Gene Ross
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Conference title odds after one week of action
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Who are the betting favorites to win each of the Power 5 conferences?
Very few conference games were played in Week 1 — although Ohio State did take part in one themselves — but that won’t stop us from looking ahead. It is tough to project a team’s success based solely on a single game, especially when many of the top programs in the country played far inferior opponents this past weekend. Still, if nothing else oddsmakers have been given one more data point, and here is who they think will emerge victorious from four of the five power conferences (the ACC does not have odds listed on DraftKings) at this current juncture.
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Michigan is essentially playing a 1.5-game season, with a road contest against Penn State and Ohio State at home the only potential tests for the Wolverines all season. With Jim Harbaugh getting the upper-hand on Ryan Day the past two years, they now get the benefit of the doubt as the Big Ten favorite.
In addition to all that, the Buckeyes play a much tougher schedule, with road contests at Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Michigan as well as Penn State at home. If all goes according to plan, Nov. 25 will be a play-in game for the Big Ten title game.
Is Texas finally back? We will learn more about the Longhorns in Week 2 when they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama, but that won’t mean anything in terms of the Big 12 title race. The only two ranked teams (as of right now) on the schedule are Oklahoma and Kansas State, with Red River being played at the Cotton Bowl and the Wildcats coming to Austin.
The Sooners looked dominant in their 73-0 win over Arkansas State, but have some intriguing matchups on the docket with road games at Cincinnati, Kansas and Oklahoma State. Red River could prove massive in determining a conference winner.
It’s tough to bet against Caleb Williams, even despite USC employing one of the nation’s worst defensive coordinators in Alex Grinch. That being said, the Pac-12 is one of the most hotly contested conferences, as the only listed league with three different teams — USC, Oregon and Washington (+280) — having better than +300 odds.
The Trojans have a brutal stretch to end the year, with five of their final six games coming against Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. The Ducks, meanwhile, get the benefit of playing USC at home, and have an easier non-conference schedule.
This one is kind of a no-brainer. Georgia is the back-to-back defending national champions, and on top of all the tremendous talent they have going for them, they play one of the easiest schedules in the entire country. They get Ole Miss at home and have to travel to Tennessee towards the end of the year as their only two opponents with a pulse, but wins in those games leads to an easy 12-0 campaign.
Alabama may not be at the height of its powers, but the Tide are still a strong group. They have a handful of marquee matchups ahead of them, including home games against Texas, Tennessee and LSU and a road trip to Texas A&M.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Who are the betting favorites to win each of the Power 5 conferences?
Very few conference games were played in Week 1 — although Ohio State did take part in one themselves — but that won’t stop us from looking ahead. It is tough to project a team’s success based solely on a single game, especially when many of the top programs in the country played far inferior opponents this past weekend. Still, if nothing else oddsmakers have been given one more data point, and here is who they think will emerge victorious from four of the five power conferences (the ACC does not have odds listed on DraftKings) at this current juncture.
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Big Ten: Michigan (+170)
Next-Best: Ohio State (+200)
Michigan is essentially playing a 1.5-game season, with a road contest against Penn State and Ohio State at home the only potential tests for the Wolverines all season. With Jim Harbaugh getting the upper-hand on Ryan Day the past two years, they now get the benefit of the doubt as the Big Ten favorite.
In addition to all that, the Buckeyes play a much tougher schedule, with road contests at Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Michigan as well as Penn State at home. If all goes according to plan, Nov. 25 will be a play-in game for the Big Ten title game.
Big 12: Texas (+105)
Next-Best: Oklahoma (+275)
Is Texas finally back? We will learn more about the Longhorns in Week 2 when they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama, but that won’t mean anything in terms of the Big 12 title race. The only two ranked teams (as of right now) on the schedule are Oklahoma and Kansas State, with Red River being played at the Cotton Bowl and the Wildcats coming to Austin.
The Sooners looked dominant in their 73-0 win over Arkansas State, but have some intriguing matchups on the docket with road games at Cincinnati, Kansas and Oklahoma State. Red River could prove massive in determining a conference winner.
Pac-12: USC (+210)
Next-Best: Oregon (+280)
It’s tough to bet against Caleb Williams, even despite USC employing one of the nation’s worst defensive coordinators in Alex Grinch. That being said, the Pac-12 is one of the most hotly contested conferences, as the only listed league with three different teams — USC, Oregon and Washington (+280) — having better than +300 odds.
The Trojans have a brutal stretch to end the year, with five of their final six games coming against Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. The Ducks, meanwhile, get the benefit of playing USC at home, and have an easier non-conference schedule.
SEC: Georgia (-105)
Next-Best: Alabama (+230)
This one is kind of a no-brainer. Georgia is the back-to-back defending national champions, and on top of all the tremendous talent they have going for them, they play one of the easiest schedules in the entire country. They get Ole Miss at home and have to travel to Tennessee towards the end of the year as their only two opponents with a pulse, but wins in those games leads to an easy 12-0 campaign.
Alabama may not be at the height of its powers, but the Tide are still a strong group. They have a handful of marquee matchups ahead of them, including home games against Texas, Tennessee and LSU and a road trip to Texas A&M.
Other Conferences with Title Odds:
- American: Tulane (+220) and SMU (+220)
- Mountain West: Fresno State (+230)
- Sun Belt: Troy (+280)
- Conference USA: Western Kentucky (+125)
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Continue reading...