24 first downs in their last game. The Buckeyes did show some vulnerability in that game as they surrendered 305 passing yards to the Michigan offense — and they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after allowing at least 280 passing  yards in their last game. Quarterback Justin Fields did not leave that game 100% either with a knee injury which may limit his mobility tonight.

FINAL TAKE: Wisconsin has covered the point spread in 8 straight games on the road when avenging a loss where they did not score more than 14 points. With superstar running back Jonathan Taylor, the Badgers have the ability to control the clock to stay competitive with the Buckeyes. 10* CFB Wisconsin-Ohio State Fox-TV Special with the Wisconsin Badgers (119) plus the points versus the Ohio State Buckeyes (120). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Georgia Bulldogs (117) plus the points versus LSU Tigers (118). THE SITUATION: Georgia (11-1) has won six straight games with their 52-7 win over Georgia Tech last week as a 28.5-point favorite. LSU (12-0) remained undefeated this season with their 50-7 win over Texas A&M last week as a 17.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLDOGS PLUS THE POINTS: Georgia has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game. The Bulldogs’ biggest question mark is with their skill players on offense. Wide receiver Lawrence Cager is out the season with an ankle injury and wide receiver George Perkins will miss the first half in this game to serve out a suspension. Furthermore, running back D’Andre Swift is dealing with a shoulder injury but it looks like he will be able to play in this game. Georgia did generate 500 yards against the Yellow Jackets — and they have then covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Bulldogs have a veteran quarterback in Jake Fromm who has the experience of a National Championship Game as well as two prior SEC Championship Games. But is the Georgia defense that should keep them in this game. They rank 2nd in the nation by allowing just 10.4 PPG — and they rank 4th in the FBS by limiting their opponents to only 257.0 total YPG. The Bulldogs also may very well have the best special teams unit in the nation. This combination of elite defense and special teams has helped Georgia cover the point spread in 8 of their last 9 road games against conference opponents. The Bulldogs have also covered the point spread in 14 of their last 20 games against teams with a winning record. And in their last 9 games played on a neutral field, Georgia has covered the point spread in 8 of these contests. LSU has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win. And while the Tigers held the football for 34:38 minutes against the Aggies while generating 31 first downs, LSU has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after gaining at least 24 first downs while controlling the clock for at least 34 minutes in their last game. The Tigers also gained 553 yards in that game — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. Remember that while LSU has been explosive on offense often this season, they narrowly got by Auburn by a 23-20 score — and the Tigers are a defense-first run team like the Bulldogs. LSU has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games with the Total set in the 49.5 to 56 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Georgia is a dangerous underdog that has covered the point spread in 5 straight games when getting the points since 2016 with them pulling the outright upset three times. 25* CFB Power-Five Conference Championship Game of the Year is with the Georgia Bulldogs (117) plus the points versus LSU Tigers (118). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (115) plus the points versus the Boise State Broncos (116). THE SITUATION: Hawai’i (9-4) has won four straight games with their 52-31 win over Army last week as a 2.5-point favorite. Boise State (11-1) has won five straight games after they defeated Colorado State on the road by a 31-24 score as a 13.5-point favorite. The Broncos earned the right to host this Mountain West Conference Championship Game with their better record.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAINBOW WARRIORS PLUS THE POINTS: Don’t be scared off going against home teams in conference championship games. Home teams are now just 18-20 ATS in the thirty-right times that one has hosted a conference championship contest. Only one home team covered the point spread last year in the Conference Championship games (Central Florida) with the three other home teams failing to cover the point spread with Middle Tennessee and this Boise State team losing outright despite being a home favorite. The Broncos are not a reliable big favorite as they have failed to covert point spread in 10 of their last 15 games when laying 10.5 to 21 points. Boise State has also failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 home games when laying 10.5 to 14 points. With freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier still recovering from his shoulder injury, 5th year senior quarterback Jaylon Henderson will make his fourth straight start for this team. The Broncos are averaging 43 PPG in his three starts with the 31 points they put up last week being their lowest number — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after scoring at least 31 points in two straight games. Boise State was outgained by 35 yards last week by a mediocre Rams team that then let their head coach go. The Broncos surrendered 289 passing yards with Colorado State averaging 6.32 Yards-Per-Play — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after allowing at least 6.25 YPP in their last game. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after allowing at least 280 passing yards in their last contest. This leaky pass defense presents a scary proposition when facing the Rainbow Warriors’ junior quarterback Cole McDonald that leads an offense that is 6th in the nation by averaging 332.5 passing YPG. It will be a chilly night in Boise with temperatures in the 40s — but I watched McDonald complete 31 of 36 passes for 373 yards on a cold night in Reno earlier this season against Nevada. Hawai’i has four receivers with at least 50 catches. I was also impressed with the Rainbow Warriors’ ability to move the football against a strong Army defense in what was a lame-duck game for them with this MWC Championship Game already clinched. Hawai’i gained 492 yards against the Black Knights while only having the ball for 24:40 minutes in that game — and they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last contest. The Rainbow Warriors did surrender 411 rushing yards to Army’s spread triple option — but they have then covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after allowing at least 375 rushing yards in their last game. The Hawai’i defense has improved — they held their last two conference opponents in UNLV and San Diego State to just 18 combined points along with only 4 Yards-Per-Pass-Attempt. The Rainbow Warriors have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games on the road with the Total set at 63 to 70 including covering the point all three times in that situation this season.

FINAL TAKE: Boise State won the first meeting between these two teams at home by a 59-37 score back on October 12th. But Hawai’i has covered the point spread in their last 5 opportunities to exact same-season revenge. The Broncos may be taking the Rainbow Warriors lightly while dreaming of the Cotton Bowl as the Group of Five representative in the New Year’s Six bowls — but this team has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games in December. Hawai’i is a very dangerous underdog giving the potency of their offensive attack. 25* CFB Underdog of the Year with the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (115) plus the points versus the Boise State Broncos (116). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Memphis Tigers (114) minus the points versus the Cincinnati Bearcats (113). THE SITUATION: Memphis (11-1) has won six straight games with their 34-24 win over Cincinnati last week as a 13.5-point favorite. The Tigers get to stay at home for this immediate rematch for the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TIGERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Bearcats may have held back some of their tricks last week with their spot in this game already clinched. Quarterback Desmond Ridder did not play last week with his shoulder injury but Cincinnati got better play in the passing game with freshman Ben Bryant completing 20 of 32 passes for 229 yards. Ridder will be back under center for this game but he has just a 64.6 Passer Ratlin in his last two games against South Florida and Temple. Despite their 10-2 record, the Bearcats only outgained their opponents by +8.5 net YPG. They won all four of their close games decided by one scoring possession. Cincinnati also struggled on the road where they were outgained by -55.3 net YPG. The Bearcats have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games on the road. They also have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games against teams with a winning record. And in their last 6 games in December, Cincinnati is just 0-5-1 ATS. Memphis has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. They get to stay at home where they have lost only once since the 2017 season. The Tigers are a perfect 6-0 at home this year with an average winning margin of +15.7 PPG. Memphis has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games at home. They also have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games as the favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Memphis has lost the last two American Athletic Conference Championship Games to Central Florida — so this should be a very determined team to finally climb the hump to with a conference title. 10* CFB Cincinnati-Memphis ABC-TV Special with the Memphis Tigers (114) minus the points versus the Cincinnati Bearcats (113). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Florida Atlantic Owls (112) minus the points versus the UAB Blazers (111). THE SITUATION: FAU (9-3) has won five straight games with their 34-17 win over Southern Mississippi last week as a 9-point favorite. UAB (9-3) has won three straight games with their 26-21 win at North Texas last week as a 3.5-point favorite. The Owls host this Conference USA Championship Game.

REASONS TO TAKE FAU MINUS THE POINTS: The Owls have covered the point spread in 6 straight home games after a win by at least 17 points. And while FAU has scored at least 31 points in six straight games, they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after scoring at least 31 points in three straight games. This team has steadily improved under head coach Lane Kiffin. They have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 26 games after the first month of the season. In Kiffin’s two teams that were bowl eligible at FAU, they are 18-6-1 ATS in those 25 games with an average winning margin of +24.1 PPG. The Owls have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. And in their last 6 home games when laying 7.5 to14 points, FAU has covered the point spread in 5 of these games. UAB has played one of the softest schedules in the nation this season. They have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after winning six or seven of their last eight games. They have won their last two games by 6 points or less — and they have then failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after winning two straight games by 6 points or less. And while the Blazers are outgaining their opponents by +161 YPG at home, they are only outgaining their opponents on the road by +27 YPG while being outscored by -5.0 PPG. UAB has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7games on the road as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Blazers have been outscored by -21.7 PPG against the three teams they have faced that are bowl eligible. They also got crushed by a 37-2 score to the Southern Miss team that FAU just clobbered. 20* CFB UAB-FAU CBS Sports Network Special with the Florida Atlantic Owls (112) minus the points versus the UAB Blazers (111). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Baylor Bears (109) plus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (110). THE SITUATION: Baylor (11-1) has won their last two games with their 61-6 win over Kansas last week as a 14-point favorite. Oklahoma (11-1) has won four in a row with their 34-16 win at Oklahoma State as a 14-point favorite last Saturday. The Big 12 Championship Game is being played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BEARS PLUS THE POINTS: The Sooners have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after not allowing more than 20 points in their last contest. With Utah’s loss last night, Oklahoma may be in the driver’s seat to earn the fourth and final spot in the College Football Playoff with a victory in this game. But with high expectations comes more pressure as the Utes found out last night. This Sooners team has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. They have benefited from three net close victories decided by one scoring possession. Oklahoma has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of 9 games against Big 12 opponents this season. And in their last 13 games played on a neutral field as the favorite, the Sooners have failed to cover the point spread 10 times. Baylor has picked themselves up off the mat after blowing a 28-3 lead against the Sooners in their 34-31 loss at home back on November 16th. The Bears have outscored their Kansas and Texas by a combined 69 points. Baylor generated 507 yards against the Jayhawks — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Bears have also covered the point spread in 4 straight games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 games in December. Baylor has also covered the point spread in 23 of the last 32 games as an underdog — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog when playing on a neutral field.

FINAL TAKE: Baylor head coach Matt Rhule thrives when preparing his team in the role of the underdog. In his coaching career going back to his time at Temple, Rhule’s teams are 33-14 ATS with sixteen upset victories. Rhule’s Baylor teams have covered the point spread in 7 straight games as an underdog with five upset victories included. 10* CFB Baylor-Oklahoma ABC-TV Special with the Baylor Bears (109) plus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners (110). Best of luck for us — Frank.