First and Ten

lostinamerica

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Oct 10, 2001
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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Iowa(-7)(-105) over Minnesota (2*)
- - (1) Iowa is a superior team by any measure when compared to teams even better than this Minnesota rival. (2) I am positive about the pulse of their ambitious campaign, and this Hawkeye squad has been cryptically restless to get on the field and will outplay Phil Fleck?s fighting freshmen. (3) Barring the tragic old chestnut of QB Stanley getting knocked out of the contest, not one moment of serious doubt has crept into my thinking for two weeks. (4) All that seems worth 7 points.

West Virginia(-27') over Kansas (1*)
- - Mismatch. Hugely.

Alabama (-35) over Arkansas (1*)
- - While watching games and talking football two weeks ago, I made that decision that this healthy Alabama team now has the piece it has lacked at QB to cement the strength and depth it has across the board, and they will carry my cash every week going forward. . . . Then I saw the next game was against Louisiana, and although I knew some letdown was not in this team?s DNA at the moment, I had some doubts about any value in betting on Bama going as full tilt as they will in conference games, and I stayed away, which was already an excellent decision. But I?m fully on board this week, and maybe a first half bet is a better play, but I?m not so inclined or so sharp.

Syracuse(-3)(-122) over Pittsburgh (1*)
- - With the ability of QB Eric Dungey to distribute the ball among all of his weapons, I don?t think Syracuse allows the Clemson game to beat them twice on a visit to a face a Pitt team that is neither imposing nor explosive.

Illinois(-4') over Rutgers (1*)
- - I know, know, know I should hate laying points with Illinois under any circumstances, but I just cap this as a perfect storm of a spot for Lovie Smith?s team to bust through and show at least the small steps of progress that I believe his program and culture have achieved, at least temporarily.

Colorado(-2') over Arizona State (1*)
- - Herm Edwards and his crew will definitely surprise me if this is the spot where they reassert with some of the luster from the start of the season and have what it takes to ambush an underrated, not overrated, Colorado bunch in this impactful conference clash.

Wisconsin (-17') over Nebraska (1*)
- - Whether Wisconsin is or is not overvalued, I still see them ?getting better? in this spot, and IMO Scott Frost at Nebraska has not been pushing the right buttons with this thin Nebraska squad that would make this a spot for them to make a statement about ?getting better?, both cryptically.

Kansas State(+4) over Baylor (1*)
- - I can see this K State team ?getting better? as a dog against Baylor.

Texas(+7')(-120) over Oklahoma (1*)
- - Expecting Texas will have resilience and moxie enough to make this entertaining until the end.

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Boston College(-11) over Louisville (1*)
- -

Troy(-10) over Liberty (1*)
- -

Auburn(-8')(1stH) over Tennessee (1*)
- -

Iowa(-4) over Indiana (1*)
- -

Duke(+2) over Georgia Tech (1*)
- -

Ohio State(-30') over Minnesota (1*)
- -

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Penn State(-13') over Michigan State (1*)
- - "No. 8 Penn State boasts one of the most productive offenses in the country, it?s fresh (angry) off a bye week (loss) and it?s organizing a white-out at Beaver Stadium for homecoming. Throw in the memory of losing to MSU on a last-second field goal last season, and there?s plenty of variables stacked against the Spartans . . . The Spartans are injured, unranked and lost for answers when it comes to their sputtering offense."

Oregon(+4) over Washington (1*)
- -

Northern Illinois(-5) over Ohio (1*)
- -

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Alabama(-28) over Missouri (1*)
- -

Wisconsin(+10) over Michigan (1*)
- -

Fresno State(-18) over Wyoming (1*)
- -

California(-6') over UCLA (!*)
- -

West Virginia(-4') over Iowa State (1*)
- -

Colorado(+7) over USC (1*)
- -

Virginia(+7) over Miami(1*)
- -

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Syracuse(-9') over North Carolina (1*)
- -

Iowa(-9') over Maryland (1*)
- -

Michigan State(+7') over Michigan (1*)
- -

Army(-6') over Miami Ohio (1*)
- -

Utah State(-14') over Wyoming (1*)
- -

Oklahoma(-8) over TCU (1*)
- -

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Oct 10, 2001
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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Nebraska(-4) over Minnesota (1*)
- -

Texas Tech(-17) over Kansas (1*)
- -

Missouri(-10) over Memphis (1*)
- -

Colorado(+18) over Washington (1*)
- -

Alabama(-29') over Tennessee (1*)
- -

Oregon State(+8) over California (1*)
- -

Indiana(+14) over Penn State (1*)
- -

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Kentucky(-11) over Vanderbilt (1*)
- -

Purdue(+12') over Ohio State (1*)
- -

Washington State(-2') over Oregon (1*)
- -

Utah(-7)(-103) over USC (1*)
- -

Fresno State(-14) over New Mexico (1*)
- -

Mississippi State(+5') over LSU (1*)
- -

South Florida(-31') over Connecticut (1*)
- -

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
NCAA YTD: 51-67 (-23.15*)
NFL YTD: 34-26 (+5.25*)

Iowa(+6) over Penn State (1.5*)
- - I?ll start with an aside, and posit Iowa has significant offensive weapons to deploy in almost any matchup, and OC Brian Ferentz has his unit performing at a very high level, and IMO it appears Kirk trusts the operation implicitly . . . It seems like every season ?my teams? have so many injuries pile up, some seasons especially so, and it?s all about next man up and not making excuses. But every season a handful of NFL and NCAA teams are blessed with exceptionally good health, which doesn?t guarantee you anything, but you really need to make the most of it when it happens. This deep Iowa team is even getting healthier and for now qualifies as pretty much benefitting from one of those seasons . . .If slop makes this game more physical then IMO that does not impede Iowa; if it's slick and tricky, I?m okay with that, too. Forget the point spread, a justifiably ambitious Hawkeye team wants this game badly, and they have no business losing this game. That?s how I see it.

Iowa State(-6) over Texas Tech (1*)
- - It?s ISU or stay away for me. I?m liking the Big 12 team with the best defense staying hot.

Army(-1) over Eastern Michigan (1*)
- -

BYU(-6') over Northern Illinois (1*)
- - The technical trends might say otherwise, but IMO this is a tough road trip for a team that is immersed in what for them has been a grinding conference slate.

Florida(+7)(-115) over Georgia (1*)
- - I thought Georgia in 2018 would be elite but nevertheless a lesser team with a lesser season than 2017, while Florida has emerged quickly under a coach I have always liked and apparently for good reason. This should be a good chapter in the rivalry.

South Carolina(-8') over Tennessee (1*)
- - A fairly sturdy team in a situation I like against a team still somewhat searching in a situation that I don?t particularly like.

Virginia(-7)(-119) over North Carolina (1*)
- - Syracuse shit the bed last week against NC and then brought in a backup QB to save the day. I don?t think Virginia is on the cusp of a similar head scratcher.

Purdue(-1) over Michigan State (1*)
- -

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Oct 10, 2001
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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
NCAA YTD: 55-75 (-28.00*)
NFL YTD: 39-28 (+8.00*)

Iowa(+3) over Purdue (1.5*)
- - Apparently Iowa coming off their loss wishes they were as good as Purdue. That?s how I see it.

Michigan(-12)(-115) over Penn State (1*)
- - Michigan has a really deep team with talented weapons to deploy in a big game matchup, and has recently been playing among the best in the nation. As observed elsewhere, ?Penn State has to hang their hat on Trace McSorley way too much, and he is looking beat up and worn out, and I have a feeling the Michigan defense? is not what he needs to see. Harbaugh has them ready at home to win going away.

Illinois(+10)(-115) over Minnesota (1*)
- - My initial take was to question the Gophers at QB, but otherwise believe Minnesota is on an uptick and the better bet to carry my cash. But now I?m somewhat persuaded that it won?t be that easy to walk in and walk out with a win going away against an Illinois team with some merit to their season to date.

Maryland(+3') over Michigan State (1*)
- - I?ll be more surprised than disappointed if I?m not riding with something of a live dog in this one.

Wisconsin(-28)(-115) over Rutgers (1*)
- - Something or someone has convinced me Wisconsin will be taking out some of their frustrations today, and I'm not too fearful that Rutgers getting rested with a week off is going to be the right stuff for getting an injection of tough and focused.

Syracuse(-5) over Wake Forest (1*)
- - That?s an easy one on whether I have a take or a side. Also somewhat easy to pull the trigger and elevate my take on the game to a play on the game.

Army(-4') over Air Force (1*)
- - I think the Commander-in-Chief?s Trophy doesn?t change hands today, especially on this trip to West Point.

Georgia(-9) over Kentucky (1*)
- - While I mean everyone was piling on Missouri last week, I was leaning to Kentucky, enough so that I stayed away from getting sucked in, which qualifies as something like good capping. But this seems like a whole different animal to rise up this week in what now shapes up as Georgia?s biggest game for the remainder of the season.

Alabama(-14) over LSU (1*)
- - My post on October 6:
Alabama (-35) over Arkansas (1*)
- - While watching games and talking football two weeks ago, I made that decision that this healthy Alabama team now has the piece it has lacked at QB to cement the strength and depth it has across the board, and they will carry my cash every week going forward. . . . Then I saw the next game was against Louisiana, and although I knew some letdown was not in this team?s DNA at the moment, I had some doubts about any value in betting on Bama going as full tilt as they will in conference games, and I stayed away, which was already an excellent decision. But I?m fully on board this week, and maybe a first half bet is a better play, but I?m not so inclined or so sharp.
That?s my ANGLE (2-1), and I?m sticking with it in a really huge contest.

Georgia Tech(-4') over North Carolina (1*)
- - GT has surprisingly IMO looked like a pretty decent team for a good while, and I like their chances of covering this reasonable number.

Houston(-14) over SMU (1*)
- - I?m following, more or less.

Iowa State(-17') over Kansas (1*)
- - I probably shouldn?t.

I'm "leaving off" South Carolina(+1) over Mississippi and Texas A&M(+4) over Auburn, and I probably should.

GL
 

smax

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I agree and have been on them a couple times also. That said- a line move this much just today means someone knows something wee don't

I'll watch. Kansas has shown some life on both sides of the ball as the season has progressed.
 

lostinamerica

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Oct 10, 2001
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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Michigan State(-2')(2ndH) over Maryland (1*)
- - Almost as soon as the game started I wanted to change my play. Although Maryland is playing hard I definitely don't think they are as prepared, which is not a concern from what I'm seeing from the visitor. At the end of the half I'm seeing it the same way and I think the playing hard angle only goes so far as the game gets deeper.

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Oct 10, 2001
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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Notre Dame(-9) over Northwestern (1*)
- - I see ND as the underrated squad in this contest. And but for being on the road, I see the situational factors significantly aligned in favor of ND.

Texas(+1) over West Virginia (1*)
- - Seems most are definitely on West Virginia. That?s not some contrarian basis for me to go the other way, I'm the other way because I've seen multiple analysis that are all West Virginia and what I'm seeing is much different.

Florida(-6') over Missouri (1*)
- -

Kansas State(+10) over TCU (1*)
- - IMO that TCU loss to Kansas last week is not some disregard in my capping that just convolutedly enhances the value for TCU this week. In KState I see a team playing their ass off every week, and a team probably in more ways improving late in the season, and that earns my cash.

GL
 
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