Ed Welch
We’re well into the college football season and yet some teams are still consistently dropping the ball for their bettors. We’re not talking about some mid-tier teams or small conference schools: we’re talking about some of the most powerful programs in the country. Here are three big-name teams burning college football bettors with their recent betting trends:
Michigan State Spartans (5-0 SU, 0-5 ATS)
The Spartans have played their way to No. 3 in the nation but don’t have the same firepower on offense as some of the other elite teams in the country. Michigan State is putting up just over 31 points per game and its once mighty defense is allowing almost 21 points against, which means those lofty spreads are just too much for MSU to handle right now. The Spartans have been anything but impressive, barely beating Purdue last Saturday and escaping close calls against Air Force and Western Michigan earlier this season.
Auburn Tigers (3-2 SU, 0-5 ATS)
We’re a long time removed from Auburn’s upset over Alabama in the Iron Bowl, a fact that has hit SEC bettors over the head in the first five weeks. The Tigers already have two losses on their record, and it could’ve very easily been three if they didn’t escaped FCS Jacksonville State in overtime. Auburn’s offense can’t settle on a quarterback, averaging only 24.6 points per game, and that’s going to be compounded with a road-heavy schedule ahead. The Tigers play three of their next four away from Jordan Hare Stadium.
Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0 SU, 1-4 ATS)
It’s tough to be the champs. Ohio State is up against the most-inflated spreads in college football each weekend, facing an average line of -29.5 heading into Week 6. They’re giving 33.5 points to Maryland at home this Saturday. Defending national champs have been a bad bet in recent seasons, going a combined 20-34-2 ATS since the 2011 season – fading the best teams in football is a 63 percent winner in that span. With a soft slate of Big Ten opponents taking OSU right into late November, Buckeyes backers may not see line value until the final two games of the season: vs. Michigan State and at Michigan.
