Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/25/2022

It's starting to get to the interesting part of the College Football season, with conference openers and no longer cupcake out of conference paydays.  One of the biggest upsets of the first week was orchestrated by a team that, quite frankly, got beat by a cupcake the week before.  The Kansas State Wildcats surprisingly fell to the Tulane (Mighty) Green Wave 17-10 last week in a stunner.  Many thought their conference title hopes would be abandoned.  Au Contrare.  Led by 5th year senior Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez, the Wildcats beat the 6th ranked and Big 12 favorite Oklahoma Sooners 41-34.  Martinez accounted for five touchdowns, including four on the ground, with an efficient 21-34 passing and one TD, but gashing the defense with 148 yards rushing on 21 carries.  It's not like the Sooners could gang up on him, with weapon super back Deuce Vaughn also getting as many touches and more than 100 yards.  The Sooners had no answers for Martinez, who cemented the Wildcats fourth win in five years over the Sooners.  A deserving Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

J.R. Ewing College Football Picks: 10/15/2016

I'm tickled blue to pick two teams from Texas this week!

I just keep winning.  Another 3-2 week ATS which means profit.  Profit is good.  Greed is good.  Love the greed!


Summary:
Previous Week: 3-2 (+80)
Season: 18-11-1 (+$590)

Lines are provided by VegasInsider.com and these bets are also registered on CappedIn.com.

Hard to believe we're in Week 7, but glad to know we're not even half way through October yet.  So much more football to play starting this week!  Here's another set of winners!


Texas Tech (Pk) vs. West Virginia (Noon EDT)

I love a good pick'em game, and I love offense.  Texas Tech is another team I pick frequently because they can beat any spread easily.  In this case, they just need to win.  They do that well at home.  West Virginia hasn't beat a point spread since Week 1.  Seems like Tech wins this one with lots of tortillas thrown around.

Nebraska (-3) at Indiana (3:30 p.m. EDT)

Let's pump the brakes on Indiana for a minute.  This line has dived from a TD to a FG and I don't see a resurgent Nebraska team coming off a bye week to have a slip up.  They should outclass the Hoosiers and win by a TD or even double digits.  Remember, Indiana lost to Ball State and Wake Forest.

Alabama (-13) at Tennessee (3:30 p.m. EDT)

I'm still drunk on Alabama success.  Rode them to an easy win last week (okay, by a couple of points).  Tennessee is banged up and came off a devastating loss at Texas A+M.  This after pulling some close games out.  This one could get ugly.  And they never beat Alabama.  Tide Rolls by 3 TD or more

Texas (-13.5) vs. Iowa State (7:00 p.m. EDT)

Intriguing matchup between two teams combined 3-8.  Both coming off disappointing losses.  As a Texan, I sense a circling of the wagons for the Longhorns.  They lost to Oklahoma but pushed a good team to the end.  Iowa State has been a hard luck team, blowing leads to Oklahoma State, Baylor, and TCU and covered four straight games.  They take a dip here and the Longhorns win by 3 TD or more.


Ohio State (-10) at Wisconsin (8:00 p.m. EDT)

Ohio State has been covering like mad, only missing a misaligned ATS against a good Indiana team.  Wisconsin has grinded out some wins, but this level of talent will be an upgrade.  Seems like if it's close the Buckeyes could win by two TD.  They'll cover the 10 points.

Given some even lines I wouldn't be surprised at a push, but the wins keep coming!  Have a great weekend!

-JR

J.R. Ewing College Football Picks: 9/17/2016

Big games call for big picks from a guy with a big hat

Well well well, I picked a few pigs in a poke last week going 3-2.  Now with more data, I'm sure to improve.

Summary:
Previous Week: 3-2 (+80)
Season: 5-5 (-$50, always remember the house take, folks)

With two data points, it seems easier to pigeon hole teams.  But a bettor still can't overreact.  Some strange point spreads (i.e. 0-2 Northwestern with losses to Group of 5/FCS favored against Power 5).  So look at fundamentally which teams look best.  So stay away from that one.  Instead, let's pick the big games this week.

Here are your five winners of the week:

Florida State (-1) at Louisville (Noon EDT)

Big early ACC game worthy of the hype.  Louisville has been very impressive against inferior competition, but Florida State had the big win against Ole Miss.  If this were a night game, I might lean to the Cardinals.  But an early kick off to me takes the crowd a bit out of it.  Not sure Louisville is ready for the step up, in a pick 'em game, I take the Noles.

Nebraska (-3) vs. Oregon (3:30 p.m. EDT)
An intriguing interleague match up.  Oregon just doesn't look good on defense against bad teams, and Nebraska is good.  The rabid Huskers crowd should disrupt Oregon's offense and carry the Big Red to victory.  By more than a FG.

Texas A+M (+3.5) at Auburn (7:00 p.m. EDT)
The Aggies have won two in a row at Auburn and play well (1) on the SEC road and (2) early in the season.  They already beat a ranked team, Auburn lost a close one to Clemson but the Aggies have weapons on both sides of the ball and they're being given points.  I like Texas A+M.

Oklahoma (+1.5) vs Ohio State  (7:30 p.m. EDT)
Bob Stoops at home is just too juicy.  Especially against an inexperienced (but good) team.  It will be a lively home crowd hungry to show the Nation that the Houston loss was not their best effort.  OU QB Baker Mayfield won't drop another one (and again, I'm being given points at home?). 


California (+7) vs Texas  (10:30 p.m. EDT)
Intriguing rematch of a contest Cal won last year in Austin by 1 on a missed PAT.  They had Goff.  They no longer have Goff, but are at home.  Texas looked good against Notre Dame (still took to OT, could have lost) and mediocre against Texas El Paso (with injuries).  Injuries are playing, but how healthy are these guys?  How will a freshman QB fare in his first road game?  With a night crowd?  This seems like a FG type game so I'll take the 7 points.

I feel bad for betting against Texas and for Oklahoma, but I did take the home state Aggies.  Go Texas teams!

- JR Ewing.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/16/2014

When you set a single game offensive college football record, you've done something.  With 50 games a weekend times 100 years of football times 15 weeks per season, that's a lot of games.  Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin devoured the single game rushing yard record with 408 yards.  That's almost half way to 1000!  And this wasn't against Midwestern South Trinity college.  This was against Nebraska.  The proud Top 20 Cornhuskers who came into the game with only one loss.  Gordon finished with the 208 yards on only 25 carries for a 16.5 average.  And 4 TD.  His longest was only 68, so without that he still had 340 yards.  The Heisman trophy should probably come calling for Mr. Gordon, our Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Week 11 Upset Specials

Finally hit something after a long drought.  Got $250 net (yep, that's it after the other two misses) for the Longhorns defeat of Texas Tech.  Was probably the least confident of the three, but I'll take it.

Brings my overall (S/U) record in these to 5-23 through 10 weeks.  We skipped one week and one week I picked 4 (albeit it was reduced betting money on a real long shot).  Purse is now sitting at -$8,450.

I got some good picks this week, one hit should move that line up significantly, two and I'm really back in the game.

Start with tonight...
Virginia Tech (+12.5, +390) vs. Florida State
I don't buy that Virginia Tech is better, I'm betting their better in one game, at home, in prime time, on TV, against a high profile opponent.  Getting this kind of money line love at Lane Stadium is rare.

West Virginia (+9.5, +290) at Oklahoma State
We'll see if West Virginia is tired of being kicked around by their new Big XII teams. I have a feeling they are, and Oklahoma State is good, but still has some holes that WVU could exploit.

Penn State (+9, +290) at Nebraska
Penn State is 6-1 since their stumble out of the block, admittedly with huge distractions.  Loss vs. Ohio State.  Nebraska still seems a little soft to me, I think this will be close, Penn State might be hitting their stride.

Happy football watching all, Yee Haw!

Week 5 Upset Specials

Big hits last week folks, with Kansas State (+425) and Oregon State (+250), I turned my $3,000 bet into $5,750 in profits.($6,750 minus the $1,000 lost on Kansas).  Now up $3,050 for the season.

Had a huge party for the Cowboys game to celebrate last week, we took care of 'dem Buccaneers.  But I digress.

I'm strong on this week's picks, plus I got a huge underdog teaser.


Season +$3,050, 3-6


Pick #1
Arkansas (+420, +13) at Texas A&M
Texas A&M still is finding identity, can't look into much what happened in the rolling of SMU or SC State.  Arkansas brings a very wounded mentality to College Station and has a history of beating these guys up here at the new Texas Stadium.  Juicy money line is too good to pass up, Arkansas salvages a win here.

Pick #2
Rice (+260, +7.5) at Houston
Houston may be very, very bad.  Rice is battle tested and had some success in this rivalry.  I would have put it at a pick'em but bettors don't seem to appreciate the Owls.

Pick #3
Wisconsin (+395, +11.5) at Nebraska
Both these teams have stumbled out of the gate, particularly in west coast road games.  Another game I see even, but I get 11.5 points and a juicy money line?  Sign me up please, Go Sconnie!

Pick #4 (special edition for only $100)
Ole Miss (+4100, +30) at Alabama
Okay, I know, small chance of happening.  But maybe Alabama relaxes a little bit after some of their tough games, maybe Ole Miss isn't that bad with just the big loss to Texas in a game they were sloppy with the ball.  Just saying it could happen.  Alabama has looked a little underwhelming in some of their non-marquee matchups, oil men like me use venture capital for big hits, here we go!