2019 Auburn Tigers College Football Odds and Expert Betting Picks

2018 Record: 8-5

2019 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 8.0

2019 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Push'

This season feels like The Alamo for Gus Malzahn. The Tigers coach won a National Championship with the Tigers as a coordinator in 2010 and came seconds away from another national title in 2013. However, 2018 was Auburn's fourth middling season in five years, and now Malzahn is on the ropes.

This is a tough team to wrap your mind around. They are one of the best teams in the country in the trenches. All five of their offensive linemen are seniors and all five returning starters with a combined 104 career starts. The defensive line is just as stout, with three returning starters. Defensive end Marlon Davidson is a four-year starter and end Nick Coe (third team), and beastly tackle Derrick Brown (second team) were both all-SEC performers.

Malzahn is back to calling plays for the Auburn offense. But if there is a glaring weakness on this team, it is the lack of a clear-cut replacement for quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Highly-touted freshman Bo Nix and redshirt freshmen Joey Gatewood are locked in a quarterback battle. Whomever they go with will be a first-time starter, and that means first-time starter mistakes.

Auburn does have its top four rushers back. And with an improved and experienced offensive line, I expect Malzahn to try to ram the ball down opponents' throats.

The Tigers rookie quarterback, whoever he is, is going to be thrown directly into the fire. Auburn opens with one of the biggest nonconference games of the season, taking on No. 13 Oregon in Arlington. Last year Auburn opened against another ranked Pac-12 opponent, Washington, and won 21-16.

Auburn has only four road games this year. But they are tough. And three of them come in a row (with a bye week mixed in). The Tigers not only face Oregon out of conference, but in league play they have three games against Top 10 opponents in LSU, Georgia and Alabama. Mix in road games at Texas A&M and Florida, and there are a lot of landmines on this schedule.

The Tigers do get to close out with four straight home games. That will likely be Malzahn's last stand, especially November home games with Georgia and Alabama, two league teams that have left this Tigers program in the dust.

If Auburn doesn't beat Oregon - and the Tigers are slim three-point favorites - then they have no chance of clearing this win total. I think they will pull an upset in one of their three big SEC games. However, I also think they could lose another road game. If this number was 7.5, I would pounce on the 'over'. If it was 8.5 then I would play 'under'. Since 8.0 is our number I'll call for the 'push'.

Robert Ferringo has been the top football handicapper in the country the past nine years, earning nearly $40,000 in total football profit (average profit: +$4,400). He has also posted 7 of 9 winning seasons (including three straight winning years) and produced an amazing 50 of 76 winning football months over the past 12 years. Robert has eight of 10 winning NFL preseasons and he is at nearly 60 percent winners over his last 1,000 totals picks. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted three of five winning seasons. Robert is looking for a fourth straight winning football year and wants more profit this fall. SIGN UP HERE TODAY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR 3-FOR-1 FOOTBALL SPECIALS!

We are offering new clients $60 in free college football picks for Robert's picks or any Advisory Board handicapper of your choosing. Get your free college football picks now!

Read more articles by Robert Ferringo