The weirdest point spread of the season yielded the strangest finish of last weekend. Northwestern, averaging nine points per Big Ten game, was favored by 39 over UMass. (This column used the 40-point spread from Thursday morning.)
Down 45-6, UMass drove to NU's 6-yard line with 13 seconds left, getting a clock stoppage for a first down. And then the Minutemen acted as if time had elapsed. They took off. Didn't run a play.
The scribes on the Yahoo Sports College Podcast were aghast.
Pat Forde: "This is the biggest outrage in gambling history!"
UMass alumnus Dan Wetzel: "People say a coach should not know the point spread. The hell they shouldn't! Help the people back in western Mass who bet on your team ... put a little jingle in their pocket."
Forde: "They get first-and-goal and literally just walk off the field! Worst thing I've ever seen!"
Where in the world is Scott Van Pelt to chime in?
On to a new slate of games. The lines are below with our latest picks against the spread. Thursday morning odds courtesy of MyBookie.ag.
