The 2020 college football season will be the most challenging to handicap we've ever seen. COVID-19 has turned the season on its head, not only leading to nearly half of the teams in the FBS canceling or postponing their seasons, but completely disrupting the offseasons of every team still playing. Then there are the players who have opted out of the season, making things even more difficult. There are already so many variables one must consider when betting a game as it is, but 2020 has decided to throw in a few more.
One of the significant variables is, of course, COVID-19 itself. We've already seen games postponed due to breakouts within rosters, and we've also seen games affected by teams not having expected starters due to positive cases. Because of this, I would not recommend making any of these bets right away. This year, rather, I would recommend waiting until as close to kickoff as possible so you have the complete picture of what's happening with any given team or game.
Barring any major changes between now and kickoff, these are the six plays I like the most for the first full(ish) weekend of college football in 2020. All odds below provided via William Hill Sportsbook.
Games of the Week
No. 1 Clemson (-32.5) at Wake Forest: I don't expect this game to be close, nor do the oddsmakers based on this line. That said, that's a lot of points for the first game of the season! Clemson is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason, though, and we shouldn't ignore how much better it was than the rest of the ACC last year. The Tigers went 8-1 ATS in ACC play last year, winning by an average of 36.8 points per game and covering by 6.2 points per game. Last November, they played a Wake Forest team that was better than this year's team is likely to be, and beat it 52-3. In a season with so many variables, I'm probably going to bet on talent more often than ever before, and the talent disparity in this game is vast. Clemson 48, Wake Forest 10
Duke at No. 10 Notre Dame (-20): Continuing the betting-on-talent theme here, it's hard not to take the Irish in this spot. These two teams met in Durham, North Carolina, last season, and Notre Dame spanked Duke 38-7. The Irish were great bets as favorites last season, going 8-3 ATS. That continues a trend we've seen from them in recent seasons, as they're 24-18-2 ATS when favored since 2016. Duke, on the other hand, went 2-5 ATS as a dog last season. Further pushing things into Notre Dame's favor here is that the Irish have an experienced QB returning in Ian Book, while Duke will turn to Clemson transfer Chase Brice. In a season with limited practice time, it's not crazy to think a team with a multi-year starter at QB will have an advantage over the team with the transfer. Notre Dame 38, Duke 10
Lock of the Week
Syracuse (+22.5) at No. 18 North Carolina: Listen, there's been a lot of hype surrounding North Carolina this offseason, and for good reason. Mack Brown has turned things around quicker than most people believed he could (or ever would), and there are many reasons to be excited about the Tar Heels. But excited enough to make them more than three-touchdown favorites in a season-opener against an ACC team? I know that Syracuse has had players opt out, which could lead to problems, but sometimes I think we're all forgetting that North Carolina went 7-6 last year and needed a three-game win streak to finish the season to get there. I think the Tar Heels will win, but I'm not ready to trust them to cover a spread like this just yet. North Carolina 31, Syracuse 14
Under of the Week
Louisiana at No. 23 Iowa State (Under 56.5): This is a sneaky matchup that shouldn't be overlooked this weekend. The Ragin' Cajuns might be the best team in the Sun Belt in 2020 and will pose a few problems for the Cyclones. That said, I'm not comfortable enough to take them to cover the spread here, as Iowa State is a much better team than its 7-6 record last year suggests. Still, the Cajuns defense will give Iowa State some problems, and I don't expect either offense to get a lot going, so I like the under here. Iowa State 27, Louisiana 16
Other Under of the Week
Arkansas State at Kansas State (Under 54.5): I'm fond of this play because Kansas State is likely to dictate the style of play in this game, and the style of play Kansas State prefers tends to be slower than most other teams. The Wildcats averaged 64.7 plays per game last season, tying them with Cal for 111th most in the FBS. Arkansas State averaged 71.2 plays per game last year, which ranked 43rd, and they ran 79 plays in their season-opening loss to Memphis. Still, that number was a byproduct of Memphis' tempo on offense. The Wildcats will dominate possession in this game and shorten it, making points more difficult to come by for the Red Wolves. The under is the smartest play here. Kansas State 31, Arkansas State 14
Late Night Dog of the Week
Coastal Carolina (+7) at Kansas: What better way to end a Saturday of college football than some Kansas After Dark? The Jayhawks will start the season at 10 p.m. ET at home against Coastal Carolina. The same Coastal Carolina, you might remember, that beat Kansas 12-7 last season. I'm not ready to sit here and tell you that the Chanticleers will win in Lawrence, Kansas, for the second straight season, but I'm also not prepared to take the Jayhawks as a touchdown favorite. Maybe Les Miles has his team ready and they romp to an easy win (it truly would not surprise me), but I'm not at a point where I"m willing to bet on it yet. Kansas 23, Coastal Carolina 17
So what college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 2? Visit SportsLine for the latest Week 2 college football odds and to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $3,500 in profit over the past four seasons, and find out.
"best" - Google News
September 10, 2020 at 11:18PM
https://ift.tt/32iaS3z
The Six Pack: Clemson-Wake Forest, Notre Dame-Duke among best Week 2 college football picks - CBS Sports
"best" - Google News
https://ift.tt/34IFv0S
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "The Six Pack: Clemson-Wake Forest, Notre Dame-Duke among best Week 2 college football picks - CBS Sports"
Post a Comment