The opening lines have seen a lot of movement from the opening numbers. Make sure you check our college football odds page to see how the opening lines have moved, and to compare lines from a number of top quality sportsbooks. Here’s a look at some of Saturday’s most important games.
Oklahoma State (-8 ½) vs. Baylor – The Cowboys opened as 9 point favorites, and after the line came down to 7 ½, some buy back on Oklahoma State has moved it back up 8 ½ points with most books. The Cowboy defense was impressive in Manhattan last week. They’ll have their work cut out for them with Robert Griffin III. The offense should get a boost from having Justin Blackmon back. The Bears are coming off a huge win in Austin, but does that mean a letdown is in store? Along with Oklahoma, these two teams are vying for the Big 12 South title.
South Carolina (-4 ½) vs. Arkansas – The Gamecocks opened as 3 point home favorites. About midweek the line moved up to 4 and recently went to 4 ½ points at most sites. South Carolina wasn’t overly impressive against Tennessee last week, but they still managed to win by two touchdowns. The secondary has a tough match up with Ryan Mallett and company. The Hogs’ only two losses have come against Alabama and Auburn. Steve Spurrier and Bobby Petrino are two top notch coaches. This is an intriguing game.
Boise State (-21) vs. Hawaii – The Broncos started as 23 ½ point home favorites against Hawaii. The line quickly came down to 21, and after some slight buy back on Boise moved it to 21 ½, the line is back to 21 points. The Bronco defense had a hard time with Louisiana Tech last week, giving up nearly 400 yards at home. They have to face a better offense with Hawaii, but they’ve had a few extra days to get ready. The Warriors have been a tough draw all season long. They’re 7-2 straight up and 8-1 against the spread. They love to sling the ball and lead the nation in passing yards.
Stanford (-8) vs. Arizona – The best game in the Pac 10 takes place on the Cardinal’s home field. Stanford opened as a 7 point favorite, and after the line was bumped up to 9 ½ points early, some buy back on Arizona has brought it back down to 8. The Cardinal won a laugher at Washington last week. Their offense is balanced and physical, and the Stanford D is underrated. Arizona manhandled UCLA, but only won by 8 points. Nick Foles might be back, but the Wildcats played well without him. If Arizona can win this game, their upcoming game against Oregon gets much more interesting.
TCU (-5) at Utah – Two of college football’s remaining unbeaten teams play in Utah. TCU started as 4 ½ point road favorites, and while some books are sticking with the opening number, a few others have moved up to 5 points. The Horned Frogs have been on a roll, and the defense has been suffocating. But they have to go on the road to battle a quality Utah squad. The Utes had a difficult game in Colorado Springs last week, but managed to fend off the Falcons’ upset bid. TCU won going away last season.
Alabama (-6 ½) at LSU – The Crimson Tide opened as 6 ½ point road favorites, and after books came down to 6 points, some buy back on the Tide pushed it back up to the opening number. Alabama has a legitimate chance of playing for the national title, but every game is a must win. LSU has been great coming off a loss, and playing in Death Valley is never easy. ‘Bama has had trouble on the road: see Arkansas and South Carolina.
If you are betting the games on Saturday check out the winning college football picks Maddux Sports has on tap for today. We have crushed the books so far this season and have a rare 20 unit play going this weekend.
