As is the case with NFL betting, college football has various types of futures picks every year -- including big favorites, sleeper teams, and even the dreaded bust picks. Here are a couple of teams you should avoid despite their fanfare.
Virginia Tech Hokies
WHY BETTORS LIKE THEM: If you subscribe to the old "offense wins games, defense wins championships" theory, you're probably considering VT strongly in your online betting. They were stingy last year and return enough effective starters for their deep group to shut opponents down -- especially through the secondary.
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM: Tyrod Thomas was a question mark at quarterback from the beginning of camp -- athletic but not developed as an accurate passer and game manager. The original thinking was that he only had to be above average thanks to the Hokies' strong running game featuring Darren Evans. However, now that VT lost Evans to a season-ending knee injury, there's far more pressure on the passing game to perform, and I'm not convinced it's up to the task.
Utah Utes
WHY BETTORS LIKE THEM: It's easy to get enamored with an undefeated season, especially when the Utes defied sports picks and pummeled Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The defense should remain strong with eight starters returning.
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM: With all the turnover in college football, it's always bad betting management to make your bets based entirely on the previous season's results, and Utah's situation is no exception. They lost a boatload of high-impact offensive starters, including their quarterback and several top wideouts, so it's almost as if they're a different team altogether this season.
Virginia Tech Hokies
WHY BETTORS LIKE THEM: If you subscribe to the old "offense wins games, defense wins championships" theory, you're probably considering VT strongly in your online betting. They were stingy last year and return enough effective starters for their deep group to shut opponents down -- especially through the secondary.
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM: Tyrod Thomas was a question mark at quarterback from the beginning of camp -- athletic but not developed as an accurate passer and game manager. The original thinking was that he only had to be above average thanks to the Hokies' strong running game featuring Darren Evans. However, now that VT lost Evans to a season-ending knee injury, there's far more pressure on the passing game to perform, and I'm not convinced it's up to the task.
Utah Utes
WHY BETTORS LIKE THEM: It's easy to get enamored with an undefeated season, especially when the Utes defied sports picks and pummeled Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The defense should remain strong with eight starters returning.
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM: With all the turnover in college football, it's always bad betting management to make your bets based entirely on the previous season's results, and Utah's situation is no exception. They lost a boatload of high-impact offensive starters, including their quarterback and several top wideouts, so it's almost as if they're a different team altogether this season.
