Bryan Power

THE PLAY: 2-Team Parlay: Texas Tech ML + San Jose State ML (-123)

2% Parlay - Texas Tech ML (12:00 ET) + San Jose State ML (6:00 ET): BYU is one of four unbeatens left across College Football. But the Cougars have lived quite the “charmed life” in getting to 8-0 SU. Three of the previous five wins have been by six points or less. They actually needed to come from behind to win at Colorado. The game at Arizona found BYU down double digits late in the 4Q (they came back and won in OT). At wounded Iowa State, the Cougars found themselves trailing by two touchdowns in the first half and were eventually outgained 495-410. But, thanks in large part to a +4 turnover margin, they came back and won there as well. Now they’re coming off a bye, but this will be their fifth time playing on the road in the last seven games and it comes against, what I consider, the Big 12’s best team. All of Texas Tech’s wins this season have been by double digits. The lone loss came in the closing seconds at Arizona State, who was still healthy at the time. The Red Raiders’ offense is better when QB Behren Morton (missed ASU game) is in there and he returned last week to throw for 249 yards in a 43-20 win at Kansas State. BYU RB LJ Martin left last week’s game with an injury. Even if he does play Saturday, I don’t expect him to be 100% or that effective against a TT defense that is #1 in the country at stopping the run. 

San Jose State was expected to be a contender this year in the Mountain West. That hasn’t really panned out as the Spartans currently sit 2-2 SU in conference play and two games back of San Diego State. But I wouldn’t go counting out Ken Niumatalolo’s team just yet. They very much control their own destiny, with a game at San Diego State still remaining. I’ve got the Spartans favored in the other three, obviously including here. They are off perhaps their best performance of the season, beating Hawaii 45-38 in a game where the offense put up 630 total yards! Now it’s a matchup with an Air Force team that’s coming off a crushing loss to Army that was decided on the final play. Not only did the AFA give up a big pass play to set up the GW FG, but the offense turned it over twice in the red zone. This just doesn’t look like it will be the Flyboys’ season as their last three losses have all been by a field goal. I don’t want to lay the points with SJSU here (Air Force’s L4 games have all been decided by exactly three points). But the way the market has moved confirms my belief the Spartans win here. 2% Parlay - Texas Tech ML + San Jose State ML (Play to -140)