Week 6 CFB betting report: Sharp money pouring in on Florida
Week 6 of the college football season rolls on Saturday with a handful of high-profile matchups. Mike Young, the sports wagering and integrity analyst at CG Technology in Las Vegas, offered a report on how the public is betting these games.
LSU at Florida
Open: LSU -3 (spread) / 43.5 (total)
Current: LSU -1 / 44.5
LSU in a show-me year has answered the bell with flying colors, ripping off five straight wins and creeping into the top 10 with victories over Miami and Auburn. Next up on the gauntlet for Ed Orgeron and the Tigers is 4-1 Florida, which is coming off its biggest win of the season - a 13-6 road victory over Mississippi State.
LSU originally opened as a three-point favorite, and the money had been fairly even until the recent action changed things.
"It was about 50-50 but now we’re getting about 82 percent of dollars on Florida," Young told theScore on Friday. "We got a bunch of Florida money today. There was some sharp action that came in with two large Florida bets - both low-five-figure bets - at +2.5 and +2."
The Tigers have taken four of the last five against the Gators, most recently beating them 17-16 but failing to cover as a 1.5-point road favorite.
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
Open: Notre Dame -5 / 56.5
Current: Notre Dame -6.5 / 56.5
Notre Dame started off the season with a signature win over Michigan and hasn't looked back. The Fighting Irish head into Week 6 undefeated at 5-0 and are legitimate candidates to slip into the College Football Playoff, barring a major slip-up. Attempting to hand the No. 7 team in the country its first loss will be the No. 23 Virginia Tech Hokies, whose lone blemish this season on a 3-1 record was a loss to Old Dominion as 28-point favorites.
“We’re seeing a lot of Irish money at this point - 82 percent of dollars on the spread," Young said. "That correlates with some line movement with Notre Dame from 5 to 6.5 and I would expect it to move to 7 - at least - before kick."
Texas vs. Oklahoma
Open: Oklahoma -7.5 / 61
Current: Oklahoma -7 / 60
One of the most historic rivalries in college football kicks off Saturday afternoon when No. 20 Texas and No. 5 Oklahoma meet at Cotton Bowl Stadium in the Red River Rivalry.
Texas is tasked with keeping it within a touchdown against an Oklahoma squad that's outscored its opponents by an average of 25.4 points per game this season.
The Longhorns have been profitable in the underdog role with head coach Tom Herman, who's 11-1 against the spread in that situation since taking over in 2017.
And perhaps that's factoring into the money handle.
“We're currently getting 65 percent of the dollars on the Longhorns on the spread," Young said.