Book doesn’t expect sharps to weigh in on Ohio State-Michigan game
By Andrew Avery
The Game. Bedlam. The Iron Bowl. The Palmetto Bowl. Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Victory Bell. The Egg Bowl.
College football rivalries come in many shapes and styles and Week 13 of the schedule throws a slew of the biggest rivalries at football bettors.
This week, we talk to Mick Sloan, Lines Manager at online shop GT Bets, about the action coming in on four of the biggest college football games on Saturday’s board.
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines – Open: -1.5, Move: +1
The Buckeyes have been the dominant force in recent editions of ‘The Game’ but are coming off an absolutely devastating 17-14 loss to the Michigan State Spartans last week.
Ohio State has won 10 of the previous 11 matchups with their Big Ten rival, with the Wolverines last winning in 2011. But it’s been Michigan that has been cashing bets at the sportsbook as it has covered the spread in the previous two meetings.
“The action has been steadily coming in on Ohio State all week, despite the fact that the line has flipped, leaving OSU as a 1-point away favorite,” Sloan tells Covers. “By kick, we’ll likely have 2-1 bets on OSU, but I can’t imagine this is a game that the sharps would be too eager to bet on, as things could clearly go either way.”
Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers – Open: +13, Move: +14.5
A win in Saturday’s Iron Bowl will see the Crimson Tide clinch a spot in the SEC Championship game after just about everyone left them for dead following a 43-37 loss to Ole Miss in Week 3.
It’s been a season to forget for Auburn, however, as the Tigers head into the meeting 6-5 SU. You may remember the last time this game was played in Auburn as Chris Davis famously returned a miss field goal 109 yards as time expired to give the Tigers a 34-28 win. So, maybe anything can happen?
“The action is all Bama on this one,” Sloan says. “The line has gone from 13.5 to 14.5 over the last few days, and with the lopsided action that we are seeing, it will likely continue to go up.”
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Stanford Cardinal – Open: -3.5
The Irish will look to solidify their spot in the college football playoff with a win in one of, perhaps, college football’s least celebrated rivalries. Notre Dame, ravaged by injuries this season, sit sixth in the CFP rankings and bring a six-game winning streak into Stanford.
If the Cardinal want to earn a spot into the playoffs, they must defeat the Irish and win the Pac-12 title game on Dec. 5, plus get a little outside help of course.
“We are seeing more action on Stanford at this point, but the romanticism that the public always has for Notre Dame is shining through with a good amount of action on the Irish as well. The house will need Notre Dame for a bit come kickoff, but in all reality there will likely be more action on Notre Dame than there should be.”
Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys – Open: +4.5, Move: +7
There is a lot on the line in the 2015 edition of Bedlam. The Sooners sit No. 3 in the CFP rankings, while the Cowboys have an ultra-slim shot at the postseason, but a convincing, impressive win over their rivals will be a great start.
“The advantage of having Bedlam is that there’s a lot of excitement and enthusiasm generated because of the game,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy told reporters. “Fortunately, over the last six to eight years, there has been a lot at stake with Bedlam, even more than it’s been over the last 30 or 40 years.”
“Looks like some sharp action came in on Oklahoma as that line moved from Oklahoma -4.5 all the way up to -7 this week,” Sloan. “The action is pretty even at this point, and it looks like that line will stay where it is at 7.”