Thursday, September 4, 2014

Week 2 Picks



I almost had a perfect week to start the season.

I was a perfect 2-0 against the spread, but 2-1 straight up, (the Albany-Holy Cross game had no published line).

I only have two games to work with this week as Monmouth is off, but here goes:


Fordham +9 ½ at Villanova


The Wildcats are the toast of the FCS after almost beating Syracuse in double OT at the Carrier Dome. Villanova was impressive, especially QB John Robertson who had big numbers running and passing combined. This is really challenging the conventional wisdom that ‘Nova is no longer a perennial FCS power.

Enter Fordham, which looks very strong and now has what looks like a game-changing freshman RB to boot. But the Rams big win last week was against a relatively weak opponent.

This leads to a classic hedge bet. I like the Rams to cover this bigger spread, but Villanova should pull out the win at home.

So, take the points but expect the Cats to win a squeaker.


CCSU -4 ½ vs. Albany

This betting line here is a real head-scratcher after CCSu shocked Towson with a 31-27 win over FCS power Towson.

Why are the Blue Devils favored by less than a TD in their home opener?

I’m not sure, but if I were a betting man I’d jump all over this one and take CCSU and lay the points.


Albany was generally decent in their 14-13 win over Holy Cross last week, but they weren’t the best team on the field in that game. I just don’t see how the Great Danes keep this one as close as the oddsmakers expect. 

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fordham is a known quantity but Nova is just too good in the eyes of the linemakers. It is a tough call since nothing is stopping Nova from running away with the game. Fordham's D is not superior by any stretch. They will have to overachieve to keep it close unless Nova's D can't stop Fordham's O (which seems less likely).

CCSU is favored so low because they have not established themselves yet if at all. We don't know if they will become a top level FCS team. Still, I think this line is too low and it could the linemakers did not research Albany that well or they are giving a lot of credence to their resilient comeback last week. I would stay away from it as a bettor.

Chick said...

Remember, not that long ago, when CU scheduled Towson as a non-Ivy game they might be able to win?
Now Towson is an FCS "power." Ay-ay-ay!

May PM pull off some kind of freaking miracle this season.

Anonymous said...

Towson beat Fordham and a very strong Eastern Washington team in last year's FCS playoffs before losing to indestructible North Dakota State in the championship game.

Anonymous said...

Hey chick it wasn't a might be able to win. It was a WE DID WIN!

Chick said...

Tony, re-read my remark. I know that we won a game against Towson--the score 16-13 comes to mind--and it probably was the first of the few we played with them, as you hinted.

But that has nothing to do with my point--that we hooked up in hopes of getting a win--which we did--and now we can't compete with them and don't schedule them.

The point is that others have moved upward--albeit via football scholarships--while we get walloped by our fellow Ivy League non-scholarship schools. How come?

Hence the need for a miracle or a new coaching staff or something. But I'd settle for a wining season with anyone in charge including PM.

Can't wait to see what happens. It may be good. Let's hope so.

WOF said...

Believe it or not, I'll take a winning season with PM in charge any day, too.

oldlion said...

I have to confess--I want Nova to just destroy and demoralize Fordham. I want Nova to take their swagger away.

Anonymous said...

Well, Fordham did beat Nova last year 27-24. I didn't see the game but with the hype about the strength of this year's Nova team, you have to believe revenge will be a factor. I think this game will be cast on campusinsiders.com/network/patriot_league/live.

Unknown said...

You got your wish and then some!

Anonymous said...

Brewer/VTech/Lake Travis High beats Ohio State. We have 2 LT guys on the CU roster. Need more Texans!
Pat