Week 1 NCAA Football Odds Match Up Trifecta
Posted by Alex Murphy on Friday,July 17, 2015 7:13, EDT in
If you’re a collegiate gridiron gaming enthusiast that is looking to get your 2015 wagering campaign off to a positive start, then you’ve come to the right place! Thanks to this mybookie.ag college football betting breakdown, you’re going to get three expert Week 1 quick picks and analysis that are sure to please. So let’s begin!
A Closer Look At The Week 1 NCAA Football Betting Match Up Trifecta
Utah -3 at Home Against Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines (5-7 SU, 5-7 ATS) return 17 total starters for new head coach Jim Harbaugh, but they’ll have a new and improved mindset under the former San Francisco 49ers taskmaster. While Harbaugh’s coaching ability is certainly not in doubt, the fact of the matter is that he has a ton of questions he needs to answer before the start of the season. Harbaugh’s most pressing query is who’s going to play quarterback. Will it be Shane Morris, the team’s most experienced signal-caller or will he be supplanted by hopefuls, Alex Malzone, Zach Gentry or Wilton Speight? The good news for Harbaugh’s Maize and Blue ballclub is that they have a defense that looks like it could be one of the best in the country in no time at all after allowing just 22.1 points per game last season. Having said that…let me also say that I’m still going to urge you to back the Utah Utes (9-4 SU, 9-4 ATS) to win this contest.
First and foremost, Utah is no longer some patsy of a program that just wilts against elite D-I opponents. No…the Utah Utes won nine games a year ago in their best season since joining the Pac-12and have an elite running back in junior college transfer Devontae Booker, a player that had a stunning season a year ago by falling just short of the school record with 1,512 rushing yards. I also believe that Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is one of the most underrated head coaches in the nation. Whittingham commented on his program’s progress. “We’ve taken a step forward every year with our depth and talent on the roster, one through 85,” he says. “It’s still a work in progress … but we feel like last year we made a lot of headway.”
With 16 total returning starters, I believe the experienced Utes are a team that will challenge for a division title in the powerful Pac-12 and the right pick to win and cash in at home against the rebuilding Michigan Wolverines and
The Pick: Utah Utes -3 Points
UTEP +34.5 at Arkansas
The Arkansas Razorbacks (7-6 SU, 10-3 ATS) took a big step forward in Bret Bielema’s second year and finished the 2014 season by winning four out of its final half-dozen games. I expect the Razorbacks to be even better in 2015 thanks to the continued growth of quarterback Brandon Allen and a powerful rushing attack that ranked 26th in the country last season (218.0 ypg). Allen will become Arkansas’ first three-year starting quarterback since Matt Jones (2002-04), but he’s working on his fourth offensive coordinator in five years with the arrival of Dan Enos. Still, I expect the Razorbacks to lean heavily on running back Jonathan Williams (1,190 yards, 11 touchdowns) and perform more efficiently in close affairs a lot better than they did last season.
The UTEP Miners (7-6 SU, 9-4 ATS) won seven games to earn a bowl berth in head coach Sean Kugler’s second season at his alma mater and should be even better in 2015 behind a stellar rushing attack that ranked 34th in the nation in 2014 (209.8 ypg). Sophomore quarterback Mack Leftwich will likely get the bid as the starter in 2015 to take over from the graduated Jameill Showers. If Leftwich plays competently in the passing attack, the Miners could really soar this coming season. Thankfully, the Miners have four returning starters on the offensive line. Second-team all-conference running back Aaron Jones rushed for an impressive 1,321 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago and looks primed for another huge season. UTEP will need to address their porous run defense, but I believe they look like another seven-win team at the very least this coming season.
For this contest…I really like the direction that the Razorbacks are heading in as they get set for the upcoming 2015 season, but I also like they way UTEP is rebuilding their gridiron program as well. No matter how hard I try to envision it, I just can’t see a huge blowout win for the Razorbacks in this contest, particularly against a UTEP team that I expect to score the ball consistently this coming season. Keep it simple and back the UTEP Miners to cover the huge spread.
The Pick: UTEP +34.5 Points
Washington +12 at Boise State
The Washington Huskies (8-6 SU, 7-7ATS) had a fantastic first season under former Boise State head coach Chris Petersen, the man that put the Broncos on the national map in the first place. Petersen’s arrival changed the entire mindset in Washington very quickly last season and turned the perennial punching bag into a respectable contender. Now, the Huskies will have a new starting quarterback this coming season, but they’ve also got a prime-time running back in Dwayne Washington and I believe they’re going to lean heavily on him this coming season.
Boise State (12-2 SU, 8-6 ATS) also had a very successful first season under new head coach Bryan Harsin and the Broncos return a whopping 18 total starters (10 on offense, eight on defense) in 2015. The Broncos are also one of the most consistent college football winners in recent memory, having lost two or more games one once in the last seven seasons, though most all of that success came under their former head coach. Boise State boasts a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in gifted running back Jay Ajayi and a defense that features four All-Conference selections from last season.
Still, I like the Washington Huskies to get the easy ATS cover and likely upset road win for Petersen in his return to Boise. Call this contest a matchup of the master schooling the former pupil.
The Pick: Washington +12 Points
