College Football Handicapping Articles

2018 Sugar Bowl Expert Picks & predictions Alabama vs. Clemson
by Trevor Whenham - 12/22/2017

Is it just me, or does it feel like we have seen this one before? These teams have, of course, met in the last two National Championship Games, with Clemson avenging their loss in the first with a win in the second. This won't necessarily end things because both teams are always a threat to make it back to the playoff, but the winner of this game will at least have bragging rights for a year. It's a different game for the teams than the last two.

2017 Cotton Bowl Expert Picks & Predictions: USC vs. Ohio State
by Trevor Whenham - 12/21/2017

It's not supposed to happen that the best bowl game of the year is played on Dec. 29. That's just not right. But it could potentially be the case this year. Big Ten champion Ohio State clashes with Pac-12 champion USC in what should really be the Rose Bowl. It should be a very compelling game - as long as both teams are actually focused on being here. Both teams fancied themselves as playoff team, and while USC was dreaming Ohio State had a very legitimate claim and should have been in instead of Alabama in my view.

2017 Sun Bowl Expert Picks & Predictions: NC State vs. Arizona State
by Trevor Whenham - 12/21/2017

We're going to get to Herm Edwards in a minute. Trust me. It's by far the most interesting storyline around this Arizona State team - or in college football right now, for that matter. But he's not coaching this game, so before we get into that we should look at the matchup we have. Arizona State wound up just 7-5, dragged down by a very underwhelming defense. They were dangerous when least expected, though - they were double-digit underdogs four times this season, and they covered all four games and won three outright.

2017 Alamo Bowl Expert Picks & Predictions: Stanford vs. TCU
by Trevor Whenham - 12/20/2017

The Alamo Bowl this year is really the bowl of coaching stability. Both TCU's Gary Patterson and Stanford's David Shaw could have any job they want in college, and both could find a role in the NFL, too - but they don't even flirt with other possibilities. Patterson has been at TCU since 1998, and if he hasn't left yet then he'll almost certainly retire there. Shaw is only 45, so he'll move elsewhere at some point - likely to the NFL - but he sure doesn't seem to be in any hurry.

2017 Camping World Bowl Expert Picks & Predictions: Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
by Trevor Whenham - 12/20/2017

These two nine-win teams head to Orlando right after Christmas for what is an intriguing, if not ideal, matchup. Oklahoma State just has to be glad that this isn't a home game. The team's three losses all came at home - against TCU, Oklahoma and, incredibly, Kansas State. Stillwater just wasn't the advantage that it should be, I guess.

2017 Holiday Bowl Expert Picks & Predictions: Washington State vs. Michigan State
by Trevor Whenham - 12/19/2017

Michigan State does not want to be in this game. On the hierarchy, this game technically falls behind the Outback Bowl in the stack of Big Ten games, but organizers can choose whichever team they want, so they took Michigan for the Outback instead of the Spartans because they travel better and draw better in person and on TV. Michigan State beat Michigan, so they feel slighted - like they always seem to feel when it comes to the Wolverines. The challenge for the team, then, will be to get over that and focus on what should be a very interesting challenge here. If they aren't mentally ready for it then things could get ugly.

2017 Independence Bowl Expert Picks & Predictions: Southern Miss vs. Florida State
by Trevor Whenham - 12/19/2017

It's clear which team is better on paper here - the Seminoles have a massive advantage in terms of talent. The big question here, though, is whether Florida State will care about this game enough to make that advantage matter. The whole season has just been a debacle. After starting off ranked third in the nation, they were humiliated by Alabama in the opener, they lost their QB, and they never really recovered.

Expert NCAA Football Bowl Game Betting Advice and Handicapping: Game Location is Big
by Trevor Whenham - 12/14/2017

Bowl games are played in all sorts of locations. From the exotic to the ordinary. From the fanciest of stadiums to the dullest of fields. In front of a crowd of 100,000 screaming fans or in front of 5,000 people who mostly didn't pay for their tickets. Because the location of games can vary so widely, it only makes sense that bettors have to pay close attention to where games are being played and what impact that could have on how the games are played - and how, as a result, we should bet on them.

College Football Bowl Game Betting Advice: Handicapping Coaching Changes
by Trevor Whenham - 12/14/2017

There have been 20 coaching changes so far in FBS football this year - further proof that coaches are better off renting rather than buying. Of those programs going through changes, seven are going to bowl games. It's those seven programs that are the most fascinating right now. Because the college football coaching situation is broken, coaches have to jump to new programs before their current team is done playing, and programs have to fire coaches before they have finished their job for the year. Handicapping teams that have faced a coaching change presents a real challenge during the bowl season.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Free Betting Picks: Marshall Thundering Herd in New Mexico Bowl
by Aaron Smith - 12/12/2017

It's time for the bowl season edition of the mid-major report. This is the seventh straight season I'm doing the mid-major report for Doc's Sports. How have the selections on the mid-major betting report done? Prior to this season's numbers, the record is 40 wins and 29 losses with a gain of $1,500.

Expert College Football Picks: Army vs. Navy Betting Odds and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 12/7/2017

We are into the little bit of downtime during the college football season before the craziness of bowl season. This Saturday features just one game - the last one of the regular season and one of the most historic in existence. Army and Navy have met 117 times since 1890, including every year since 1930. Navy had been dominant in recent years, winning 14 straight meetings to take a 60-49-7 series lead.

NCAA Football Bowl Game Wagering Advice and Betting Help: Tough Matchups
by Trevor Whenham - 12/7/2017

Whenever you look at the lineup of bowl games in a given year there are a variety of types of games from a betting perspective. At the most basic level, there are games that you look at and almost immediately know what side you are on. They seem straightforward. And then there are the games that are just really, really tough. One team is tough to put a finger on, or both have flaws that make things really challenging.

College Bowl Game Betting Underdogs: Best Teams to Bet on Moneyline
by Trevor Whenham - 12/6/2017

There is nothing I love more when betting than betting on a moneyline underdog and cashing a ticket. The better-than-even-money payoff is satisfying, and even more satisfying is the feeling that you have somehow outsmarted oddsmakers. You haven't, of course, but it still feels like a victory.

College Football Bowl Game Betting Advice: Biggest Point Spreads
by Trevor Whenham - 12/6/2017

Now that the bowl lineup is set, we have a couple of weeks to sit back and look at what is to come from all sorts of different angles. Our job today is simple. We are going to look at the three biggest mismatches and what the games have in store. There is nothing objective here - we are just looking at the three biggest spreads to see if they are warranted.

2017 SEC Championship Game Expert Picks: Auburn vs. Georgia Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/30/2017

There is more than just SEC bragging rights on the line here. The winner will be a playoff team, while the loser will have to settle for a much less significant bowl. Add in the revenge factor for Georgia after their humiliating loss the last time the teams met, and Auburn's attempts at being the first two-loss playoff team, and we have a very compelling showdown on tap here in Atlanta.

2017 Big Ten Championship Game Expert Picks: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/30/2017

The Big Ten Championship Game features the only unbeaten team in the Power 5 conferences. Despite the fact that there is a good chance that a two-loss team will make the playoff, Wisconsin likely has no margin for error when it comes to making the top four - they need to win to be in. If Ohio State wins then they will be in the playoff picture, but they will be far from a lock.

2017 ACC Championship Game Expert Picks: Clemson vs. Miami Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/30/2017

The ACC has had a championship game since 2005, and Miami is making just their first appearance. Given where Miami has been at the height of their program, that is a striking fact - especially because eight other ACC programs have played in the game. It changes, though, as Miami is not only in this game but will play in a much bigger one with a win here. As has been a case every year of the playoff, the ACC Championship Game has massive playoff implications.

2017 Big 12 Championship Game Expert Picks: Oklahoma vs. TCU Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/30/2017

The Big 12 Championship Game - the first played by the conference since they went to 10 teams after the 2010 game - has very significant playoff implications, but only for one of these teams. If Oklahoma wins then they are a playoff team. If TCU wins, though, they have no chance of making the final four, but they will make things very interesting. They would open up a spot for an unexpected team - perhaps Clemson if they lose to Miami, Ohio State if they beat Wisconsin, or Alabama.

2017 Pac-12 Championship Game Expert Picks for Stanford Cardinal vs. USC Trojans
by Trevor Whenham - 11/30/2017

This is the worst of the five Power 5 conference championship games, and it's not even close. Every other game has a very good chance of sending their winner to the playoff. The winner here has basically no chance of making it. Stanford is totally eliminated already due to their three losses, and USC would need to win this game by a million and then have absolutely everything go their way. It's not happening.

College Football Playoff Scenarios with Expert Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/29/2017

Last weekend's games were supposed to provide clarity for the College Football Playoff picture. The Crimson Tide and Miami were going to win. Things were going to be simple and straightforward. This weekend's conference championship games were going to have little intrigue. Simple. But those two teams didn't win, of course, and now we have a fair bit of chaos.