By Bob Gaughan
2020 record 34-30-3
2019 Record 62-41-2
2018 Record 72-50-3
Mr. Over/Under: New Orleans -7 over Philadelphia
Imagine placing an over bet on a game with the O/U at 47. One of the teams scores 45 points, but you still lose. That happened last week when New England beat the Chargers 45-0. The last time the Chargers were shut out was week 9 of 2014 when Miami beat them 37-0.
Three teams have the best record for going over this year. Buffalo, Tennessee and Las Vegas, are all at 9-3. Dallas has the worst O/U record at 2-10 with Philly close behind at 3-9. I wanted to take Minnesota as my pick this week. They’ve won 5 of 6, and the last time they were a 6-point underdog, they beat Green Bay.
However, I love the way New Orleans is playing right now. Last week I won taking their game under at Atlanta. Their defense has allowed the least points scored over the last 5-weeks.The Saints travel to Philly this week where, as of this writing, the weather is forecast to be partly sunny with a high near 60. The Eagles will be playing a quarterback named Hurts, and I suspect against the Saints defense, “Hurts” will also be the way his body feels when the game is over. I like New Orleans giving a touchdown.
Man in Stripes: Colorado -2.5 over Utah
Near the end of this long college football season you need to find a game where motivations are different. Colorado is 4-0 and 4-0 ATS. The Buffs are not only playing for an undefeated season, but with a win and a USC loss to UCLA they get a trip to the PAC 12 championship game. Utah has had COVID issues and some cancelled games. Utah has many young players on this underwhelming team. They have nothing to play for. Colorado ran for 300 yards last week behind Jarek Broussard. This is a 10am kickoff in Boulder. Look for the Utes to mail this one in. I love Colorado with less than a FG to win big.
Mono: Virginia +3 over Virginia Tech
Tech has crumbled ever since their close losses to Liberty and Miami. Since then they have been outscored 93-24 in their last two games to Clemson and Pitt. Virginia is just the opposite. The Cavaliers have won four straight and have scored well down the stretch. Virginia’s run defense will stand up strong and force Tech QB Hendon Hooker to beat them in the air. I expect Virginia to pull away in the second half and win this game outright.
Brutal: Army -6.5 over Navy
This is only the second time in over 100 years that Army has Navy at West Point. Only during WWII did Navy play at West Point. Navy can’t score this year. Navy has only scored 13 points the last two weeks. Navy hasn’t beaten anyone this year. Army on the other hand played Cincinnati tough this year. Last week Army beat a good Georgia Southern team by a point. Army has the better offense and defense. Navy is coming in to a motivated Army team with an offense that can’t score. Take Army!
Bob Gaughan: Bills -2 over Pittsburgh
Two teams going in different directions as the Bills are playing their best football of the year and the Steelers simply aren’t playing great. The Bills should have won six straight if it weren’t for the “Hail Murray” pass. The Steelers barely beat the Ravens JV two weeks ago and then lost last week to Washington. The Steelers haven’t been able to run the ball this year. The weather could be a factor and running the ball will be important. The Steelers are banged up as well. The Steelers could have a few starters out on defense. The Bills only have John Brown out and are as healthy as you can be at this time of year. Vegas has it right, the Bills should be favorite to the one loss Steelers. Under a field goal is a good line to catch.
Leave a Reply