It's easy to underestimate the Big East but the league was 4-2 against the spread (ATS) in bowl games last season, a statistic that should be of great interest to devotees of college football betting. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2009 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers--and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
PITTSBURGH (10-3 SU, 8-4 ATS, 11 RS, 49 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2009)
SU:74-49
ATS: 60-57
HF:19-22
HD:10-6
AF:13-12
AD:14-11
Sportsbook Buster: The Panthers are 1-7 as home favorites of more than 22 points over the last 10 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Pittsburgh has covered three games in a row versus Big East rival Louisville.
WEST VIRGINIA (9-4 SU, 5-7 ATS, 16 RS, 31 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2009)
SU:86-39
ATS: 57-60-2
HF:19-26-1
HD:5-7
AF:18-11-1
AD:11-10
Sportsbook Buster: The Mountaineers have covered 11 of their last 12 games as Big East underdogs.
Sports Betting Angle: West Virginia has covered seven of its last nine games versus Syracuse.
SOUTH FLORIDA (8-5 SU, 6-5 ATS, 15 RS, 59 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2009)
SU: 75-44
ATS: 52-42
HF:17-10
HD:7-6
AF:10-12
AD:14-12
Sportsbook Buster: Since they became a board team in 2001, the Bulls are 17-10 as a home favorite.
Sports Betting Angle: USF has covered five straight games against Syracuse.
CINCINNATI (12-1 SU, 5-7 ATS, 12 RS, 44 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2009)
SU:78-48
ATS: 61-57-2
HF:18-18
HD:12-5
AF:11-15
AD:18-12-2
Sportsbook Buster: The Bearcats are 30-17-2 as underdogs over the past 10 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Cincinnati has covered six straight encounters with South Florida.
CONNECTICUT (8-5 SU, 9-2-1 ATS, 16 RS, 39 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2009)
SU:62-58
ATS: 63-42-2
HF:15-12-2
HD:13-6
AF:9-4
AD:23-19
Sportsbook Buster: The Huskies are 28-18-2 ATS at home the past decade.
Sports Betting Angle: UConn has covered five straight games against Buffalo.
RUTGERS (9-4 SU, 6-5 ATS, 12 RS, 45 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2009)
SU:58-63
ATS: 62-49-1
HF:13-14
HD: 16-12
AF:7-7
AD:21-15-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Scarlet Knights are 13-4 ATS at home versus non-conference opponents the last 10 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Rutgers has covered seven consecutive games against Army.
SYRACUSE (4-8 SU, 6-5 ATS, 15 RS, 41 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2009)
SU:46-73
ATS: 61-55
HF:22-8
HD:14-16
AF:5-6
AD:18-24
Sportsbook Buster: At 22-8, the Orange has been an unexpectedly powerful bet as a home favorite over the past 10 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Syracuse has covered five straight games versus Louisville.
LOUISVILLE (4-8 SU, 4-6-1 ATS, 12 RS, 47 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2009)
SU:83-41
ATS: 64-54-1
HF:27-21
HD:5-4
AF:19-14
AD:11-9-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Cardinals are 2-11-1 ATS within the Big East Conference the last two years.
Sports Betting Angle: Louisville has covered three in a row at home against South Florida.
Legend:
SU= Straight Up
ATS = Against the Spread
HF= Home Favorite
HD= Home Underdog
AF= Away Favorite
AD= Away Underdog
This is the sixth installment of an 11-part preview series.
Next: College Football Betting 2010: The WAC.
This article was written by Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering college football betting and sports betting on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and all other major sports. The Greek is a must have sports betting and entertainment portal with one of the largest wagering menus available online. Article reproductions must include a link pointing to http://www.thegreek.com
