College Football Betting - Florida State at BYU

Florida State Seminoles (1-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) at BYU Cougars (2-0 SU & ATS)

Saturday, September 19 - 7 PM ET

BetUS NCAA Football Betting Odds:  BYU -7.5, Total 56

Here are some of the NCAA college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

• FSU has won eight of its last 12 games SU
• FSU has covered two of its last seven road games
• FSU has played six of its last nine road games OVER the total
• BYU has covered three of its last 11 games
• BYU has won 22 of its last 25 games SU
• BYU has won its last 18 home games SU
  
  

What you have to admire about BYU last week is that, after having upset Oklahoma in a big way the week before, and this game with FSU on the horizon, there was no letup when they lined up against Tulane, and blew the Green Wave away without so much as a complaint, and it resulted in a big victory in the football betting odds. The Cougar defense really showed up for those games, allowing a total of only 427 yards. What can you say about Max Hall, who has completed 71% of his passes with four TD's and no turnovers?

BYU is a team that is aiming at something that no non-BCS team has reached before: a national title. Granted, a lot of stuff has to happen first, not the least of which is an undefeated run through a Mountain West schedule that has road bumps against TCU and Utah. There is no doubt that this is a critical non-conference game for them, because now a nation's eyes will be watching, and with expectations to boot.

In their favor, the Cougars have won eighteen straight games at home, covering ten of the last 16 in the football betting odds, and they are two weeks past the emotional high they experienced against the Sooners. The whole thing is helping Harvey Unga to get better, and the junior, who had been held out of the Oklahoma game with a hamstring injury, and limited to just three carries against Tulane, should be closer to full strength here.

Florida State got a huge scare in their "sandwich" game last week against FCS entry Jacksonville State. The 'Noles were trailing 9-7 with less than a minute to go, before scoring a TD run and then running back a fumble by Ryan Perilloux.

I must admit to being taken by surprise with the progress made on the part of Florida Stat quarterback Christian Ponder. The guy looks cool in the pocket, can buy himself time and throw on the run, and has an arm. He threw for 324 yards against Jacksonville State, and it was not his fault that teammates lost three fumbles. The problems for FSU in combating the football betting odds are these: offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher has still not figured out a way to work a running game into the mix.

The secondary is certainly vulnerable to big plays, as it showed against Miami, and Hall is a more accurate and efficient passer than Jacory Harris, and kicker Dustin Thomas, who has a big leg, has nonetheless missed THREE extra points. That's the kind of thing that can be important here.

BYU has confidence, depth in the running game, and the field leader to pull away here, especially if FSU continues to go to sleep in its defensive backfield. We'll lay the points with the Cougars, the 7.5-point favorite in the BetUS NCAA college football betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY:  BYU -7.5 **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)