College Football Handicapping Articles

NCAA Football Expert Picks Against the Spread: Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 11/26/2015

It's good to have it back. This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. The last time it was either relevant or particularly evenly-matched, though, was in 2006 when Ohio State, ranked No. 1 in the country, beat second-ranked Michigan 42-39 in an all-time classic game. Since then Michigan has won just once and has gone through some dark days - not to mention three coaching changes. The one Michigan win came when Ohio State was going through a coaching change of their own - Jim Tressel had been fired before the 2011 season, and things were not going smoothly under interim coach and current defensive coordinator Luke Fickell.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report: Temple Owls Week 13
by Aaron Smith - 11/25/2015

The Week 13 edition of the NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report is ready to go! It's the fourth year for this article at Doc's Sports. The goal of this weekly piece is to attempt to show that specialization can be a profitable betting strategy. For the mid-major betting report, we follow one team throughout the season and make selections on their games on a weekly basis. Temple was picked this year because of the intrigue surrounding the conference as well as their ability to have a breakout season with a lot of returning talent.

College Football Handicapping: Odds and Analysis Weekend Key Games
by Trevor Whenham - 11/24/2015

The last week of the regular season always has plenty of intrigue as the final race for conference championship spots is settled. This year, though, it seems like we have even more drama than usual thanks to the effective work of the schedule makers. We have plenty of rivalry games, and several have more on the line than usual. These games are important to identify and understand the implications of for bettors.

NCAA Football Betting: Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks Week 13
by Aaron Smith - 11/24/2015

The Week 13 edition of the Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks article is here. It was the second big shakeup of the top of the rankings last weekend. Ohio State's loss at home to Michigan State was the biggest story. Ohio State didn't look ready to play in that game. The Buckeyes are almost certainly out of the College Football Playoff with that loss. Oklahoma State's loss at home to Baylor hurt them a great deal. Oklahoma is now in a better position, but they have to beat Oklahoma State on the road this weekend.

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 13 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/23/2015

Hard to believe we are already at the final full week of the college football regular season, and just about everything remains up for grabs. Clemson should remain No. 1 in the new College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night, and the Tigers shouldn't have too much trouble winning at terrible South Carolina -- which somehow lost to The Citadel in Week 12 -- on Saturday. The Tigers might have their hands full the following week, however, against red-hot North Carolina in the ACC title game.

NCAA Football Odds: Line Movements & Last-Minute News for Week 12
by Alan Matthews - 11/20/2015

Some interesting scuttlebutt this week that LSU might force out Coach Les Miles if the Tigers lose either this week against Ole Miss or next against Texas A&M. If the Tigers lose out, that would make LSU a mediocre 13-11 in SEC games the past three years. Just a few weeks ago, LSU was No. 2 in the CFP rankings and unbeaten but has since been humbled by Alabama and Arkansas and seen Leonard Fournette's Heisman chances vanish.

NCAA Football Expert Picks Against the Spread LSU at Ole Miss Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 11/19/2015

There are games that probably mean more than this one this weekend. Michigan State at Ohio State has massive implications in the Big Ten. Two games in the Big 12 could bring clarity to the conference race or further muddy the picture. What makes this game worthy of writing about, though - aside from it being a game between two pretty good SEC teams - is Les Miles. This situation reminds us yet again of just how thankless the job of head coach of a major program can be.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report: Temple Owls Week 12
by Aaron Smith - 11/18/2015

The Week 12 edition of the NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report is set to go! It's year No. 4 for this article at Doc's Sports. The goal of this weekly piece is to attempt to show that specialization can be a profitable betting strategy. For the mid-major betting report, we follow one team throughout the season and make selections on their games on a weekly basis. Temple was picked this year because of the intrigue surrounding the conference as well as their ability to have a breakout season.

NCAA Football Betting: Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks Week 12
by Aaron Smith - 11/18/2015

The Week 12 edition of the Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks article is ready to go. After a big shakeup in the polls last week, the Top 5 remained the same in this week's College Football Playoff Rankings. That doesn't mean the Top 25 teams did well at the betting window last week, though. In fact, the AP Top 25 as a whole last week went an ugly 9-15 against the spread. Unfortunately, as has happened a couple times this year, despite the Top 25 doing poorly, the selections at made at the end of the article weren't the correct ones. I faded the wrong teams last week.

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 12 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/16/2015

The Big 12 was the Power 5 conference left stewing last season in regards to the College Football Playoff. And while I think the Big 12 could be left out again, I'm certain now that the Pac-12 is going to miss out on the playoff this year.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report: Temple Owls Week 11
by Aaron Smith - 11/11/2015

The week 11 edition of the NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report is ready to go! It's year No. 4 for this article at Doc's Sports. The goal of this weekly piece is to attempt to show that specialization can be a profitable betting strategy. For the mid-major betting report, we follow one team throughout the season and make selections on their games on a weekly basis. Temple was picked this year because of the intrigue surrounding the conference as well as their ability to have a breakout season.

NCAA Football Expert Picks Against the Spread: Oklahoma Sooners at Baylor Bears
by Trevor Whenham - 11/10/2015

The Big 12 either did the coolest or stupidest thing ever when setting up their schedules this year. There are only a small handful of good teams in the conference, and all of them play each other in the last month of the season. It will make it perhaps the most interesting conference down the stretch, but there is a good chance they will all cannibalize each other and, for the second year in a row, the conference could be left outside of the playoff picture.

NCAA Football Betting: Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks Week 11
by Aaron Smith - 11/10/2015

The Week 11 edition of the Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks article is here. I said last week that there should be a shakeup in the polls following Week 10, and that was definitely the case. Three of the Top 6 ranked teams in the AP Top 25 from last week lost outright (LSU, Michigan State, and TCU). While many are getting upset already about the College Football Playoff Rankings, keep in mind that a lot will change between now and the end of the season.

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 11 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/9/2015

So much for the Heisman Trophy race being over. That was largely the thinking as LSU's Leonard Fournette was lapping the field. All Fournette needed to take the trophy home next month in New York City was to have a good game at Alabama on Saturday night. However, the Crimson Tide held Fournette to a season-low 31 yards as Alabama won 30-16. LSU came in averaging 309 rushing yards and finished with 54. The Tigers were quite simply pushed around by Bama.

NCAA Football Odds: Line Movements & Last-Minute News for Week 10
by Alan Matthews - 11/6/2015

I understand people have to talk about the first College Football Rankings, which were released for the first time on Tuesday night, but let's all settle down people. We have a long way to go. In my Opening Line Report story on Monday, I said that Clemson, LSU and Ohio State were locks to be in the Top 4, with one of the Tigers expected to be the No .1 team. And the committee chose Clemson, no doubt because it has a better win against Notre Dame (No. 5 in rankings) than LSU does over Florida (No. 10 in rankings).

NCAA Football Expert Picks Against the Spread: TCU at Oklahoma State
by Trevor Whenham - 11/5/2015

The first College Football Playoff rankings came out this week, and the Big 12 surely isn't happy about it. The conference has three unbeaten teams, including these two, yet if the playoffs were to start this week the conference would be shut out. TCU is currently 8th in the rankings, and Oklahoma State, at 14th, is the lowest-ranked unbeaten team from a major conference.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report: Temple Owls Week 10
by Aaron Smith - 11/4/2015

The10th edition of the NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report is ready to go! It's year No. 4 for this article at Doc's Sports. The goal of this weekly piece is to attempt to show that specialization can be a profitable betting strategy. For the Mid-Major Betting Report, we follow one team throughout the season and make selections on their games on a weekly basis. Temple was picked this year because of the intrigue surrounding the conference as well as their ability to have a breakout season. It's been the ultimate breakout season so far for Temple!

NCAA Football Betting: Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks Week 10
by Alan Matthews - 11/3/2015

It's time for the Week 10 edition of the Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks article. The Week 9 slate had very few marquee matchups, and the polls look almost exactly like they did this same time last week. Seven Top 25 teams had a bye week last week, but we get a lot more action and a lot more games between top teams this weekend. Expect a shakeup next week.

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 10 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/2/2015

So which four teams will be atop the first College Football Playoff rankings when Arkansas athletic director and committee chairman Jeff Long makes that announcement on Tuesday night (7 p.m., ESPN)? I think three of the four are sure things: Clemson, LSU and Ohio State.

NCAA Football Odds: Line Movements & Last-Minute News for Week 9
by Alan Matthews - 10/30/2015

Too early to think about 2016 already? For the SEC it's not as the conference released next year's schedules on Thursday. Next season will be the first for the SEC to include a strength-of-schedule component to the schedule. All 14 SEC schools now will be required to play an ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 or Major Independent team at least once.