College football is not just about winning or losing. As far as sportsbooks are concerned, it is also about beating the spread and going over or under. These are the propositions that make NCAA football so interesting and exciting, and here we’ll have a look at the best ATS and Over/Under college football wagers as well as the worst. The ying and the yang and whatnot. Thus, without further ado let’s dive right in into the thick of it.
Best/Worst ATS bets
The Eastern Michigan Eagles (9-3 against the spread) made their second-ever bowl appearance – and first since 1987 – on the strength of a powerful offense and a decent defense (good enough to go from allowing 42.1 points per game the previous year to 29.8). Signal-caller Brogan Roback threw for 300 or more yards in six of his last seven starts of the season, and his three top receivers will return for this season. Meanwhile, eight defensive starters will be returning as well. The Eagles are projected to be sportsbooks online underdogs in many of their 2017 games, but they seemed to thrive on that last year, going 7-2 ATS as dogs.
On the other hand, the East Carolina Pirates (3-9 ATS) allowed 36.1 points per game and lost by a margin of 14 points per game in 2016, in spite of a +3.7 average closing spread. Wide receiver Zay Jones aside, the offense was just as bad as the defense – which returns only four starters this season, which might actually be a blessing in disguise. Head coach Scottie Montgomery’s attempt to overhaul the team on both sides of the ball revolves around the arrival of several transfers, most notably former Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk. That may be a lot of pressure to put on a guy who missed the 2016 season with a torn Achilles heel.
Best Over/Under Bets
The sportsbooks total went over in nine of the Wyoming Cowboys’ 13 games, which was one of the best over records in the last season of college football. Returning starting quarterback Josh Allen tossed or 3203 yards and 28 touchdowns and rushed for 523 and seven touchdowns. His O-line pretty much remains intact, which one would hope will help Allen cut down on picks. The defense, which returns nine starters from 2016, allowed 46 plays of 30-plus yards as well as 34.1 ppg. Things will most likely come down to Allen staying one step ahead of opposing teams.
On the underside of things, the Cincinnati Bearcats (3-9 over/under) and the current state of the offense does not lead most sportsbooks online to believe they will going over any more often than they did last year – in which the offense averaged only 19.3 points per game and 374 yards per game, which in turn led to the dismissal of head coach Tommy Tuberville and the arrival of Luke Fickell. Fickell is a defensive specialist and will have returning lineman Cortez Broughton at his disposal, so at the very least Cinci’s defense will be in good hands.
