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August 2007
This is the ninth of a 10-part college football betting season preview.
Southern Mississippi and Houston, the winners of the respective East and West divisions of CUSA last season, again will be the teams to beat this year. (2006 Regular season records in parentheses):
CUSA EAST
SOUTHERN MISS (8-5 SU, 5-7 ATS): The only one of five CUSA teams to win a bowl last year, Southern Miss returns eight starters to the league's top-ranked defense and has experience at QB and RB.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 49-32
ATS: 36-40-1
HF: 15-15
HD: 1-2
AF: 11-10-1
AD: 9-13
Bets and Pieces: Southern Miss is 13-2 ATS versus Memphis, since 1992.
CENTRAL FLORIDA (4-8 SU, 4-7 ATS): The Knights return the most starters in CUSA (17) from a team that was devastated by injuries last season. Look for a reversal of fortunes this year.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 35-46
ATS: 32-42
HF: 8-7
HD: 7-9
AF: 4-9
AD: 13-17
Bets and Pieces: UCF is 0-6 ATS as an away college football betting favorite the last four seasons.
MEMPHIS (2-10 SU, 3-7-1 ATS): Like Central Florida, Memphis, which returns 16 starters from a team that lost five games by a touchdown or less, should be vastly improved.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 36-44
ATS: 32-41-1
HF: 9-14
HD: 9-5
AF: 4-9
AD: 10-13-1
Bets and Pieces: Memphis is just 13-23 ATS as a favorite, the last seven seasons.
MARSHALL (5-7 SU, 4-7 ATS): The Thundering Herd probably will be better than last year but with a non-conference schedule that includes teams such as Miami, West Virginia and Cincinnati, plus a difficult league slate, the record could be worse.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 50-32
ATS: 29-43-3
HF: 12-14-2
HD: 5-0
AF: 6-13-1
AD: 6-16
Bets and Pieces: Since 2000, Marshall is 5-0 ATS as a home underdog in college football betting.
EAST CAROLINA (7-5 SU, 10-2 ATS): The Pirates will rely on a quality defense but a schedule that has them on the road against Houston, UTEP and Memphis (not to mention non-conference visits to West Virginia and Virginia Tech) will make another winning record difficult.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 32-48
ATS: 41-37-1
HF: 9-9
HD: 9-10
AF: 6-6
AD: 17-11-1
Bets and Pieces: Since 1990, the visitor is 12-4-1 ATS in the East Carolina-Southern Miss series.
ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM (3-9 SU, 4-8 ATS): With just eight returning lettermen and a new head coach the Blazers will be hard-pressed to find more than a couple of victories this season.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 38-42
ATS: 38-38-1
HF: 10-16
HD: 7-1-1
AF: 4-9
AD: 17-12
Bets and Pieces: UAB is a stellar 7-1-1 ATS in the role of home underdog the last seven years.
CUSA WEST
HOUSTON (10-3 SU, 8-4 ATS): The loss of four-year starting QB Kevin Kolb is huge but the Cougars, who return 13 starters and a league-high 52 lettermen, remain the team to beat.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 34-47
ATS: 34-44-1
HF: 11-12
HD: 7-9
AF: 4-5-1
AD: 12-17
Bets and Pieces: Houston has covered the spread just once in its last six meetings against Memphis.
TULSA (8-4 SU, 6-5 ATS): Paul Smith should be the best quarterback in the league but the Golden Hurricane returns just 10 starters and must learn a different system under new head coach Todd Graham.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 35-48
ATS: 38-39-2
HF: 9-7
HD: 10-10-1
AF: 7-6-1
AD: 12-16
Bets and Pieces: The road team is 8-1-1 ATS in the last 10 encounters between Tulsa and Memphis.
UTEP (5-7 SU, 5-7 ATS): The Miners return just four starters (none up front) to a defense that ranked 10th in CUSA last season but coach Mike Price is hoping that improved running game will help keep his defense off the field.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 35-46
ATS: 33-42
HF: 9-10
HD: 7-8
AF: 4-6
AD: 13-18
Bets and Pieces: Slow-starting UTEP is 6-22-1 ATS on the road in September games since 1991 in college football betting.
SMU (6-6 SU, 6-5 ATS): With most of their skill positions well stocked, the Mustangs should put up some big numbers. But the schedule is tough with SMU forced to play the top three teams in the East (S. Miss, CFU, and Memphis) this year.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 24-57
ATS: 37-43
HF: 8-6
HD: 13-13
AF: 3-4
AD: 13-20
Bets and Pieces: The visitor is 1-9-1 ATS in the SMU-Rice series the last 11 meetings.
RICE (7-5 SU, 9-3 ATS): The Owls were 5-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less last year but will their good fortune continue? Their offense is loaded but their defense will bee among the league's most porous.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 31-49
ATS: 43-36-1
HF: 8-6
HD: 14-5-1
AF: 3-8
AD: 17-16
Bets and Pieces: Rice is 25-8-1 ATS as a home underdog since 1994.
TULANE (4-8 SU, 4-8 ATS): New head Coach Bob Toledo inherits a team that will be green (pun intended) at quarterback and must learn a fresh system. The defense should be improved, giving Tulane a chance to escape the Western Division cellar.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2000-2006)
SU: 32-49
ATS: 34-41-1
HF: 7-4
HD: 9-14-1
AF: 4-3
AD: 14-20
Bets and Pieces: Since 1995, the home team is 8-2 ATS in the Tulane-Army series.
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 Mid-America Conference.
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