College Football 2011: Examining the Betting Lines for Top Opening Weekend Games

Every year there are great, marquee games that open the college football season.

This year, the five best games are Notre Dame vs South Florida, BYU vs Ole Miss, Miami vs Maryland, Boise State vs Georgia and Oregon vs LSU.

But for those of us who want to turn our knowledge into a quick buck, betting on these games is a serious business and an art form.

If you don’t much about these games but still have a few bucks to wager, here are some predictions for the top opening games of the season.

All lines are from sportsbook.ag.

Notre Dame vs. South Florida

Line: Notre Dame -10

The hype is once again back at Notre Dame and some people have picked them to go to a BCS bowl this season and to possibly compete for the national championship.

But the most pressing question facing the Irish is whether or not they will beat South Florida and, if so, will they do it by more than ten points?

The Irish defense really turned up the heat at the end of last season.  They gave up fewer than 17 points in each of their last four wins. They return eight of 11 starters on defense.

Notre Dame should definitely win this game at home, but South Florida could really surprise people because of how well they match up with the Irish. The Bulls played surprisingly well on defense last season, especially against the pass, and quarterback B.J. Daniels is a playmaker in every aspect.

This is a tough game to pick but taking Notre Dame in a 13-16 point win is the best bet given how much they progressed defensively last season.

BYU vs. Ole Miss

Line: BYU -3

This game has fallen by the wayside to Boise State vs Georgia and Oregon vs LSU but should be an excellent contest between two big name programs.

Both teams return a lot of offensive talent so this game should be pretty high scoring.

If you don’t take this game on the betting line, be sure to take the over on 55 points. Last year Ole' Miss gave up 49 points in a loss to FCS foe Jacksonville State.

But as for BYU being the three point favorites, take that as well. The Rebels have become reliant on transfers and should consequently lack the team chemistry to get a win, even if it is at home.

They also lose starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli while BYU returns five of seven on the defensive front and four of five on the offensive line.

Taking the Cougars at -6 would still be the wise choice.

Miami vs. Maryland

Line: Miami -5.5

Many places have taken down this game due to the eligibility questions surround Miami but some places are sticking by the Hurricanes.

Why? I have absolutely no idea.

In last year’s game, Miami squeaked out a six point win with 35 seconds left at home.

Assuming the players who were declared ineligible remain that way, especially those on defense, there’s no reason to think that Maryland won't win this game by 5.5 when they’re at home.

Make no mistake, the biggest losses for "The U" are on defense and, as it currently stands, Miami will only return three defensive starters to stop ACC Freshman of the Year, quarterback Danny O’Brien.

If you don’t take any other game this week, be sure to take Maryland in this one but you may want to wait until the eligibility questions are cleared for Ray-Ray Armstrong and Sean Spence.

Boise State vs Georgia

Line: Boise State -3.5

This is far and away the most difficult game to pick because there are so many different betting angles

The game is essentially a home game for Georgia but their running back situation is currently in shambles because of injury.

Boise comes in with Kellen Moore, Doug Martin and a coach that knows how to win football games. But they rarely visit the SEC and they also have a new offensive coordinator and all new receivers.

This game could be anything from a blowout by either team to a close, epic game. Picking a winner is incredibly difficult and you probably want to stay away from this all together.

But if you really want to place a bet, the slightly better pick is to go with Kellen Moore and Boise State.

Oregon vs LSU

Line: Oregon -1

The game with the most national title implications is easily Oregon taking on LSU in Cowboys Stadium.

The Tigers have been hit with some hard losses, none worse than wide receiver Russell Shepard.

The speedy Ducks didn’t give up many rushing yards last season.  Expect them to stack the box and double team receiver Reuben Randle.

Yes, LSU should have a great defense that should hold their own against LaMichael James, but people seem to forget how good Oregon’s defense was last season.

There’s no rational argument that I’ve heard to explain how LSU will be able to keep up with Oregon. Go back and watch the second half of LSU's opener against UNC last season before you make an argument to the contrary.

After taking the over on points scored in the BYU, Ole Miss game, be sure to take Oregon to beat LSU in this preseason bowl game.

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