BCS Rankings 2011: Week 7 Sports Betting Guide for Top Teams

The sports media has focused in on the AP Top 10's success last week in blowout victories, something that I touched upon before anyone else in the Week 7 picks against-the-spread article Sunday.

Las Vegas sports books were handed a major loss due to underestimating the top teams, which I assure you will not happen again.

With that being said, I think it's important to take a closer look at how four of the upper-tier teams will react with the first BCS standings coming out on Oct. 16.

Let the scoreboard politicking begin!

LSU Tigers

The LSU Tigers tallied a 32-10 win over McNeese State as 41.5-point home favorites in last year's contest before the BCS standings were released on Oct. 17.

It's important to note that head coach Les Miles probably ran the most vanilla offense in history, as the team was preparing for a showdown with Auburn, the eventual national champion the following week.

Before the 2007 standings were released, LSU rode into Lexington with a perfect 6-0 record, but dropped a 43-37 overtime thriller as 10-point road favorites to the Kentucky Wildcats.

That loss caused the Tigers to not even be listed among the top 25 schools in the first release.

Could the same thing happen as 15.5-point road favorites against Tennessee?

Not likely, especially with Volunteers starting quarterback Tyler Bray being out with a thumb injury.

Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide enter this week at Mississippi with a 5-1 ATS record, with the only spread loss coming in a 41-0 shutout win over North Texas as 47-point home favorites.

Definitely can't blame Saint Nick for not running up the score on a hopeless opponent.

The Crimson Tide actually suffered a loss two weeks prior to the standings being released last year, which doesn't offer much in terms of handicapping this year's situation.

We need to travel back to their 2009-10 national championship season, which saw them hand the South Carolina Gamecocks a 20-6 loss as 18-point home favorites.

It's also important to note that Saban's squad also failed to cover as 14-point home favorites the following week, after being sent out as the No. 2 team in the BCS standings, coming away with a 12-10 win over Tennessee.

In 2008, Alabama escaped with a 24-20 win over Mississippi as 12.5-point favorites. nearly letting a 24-3 halftime lead slip away.

The close margin of victory in that contest led to the team coming out a spot behind No. 1 Texas.

Due to the results mentioned above, bettors could definitely profit in playing against the Crimson Tide this week on the road in Oxford, as the Rebels are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.

Oklahoma Sooners

I doubt that Oklahoma Sooners head coach is in a joyful mood this week after learning that his brother was just fired in Tuscon.

The Sooners have been here before, most recently in 2010, as they were sent out as the No. 1 team just ahead of Oregon in the first installment.

Stoops has led his boys from Norman to a 4-1 ATS record, with the only failure coming against an undervalued Missouri Tigers side.

Oklahoma definitely shouldn't be rated as 35.5-point road favorites in this week's contest against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Sooners handed the Iowa State Cyclones a 52-0 blowout loss as 23-point home favorites leading up to the standings last year, which actually came just after a 28-20 win over Texas.

Sound like a familiar scenario?

Boise State Broncos

Boise State is going to be 6-0 when Week 7 of the schedule comes to an end, as the program is a formidable 31.5-point road favorite against Colorado State.

The real question is—will they cover?

Bettors will find that the Broncos tallied a 41-0 win over the San Jose State Spartans as 40.5-point road favorites before last year's first set of standings.

It helped the program land in the No. 3 spot, only to fail as 35.5-point home favorites in a 49-20 win over Louisiana Tech nine days later.

During the 2009-10 campaign, Boise State survived a 28-21 scare against Tulsa as nine-point road favorites before debuting in the No. 4 spot.

It's a tough call this week from a betting perspective, but with a 17-4 ATS mark as road favorites and everyone talking about the other teams, the scoreboard might not be able to keep up.