Welcome back to our weekly college football gambling column. It's called COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMBLING. Today, let's talk about Week 1 and the last of the five power conferences, the Big Ten.
Week 1's card isn't particularly sexy, but it still offers some value. Many believe that the best opportunities are early in the season before the betting public catches on. All wagers on games at -110 odds unless otherwise noted.
Visit SB Nation odds partner OddsShark for updated lines throughout each game week.
Texas A&M at South Carolina Over 59.5 points: A&M is always able to score points under Kevin Sumlin, and South Carolina's secondary is about as green as can be. And South Carolina will look to pound the football with Mike Davis and a veteran offensive line against an A&M defense that rarely stops anyone.
Wake Forest at Louisiana-Monroe PK: Bettors realize just how bad Wake Forest might be this season, so take ULM to win straight up.
Colorado State +3 at Colorado: Jim McElwain is building something impressive at Colorado State, and the wrong team is favored here.
Florida State -17.5 at Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State lost more lettermen than any team in the major conferences. FSU returns Jameis Winston and a ton of starters.
Boston College at UMass +17: Boston College lost a ton off its impressive 2013 team, and this game means more to UMass than it does the Eagles.
Arkansas at Auburn -19.5: Auburn will be without QB Nick Marshall for an unknown period of time during this game, but backup Jeremy Johnson and the TIgers' receiving corps are extremely underrated.
Wisconsin at LSU Under 50.5: A scary pick because Wisconsin loses almost all of its front seven? Absolutely. But LSU will have a very green QB and receiving corps, and Gary Andersen is an excellent defensive coach. On the other side, LSU's defense is underrated and the Badgers' offense might be fairly one-dimensional.
Miami at Louisville Under 54: Word out of Coral Gables is that the defense might take a step in the right direction, and Louisville just lost receiver DeVante Parker. On the other side of the ball, Louisville's defense might be a bit underrated, and Miami is starting a true freshman QB.
North Dakota State at Iowa State -2.5: The Cyclones should be considerably improved on offense, and North Dakota State is replacing some key pieces, plus its head coach.
Penn State at UCF Under 48.5: This play is all about UCF's overlooked defense and the potentially poor offensive line play from both schools.
Clemson at Georgia Under 56.5: Both defensive lines should far outclass the offensive lines in this one. Considering how sloppy opening games often are, that suggests an under play. Georgia also wants to slow the game down and take Clemson's up-tempo offense out of its rhythm.
SMU at Baylor -33: The Bears are a mediocre team on the road, but they are a covering machine against bad teams in Waco.
Utah State at Tennessee Under 51.5: Both teams lost a ton on the offensive lines, and Utah State usually plays really salty defense. Offensive line issues plus Week 1 is an under recipe.
FAU +21.5 at Nebraska: The Owls are going in the right direction under Charlie Partridge, and Nebraska is not exactly a powerhouse.
UCLA at Virginia +22: A classic case of a West Coast team traveling East and laying too much. Virginia was very poor a year ago, but is quite experienced in 2014 and should be much improved.
Big Ten
We decided not to run two separate COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMBLING stories this week, so here are my four wagers on the Big Ten. Previously I hit the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC.
Season-long props and futures require a bettor to lay his or her money for the entire year. Because of the uncertainty involved, and the time for which the money is unavailable to the bettor, it's very important to practice restraint.
Win total wagers are based solely on the regular season. No championship games, bowl games, or Playoff games. If I don't mention a team, it means that I feel Vegas has the number pegged relatively well or I don't have a great feel for the team. If you want to discuss other teams, let's do so in the comment section.
The loss of Braxton Miller rocked the conference in a major way, and your opinion of Miller, and his backup J.T. Barrett, will definitely shape some of your opinions on the Big Ten.
The Big Ten could be somewhat tumultuous in 2014. Many wagers seemed like good values, but not enough to pull the trigger on all. Grabbing the plus value on these four wagers seems like the best plan. If only two hit, it's a net profit.
Michigan State Over 9.5 Wins (+110, Bet US): The Spartans might take a small step back on defense and perhaps in running the football, but the passing game should improve on the year. And the schedule is fairly easy. Ohio State losing Miller for the season definitely impacts this line.
Michigan Under 8 Wins (+140, Bet US): This is a value play, and demonstrates the importance of looking at odds from multiple sportsbooks. Michigan is very likely an 8-4 team, and it is hard to trust Brady Hoke given his track record to this point. Getting the protection of the push with the eight is important. The defense should be better, and it will be interesting to see how much the new offensive coordinator will help out the Wolverines.
Iowa Under 8.5 Wins (+105, Bet US): The Hawkeyes are receiving praise as a sleeper Playoff team, and indeed the schedule is extremely friendly. But Iowa is not a dominant team independent of the schedule, and it's not quite the huge favorite over some of the mid-level Big Ten teams as the hype would suggest.
Maryland Over 6.5 Wins (+126, Pinnacle): There is a lot to like about the Terrapins, a sneaky team with talent that has just been completely unable to stay healthy in recent years. The receiving corps is nasty, and the defense is very underrated. The schedule is tough, but the wager is at greater than even money.