With week 2 ready to kick off, I will pick 5 games in which I see the best opportunity for potential bettors this weekend.
1. Oklahoma (-1) at Tennessee: This game is interesting to me on multiple levels. Tennessee is 2-29 against ranked teams in their last 31 attempts, and I didn't see anything in week 1 against Bowling Green that would make me think this game would end much differently than the 29 previous losses did for Vol Nation. The Vols defense looked extremely suspect at times against Bowling Green, while Oklahoma manhandled an overmatched Akron team at home in week 1. Tennessee also needs to 'prove their worth' before I really put any belief into them. The team has been the trendy team in the SEC East the past 4 seasons but hasn't put together a true contender by any stretch of the imagination in quite some time. I like OU to beat UT 34-17.
2. UNDER 54.5 Points in Temple at Cincinnati: The Temple D started off the 2015 season where they left off the 2014 season by dominating the line of scrimmage against Penn State to the tune of 10 (TEN!) sacks. This game should be very close and while I am tempted to take Temple +6.5 it is tough to trust the Owls two weeks in a row in big games. The under in this game seems like a lock to me due to the rough nature of the Owls D and the tough-mindedness of Cincinnati on both sides of the ball. I like Gunner Kiel to out-duel PJ Walker in this one, leading to a 16-10 Bearcats win.
3. Missouri -10.5 at Arkansas St: But really, why is nobody talking about the Tigers? All they've done is win back to back SEC East titles and consistently produce winning seasons and NFL level talent since Gary Pinkel took over the team and guided them from the Big 12 to the SEC. Arkansas St was absolutely bullied in their opening game against USC and I expect a similar result here. Missouri should win this game by at least 17 points, with Maty Mauk finding his groove before welcoming the UConn Huskies to town in week 3. I like Mizzou to beat Arkansas St 35-7.
4. UMass +14 at Colorado: This is a long way to travel for UMass, who is set to play their first game of the 2015 season in Boulder. Led by QB Blake Frohnapfel, the Minutemen possess a potent offense that should cause fits for the Buffaloes in this game. Colorado is coming off of a loss @ Hawaii in week 1, that concluded in an extremely controversial manner. I like the Minutemen to go into Boulder and shock Colorado 38-35.
5. Georgia Tech -30.5 vs Tulane: Georgia Tech defeated Alcorn State 69-6 at home in week 1 and the final score of this game could look eerily familiar if the Green Wave don't figure out how to move the ball on offense in a hurry. Tulane looked inept in almost every phase of the game in week 1, a home loss to the Duke Blue Devils. Georgia Tech will provide an even stiffer test for the Tulane offense, and I don't see Tulane reaching double digits in this game until the final garbage minutes, if at all. Look for Georgia Tech to win this one over Tulane 52-10.
So what do you think? If you have opinions on games, feel free to comment below. This is the first week I am making picks but will be tracking my season record below and following up with a weekly column.
2015 Season Record: 0-0
1. Oklahoma (-1) at Tennessee: This game is interesting to me on multiple levels. Tennessee is 2-29 against ranked teams in their last 31 attempts, and I didn't see anything in week 1 against Bowling Green that would make me think this game would end much differently than the 29 previous losses did for Vol Nation. The Vols defense looked extremely suspect at times against Bowling Green, while Oklahoma manhandled an overmatched Akron team at home in week 1. Tennessee also needs to 'prove their worth' before I really put any belief into them. The team has been the trendy team in the SEC East the past 4 seasons but hasn't put together a true contender by any stretch of the imagination in quite some time. I like OU to beat UT 34-17.
2. UNDER 54.5 Points in Temple at Cincinnati: The Temple D started off the 2015 season where they left off the 2014 season by dominating the line of scrimmage against Penn State to the tune of 10 (TEN!) sacks. This game should be very close and while I am tempted to take Temple +6.5 it is tough to trust the Owls two weeks in a row in big games. The under in this game seems like a lock to me due to the rough nature of the Owls D and the tough-mindedness of Cincinnati on both sides of the ball. I like Gunner Kiel to out-duel PJ Walker in this one, leading to a 16-10 Bearcats win.
3. Missouri -10.5 at Arkansas St: But really, why is nobody talking about the Tigers? All they've done is win back to back SEC East titles and consistently produce winning seasons and NFL level talent since Gary Pinkel took over the team and guided them from the Big 12 to the SEC. Arkansas St was absolutely bullied in their opening game against USC and I expect a similar result here. Missouri should win this game by at least 17 points, with Maty Mauk finding his groove before welcoming the UConn Huskies to town in week 3. I like Mizzou to beat Arkansas St 35-7.
4. UMass +14 at Colorado: This is a long way to travel for UMass, who is set to play their first game of the 2015 season in Boulder. Led by QB Blake Frohnapfel, the Minutemen possess a potent offense that should cause fits for the Buffaloes in this game. Colorado is coming off of a loss @ Hawaii in week 1, that concluded in an extremely controversial manner. I like the Minutemen to go into Boulder and shock Colorado 38-35.
5. Georgia Tech -30.5 vs Tulane: Georgia Tech defeated Alcorn State 69-6 at home in week 1 and the final score of this game could look eerily familiar if the Green Wave don't figure out how to move the ball on offense in a hurry. Tulane looked inept in almost every phase of the game in week 1, a home loss to the Duke Blue Devils. Georgia Tech will provide an even stiffer test for the Tulane offense, and I don't see Tulane reaching double digits in this game until the final garbage minutes, if at all. Look for Georgia Tech to win this one over Tulane 52-10.
So what do you think? If you have opinions on games, feel free to comment below. This is the first week I am making picks but will be tracking my season record below and following up with a weekly column.
2015 Season Record: 0-0