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July 2007
This is the fourth of a 10-part college football betting season preview.
Virginia Tech and Florida State have top five, if not national title aspirations and no team in the Atlantic Division will be an easy target. (2006 Regular season records in parentheses):
Coastal Division
VIRGINIA TECH (10-2 SU, 7-4 ATS): The Gobblers will have plenty of backers in the wake of the terrible campus shooting disaster earlier in the year and have the personnel to reward those followers. But the schedule is daunting, including road trips to LSU, Clemson and Georgia Tech and home games against Florida State and Miami.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 65-18
ATS: 47-33
HF: 24-18
HD: 3-0
AF: 17-12
AD: 2-2
Bets and Pieces: With a 27-18 record ATS, Virginia Tech has been a reliable football betting play at home the last seven years.
GEORGIA TECH (9-4 SU, 6-5-1 ATS): Yes, All-America WR Calvin Johnson is gone but the defending Coastal champions will have a stifling defense and should be headed to another good bowl.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 51-31
ATS: 38-39-2
HF: 14-15
HD: 5-6
AF: 7-7-1
AD: 12-9-1
Bets and Pieces: Georgia Tech is just 4-12 ATS versus state rival Georgia, the last 16 games of this series.
VIRGINIA (5-7 SU, 5-7 ATS): With 19 returning starters, the Cavaliers won't lack for experience. There's strength on both lines and Virginia should be back in the hunt for a bowl berth.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 45-37
ATS: 40-40
HF: 16-11
HD: 12-3
AF: 6-8
AD: 6-18
Bets and Pieces: Virginia is just 12-26 ATS on the road the last seven seasons.
MIAMI (6-6 SU, 4-7 ATS): Randy Shannon takes over the top job of a Miami team that should be much better than last year's disappointing squad. But road trips to Oklahoma, Florida State and Virginia Tech will deny the Hurricanes a huge turnaround.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 66-14
ATS: 37-41
HF: 16-23
HD: 2-1
AF: 14-15
AD: 5-2
Bets and Pieces: The underdog is 9-3 ATS in the Miami-Virginia Tech series, the last 15 meetings.
NORTH CAROLINA (3-9 SU, 4-7 ATS): Butch Davis will make an impact in Chapel Hill but not this year when the Tar Heels welcome back just nine starters, fewest in the ACC.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 32-49
ATS: 38-41
HF: 5-12
HD: 12-12
AF: 4-2
AD: 17-15
Bets and Pieces: The Tar Heels are 11-3 ATS and Wake Forest the last 14 meetings.
DUKE (0-12 SU, 5-6 ATS): Even with all 11 starters back on offense, the Blue Devils have little hope of avoiding the Coastal Division basement.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 9-71
ATS: 34-42
HF: 0-3
HD: 13-22
AF: 0-1
AD: 21-16
Bets and Pieces: With a 13-25 record ATS at home, betting the visitor has been a profitable tactic over the past seven seasons.
Atlantic Division
FLORIDA STATE (6-6 SU, 5-7 ATS): Bobby Bowden has revamped his coaching staff and the 14 returning starters are the most in Tallahassee since the Seminoles' title run in 1999.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 59-24
ATS: 40-42
HF: 18-22
HD: 1-1
AF: 16-15
AD: 3-3
Bets and Pieces: The home team is 14-5 ATS the last 19 meetings in the Florida State-Florida rivalry.
CLEMSON (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS): The Tigers lost more lettermen (28) than any team in the league but still could challenge for division honors if they can beat Florida State at home on opening day, Sept. 3.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 51-29
ATS: 36-39-2
HF: 13-18-1
HD: 7-4
AF: 4-10-1
AD: 11-7
Bets and Pieces: The visitor is 14-4 ATS in the Clemson-South Carolina rivalry the past 18 meetings.
WAKE FOREST (11-2 SU, 8-4 ATS): This year's Demon Deacon team could be better than the ACC champion '06 squad but will Wake Forest again be so fortunate to win three games by a field goal or less?
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 38-43
ATS: 35-39-3
HF: 3-15-1
HD: 11-7-1
AF: 2-5
AD: 18-11-1
Bets and Pieces: When it comes to football betting with Wake Forest, take the points! Wake Forest is 29-18-2 as an underdog but just 5-20-1 as a favorite over the last seven seasons.
MARYLAND (8-4 SU, 4-7 ATS): The Terrapins lived on the edge last year, winning six games by six points or less so winning the close ones will be imperative again if this team, with 14 returning starters, makes a run in the ACC.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 52-29
ATS: 43-35
HF: 17-14
HD: 5-5
AF: 8-6
AD: 13-8
Bets and Pieces: The home team is 10-3 ATS the last 13 games in the Maryland-Virginia series.
BOSTON COLLEGE (9-3 SU, 5-5-1 ATS): Breaking in a new head coach (Jeff Jagodzinski) will be a disadvantage in an otherwise very well balanced division. The Golden Eagles return 16 starters but the schedule is difficult.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 53-27
ATS: 43-33-2
HF: 19-11-2
HD: 6-3
AF: 9-10
AD: 9-9
Bets and Pieces: Over the last 11 meetings, the home team is 9-2 ATS in the Boston College-Miami series.
NC STATE (3-9 SU, 3-8 ATS): Tom O'Brien takes over a team that lost eight games by eight points or less last year and, with a little luck (and a lot of discipline), could be much improved this season.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 45-36
ATS: 33-42
HF: 10-19
HD: 4-7
AF: 4-12
AD: 14-4
Bets and Pieces: The underdog is 11-4 ATSW in the NC State-North Carolina rivalry, over the last 15 meetings.
Legend:
SU = Straight Up
ATS = Against the Spread
HF = Home Favorite
HD = Home Underdog
AF = Away Favorite
AD = Away Underdog
Our next college football betting analysis will be on the Big 12.
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