CFB: Two Betting Chances for Thursday

This probably won’t go down as the most important college football Thursday, with two rather ordinary games as it turns outs.

2008-10-23

This probably won’t go down as the most important college football Thursday, with two rather ordinary games as it turns outs. Nonetheless, two opportunities to wager on college football are better than none. With the economy sinking like the Titanic, and big box retailers ready to do anything to secure any part of your Christmas buying even this early, we’ll have a two or one special, having both college football game betting previews in one article.

Auburn at West Virginia

When the schedule came out this looked like a very absorbing non-conference tilt, now ESPN probably wished they could shift it to ESPN360. In the 12 days each squad has had off, it has been about rebuilding offensive continuity, with each far down the ladder in total offense in the country. West Virginia is 79th, at 342.2 yards per game and Auburn is far worse at a reprehensible107th nationally, with a lousy 292.6 YPG.

The oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have noticed, placing a total of 38 points on this non-conference contest. With West Virginia ( 4-2, 1-4 ATS) averaging 22.2 points a game and Auburn 19.1 PPG the number is accurate, especially considering the Tigers have a grand total of 16 points on the road this campaign.

West Virginia is a three point home favorite and is 13-4 ATS versus offensive teams averaging 4.5 yards or less a play. The Mountaineers expects to get QB Pat White back from a concussion and they still control their own destiny for a BCS bowl game. Any win against a SEC school is good news for a Big East team, thus adding incentive.

Blog rumors are surfacing Tommy Tuberville might be hitting the hot seat and another sorry offensive effort turns up the heat even more. The Auburn defense is still up to usual standards, allowing just 13.1 PPG. About the only other positive aspect Auburn (4-3, 1-6 ATS) can come with is 8-1 ATS mark before playing Ole Miss.

ESPN will switch studio and regular Thursday game crew for this 7:45 Eastern contest, with the Tigers 6-2 ATS as road dogs in this first ever meeting.

StatFox Forecaster – West Virginia covers
StatFox Power Line – West Virginia by 10
SF Outplay Factor – Auburn by 3

New Mexico at Air Force

It's that time of the season, when New Mexico (4-4, 5-3 ATS) always seems to come together as a team and play its best football. New Mexico is as rested as it has been all season, thanks to last weekend 70-7 demolishment of San Diego State. The game was over by halftime, with the Lobos leading 49-0, allowing coach Rocky Long to rest his starters for the majority of second half. They'll go into a game for only the second time this season in which all the players they're counting on are expected to play. The flip side to the easy win is 0-7 ATS mark after leading in their previous game by 24 or more points at the half.

The Air Force (5-2, 4-2 ATS) situation was quite different from their opponent’s. Down 28-20 at UNLV, the Falcons needed a touchdown and later a field goal to escape Sin City 29-28. Air Force boarded a plane shortly after the UNLV game, flew back to Colorado and arrived at the academy early Sunday morning. Less than 12 hours after getting off the plane, players were in meetings.

Air Force practiced for an hour on Sunday, 80 minutes on Monday and an hour on Tuesday, and none of the workouts were in full pads as coach Troy Calhoun tried to walk the line between giving his players plenty of rest while making sure they were prepared. "What you do is you still have to have very crisp workouts," Calhoun said. "That's the only way you have carryover to Thursday night." All this strict preparation (what else would you expect at the Air Force) has not always paid off in the past with the Flyboys 3-9 SU on Thursday’s.

The Air Force is a five-point favorite with a total of 46. The running game is churning out 300 yards a game (3rd in the nation) and they are 10-2 ATS against MWC opponents over the last two seasons. New Mexico is 12-4 ATS in road games after two or more consecutive wins against the spread. The Lobos are 1-5 and 2-4 ATS at Colorado Springs and have lost four in a row SU and against the spread to the Air Force.

The ever popular CBS-CSTV has this MWC matchup at 8 Eastern.
StatFox Forecaster – New Mexico covers
StatFox Power Line – Air Force by 8
SF Outplay Factor – New Mexico by 1

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