College football final thoughts, a few predictions, and some investment advice to make your life a heck of a lot better than it currently is.
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This is all for spits, giggles, and entertainment purposes only, however, just in case you dabble …
Week 5 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews
– Week 5 Schedule, Times, Lines, Previews
– CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
– Week 5 Expert Picks & Predictions: College
– Week 4 Expert Picks & Predictions: NFL
College Football Betting Advice, Final Thoughts, Week 5
As we get started with the Saturday games, BYU is hosting Louisiana Tech. On Friday night. The line is cranking up from BYU -22 to -24.5, and it might only go way up from there. Louisiana Tech is good enough to keep this from getting out of hand, but I get it – it’s been zero fun, sir, to be on the wrong end of this Cougar juggernaut over its first two games.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
12:00 ET Gametimes
What, exactly, about that offensive performance against Ole Miss would lead you to believe that Florida isn’t going to be an offensive powerhouse all year? South Carolina has talent. It has a defense. It has good enough passing game to screw you up late, but if you can get this at 17.5, you’re happy.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Is that really right? TCU has beaten Texas in four of the last five years? AND you’re getting 11.5 with the Horned Frogs? Texas is a much, much better team, and it might just bounce back from whatever that was against Texas Tech and rock, but this D once again isn’t tackling. Love the over on the 63, like never messing around with a trend – especially if you can get +12. That +340 on the money line isn’t too bad, either.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
The Tennessee-Missouri line has been hovering around Vols -12.5. Ehhhhhh, that seems way rich for Tennessee to be giving away that much to anyone in the SEC. The Tigers are going to keep pressing for four quarters, even if they get down early.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
I’m trying to love you, NC State. I’ve been in your corner all offseason that 2019 was just a blip, everything will flip back around, and then … yuck. The defense is awful, the offense is going to be inconsistent, and now you get a Pitt team that’s going to pay rent in your backfield. However, be careful, everyone. Pitt -14 is just about right for this.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Good luck trying to figure out East Carolina at Georgia State. The line is sort of irrelevant – it started at Panthers -6, got down to -1, and now is at -2. That’s probably right in what should be a close game, but don’t measure anything – like last week’s ECU loss – that happens against UCF the week before. This is as coin-flippy as it gets.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Arkansas State should be much more than three points better than Coastal Carolina, but that -3 line just feels like a tease. This is one of those moments when you go with the stronger team, and have a short memory if it doesn’t work out.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
I have a bad habit of trying to make picks happen – at least once in a while. I’m trying to make this West Virginia team a thing, because it should be. It’s a home underdog, Baylor is probably being handed an extra two points because it played Kansas last week, and Neal Brown is too good a coach to let this Mountaineer thing slide for too much longer.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
At the very least, UTSA has been fun. It’s 3-0, the offense is working, and the defense is … bad. UAB is coming off a crushing performance against South Alabama that’s being a bit blown up a bit in the lines. UTSA should be able to keep up enough to cover the 20.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
If you’re that weird to be interested in Liberty hosting North Alabama … check that. There’s nothing weird about going to the window. Of course you’re going Liberty -30.5. This team isn’t going to take it light and easy on anyone. It’s going to need to pour it on whenever it has a chance, and it’s going to run for 300 yards in this.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
NEXT: 3:30 to 4:00 ET Gametimes
1:00 to 4:00 ET Gametimes
I am floored the Texas A&M-Alabama line isn’t higher. Wait for it a bit – people are going to start hammering the hell out of the Tide up until game time to get that way up from the 18. The last few meetings between these two haven’t been total wipeouts – Bama by 24 last year, 22 in 2018, and 8 in 2017. See if you can hold on until this gets up to 20.
Oh, and by the way. In this weirdest of all years, as long as you go lowwwwww – A&M +800 on the money line is out there.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Gut-feeling time – and who doesn’t love that in their high-quality, researched investing analysis – Boston College is way better than it showed in the close call against Texas State. North Carolina went up from -13 to -14, it’s been a long, long while since the team played, and it wasn’t exactly razor sharp in the 31-6 win over Syracuse.
So … 1) if you’re interested in BC +14, I’m not going to stop you. 2) If you line BC +425 on the money line, I’m not going to stop you. 3) I sort of like NC in this, but not until it pulls away late, if that helps anything.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
I’m so done getting my butt kicked by picking against Cincinnati ATS. The line is going down and USF is getting up 21 now after it was up around 23 for a while, but whatever. The Bearcats are just that good.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Either Oklahoma State actually sucks and this weird, sluggish start isn’t just about the team getting up and going, and/or Kansas is just a whole other level of Kansas-bad that we haven’t enjoyed yet over the years. Let’s just put it this way. If Oklahoma State can’t be this Kansas team by more than 22, then it really is mediocre at college football this year.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
This Memphis – SMU thing has been screwy. The books haven’t been all that interested in posting the lines – because of the COVID issues around the Tigers – but -2 is a bit of an insult. SMU is just okay, so go with what you know – Memphis is the better team, If forces beyond all control push things the other way, so be it.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
You’re insane if you’re diving in hard on anything Big 12 related this year. The Kansas State-2.5 line against Texas Tech feels like a big-time trap to get you to go with the home side. Fall for said trap.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
There’s a big, giant, screaming part of me that thinks Florida Atlantic shows up and hangs 52 on the board against Charlotte. The actual on-the-record prediction on the site is much closer, but that was back when I was young and more responsible. I always lock in the picks and don’t change them, but if I was more fun, I’d suggest the idea that Willie Taggart’s club is going to come out with a big bag of awesome.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
What’s the line? If someone shows you who they are, believe them – all forgiveness if I biffed that. Duke has shown us who it is – it’s a turnover machine. Ticked that the line rocketed up from Virginia -10 to -12 – and 12.5 in some places – but until Duke shows us it’s someone else …
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
I want NOTHING to do with this Ole Miss – Kentucky thing. It started out at UK -7, now it’s at 6, and it’s been hanging around at 6.5. I don’t have a read on this thing at all, and even Ole Miss at +185 on the money line isn’t enticing enough.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
NEXT: 5:00 – 9:00 ET Gametimes
5:00 – 9:00 ET Gametimes
WKU and Middle Tennessee might not be the biggest flops of the 2020 college football season – Southern Miss canned its coach after Week 0 – but they’re awfully close. They’re both equally weird. WKU just doesn’t seem interested in doing that whole scoring thing, so -7 on the road is asking for a lot. Middle Tennessee at +230 on the money line is a decent play if you have to do something with this game.
Speaking of money lines …
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Anyone who says he/she has a real line on this Navy-Air Force game is full of bull puckey. This game is a TOTAL guess, so with that in mind, 1) Air Force at home at +220 on the money line is reasonable, especially since 2) it’s only Navy -7, and 3) Navy was awful for six quarters this year and was able to beat Tulane in the final two quarters. Navy had to beat the Green Wave by throwing the ball. Back in the old country, that’s what we call a red flag.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
I know ULM is the worst team in college football. I know it just got Mack trucked by UTEP, who usually can’t run over a paper cup with a Big Wheel. I know, I know, I know … (deep breath). I do think Georgia Southern wins this game, but it’s giving away 20.5 on the road to a desperate team that really should be a whole lot better.
(Deeper breath) If you’re feeling weird and you want to take a ridiculously high-value shot for the stars, if you can get ULM +1200 on the money line … just, yeah.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
I know we’re all supposed to automatically take Georgia and all, but did that team look anywhere close to right to you against Arkansas? I despise ever taking the 7-point favorite to win-not-cover, but Auburn is very good, JT Daniels is likely going to be shaky out of the gate, and this is likely more of a toss-up than it might seem.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
The line is going down for UCF vs. Tulsa? It was up around 22, now it’s down to 21, and it’ll be interesting to see where the public goes from here. Tulsa might have won last year, and the defense was great against Oklahoma State early on, but UCF is a machine with the explosion to push ahead fast. 21 might not seem like a lot after the first half.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Even if you don’t really believe in the Mississippi State offense quite yet, really? Only -17 against Arkansas? The Hog program has lost by more than 17 in five of the last six games, and in case you’re worried, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett took target practice against the Arkansas D. KJ Costello is every bit that good.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Oklahoma lost to Kansas State last year, and followed it up with a 42-41 win over Iowa State. Against Power Five teams after a loss, OU has won its following game by more than seven in four of the last instances. The Sooners melted down late against the Wildcats this year – they’re still terrific. Iowa State still has way, way, way too many issues after two games – the seven isn’t a ton for OU to give away.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Come on, everyone. Don’t try to work too hard on this one. LSU -21 over Vanderbilt. Don’t overreact to the 17-12 Texas A&M win over Vandy or the 44-34 LSU loss Mississippi State … yet. The Commodore D is good, but the O might not score.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Southern Miss continues to be a colossal pain to figure out. It barely shows up in the loss to South Alabama, it can’t come through late against Louisiana Tech, and the defense melts down against Tulane. It’s overdue for something positive, and getting to go against this North Texas defense should be it. The UNT -1.5 line doesn’t matter – go with who you like.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
It’s not fun in any way to pick against Clemson, ever. It’s torturous to sit there and watch how the Tigers score points with ease when you’ve gone the other way. So if it’s going to bother you to watch the Virginia game with the line at just -28, go with Clemson. The line is about right, so this is hardly a slam-dunk for the Tigers.
– CFN Game Preview, Prediction
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
