{"id":8065,"date":"2022-06-16T19:26:46","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T23:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/?p=8065"},"modified":"2022-06-16T19:26:49","modified_gmt":"2022-06-16T23:26:49","slug":"2022-2023-college-football-games-of-the-year-betting-odds-and-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/college-football\/2022-2023-college-football-games-of-the-year-betting-odds-and-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"2022-2023 College Football Games of the Year Betting Odds and Picks"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>College Football Games of the Year<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Prior to each college football season, sports books across the country post their Games of the Year where wagering becomes available on the biggest games for the upcoming season. WagerTalk handicapper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/profile\/ralph-michaels\">Ralph Michaels<\/a> shares some of his projected point spreads to compare with the opening lines from DraftKings on games involving Alabama, Texas A&amp;M, USC, Georgia, Texas and many more!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Stay on top of the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/free-sports-picks\/CFB\">College Football<\/a> updates direct from Las Vegas!<\/em><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8115 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ralph-cfb-chart-1024x644.png\" alt=\"College Football Game of The Year Chart\" width=\"1024\" height=\"644\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ralph-cfb-chart-1024x644.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ralph-cfb-chart-300x189.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ralph-cfb-chart-768x483.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ralph-cfb-chart.png 1090w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>DraftKings&#8217; Lines vs Ralph Michaels&#8217; Lines<\/h2>\n<h3>Week 2, September 10th: Iowa State at Iowa<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Iowa (-6)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Iowa (-4.5)<\/p>\n<p>Ralph gives the slight edge to the &#8216;dog in the Cy-Hawks series, Iowa State (+6). Last season, Iowa State lost to Iowa 27-17 as a 4-point home favorite, and the under hit by one point.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 3, September 17th: Oklahoma at Nebraska<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Oklahoma (-5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Oklahoma (-1.5)<\/p>\n<p>We give the early-season edge to the &#8216;dog, Nebraska (+5), as Ralph projects Oklahoma as a 1.5-point favorite in this battle of former conference mates. Oklahoma won last year&#8217;s contest 23-16, but never came close to covering the 22.5-point spread against the Cornhuskers. The under also hit last year by 23.5 points as it was set at 62.5 points.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 4, September 24th: Arkansas vs Texas A&amp;M<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Texas A&amp;M (-5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Texas A&amp;M (-2)<\/p>\n<p>Ralph gives the edge to the &#8216;dog again, Arkansas (+5), with this game looking closer in his eyes. Arkansas beat the Aggies 20-10 last season as +4.5 underdogs. The under hit by 17 points as this was more of a defensive battle than oddsmakers projected.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 5, October 1st: Alabama at Arkansas<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Alabama (-16)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Alabama (-13.5)<\/p>\n<p>Another &#8216;dog getting the lean in the SEC matchup as Ralph doesn&#8217;t necessarily feel that Arkansas (+16) should be getting more than two touchdowns. Alabama won 42-35 last season but failed to cover as -20.5 favorites. The over\/under was set at 58.5 last season, with the over cashing comfortably.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 6, October 8th: Texas A&amp;M at Alabama<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Alabama (-16.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Alabama (-19)<\/p>\n<p>One week after leaning toward Alabama&#8217;s opponent, Ralph favors the Crimson Tide in this SEC West showdown and thinks Alabama should be closer to a three-score favorite. Alabama was upset at Texas A&amp;M last season, 41-38, failing to cover as -18.5 road favorites. The over\/under was set at 50.5, with the over cashing easily.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 7, October 15th: Alabama at Tennessee<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Alabama (-13)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Alabama (-17)<\/p>\n<p>Another early-season lean in the direction of the Crimson Tide, with Ralph suggesting this line should be closer to -17 compared to DraftKings&#8217; opening line of -13. The Crimson Tide came away with a 52-24 win last season, covering the -24.5 spread. The over hit by eight points as it was set at 68.<\/p>\n<h3>USC at Utah<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Utah (-3.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Utah (-5.5)<\/p>\n<p>Even with USC&#8217;s revamped coaching staff and roster, Ralph still leans toward the Utes in this Pac-12 showdown. The Trojans were a 3-point home favorite in last year&#8217;s meeting with Utah, but the defending conference champs earned a 42-26 in the Coliseum. The total blew past the oddsmakers&#8217; expectation at 53.5 points.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 8, October 22nd: Texas at Oklahoma State<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Oklahoma State (-1.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Oklahoma State (-6.5)<\/p>\n<p>This game presents the second-biggest discrepancy between Ralph&#8217;s numbers and the DraftKings&#8217; opening lines as Ralph thinks this game should be lined closer to a touchdown in favor of the Cowboys. The Longhorns were a 3-point home favorite in last year&#8217;s meeting, but lost 32-24 to Oklahoma State. The over\/under was set at 61, with the Cowboys&#8217; defense leading the charge toward the under.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 9, October 29th: Florida vs Georgia<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Georgia (-14.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Georgia (-17)<\/p>\n<p>Georgia lost a record-breaking five defensive players to the first round of this year&#8217;s NFL Draft. Can the Bulldogs repeat their success in this annual neutral site clash? Georgia won last year&#8217;s contest 34-7 as a two-touchdown favorite, with the under (50) easily hitting as well.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 10, November 5th: Tennessee at Georgia<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Georgia (-15.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Georgia (-19.5)<\/p>\n<p>Back-to-back games where Ralph&#8217;s numbers favor Georgia against an SEC East rival. The Bulldogs stomped the Volunteers last year, 41-17, as 19-point favorites with the total of 56 points. Despite the Bulldogs&#8217; roster and coaching turnover, Ralph feels this line should be closer to three touchdowns.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 11, November 12th: Washington at Oregon<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Oregon (-10)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Oregon (-13)<\/p>\n<p>This game has decided the Pac-12 North in recent seasons, and Ralph has an early-season lean toward the Ducks. Oregon won last year&#8217;s matchup 26-16 in Eugene, covering the -7 spread with the under (48) also getting to the ticket window.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 12, November 19th: USC at UCLA<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = USC (-4)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = UCLA (-1)<\/p>\n<p>Wrong team favored? DraftKings opened the Trojans as a 4-point favorite, but Ralph thinks the Bruins deserve favoritism in this matchup. UCLA whipped the Trojans 62-33 last season, comfortably sailing over the total.<\/p>\n<h3>Miami (FL) at Clemson<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Clemson (-9)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Clemson (-13)<\/p>\n<p>Miami will be introducing a new coaching staff and roster this season, but Ralph still thinks this point spread deserves to be closer to two touchdowns. These two last played in 2020 with Clemson coming away with a 42-17 win at home en route to a College Football Playoff berth.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 13, November 25th: Florida at Florida State<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Florida (-1.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Florida State (-5)<\/p>\n<p>This Sunshine State showdown presents the biggest discrepancy between DraftKings&#8217; opening lines and Ralph&#8217;s power ratings. Florida will be introducing Billy Napier as the Seminoles&#8217; new coach this season. Florida won last year&#8217;s meeting 24-21, but failed to cover the spread as a 4-point home favorite with the game staying comfortably under the total.<\/p>\n<h3>Week 13, November 26th: Notre Dame at USC<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = USC (-2.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Notre Dame (-0.5)<\/p>\n<p>Notre Dame captured last year&#8217;s meeting with the Trojans 31-16 as an 8-point home favorite, but the wheels had come off the Trojans&#8217; season at that point. Can Lincoln Riley and the influx of new talent produce a different result this year?<\/p>\n<h3>Auburn at Alabama<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Alabama (-23.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Alabama (-26)<\/p>\n<p>Four overtime periods were needed to settle last year&#8217;s Iron Bowl, but Ralph and the oddsmakers project a different outcome this season. Alabama entered last season&#8217;s showdown as a 21-point favorite and escaped with a 24-22 win. Despite those four overtime periods, the under (57.5) still cashed by 11.5 points.<\/p>\n<h3>Michigan at Ohio State<\/h3>\n<p>DraftKings = Ohio State (-13.5)<br \/>\nRalph Michaels&#8217; Line = Ohio State (-13)<\/p>\n<p>The Wolverines won outright last season, 42-27, as 6.5-point underdogs. Both Ralph and the oddsmakers think this year&#8217;s version will be a little more lopsided with point spreads close to two touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wagertalk.go.metabet.io\/bet\/mgm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3037 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/BetMGM-Primary-Horizontal-Black-Background.jpg\" alt=\"BetMGM Logo\" width=\"528\" height=\"124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/BetMGM-Primary-Horizontal-Black-Background.jpg 528w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/BetMGM-Primary-Horizontal-Black-Background-300x70.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Interested in placing a bets on the upcoming college football season? BetMGM is offering a <a href=\"https:\/\/wagertalk.go.metabet.io\/bet\/mgm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$1,000 Risk-Free Bet<\/a> for first-time bettors in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Washington DC, Wyoming, Mississippi, Arizona and Louisiana.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>WagerTalk Early Bird College Football and NFL Special<\/h2>\n<p>Check out the video below for more details on how you can save tons of money taking advantage of our Early Bird College Football and NFL Special! Hurry though because this special only lasts through June 30th!<\/p>\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_55712\"  width=\"870\" height=\"489\"  data-origwidth=\"870\" data-origheight=\"489\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GPr3pKTZpWA?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=1&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&rel=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&hl=en_US&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade  no-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"Super Early Bird Football Promotion | NFL and College Football Picks | WagerTalk Promotion\"  src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/GPr3pKTZpWA\/maxresdefault.jpg\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div><span itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GPr3pKTZpWA\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Super Early Bird Football Promotion | NFL and College Football Picks | WagerTalk Promotion\"><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Who is thinking about buying a football in June to lock in their NFL and College Football picks? Well, with the Super Early Bird Football Promotion at WagerTalk and Sportsmemo, we have a few reasons why: Early Bird pricing for NFL and College Football combo is $899, but using coupon code FOOTBALL100, you can take $100 OFF, dropping the price to $799. If you purchase by June 30th and use coupon code FOOTBALL100 to get your $100 discount, we will also toss in an additional BONUS! On July 4th we will take the HIGHEST scoring MLB game of the day and give you $10 for EVERY RUN SCORED! Yes, so if on July 4th the highest scoring game is 10-9, you get $190 in WagerBuxx to use how you choose! This Super Early Bird $100 Discount using FOOTBALL100 and WagerBuxx BONUS expires on June 30th with no exceptions, so if you plan to bet football this year, this is the LOWEST price we will offer so act fast and lock in your favorite football handicappers in both NFL and College Football through the National Championship and Super Bowl! \ud83d\udc4d Stay connected with WagerTalk: \ud83d\udc47 Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to WagerTalk TV, \ud83d\udd14 CLICK the Bell and never miss an episode \ud83d\udc47 \ud83d\udcfa https:\/\/wt.buzz\/tv \ud83d\udc4d Facebook: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/fb \ud83d\udc26 Twitter: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/tw \ud83d\udcf8 Instagram: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/ig \ud83d\udcf0 reddit: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/rd \u2764\ufe0f iHeart Radio: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/iheart \ud83c\udf4e Apple Podcasts: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/ap \ud83d\udccc Pinterest: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/pin\"><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/GPr3pKTZpWA\/0.jpg\"><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT57S\"><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2022-06-08T20:31:48Z\"><\/span>\n<h3>WagerTalk Live Odds Screen<\/h3>\n<p>WagerTalk\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/freeOddsPage\/page.html?sport=L2&amp;cb=0.717884315530797\">live odds screen<\/a> featuring up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the point spreads, totals and betting percentages for College Football Week 1 from your desktop or phone.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/odds?sport=L2&amp;cb=0.12313611994895357\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8205 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-16-at-1.31.23-PM.png\" alt=\"College Football Odds\" width=\"2810\" height=\"1322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-16-at-1.31.23-PM.png 2560w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-16-at-1.31.23-PM-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-16-at-1.31.23-PM-1024x482.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-16-at-1.31.23-PM-768x361.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-16-at-1.31.23-PM-1536x723.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-16-at-1.31.23-PM-2048x964.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2810px) 100vw, 2810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Latest Betting Odds and Public Action<\/strong><strong>: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/wt.buzz\/odds\" data-schema-attribute=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vegas lines<\/a> updated in real time, including who the public is betting on. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Last Minute Handicapping Advice<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">: Check out our extensive library of <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/sports-betting-guide\">handicapping tips<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/videos\">sports betting tips video library<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Want an expert opinion?<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> Check out the latest <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/free-sports-picks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Free Sports Picks<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> and <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/picks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best Bets<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> from our team of expert sports handicappers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Make sure to bookmark all the above!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>College Football Games of the Year Prior to each college football season, sports books across the country post their Games of the Year where wagering becomes available on the biggest games for the upcoming season. WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels shares some of his projected point spreads to compare with the opening lines from DraftKings on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[1090,1092,8,1089,1088,1091,1093],"class_list":["post-8065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-football","tag-2022-2023-college-football-season","tag-alabama-football","tag-college-football","tag-college-football-betting-preview","tag-college-football-picks","tag-georgia-football","tag-usc-football"],"basic_html":"<h2>College Football Games of the Year<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Prior to each college football season, sports books across the country post their Games of the Year where wagering becomes available on the biggest games for the upcoming season. WagerTalk handicapper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/profile\/ralph-michaels\">Ralph Michaels<\/a> shares some of his projected point spreads to compare with the opening lines from DraftKings on games involving Alabama, Texas A&amp;M, USC, Georgia, Texas and many more!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Stay on top of the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/free-sports-picks\/CFB\">College Football<\/a> updates direct from Las Vegas!<\/em><!--more--><\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-8115 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ralph-cfb-chart-1024x644.png\" alt=\"College Football Game of The Year Chart\" width=\"1024\" height=\"644\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>DraftKings' Lines vs Ralph Michaels' Lines<\/h2>\n<h3>Week 2, September 10th: Iowa State at Iowa<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Iowa (-6)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Iowa (-4.5)\n\nRalph gives the slight edge to the 'dog in the Cy-Hawks series, Iowa State (+6). Last season, Iowa State lost to Iowa 27-17 as a 4-point home favorite, and the under hit by one point.\n<h3>Week 3, September 17th: Oklahoma at Nebraska<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Oklahoma (-5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Oklahoma (-1.5)\n\nWe give the early-season edge to the 'dog, Nebraska (+5), as Ralph projects Oklahoma as a 1.5-point favorite in this battle of former conference mates. Oklahoma won last year's contest 23-16, but never came close to covering the 22.5-point spread against the Cornhuskers. The under also hit last year by 23.5 points as it was set at 62.5 points.\n<h3>Week 4, September 24th: Arkansas vs Texas A&amp;M<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Texas A&amp;M (-5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Texas A&amp;M (-2)\n\nRalph gives the edge to the 'dog again, Arkansas (+5), with this game looking closer in his eyes. Arkansas beat the Aggies 20-10 last season as +4.5 underdogs. The under hit by 17 points as this was more of a defensive battle than oddsmakers projected.\n<h3>Week 5, October 1st: Alabama at Arkansas<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Alabama (-16)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Alabama (-13.5)\n\nAnother 'dog getting the lean in the SEC matchup as Ralph doesn't necessarily feel that Arkansas (+16) should be getting more than two touchdowns. Alabama won 42-35 last season but failed to cover as -20.5 favorites. The over\/under was set at 58.5 last season, with the over cashing comfortably.\n<h3>Week 6, October 8th: Texas A&amp;M at Alabama<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Alabama (-16.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Alabama (-19)\n\nOne week after leaning toward Alabama's opponent, Ralph favors the Crimson Tide in this SEC West showdown and thinks Alabama should be closer to a three-score favorite. Alabama was upset at Texas A&amp;M last season, 41-38, failing to cover as -18.5 road favorites. The over\/under was set at 50.5, with the over cashing easily.\n<h3>Week 7, October 15th: Alabama at Tennessee<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Alabama (-13)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Alabama (-17)\n\nAnother early-season lean in the direction of the Crimson Tide, with Ralph suggesting this line should be closer to -17 compared to DraftKings' opening line of -13. The Crimson Tide came away with a 52-24 win last season, covering the -24.5 spread. The over hit by eight points as it was set at 68.\n<h3>USC at Utah<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Utah (-3.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Utah (-5.5)\n\nEven with USC's revamped coaching staff and roster, Ralph still leans toward the Utes in this Pac-12 showdown. The Trojans were a 3-point home favorite in last year's meeting with Utah, but the defending conference champs earned a 42-26 in the Coliseum. The total blew past the oddsmakers' expectation at 53.5 points.\n<h3>Week 8, October 22nd: Texas at Oklahoma State<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Oklahoma State (-1.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Oklahoma State (-6.5)\n\nThis game presents the second-biggest discrepancy between Ralph's numbers and the DraftKings' opening lines as Ralph thinks this game should be lined closer to a touchdown in favor of the Cowboys. The Longhorns were a 3-point home favorite in last year's meeting, but lost 32-24 to Oklahoma State. The over\/under was set at 61, with the Cowboys' defense leading the charge toward the under.\n<h3>Week 9, October 29th: Florida vs Georgia<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Georgia (-14.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Georgia (-17)\n\nGeorgia lost a record-breaking five defensive players to the first round of this year's NFL Draft. Can the Bulldogs repeat their success in this annual neutral site clash? Georgia won last year's contest 34-7 as a two-touchdown favorite, with the under (50) easily hitting as well.\n<h3>Week 10, November 5th: Tennessee at Georgia<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Georgia (-15.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Georgia (-19.5)\n\nBack-to-back games where Ralph's numbers favor Georgia against an SEC East rival. The Bulldogs stomped the Volunteers last year, 41-17, as 19-point favorites with the total of 56 points. Despite the Bulldogs' roster and coaching turnover, Ralph feels this line should be closer to three touchdowns.\n<h3>Week 11, November 12th: Washington at Oregon<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Oregon (-10)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Oregon (-13)\n\nThis game has decided the Pac-12 North in recent seasons, and Ralph has an early-season lean toward the Ducks. Oregon won last year's matchup 26-16 in Eugene, covering the -7 spread with the under (48) also getting to the ticket window.\n<h3>Week 12, November 19th: USC at UCLA<\/h3>\nDraftKings = USC (-4)\nRalph Michaels' Line = UCLA (-1)\n\nWrong team favored? DraftKings opened the Trojans as a 4-point favorite, but Ralph thinks the Bruins deserve favoritism in this matchup. UCLA whipped the Trojans 62-33 last season, comfortably sailing over the total.\n<h3>Miami (FL) at Clemson<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Clemson (-9)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Clemson (-13)\n\nMiami will be introducing a new coaching staff and roster this season, but Ralph still thinks this point spread deserves to be closer to two touchdowns. These two last played in 2020 with Clemson coming away with a 42-17 win at home en route to a College Football Playoff berth.\n<h3>Week 13, November 25th: Florida at Florida State<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Florida (-1.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Florida State (-5)\n\nThis Sunshine State showdown presents the biggest discrepancy between DraftKings' opening lines and Ralph's power ratings. Florida will be introducing Billy Napier as the Seminoles' new coach this season. Florida won last year's meeting 24-21, but failed to cover the spread as a 4-point home favorite with the game staying comfortably under the total.\n<h3>Week 13, November 26th: Notre Dame at USC<\/h3>\nDraftKings = USC (-2.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Notre Dame (-0.5)\n\nNotre Dame captured last year's meeting with the Trojans 31-16 as an 8-point home favorite, but the wheels had come off the Trojans' season at that point. Can Lincoln Riley and the influx of new talent produce a different result this year?\n<h3>Auburn at Alabama<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Alabama (-23.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Alabama (-26)\n\nFour overtime periods were needed to settle last year's Iron Bowl, but Ralph and the oddsmakers project a different outcome this season. Alabama entered last season's showdown as a 21-point favorite and escaped with a 24-22 win. Despite those four overtime periods, the under (57.5) still cashed by 11.5 points.\n<h3>Michigan at Ohio State<\/h3>\nDraftKings = Ohio State (-13.5)\nRalph Michaels' Line = Ohio State (-13)\n\nThe Wolverines won outright last season, 42-27, as 6.5-point underdogs. Both Ralph and the oddsmakers think this year's version will be a little more lopsided with point spreads close to two touchdowns.\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/wagertalk.go.metabet.io\/bet\/mgm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img class=\"wp-image-3037 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/BetMGM-Primary-Horizontal-Black-Background.jpg\" alt=\"BetMGM Logo\" width=\"528\" height=\"124\" \/><\/a>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Interested in placing a bets on the upcoming college football season? BetMGM is offering a <a href=\"https:\/\/wagertalk.go.metabet.io\/bet\/mgm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$1,000 Risk-Free Bet<\/a> for first-time bettors in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Washington DC, Wyoming, Mississippi, Arizona and Louisiana.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<h2>WagerTalk Early Bird College Football and NFL Special<\/h2>\nCheck out the video below for more details on how you can save tons of money taking advantage of our Early Bird College Football and NFL Special! Hurry though because this special only lasts through June 30th!\n\n[embedyt] https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GPr3pKTZpWA[\/embedyt]\n<h3>WagerTalk Live Odds Screen<\/h3>\nWagerTalk\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/freeOddsPage\/page.html?sport=L2&amp;cb=0.717884315530797\">live odds screen<\/a> featuring up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the point spreads, totals and betting percentages for College Football Week 1 from your desktop or phone.\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/odds?sport=L2&amp;cb=0.12313611994895357\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-8205 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-16-at-1.31.23-PM.png\" alt=\"College Football Odds\" width=\"2810\" height=\"1322\" \/><\/a>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Latest Betting Odds and Public Action<\/strong><strong>: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/wt.buzz\/odds\" data-schema-attribute=\"\">Vegas lines<\/a> updated in real time, including who the public is betting on. <\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Last Minute Handicapping Advice<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">: Check out our extensive library of <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/sports-betting-guide\">handicapping tips<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/videos\">sports betting tips video library<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Want an expert opinion?<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> Check out the latest <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/free-sports-picks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Free Sports Picks<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> and <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/picks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best Bets<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> from our team of expert sports handicappers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Make sure to bookmark all the above!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}