LSU’s Brian Kelly and Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher are two of the highest-paid coaches in college football. And BetOnline patrons have seen them go in different directions this season.
While Kelly’s team bounced back from a bitter loss to FSU in the opener and later beat Alabama, Fisher’s Aggies completely fell flat, despite all the money in the world; enough that even Nick Saban complained about it.
Despite two losses, LSU will be in the SEC title game and still has an opportunity at the playoff. The USC Trojans need some help, but not a whole lot, as they can get there in Lincoln Riley’s first season.
Let’s look at these games, odds and picks from Football betting sites, and the Tennessee Volunteers in a bounce-back situation.
LSU Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies, 7 PM ET
SEC Football Betting Lines: LSU -10
Total: 47.5 Points
Texas A&M, which has been a grand disappointment, should have seized the opportunity to take out their frustrations on UMass last week. Instead, they came away with a rather bland 20-3 victory as a 32-point favorite. The losses piled up for the Aggies (currently 4-7 and 3-7-1 ATS), and Jimbo Fisher is not a popular guy right now. We’re sure there’s a nice buyout, but we wonder if A&M has failed in its initial foray into free agency.
Freshman Connor Weigman is now at quarterback for the Aggies, and that does not put this team in the best position to trade points. We must commend Brian Kelly and his LSU staff for shaking off that heartbreaking opening-game loss to FSU and driving to SEC title game territory. However, the four-team playoff is a true longshot.
Technical note here: LSU has covered the last ten meetings in this ongoing SEC series.
The Play: LSU -10
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at USC Trojans, 7:30 PM ET
College Football Betting Lines: USC -4 (-115)
Total: 64 Points (Over -105, Under -115)
Lincoln Riley has come in and affected a turnaround faster than most people would have ever expected. USC’s only defeat came by a single point against Utah, and as it is, they stand a chance of getting into the four-team college football playoff.
Caleb Williams, the quarterback who snatched the Oklahoma job from Spencer Rattler last season and then followed Riley out to Tinseltown, can move into the lead in the Heisman race if he is impressive against a Notre Dame defense that has tamed some explosive squads like Ohio State and Clemson (who they beat). And while the Trojans experienced a drain in their 48-45 heartstopper over UCLA, the Irish got a breather in a 44-0 win over Boston College.
The Play: NOTRE DAME +4 (-105)
Tennessee Volunteers at Vanderbilt Commodores, 7:30 PM ET
SEC Football Lines at BetOnline: Tennessee -14 (-106)
Total: 63.5 Points
Well, Joe Milton has taken over at quarterback for the Vols after Hendon Hooker went down with an injury. Of course, the fast break attack is not the same. But the defense also went on vacation in last week’s humiliating 63-38 loss to South Carolina. We’re not sure what to expect going forward because Hooker’s not walking through that door again.
Vanderbilt has made a habit of getting extra pumped up for games with Tennessee. And they are coming off two consecutive upset efforts, beating Kentucky and Florida. The Volunteers may come out alert and a bit angry after last week’s shellacking. But the presence of Vandy QB Mike Wright is interesting; he’s not what you’d call a prolific passer (12 TD’s, four INT’s), but can move it on the ground (467 rushing yards). He gives them a chance to make this close.
The Play: VANDERBILT +14 (-114)
Syracuse Orange at Boston College Eagles, 7:30 PM ET
NCAA Football Odds: Syracuse -10.5
Total: 47 Points
Syracuse has lost five games in a row, so that begs the obvious question of whether they should be double-digit favorites in this game. They scored just nine points against Pitt and three against Florida State before “erupting” with 35 points in a losing effort against Wake Forest. Getting 324 passing yards out of Garrett Schrader leads us to believe they might be able to mount some offense.
Speaking of offense, if you see any around the BC campus, just let us know. This is the team with the worst ground game in the country. And to take the failure along the offensive line a little further, they’ve surrendered 43 sacks as well. Last week quarterback Emmett Moorehead had nine completions and three interceptions in a 44-0 loss to Notre Dame.
So maybe the ‘Cuse SHOULD be a double-digit favorite after all.
The Play: SYRACUSE -10.5
It’s coming down the stretch, and BetOnline gives you a lot of options when it comes to betting on college football action. One of those options is Prop Builder, which gives you a lot of options for wagering on player performance. And by clicking the “Live Betting” link, you can place wagers on the games while they’re in progress. And nobody gives you as many choices in terms of payment options. Use your credit card or one of many, many cryptocurrencies!
