College
Earlier in the week, we promised a more "in-depth" look at the Saturday College Football action involving undefeated teams. Here you go:
Oklahoma (-26.5) at Baylor: The Bears are off a bye and much improved. However, the Sooners are 17-0 all-time vs. Baylor with the average margin of victory coming by 30 points per game. Last time in Waco, OU held Baylor to -48 yards rushing (2nd best mark in program history). This is a sandwich game for OU, who comes off a revenge win over TCU and has Texas on-deck. Sooners are 5-12 ATS the week before the Red River Shootout. Visitor has cashed 10 of 12 in this series. Baylor is just 12-27 ATS as a home dog.
Kentucky at Alabama (-15.5): Both these teams are unbeaten. UK has never won in Tuscaloosa in 20 tries (2-33-1 all-time vs. Alabama), although they have won BB SEC openers (had lost 18 straight before that). Teams have split the last six meetings at the betting window. Some trends working against the Crimson Tide include: a 12-16 ATS record when coming off a win with a bye on deck, 6-20 ATS at home vs. conference opponents, 5-14 ATS as DD SEC favorites.
Missouri (-10) at Nebraska: Mizzou dominated LY, winning 41-6 at home (606 yards of total offense!). However, they have not won in Lincoln since '78 (0-15 SU w/ avg loss by 26 PPG). Last year was the first time the Tigers won more than two road conference games since the Big 12 was formed. They are 5-2 ATS in road openers. Home team has won six straight in this series.
Texas (-13.5) at Colorado: Like Oklahoma, Texas is not a very good bet prior to the RR Shootout, going just 6-6 ATS. However, Colorado is now on a 0-5 ATS run the week prior to the Kansas game. The Buffs are 10-6 as home dogs in conf play and 17-10 ATS L27 overall in Boulder vs. Big 12. Longhorns have covered 7 of 9 in this series, including a 70-3 win the last time they met in the '05 Conference Championship game, the most lopsided Conf. Title game in CFB history (3rd worst loss in CU history). Texas has won 81% of their reg season Big 12 games.
Penn State (-13.5) at Purdue: PSU is just 8-15 SU L23 conference road game's, but have only been outscored by two points/game. Last season vs. the Boilermakers, they had a season high 29 FD's. Purdue is just 2-9 SU vs. the Nittany Lions since they joined the Big 10, but 10-1 SU in conference openers. Penn State is 0-5 ATS/1-4 SU L5 Big 10 road openers.
Texas Tech (-7) at Kansas State: Red Raiders are off a bye (17-9 ATS in that situation). Home team is 7-2 SU all-time with the avg margin of victory coming by three touchdowns, but Tech has won three straight overall. In the last meeting, KSU allowed 699 passing yards (2005). Tech is just 4-6 ATS L10 as a road favorite with two of those covers sucksing out of conference. The Wildcats are 6-2 ATS as Big 12 home underdogs. These teams played the first ever Big 12 game back in 1996.
Auburn at Vanderbilt (+5): The Commies are one of three unbeatens to be GETTING points on Saturday. They have not beaten Auburn since the 1955 Gator Bowl, losing 13 straight. In the last three meetings, they have been outscored by 30 PPG. Auburn has won 8 straight the week prior to Arkansas. Vandy is ranked for the first time in 24 years and ESPN GameDay will be live in Nashville. The favorite and home team are both on 4-1 ATS runs in this series, so something will have to give.
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State (-23.5): A&M went 4-0 on the road in conference play LY, but is just 8-14 SU L22 overall. They have beaten OSU 10 of 12. The Cowboys are just 4-8 SU in conference openers. Huge revenge spot for them, however, as two missed extra points cost them in an OT loss in College Station LY.
Connecticut (+7.5) at North Carolina: UConn joins Vandy as the only unbeaten underdog facing an opponent with at least one loss on Saturday. Huskies QB Lorenzen is out due to injury. Tar Heels are just 4-9 in Chapel Hill vs. non-conference teams. UConn is just 4-22-2 all-time vs. the ACC, but beat Virginia earlier in the year. Only the 2nd meeting ever between the schools.
Ball State (-7) at Toledo: Coming into the year, Toledo was 43-6 SU at the Glass Bowl. They are 0-2 this year. Visitor in this series is just 3-11-1 SU and the avg loss in the last 11 meetings is 20 PPG. BSU outscored the Rockets 21-0 in the 2nd half last year en route to 41-20 home win. The Cardinals did win their last visit to Toledo snapping a five-game losing streak here.
Rice at Tulsa (-16): Tulsa has replaced East Carolina as the darling of C-USA. They are averaging 54.7 PPG this season and have covered all lined games. However, the Golden Hurricane is just 6-10 ATS L16 as DD favorites and 3-8 ATS vs. Rice. The Owls are averaging 48 PPG in league play thus far, so Over may be the way to go here. Rice has covered 7 of 8 as C-USA road dogs and 11-4 ATS the week before a bye. Visitor has won 8 of 11 straight up in the series. Last year, they combined for an incredible 66 FD's and 1,292 yards of total offense. Rice QB Clement has 601 total yards himself in the 48-43 loss.
NFL
Let's not forget about the NFL...............
Indianapolis at Houston: Colts are 11-1 SU (6-6 ATS) all-time vs. Texans, but 0-8 ATS off SU/ATS division loss. Teams have gone Over in each of last six meetings and Houston has gone Over in seven straight division games. Colts are 8-1 Over L9 post-bye week games. We like the Under.
Tennessee at Baltimore: Both teams have covered every game they've been in and they rank 1-2 in scoring defense in the entire league.
San Diego at Miami: Chargers are 15-3 ATS L18 vs. AFC. Visitor is 7-1 ATS in this series. Over has cashed in each of the last seven meetings.
Kansas City at Carolina: Chiefs snapped a 12-game SU losing skid last week. Carolina is just 1-6 ATS in non-conference play.
Washington at Philadelphia: Under has cashed in 20 of L31 meetings. This will be Washington's final road division game. Road team is on 4-1 SU/ATS run.
Chicago at Detroit: Lions are allowing 37.7 PPG, but are 3-1 SU/4-0 ATS off a bye week. Under has cashed L4 meetings. Underdog is 14-3-2 ATS L19 meetings.
Atlanta at Green Bay: Game is currently OFF THE BOARD due to Rodgers injury. Atlanta has lost both road games 24-9 (1-10 SU L11 road games overall). Underdog has covered five straight in this series and Atlanta has covered the last three. Packers are 10-3 SU/8-4-1 ATS as home chalk under McCarthy.
Seattle at NY Giants: Off a bye, Seattle is just 5-13 SU/4-14 ATS and 7-0 Over. Giants are just 3-10 SU/3-9-1 ATS off a bye and 15-5 Under. Seahawks are 0-4 SU/ATS L4 road games.
Tampa Bay at Denver: Broncos are just 6-18 ATS L24 as a favorite.
New England at San Francisco: Home team is 4-0 SU/ATS in this series, but Pats are 4-1 ATS/5-0 SU off a bye. They are also 13-4 ATS under Belichick coming off a DD loss.
Buffalo at Arizona: Cards are 5-0 ATS vs. AFC under Wisenhunt, but Buffalo is 17-4 ATS vs. NFC West. Bills are 0-9 SU/2-6-1 ATS before a bye.
Cincinnati at Dallas: DD NFL Favorites are 0-6 ATS/3-3 SU this season. Dallas is 6-2 ATS vs. AFC, but 1-5 ATS as DD favorite, including outright loss to Washington last week.
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville: Jaguars have won four straight in the series, including both meetings (at Pittsburgh) last year. Jags are 7-2 ATS L9 vs. the Steelers and 7-3 SU/9-1 ATS at home vs. Pittsburgh.
Good Luck, Lenny