WEEK 5 BETS: THURDAY & FRIDAY

 WEEK 5 BETS: THURS & FRI

Betting Info as of 9/27 per Bovada; lines are listed with Home Teams

All Times are Eastern

Thursday, Sept 29th

Utah State @ BYU (-24)

8:00 PM

Utah State is in tatters at the moment. The Aggies are off to a terrible start this year after winning the Mountain West last year and defeating a P5 opponent in their bowl game. Logan Bonner is struggling mightily and cannot be trusted. BYU is dominating its schedule so far except for a beat down loss suffered at Oregon. The Cougars potentially could be looking ahead to Notre Dame next week, but it seems Kalani Sitake normally has his players focused on the task at hand and he loves blowing out the competition whenever possible. The play: BYU-24 (1 unit)

Friday, Sept 30th 

Tulane @ Houston (-2.5)

7:00 PM

Tulane scratches its head after losing at home to Southern Miss after winning on the road at Kansas State. Likely, the Green Wave were caught looking ahead to this game. Houston beat a tough Rice team at home and is really stepping up in class this week. These two teams usually play each other tough. Tulane has the coaching edge while Houston has a leg up in terms of talent. The spread is tough and both teams have not been playing to their typical rating; Tulane has been higher (even with last week’s loss) and Houston is playing under. The spread and spot are tough, but Tulane could win on the road and climb into AAC contention. The play: Tulane+2.5 (1 unit)

UTSA @ Middle Tennessee (+4)

7:30 PM

UTSA’s defense of its CUSA title is going relatively well. The Roadrunners have not changed much so far in 2022 despite losing some key players from last year. A solid ground game and smart play calling works wonders in college football. Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee has won three straight convincingly after a big loss to FBS newcomer James Madison to start the season. This is an interesting matchup; several very contrasting outcomes are completely possible. My ratings have UTSA favored by over a score, but the Blue Raiders have been excellent lately and I fear I have underrated them. Coach Stockstill abandons the run game at times, which is not the most reassuring style to bet. I have no solid opinion regarding this game and would only watch for entertainment purposes. The play: Pass

San Diego State @ Boise State (-6)

8:00 PM

San Diego State has no viable quarterback due to injury and needs to rely entirely on its defense to win games. Boise is reeling following a conclusive loss at UTEP. Thus, this game is not bettable. The play: Pass

Washington @ UCLA (+3.5)

10:30 PM

Washington looks fantastic with Kalen DeBoer calling the shots and Michael Penix taking snaps. A strong defense is helping out too. Successive easy victories led to big ratings upgrades for the Huskies. The damage done during Jimmy Lake’s short tenure seems to be over. Now, Washington faces its first challenging road game to gauge how close the Huskies are to being true PAC-12 contenders. UCLA dismantled lowly Colorado last week after beating South Alabama by only one point in Week 3. Chip Kelly is a PAC-12 veteran coach and is predictable in that he is unpredictable. The talent at the skills positions in this game should provide a show. The coaching matchup is close. UCLA is good enough to not be a home dog and Washington still must prove itself on the road. The play: UCLA+3.5 (3 units)

New Mexico @ UNLV (-14)

11:00 PM

UNLV has been playing its best football in years. The Rebels are moving the ball consistently and outsourcing opponents significantly. However, too many mistakes are noticeable in the box score and are bound to occur in a killer spot sooner or later. New Mexico barely has an offense but is stout on defense when playing competition closer in class. The spread is high and New Mexico can hang with lesser programs. Yes, UNLV is winning games. No, the Rebels have not beaten a good team this year. Taking the points is the play. It might not win, but over time this bet will win more often than lose. The play: New Mexico+14 (1 unit)