Sam Panayotovich
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
If you thought college football was a roller coaster last Saturday, it’s time to buckle up for a bigger game – and an even more interesting one – this Saturday.
FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” will set the table bright and early from Provo, Utah, and then we’ll be treated to 12 consecutive hours of Top 25 matchups across the country.
So now is the time to start making excuses for your weekend plans.
20 of the top 25 teams in the AP poll are in action, including a top-5 showdown at Autzen Stadium, the legendary Red River Rivalry, a top-15 matchup under lights at LSU, and Penn State vs. BYU’s striving for perfection and Colorado superstar Travis Hunter’s hopeful Heisman Trophy push.
are you ready?
“We’re expecting a great handle,” Motoi Pearson, senior trader at Wynn Resorts, told FOX Sports. “College football has taken a backseat compared to the champion NFL, so when you get a top matchup like this, you try to get the numbers as quickly as possible and try to get as much action as possible from there.”
I thought it would be more fun to play Rapid Fire with Uncle Mo than to be poetic and take the time to build up each famous game.
Let’s go.
3rd Ohio State (-3.5, O/U 53) @ 2nd Oregon State
Saturday, 7:30pm ET, NBC/Peacock
Pearson: “My number is higher. My number is -8 Ohio State. It might sound a little crazy considering where Oregon State was in the preseason, but I think my number is -8. “Ohio State has a very strong defense,” and (Dillon) Gabriel needs to prove to me that he can win big games against elite opponents.
No. 1 Texas (-14, O/U 50.5) vs. No. 18 Oklahoma
Saturday, 3:30pm ET, ABC
Pearson: “I thought the numbers were right from the jump. And this is a game where you can shift the rating a little bit because of the rivalry. That’s also very weird. Both teams advanced with byes, and Oklahoma won. We’re trying to get Oklahoma healthy offensively, and Texas has Georgia. We’ll probably be rooting for Oklahoma behind the counter, and we’re hoping for a big showing.”
No. 9 Ole Miss (-3.5, O/U 62) @ No. 13 LSU
Saturday, 7:30pm ET, ABC
Pearson: “The night game in Baton Rouge is trending positively for LSU, but most of us in the room had Ole Miss at about -5/-5.5. Neither team can afford to screw up. The SEC is a bit of a mess.”Right now, the loser will probably be on the outside looking to make the playoffs, but I’m personally a big Ole Miss fan and will definitely root for that team. . ”
CFB Week 7 Best Bets: Texas vs. Oklahoma, Penn State vs. USC
4th Penn State (-5, O/U 50.5) @ USC
Saturday, 3:30pm ET, CBS
Pearson: “Penn State is probably the toughest team I’ve had to evaluate from an eye test standpoint, along with Oregon, after they dominated West Virginia in the opener. I spent a lot of games sleepwalking. I ended up dropping Penn State to an A.” Just a little bit, but of course USC’s loss at Minnesota hurt the whole equation. The upside is stronger for Penn State. ”
Arizona @ No. 14 BYU (-3.5, O/U 48.5)
Saturday, 4pm ET, FOX/FOX Sports App
Pearson: “This is a huge adjustment from the summer. Arizona obviously hasn’t been as good as expected and BYU is surprisingly undefeated. Well, the Big 12 is wide open right now. I’m still going strong. I don’t even know how BYU, and the general public, would bet on this. I don’t have much of an opinion about it, but I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out. ”
No. 18 Kansas State (-4, O/U 56.5) @ Colorado
Saturday, 10:15pm ET, ESPN
Pearson: “Colorado is a real mystery. And it’s very easy to root for Colorado because of the media hype and the noise that’s almost impossible to ignore. At the same time, the Buffs have Obviously better than expected.” This is a bad situation for Colorado, and it feels like a pretty decent situation to build an underdog against the Wildcats. ”
If you thought Pearson ended the phone conversation without the best of intentions, think again.
“Chattanooga is a move against Furman,” he said. “This is our bet of the week over all the other stupid games we were talking about.”
Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetQL Network. He previously worked at WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter@spshoot.
Enjoy more college football Follow your favorites to stay informed about games, news, and more
Source link