We made it. We have our first look at one of our NC schools tonight as Presbyterian visits Wake Forest. If you missed it, we gave some general tips on betting, who to bet and when not to bet earlier in the week with our annual gambling primer.
Each week we will break down the trends for each of our NC schools and give an educated guess on whom to bet on for entertainment purposes only.
Week 1:
Wake Forest -40 vs Presbyterian (Over/under 44.5)
- – Wake Forest is 2-8 Against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 openers
- – Wake Forest is 2-5 ATS in last 7 games vs FCS teams
- – Wake Forest is 0-2 ATS in games vs Presbyterian in last 10 years
Pick: Presbyterian may not even score, but will Wake Forest get to 40 points. If you think they cover (we don’t) then take the over (we wouldn’t). Lean Presbyterian to cover and under.
UNC -12 vs California (Over/under 56)
- -This is a weird number in a game between 2 teams we are unfamiliar with this year. Tread lightly.
- – UNC is 3-4 ATS in last 10 openers (3 were vs FCS schools with no spread)
- – UNC is 4-6 ATS in their first game vs an FBS opponent at home in last 10 years
Pick: We reiterate this is a weird number. Over last 5 years UNC has been decent at home and as a favorite ATS. If this number were under 10 we would be a little more confident. We would lean California to cover and expect weird to happen resulting in the over.
NC State -5 vs South Carolina (Over/under 52.5)
- -NC State is 4-6 ATS in last 10 openers
- -NC State is 3-7 ATS in last 10 “first” road/neutral game of the season
- -In last 2 games vs South Carolina, NC State is 0-2 ATS with both games going under
Pick: NC State has had some strange and puzzling openers in last few years. You never really know what to expect early in the season. However, we didn’t make the bet below, thinking NC State wouldn’t cover their first game so we lean NC State and the under in this one.
Duke -37.5 vs North Carolina Central (Over/Under 48.5)
- -Duke is 4-0 ATS vs NCCU in last 5 games (1 had no spread)
- -The last 3 Duke/NCCU games that have had an over/under have gone UNDER
- -Duke is 5-0 ATS in last 5 season openers
Pick: As noted in our betting primer, Duke has been a great team ATS in general the last 5 years. We don’t see this one being any different with Daniel Jones leading the way. We lean Duke to cover and under.
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East Carolina -3 vs James Madison (Over/under 69 *nice)
- -ECU is 5-2 ATS in last 7 season openers
- -In the last 10 years, ECU season openers go over the total 75% of time
Pick: This game actually to our surprise opened as a pick’em. James Madison is the defending FCS National Champion, but this is opening number was puzzling. Since then it has moved to 3. We will take the over and our Pirates.
Listen here Vegas. You disrespect one of our FBS teams by making them a pickem vs an FCS team we will just have to take all your $.
*or $6 pic.twitter.com/WndH2OoApC
— SportsChannel8 (@SportsChannel8) August 30, 2017
Other games:
Appalachian State +14.5 vs Georgia. We lean App in this one. They played hard at Tennessee last year and this is the 10th anniversary of the Michigan upset. Go Mountaineers.
