Luck of the Irish: Week Two
Written by: Mike Camarda
The ISD Vegas blog you never knew you wanted is here for Week 2 after a stellar start to the season! Last week we went an impressive 5-1 only missing the Temple game as Notre Dame scored two late TDs to cover the line with ease. Let’s keep this train rolling:
Stanford +6.5 over USC
This game is played every year and is always wacky. Recently, the underdog has gotten the better of the favorite more often than not. USC looked bad against Western Michigan, Stanford looked great against a horrendous Rice team and has had a full week off to rest. The smart money is on Stanford with the points in a game that could go any direction.
Ohio State -7 over Oklahoma
Always bet against the Big 12. Always. Big Game Bob may be gone but I’m sure he’ll be there in spirit this weekend as Oklahoma gets smoked in this game.
Clemson vs Auburn UNDER 55
Auburn is overrated garbage, people just don’t know it yet. The reason they probably end up losing this game is that Clemson is far too well-coached on defense to allow for Auburn’s janky offense to get into any kind of rhythm. With that being said, Auburn’s defense is stout in its own right so rather than deal with the spread in a likely low-scoring affair it’s easiest just to take the under.
Duke +4 over Northwestern
Northwestern did not look good in the season opener, and Duke is better than Nevada. Duke’s offense looks legitimate and while they may struggle on defense I’m just not convinced that the Big Ten’s “sleeper” team is going to do anything but hit the snooze button and roll over. People are high on Northwestern mainly because of their veteran QB, but there’s reason to doubt that he’ll be the best signal caller on the field. I can’t see Northwestern mustering enough offense to pull away in this game, and in those kinds of scenarios you take the points.
Notre Dame vs Georgia UNDER 57.5
I don’t see a high scoring game. I really don’t. I see something like 24-21, because both teams really like to run the ball and neither team has shown a propensity to air it out. Georgia’s defense is very good against the run, and ND’s is solid as well. Unless one of the QBs starts making big plays with his arm it’s hard to see a lot of TDs going up on the board. Georgia had one of the worst offenses in the country last year specifically because they were vanilla and struggled to throw the ball… will Fromm be the savior in his first start? That’s the only way it hits the over.
Georgia +4.5 over Notre Dame
The public has been pounding Georgia since the line opened at ND -6.5. Truth be told, I thought pre-season that ND would roll in this game. But I watched the film on Fromm vs App State twice, and in my opinion the leap from Eason to Fromm is huge. The reason Georgia sucked last year is that Eason was one of the worst QBs in the country… if they can open up their passing game, there is no telling how good their offense might be. So in a coin flip, you take the team getting the points… especially given ND’s coverage busts and poor tackling at times in week one.