Early in the week is the time when professional bettors make some of their moves - the other most important time is just prior to kickoff - and they tear apart the ripe lines from the Las Vegas Sports Consultants. For the last two years I have tracked the opening steam movements of lines in both college football and the NFL. The idea was to see if the "sharp" money was really that, or if the idea of trailing these severe early line movements was merely a myth. Well, I'm glad to say that we are back at it this season and ready to build on last year's research.

Here is the basic methodology. If a line starts as Penn State (-1) and moves to Penn State (-4.5) then we're going to track Penn State as our side, because the Lions are getting all of the money and driving the spread up. If the line starts as Penn State (-4) and then moves to Penn State (-1) we're going to track the opponent because they are taking the heavy action and it's moving the line lower.

I have not nailed down a specific movement - either passed on percentage of the spread changed or overall points changed - so I have to admit that my research is a little unscientific and based a bit on "feel". However, having done this as much as I have I would have to say that I have an eye for the odd movements.

That said, two years ago the "sharp" money went just 20-30 for the season and we had a solid fade system. But last year I think I opened the parameters up way too much and our tracked teams went 76-69, which was not statistically significant. This year I want to try to tighten it up and keep the total tracked plays somewhere in the range of 70-90 for the season.

Of course, I have a slew of games posted for the opening weekend because these spreads have been up for about a month. They have had time to take heavy action leading up to the opening weekend kickoff so there is going to be much more of a fluctuation. However, once we get into the season I'm hoping for about six plays per week for us to follow.

Here is this week's action:

Troy at Bowling Green (7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 3)
Open: Troy -3.0
Current: Troy -7.0
Tracking: Troy

The top team in the Sun Belt is kind of an odd heavy road favorite against a decent MAC team. Bowling Green is 8-1 at home against non-MAC foes over the last several years and has some talent on offense. But the sharps clearly favor the athletes for the Sun Belt favorites. Troy has most of its key talent back from a team that only lost by 18 at Ohio State and by nine at LSU last season.

Kentucky at Miami, OH (Noon, Saturday, Sept. 5)
Open: Kentucky -10.0
Current: Kentucky -15.0
Tracking: Kentucky

Again we have the sharp money pouring in on the road favorite. Kentucky is an SEC bottom-feeder. But they still have a severe talent edge over one of the worst teams in the MAC. This game is being played in Cincinnati, so it's not a true home game for the Redhawks. Miami, OH lost to Vandy by 21 at home last year and lost at Cincy by 25.

Rice at UAB (4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5)
Open: Pick
Current: UAB -5.5
Tracking: UAB

Rice lost a load of talent on offense last year and are now dogged on the road against one of the worst teams in Conference USA. The main thing here is that UAB brings back a load of experience from last year's team (18 returning starters) versus the lack of experience for Rice (13).

Army at Eastern Michigan (7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5)
Open: Pick
Current: Eastern Michigan -5.0
Tracking: Eastern Michigan

Here we have two new coaches running two new systems for two of the worst programs in college football. Looks like the sharps are playing up the revenge angle for EMU. They lost 13-10 at Army last year. Also, Army is 0-12 in its last 12 season openers.

Buffalo at UTEP (7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5)
Open: UTEP -4.5
Current: UTEP -8.5
Tracking: UTEP

The heavy movement on this line has everything to do with the fact that Buffalo lost all-time leading rusher James Starks to a career-ending knee injury. Buffalo now goes on the road without its starting QB and RB from a team that pasted UTEP, 42-17, in last year's opener.

Maryland at California (10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5)
Open: Cal -15.0
Current: Cal -21.0
Tracking: Cal

Here is another revenge game as Cal lost a stunner to Maryland last year. That was the dreaded noon kickoff for West Coast teams (whose body clocks would have been on 9 a.m.) and it appears early bettors think that a Cal team that is one of the favorites in the Pac-10 is ready to lay one on the Terps.

San Diego State at UCLA (7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5)
Open: UCLA -24.0
Current: UCLA -19.0
Tracking: San Diego State

This line is significant because it is the steepest movement on any of the underdogs. UCLA's last meeting with the Aztecs was in 2005 but UCLA is 20-0-1 in its history against SDSU.

Louisiana-Monroe at Texas (7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5)
Open: Texas -36.0
Current: Texas -42.0
Tracking: Texas

Not quite sure this line can go high enough. But at six points it is one of the steeper movements of the opening weekend. Texas has won nine straight season openers by the average score of 49-6.

Robert Ferringo is a professional handicapper and you can purchase a full season's package of his football selections for just $25 per week! Click here for details.