We're just quietly doing what we do and trying to pass on information. Here's the first set of games and we'll add during the week as time permits, right up until Saturday morning. We don't have any weekend packages up yet and may or may not, although we've released plays, including a Thursday bet, to long term people. We're ahead in football (both) at the moment.
BYU-Michigan: This line opened at the dead number of -5, which is where it sits now - after some very early money took the Cougars. Tough to ascertain a whole lot here from simply the line. I think at this point you (I) have to like the points simply after watching the Wolverines not blow out a UNLV team that appears to be better than expected - and the fact that BYU has just played a better SOS.
Army-Eastern Michigan: Army opened as a -1 favorite and it now flipped to EMU - 2.5/-3. That favorite-flipping is one reason why they typically wait to put out ML's - sharp bettors would have taken EMU +110 and now Army +140 or whatever. Army is winless, while EMU did win a road game at Wyoming, but that's not nearly enough for me to simply follow the move. EMU has the LSU Tigers next week and they've simply got to be looking forward to playing in Baton Rouge more than a half-empty stadium against Army.
Nevada-Buffalo: Buffalo is -2 and it's very hard for me not to think that Nevada playing Arizona and A & M doesn't make them the better team here. The line is table and the game, although on the East Coast, is not a terribly early one so I can't use that as an excuse. Buffalo has done what they were supposed to but with a Conference game next week this is a tough spot for me not to think they don't take Nevada seriously. I do like what Brian Polian has done there in a short time.
Kentucky-Missouri: I was a little surprised the Wildcats only opened as -1 favorites and apparently I wasn't the only one. Very quickly went to -3 and stopped, as you'd expect, but recently there's been money on the Tigers. I guess my visceral reaction here is that until Missouri DOES I can't bet that they COULD.
V-Tech-ECU: The Hokies have gone, in a short period if time, from a team nobody wanted much to do with to a trendy team to bet on. In my opinion the truth is as it usually is, somewhere in the middle. ECU has been on the road for two weeks, and after playing Florida tough, Navy's scheme just got to them. I just am not ready to take the Hokies on the road laying more than a touchdown in a game that means much more to the program at ECU than it does Tech. Yes, the Hokies are the better team, but with home games coming up against Conference opponents, even with the stable line, I can't see taking the "road chalk risk".
SDSU-Penn State: I'd have loved to been able to get under 41 at the opener here, but it didn't last long. To me that's clearly the best bet here. The Aztecs can't score and Long ALWAYS has a very solid defense. Of course the Lions are NOT an offensive juggernaut so laying more than two scores isn't going to happen. However, the value may well lie in the Penn State team total under here.
BGSU-Purdue: This is yet another game that has the flipped-favorite. Purdue opened at -2 and Bowling Green currently sits at -1 or more at most places. Clearly it's a bet against Purdue as much as on Bowling Green. Purdue COULD have beaten Marshall, but with a game at Michigan State next week that makes it tough to get "up" for BGSU here. I do like the over but it's a much bigger number due to both teams results, and after opening at 72 and just getting drilled all the way to 79 that pretty much takes that off the table and honestly at some point it's time to go the other way. Very close to that, and with such a high scoring game, there may be no rush to get a good number since +2 as compared to the total is seemingly not relevant. Seemingly.
Kansas-Rutgers: I would have expected Rutgers to be almost a two-touchdown favorite, but what I would not expect is the total to open at 61.5 (too high IMO) and THEN be bet to 66 at Bookmaker, a sharp book. I'd expect Rutgers to play much better defense than that, and with a bye next week there are no excuses. It's rare even in "non marquee" games for it to be the favorite covering AND the over - so in truth, I'd actually take the points and the under. Kansas has just had a bye so there's got to be some improvement this early in the season, and they aren't willing to push this beyond -13 in places - which is also somewhat telling.
Arkansas State-Toledo: The Red Wolves are getting some early betting love. It opened at +9 and is +7 already in places, and although we were all over ASU at Missouri, the key to this game is finding out just how good the Tigers are or are not. ASU played far better than the score indicated as USC. Toledo beat Arkansas, so we also need to know just how good or bad the Hogs are, but, because all the games of relevance here are at night, that's not happening in time. The total has gone up significantly from it's opener. Perhaps the Toledo team total over, because I do expect them to be able to score - it's going to be whether ASU can keep up and/or not make mistakes when they DO have chances. I think they can.