College Football picks from Kern: Colorado State vs Utah State, Stanford vs Oregon State, Michigan vs Rutgers, Temple vs Georgia Tech, more
This week’s college plays, from beautiful downtown Northeast Philly:
Colorado State (+24) over Utah State
CSU is coming off a close home loss to a Toledo team that’s not too bad but was a double-digit underdog. I had Toledo, and even suggested the Rockets could maybe pull off an outright upset. Imagine that. Anyway, Utah State almost won at Wake Forest in the opener, and is coming off a win at San Diego State. But the Aggies are going to LSU next week, so maybe they’re looking ahead just a bit. This just seems like a lot of points for them to be giving.
Stanford (-4) over Oregon State
Visitors have lost three straight, but the losses were to Southern Cal, Central Florida and Oregon. So this isn’t a vintage Card team. But Oregon State is still, well, Oregon State, which means not much. And Stanford has won the last nine in this series. I just think the Card needs something good to happen to kind of turn the season around, especially with a home game against Washington coming up.
Michigan (-28) over Rutgers
I know Michigan is a mess right now, and this is a sandwich game between Wisconsin and Iowa. But Rutgers is one of the worst teams in FBS. The Knights lost at home last week by two touchdowns to Boston College, which was coming off a bad home loss to Kansas. I just don’t see them scoring much at all here, and I think the Wolves should be able to reach the 40s. At least that’s the plan. But the Wolves have disappointed thus far, so don’t get carried away. Especially with this spread.
Baylor vs. Iowa State (under 55)
This should be a pretty good matchup, between two decent Big 12 teams. Baylor is getting a field goal at home, but the last two times these teams have met the totals have been 36 (in 2017) and 42 (last year). So I’m hoping that trend continues, and it turns into another 24-21 kind of game. My luck it will probably wind up going into triple overtime to mess it all up.
Temple (-8.5) over Georgia Tech
The line has come down in this one, as Owls go up against their former coach. They’re coming off a tough loss at Buffalo. But the week before that they upset Maryland at home. They haven’t allowed more than 17 points in South Philly in over a year. The Yellow Jackets are still very much in a state of transition. You might also want to take a look at going with under 48. I think it’ll be something like 27-14.
Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech (over 70.5)
Sooners are coming off a bye, and have Kansas next. I’m guessing they will score some points, and maybe enhance Jalen Hurts’ Heisman resume. But Tech, which was also off last week, has been known to score too. And if OU gets ahead it might not be quite as interested in playing too much defense. Last year it was 51-46, the year before that 49-27. I’ll be rooting for something similar.
South Carolina (-3) over Kentucky
The Wildcats have won five straight in this series, for the first time ever. USC had won 13 of 14 before that. The Gamecocks have the nation’s toughest schedule. So this might be one of their easier games. I’m just thinking they’re overdue. Both teams have lost two straight and are having quarterback issues, so tread carefully. Home team probably needs this one more, in the overall. That doesn’t always mean it’s going to get things done.
North Carolina State (+6.5) over Florida State
I’ve seen enough. Hey, one of these days the Seminoles might actually beat somebody by a lot that they’re supposed to be better then. But until that happens … I’m not sure how good the Wolfpack are. But I’m pretty sure Willie Taggart is going to have a tough time keeping his job in Tallahassee. The visitors have taken the last two meetings. The Pack might not make it three in a row, but at this point why would I doubt that they can at least keep it real close? Just saying. Sometimes it’s not about who you back, but who you go against.
And I'll have my pro stuff out there for you soon. Don't say you weren't warned.
WANNA BET COLLEGE FOOTBALL?
In New Jersey: PointsBet.com, Promo code: BETTORS (You can get two risk-free bets up to $1,000 if you qualify.) William Hill NJ (Deposit $50, get $50 cash) SugarHouse NJ* (First deposit match up to $250)
In Pennsylvania: SugarHouse PA* (First deposit match up to $250); Rivers Casino Pittsburgh* (First deposit match up to $250). Only 1x Wager Applies, Playable in PA Only
In most of Europe: William Hill UK; Pinnacle (No UK or Portugal); Asian Odds (No UK or Portugal)
In Asia: Pinnacle/Asian Odds
In parts of South America: Pinnacle/Asian Odds
In parts of Africa: Pinnacle/Asian Odds
*Note: First Deposit Bonus may only be claimed once per person across all Rivers and SugarHouse websites
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER