Week 4 of the college football season saw one improbable upset, and several others that almost occurred. In Week 5, it will be interesting to see how the teams involved in those games react.
Will Virginia Tech bounce back from its humiliating loss to Old Dominion, or will they be shell-shocked? Can Army get over the disappointment of nearly defeating Oklahoma on the road?
These teams are often advantageous betting selections, and provide some attractive odds. We take a look at some of them below.
1. Army (+7.5) at Buffalo
No one has been a bigger fan of Buffalo, but this might be the week they don’t cover a spread. The Bulls have been 3-0 in their last three games against the spread, and this line opened at six, quickly moving nearly two points.
Army went into much more hostile territory last week in traveling to Oklahoma. They almost upset the Sooners, eventually losing 28-21, but easily covered the 29 points they were given.
They should do the same here. This might even be an attractive moneyline bet.
Take Army and the points.
2. Syracuse (+25) at Clemson
The Trevor Lawrence era begins in Clemson and the true freshman quarterback has been handed the reigns to the No. 2 team in the country. Can a teenager handle the pressure? He has performed well coming in as the second string signal caller, but now all eyes will be on him.
We think there will be a slight learning curve and the Tigers won’t cover the 25 points. That flies against the sharps, who have moved the line from its opening 21 points to up to 25.5 in some sportsbooks.
Clemson will win, but won’t cover. They are 1-3 ATS.
Take Syracuse and the points.
3. Virginia Tech (-6) at Duke
Old Dominion shocked the Hokies last week, losing to the Monarchs in one of the biggest upsets in college football in the past five years. They are favorites against Duke, but at less than a touchdown.
The Blue Devils have already beaten some decent non-conference opponents in Army and Northwestern by a combined score of 55-21. This line seems a little low, but maybe oddsmakers are thinking that VT will be motivated after the embarrassing loss.
We believe the Blue Devils will continue the Hokies misery.
Take Duke and give away the points.
4. Pittsburgh (-14) at Central Florida
The Panthers are one of those programs that always seem to lose games they are supposed to win, and not show up for games they are the underdog. This is no exception. They are 2-2 on the season, losing to Penn State and North Carolina. They are also 1-3 ATS.
The Knights, on the other hand, love blowing out opponents, especially at home. The beat South Carolina State, 38-0, and downed Florida Atlantic by 20 last week.
UCF should have no problem with Pitt, and this game could be another thumping for the Panthers.
Take UCF and give away the points.
5. Purdue (-3) at Nebraska
It is hard to believe the Cornhuskers could be an underdog to a lower level Big 10 team, but when you are 0-3 you aren’t going to get much respect. The Boilermakers got their first win of the season last week to Boston College, but face a Nebraska team that is desperate for its first victory.
We believe this is the week the Cornhuskers get off the schneid. They should be able to cover a field goal against a team that is nearly as bad as they are.
Take Nebraska and give away the points.
