Lines for week 1 MAC teams...

[Falconfreak90]

BG +4 @ Wisky
NIU +18 @ Michigan
Miami +15 @ Ohio State
Buffalo +18 1/2 @ UConn
EMU +10 @ Cincy
WMU +32 @ Virginia
Ball State +38 1/2 @ Iowa
Kent State +18 @ Michigan State
Ohio U +14 1/2 @ Northwestern
UT no line with 1-AA Western Ill (who beat NIU, 29-26, in 2002!)
Akron does not open until 9/10 at Purdue
and CMU gets it all going hosting Indiana and Terry Hoeppner Friday night....CMU is +9.

In keeping a close eye on our friends in Boise, the Broncos are only a 7 pt dog at Georgia. One other thing....Florida is a 22 pt fave over Wyoming.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK! Life is good....

GO FALCONS!! GO MAC!!

[FalconAwesome]

I would really like to see EMU beat Cincy. First, I hate UC. Second, it would be nice to see one of the Michigans step it up and I think EMU is the most likely to do it.

[bgbrandon]

Here are the bets I would take:
Ill take BG at +4
NIU at +18
Miami at +15
Uconn at -18.5
Cincy at -10
WMU at a close +32
Iowa at a -38.5
KSU at +18
Northwestern at -14.5
And Indiana at -9 over CMU

Does anyone disagree with these? ...Please stay realistic

[truth]

if i really understood any of it i might be able to tell you.

[hammb]

Here are the bets I would take:
Ill take BG at +4
NIU at +18
Miami at +15
Uconn at -18.5
Cincy at -10
WMU at a close +32
Iowa at a -38.5
KSU at +18
Northwestern at -14.5
And Indiana at -9 over CMU

Does anyone disagree with these? ...Please stay realistic

I'd probably take OU +14.5. I think Solich will have them ready to play, at least well enough to stay within 2 TD's of NW.

I'd shy away from the Iowa-BSU game all together. If forced to bet I'd probably take the Iowa, but I don't like that line. BSU's got a great WR in Ridgeway and he might bust one or two big catches. If BSU gets 10 points that 38.5 is starting to get awfully tough to cover.

Other than that I think I'd take the bets you made. I think NIU +18.5 and MU +15 are money in the bank; MU more so than NIU, but I think NIU will keep that game close.

[Warthog]

BSU's got a great WR in Ridgeway and he might bust one or two big catches.

Hammb, I am shocked and dismayed that you would say this. Ridgeway left early for the NFL and is playing for the Rams now. Tell me you just had a brain cramp from drinking too much over the weekend. I can't believe you would make a mistake like this on even your worst day.

[Warthog]

Here are the bets I would take:
Ill take BG at +4
NIU at +18
Miami at +15
Uconn at -18.5
Cincy at -10
WMU at a close +32
Iowa at a -38.5
KSU at +18
Northwestern at -14.5
And Indiana at -9 over CMU

Does anyone disagree with these? ...Please stay realistic

First rule of betting is NEVER bet on the game involving your favorite team. Given that, if I was an impartial third party, I would be taking the 4 points and going with the Falcons.

NIU +18, Miami +15, Cincy -10 would be my parlay. The others seem to be pretty close. If forced to take one, I would go with Buffalo +18, virginia -32, Iowa -38, Kent +18, Northwestern -14.5, and CMU +9.

[hammb]

BSU's got a great WR in Ridgeway and he might bust one or two big catches.

Hammb, I am shocked and dismayed that you would say this. Ridgeway left early for the NFL and is playing for the Rams now. Tell me you just had a brain cramp from drinking too much over the weekend. I can't believe you would make a mistake like this on even your worst day.

D'OH!?!?

Crap you're right! What the hell was I thinking...definitely too damn early today...

I'm still leery of a 38.5 point line, but without Ridgeway it is a lot more possible for Iowa.

[Falconfreak90]

I like BG, EMU, Ohio and CMU to win. NIU...if they can withstand any initial push, could hang with UM. Same with Miami and OSU.

123 hours....

[TJRocket]

I hate betting the first week of the season. It's tough to know how much a team has improved in certain areas, or how key losses will affect the team. That being said, I like to pick the teams how I would have picked them last year.

Wisky will cover
I'll take NIU and the points
Miami and the points
Buffalo plus the points
Cincy will cover
WMU and the points
Ball St and the points
Michigan St will cover
Northwestern will cover
CMU and the points

[Schadenfreude]

Safe bets:

Bowling Green (+4) at Wisconsin.
Ball State (+38.5) at Iowa

Tempting bets:

Ohio (+14.5) at Northwestern
Kent State (+18) at Michigan State
Western Michigan (+32) at Virginia
Buffalo (+18.5) at Connecticut
Indiana (-9) at Central Michigan

I wouldn't touch the others.

[BGSUVA]

I'd take UVA...their offense will tear that defense apart. We beat them by more than that two years ago, and return a lot of that team. Hagans was the QB in that game too, not Schaub

[mk455]

if i really understood any of it i might be able to tell you.

seriously... how exactly does all this work?

[hammb]

if i really understood any of it i might be able to tell you.

seriously... how exactly does all this work?

This is a gambling thing and is known as the "Point Spread" For instance, in BG's case we are +4 with Wisconsin, meaning that we are getting 4 points from them.

So if you were to lay cash on this game you are not betting strictly on the outcome of the game, but on the point margin as well. If you bet on BG and Wisconsin wins by 3 points, you still win because Wisconsin did not cover the 4 point spread. If Wisconsin wins by exactly 4 points its a push and you get your money back. If Wisconsin wins by more than 4 points your bet is a loser.

This is done pretty much for the sole purpose of betting, but the best way to think of it is to think that with this spread the score of the game starts off:

BG 4
UW 0

So if you look through the rest of the spreads the games start off:

NIU 18
UM 0

MU 15
OSU 0

EMU 10
UC 0


Etc, etc.

Unless you're looking to gamble on the games, probably not a real big deal to you, but what you can say is that from looking at this spread the national consensus has us as a 4 point underdog to Wisky. Of course the home team usually gets a 3 point advantage right off the bat for homefield advantage, so we're seen as a 1 point dog.

[mk455]

gracias amigo