SPORTS WAGERS
Air Force +4½ over HOUSTON
Cougar backers beware. This is the first game of the day in what is surely to be an exciting day for backers. This game is going to be on the front end of a ton of parlays and the books are always especially sharp in this situation. So, what we have here is the high flying Cougars, playing in Texas as a 4½-point choice. No doubt the Cougars are the popular pick, as they’re a team loaded with offe3nsive weapons starting with a QB that has put up monster numbers. Houston also went an impressive 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the conference. They also had a big win over then #5 Oklahoma St, 45-35. However, they also had some disturbing losses against UTEP and UCF, not to mention dropping the C-USA championship game against East Carolina. So, yeah, they’re a decent team with a great offense. However, they’re defense leaves plenty to be desired and these Falcons are no pushovers. They had a chance to beat the Cougars last season in this very same Bowl game but just fell short by six. Air Force had some notable games in its schedule, including three losses to ranked teams. They lost to #10 TCU by just three points, to #18 Utah by just a TD and although they lost by 17 to BYU, they still played well, especially in the second half. They also took Navy to OT in Annapolis early in the year before losing 16-13 and its other loss came in Minnesota 20-13. That’s five “good losses” for this squad and they’re a lot more battle tested than this Cougar team, who played a ton a very easy schedule. Anyway, this is the classic battle between the tortoise and the hare and we all know who wins that test. The Falcons are disciplined, methodical, play great D, while the Cougars are reckless, fast and will put up close to 55 passes in this one. Even more than that however, is the “trap” line set by the books that has everyone on the Cougars and that’s the biggest red flag of them all. Play: Air Force +4½ (Risking 2.08 units to win 2).
Iowa St +1.13 over Minnesota
Both these teams just got in by winning six games but the Cyclones losses were a lot more impressive. Iowa St. also played in the offensive oriented Big-12 and held its opponents to an average of just 21 points per game. That’s significant because after playing the likes of Oklahoma St., Kansas, K-State, Texas A&M and Missouri to name a few, playing these Gophers should appear in slow motion for them. The Gophers have virtually no running game and would have trouble moving the ball against the marching band. They were walloped by just about every good team they played and had some narrow wins against some bad teams. The Cyclones didn’t do a whole lot better, however, they do possess a very decent running game and should be able to put up some points against this very mediocre defense. Play: Iowa St +1.13 (Risking 2 units).
Oklahoma –9 over Stanford
Wow, speaking of “odd” lines, this one seems a little strange indeed. Here we have the 19th ranked Cardinal a 9½-point pup against the unranked Sooners and that alone is an oddity for sure. It even makes less sense when you consider that the Sooners are without its leader Sam Bradford and although he missed most of the year anyway, most believe that’s why the Sooners finished a very disappointing 7-5 on the year when they were supposed to be National Title contenders. So, the next question is why are the Sooners such a high favorite? I can’t answer that but I do know that the oddsmakers do not make bad lines in these highly bet and watched games. The inclination would be to take the points but the line is too appealing and that alone makes the Sooners a play. Despite the average year in terms of wins, Oklahoma still has a tremendous defense, especially against the run and that’s Stanford’s strong suit. If the Cardinal can’t run they could run into big trouble here and that’s something to keep an eye on. The Sooners allowed the opposition an average of just 13½ points per game and that’s incredible when you consider the offensive minded teams they played. They also beat Oklahoma St. 27-0 in the final game of the year and that’s a score and a significant win. Most will be taking the points here, that’s a gimme and anytime you’re on the opposite side of the public, it usually works out well. Again, the points here are TOO appealing and that’s a big red flag. Play: Oklahoma -9½ (Risking 2.2 units to win 2).