Without question, one of the toughest football games to handicap is a team’s first of the season. You can read all you want about the talent surrounding the program and get a feel for how the troops will play from watching practices and listening to the coaches’ comments. However, until you witness the finished product on the field, the jury is still out.
This week, with the help of the Team Stryker Database, I decided to take a look at how well certain conferences performed overall in season lid-lifters. To my surprise, there were a number of profitable technical situations that were worth noting. One of the best I stumbled across can be found below. Take a look:
Since 1998, PLAY ON any Big 10 non revenging home favorite priced between -7 and -21 battling a non-conference opponent provided both teams are competing in their first game of the season.
26-Year ATS Record = 43-16 ATS for 72.8 percent
This Week’s Plays = MICHIGAN STATE (Friday) and MARYLAND (Saturday)
The Big 10 has historically been one of the best conferences in college football and fast starts have been a top priority for all of the teams. This specific technical situation backs a Big 10 home squad at a competitive price that is prepared to dominate a non-conference foe. With the addition of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and the University of Washington, the Big 10 will be better than ever and winning non-conference games will hold a higher level of importance.
Good luck with the Spartans on Friday and the Terrapins on Saturday.