Rice, East Carolina and Central Florida are the only Conference USA teams to enjoy a winning pointspread record over the last 11 seasons, a trend college football betting enthusiasts are sure to watch carefully this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers--and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
CUSA EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA (11-3 SU, 10-3 ATS, 11 RS, 33 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:68-67
ATS: 65-59-1
HF:18-13-1
HD:11-11
AF:12-13
AD:23-20
Sportsbook Buster: The Knights are 6-1 as conference road favorites of 20 or fewer points.
Sports Betting Angle: Central Florida has covered six of its last seven games versus Marshall.
Bets and Pieces: The Knights are 5-2 ATS their last seven meetings with UAB.
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (8-5 SU, 6-6 ATS, 15 RS, 44 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:82-57
ATS: 65-65-2
HF:25-25
HD:1-3
AF:20-14-1
AD:14-20
Sportsbook Buster: The Golden Eagles are 20-14-1 as away favorites the last 11 years.
Sports Betting Angle: Southern Mississippi is 8-2 ATS its last 10 games versus East Carolina.
Bets and Pieces: The Golden Eagles are 15-4 ATS their last 19 games against Memphis.
EAST CAROLINA (6-7 SU, 6-7 ATS, 13 RS, 51 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:65-72
ATS: 68-65-2
HF:17-15
HD:14-11-1
AF:9-14
AD:24-19-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Pirates are 9-14 as road favorites the last 11 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: East Carolina has covered five of its last six versus UAB.
Bets and Pieces: The Pirates have covered nine consecutive games against Memphis.
ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM (4-8 SU, 5-7 ATS, 14 RS, 40 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:53-76
ATS: 59-63-2
HF:14-21
HD:12-5-2
AF:5-10
AD:28-26
Sportsbook Buster: The Blazers are 12-5-2 as home underdogs the last 11 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: UAB has covered three of its last four versus both Troy and MSU.
Bets and Pieces: The Blazers are 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games against Memphis.
MARSHALL (5-7 SU, 4-8 ATS, 15 RS, 52 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:72-63
ATS: 51-70-4
HF:16-21-2
HD:10-4-1
AF:9-15-1
AD:14-27
Sportsbook Buster: The Thundering Herd is 23-42-1 ATS on the road the past 11 years.
Sports Betting Angle: Since the start of the 2000 season, Marshall is 10-4-1 as a home underdog.
Bets and Pieces: The Herd has covered eight of its last nine visits to MississippiState.
MEMPHIS (1-11 SU, 5-7 ATS, 9 RS, 38 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:54-79
ATS: 53-69-2
HF:12-19
HD:15-14
AF:4-9-1
AD:19-23-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Tigers are 16-28-1 as favorites the last 11 years.
Sports Betting Angle: Memphis has covered its last road game of the season for 10 straight years.
Bets and Pieces: The Tigers have covered five in a row against Tulane.
CUSA WEST
SMU (7-7 SU, 6-8 ATS, 18 RS, 52 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:41-91
ATS: 60-70-1
HF:10-16
HD:18-17
AF:5-8
AD:24-28-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Owls have covered six straight games the week before playing Rice.
Sports Betting Angle: SMU is 2-11 ATS on the road against non-conference opponents.
Bets and Pieces: The Owls are 6-1 ATS their last seven games versus Tulsa.
HOUSTON (5-7 SU, 3-7-1 ATS, 14 RS, 48 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU: 65-71
ATS: 55-73-2
HF:19-18-1
HD:8-11
AF:8-15-1
AD:16-22
Sportsbook Buster: The Cougars are just 24-37-1 ATS on the road the last 11 years.
Sports Betting Angle: Houston has covered seven consecutive games against Tulane.
Bets and Pieces: The Cougars are 5-1 as home dogs off back-to-back SU wins.
TULSA (10-3 SU, 9-4 ATS, 18 RS, 51 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:72-67
ATS: 65-65-3
HF:18-16
HD:12-10-1
AF:14-15-2
AD:16-21
Sportsbook Buster: The Golden Hurricane has covered eight straight games the week after playing SMU.
Sports Betting Angle: Tulsa has covered six straight games against Tulane.
Bets and Pieces: The Golden Hurricane is 6-1 ATS in its last seven meetings with OklahomaState.
RICE (4-8 SU, 6-6 ATS, 18 RS, 53 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:50-80
ATS: 67-60-2
HF:13-8
HD:22-10-2
AF:4-8
AD:25-30
Sportsbook Buster: The Owls are 35-18-2 ATS at home the last 11 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Rice has covered seven of its last eight games with UTEP.
Bets and Pieces: The Owls are 5-0 ATS and SMU, the last five meetings.
TULANE (4-8 SU, 4-6-1 ATS, 14 RS, 50 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU:46-84
ATS: 52-68-2
HF:9-9
HD:14-24-1
AF:4-3
AD:24-31-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Green Wave is just 14-24-1 as a home underdog the last 11 years.
Sports Betting Angle: Tulane has covered four consecutive meetings against UTEP.
Bets and Pieces: The Green Wave has covered six straight visits to SMU.
UTEP (6-7 SU, 5-7 ATS, 11 RS, 44 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2010)
SU: 54-79
ATS: 55-70
HF:13-17
HD:14-12
AF:6-11
AD:22-28
Sportsbook Buster: The Miners are 19-28 as favorites the last 11 years.
Sports Betting Angle: UTEP has covered four straight versus SMU.
Bets and Pieces: The Miners have covered four of their last five games against Tulsa.
Legend:
SU= Straight Up
ATS = Against the Spread
HF= Home Favorite
HD= Home Underdog
AF= Away Favorite
AD= Away Underdog
This is the eighth installment of an 11-part preview series.
Next: College Football Betting 2011: The Mountain West Conference.
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
