Another week passed and none of our Philly Special parlays were a hit. But you know what they said the third time…
The Eagles are the undefeated favorites on Sunday. Doug Pederson and the Jaguars. Temple once again hit the road to Memphis as a big loser. Penn State is a Northwestern favorite.
Here’s how we’re betting on local teams this weekend (Odds are given by fan duel and subject to change).
Bettors are superstitious…so let’s change the order today. Devin wants to go first. It’s like asking the card issuer to take a shower. Sometimes change is good.
For two weeks in a row, I’ve had a successful run at Temple, but this time around, predicting what might happen between Memphis and the Owls on Saturday is a tall order. On the one hand, Memphis has an 18.5-point lead over Temple but has failed to cover in seven all-time conferences. Even though the Tigers should have won, something tells me it was a combination of EJ Warner and Temple on offense. That’s why I’m taking over 50.5 points overall for this game.
Penn State dropped its first game against the spread last weekend, but if you read our preview before the game, you know that Central Michigan is going to be a nasty place. However, a blowout is expected when the Nittany Lions face the Northwest this weekend. The Wildcats have lost three straight, including one to an FCS rival, and Penn State hopes to prove it’s a legitimate Big Ten contender. While the Nittany Lions have been inconsistent with their top-10 Western Conference opponents, the 25.5-point chalk is the game here.
Finally, in the first two weeks of this column, the Philadelphia Eagles’ decline on the spread proved unsuccessful. From getting the Minnesota Vikings off Monday night’s football game to thinking the Eagles commander would be a shootout, it’s time to take points with Philly. It will be an emotional atmosphere as former Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson, now coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars, will return to Lincoln Financial Field. The Jaguars are improving, but the Eagles’ defensive line is too much for Jacksonville’s offensive line. Take Philadelphia gentlemen, for example.
bet: Temple/Memphis over 50.5; Penn State -25.5; Eagles -6.5
Odds: +584 (bet $10, win $58.42)
Memphis is a tough team to stick with. The Tigers beat the Navy, got a tail kick by Mississippi, and then narrowly defeated North Texas. Meanwhile, Temple has two wins, one against. One FCS team, another vs. Worst team in FBS. But the Owls were tough against Rutgers and have been tough against Memphis. Temple won’t win this time, but bet they stay close enough to cover at least 18.5 points.
Penn State failed to make it a home favorite last week. Central Michigan. Now, Northwestern is in town to open the Big Ten, and the Nittany Lions are once again the favorite (-25.5 as of Thursday morning). Sure, they could have won with four touchdowns, but they could have also won with 17 points comfortably. It’s the bottom that feels a little safer. Penn State’s defense has been excellent so far, so the 34-10 victory doesn’t seem so crazy.
As for the Eagles, they entered Week 4 with about the same spread (-6.5) (-6.5). Commander Washington. Now, they welcome old friend Doug Pederson and the upstart Jaguars. Well, Jacksonville doesn’t seem as bad as it used to be, but these Eagles are running, and they don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Until we see another stalemate on the defense, you should keep betting that Philly will win at least one touchdown or more against an opponent like Jacksonville. Get points.
bet: Temples +18.5; Penn State/Northwestern under 52.5; Eagles -6.5
Odds: +595 (bet $10, win $59.58)
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