6 o'clocks - assuming I have these times right I will have to check for any changes
Respect the opinion on FAU. I'm certainly not taking Wagner here, but don't have the feeling necessary for me to take FAU and I passed on it at the 27.5. It's several pts higher now. Once we're past week 2 really I don't like the FCS vs FBS games unless it just jumps out to me. Like Syracuse did this week. Normally Wagner would not score many points at all here and Florida Altantic just does what they want. Wagner is a little better this year. Just a pass for me.
Portland State at Chattanooga! They better be pumping the water off that field huh?! This is another pass. Can't back Portland State in most games and am very uncertain about the condition of UTC right now. I liked them quite a bit a couple weeks back vs Georgia State and they competed there, weren't better or close to winning, but I thought they showed well for themselves. Then they got humbled pretty good by Mercer at home, then a bye. So I have lost touch with what they are like right now and I really don't want to lay near DD with a team I am unsure of like this. Portland State? Who knows with them....suppose if I hadn't seen all their games and just take a guess at this one in August I would maybe like them +9.5. But after actually watching them play, well no. Now, one could argue perhaps that this is the weakest team Portland State has played depending on how one values Weber. UTC and Weber are actually close in my mind, maybe slight edge UTC and the game vs Weber might've looked close for a bit but it really wasn't and it really wasn't at the end. UTC should win and I guess cover, but it's not for me.
I like South Carolina State. 1) A&T is off a big blowout loss in a game they care about vs NCCU, just got their asses kicked all night 2) their QB White got hurt, don't know status right now, not sure it matters really 3) A&T almost lost to Winston Salem, like legitimately they were trailing before a FG to tie with :01 and then they won in OT 4) two non-offensive TDs make their scoring output look better than it actually is (13 on Delaware but one TD was a 70y pick-six) (24 on NCCU but the 1H TD was KO ret score and they only had 12 at HT). Just do not like this A&T O (avg 295.5 ypg the last two weeks), poor passing game and the D, I think their HC was a respected DC maybe from W&M...they have given up over 500y in every Dl game this year. NCCU gained 8.3 ypp on them, Delaware 6.6, Wake 7.5. Now, I must admit, I have not actually watched more than a couple minutes of South Carolina State football this year. There's a new sheriff in town there, Chenis Berry who replaces a legend in Buddy Pugh, but sometimes legends get old and need to retire. Berry is a respected HC from Benedict. And they hit the ground running. Week 1 for them, week 2 for FAMU and they led 18-7 before losing 18-22. Beat The Citadel 23-20 with a +146 yardage edge for their first win. And then last game, really vs Georgia Southern, they weren't bad. SC State had two good drives for missed FGs, moved it good, but trailed 7-21 HT. 2H GaSo had a pick-six and scored in the final minutes to make the final 14-42...SC State ws only outgained by 33y. They should have better rushing O this week and the passing game has been pretty decent. First pick of the year was last week. Pheonix was formerly at Benedict with Berry. Think this could be a surprising team this year in the MEAC. Home opener after a bye week. Sign me up! They did open as small dogs, are short favorites now
When will Villanova play a good game? Here are their first halves this year 17, 7, 7, 0 vs YSU, Colgate, Towson and Maryland. They scored 20-21 twice in the 2H this year, but only scored 7 on YSU and 7 on Towson in the 2H of those. Just not clicking the way it should and really by now, week 5 it should've come together. Maybe this is the week? I won't know til after it is over because I'm not laying it. I believe this line might've been 28.5 at open? Now 24.5. Maybe if it got under 20 I bite. Long Island is another improved NEC team as evidence showed last week vs URI and showed week 1. And they lost by 3 to Lehigh, no sin there. LIU isn't a bad team right now...but knowing Villanova's potential....I don't want to be on LIU because if and when it finally does click, Nova may explode. Pass as it is
William & Mary is good, but just aren't quite hitting on all cylinders and some little things here or there keep their final scores, their margin of victories being a little closer than they probably should vs Wofford and Furman. Wofford is better this year, Furman is down, but not awful. So those weren't complete pushovers like VMI showed to be week 1. W&M did not matchup well vs Coastal Carolina. I actually don't know how to access what Hampton is going to play like vs a good CAA team because they've only played MEAC and Dlls so far which they have looked good at times and not so good at other times. W&M has yet to face much of a threat from really good running QB and that is what Hampton has, two good running QBs who aren't bad passing sometimes. You know, I thought I was going to want W&M here, but thinking about it now, I really am not sure what to expect or what will happen here. I think W&M has played at times better than their final scores suggest, but maybe they just aren't that kind of team that can avoid those types of things that keeps the other teams in the games when they shouldn't be. And if that is the case Hampton could be live. I wouldn't think that Hampton's D is up for this. A lot of different things could happen here. I should pass on it.
I would worry a little bit about the Tennessee State psyche. TSU off the TTU game which has to be pretty disappointing to them. I liked them in that game. TSU has been up pretty good in two other games vs weak teams but allowed some late scores and actually failed to cover them. I have them 0-3-1 ATS. TSU led 38-7 vs Miss Valley, won 41-21. They led Pine Bluff 38-14, won 41-28. They only trailed Tenn Tech 14-17 with a minute to go and the ball in their hands when they threw a pick-six and lost by 10. Could make as case if this team plays better down the stretch or handles their leads better they could be 3-0-1 ATS instead. But they aren't. Last week was a tough loss no doubt. Had some big run D problems last week vs TTU. So TTU is better than them. TSU likes to take advantage of teams that are worse than them. Charleston Southern lost to The Citadel, were shutout and lost by 38 at Richmond, but were able to beat Furman as they were +4 in the TO category. How about 131 total yards (2.6) vs Richmond and 257 total yards (4.1) at Furman! Their passing game was pretty good vs The Citadel but they haven't been able to run vs anybody. That should help TSU's run D situation. CSO beat them last year as 7.5 pt home dogs, thanks to +3 TOs. This number is not out yet, I would lean Tennessee State but require further evaluation.
UT Martin might be in trouble. They had that OT loss to SEMO a couple weeks back, then they came out ho-hum trailed at HT to UNA before righting the ship in the 2H after benching Dent. Last week they trailed Missouri State 14-31 with Sheron at QB and lost 24-31 with a bunch of their yards and pts coming on the final couple drives. UT Martin is one of the teams I feel I have the least familiarity with. And Kennesaw is a total unknown to me. This is a game I shouldn;'t get involved with.
Montana State is -17.5 now, this line came down right? Was it 19.5? Everyone knows they have yet to cover this year. The only game they played all their #1s who were healthy a full game was week 0 when they needed them all for that comeback. Can't take them just because they have to cover one of these games as we all know that is not a good recipe for selecting plays. I don't know here. I might lean towards Montana State. First Big Sky game, maybe they actually do play all their guys a full game here. Idaho State hasn't felt quite as good as this season has wore on this year compared to last year...not like they were good last year, but they had some good moments. Last week was their best showing start to finish probably. I do tend to believe that Southern Utah was still thinking back to their loss the week before and likely didn't have a good week of practice and came out flat (trailed 7-24 HT as a 3.5 pt road fav). I fear that ISU can and often does get way behind in these games. Like they trailed at North Dakota by 31 1H. They trailed Weber and EWU by 21 each at HT last year (they won the EWU game). Now, if Montana State were to be up late and covering, Idaho State is going to keep coming and trying to score til the very very end so back door is always open with them. Actually, I think I would prefer to have Montana State at a lower number than Idaho State at the current number. I don't have the same opinion of this offense 2024 as I did for the 2023 group who I thought was more potent. So I'll wait and see if the line does anything and see where I end up on it.
I'll have to sleep on the 7:00 - and later games