Friday night action: Betting angles for all 4 games
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The Week 12 college football card was hit hard by COVID-19. Thankfully, there's a four-game slate Friday to serve as a bit of a tuneup before the weekend.
Here's everything you need to know from a betting perspective.
Syracuse @ Louisville (-18.5, 55), 7:00 p.m. ET
How many points would you need to bet Syracuse? The team has dropped five straight, going 2-3 against the spread over that span. The Orange are on their third-string quarterback, their best defensive player opted out, and they're 0-4 ATS after they allow fewer than 20 points, as they did in Week 10 against Boston College.
Louisville might be title contenders if turnovers didn't exist. The Cardinals are last in the country in turnover margin, and they may have covered last weekend at Virginia had they not given away the ball three times.
The favored team has won six straight in this series.
Profitable betting trends
- Syracuse is 4-1 ATS the last five Friday games
- Louisville is 7-0 to the over the last seven as a favorite
Purdue @ Minnesota (+1.5, 61), 7:30 p.m.
Does Minnesota finally get on the board as an underdog? The Golden Gophers recorded three upset wins in 2019 but are 0-2 in that role this season.
Head coach P.J. Fleck is on a 1-4 run ATS when catching points following last week's home loss to Iowa. However, Minnesota typically responds well after getting embarrassed, evident by going 6-1 ATS the last seven after suffering a double-digit home loss.
Purdue's looking to rebound after suffering its first defeat of the season last week. The Boilermakers are trending up for bettors, covering eight of the last 11 games overall.
Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell is rumored to be out, meaning Jack Plummer would get the nod under center.
Profitable betting trends
- Purdue is 18-7-2 ATS the last 27 games on field turf
- Minnesota is 5-1 to the over the last six after failing to cover
UMass @ Florida Atlantic (-33.5, 52.5), 8:00 p.m.
The public's fading UMass, which isn't surprising considering the Minutemen haven't won since Week 3 of last season. The "best" loss over that span? A 21-point defeat to UConn, which isn't even playing this year.
UMass is ranked last in the country by SP+, and Florida Atlantic has covered seven of the last 10 as a favorite. The Owls have been oddly stout defensively, allowing just 13 points per game in 2020.
They'll roll in this spot; it's just a matter of how much they want to win by.
Profitable betting trends
- UMass is 3-10 ATS the last 13 as a road underdog
- Florida Atlantic is 11-3 to the under the last 14 home games
New Mexico @ Air Force (-9.5, 55.5), 9:30 p.m.
UMass might be the worst team in the country, but New Mexico isn't too far behind.
SP+ slots the Lobos No. 117 thanks to a defense that's allowed 34.6 points per game this season. The program has shown signs of life the last two weeks, though, covering double-digit spreads versus Nevada and Hawaii, respectively.
The Lobos are catching another big number against Air Force, which had to pull out of the last two games and is currently lodged at a hotel for the duration of the season.
It's been an odd last few months for the Falcons. They rolled Navy in the opener, didn't score a touchdown three weeks later against San Jose State, then allowed 49 points to Boise State the next game.
Air Force is a good bet here if the Falcons can suit up for the first time since Oct. 31, as the team is 13-6-1 ATS over the last 20 on grass.
Profitable betting trends
- The over is 7-0 during the teams' last seven meetings
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.