NCAAF Line Movement: Teams Being Steamed or Faded For Week 1

Boise State Broncos vs Central Florida Knights

• When: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
• Opener: Boise State +4½, Central Florida -4½
• Current Line: Boise State +5, Central Florida -5

This feature battle pits two Group of Five powers as Boise St. takes on UCF in what should be a high-scoring matchup. Boise St. and UCF are relatively even in status and both have new head coaches after their exes ditched them for the SEC.

But even if this should be a fun one, at least two-thirds of the public are siding with the Knights. Hence why they’ve shifted their line. The Knights have just a bit more firepower and have been a fan favorite since they went unbeaten in 2017.

North Carolina Tar Heels vs Virginia Tech Hokies

• When: Friday, 6 p.m. ET
• Opener: North Carolina -5, Virginia Tech +5
• Current Line: North Carolina -5½, Virginia Tech +5½

Now on to an ACC rivalry. UNC is expected to beat Virginia Tech here but not without a fight. However, the public is squarely feeling the Carolina blue with most of the action going toward them. UNC is ranked 10th in the AP Top 25 and is the second-best team in the conference while Virginia Tech sits somewhere in the middle.

Sam Howell on 20+ yard throws since 2019:

🚀 32 TDs (1st)
🚀 59 Big-Time Throws (1st)
🚀 96.8 PFF Passing Grade (T-1st)pic.twitter.com/6ghU99kAaG

— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 27, 2021

This should be another fast-paced and high-scoring game. UNC features quarterback Sam Howell who is widely believed to be the best in the conference while VTech’s defense is not the greatest, to put it mildly.

Miami (OH) RedHawks vs Cincinnati Bearcats

• When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
• Opener: Miami Ohio +23½, Cincinnati -23½
• Current Line: Miami Ohio +23, Cincinnati -23

Cincinnati is the eighth-best team in the country according to the AP poll and here they’re expected to blow Miami out of the water. The spread opened at 23.5 but has dropped to 23 with sharp money coming in for Miami despite the sentiment being mostly on Cincinnati.

With totals set at 50½, this is supposed to be a master class for the Bearcats, who can run the tables on the little ol’ RedHawks. A final score along the lines of 35-13 would be what most expect as the Bearcats look to dominate the American Athletic Conference’s scores and odds yet again

Nevada Wolfpack vs California Golden Bears

• When: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET
• Opener: Nevada +3½, California -3½
• Current Line: Nevada +3, California -3

Moving on to the West Coast, the public has taken the side of the Golden Bears against the Wolfpack. Action is skewed toward California around a 70/30 split for the most part, though the line has shifted toward Nevada.

This means the sharp sports bets are trending toward the Wolfpack. Nevada is the better team on paper and has a real shot at an upset here. It has the better defense while California has lost players on their offensive line and quarterback Chase Garbers is not exactly a superstar.