Category Archives: NCAA Football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities

NCAA Football Betting: Jefferson Props Highlight LSU BCS Betting Options

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What will LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson throw first in the BCS Championship Game on Monday night – a touchdown pass, or an interception? That’s just one of the props available right now on the college football bettingboard at Bovada’s online sportsbook.

Get props and gamelines from Bovada’s NCAA football odds makers today.

After regaining his starting job for the Tigers this season Jefferson went on to throw six touchdown passes and just one interception in nine games. When LSU took on Alabama during the regular season Jefferson didn’t throw a touchdown pass and also wasn’t intercepted in the slim 9-6 Tigers victory.

So for Monday night ‘interception’ is the -140 favorite over underdog ‘touchdown pass’ (at EVEN odds) on that prop bet. You can also get -140 odds that Jefferson’s first pass attempt will be completed, with ‘incomplete’ at EVEN odds, and ‘intercepted’ at +800.

Jefferson split duties with Jarrett Lee at quarterback during the LSU/Alabama clash earlier this year, and Jefferson only threw for 67 yards on 6 of 10 passing that game. On the season Jefferson averaged 76 passing yards per game, but splitting time cut down that number; for Monday his OVER/UNDER for passing yards is at 149.5.

In the LSU backfield, you can get +175 odds that Spencer Ware will score a touchdown on Monday night, and +150 odds that Michael Ford will find the end zone for the Tigers. Obviously neither RB scored against Alabama earlier this year; on the season Ware rushed for eight touchdowns and Ford ran for seven.

As well, Ware’s OVER/UNDER for rushing yards sits at 39.5, with Ford’s at 45.5; both players averaged about 58 yards per game rushing on the season for the Tigers. Hop right in to Bovada’scollege football props today.

The stage is set.
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Monday’s Best BCS Championship Bet: LSU vs. Alabama

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Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU Tigers (+2, 40.5)

Both teams have had long layoffs over 30 days or more, (Tide was off for 44 days), but both teams will be well prepared for what will be the biggest game of the college football season.

LSU vs. Alabama

Click here to Place your College Football Bowl bets at Bovada Sportsbook

The BCS Championship odds opened with the Tigers as one point favorites, but that number has changed sides and now the Tide are the favorites as they are laying 2 points leading up to the big game. Despite the line move, the public consensus reports show that the money is on the Bayou Bengals. This is interesting considering that the Tigers have yet to lose a game on the season and have a more impressive schedule.

This is technically a road game for the Tide, although they will have an excellent showing of fans for this game. The Tide travels well and it is evident by their success at the betting window. The Road team is 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 meetings and the Crimson Tide are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 meetings in Louisiana.

The Crimson Tide is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games and 6-2 ATS when playing a team with a winning record. Giving Nick Saban over a month to prepare for a team is going to spell trouble for LSU. Although LSU won the first meeting, Tide running back Trent Richardson still tore up the defense amassing a bevy of yards in the outing. Richardson comes into this game on a roll putting up over 500 yards in his last three outings. He will be the player to watch in this game.

On defense the edge goes to Alabama. The Tide killer D is ranked first in the country at 191.3 yards per game, ahead of second-place LSU at 252.1. While the Tigers have a formidable defense, the Tide rules the roost and will put pressure on Jordan Jefferson.

Jefferson is more of a running quarterback and the Tide defense will force him to throw and that will spell trouble for LSU. That will open up the Tigers for mistakes and that will make all the difference in a big game like this one.

The Tide and the Tigers go at it again like two champion prized fighters, but when the fight is over the Alabama Tide will be the Champions of the college football world!

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP PICK: Alabama Crimson Tide +2. 

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Arkansas State vs Northern Illinois: GO DADDY.COM BOWL Betting

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Arkansas State vs Northern Illinois
When: 9:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 8, 2012
Where: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama


GO DADDY.COM BOWL STORYLINES

1. Arkansas State has a new coach in Gus Malzahn, the former offensive coordinator at Auburn. But Malzahn, who tutored Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton and helped the Tigers win the 2010 national championship, will not be on the sidelines. Arkansas State will be led by interim head coach David Gunn, who was recently asked by Malzahn to return and be a part of the staff. Gunn was named interim coach after Hugh Freeze resigned to become head coach at Ole Miss.

2. Arkansas State has won nine straight thanks to a balanced approach. The Red Wolves became the first team in school history to record 5,000 yards of offense, scored 30 or more points in eight games this season and more than 45 in their last two contests. They also rank No. 1 in in the Sun Belt in total defense and scoring defense.

3. Northern Illinois QB Chandler Harnish has been impressive under pressure. He’s coming off perhaps his best performance, leading the Huskies to a 23-20 comeback win against Ohio in the MAC championship game. The four-year starter was voted the MAC’s player of the year and needs only 45 rushing yards to become the third FBS quarterback to rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 8,000 yards in his career.

TV: ESPN. LINE: Arkansas State -1.5

ABOUT ARKANSAS STATE (10-2, 8-0 Sun Belt): The Red Wolves feature the Players of the Year on offense and defense from the Sun Belt Conference. Quarterback Ryan Aplin led the conference in total offense with 320 yard per game. Aplin threw for 269.6 yards per game and 18 touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 10 scores. He became only the second player in conference history to record 3,000 yards of total offense in two different seasons. The defensive leader is lineman Brandon Joiner, who led the league with 12 sacks and had 15.5 tackles for loss. Other first-team all-conference players include receiver Dwayne Frampton (90 catches, 1,125 yards, six TDs), offensive lineman Tom Castilaw, linebacker Demario Davis (65 tackles), and defensive backs Darryl Feemster (five interceptions) and Kelcie McCray (62 tackles, four interceptions).

ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS (10-3, 7-1 MAC): The Huskies revolve around QB Chandler Harnish, who led the MAC in rushing (112.6 yards). Harnish rushed for 1,351 yards and threw for 2,692 yards and 23 touchdowns, with only four interceptions. He’s got an outstanding offensive line, led by center Scott Wedige and tackle Trevor Olson, both all-MAC selections. The line hasn’t allowed a sack all season. Running back Jasmin Hopkins ran for 872 yards and scored a team-leading 15 TDs. The young defense is led by linebacker Pat Schiller (108 tackles, 10 tackles for loss), end Sean Progar (11 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks) and safety Jimmie Ward (93 tackles). Kicker Mathew Sims hit 18 of 23 field goals and scored a school-record 111 points.

PREDICTION: Northern Illinois 34, Arkansas State 28 – Two-way threat Harnish closes his remarkable career with a bowl victory.Click here to Place your College Football Bowl bets at Bovada Sportsbook

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Wizards host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday: NBA Prediction

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Minnesota at Washington
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 8, 2012
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia

THE STORY: The Washington Wizards nearly ended their winless streak on Friday. Sunday might provide them an even better opportunity. The lone remaining winless team in the NBA, the Wizards host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Washington was in strong position against the New York Knicks on Friday, carrying a lead most of the night before surrendering in the final minute en route to a 99-96 setback. The three-point margin was the closet the Wizards have come to joining the win column. The Timberwolves have a pair of wins already but will be without forward Michael Beasley, who is out for the next three games with a foot injury. Minnesota also tends to play down to its competition, losing to the likes of Cleveland and Milwaukee while beating Dallas and San Antonio and taking the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat to the wire.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FSNO (Minnesota), CSW (Washington)

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (2-5): Minnesota is about as exciting as any team in the league this season, with rookie point guard Ricky Rubio and freshman forward Derrick Williams joining Kevin Love on the highlight reels. The next step is turning those highlights into wins. Love has recorded a double-double in each of the first seven games and has increased his range out beyond the 3-point line. The Timberwolves lead the NBA in rebounding thanks to Love but still struggle on the defensive end, allowing 95.9 points.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (0-7): Washington is even worse on defense, allowing 98.4 points, but has yet to show the type of offense that Minnesota occasionally puts on display. The Wizards have not scored 100 points in a game and have only twice topped 90. After bursting out to a 32-18 lead after the first quarter on Friday, Washington dropped to 15 points in the second and had to fight the rest of the way. John Wall scored a season-high 22 points.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Wizards veteran Maurice Evans called a players-only meeting before Friday’s game to talk about a “sense of entitlement” among the younger players.

2. Wall is averaging 3.9 turnovers. He committed five on Friday.

3. The home team has won each of the last four games in the series.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 101, Wizards 91. CLICK HERE to Place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

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Saturday NCAA basketball: No. 20 Marquette at No. 1 Syracuse

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Top-ranked Syracuse faces just its second ranked team of the season on Saturday afternoon as the Orange put their unbeaten record on the line against Marquette – Place your college basketball bets at WagerWeb.com.

Syracuse enters off an 87-73 win over Providence on Wednesday. It is the second consecutive season the Orange (16-0, 3-0 Big East) have opened with 16 straight wins. Last season’s team went 18-0 before its first loss.

The Orange were only up two at the half. But guard Brandon Triche hit three consecutive 3-pointers early in the second half and the Orange rolled. Triche finished with 16 points, including going 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and Syracuse shot 73 percent from the field in the second half.

Marquette lost 73-70 at No. 9 Georgetown on Wednesday. Marquette (12-3, 1-1) led by 17 with about 13 minutes left but choked it away. Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder both got late looks at potential tying 3s for Marquette, but both missed. MU lost for the third time in five games, despite 18 points from Johnson-Odom, 17 from Crowder, and 16 from Todd Mayo. Georgetown shot 76 percent from the field after halftime.

When Marquette takes the court against Syracuse it will mark the 267th time in program history the squad’s opponent has owned a spot in the national top-25.

MU is 106-160 all-time against top-25 opponents and 42-100 versus those programs in the top-10 (lost 73-70 at No. 9/9 Georgetown on Wednesday). The Golden Eagles are 1-7 all-time versus the top ranked squad in the land and last faced a No. 1 team on Nov. 22, 2010 against Duke in the CBE Classic. Marquette dropped that contest 82-77 in Kansas City, Mo.

Marquette’s lone victory against an Associated Press No. 1 team was against Kentucky, 83-69, in the NCAA Tournament to earn a trip to the 2003 Final Four.

Of the seven all-time matchups with the No. 1 program, three have come in the NCAA’s. Marquette dropped an 88-72 decision to Kansas State on Jan. 10, 1953 in the program’s first-ever outing against a No. 1-ranked opponent.

Entering the 2010-11 campaign, Syracuse was the lone team Marquette had yet to defeat in Big East competition on at least one occasion. Marquette finally ended the losing skid with a 76-70 victory at the Bradley Center on Jan. 29, 2011 and followed that win up with a 66-62 win over the Orange in Cleveland, Ohio, in the NCAA Third Round to earn a trip to the Sweet 16.

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Cotton Bowl: No. 8 Kansas State (10-2) vs. No. 6 Arkansas (10-2)

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Two teams who were passed over for BCS bowls in favor of lesser teams – I’m talking to you Sugar Bowl – face off at Cowboys Stadium on Friday night in the only bowl game of the day when No. 8 Kansas State of the Big 12 faces No. 6 Arkansas of the SEC. The Hogs are 7.5-point college football bets favorites on WagerWeb.com.

Kansas State will be making its bowl appearance after being picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 Conference. When the dust had settled, however, the Wildcats were challenging Oklahoma State for the Big 12 title. The Wildcats lost only to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, in successive weeks.

Arkansas, meanwhile, finished third in the Southeastern Conference’s West Division, behind the BCS title-game finalists, LSU and Alabama. Those two teams gave the Razorbacks their only losses in 2011.

Each team’s offense have found success in different ways this season — the Razorbacks have excelled in the passing game (ranked 13th in the nation among Football Bowl Subdivision schools at 307.8 yards per game) behind QB Tyler Wilson while the Wildcats have done it with their ground game (ranked 27th in the nation at 193.7 ypg) behind dual-threat QB Collin Klein.

The Razorbacks come into the game as one of the most explosive offenses in the nation this season leading the SEC in passing offense (307.8 ypg), total offense (445.8 ypg) and first downs (22.2 per game). The Hogs are ranked second in the SEC and 15th in the FBS in scoring offense (37.4 points per game.

Arkansas racked up 2,000 more passing yards than rushing yards, compared to Kansas State, whose rushing attack outpaced the passing game by over 500 yards. The game, one of three bowls that features two teams ranked in the top 10 of the BCS, figures to be one of the higher scoring bowl games of the season. Arkansas is 15th in the country in scoring (37.4), while Kansas State is 30th (33.1).

Kansas State and Arkansas don’t have much in common. Outside of a top-10 ranking, the first time the Cotton Bowl has hosted such a matchup in 18 years, there’s one big similarity: Neither would have been here without Texas A&M.

Arkansas rallied from the 35-17 deficit at halftime to win 42-38 in the final minutes against the Aggies. Kansas State, meanwhile, rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes to force overtime in Manhattan against the Aggies. Four overtimes later, the Wildcats stood tall, as 53-50 victors in what was arguably the best game in Big 12 history.

Arkansas missed the postseason in 2008, coach Bobby Petrino’s first season in Fayetteville. However the Razorbacks have rebounded with three straight January bowls, including last year’s BCS appearance in the Sugar Bowl. The former Southwest Conference member will be making its 12th Cotton Bowl appearance.

K-State did not get to a bowl from 2007-09, but the Wildcats returned to the postseason last year in the Pinstripe Bowl. This will be the 14th bowl in KSU history, and Bill Snyder has been the coach for 13 of those postseason games.

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BBVA Compass Bowl: SMU (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6)

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There are two interesting things about the BBVA Compass Bowl between unranked SMU of Conference USA and Pittsburgh of the Big East. For one, it’s the final college football game of the season on a Saturday. And second, it’s the June Jones Bowl.

Huh, you asked?

You see, Arizona State had decided to lure Jones from SMU as the Sun Devils’ new coach. But at the last minute, ASU officials pulled out because of some fan backlash. So ASU then hired Pitt coach Todd Graham – he left the Panthers without even telling his players and after Pitt officials told him he was not granted permission to even interview for the ASU job. Needless to say, Graham isn’t coaching the team in this game. Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst will be Graham’s replacement.

Pitt defensive coordinator Keith Patterson will coach this game – and then he will leave to become defensive coordinator at Arkansas State.

The Panthers, who are 3.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com, lost star tailback Ray Graham to a torn ACL against UConn in October and from that point on, it was an even bigger struggle for the offense to do anything with QB Tino Sunseri behind center. Pitt needed a 33-20 win over Syracuse in the final game of the season to become bowl eligible, but at least salvaged the season.

The Mustangs opened this season with a 5-1 record, including an overtime win at TCU. In the season’s second half, however, things turned south. SMU lost four of its last six games and two of its final three to finish 7-5. A lot of that falls on the offense, which averaged 33.7 points per game through the season’s first half before scoring just 17.7 points per game in its final six games.

The key matchup in Saturday’s game likely will be SMU QB J.J. McDermott vs. the Pitt secondary. The Panthers’ secondary isn’t littered with NFL talent but they’ve done a solid job this season. They held explosive West Virginia to just 244 yards through the air and allowed only 12 touchdowns through the air against FBS competition. They’re helped out by a pretty good pass rush and generally force teams to make it a point to run the ball.

McDermott replaced Kyle Padron in a season-opening 46-14 loss at Texas A&M and has started every game since, throwing for 3,182 yards, 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Running back Zach Line eclipsed the 100-yard mark in eight of SMU’s first 10 games and led the conference in rushing, but he is out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury. Cole Beasley and Darius Johnson have emerged at receiver, with each just shy of the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

The Mustangs defense will try to take advantage of a Panthers offensive line that allowed Sunseri to be sacked 54 times, 33 more than in 2010.

Pittsburgh is making its fourth straight postseason appearance out of the Big East while Jones has led SMU to three bowls in a row. The two teams have split their first five meetings, 2-2-1. SMU won its only other postseason matchup 7-3 in the 1983 Cotton Bowl.

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Kansas State vs Arkansas Betting: AT&T COTTON BOWL Prediction

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Kansas State vs Arkansas
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, January 6, 2012
Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

AT&T COTTON BOWL STORYLINES

1. Arkansas has the highest BCS ranking of any school not invited to the BCS, finishing at No. 6. Kansas State is just two spots behind but got squeezed out of the BCS party as well thanks to lower-ranked automatic qualifiers like Wisconsin, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

2. The Razorbacks’ only losses came at No. 1 LSU and at No. 2 Alabama and were the only games all season in which they failed to score at least 29 points. Arkansas passes for over 300 yards per game with quarterback Tyler Wilson and is averaging 37.4 points.

3. The Wildcats rank as one of the worst passing teams in the nation, but that is due to quarterback Collin Klein leading the team in rushing as well. The junior rushed for five touchdowns in a four-overtime win over Texas A&M and totaled 38 touchdowns rushing and passing.

4. Kansas State returned to postseason play after a four-year drought and lost in the Pinstripe Bowl to Syracuse last December. The Wildcats last played in the Cotton Bowl in 2001 – beating Tennessee. Arkansas lost the 2008 Cotton Bowl to Missouri and fell in the Sugar Bowl, 31-26, to Ohio State last January.

TV: Fox. LINE: Arkansas -7.5

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (10-2, 7-2 Big 12): The Wildcats don’t mind getting into shootouts, as they average 33.1 points but give up 27.8. Klein allows Kansas State to pass or run out of most formations, adding a layer to the offense that has consistently caught defenses off guard. The Wildcats’ lone losses came to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, two schools that rose to the top-2 in the country. Kansas State showed it could win a low-scoring game in a 17-13 triumph over Texas on Nov. 19.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (10-2, 6-2 SEC): Wilson led the SEC in passing yards with 3,422, erasing any thought that the Razorbacks would suffer a drop with Ryan Mallett in the pros. Wilson’s top target is Jarius Wright, who led the SEC with 11 touchdown catches. Arkansas was hurt on the ground in its loss to LSU, allowing 286 yards rushing, and gave up a touchdown on special teams. The Razorbacks are 3-7-1 all-time in the Cotton Bowl.

PREDICTION: Arkansas 44, Kansas State 35 — Klein will run all over the place, but the Razorbacks will get quick scores through the air. CLICK HERE to Place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

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Cotton Bowl Betting: Kansas State Wildcats vs. Arkansas Razorbacks

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While both Kansas State and Arkansas certainly would have preferred to play in a BCS bowl, the Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium outside Dallas is ecstatic to have two Top-10 teams in No. 8 Kansas State (10-2) and No. 6 Arkansas (10-2) – this matchup appears better on paper than both the Orange and Sugar Bowls. The Hogs are 8.5-point favorites on Bovada’s NCAA football betting odds for Friday night’s game.

Get all your college football odds at Bovada’s online sportsbook.

Kansas State was one of the nation’s big surprises this year in finishing second in the Big 12. The Wildcats’ only losses came on back-to-back weekend to Top-10 teams Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and KSU gave the Cowboys all they could handle. The win total is the school’s highest since 2003 and one shy of the school record. The star of the offense is dual-threat QB Collin Klein, who led his team in rushing (1,099 yards, school-record 26 TDs) and passing (1,745 yards, 12 TDs). KSU is near the bottom of the nation in passing, so look for the Hogs to stack the box.

Arkansas’ only two losses this season came to the two teams playing in the national championship: No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama. The Razorbacks led the SEC in total offense and passing behind junior QB Tyler Wilson (285.2 passing yards per game, 22 TDs), who has arguably the nation’s top group of receivers. The Hogs have had some upheaval since their regular-season-ending loss to LSU as the offensive, defensive and special teams coordinators all have left.

Arkansas and KSU had a common opponent this year: Texas A&M. On Oct. 1, in this same Cowboys Stadium, the Hogs beat the Aggies 42-38 despite trailing 35-17 at halftime. On Nov. 12 at home, Kansas State beat A&M 53-50 in four overtimes in one of the games of the year. The Aggies blew a 31-21 fourth-quarter lead in that one.

Arkansas is 12-23-3 in its bowl appearances, losing 31-26 to Ohio State in last January’s Sugar Bowl (Hogs are 0-4 ATS in past four bowls). Kansas State has lost three straight bowl games (hasn’t covered in past five) and is 6-8 all-time. The SEC has won seven of the last eight Cotton Bowls against Big 12 schools, and the lone Big 12 school to win (Missouri) is leaving for the SEC.

THE STAGE IS SET: Bet the bowls now at Bovada!

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GoDaddy.com Bowl Betting Odds: Red Wolves Battle Huskies in Mobile

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The last of the bowl matchups before the BCS Championship Game is on tap for this Sunday night, with Arkansas State taking on Northern Illinois in the GoDaddy.com Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

Get all your college football odds at Bovada.

At Bovada’s online sportsbook Arkansas State is set as a 1.5-point favorite on the college football betting lines for Sunday, and the Red Wolves have been a solid choice for your betting dollars this season – they went 10-2 both straight up and against the spread.

That earned Arkansas State the Sun Belt conference title, and in the GoDaddy.com Bowl they’ll be up against a Huskies team that is coming off a 23-20 victory over Ohio in the MAC Championship Game.

Chandler Harnish went 16 of 26 for 250 yards passing with three touchdowns and one interception for Northern Illinois in that win over Ohio, leading his team back from a 20-0 halftime deficit.

Nathan Palmer had four catches for 115 yards with two scores that day for the Huskies, who finished the season at 10-3 straight up but just 5-8 against the spread. Northern Illinois was also 7-6 on the OVER/UNDER, while Arkansas State was 4-8.

The Red Wolves, though, poured on the offense in their last game, beating up on Troy 45-14 at home as Ryan Aplin threw for 356 yards on 25 of 37 passing with three touchdown strikes and one interception.

Dwayne Frampton had 10 catches for 153 yards with a touchdown in that victory.

Arkansas State and Northern Illinois most recently met back in the 1990s, with the Red Wolves winning 28-21 as a 9-point road underdog in 1995, and the Huskies winning 31-30 as a 1-point road favorite in 1996.

The stage is set.
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