2018 college football betting trends for week 1
Friday’s games
Utah State at Michigan State (-23½): The Aggies are 4-11 against the spread in their past 15 games as an underdog and 1-4 ATS getting double digits the past two seasons. They’re also 0-6 ATS in their past six nonconference road games. After a couple of subpar spread seasons, the Spartans were 5-2 ATS at home last season and 3-1 ATS in nonconference games. But Michigan State is 2-5 ATS in its past seven as a nonconference home favorite. Edge: Slight to Michigan State.
Syracuse (-4½) at Western Michigan: The Orange haven’t been road favorites since before coach Dino Babers arrived (back to 2014 in Scott Shafer era). Syracuse was 1-4 ATS as a favorite last season, though it was 4-1 ATS away (all damage done as double-digit underdog). Western Michigan is 4-1 ATS in its past five openers and 5-1-1 ATS in its past seven games vs. Power Five conference foes. The Broncos also are 7-3-1 ATS in their past 11 nonconference games. Edge: Western Michigan.
Western Kentucky at Wisconsin (-36½): Western Kentucky suffered a big letdown last season in Mike Sanford Jr.’s debut, going 4-9 ATS overall and 1-6 ATS away from home. The Badgers went 7-4 ATS as double-digit favorites last season and are 10-5-1 ATS in that role since 2016, including 5-3 ATS laying 20 or more the past two years. Edge: Wisconsin.
Colorado State vs. Colorado (-7½) (at Mile High Stadium, Denver): Buffaloes coach Mike MacIntyre is 4-1 straight up and 3-1-1 vs. the line against Colorado State since arriving at Colorado in 2013. The Buffaloes are 9-6-1 ATS in nonconference games under MacIntyre. The Rams are on an 0-8 spread slide and are 3-8-1 ATS in their past 12 nonconference games. Edge: Colorado.
San Diego State at Stanford (-14): The Aztecs are 6-2 ATS as underdogs since 2015 and have won their past three games against the Pac-12. San Diego State is riding a 23-12 cover streak. Stanford is 3-8 ATS in its past 11 as home favorites and on an 0-3 skid as nonconference home favorites. Stanford is 2-4 ATS in its past six openers. Edge: San Diego State.
Army at Duke (-13½): Army is 14-7-2 ATS in its past 23 as an underdog but 4-4-1 ATS getting double digits since 2014. The Black Knights covered four of their past five last season and are 12-7-2 ATS in their past 21 on the road. Duke had won and covered two straight against Army before its 21-16 loss last season at West Point. Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe is 14-3 ATS as a double-digit favorite since 2011 and enters 2018 on a 40-23-2 spread uptick. Edge: Slight to Duke.
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Las Vegas handicapper Bruce Marshall is editor of The Gold Sheet (Goldsheet.com). He provides the Review-Journal with college football tech notes and trends.
