It's time for rivalry week, which means we'll see a lot of hotly contested games between schools that hate each other. While most of the attention will be paid to the Ohio State-Michigan and Alabama-Auburn matchups, we're taking a look at three under-the-radar games where there should be some value on the board.
Special Offer: Bet $1, Win $200, if ANY NFL Team Scores a Touchdown Thanksgiving Day >>
Miami (Ohio) Redhawks at Ball State Cardinals
Odds: Ball State -3 at PointsBet
This is an interesting betting line. It makes sense in a particular way because Miami has already secured a berth in the MAC Championship Game on December 7 in Detroit. The Redhawks might look ahead to that game, and they might also simplify their playbook and not try too hard to win this game. That is a reasonable point of view. On the other hand, this game is on a Friday and Miami will have an extra day of preparation before the MAC title game. The Redhawks should be able to focus on this game.
That point aside, one also has to realize that Ball State has lost two in a row despite scoring at least 38 points in each contest. Ball State had a big lead against Central Michigan and let it slip away in a 45-44 defeat, then they got into a shootout with Kent State but lost a 41-38 heart-breaker.
What this means is that Ball State is now 4-7 on the season and cannot make a bowl game. Its season will end on Friday. The Cardinals are likely to be depressed now that they can't try to earn a bowl bid and win the first bowl game in school history. Not having much on the line is likely to help Miami win this game outright, not merely cover.
Missouri Tigers at Arkansas Razorbacks
Odds: Missouri -12 at PointsBet
The Missouri Tigers have lost five straight games - Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. It is easy to think Missouri won't play well as they are clearly not a very good football team right now. Even so, Arkansas is an absolute disaster. The Razorbacks cratered this season, going 0-7 in the SEC. They were crushed 56-20 by LSU this past week, and they were dominated by bad teams such as Mississippi State and small-conference teams such as Western Kentucky, both at home. The Hilltoppers somehow beat them down 45-19.
Playing this game at home probably won't mean much for Arkansas. A bad team with an interim coaching staff at the end of its season, after head coach Chad Morris was fired, is unlikely to suddenly turn into a decent team. Missouri is bad, but the Tigers are still a lot better than Arkansas. They should cover.
Boise State Broncos at Colorado State Rams
Odds: Boise State -13.5 at PointsBet
The Broncos are fresh off a 56-21 victory over Utah State, which now means the Broncos have scored at least 42 points in three of their last four games. They are playing good football, and they know they need to look good, not merely win, since they are battling with Memphis for the Group of Five championship and a possible berth in the Cotton Bowl. Boise State has every incentive to not only win but win big. The Broncos should be able to do that against a Rams team that’s lost six of nine.
Overall 15-18 record on the season
Sign up now at PointsBet and a $100 bonus when you bet $50 >>
Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.