Football Bets: Western Michigan, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Florida State
By Matt Snyder
This week’s edition of Best Football Bets picks Western Michigan, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and Florida State to cover the spread.
The first week of the football season is upon us and, while we don’t have any NFL games to pick from this week, we have plenty of college action from which to pick our best football bets.
I’ll pick five bets each football weekend
This post isn’t meant to serve as actual betting recommendations, but rather a fun way about which to talk about the upcoming weekend in football. It’s also a fun way to pretend to know a lot about football without actually having to really know anything. It’s like spouting your mouth off with your friends while drinking a cold pop.
Here’s what I’m looking at for the weekend of September 2 through 5:
Saturday, September 3
Georgia Tech (-3) vs. Boston College, 7:30 a.m. ET (Dublin, Ireland)
You’re going to have to wake up early to watch this game in the United States.
Boston College had little success overall last year, even with one of the best defenses in the country. That defense could take a step back this season after losing defensive coordinator Don Brown to Michigan.
Western Michigan (+5) at Northwestern, Noon ET
The Western Michigan Broncos finished the 2015 season with an 8-5 record, but two of their losses came on the road against powerhouse programs Michigan State and Ohio State.
Going on the road against a Big Ten opponent isn’t easy for a MAC program, but Western feels like a program on the rise while Northwestern is spinning its wheels. The Wildcats probably still win, but look for the Broncos to keep this close.
LSU (-10) at Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. ET (at Lambeau Field)
Wisconsin fans are passionate about football — and SEC opponents don’t seem to often travel to the Midwest — but there’s a difference between Wisconsin before Labor Day and Wisconsin in November.
Ten points is a huge spread but LSU enters the season as the No. 5 team in the country while Wisconsin might be the fifth best team in their conference. Look for the Tigers to win big.
Sunday, September 4
Notre Dame (-3) at Texas, 7:30 p.m. ET
It’s a home game for Texas — who should be better than they were last year — and Notre Dame has lost several key players to suspension and dismissal. Still, the No. 10 Irish have built a strong program while the Longhorns have finished with a losing record in each of Charlie Strong’s first two seasons.
Monday, Sptember 5
Florida State (-4.5) vs. Ole Miss, 8:00 p.m. ET
In of the marquee matchups of the weekend, No. 11 Ole Miss travels to play No. 4 Florida State. It’ll be a statement resume game for either side with potential College Football Playoff implications down the road.
The Seminoles have the home field on their side which could prove to be crucial in a big early-season game like this.
Next: Michigan Football Game-by-Game Predictions
All betting lines come from SportsPlays.com, a free faux sports betting site for fans who don’t want to sink actual money into their bets.