NFL odds and the slew of big fights will get lots of sportsbook attention this weekend. If you get too caught up in just those events, however, you’ll miss a pretty big college football matchup. In fact, Saturday’s battle with Utah may be the biggest game TCU has ever played. It’s not exactly Super Bowl betting but it’s pretty darned important.
(16) Utah Utes @ (4) TCU Horned Frogs
Saturday, November 14, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook favorite: TCU -19.5
Well, TCU, this game and the Mountain West Conference are yours to lose. The Horned Frogs are undefeated, enjoying their best season ever and warranting serious BCS title contention. Utah won’t sniff a national championship but could derail TCU’s dream season and challenge for the MWC with a road victory.
The 19.5-point spread seems a bit much but it’s a reflection of how dominant TCU’s offense has been of late (and of TCU playing at home). These guys can run the football like few other teams; they’ve hit 300 yards on the ground in two straight games and have seen eight different Horned Frogs find the end zone. Utah has its hands full facing a team ranking sixth in rushing and eighth in total offense.
On paper, Utah seems like it has a chance to bottle up TCU, as it hasn’t allowed more than 17 points in a game. But this isn’t last season’s smothering group; Utah simply hasn’t faced anyone worthwhile yet. It will need to score plenty of points to keep pace, but can the Utes’ O-line protect freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn?
It’s scary to think about what Wynn has ahead of him – travelling to TCU to battle the nation’s third-ranked defense. Only Florida and Texas rank higher than the Horned Frogs’ unit. That tells you how special this season is for TCU.
The first instinct is to bet against TCU covering that huge spread, but the matchup against a freshman QB is just too tempting. I like TCU to cover and keep generating BCS buzz. Pick TCU, then get ready for the Pacquiao Cotto odds.
