Opening lines: UM +5.5 vs ND
UM +5.5 vs ND. http://mobile.betonline.ag/sports/offerings?s=Football&l=NCAA&p=0 Also: MSU opens +11 vs Oregon Really like taking the points for both teams. Think UM has a ton of early season value based off last year. UM on the money line could be very nice.
EDIT: Lines have already moved, UM down to +5, MSU up to +12
August 31st, 2014 at 3:44 PM ^
I thought MSU's secondary looked a tad shaky against JSU. 11 points might be right on the nose here. I will not be betting on this game, because MSU has a crazy way (recently) of getting super-jacked up for their big games, and this could be the biggest of these guys' careers. In sum, if somehow the line moves toward Oregon a half or a point more, I may bet on MSU.
August 31st, 2014 at 3:52 PM ^
I really thought MSU's interior D-line left something to be desired against JSU. If their interior guys can't cut it against Oregon, that guts much of the advantage that their great DE's give them.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^
On that note - in watching UNL, MSU, OSU, and PSU play this week I noticed that every game featured at least one HUGE deep pass where the receiver was essentially uncovered. I think those plays skew the scoring results a bit. M didn't have one of those, which I am hoping is due to the fact that we didn't want/need to reveal it and not due to our inability to get open or protect DG.
August 31st, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^
Basically ND stomped Rice and Golson looked good. Michigan stomped App State and our Oline/run game looked good.
The biggest issues with both teams, ND's depleted defense, and our run game, both passed the eye ball test against weaker opposition.
Really surprised they didn't just give Mich +3. Maybe Vegas thinks this could be a sucker bet?
August 31st, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^
in any game. they put the spread in the place where they get an even amount bet on each side of a proposition. they get a 10% vig on every bet that stays with them, and they simply take whatever is bet in the right hand and put it in the left hand as a payout.
August 31st, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
to see how the line moves during the course of the week. . .
August 31st, 2014 at 6:05 PM ^
September 1st, 2014 at 12:30 AM ^
so they've got that goin' for them.
September 1st, 2014 at 2:01 PM ^
IDK, Rice kept up with them for their first 2 drives (forced ND punts) then ND got going. Also most (5/6) of ND's TD's were on huge separation deep and Golson running/draw/scramble. I didnt feel it was a "stomp". Up until 5:15 in the 2nd it was 10-14 ND.
August 31st, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 3:44 PM ^
I think Michigan State will keep it under 10 if they do lose.
August 31st, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 4:07 PM ^
You're only saying that because every running quarterback in the history of running quarterbacks burned Michigan with their running.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:29 PM ^
Golson's really not a running quarterback. He's a shifty guy who occasionally will run a read-option but he's nothing like, say, Taylor Martinez. He rushed for 298 yards in 2012.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:09 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
God I hope that +5.5 is still there when I get into Vegas Saturday morning.
August 31st, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
Statement game for Oregon. They have spent the entire off-season hearing about that great MSU D. Oregon by at least two TDs. MSU has not seen an offense anything like Oregon's.
August 31st, 2014 at 3:52 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^
Osu spread last year isn't anywhere near what Oregon wants to do. OSU last year spread you out at a decent tempo and then power ran with Hyde.
Oregon will be much faster than OSU at getting to the line and they will try to get outside.
With that said.....I dont think Helfrich is remotely the coach Chip Kelly is and I'm not sure he can get past Narduzzi's constant pressure attacking D.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:31 PM ^
Indiana was closer in tempo to Oregon last year. They put up 28 on MSU.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:01 PM ^
Please let Oregon just blow the door off of MSU on Saturday. Please.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:31 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^
If MSU gets blown out, or even just loses by the line of 11, its bad news for the Big Ten's odds of getting in the CFB playoff. At that point, MSU has to win out and hope Oregon wins out or has a close loss to make the playoff. And for anyone else in the Big Ten to make it, they basically need to go undefeated. I don't think a 1 loss Big Ten team will make it this year.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
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August 31st, 2014 at 5:47 PM ^
And water is wet. You can say that about any team.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^
You do realize that if Oregon blows out MSU, the Big Ten is basically out of the college football playoff, right?
August 31st, 2014 at 5:32 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
Seriously? Its going to be bad for whatever conference gets left out of the playoff. And god forbid you get left out of it two years in a row. Good luck recruiting after that. As fans of Michigan and the Big Ten, you should want a Big Ten team in the playoff every single year regardless of who it is.
August 31st, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
The B1G has sucked for a long time now, and yet Michigan still recruits just fine.
August 31st, 2014 at 7:36 PM ^
how old are you?? Michigan does not need the B1G to have a good reputation to recruit or make the playoff. Michigan can do both on its own merits, we don't need the B1G to prop us up.
The worst case scenario for us would be for MSU to make the playoff anyway. Why the hell would I wan't MSU to get another boost in rep and recruiting, they are a pain in the ass as it is right now.
August 31st, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 8:15 PM ^
What were the odds on the Michigan -30 for the App State game that you got?
August 31st, 2014 at 4:42 PM ^
in the limited time I watched them Friday night, they appeared to be dealing with some injury issues on offense. I'd check the injury report before placing any bets.
August 31st, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
ND looked very good offensively against Rice. I mean, historically good, as in I have not seen ND with a quarterback this good in 25 years. You would have to go back to 1988, 1989. I do not know how much of that was due to, perhaps, Rice being down from last year, and in any event not very good. Golston looked to be much-improved. He made several jaw-dropping throws, and showed terrific quickness in turning up the field and running. He has a higher ceiling than Gardner, and I think that is worth about a touchdown in the outcome, even with ND short-handed on defense.
To me, +5.5 sounds about right whereas the Sparty line seems unduly deferential to Oregon.
August 31st, 2014 at 5:29 PM ^
Notre Dame has had 5 All-American QBs since 1989. Gholston looks better than all of them after one game against Rice? Really?
August 31st, 2014 at 5:27 PM ^
I'm also tempted to take MSU. They are PRECISELY the type of D that has been able to mess up Oregon's timing/offense recently
August 31st, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^
I want to go Michigan by 4 (keeping with recent ND-Mich history) but I feel like with our WRs and ND's secondary issues, this could be a much bigger margin. This game stays close till mid 3rd quarter and then Michigan racks up the score in the 4th.
August 31st, 2014 at 6:21 PM ^
Great! Because of the history here, one of my biggest fears actually is being the favorite in this game. Since '97, we're 5-5 as the favorite (by gametime, we were actually slightly favored in 2008), and 4-1 as the underdog, straight up, in the series. Our only loss as the dog in that span was in 2012, when we thoroughly outplayed them, weathered 6 int's and still nearly won. And if memory serves correctly, the underdog winning straight up trend goes back at least to the early 90s. Go Blue!
August 31st, 2014 at 6:35 PM ^
I like the road dogs in both games. I'd place UM at a 45% chance to win outright so give me 5+ points and I think that is good. It avoids the +3 and +4 difference that is common in football games.
And F MSU in that game - no way I want them to win it. Unless something crazy happens we are not headed to the playoffs so I sure don't want Sparty to go there especially after last year. All they need to do is win 2 games at that point and they are national champs and defense wins championships so excuse me for outwardly rooting against our division opponent and rival to beat Oregon for conference pride. Screw that.
August 31st, 2014 at 6:49 PM ^
September 1st, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^
The worst thing about the MSU line to me is that it feeds into their "no respect" meme. I guess maybe they really don't get the respect they deserve, at least in this case.
August 31st, 2014 at 9:23 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 9:42 PM ^
August 31st, 2014 at 11:40 PM ^
Be aware that Daniels, Russell and Williams will most likely be back for this game. Which makes the team better by shifting Riggs from CB to safety and can easily cover your WRs.
Michigan had no missing players of note, so ND gets a bump. ND is a 3 point favorite without the impending "news" that the odds makers already know.
September 1st, 2014 at 2:01 AM ^
prohibited from football activities since the middle of August, will they really be available for immediate play on Saturday? Or was it one of those wink and nod type suspensions...so long as Kelly didn't see them at practice, wink wink, they weren't at practice, nod nod.
September 1st, 2014 at 1:31 PM ^
Like the poster above me asked, have they been practicing at all? It's hard to go three weeks without practice and then come right back to full effectiveness. But we'll see.
Also, I'm not so sure "easily" is the adverb you want there. I'm not saying we're guaranteed to win, far from it, but just getting these guys back does not mean that ND will be able to "easily" cover Funchess, Norfleet, Chesson, Darboh, et al. Maybe they will cover them perfectly, maybe it will even look easy (both of which I doubt) - but even if both of those are true, I doubt it will be easy. I think ND works pretty hard at their football, same as other D1 programs.