We’re back with the third installment of the mid-major betting report. For this year’s mid-major betting report I am following the Ohio Bobcats. The Bobcats got quite a bit of publicity at the start of the season by knocking off Penn State in Happy Valley. While most casual fans won’t pay much attention to the Bobcats the rest of the year, I will cover them until the final day of their season. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Twitter feeds, beat writers, and press conferences from the Bobcats football program. By becoming an expert on the Ohio Bobcats, I hope to show the betting world how one of the most profitable sports betting strategies is specialization.

Last year’s mid-major betting report, which followed the Rice Owls, netted $100 unit bettors $1,280 in profit based on a record of 7-2-1. At the end of each weekly article, I will make a selection for that weekend’s game. Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System will be used for every pick, which should help readers follow along and track the results of these weekly college football picks.

Last Week’s Game

Coming off the biggest win in school history, there had to be some fear among the coaching staff that the Bobcats would have a letdown against New Mexico State this past weekend. It turned out that this veteran team took care of business with a dominating 51-24 home victory. Ohio outgained New Mexico State by 378 yards. The Bobcats averaged 5.7 yards per carry, and they averaged 10 yards per pass play. The defense held New Mexico State’s running game to just 71 yards on 30 carries.

Tyler Tettleton threw two more touchdowns and ran for another in the win. He has yet to throw an interception this year in 64 pass attempts. Matt Weller was named the MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week after making three of his field goals. He became the all-time Ohio Bobcats leading scorer in the win over New Mexico State.

The Bobcats comfortable 51-24 win meant that my selection on Ohio -21 last weekend was a winner.

Notes of Interest

-There was one area of concern for Frank Solich from last week’s win over the Aggies. Ohio had far too many mistakes in special teams play. Solich believes his kickoff coverage teams are generally very good, but last week New Mexico State returned a kick for a touchdown. Solich said, “We had some missed tackles, but it’s all attitude and energy, and if you are lacking in the energy and attitude, then something like that can happen to you.” Solich also pointed out that five of the Bobcats 10 penalties in last week’s games were on special teams.

-Jason Arkley, Bobcats beat writer for the Athens Messenger, pointed out that last week’s big win allowed Ohio to go deep to its bench. Arkley said that 13 different players on the offensive line saw playing time in the Bobcats home opener. Three of those players were redshirt freshmen who saw the first playing time of their career. Arkley also reported that star center Skyler Allen led the offensive line with eight pancake blocks on Saturday night.

-The Bobcats broke a stadium record when 25,893 fans watched their home opener last weekend. Clearly, the big win over Penn State has helped generate a ton of interest in this Ohio Bobcats football program. You can expect Peden Stadium to be packed and loud all through the season with such a fired-up fan base.

Betting Trends

-Ohio is 5-1 ATS in their last six nonconference games.
-Marshall is 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
-The “under” is 5-1 in Ohio’s last six games overall.
-Ohio is 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings with Marshall.

Ohio vs. Marshall College Football Odds

BetOnline listed the Bobcats as a seven-point road favorite at the open early this week. Most books currently have Ohio as a six-point favorite. The posted total opened at 65 points at BetOnline. The total has steadily risen to a current level of 68 points.

Ohio vs. Marshall college football picks

Ohio blasted Marshall 44-7 last year, but the Thundering Herd won the two previous meetings. Marshall was throttled by West Virginia in the season opener, but the Mountaineers will likely beat up quite a few teams this year with their amazing offense. Marshall is a young team with quite a bit of talent, but the Thundering Herd definitely have some holes on both sides of the ball.

Ohio is an extremely well-balanced team that doesn’t have any clear weaknesses. The Bobcats can run it or throw it on the offensive side, and the defense has been solid in every aspect of the game. While I don’t expect this game to be particularly easy for Ohio, I do think the Bobcats find a way to win and cover. The Bobcats are clearly the superior team, and Solich seems to have them very focused right now. The play this week will be on Ohio -6 for one unit.

Pick: #155- Take Ohio -6 for 1 Unit (Saturday, 6:30 pm. EST)

Season Results: 2 Wins 0 Losses= +2 Units ($200 Profit)

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