A lot of bettors tend to overlook total plays. They aren’t as glamorous or as easy to root for as betting on your favorite team or an underdog with a chance to win outright, but they can be very profitable. The markets are a lot looser since totals don’t receive near the action as game spreads do, and that gives the average bettor a chance to make some serious dough. With that in mind, here are my favorite total plays for Week 5 of the college football betting season.
Boston College vs. Temple Under 52.5
The Eagles were one of the highest scoring teams in college football over the first three weeks of the season, but we now know how one-dimensional they can be. Last week, Purdue stacked the box in order to stop the run and force quarterback Anthony Brown to beat them through the air. Their gameplan worked to perfection as AJ Dillon was held to just 59 yards rushing, and Boston College’s offense was unable to move the ball without their workhorse back moving the chains.
Temple can stop the run. The Owls are allowing just 3.7 yards per carry, and they shut down Maryland and Tulsa in each of the last two weeks. They are very methodical on offense and won’t score a lot of points, instead focusing on winning the time of possession battle in hopes of pulling off the upset.
Texas Tech vs. West Virginia Under 77.5
Most people know that these are two of the best offenses in the country. Will Grier has continued to play great in his final season in Morgantown, while Alan Bowman has proven himself to be a very talented freshman. These offenses are both capable of lighting it up, so the total is pretty high.
What most people don’t know is that these defenses are better than you think. West Virginia’s defense has been good this season, just sneaking inside the S&P+ top 50 this week. Meanwhile, Texas Tech’s defense looks like it can pick up stops at times, which is a lot better than the sieve they were in the past. The spread for this one should be 3-4 points lower.
Mississippi State vs. Florida Under 50.5
There are going to be plenty of emotions when Dan Mullen returns to Starkville this Saturday. Mullen built Mississippi State into an SEC West contender during his time on campus, and now he must face the program he built from scratch.
He knows Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald’s limitations better than anyone else. Fitzgerald is a gifted runner and a very good dual-threat quarterback, but he can have some real accuracy issues against athletic defenses. Those have plagued him over the last couple weeks, and Florida will harass him into throwing a lot of incompletions.
Meanwhile, Florida does not have a great offense themselves. The Gators dropped 47 points on Tennessee last Saturday, but they were buoyed by six Volunteers turnovers and only had 14 first downs.
Central Florida vs. Pittsburgh Over 66
It’s easy to laugh at betting the over in a Pitt game. Pittsburgh is coming off a tough loss to a depleted North Carolina team for the second straight year, but they should be able to move the ball in this one.
The one thing that Pitt can do well is run the football. Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall are each averaging more than six yards per carry, and the two should go off against a UCF defense that has not stopped the run yet this season. UCF is allowing 4.8 yards per carry and is just outside the bottom ten in the country in terms of total rushing defense.
Once again, the Knights are winning games by outscoring teams. They have picked up right where they left off with Josh Heupel calling the shots, and McKenzie Milton has had some great outings. This game could very easily have 80 or more points.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go.
Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
