A Look Ahead of the 2016-17 College Football Betting Season

Posted by Eric Williams on Wednesday,June 1, 2016 9:02, EDT in

If you’re ready for a look ahead at the 2016-17 college football season and you’re in need of some expert betting insight, then you’re going to love the ‘six-pack’ of NCAA Football betting predictions that you’re about to get!

The Houston Cougars and Ohio State Buckeyes take center stage as I examine the win total odds for six national title hopefuls as they get set for the upcoming 2016 campaign. Okay, with that said, let’s get down to business.

Taking A Look Ahead of the 2016-17 College Football Betting Season

Houston 9 (under -150)

Houston went 13-1 in 2015 and did so by putting up a jaw-dropping 40.4 points per game in their first season under head coach Tom Herman. The Cougars will once again call upon underrated AAC MVP quarterback Greg Ward Jr. to lead their explosive offense in 2016.

Houston needs to find suitable replacements for departed stars, wide receiver Demarcus Ayers and defensive back William Jackson III, but Ward is a flat-out star that completed a blistering 67.2 percent of his passes last season for 2,828 yards and 17 touchdowns with just six interceptions while simultaneously leading the Cougars in rushing with 1,108 yards and an impressive 21 touchdowns.

The Cougars do need to replace a whopping four starters on the offensive line but they’ll also have former Texas high school star and 4-star recruit Duke Catalon on board after the elusive running back sat out last season after transferring from Texas. With a easily manageable schedule, I say the Cougars are locks to play Over their 9-win O/U total.

The Pick: Over 9 Wins

Notre Dame 9 (under -125)

Notre Dame has a pair of quarterbacks that can both win games in former starter Malik Zaire and currently scheduled starter DeShone Kizer, but the Irish lost a ton of talent on offense, including first-round NFL Draft picks Ronnie Stanley (T) and Will Fuller (WR).

Notre Dame will also have seven new starters on defense and faces a gauntlet of a schedule in 2016 with matchups against Michigan State, Stanford, Virginia Tech and Miami on the docket. The Irish could get to 10 wins, but I’m thinking nine is more like it!

The Pick: Push

Michigan State 8 (under -135)

Michigan State will need to replace departed starting quarterback Connor Cook first and foremost and they have other needs to address like wide receiver and both lines, but the Spartans have a ton of talent and head coach Mark Dantonio has turned this program into a virtual perennial double-digit winner. Reaching the 9-win mark should be easy breezy!

The Pick: Over 8 Wins

Georgia 8.5 (over -145)

With first-year head coach Kirby Smart stepping in to take over for Mark Richt, who is now at Miami, the Bulldogs are mostly a big as question mark heading into the 2016 campaign. While the Bulldogs have a flat-out star in running back Nick Chubb, they’ve also got a ton of question marks all over the place. Will Greyson Lambert retain his job as he starting quarterback (nope) and how will the overhaul of their defensive front seven go this spring? Thankfully, the Dogs don’t face a very intimidating schedule in 2016, but still, I’m thinking reaching nine wins may be a bit tough for Richt, who I consider mediocre at best.

The Pick: Under 8.5 Wins

Stanford 8 (under -130)

The Cardinal won an impressive 12 games last season but they have holes to fill heading into 2016. Stanford has needs along the offensive line, but they’ve also been a perennial producer of a bunch of offensive linemen that go high in the NFL Draft every year, so that may not be much of a problem.

More importantly, the Cardinal need to find a replacement for departed four-year starting quarterback Kevin Hogan after he led the Cardinal program to three Pac-12 championship teams and a pair of Rose Bowl victories. Still, this team has running back/hybrid receiver and return man, Christian McCaffrey and a manageable schedule that will allow tem to reach the nine-win mark with ease!

The Pick: Over 8 Wins

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Ohio State 8.5 (over -115)

Urban Meyer must replace a bunch of gifted players, starting with defensive end Joey Bosa and running back Ezekiel Elliott, but head coach Urban Meyer is as elite a it gets in the college game and the Buckeyes are now a perennial title contender that garners an immense boatload of young talent each recruiting season.

Sure, there are just three starters back on both offense and defense, but one of those players is gifted signal-caller J.T. Barrett. Matchups against both Michigan schools could be difficult, but as it stands right now, I think every other game on Ohio State’s 2016 schedule is manageable. The Buckeyes are a lock to reach the nine-win mark s my final college football predictions pick!

The Pick: Over 8.5 Wins