After a huge shakeup in the Pac-12 in Week 7, the attention of the college football world now turns to the Big Ten for a massive game between Penn State and Ohio State.
But there are still more games on the docket, and I have two SEC showdowns and a Sun Belt battle I want to get out in front of in Week 8.
The market clearly moves a lot over the course of the week. Money pours in from the time lines open on Sunday until kickoff on Saturday. Like any other sport, it's paramount to get the best price possible when betting on college football.
For example, a -6.5 favorite could move to -7.5 on Saturday morning, and then you run the risk of that team winning by one of the most likely outcomes – a seven -point victory – and you just lost your bet. It happens every week.
But that mess could have been avoided if the bet was locked in at -6.5 on Sunday afternoon.
I'm here to help you navigate the market by providing a few lines I'm buying – or other lines that I'm waiting to buy later in the week.
The hope for this piece is to beat the market, get the best price possible, and in the long run, save you some money with closing line value. To do that, we'll utilize our Action Network PRO projections, ESPN's SP+ and my own projections to create a consensus.
You hear all the time, “Process over results.” The best way to know if the process is working is by closing line value (CLV), meaning how many points did you beat the closing line by? Well, I'm here to help you hopefully get the most CLV possible early on in the week so you're sitting in a great position by the time we reach Saturday.
Tennessee vs. Alabama Odds
Saturday, Oct. 213:30 p.m. ETCBS
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
| +9.5-110 | 47.5-110o / -110u | +265 |
| Alabama Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
| -9.5-110 | 47.5-110o / -110u | -335 |
Odds via'FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute'NCAAF odds here.
| Action Network | Cunningham | SP+ |
| Alabama -6.9 | Alabama -3.9 | Alaba ma -5.0 |
Alabama really didn't look that impressive last weekend at home against Arkansas as it held on for a 24-21 win. The reality is that its offense has not been up to par with where it's been in years past.
The passing attack with Jalen Milroe is almost entirely built on explosive plays. He's averaging 10.4 yards per attempt and has 15 big-time throws, which has helped Alabama to a rank of sixth in passing explosiveness. However, the Tide sit 73rd in Passing Success Rate, and Milroe comes in at 43rd in FBS in EPA/Pass.