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Penn State heads to Morgantown in a must-watch matchup
Our first full Saturday slate of the college football season is finally here! Since the Buffs played on Thursday, this is a perfect week to do some side-betting to spice up your game day and keep you invested! We at Ralphie Report are here to give you our biggest dos and don’ts before submitting your bet slip for week one.
Do: Throw some money on West Virginia to cover against Penn State
College football’s most interesting matchup this weekend happens in the Appalachian Mountains, as the eighth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions head to Morgantown to face off with the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Penn State is a good team and they deserve their ranking of #8. Quarterback Drew Aller can spin it, and the Nittany Lions’ defense line stacks up well against the Mountaineers.
With that being said, don’t underestimate West Virginia. The Mountaineers have a lethal one-two punch at running back with CJ Donaldson and Jahiem White. Quarterback Garrett Greene is one of the speediest in the nation and a perpetual threat when out of the pocket.
That’s not even taking into account just how insane it’ll be inside Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU fans might be the drunkest group of people on earth this Saturday and I’m not sure that Penn State is ready for the pure chaos that’s about to unfold.
I don’t know if I believe that West Virginia comes away with the upset here, but I could easily see them covering the +8.5-point spread. Neal Brown will have his guys ready to go and Morgantown will be too, so I wouldn’t be shocked if they hang in with the Nittany Lions.
Don’t: Underestimate the South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Believe it or not, North Dakota State is the second-best FCS team with the words “Dakota” and “State” in their name. The number one spot belongs to the back-to-back FCS champs South Dakota State Jackrabbits, who have the pleasure of heading to Stillwater for a matchup with 17th-ranked Oklahoma State this weekend.
This matchup is truly a game made for college football sickos like us. The Jackrabbits have built their dynasty off a defense that could rival teams in power conferences, along with a sharp and effective run game. Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy will put that defense to the test by trying to plow through it with Ollie Gordon, who’s probably the best running back in the whole nation.
Regardless, the spread of OSU -10 is criminally high. I expect the Jacks to hang in there and give the ‘Pokes a real run for their money. SDSU moneyline at +280 is enticing too if you’re feeling a bit riskier.
Do: Bet on UTEP against Nebraska out of pure spite
We’re entering Nebraska hate week, so it’s time to enter full hater mode. The Huskers open their season against the University of Texas El Paso at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and I will 100% be hate-watching this game.
Is UTEP good? Nope. Is Nebraska good? Maybe, but we don’t know. The Huskers have a bunch of questions regarding their offense, mainly about freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola might not be ready for college ball just yet and struggle against the Miners. Weirder things have happened.
Nobody knows if the Huskers will take the next step this year, so why not throw a couple of bucks on UTEP to cover the 27.5-point spread out of pure spite? You never know, maybe your sacrifice of a few dollars can help will Nebraska’s 2024 downfall into existence...
Don’t: Waste your time betting on Miami vs. Florida
By all means, tune into this game. It should be very entertaining, but I want absolutely nothing to do with betting on Canes vs. Gators.
Both these teams are unpredictable. Florida’s personnel is interesting this season, especially at quarterback. Graham Mertz is a legit SEC starter and DJ Lagway is the future of Florida football. There’s certainly plenty of talent on Florida’s roster, and they’re probably getting underrated due to the fact that they have the hardest schedule in the country.
On the other hand, you have Miami. The duo of Cam Ward at QB and Damien Martinez at RB is lethal, as they’re currently one of the ACC’s frontrunners. The high-end talent on Miami’s roster trumps Florida’s, but you have to take into account that Mario Cristobal will be on the Canes’ sideline.
Betting on a Cristobal-coached team is real sicko behavior. Remember when he refused to knee out the clock for a free win, ran the ball, Miami subsequently fumbled, and lost the football game? Well I do, and so do the thousands of bettors who had Canes moneyline that night.
This game is going to get weird, so I’d advise keeping your money a million yards away from it. Do some other degen betting for all I care. Go and hammer Eastern Michigan moneyline against UMass or something. Just stay away from betting on this one.
by RylandScholes
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