5 Picks To Click - College Football News And Picks

5 Picks To Click
By Jeff Zell
Posted: 3:30 am PDT 2006-09-16

The feeling is good.

You know, that feeling when you throw money down on a team that you've barely heard of and you check the box score at halftime and find team "A" already covering by a touchdown. Yeah, that's a pretty great feeling.

Finding those easy-win games is the hard part. But looking at the schedule in Week 3 of college football, I've got a grasp on some non-top 25 teams that are psyched for a big week. Here's five picks that just click:

Temple at Minnesota
WagerWeb.com line: Minnesota -41.5
Temple is atrocious. Besides not winning a game last year, the Owls only covered the spread twice on the road -- against Clemson and Navy. Furthermore, the Owls lost four of their six road games by at least 47 points. This season Temple has scored just three points. So can the Golden Gophers bounce back from a blow out and blow Temple out? Minnesota covered every double-digit spread last year (4-0) and already this year beat Kent State 44-0. Combine that with Saturday's game being the Gophers' home opener, and you've got a blow out on hand.
Pick: Minnesota

Baylor at Washington State
WagerWeb.com line: WSU -13
Looking at both of these teams' first two games, they are nearly identical. Both teams opened up against stronger opponents and lost, then both dominated weaker foes. Based on last year, the Cougars play very close games, as they lost five games by four or fewer points. Statistically speaking, Washington State has not fared well as a favorite: 6-15 as a favorite ATS in past 3 years. Baylor isn't the Baylor of old. The Bears are a team on a mission to make a bowl appearance. Coach Guy Morriss has a strong defense that has given up just 13.5 ppg thus far. The statistics favor Baylor: The Bears were 5-1 ATS on the road in 2005. Don't be scared of any home-field advantage; the fans play a limited factor in early games at Washington State.
Pick: Baylor

Missouri at New Mexico
WagerWeb.com line: Missouri -13.5
Missouri's new quarterback, Chase Daniels, has a strong arm and is an intelligent QB. The offense is clicking, averaging 530 total yards per game. The defense has clicked nicely as well, only giving up 156 yards per contest. New Mexico opened up its season by losing to Division I-AA Portland State at home. Last year the Lobos were 0-5 ATS in home games. The Missouri offense should be clicking based on the fact that New Mexico is still reeling from losing seven starters on defense.
Pick: Missouri

Utah at Utah State
WagerWeb.com line: Utah -20
The Aggies of Utah State are still searching for their first offensive touchdown of the season. As for Utah, its first five quarters of football in the 2006 season were rough. The Utes lost to UCLA 31-10, and they were shutout by Northern Arizona in the first quarter. Then, Utah ran off seven straight possessions in which it scored. Even though the Utes were playing against weak Northern Arizona, success breeds confidence. Utah is 5-2-1 ATS against its in-state rivals in the past eight games. Last year, Utah won 31-7.
Pick: Utah

Navy at Stanford
WagerWeb.com line: Pick'em
Stanford losing to Oregon on the road is acceptable. But losing to San Jose State, now that means this team is a mess. The determining factor in this game will be on the ground. In Stanford's first two games, the Cardinal have given up on average 320 yards on the ground. After giving up 299 yards to Oregon in Week 1, yes, they did the inevitable by giving up 341 yards to San Jose State in Week 2. Navy brings to the table the No. 1 rushing attack from 2005, averaging 318 yards per contest. In the past three years, Navy is 11-3 ATS when an underdog and 9-3 ATS when playing on the road.
Pick: Navy

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