Week 1 Predictions and Premium Picks
The team highlighted in green is the team predicted to cover the Vegas spread listed. The picks and Vegas spreads will generally be locked down Friday at 5PM to get a better gauge on the percentage correct each week. The game picker will be used in tandem with the intangibles to generate green picks each week. Weather will be added within a day or two of gameday for each game.
Premium Picks:
Thursday (September 1st):
Appalachian St vs Tennessee
(Vegas Tennessee -20.5 ) (Game Picker Tennessee by 30.86)
MOSTLY CLOUDY, 30% CHANCE SHOWER/STORMS. NORTH WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 79, RH 64% HEAT INDEX 82
A lot of folks are thinking Appalachian St will give Tennessee a great game in this one. I’m not buying it. Appalachian St did go 11-2 last year, but it was for the most part against lower tier competition. In the one game where they played a top 10 team, Appalachian St lost 41-10 to Clemson. Tennessee returns 9 starters on Offense and 8 starters on Defense. Tennessee scored 35.2 points per game last year while playing in the SEC. On Defense the Volunteers only gave up 20 points per game in a very tough conference. If you are doing any daily fantasy contests, load up on the Tennessee QB, RBs, and Receivers as they will be a total mismatch for the Appalachian St defense. Tennessee could very well run the table in the SEC west and should roll in this game.
Friday (September 2nd):
Kansas St vs Stanford
(Vegas Stanford -14 ) (Game Picker Stanford by 23.34)
FAIR, NORTHWEST WIND 6-11. GAME TEMP 67, RH 60%
Kansas St will continue to improve this year, but they will be no match for Stanford. Stanford will be loaded on both sides of the ball and will compete with Washington for the PAC 12 championship. Specifically Stanford’s running game led by Christian McCaffrey Jr, will be a mismatch for Kansas St’s run defense. Combined with Stanford’s strong defense and Kansas St’s very average offense, this should a three touchdown win for Stanford.
Saturday (September 3rd):
Oklahoma vs Houston
(Vegas Oklahoma -10 ) (Game Picker Oklahoma by 18.72)
This is another game where the hype machine on Houston has gotten out of control after they beat Florida St in the Peach Bowl last year finishing 13-1 and 8th in the final poll. Houston also caught Louisville in the Auburn/Clemson national TV sandwich winning 34-31. Taking a closer look, out of Houston’s 13 wins, 6 came against teams with losing records. Houston also lost 4 of their 6 top tacklers from last year. Houston will be fired up at home for the visiting Sooners and may keep it close at the beginning. However, Oklahoma is absolutely loaded on both sides of the ball. Oklahoma should be able to move the ball at will on Houston with big mismatches in both the running game and passing game versus Houston’s defense. Oklahoma also brings in one of the top secondaries in the nation which will take most of the sting out of Houston’s pass offense. Oklahoma will be ready and will roll by two or three touchdowns in this game.
Clemson vs Auburn
(Vegas Clemson -7 ) (Game Picker Clemson by 14.11)
Clemson will be a legit national contender again this year. Clemson returns 8 starters from a team that averaged 515 yards per game and put up 550 yards against Alabama in the title game. On defense, Coach Dabo Sweeney loves to rotate players, so they will be tough again despite just returning 4 starters. Auburn will have a pretty good defense returning 6 key starters including Carl Lawson Jr, but will still struggle to stop the Clemson train if it gets rolling. On offense, Auburn took a huge blow losing their top running back Jovon Robinson to team violations. Kenyon Johnson will try to shoulder the load with little proven depth behind him at running back. An unproven John Franklin II Jr will be the likely starter at QB which will be a tough first game assignment against Clemson. Coach Malzahn will have a few tricks up his sleeve for Coach Dabo, but in the end Clemson will cover the points.
LSU vs Wisconsin
(Vegas LSU -9 ) (Game Picker LSU by 16.24)
The difference in this game will be LSU’s defense. LSU returns 9 key starters on defense and will be one of the top defensive units in the nation. To add insult to injury, LSU hired Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator Dave Aranda in the offseason. Coach Aranda should be pretty well versed in stopping the Wisconsin running game. LSU will have one more year of Leonard Fournette Jr, behind a veteran offensive line. LSU also has two NFL type wide receivers who should benefit from LSU’s improved QB Brandon Harris Jr. Wisconsin will get a bit of a home field advantage in this game, but LSU fans travel well and will be loud at Lambeau Field. Wisconsin benefitted from a soft Big 10 schedule last year but ended the year with a big bowl win against USC. LSU will prove to be too much for the Badgers and should cover the spread by a comfortable margin late in this game.
Office Pool Picks
Friday (August 26th ) – Hawaii vs California
(Vegas California -19.5 ) (Game Picker California by 25.05 )
California wins 51-31
Thursday (September 1st) – Indiana vs Florida International
(Vegas Indiana -8.5 ) (Game Picker Indiana by 16.65 )
PARTLY CLOUDY, SOUTH WIND 7-12. GAME TEMP 85, RH 72% HEAT INDEX 93
UNC Charlotte vs Louisville
(Vegas Louisville -40 ) (Game Picker Louisville by 36.30)
FAIR, NORTH WIND 7-12. GAME TEMP 75, RH 57% HEAT INDEX 78
Tulane vs Wake Forest
(Vegas Wake Forest -18) (Game Picker Wake Forest by 10.89)
PARTLY CLOUDY, NORTH WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 78, RH 66% HEAT INDEX 81
Rice vs Western Kentucky
(Vegas Western Kentucky -15.5 ) (Game Picker Western Kentucky by 26.85)
TV: CBSC, DTV: 221 | FAIR, NORTH WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 76, RH 59% HEAT INDEX 78
South Carolina vs Vanderbilt
(Vegas Vanderbilt -4.5 ) (Game Picker Vanderbilt by 2.32)
FAIR, NORTH WIND 9-14. GAME TEMP 79, RH 64% HEAT INDEX 82
Oregon St vs Minnesota
(Vegas Minnesota -13 ) (Game Picker Minnesota by 8.34)
FAIR, EAST WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 71, RH 56% HEAT INDEX 71
Appalachian St vs Tennessee
(Vegas Tennessee -20.5 ) (Game Picker Tennessee by 30.86)
MOSTLY CLOUDY, 30% CHANCE SHOWER/STORMS. NORTH WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 79, RH 64% HEAT INDEX 82
Friday (September 2nd) Ball St vs Georgia St
(Vegas Georgia St -2.5 ) (Game Picker Georgia St by 3.53)
Dome
Army vs Temple
(Vegas Temple -14.5 ) (Game Picker Temple by 13.92)
PARTLY CLOUDY, NORTHEAST WIND 5-10. GAME TEMP 78, RH 48% HEAT INDEX 79
The line moved close enough to take Temple at home.
Colorado St vs Colorado
(Vegas Colorado -8.5 ) (Game Picker Colorado by 4.17)
MOSTLY CLOUDY, SOUTHWEST WIND 10-15, GUSTY. GAME TEMP 80, RH 32% HEAT INDEX 79
Kansas St vs Stanford
(Vegas Stanford -14 ) (Game Picker Stanford by 23.34)
MOSTLY FAIR, NORTHWEST WIND 8-13. GAME TEMP 72, RH 51% HEAT INDEX 72
Toledo vs Arkansas St
(Vegas Arkansas St -4.5 ) (Game Picker Toledo by 4.71)
FAIR, NORTHEAST WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 74, RH 61% HEAT INDEX 77
Saturday (September 3rd) Georgia Tech vs Boston College
(Vegas Georgia Tech -3 ) (Game Picker Georgia Tech by 3.24)
MOSTLY CLOUDY, 70% CHANCE SHOWERS. SOUTHWEST WIND 10-15. GAME TEMP 64, RH 84%
Hawaii vs Michigan
(Vegas Michigan -39.5 ) (Game Picker Michigan by 42.31)
MOSTLY SUNNY, EAST WIND 5-10. GAME TEMP 73, RH 57% HEAT INDEX 75
Miami Ohio vs Iowa
(Vegas Iowa -28 ) (Game Picker Iowa by 26.22)
MOSTLY SUNNY, SOUTHEAST WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 76, RH 51% HEAT INDEX 78
Western Michigan vs Northwestern
(Vegas Northwestern -6.5 ) (Game Picker Northwestern by 3.19)
MOSTLY SUNNY, EAST WIND 5-10. GAME TEMP 73, RH 59% HEAT INDEX 75
Bowling Green vs Ohio St
(Vegas Ohio St -26.5 ) (Game Picker Ohio St by 35.69)
MOSTLY SUNNY, NORTHEAST WIND 5-10. GAME TEMP 76, RH 51% HEAT INDEX 78
Kent St vs Penn St
(Vegas Penn St -20 ) (Game Picker Penn St by 23.04)
PARTLY CLOUDY, NORTHEAST WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 75, RH 49% HEAT INDEX 77
Missouri vs West Virginia
(Vegas West Virginia -9.5 ) (Game Picker West Virginia by 12.18)
PARTLY CLOUDY, NORTHEAST WIND 5-10. GAME TEMP 72, RH 59% HEAT INDEX 73
New Mexico St vs UTEP
(Vegas UTEP -6.5 ) (Game Picker UTEP by 6.43)
New Mexico St is dealing with several key injuries.
MOSTLY FAIR, SOUTH WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 91, RH 27% HEAT INDEX 89
SMU vs North Texas
(Vegas SMU -12 ) (Game Picker SMU by 6.02)
MOSTLY FAIR, SOUTHEAST WIND 5-10. GAME TEMP 87, RH 42% HEAT INDEX 88
South Alabama vs Mississippi St
(Vegas Mississippi St -32.5 ) (Game Picker Mississippi St by 25.24)
MOSTLY SUNNY, NORTH WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 85, RH 52% HEAT INDEX 88
Texas St vs Ohio
(Vegas Ohio -21.5 ) (Game Picker Ohio by 12.51)
| MOSTLY SUNNY, NORTHEAST WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 82, RH 42% HEAT INDEX 82 |
Southern Miss vs Kentucky
(Vegas Kentucky -7 ) (Game Picker Kentucky by 1.42)
FAIR, NORTHEAST WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 76, RH 55% HEAT INDEX 78
La Tech vs Arkansas
(Vegas Arkansas -26 ) (Game Picker Arkansas by 21.36)
MOSTLY SUNNY, SOUTHEAST WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 81, RH 43% HEAT INDEX 81
UMass vs Florida
(Vegas Florida -36.5 ) (Game Picker Florida by 25.68)
MOSTLY CLOUDY, 40% CHANCE SHOWER/STORMS. SOUTHWEST WIND 5-10. GAME TEMP 77, RH 90% HEAT INDEX 82
Clemson vs Auburn
(Vegas Clemson -7 ) (Game Picker Clemson by 14.11)
MOSTLY FAIR, EAST WIND 2-7. GAME TEMP 82, RH 60% HEAT INDEX 85
UCLA vs Texas AM
(Vegas Texas AM -3 ) (Game Picker UCLA by 0.78)
FAIR, NORTHEAST WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 90, RH 49% HEAT INDEX 96
San Jose St vs Tulsa
(Vegas Tulsa -4.5 ) (Game Picker Tulsa by 5.35)
FAIR, SOUTHEAST WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 83, RH 45% HEAT INDEX 84
Rutgers vs Washington
(Vegas Washington -25 ) (Game Picker Washington by 27.21)
MOSTLY SUNNY, EAST WIND 5-10. GAME TEMP 75, RH 55% HEAT INDEX 78
LSU vs Wisconsin
(Vegas LSU -9 ) (Game Picker LSU by 16.24)
MOSTLY SUNNY, SOUTH WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 75, RH 53% HEAT INDEX 77
Georgia vs North Carolina
(Vegas Georgia -2.5) (Game Picker Georgia by 2.87)
Dome
Oklahoma vs Houston
(Vegas Oklahoma -10 ) (Game Picker Oklahoma by 18.72)
MOSTLY CLOUDY, 20% CHANCE SHOWER/STORMS. EAST WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 85, RH 65% HEAT INDEX 91 (NRG STADIUM ROOF CLOSES IN WET WEATHER)
Fresno St vs Nebraska
(Vegas Nebraska -29 ) (Game Picker Nebraska by 24.52)
PARTLY CLOUDY, SOUTH WIND 9-14. GAME TEMP 75, RH 59% HEAT INDEX 78
USC vs Alabama
(Vegas Alabama -10 ) (Game Picker Alabama by 15.71)
FAIR, EAST WIND 6-11. GAME TEMP 86, RH 44% HEAT INDEX 87 (A T and T STADIUM ROOF MAY CLOSE IN HOT WEATHER)
Boise St vs La Lafayette
(Vegas Boise St -19.5 ) (Game Picker Boise St by 21.83)
MOSTLY SUNNY, NORTH WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 84, RH 64% HEAT INDEX 89
BYU vs Arizona
(Vegas Arizona -2 ) (Game Picker BYU by 1.97)
FAIR, SOUTHWEST WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 100, RH 13% HEAT INDEX 95 (UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM ROOF MAY CLOSE IN HOT WEATHER)
Northern Illinois vs Wyoming
(Vegas Northern Illinois -10.5 ) (Game Picker Northern Illinois by 6.69)
Notre Dame vs Texas
(Vegas Notre Dame -4.5 ) (Game Picker Notre Dame by 1.26)
MOSTLY FAIR, SOUTHEAST WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 89, RH 57% HEAT INDEX 97
Ole Miss vs Florida St
(Vegas Florida St -4.5 ) (Game Picker Florida St by 1.42)
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