A 4-4 effort last week led me to task the dungeon interns with smacking their heads against a wall for five consecutive days in a quest for enlightenment. Let’s see if we found any.
The Obligatory Bet Against
UNC Of The Week
UNC’s half-dead coach and entirely-dead offense square off against one of the most disappointing teams in the country, truly a compelling matchup of poor quarterbacking if ever there was one. Cade Klubnik’s voodoo pact must have expired in the offseason, as he’s once again bad, but even so I like the Tigers at -14 coming off a bye week.
Are We Betting NC State This Week?
If you’re feeling like doing a little sicko-style dabbling (and utilize a sportsbook that’s carrying this game), the 42.5-point line is a fine opportunity for that. I’d lean toward a Campbell cover since Dave is not really the run-it-up type and the Camels could do a little damage in garbage time against the second- and third-stringers. But if State wants to win this game 63-3, that’s fine too.
Around The Country
Charlotte vs. USF -26.5: I’m going to continue to count on Charlotte’s offense not doing much of anything. It won’t take a ton of points for the Bulls to cover, since Charlotte could easily cap out at like six points.
Vanderbilt +10.5 vs. Alabama: This line feels disrespectful to a pretty good Vanderbilt team and I like Diego Pavia to keep his squad within a score. Bit troubling that the Commodores gave up 35 to Utah State last week, though.
Virginia +7.5 vs. Louisville: Louisville is good but also still a bit of a mystery. The UVA offense’s bona fides are increasingly impressive and I see no reason why the Cavs won’t continue putting up points and at the very least keep this margin to within a touchdown.
Washington vs. Maryland +6.5: Washington heading across the country after a deflating big game home defeat could lead to a sluggish start, and judging by attendance figures, not even Maryland fans want to watch Maryland football—so gimme the Terps to catch the Huskies napping.
Penn State -24.5 vs. UCLA: Oof, UCLA. UCLA, baby, what you’re doing to yourself is not healthy. Fourteen points at Northwestern? You have got to make better choices. Reckon Penn State is pretty pissed off, and there’s a good chance that there are just as many PSU fans in the Rose Bowl as Bruins fans. UCLA appears on the way to a one-win season at best, and I’m wondering if their effort starts to fall off a cliff this week.
Miami vs. FSU +4.5: Is it time? I feel it in the air. Mario Cristobal is going to charge in to Week 6 with his first big coaching gaffe of the season like:
Duke -2.5 vs. Cal: The Bears are a very quiet 4-1, with a weird 34-0 loss to San Diego State in there. Odd team, can’t figure them out, and this game holds the strong possibility of ACC/Pac-12-after-dark energies combining, so this bet is probably a bad idea. But Duke’s more than a field goal better than Cal on any field.
