If you’re fired up about the quickly approaching 2017 season and you’re still looking to nail some value-packed college football regular season win total bets, then you need to know that there are five great picks on the board just begging for your action – and five more that you should avoid like a bad episode of Jerry Springer. Better yet, thanks to some expert analysis you’re about to find out about all 10 total wagers to bet on the college football win totals this season.
5 College Football Win Totals to Bet on and 5 You Need to Avoid
Bet These Five
Penn State 9.5 Wins
If you didn’t know, Penn State has a legitimate pair of legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates – plenty of talent – and a bunch of motivation after getting the short end of the stick come playoff time despite winning the Big Ten.
Right now, I’m thinking running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Trace McSorley won’t leave anything to chance as they win what looks like 11 games to me in 2017. Penn State should get off to a perfect 6-0 start by beating Akron, Pitt and Georgia State at home in the first three weeks of the season before winning at Iowa, back at home against Indiana and at suddenly dangerous Northwestern.
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Penn State’s most important game of the season (for them) will come in Week 7 as they look to extract some revenge against Michigan for last season’s 49-10 blowout loss. A tough date at Ohio State takes place the following week and then four straight wins should close out the Nittany Lions’ 2017 regular season at Michigan State, at home against Rutgers and Nebraska and at Maryland. An 11-1 season looks very possible to me, making the Over 9.5 wins a virtual lock.
Pick: Over 9.5 Wins
Washington 9.5 Wins
After winning a dozen games to reach the CFB Playoff last year, I’m thinking Chris Petersen’s Washington Huskies are a lock to reach the 10-win mark in 2017 at the very least. Washington will blow out Rutgers, Montana and Fresno State in its first three games before sneaking past Colorado on the road in Week 4. After that, the Huskies will win at Oregon State, at home win over Cal and at Arizona State. Two difficult tough home wins over UCLA and Oregon should follow before the Huskies win a very difficult road matchup at Stanford.
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The Huskies will finish with hard-fought home wins against Utah and Washington State (in a shootout) to possibly run the table. Even in a worst-case scenario, I don’t see the Huskies losing more than one – or maybe two games to easily top their 2017 win total odds!
Pick: Over 9.5 Wins
Alabama 10.5 Wins
The Crimson Tide have reached the double-digit win mark in nine straight seasons under Nick Saban while winning 11 games or more in each of the last six seasons. The only potential losses I see on Alabama’s 2017 schedule come in their opener at Florida State if you want me to be honest about it. ’m thinking one loss (if that) is what lies ahead for the Crimson Tide in 2017. Play the Over people!
Pick: Over 10.5 Wins
Georgia Tech 6.5 Wins
Yes, Georgia Tech has a question mark at quarterback, but that won’t affect the Yellow Jackets nearly as much as some other teams because they run the triple option under head coach Paul Johnson.
Georgia Tech returns seven starters on offense and the the vast majority of their skill position players at wide receiver and running back. After winning nine games last season, I can’t see the Yellow Jackets falling all the way to six wins no matter how hard I look for losses on their upcoming schedule.
Georgia Tech should get past Tennessee at home in their opener, Jacksonville State in Week 2, Central Florida a week later and both, Pittsburgh and North Carolina at home in their next two games with both of their ACC rivlas also breaking in new starting quarterbacks. A win at home against Wake Forest and road wins against Virginia and Duke will give them eight wins at the very least. Play the Over 6.5 wins.
Pick: Over 6.5 Wins
Miami 8.5 Wins
Miami will have a new starting quarterback following the departure of Brad Kaaya, but the Hurricanes also have a ‘beast’ at running back in Mark Walton and more importantly, an ‘easy’ schedule that doesn’t include games against Clemson, Louisville or NC State. The Canes do have a tough road date at Florida State, but outside of that, they should fare very well to easily reach nine wins in 2017.
Avoid These Five
Florida State 10.5
The Seminoles went 10-3 last season under freshman quarterback Deondre Francois, but I’m expecting them to get to 11 wins in 2017. Florida State could lose their opener against Alabama, but I’ve got them winning in Louisville in Week 7, at Clemson in Week 10 and at Florida in their regular season finale. Although it’s possible they could lose one of those contests. It’s going to be a close call that all hinges on the Louisville and Clemson outcome, but right now, you might want to stay away from this wager.
Ohio State 10.5 Wins
The Buckeyes went 11-2 a year ago before getting shut out by Clemson in the CFP semifinals. While Heisman contender J.T. Barrett will be back under center in 2017, but the Buckeyes have more question marks than answers. Ohio State could lose in Week 2 at home against Baker Mayfield and the high-scoring Oklahoma Sooners while falling in Week 8 at home against Penn State. The Buckeyes will have a pair of tough matchups in their final two games at Iowa and at Michigan. Ohio State could very well lose two 12 games in 2017. Avoid the Buckeyes total people!
Texas 7.5 Wins
New head coach Tom Herman is a fantastic leader and I expect him to turn the Longhorns into winners in the very near future. However, Texas has some tough games on its 2017 schedule and should lose at USC in Week 3. The Horns could also fall at home against K-State while taking a pair of home losses against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. I’m also thinking the Longhorns could fall at TCU and at West Virginia to fall just short of reaching the eight-win plateau. It’s probably best to avoid the Longhorns total since it’s going to be a really close call.
Pick: Under 7.5 Wins
Florida 8 Wins
The Gators were fairly impressive in winning nine games last season, but they’ll have a new starting quarterback in 2017 and returns just two starters from a defense that ranked sixth nationally in points allowed last season. The Gators will lose games this coming season at Michigan in their opener, at home against Tennessee in Week 3 and at home against LSU in Week 6. I’ve also got the Gators falling to either Texas A&M or Georgia and dropping their regular season finale at home against Florida State to finish at 7-5 or maybe 6-6. No matter how I look at it, I’m thinking nine wins is a real stretch.
UCLA 6 Wins
The bruins will have a healthy Josh Rosen under center in 2017, but head coach Jim Mora has too many question marks to answer almost everywhere else ans have a very difficult schedule that starts with a home opener against Texas A&M and includes games at Stanford, at home against Colorado and Oregon. At Washington, Utah and USC. Right now, I’ve got UCLA squarely on the six-win mark, making their win total odds one to avoid in 2017.
