CFB over/unders, NFL survivor lock of the week
Pam Maldonado is here to keep your hot streak alive with three college football game totals for week 8 and the NFL survivor pick of the week...7-0 on the season. New BetMGM customers who bet $1 on ANY game will receive $100 in free bets added to their account. You don’t need to win your bet to receive the promotion. Must be 21+ in AZ, CO, IN, IA, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only. Terms apply. Go to BetMGM.com/YAHOOSPECIAL to get started or use promo code SPORTSBOOK when making your first deposit.
Video transcript
PAM MALDONADO: Well, welcome to the Yahoo Sportsbook Daily. It is Halloween week, Tuesday, October 26. I am your betting guide, Pam Maldonado, bringing you three game totals for Week 9 of the college football season.
[QUARTERBACK CALLING AUDIBLE]
Let's just for a moment give thanks that we are exactly one week away from midweek MACtion. That's right, Tuesday MAC conference games start next week, and I am so dang excited. I know that you are too. Until then, however, here's what I've got for this week.
Game number one is Cincinnati at Tulane, over 62. The Green Wave has the second-worst defense in the country. Tulane ranks bottom 10 in every defensive category, including opponent yards per play, red zone attempts, points per play, touchdowns allowed as compared to field goals, first downs allowed, and third down conversions allowed. In summary, Tulane is pretty dang terrible. We are getting a discount on points with the Bearcats, after coming off a 27-to-20 win at Navy. The Midshipmen, a run-dominant team, possessed the ball for 40 minutes, and, still, Cincinnati was able to generate 27 total points. Now the Bearcats, 35th in rushing, gets to face a bottom-10 team in rushing defense. Get this, Cincinnati is bottom five in plays per game, yet is third in points per play, top 15 in offensive touchdown scores, led by running back Jerome Ford, who accounts for 13 total touchdowns. We're talking about an efficient offense feasting on a terrible Tulane defense. Now, though, on the other side, can Tulane put up some points? The answer is yes. Cincinnati isn't immune to opponents scoring, allowing 14 points or more to teams like Miami of Ohio, Indiana, a backup quarterback in UCF, and 20 points to Navy just last week.
Game number two, Rutgers at Illinois, under 42.5. You know what makes for a good underplay? Two run-first teams whose defensive strength for each is against the run. The Fighting Illini are coming off a 20-to-18 nine-overtime win over the Penn State Nittany Lions. Yes, you heard that right, nine overtimes! And the game still stayed under the 46 total! Illinois had the ball for 36 minutes of the game, rushed for over 350 yards, led by running back Chase Brown, who accounted for 223 of those yards. He was in concussion protocol. He is set and good to go for this game. Get this, both teams, top 30 for plays per game, but both are bottom 30 in total offense, points per play, and touchdowns scored. Unlike Cincinnati, you have two very inefficient offenses. Oh, yeah, both are also top 30 in punts per game.
Game number three, Arizona at USC, under 57. Look, the Wildcats, their offense stinks. Bottom 30 in total offense, fourth-worst in touchdowns scored, putting up no more than 19 points in a single game this season, including one shutout 34-to-0 loss to Colorado. The strength of Arizona? Against the pass. Top 20 in passing defense, to be exact. And what is USC? A pass-only team. Arizona has held four opponents to 34 points or less. The two games in which they allowed more, 38 points to San Diego State, a strong run team, 41 points to Oregon, where Arizona quarterback Jordan McCloud threw five interceptions, leading to 19 total points scored by the defense for the Ducks. Well, McCloud is out for the rest of the season due to injury. Those are three totals that I like for Week 9 in College football.
If you're looking for a survivor pick, we still haven't lost, and don't plan on losing any time soon. Slam the Bengals on the road against the New York Jets, on the road as 9.5-point favorites. The Who Dey Crew is on a roll, coming off a 41-to-17 beatdown on the Ravens. The Jets? They are just so bad, it hurts, coming off a 54-to-13 dismantling at the hands of the Patriots. The best remaining chance to take the Bengals is all the way in Week 15 versus the Denver Broncos, so take them now, because everyone will be on the Rams this week against the Houston Texans -14.5, a team that we have been feeding week after week, and, of course, if you have been taking our picks, then they are done for us already. The leverage play this week, it is Cincinnati.
Just to recap, the three totals that I do like for Week 9 in college football, Cincinnati at Tulane, over 62, Rutgers at Illinois, under 42.5, Arizona at USC, under 57, and using the Bengals as a survivor pick. If you are feeling saucy, like I am, a parlay on all these three totals pays 6:1. You can follow me on Twitter at @PamelaM35, and make sure to follow all of our content over at the Yahoo Sportsbook.
Create a BetMGM account and place your first bet risk-free, up to $1,000. If your bet loses, you get your bet amount, up to $1,000, added back to your account in free bets. Must be 21 or older in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming only. Terms do apply. Go to BetMGM.com/Yahoo to get started, or use promo code "Yahoo" when making your first deposit.
Nick Bromberg will be back to host the next episode of the Yahoo Sportsbook Daily, but until then, goodbye and good luck with your bets.
