College Football Handicapping Articles

Big Ten Championship Game Picks: Michigan State vs. Iowa Odds and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 12/3/2015

The playoffs don't actually start until New Year's Eve, but in these games we essentially get a bonus round. It's very simple - not only will the winner of this game win the Big Ten, but they will be one of the four teams in the College Football Playoff. Losing this game will mean that a very strong season will end on a bitter note. They could wind up in the Rose Bowl, though organizers of that game may opt for Ohio State instead, so that's not even certain. This is as big as a championship game can get.

SEC Championship Game Picks: Florida vs. Alabama Odds and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 12/3/2015

Here's a shocking headline - the Crimson Tide are on the verge of making the College Football Playoff with a win here. It seems as inevitable as the sun coming up that Alabama is right in the mix when things come down to the wire every year. They just know what they are doing, and they have an endless supply of spectacular talent to make things work. Given that, it's quite amazing that the Tide have a chance to become the first SEC team to win back-to-back conference titles since Tennessee did it in Peyton Manning's last year and the year after. Be honest - you'd have guessed that Alabama had done it probably twice since then.

NCAA Football Odds: Line Movements & Last-Minute News for Week 14
by Alan Matthews - 12/3/2015

Feels like about five minutes ago that South Carolina and North Carolina kicked off the 2015 college football season in Charlotte on Sept. 3. Rather ironically, the Tar Heels lost close in that one but haven't been beaten since and they have a chance in Charlotte on Saturday to upend the College Football Playoff with an upset of No. 1 Clemson (-5). If that doesn't happen, then I believe Sunday's final CFP rankings will be met with a giant yawn because the national semifinalists will be Clemson, Alabama (-18 vs. Florida), Oklahoma and the Big Ten Championship Game winner between No. 4 Iowa and No. 5 Michigan State (-3.5).

ACC Championship Game Picks: North Carolina vs. Clemson Odds and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 12/3/2015

This is a very nervous time for the entire Clemson program. The worst of times, really. Sure, it's a good problem to have - they are the No. 1-ranked team in the country. There is just no upside in this game, however, and mountains of downside. Win and you get a conference championship that proves nothing and has seemed inevitable for weeks. Lose, though, and the whole season comes crashing down - they could quite easily go from No. 1 to out of the playoffs entirely if they don't perform well and teams below them - like Stanford, for example - shine in their final opportunities to impress the committee.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report: Temple Owls Week 14
by Aaron Smith - 12/3/2015

The Week 14 edition of the NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report is ready to go! It's the fourth year for this article at Doc's Sports. The goal of this weekly piece is to attempt to show that specialization can be a profitable betting strategy. For the mid-major betting report, we follow one team throughout the season and make selections on their games on a weekly basis. Temple was picked this year because of their ability to have a breakout season.

Handicapping and Betting NCAA Football Bowl Games Involving Interim Coaches
by Trevor Whenham - 12/3/2015

It has been a crazy coaching carousel season in the world of college football already, and it's still early. We could see more programs making changes soon, but at this point there are six bowl-bound programs that have faced a coaching change since the start of the season. Of those six, four face uncertain coaching situations at this point -- USC and Toledo have both permanently promoted coordinators to the head job.

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 14 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/30/2015

The first College Football Playoff had some controversy with Ohio State jumping over TCU and Baylor into the Top 4 in the final rankings. The committee clearly turned out to be right there, however. If the favorites in this Saturday's Power 5 conference championship games all win, then the playoff field should be controversy-free. It's going to be Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma and the winner of the Big Ten Championship Game between Michigan State and Iowa.

NCAA Football Odds: Line Movements & Last-Minute News for Week 13
by Alan Matthews - 11/27/2015

In some ways, this week's games are more important, if that's the word I'm looking for, than those conference championship games next weekend to close the regular season. Why do I think that? One major reason is that two teams likely battling head-to-head for a College Football Playoff spot, No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 6 Notre Dame, conclude their regular seasons. So they can't help themselves after Saturday.

NCAA Football Expert Picks Against the Spread: Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 11/26/2015

It's good to have it back. This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. The last time it was either relevant or particularly evenly-matched, though, was in 2006 when Ohio State, ranked No. 1 in the country, beat second-ranked Michigan 42-39 in an all-time classic game. Since then Michigan has won just once and has gone through some dark days - not to mention three coaching changes. The one Michigan win came when Ohio State was going through a coaching change of their own - Jim Tressel had been fired before the 2011 season, and things were not going smoothly under interim coach and current defensive coordinator Luke Fickell.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report: Temple Owls Week 13
by Aaron Smith - 11/25/2015

The Week 13 edition of the NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report is ready to go! It's the fourth year for this article at Doc's Sports. The goal of this weekly piece is to attempt to show that specialization can be a profitable betting strategy. For the mid-major betting report, we follow one team throughout the season and make selections on their games on a weekly basis. Temple was picked this year because of the intrigue surrounding the conference as well as their ability to have a breakout season with a lot of returning talent.

College Football Handicapping: Odds and Analysis Weekend Key Games
by Trevor Whenham - 11/24/2015

The last week of the regular season always has plenty of intrigue as the final race for conference championship spots is settled. This year, though, it seems like we have even more drama than usual thanks to the effective work of the schedule makers. We have plenty of rivalry games, and several have more on the line than usual. These games are important to identify and understand the implications of for bettors.

NCAA Football Betting: Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks Week 13
by Aaron Smith - 11/24/2015

The Week 13 edition of the Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks article is here. It was the second big shakeup of the top of the rankings last weekend. Ohio State's loss at home to Michigan State was the biggest story. Ohio State didn't look ready to play in that game. The Buckeyes are almost certainly out of the College Football Playoff with that loss. Oklahoma State's loss at home to Baylor hurt them a great deal. Oklahoma is now in a better position, but they have to beat Oklahoma State on the road this weekend.

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 13 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/23/2015

Hard to believe we are already at the final full week of the college football regular season, and just about everything remains up for grabs. Clemson should remain No. 1 in the new College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night, and the Tigers shouldn't have too much trouble winning at terrible South Carolina -- which somehow lost to The Citadel in Week 12 -- on Saturday. The Tigers might have their hands full the following week, however, against red-hot North Carolina in the ACC title game.

NCAA Football Odds: Line Movements & Last-Minute News for Week 12
by Alan Matthews - 11/20/2015

Some interesting scuttlebutt this week that LSU might force out Coach Les Miles if the Tigers lose either this week against Ole Miss or next against Texas A&M. If the Tigers lose out, that would make LSU a mediocre 13-11 in SEC games the past three years. Just a few weeks ago, LSU was No. 2 in the CFP rankings and unbeaten but has since been humbled by Alabama and Arkansas and seen Leonard Fournette's Heisman chances vanish.

NCAA Football Expert Picks Against the Spread LSU at Ole Miss Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 11/19/2015

There are games that probably mean more than this one this weekend. Michigan State at Ohio State has massive implications in the Big Ten. Two games in the Big 12 could bring clarity to the conference race or further muddy the picture. What makes this game worthy of writing about, though - aside from it being a game between two pretty good SEC teams - is Les Miles. This situation reminds us yet again of just how thankless the job of head coach of a major program can be.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report: Temple Owls Week 12
by Aaron Smith - 11/18/2015

The Week 12 edition of the NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report is set to go! It's year No. 4 for this article at Doc's Sports. The goal of this weekly piece is to attempt to show that specialization can be a profitable betting strategy. For the mid-major betting report, we follow one team throughout the season and make selections on their games on a weekly basis. Temple was picked this year because of the intrigue surrounding the conference as well as their ability to have a breakout season.

NCAA Football Betting: Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks Week 12
by Aaron Smith - 11/18/2015

The Week 12 edition of the Fading the Top 25 Weekly Free Picks article is ready to go. After a big shakeup in the polls last week, the Top 5 remained the same in this week's College Football Playoff Rankings. That doesn't mean the Top 25 teams did well at the betting window last week, though. In fact, the AP Top 25 as a whole last week went an ugly 9-15 against the spread. Unfortunately, as has happened a couple times this year, despite the Top 25 doing poorly, the selections at made at the end of the article weren't the correct ones. I faded the wrong teams last week.

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 12 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/16/2015

The Big 12 was the Power 5 conference left stewing last season in regards to the College Football Playoff. And while I think the Big 12 could be left out again, I'm certain now that the Pac-12 is going to miss out on the playoff this year.

NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report: Temple Owls Week 11
by Aaron Smith - 11/11/2015

The week 11 edition of the NCAA Football Mid-Major Betting Report is ready to go! It's year No. 4 for this article at Doc's Sports. The goal of this weekly piece is to attempt to show that specialization can be a profitable betting strategy. For the mid-major betting report, we follow one team throughout the season and make selections on their games on a weekly basis. Temple was picked this year because of the intrigue surrounding the conference as well as their ability to have a breakout season.

NCAA Football Expert Picks Against the Spread: Oklahoma Sooners at Baylor Bears
by Trevor Whenham - 11/10/2015

The Big 12 either did the coolest or stupidest thing ever when setting up their schedules this year. There are only a small handful of good teams in the conference, and all of them play each other in the last month of the season. It will make it perhaps the most interesting conference down the stretch, but there is a good chance they will all cannibalize each other and, for the second year in a row, the conference could be left outside of the playoff picture.