CFB Betting Tips From Pamela Maldonado: What to Watch in Week 1
If you are anything like me, you’ve been counting the times for the return of college football down since the Clemson finished putting a whupping on Alabama in the national championship. The waiting is over and soccer is back.??
There’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to picking matches of college soccer due to freshman/inexperienced quarterbacks head coaches, lack of important players, along with the turnover in Week 1. But from gambling, any of us won’t stop will it? There are many games on the background however a few matchups are which have captured my eye and a couple of teams that I will be interested in viewing because of new strategies, players that are new, new training.
Here’s what I will be watching in Week 1:
True freshman Hank Bachmeier was named the beginning for Boise State after it was noted that redshirt sophomore Chase Cord had yet to take a snap using the No. 1 offense after tearing his ACL midway through last year. Big shoes to fill as last year’s newcomer, Brett Rypien, abandoned into the NFL, ending his college career with a 3,700-yard, 30-touchdown year, also Offensive POY honors at the conference. If healthy, it was expected that the start would be seen by Cord but rather we capture Bachmeier, who is the first freshman.
On the flip side, you own a staff in Florida State that must create greater than it did??last season, finishing 3-5 and only 5-7 in the conference. The Seminoles??are always the best recruiting team at the conference, have a top returning production, receive a new OC at Kendal Briles from Houston, along with a (somewhat) experienced QB. The question is, how do we hope Willie Taggart, who’s entering his second season? This past year, the team had a good defense but had been near??the??bottom (13th) in??crime — before just Louisville, which??finished with a 2-10 record, 0-8 in conference.
Why I am excited about this matchup: We receive a complete unknown in QB play for Boise State, a group that is considered highly by the market (9.5 regular-season win complete ) playing with a team which should see a much better year. However, does??Florida State make??it back to a bowl (after its 36-year streak ended with Taggart), or increase its??2018 record of 5-7 to possibly 7-5 or better?
Odds: Boise State is +5.5??on a neutral field. The Broncos are 5-0 ATS in their last five matches when playing as an underdog and head coach Bryan Harsin is 11-2 as a underdog over his livelihood if you prefer tendencies.
Because I adore games that are offensive I really like college football. Let us light up the scoreboard, boys! Houston has QB D’Eriq King after capping off a great 2018 season completing 63 percent of his passes with 50 touchdowns, coming — FIFTY! As a top-20 passing offense, the Cougars will be looking to keep that prowess even as they get a new head coach in Dana Holgorsen. Although Houston does shed OC Kendal Briles into Florida State, I would expect a natural transition using Holgorsen, that was the head coach in West Virginia (top five??at death last year), so not a large shift in offensive fashions.
Expect anticipate and points A LOT! In death defense Houston ranked 130th out — Oklahoma was a smidge better, shutting out the year — although that means that they were dead last.
You can probably create a drinking game out of this for each and every touchdown scored: why I’m looking forward to the matchup. Let us not, though! Oklahoma has amazed the past couple of years because of QB play from Mayfield along with Murray. Well, they are both gone to the NFL and OU has but is he Murray/Mayfield good? Will he be able to put those types of stats up? I’m sure of King’s abilities although it remains to be seen.
Odds: Houston is +23??around the street with all the OVER/UNDER??place at 82.5 (steep). The entire world has gone over in six??of Houston’s last seven matches and over in 11 of OU’s past 15 games.
Shane Buechele! The QB is a transfer from Texas who played every game. He recorded 11 interceptions and 21 touchdowns. Then came Sam Ehlinger, that became Texas’ player that was shiny. The Mustangs closed out a year with a 5-7 record, going 4-4 from the AAC.
Arkansas State went 8-5 final season and I can not say that it will be replicated. QB Justice Hansen was great at his place, the best quarterback in the Sun Belt Conference, but he’s now gone. In regards Logan Bonner with little to no experience. Even the Red Wolves may have some regression without corner, tackle and their QB. They’ll be starting the season with no head coach Blake Anderson to make matters worse. Anderson tragically lost his wife after she battled??breast cancer for the second time. While Anderson takes a few leave defensive coordinator David Duggan will require over.
I think SMU has some upside I’m looking forward to this match. We know what Buechele is really capable of producing so I would think there’s some potential there for a QB. Add that to the mix of returning employees (HC, OC, DC all in their second year) and also this Mustangs team potentially has a shot at a good season — at a six-win year old.
Opportunities: Arkansas State -3.
Georgia??Southern QB Shai Werts didn’t throw one interception the whole season this past year after playing almost every snap — with just 10 touchdowns (zero picks!) . Whether that series can last vs I need to determine for forcing a lot of turnovers, an LSU defense that is notorious. This is a sport where as soon as an option is thrown by Werts, I am changing the channel. I would be shocked if I wind up not reaching for the remote.
Truth: OVER/UNDER 53, LSU -28.
Paul Johnson, GT’s head trainer, retired after last season for running the crime and if GT is well known for something, it would be. Well, now that’s gone since GT has brought the last couple of decades in Geoff Collins, who was the head coach in Temple. The offense will change, but what’s expected? Your guess is as good as mine, but Collins has said he’ll be running an”NFL-style, spread-based assault” — so a more conventional, pro-style offense.
Expect different, but distinct won’t necessarily mean magic.
Truth: Clemson -36, OVER/UNDER 60.
A number of two groups that don’t??create much enthusiasm, accurate. But NIU is a team, I think. The Huskies took the name of winners annually for the first time since 2014, ending 8-6, 6-2 in conference, after causing it to a title game for the sixth consecutive season. They’ve lost their bowl game the last two years (2018 vs UAB, 2017 vs Duke), but they have a few changes that make me interested in seeing if they could progress. NIU has a new head coach in Thomas Hammock, who was the Baltimore Ravens RB trainer for the last five years although that doesn’t have any head coaching experience.
RB Tre Harbison can see an even bigger increase in production because of it. He had been the very first 1,000-yard rusher in NIU since 2015, ending with 1,034 yards last year. I think NIU will remain a strong team even after losing DE Sutton Smith and his??15 sacks. This team has a brand new HC coordinator, and also a QB that is returning but an wager to win the MAC in +500 is.
Odds: OVER/UNDER NA, NIU -5.5
