Usually when top teams schedule non-conference opponents the first two weeks of the year, they are expected to win by large margins. Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State have followed that plan.
As a result those top-5 teams have paid off well for gamblers, and a couple others have done so as well. There was one team that had to lay double-digit points and nearly got beaten straight up.
We take a look at last weekend’s college football, and show gamblers teams that they should look at ATS, and those they should stay away from.
Favorites Who Covered
For the second consecutive week, No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Ohio State easily covered. The Crimson Tide were closed at 37.5 points against Arkansas State and cruised to a 57-7 victory. They were 24-point favorites against Louisville in Week 1, and won 51-14.
OSU also gave bettors an easy trip to the counter to collect in their game against Rutgers. The Buckeyes were favored by 35.5 points, and won, 52-3. The week before OSU was laying 40 points against Oregon State, and clobbered the Beavers, 77-31.
Acting coach, Ryan Day, who has taken over for the suspended Urban Meyer, said after the victory he thought the team has played well in the first two games.
“I think we have a great group of guys here,” Day said. “We have a lot of talent on offense. And I think that combined with the tempo has been great. We did play fast at times today but not as fast as against Oregon State and that was a little bit by design. I thought we got into some good plays based on what they were giving us and we took some shots in the pass game and then hit them.”
One game that was billed as an upset special, but held no suspense at all was Georgia at South Carolina. The Gamecocks were the trendy pick to win outright, and not needing the nine points they were getting. Turns out they were outclassed by the No. 3 Bulldogs, 41-17.
Struggling Squads, Squeakers Against Spread
One top-5 team that barely escaped with a victory was No. 2 Clemson. They went to College Station, Texas to play Texas A&M. The Tigers were favored by 12.5 points, but for the second consecutive week, they couldn’t cover. They almost didn’t win, allowing 13 fourth-quarter points. An interception of a two-point conversion with less than a minute remaining was the only thing that saved them from overtime, as they escaped with a 28-26 victory.
Wisconsin also couldn’t cover for the second time. In the first week they were 36.5-point picks against Western Kentucky and won, 34-3. On Saturday, the No. 6 Badgers were again handing out 36 points to New Mexico, and again, couldn’t cover. They won, 45-14, but again came up short with bettors.
Oklahoma disappointed those who placed wagers on them. They hosted UCLA and were giving the Bruins 30 points. The No. 5 Sooners had the spread covered with 3:50 remaining, but on a broken play on 4th and 6 from Oklahoma’s 9-yard line, the Bruins completed a touchdown pass and ruined the hopes of Sooner bettors.
Bad Beat of the Week
That was nothing compared to those who were holding tickets on Florida Atlantic. The Owls were hosting Air Force and were eight-point selections.
They had taken a 13-point lead with 57 seconds remaining and possession of the ball. On fourth down they went to punt and the attempt was blocked. An Air Force player picked it up and ran it in for a touchdown, erasing the spread cover and sending gamblers into shock.
Not only was this the bad beat of the week, but it is early contender for worst one of the season.
