The NC St/Louisville matchup is intriguing. The way the Wolfpack defense flys around with reckless abandonment could land someone in the hospital. If Mr Heisman tucks it one too many times, it could be him. I have said in conversation with some people that it will only take one good clean hit to shy him. He is not that accurate of a thrower to carry the team through the air. Petrino is a master at calling crossers and rubs so open receivers are all over the field. QB has had a time hitting them. This is a long shot, but college football provides at least one a week. At +700,it may be worth some beer money.
Most that jumped off the page has had the value sucked out of them.
indiana
Virginia + 275
Tulane +335
Kentucky +145
UTEP + 300
Ole Miss +194
I don't play ML, but these are some I could see.
I agree on just about all of those. Although I don't have the balls for the NC St call. But I find my own long shot dogs so everyone has a hunch here and there and we all know that surprising big dog upsets do happen and can work for some big money if you can get a handle on who it will be.
Would have to learn a bit more on the UTEP-UTSA matchup which I will be doing. I like all of those with the points atleast if nothing else except for maybe Tulane which I just don't have a feel for that one.
I'm starting to like UVA some. Upset could happen there. Last year NC won 26-13 laying 17, but it was close. 4 Matt Johns INTs was the difference. UVA led 3-0, 10-7, and was just 13-13 at halftime. In the 2nd half, INT set NC up inside the 16 for a FG, later Vir threw INT at the 50 leading to FG, next time NC had the ball they were inside the 5, but thew INT in the EZ, Johns then lost a fumble on a sack and their final drive INT was pretty much at time expired didn't matter for much. 5 of their 6 2nd half drives ended in INT or fumble!
Virginia is improved this year, playing pretty well at times. We know who NC is, they are going to be good on O. Still have to wonder about that D however. Using a common opponent...Pitt put up 36 and 421 on Heels (5.77 ypp). UVA held them to just 346 and 45 pts because Pitt had some possessions eliminated with non-offensive TDs, however Pitt only had 4.94 ypp on UVA. UNC did have much more success vs Pitt D than Virginia did last week, which maybe isn't surprising given who they are...still a game Pitt let slip away. Virginia had their way with that Pitt D in the 1st half with 314 yards, surprisingly they had just 81 in the 2nd half.
Virginia has potential if they can play something close to a 4 quarter game. Stopping the NC O isn't easy short of a hurricane coming through. Some turnovers would help. Absent of that, if Virginia can be efficient on O as they have in other games it has a chance if the NC D that we think we know shows up. I'll be on them with the pts will weigh the ML prospect....+345 now.
And Kentucky too. I think the improvement we've seen on both O and D there is real, but with the competition just being SC and Vandy. Hard to put much stock in the Bama game, but atleast they didn't lose that one in big time beat-down fashion, just normal Bama domination of an overmatched foe. Miss St isn't that good. I think they will try to run it a bunch, so the young UK defenders are going to have to step up, which they've shown they can. Ware top 10 SEC tfl and sacks, Allen top 10 in sacks as well, Jones lead SEC in solo tackles, Edwards comes up for run support from DB and is top 10 in pbu as well. Those guys are all Sophs...so at mid year compared to early on they are helping that D.
Think UK can move it by ground and air on Miss St though. Turnovers for UK are the fear, as they are in most games, but seems like a game that a costly INT could end the upset bid. Still, I'd take UK to win. Normally like a little more bang for the buck on MLs, but will definitely play them for a decent chunk with the spread. Maybe ML if it creeps higher (+155 as I type). Kind of a buy on UK and a sell on Miss St. UK off a bye...Miss St hasn't exactly looked great.
Ole Miss is now +260. I'm not scared of line moves. I mean I get scared that Ole Miss D has been bad and LSU O has looked good the last 2 games with the coaching change. But I want to see Tigers do it vs a quality team...even if not a quality D in Ole Miss, Missouri and Southern Miss D just aren't on the same level as what Ole Miss is capable off if they have their A game. Big gut check for Rebels, think they go down with a fight rather than a wimper. Hoping this is a good game, feels like it will be to me. Getting over a TD now at 7.5 is appealing and outright win could be in the cards of course assuming it is a 4 quarter competitive game.