Betting B1G: Iowa vs. Penn State headlines weak slate
My winning momentum was short lived. Who could have possibly seen that one coming?
It’s getting to the point where you should read this column, then do the exact opposite of what it says. Hell, you probably should have been doing that for weeks now. You’d be rich.
Ohio State doesn’t play this week so we’ve got an extra game to pick. It’s kind of a weak national slate outside of Florida-Georgia, but there are some interesting Big Ten games this weekend, particularly in the Big Ten West race.
Let’s see how we can win you some money, shall we?
All lines via Bovada as of Thursday evening.
No. 2 Clemson at Florida State
When: noon Saturday
Where: Doak-Campbell Stadium (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Line: Clemson -17
The Pick: I think Alabama is, obviously, the best team in the country right now. However, I think Clemson has the best shot at going undefeated. It’s very difficult to go 12-0 but the Tigers’ schedule this year is objectively awful, and it’s hard to envision a loss now when you glance at their remaining five games. Clemson survived a couple of close calls earlier but seems to be clicking now.
Florida State is getting better and I think this may be closer than I originally anticipated it being at the beginning of the season. Clemson wins rather comfortably but I like the Noles and the points here.
No. 9 Florida vs. No. 7 Georgia
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Line: Georgia -7
The Pick: The Gators have won five in a row and have covered the spread in all five games coming into Saturday’s edition of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. On the other hand, Georgia got dominated by LSU in its last content. The Gators are playing better right now.
But I still think the Bulldogs are a better football team and I like them to win this game and cover the spread on a neutral field.
No. 14 Washington State at No. 24 Stanford
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Stanford Stadium (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Line: Stanford -3
The Pick: Still not buying the Washington State hype even after it broke the heart of my Oregon Ducks last week. This smells like a letdown coming from Mike Leach’s group. I like the Cardinal at home in this one.
No. 20 Wisconsin at Northwestern
When: noon Saturday
Where: Ryan Field (Evanston, Ill.)
Line: Wisconsin -6.5
The Pick: Run. Run, run, as far and as fast away from this game as you can. Wisconsin at Northwestern at noon in late October. It is legitimately impossible to predict what is going to happen.
Actually, we probably know what’s going to happen. This is going to be a brutal game to watch, and we are all going to feel like football has been set back 50 years when it’s over. Because of that, it will be close, and if you’re asking me to make a pick I will take the home team plus the points here.
Purdue at Michigan State
When: noon Saturday
Where: Spartan Stadium (East Lansing, Mich.)
Line: Michigan State -2.5
The Pick: The Boilermakers are going to be a popular pick here after what they did to Ohio State last week, but it’s important to remember that the post-Buckeyes hangover is very real.
With that said, Michigan State just looks a mess right now. I’m still not quite sure how it managed to beat Penn State because this team just isn’t very good on either side of the football. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I like Purdue on the road to win outright. The Boilers can score points; Sparty cannot.
No. 18 Iowa at No. 17 Penn State
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Beaver Stadium (State College, Pa.)
Line: Penn State -6
The Pick: Iowa has outscored Minnesota, Indiana and Maryland by a combined 66 points over the last three weeks. Three mediocre teams, of course, but that’s certainly a bit different for the Hawkeyes than what we’re used to seeing. I said this last week, but I think Iowa might be…good.
But good enough to win on the road over Penn State? I’m not so sure about that. I do like the Hawkeyes to cover, however.
