NCAAF Week 13 ATS Hit List: AAC Commish Says CFP Deep Sixes Power Six

When viewed in the harsh light of cold reality, the only reason there's a Power Five in college football is that's the number of conferences containing select programs that are mega-cash machines.

Those programs benefit from known uni aversities that serve as the basis of scheduling, which gives the likes of Rutgers the status as a Power Five crew.

It's enough to make other rich, big-time schools like SMU, Cincinnati, Memphis, etc, do a slow burn.

 

Well, those teams and the rest of the American Athletic Conference have got Commissioner Mike Aresco, and he's in constant rebellion mode against the Power Five.

Dude's so into it, he's got the AAC unilaterally including itself in the Power Six:

 

And why not?

That sorta 'tude worked for UCF after its undefeated 2017 season, when the Knights declared themselves as national champions.

 

We definitely don't discount the AAC here. If there's a play that looks good, we're on it.

And there just happens to be one on our list.

When you peruse our musings, remember that you'll want to check the current lines before laying action.

 

Minnesota -14 at Northwestern

Minnesota fell, 23-19, to Iowa in Week 12. It was the Golden Gophers’ first loss of the season, while the Wildcats showed some life an mashed hopeless UMass, 49-6. Somehow, that combined to make the line open at Minnesota -7.

Smart money jumped all over that, and within a day, the line zoomed to double digits, where it shoulda been in the first place. Northwestern is 0-6 against the spread at home. Go with the Gophers.

Result: Minnesota 38 Northwestern 22 ... Golden Gophers cover

 

Purdue +22 at Wisconsin

The Badgers are 1-3 ATS in their last 4. Dudes struggled to cover a 7½ spread against Iowa on Sat 9 Nov 9.

The Boilermakers are on a 5-1 run ATS, which  includes covers against Penn State and Iowa. Back Purdue.

Result: Wisconsin 45 Purdue 24 ... Boilermakers cover

 

Oklahoma State -8 at West Virginia

Mike Gundy’s crew does this every season. They play bad. Then, they turn it on towards the end of the season. The Cowboys are 3-0 SU and ATS in their last 3.

The Mountaineers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 following an ATS win. The Cowboys get it done.

Result: Oklahoma State 20 West Virginia 13 ... Mountaineers cover

UCF at Tulane +4½

Here's the Power 6 play of the day. Central Florida is 7-3 SU and head into this matchup off a 34-31 road loss to Tulsa as a -15 favorite.

The Knights are also 1-6 ATS in their last 7. Take the points on the home dog Green Wave.

Result: UCF 34 Tulane 31 ... Green Wave covers

Penn State at Ohio State -19

If you're thinking Penn State has a great defense, you're right. Unfortunately, Ohio State’s defense is better. The Buckeyes also have an advantage at virtually every offensive position, and they're killer in the Horseshoe.

The Nittany Lions are 5-5 ATS while the Buckeyes are 8-2 ATS. 19 points is a lot. Penn State will cover it.

Result: Ohio State 28 Penn State 17 ... Nittany Lions cover

UCLA +10 at USC

In this rivalry game, trends matter. The Bruins are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.

The Trojans are 1-4 ATS against a team with a losing record. UCLA covers.

Result: USC 52 UCLA 35 ... Trojans cover

 

Arkansas at LSU -46

Although LSU will give up points, Arkansas has no shot of stopping the Bayou Bengals.

The Razorbacks are a terrible 1-8 ATS this season. Western Kentucky beat them, 45-19, in their last game. LSU gets it done SU and ATS.

Result: LSU 56 Arkansas 20 ... Razorbacks cover

Oregon -16 at Arizona State

The Ducks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5. Oregon has a shot to make the CFP.

They'll impress the Selection Committee by pummeling the Sun Devils on the road.

Result: Arizona State 31 Oregon 28 ... Sun Devils cover

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Sportbet Columnist: Josh Bailey ... Today: 4-4

Aspiring to become the Mark Twain of sportswriting, Josh has been labelled as the up-&-coming sportswriter of the year by absolutely nobody and the new heavy hitter in sports handicapping by his mother.