Week five was among the best and most exciting so far of the 2018 college football season. Gamblers again had their ups and downs as the question of value was paramount. The Penn State Nittany Lions painful home loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes was of no problem for PSU backers as the home dog still got the money. The Alabama Crimson Tide once again steamrolled an opponent but proved to be an overlay in the process. The Georgia Bulldogs also proved to be an overlay in their win over the Tennessee Volunteers which was a classic foregone conclusion that was proven wrong. Texas Longhorn backers suffered a similar experience in their close call win at the Kansas State Wildcats. Let’s take a look at a week in which betting value was the overriding theme with some painful and expensive lessons for chalky gamblers.
Tide Rolls Before Leaving Backdoor Open
The Alabama Crimson Tide were understandable 49-point home favorites against the Louisiana Rajin’ Cajuns and actually had the cash in hand when they staked out a 56-0 lead late in the third quarter. But from there Alabama head coach Nick Saban called off the dogs and let Louisiana slip through the backdoor in a 56-14 final. What was most frustrating to Alabama backers was the fact that the Tide could have named the score. And that is the danger of taking Alabama in most of their games. There is no doubt that the Tide will win most any game. There is also no doubt that Alabama can run up the score on nearly any team. But the linemaker is forcing the public to pay top dollar to bet on the Tide.
Georgia Costs Gamblers with Expensive Education
The Georgia Bulldogs were 30.5-point favorites against the Tennessee Volunteers and most of the public didn’t blink at making the lay. Tennessee has looked so bad that a massacre was expected. Yet for the fifth time this season the Bulldogs failed to bring home the money despite a perfect 5-0 straight up record. Georgia was never a threat to get the cash in a 38-12 win as they were sluggish with a look of entitlement in the victory. Gamblers had better wise up on this Bulldog team that the oddsmakers have put a premium price on. The linemaker knows that nobody wants to oppose teams like Alabama and Georgia at home with inferior teams. And those games are being priced accordingly.
Kansas State Maintains Trend against Longhorns
Gamblers who had the nerve to take the 8.5 points and Kansas State Wildcats at home against the red-hot Texas Longhorns were rewarded with a payout. K-State did lose 19-14 against a far superior team but the fact remains that they always give the Longhorns a hard time. This was a classic case of ignoring the hype and taking advantage of a well-coached team getting enhanced betting value while the public was pounding Texas into an overlay.
Penn State Gets the Money While Blowing the Lead
The Penn State Nittany Lions took the field with fire in their eyes and quickly took a 13-0 lead against the favored Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State was a 3.5 point favorite and trailed 26-14 with eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter. But the Nittany Lions let the Buckeyes off the hook in a painful 27-26 loss. Those smart enough to take OSU on the money line survived a near death experience but came away with a hard-earned win. The whiteout insanity was at least good enough to spark the home dog to a cover.
Bettors Remain Drowned with Big Red Ink by Nebraska
Then there is the sad story of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. First year head coach Scott Frost said that their home matchup with the Purdue Boilermakers was a winnable game. As it turned out Purdue easily got the money as 3.5-point road chalks in a 42-28 win that exposed what an empty cupboard was left behind by former Husker coach Mike Riley.
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