The Shake Down: Notre Dame/Boston College and Other College Football Bets
Welcome to another weekend of college football and another chance to win some money with some smart bets.
In this week's Shake Down, I'm rolling with another 4-team parlay in hopes of a big payday. I recommend you do the same. Here are my picks and my reasoning behind each one.
#2 NOTRE DAME at BOSTON COLLEGE
Spread: Notre Dame -13.5
I feel really good about the Irish covering this weekend. I'm not buying the BC letdown talk. Notre Dame now has a clear, defined path to the College Football Playoff. The win over Clemson gave the Irish new life, and convinced the team that there is no limit as to where they can go this year. I like head coach Brian Kelly to have them dialed in. Look for defensive coordinator Clark Lea to exploit some of the tendencies that the team and staff learned about quarterback Phil Jurkovic during his time at Notre Dame. Take the Irish to cover with ease.
PENN STATE at NEBRASKA
Spread: Penn State -3.5
Both of these teams have been a disappointment this season for different reasons. Penn State is missing some key playmakers on both sides of the ball, while Nebraska continues to make the same mental mistakes that have plagued the team since coach Scott Frost took over -- and a couple of years before that.
The difference here is the talent in the trenches. Penn State has more of it, and as long as head coach James Franklin keeps the game plan simple, there's no reason the Nittany Lions can't leave Lincoln with a double-digit win. Look for Penn State to dominate the line of scrimmage and take advantage of the mistakes Nebraska makes. They'll win by at least a touchdown.
ARKANSAS at #6 FLORIDA
Spread: Florida -17
This is easy. The Gators have one of the best offenses in the country and enough talent on defense to limit what the Razorbacks do on offense. Florida, like Notre Dame, knows what they need to do to get to the playoff. If they win out, they are likely in, but they also need to impress the voters in case there is a five or six team bottleneck at season's end. For that reason, I expect the Gators to run up the score if given the chance. I would have set the line at 20.
#10 INDIANA at MICHIGAN STATE
Spread: Indiana -7
We learn more about every team each week, and so far we've learned that Indiana is the real deal. They've always been decent on offense, but now head coach Tom Allen has this club playing solid defense as well. They'll sink their teeth into a Michigan State club licking its wounds from the beatdown they got from Iowa last week. I think this is where the wheels really come off for Sparty, and the Hoosier roll big.
Take these picks, parlay them, and submit your bet. Good luck, and GO IRISH!
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