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Wake Forest (0-0) at Baylor (0-0)
Line: Wake Forest by 11.5.
Thursday, 8:00 ET
What a joke. Wake Forest is killing the ACC, Baylor is one of the worst teams in the Big XII, and Wake is only a 11.5 dog? Wake has the defense to dominate a talentless Baylor team, and is very well coached. I like Wake to win big. Baylor just, well, sucks
Prediction: Wake Forest 34, Baylor 13
Wake Forest -11.5 (2 Units) — Correct; +$200
Wake Forest 41, Baylor 13
Oregon State (0-0) at Stanford (0-0)
Line: Oregon State by 3.
Thursday, 9:00 ET
Oregon State is missing their best player, Jeremy Perry. When a team is missing their best player and greatest leader, that’s not a team you should probably be betting on. This team doesn’t have much of a defense, and I think this game is much more evenly matched than the betting public does. Stanford is a well-coached team that overachieved last year with huge wins over Cal and USC. They should have a solid season and really be a small surprise in the Pac 10.
Prediction: Stanford 27, Oregon State 17
Stanford +3 (1 Unit) — Correct; +$100
Stanford 36, Oregon State 28
SMU (0-0) at Rice (0-0)
Line: Rice by 3.5.
Friday, 8:00 ET
June Jones is implanting his infamous Run N’ Shoot offense, and this isn’t something easy to pick up. It takes a while to learn, so don’t expect Hawaii numbers. This team is entirely devoid of talent, but Jones’ reputation for what he did at Hawaii gets him more respect than he deserves only being a 3.5 dog.
Rice is a team with a lot of talent when compared to SMU. Quarterback Chase Clement is a running thread who threw for 3,377 yards last season in addition to 29 touchdowns. The best player on this team is a legit NFL Draft prospect in Jarrett Dillard. He should have more than 150 yards receiving in this game.
This is a team designed to stop the pass with their 4-2-5 defensive formation. Since SMU will throw the ball 90 percent of the time, Rice will have the defensive packages to cover SMU’s receivers. Rice’s defensive line should overwhelm SMU as well. They are athletic up front and will be rotated around to be kept fresh in this game.
Prediction: Rice 41, SMU 17
Rice -3.5 (3 Units – Pick of the Week) — Correct; +$300
Rice 56, SMU 27
Hawaii (0-0) at Florida (0-0)
Line: Florida by 34.5.
Saturday, 12:30 ET
Hawaii is a terrible defensive team. Florida has one of its best players of all-time in Tim Tebow. HawaiI can’t stop Tebow. Nearly the entire Hawaii offense is gone and going up against a very speedy Florida defense, though underproductive last year against the pass. Georgia set up the recipe to beat Hawaii: Go with a three-man front and blitz all day long. Game Over.
Prediction: Florida 52, Hawaii 13
Florida -34.5 (2 Units) — Correct; +$200
Florida 56, Hawaii 10
Utah (0-0) at Michigan (0-0)
Line: Michigan by 3.
Saturday, 3:30 ET
Hail to the Victor? Nope. Michigan will not be the Victor this season. This is a team devoid of experience on offense, and has some weak links on defense. It is a team by name recognition alone that got a Top 25 bid. They will stop some teams, but generally will not score many points.
Utah, on the other hand, has a lot of momentum finishing the season on an 8-1 record and is a much better team. They have more experience and more athleticism than Vegas is giving them credit for.
Prediction: Utah 20, Michigan 13
Utah +3 (1 Unit) — Correct; +$100
Utah 25, Michigan 23
Alabama (0-0) vs. Clemson (0-0)
Line: Clemson by 4.5.
Saturday, 8:00 ET at Atlanta
Clemson has the best quarterback you have never heard of in Cullen Harper. They also have an underrated defense going up against an average offensive unit. Still, Bama will hang with Clemson for most of the game, and this will be extremely competitive. The Crimson Tide have speed on defense and a solid offensive line led by junior left tackle Andre Smith. Can DaQuan Bowers step up big for a Clemson team that wants, or needs an ACC Championship?
Clemson’s defense and quarterback play will pull this one out in the end.
Prediction: Clemson 24, Alabama 17
Clemson -4.5 (1 Unit) — Incorrect; -$110
Alabama 34, Clemson 10
Washington (0-0) vs. Oregon (0-0)
Line: Oregon by 13.5.
Saturday, 10:00 ET
Oregon has a very impressive defense, but they simply don’t have the offense to cover Washington. It’s just that simple. Jeremiah Johnson is coming off a huge knee injury and I have questions if he is fully ready to go.
Jake Locker will make this interesting, and Washington has a big, strong offensive line that won’t get pushed around by Oregon.
Prediction: Oregon 27, Washington 20
Washington +13.5 (1 Unit) — Incorrect; -$110
Oregon 44, Washington 10
USC (0-0) at Virginia (0-0)
Line: USC by 20.
Saturday, 10:00 ET
USC has the best defense in the country. Let me repeat that: THE BEST DEFENSE IN THE COUNTRY. When you are favored by 20, and you are playing a team that averaged 24.4 points per game in 2007, then that’s a great bet. Virginia will be lucky to score 13 points in this game. I don’t like USC big here though… it’s not a multi-unit game. Why? Question marks on offense against a very solid defense. Sure they don’t have Chris Long or Jeffrey Fitzgerald anymore, but this defense still has a lot of athleticism and leadership. We are at a stalemate, I love both defenses. About 90 percent of the betting public is with USC. Let’s go with Vegas, against Sanchez’s knee, and take Virginia’s defense versus an overrated offense.
Prediction: USC 24, Virginia 9
Virginia +20 (1 Unit) — Incorrect; -$110
USC 52, Virginia 7
Kentucky (0-0) at Louisville (0-0)
Line: Louisville by 3.5.
Sunday, 3:30 ET
This line is a game based on name recognition only. Anyone who has done any homework on the Louisville Cardinals can see this team has absolutely no talent at the offensive skill positions or on defense. It’s got a solid offensive line, but Kentucky will win the battle in the trenches for four quarters. They are athletic and deep, and they are physical up front. Kentucky is going to dominate with their big offensive line against a weak Louisville front for at least 200 yards rushing. They will control the clock and control the game.
Prediction: Kentucky 24, Louisville 17
Kentucky +3.5 (2 Units) — Correct; +$200
Tennessee (0-0) at UCLA (0-0)
Line: Tennessee by 7.
Monday, 8:00 ET
Tennessee is getting an appropriate amount of respect here as a seven-point favorite on the road, but it simply is not enough. They have one of the elite offensive lines in the country, an experienced defense with speed, and a dominant running back in Arian Foster.
I don’t expect much from UCLA this year. They have a shaky quarterback situation, porous offensive line, and defense that will not show up against a legit SEC squad.
Prediction: Tennessee 31, UCLA 17
Tennessee -7 (2 Units) — Incorrect; -$220
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