NCAAF Schedule: Here's How Bettors Can Take Advantage

Times are Changing

The NCAAF Schedule has been tossed up like never before because of the coronavirus situation. Safety in such times is paramount, but canceling a season could affect the livelihoods of players and staff who depend on the revenue generated from college football. At this point, the decision has taken both of these into account and allowed for play in the safest manner possible. This came as an announcement from the leaders that the team will only play opponents from their own conference. The number of games will reduce, and so will the travel required. This is similar to the decisions made in other sporting events. This means there are fewer games to bet on, but since college football has never been a major draw on betting sites, this would be a good opportunity nonetheless.

Biggest Gainers: Oregon?

The games within the conference opened up the odds for many teams which would have never had a chance to make it ahead in the league. But the new schedules toss-up these odds. Conferences like the Big Ten and SEC reduce each other’s playoff chances, but more mellow conferences make it easier to bet on. For example, the usually overlooked Pac-12 conference offers excellent value now. This is because of the teams won’t have to go against mammoth competitors from other conferences, such as Oregon against Ohio State and USC against Alabama.

Placing the odds on Oregon or USC, even though they are highly unlikely to win the championship, is a good call. This is because of all the hedging opportunities that will make available on the way to the championship. Another reason to make this call is that players might drop out of the season due to safety concerns, which might change the strengths of teams drastically. 

These players would likely be the ones who don’t see anything to gain from playing. They would have no reason to put themselves in danger if the payoff is low. But it will certainly be the most talented players opting out as they make their way to the NFL. This includes Alabama’s Dylan Moses and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, amongst others. Their opting out will direly affect their university’s chances of the title. Pac-12 doesn’t have that problem because they have very few big names. 

Which bet looks good?

Considering only the Pac-12 conference, Cal and Washington are out almost immediately because they aren’t strong in the offense. Utah is also out because it lost its bigshot players - Huntley and Moss, amongst others. Oregon and USC look like the best picks for they are well-balanced. Oregon has a slight advantage because of the depth of its roster. This will be important since players could catch the coronavirus and will have to stop playing during the season. 

Why does USC lag behind? Its offensive line doesn’t have quality players as backups, and they are running a tight ship. They have eight low ranked freshmen and one who has no on-field experience whatsoever as backups, which doesn’t bring confidence to fans or bettors. USC’s defense is also poor, as they are ranked a measly 76th in the yards allowed per game. Their new coordinator won’t be able to work miracles this season, especially since he likes to play three defensive linemen and his front seven are not the best players.

Oregon looks much better with Mario Cristobal looking after their biggest weakness - the offensive line turnover. His strategy will allow for backups. Their new QB Tyler Shough has sufficient on-field experience and has great support in CJ Verdell who has eclipsed 1200 yards and six YPC in the last season alone. The receiving crew has eight players who have had double-digit catches in the last season. This shows that their wide receivers are more than capable of tight ends.

Their defense is also shining, with all their important players returning to play along with fresh talent. They have a new defensive coordinator, Andy Avalos, who has helped them rank 24th in the country for yards per game last year. They are also ranked an impressive ninth in scoring defense. Defensive end Thibodeaux gathered nine sacks even though he didn’t begin the season as a starter. Their linebackers are the top two recruits of the nation currently. Their backups include cornerbacks Thomas Graham and Deommodore Lenoir. 

The new format of college football means bettors need to look at it with fresh eyes. The new schedules and danger of losing players make the Pac-12 very attractive. Oregon is at the very top of this conference and will be the best pick.