College football season will be here starting with the first two games on Saturday, Aug. 25, the earliest this bettor can remember. Two games and that signals the start of looking for over and under college season wins with South Point posting them a few weeks back.
We found a few plays we like. As Little Anthony and the Imperials sang, “Yes, I think I’m goin’ out of my head over you.”
The South Point posted the over and under total on Georgia Tech at 5.5 wins. We really like the Over. The “Rambling Wreck” went 4-4 in the ultra-strong ACC last year. The Jackets are well coached and ranked second in the nation in least penalties. Look for enough improvement to put them above 5.5 and get a bowl bid.
We also like Rutgers Over 4 wins. We see a tie or more here with new offensive coordinator John McNulty who oversaw Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.
The South Point put up 6 on Nebraska with miracle man Scott Frost taking over his alma mater. We remember what he did with lowly UCF. Frost is a legend in Lincoln and will light up the scoreboard with his type of play. Take Nebraska Over 6.
LSU over/under 7. The Tigers open up their season with Miami, Florida in Baton Rouge. A win over the Hurricanes will be huge. The Tigers’ toughest games on their schedule will be at home vs. Auburn and Alabama. A win over either will get us the money. Take LSU Over 7.
Tulane over/under 5.5 will be our best play and we get to take +105 on the Over. The Green Wave won five games last year but just as easily could have taken another three. Head coach Willie Fritz has his Green Wave ready for a big season and a visit to a bowl game. Take Tulane Over 5.5.
Get out to the South Point and make these plays.
Baseball done right
Back in the 80’s and 90’s in baseball, the only beards were in Vegas making bets for syndicates to keep the bookies guessing who was making the bets. Now baseball seems to about beards and replays.
And have you noticed the few streakers so far. In the old days we had more streakers at the ballparks and not many would even notice with the big beards and tats all over their bodies.
Growing up in Steubenville, we played baseball the way it was meant to be played. Me and my brother Tom would walk down the railroad tracks right behind our house. It would take just ten minutes unless a train was coming to get to North End field.
There was always a group looking to start up a game. We usually had hand me down gloves and balls with more tape on them than an ER. Most of us knew each other but anyone could play as we usually required a few more players.
There was no prejudice, no bias. No one cared what your religion was or your nationality. We just wanted to play for hours. We drank out of a water hose and no one got sick. Was the water somehow different back then?
I loved playing baseball, going to the games and even watching them on TV when we would get one a week during the season. The trip to Forbes Field in Pittsburgh to take in a Pirates game was around a 35 minute drive. A ticket in the left field bleachers was around $1.50. The game would last about two and a half hours with no replays, beards or tats to be seen. Just baseball.
If we got there for batting practice we could even get the players to come over to chat and get an autograph. Baseball was a simple, fun game. Now it’s just become big business – no more or less than politics.
I will still bet because there will be a winner and a loser but this bettor will not be watching it on TV any longer. I will be watching replays of “Monk”!
Note: Major league baseball is down nearly 8 percent from last year at the gate, the biggest drop since 1995. MLB blames the bad weather. Toronto is the worst offender, down 29 percent. It costs too much to see these guys play.
Horse sense
The Santa Anita meet ends this week and we will try to wind it up with a winner on Thursday.
With my fellow handicapper Jon Lindo playing the first race of the early pick five, we will go with race 5 and use the 1, Captain Buzzkill, who had a troubled trip going down the hill in his last start at this Cal-bred straight maiden level. He stretches out to a mile on the grass and his last work has him ready for a winning run.
If not in you can’t win, so get out and bet. You could be walking around lucky and not even know it.