I finally got off the schneid last week, after starting off with a sweet 0-12 start. Now we try and make up for the early season struggles by earning some respect and money back. Last week we had some fun games including a completely out of character Alabama game at Texas A&M. This week, there is no marquee game of that level but there is plenty of reasons to tune in.

Big Games:

Notre Dame vs Michigan State 3:30pm NBC

Stanford vs Arizona State 7:00pm Fox

LSU vs Auburn 7:45pm ESPN

Locks of the Week: (1-10)

Clemson -13.5 @ NC State *Thursday

Each of the past two years the NC State Wolfpack have upset a top 10 team at home. Last year it was Florida State and in 2011 it was Clemson. The odds of them doing it a third straight year are through the roof. Not to mention Heisman hopeful Tajh Boyd will have revenge on his mind after that 2011 loss. Expect a blowout.

Kansas State +6 @ Texas

Kansas State has disappointed me this year. They started their season with three cupcakes and lost one of them. However, people still believe in this Texas team. But they can’t tackle for anything, making this a fourth straight cupcake team. Their biggest opponent will be that devoted Texas fanbase. They should be able to secure a win, but they will certainly score enough to cover at the very least.

Missouri -1.5 @ Indiana

This game should feature a whole lot of scoring, but the SEC’s Missouri is too much for a lower level Big 10 to handle. Missouri should be 4-0 before they start their trek through the SEC.

Arkansas +1 @ Rutgers

While neither of these teams has been really tested this year, Rutgers has already lost once… against Fresno State. Meanwhile if new coach Brett Bielema can’t win this one he may be staring at losing, at least, his next five games, never a good sign for a first year head coach with a lot of hype around him. Sure the Razorbacks have gone through a lot of changes, but they need to win this one just to give their fans some hope. This is a must win for Bielema and Arkansas.

Auburn +17 @ LSU

The Tiger bowl. While LSU deserves to be a heavy favorite, Auburn and new head coach, Gus Malzahn, has shown some signs of life. They are 3-0 already and 1-0 in the SEC, coming off a win against Mississippi State. They should make this a competitive game, and as a result give their fan base something to cheer for, for years to come.

Teaser of the Week (1-1)

Clemson -3.5 @ NC State *Thursday

Michigan -7.5 @ UCONN

Auburn +27 @ LSU

Moneyline Special: (1-2)

Michigan State +165 @ Notre Dame

Get ready for a sloppy game that fits the Big 10 build. Notre Dame has looked anything but impressive. While MSU is nothing to write home about, there is a lot of value in taking them at +165.

Arkansas +110 @ Rutgers

Missouri +105 @ Indiana

Parlay of the Week: (0-0)

Kansas City Chiefs +150

Clemson -13.5 @ NC State

This cross-sport Thursday Night Football parlay pays right around +375 depending on where you are doing your wagering.

Best Bet (0-2)

Michigan -17.5 @ UCONN

This line is way too low. Michigan escaped with a win last week against the Akron Zips by about a foot, which has some people doubting this Wolverines team. While I think they are overrated, as they usually are, UCONN has been really bad this year. They have already lost twice at home, last week to Maryland and in their opener against Towson. They lost those two games by a combined 26 points. Michigan is going to bounce back with a strong game and might double that number up when it’s all said and done.

mlz

Thursday, September, 19, 2013