4 NCAA Football TV Games To Bet On This Weekend

(Photo credit: Monica's Dad via Foter.com / CC BY)

The 2016 NCAA football season technically started last week in Australia, but it really gets underway this week with a ton of great matchups.

Betting is always more fun when you can watch the game as well. So here’s a look at the top NCAA football games that are available to Canadians this weekend, along with betting odds and a quick preview from www.Sports Interaction.com.

Oklahoma at Houston, Saturday, 12 p.m. (ABC)


Odds: Oklahoma -11.5, Over/Under 68

Technically this is a neutral-site game at Houston’s NRG Stadium, the site of this season’s Super Bowl. Houston has a legitimate shot of becoming the first non-Power 5 conference team to make the college football playoff if it can win this game and run the table. The Cougars went 13-1 record last year, capped by a very impressive 38-24 win over No. 9 Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Houston brings back 11 starters from that team, led by dual-threat QB Greg Ward Jr. The Cougars’ lone loss in 2015 came in the one game Ward wasn’t able to start due to injury.

Last season, only two quarterbacks threw for more than 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Ward was one and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, the 2016 Heisman Trophy-second favourite at Sports Interaction, was the other. Oklahoma, which lost to Clemson in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinals, brings back a Heisman Trophy candidate of its own in QB Baker Mayfield.

LSU at Wisconsin, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (TSN 2, ABC)


Odds: LSU -10, Over/Under 44.5

This is also a neutral-site game at Lambeau Field, home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. The 4:1 favourite on this year’s Heisman odds is LSU junior running back Leonard Fournette. When LSU opened last year 7-0, Fournette was also the Heisman favorite but then the Tigers dropped three in a row and his candidacy fell off. He finished third in the nation in rushing with 1,953 yards while adding 22 touchdowns. Fournette did sprain his ankle in a scrimmage on Aug. 16 but is now fine.

If LSU were to lose this game, the pressure on coach Les Miles will be ramped up. He was nearly fired last season. Miles’ new defensive coordinator is Dave Aranda, who was hired from Wisconsin. From 2013-15, Aranda’s Badgers defenses allowed an average of 289.4 yards per game, first in the nation over that span. LSU beat Wisconsin 28-24 in Houston to open the 2014 season, despite being down 24-7 in the third quarter. Fournette had only 18 yards on eight carries.

USC vs Alabama, Saturday, 9 p.m. (TSN 2, ABC)


Odds: Alabama -11.5, Over/Under 53

The Crimson Tide open as the +553 favourites on the NCAA football national championship odds at Sports Interaction. Coach Nick Saban has to replace Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry and starting quarterback Jake Coker from that squad. The quarterback battle is ongoing between junior Cooper Bateman, Coker’s backup last year, and freshman Blake Barnett.

This is the third season in a row that Saban hasn’t named a starting quarterback the week of the opener. Meanwhile, USC coach Clay Helton has named redshirt junior Max Browne as his starting QB. He was the backup to Cody Kessler last year and has completed 11 of 19 passes for 143 yards in his career. Browne was a very highly touted recruit. Something has to give here, as USC has won its past 17 openers and Alabama its last 14. The storied programs haven’t played since 1985.

Notre Dame at Texas, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. (TSN 3, ABC)


Odds: Notre Dame -3.5, Over/Under 60

This game was shifted to Sunday night to have the national spotlight all to itself. No coach is on a hotter seat entering the season than Texas’ Charlie Strong, so if the Horns are routed here at home, Strong might not even last the season. The Longhorns visited Notre Dame to open last season and were embarrassed 38-3, managing just 163 total yards and eight first downs. The Irish had 527 yards with quarterback Malik Zaire passing for 313 yards and three scores. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly plans to play both Zaire and fellow QB DeShone Kizer in this game. Kizer played very well in 2015 after Zaire suffered a season-ending injury in the second game.

Meanwhile, Strong says he won’t reveal his starting QB until said player runs onto the field Sunday night. It will either be senior Tyrone Swoopes, who has 14 career starts (6-8 record), or freshman Shane Buechele. If the spring game was any indication, it will be Buechele.