Weekly Review From Behind the Desk Week 7 College Football (2024)

In this article we will talk about all things CFB that we saw from the Sportsbook point of view at BetAmapola sportsbook. We will do a college football recap, as well as a separate NFL recap. You can follow along at @BetAmapola on X and @AmapolaCasino on Instagram so you can get a real time look at the action we are taking and where the money is at, along with any other juicy nuggets we can provide. Feel free to send us a DM on X or contact the Amapola Resort located in beautiful Jaco Beach, Costa Rica for more information. 

One way games: 

Our Biggest takeaway from yesterday was the one way games that ended up giving up the cash.  Army moved 6 points in their favor, Texas moved 3.5 points, and Missouri moved 3 points. All of these games had little to zero takeback on the other side. The bad part for the sportsbook is that all of these teams came out and left zero doubt from the start of the game. Usually when a game moves that much, it is obvious that there will be some take back, but not in these cases. Sometimes it really is that easy? It sure felt that way yesterday. Not fun games to watch for the House! 

2nd Half Bets:

We talked about this last week but I believe it is important to bring it up again. Along the line of one way games, the 2nd half lines are seeing a lot of the same thing. We have seen a trend going on during halftime bets for College Football and NFL bets. The first bet is usually followed by a group of players who come in and steam chase on top of him. These bets are hitting at an insane rate. We will take a bet at -7 for the 2H, move it all the way to 9.5 or sometimes even 10, and we still struggle to receive any take back. Nobody wants to oppose this group of 2H bettors as they have been absolutely crushing it. It will be interesting to see how long this trend continues, because people are definitely taking note of what they are doing. 

Expanded Playoff:

We’re already seeing one byproduct of the expanded CFP.

Group of 5 teams have a lot more to play for. I’m not saying they had nothing to play for before, but when there’s a designated spot in the 12-team CFP field, it just feels different. Northern Illinois just picked up a win that might be unmatched by any of its peers with a top-five win over Notre Dame. Boise State had an opportunity to get a win over Oregon to majorly boost its CFP resume and just missed out — but should still get credit for playing the Ducks so closely. The committee is well-aware of Ashton Jeanty and what damage he can do. This matters! And I think we’re already seeing that in effort, motivation and even in results so far. Overall, I think this gives more fanbases a chance to hope for glory, and it has been really fun to watch.

Personal Thoughts and Nuggets:

-Army is here to stay:

We have somehow seemed to have a big position on every single Army game this year. Not sure why, it is just the way things turn out. This team is absolutely stacked at every position. Have they played the best competition? They have not, but they are trucking everyone who gets in their way. Led by their QB, who I believe should start to be mentioned in Heisman talks, they are able to run for 8 yards a play like it is nothing. Once they get up on you, they break your will, but continue to mash the ball. We also believe there is an edge for these fringe playoff teams, as they are playing for style points at the end of the game, so they do not let their foot off the gas. This allows them to go over the total and cover the spread more often than usual. Look for these types of teams, as they will fight for the full 60 minutes. 

-NIL and Transfer Portal narrowing the gap: 

We are not seeing as many dominant teams anymore in college football as we did throughout the last decade. Texas put a beat down on the Sooners, and are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Next week they host UGA, and this will tell us A LOT about both teams future national championship hopes.  Outside of Texas, we are seeing many highly ranked teams struggle. While a lot of fans have been outraged with the NIL rules and Transfer rules, there is no doubt that is has made the competitive environment even tighter. 

Welcome to the Party 

Pittsburgh has emerged as an ACC title contender

The No. 22 Panthers grabbed a 17–15 victory over visiting Cal on Saturday, moving to 6–0 and 2–0 in league play. It is Pittsburgh’s first 6–0 start in 42 years. Pittsburgh has leaned on its defense, which has improved week over week, and found an identity offensively for the first time since capturing the ACC title in 2021. Head coach Pat Narduzzi’s offseason hire of former Western Carolina Catamounts offensive coordinator Kade Bell has paid immediate dividends, and the Panthers have a talented freshman quarterback in Eli Holstein steering the ship.

Late Game Coaching Errors

With the game tied at 30 with 1:27 remaining in regulation, USC was at the Penn State 49-yard line with all three of its timeouts. After a loss of two yards on a short run and a six-yard pass from Miller Moss to Jay Fair, USC looked content to run the clock all the way down and try to kick a very long field goal. Penn State coach James Franklin, realizing this, called a timeout with 14 seconds remaining. On third-and-6, Moss threw an interception and the game went to overtime. The Trojans lost by a field goal, effectively knocking them out of the College Football Playoff hunt.

Ohio State trailed Oregon, 32–31, but had crossed into Oregon territory with fewer than 30 seconds to play. Only needing a field goal, the Buckeyes were on the outskirts of field goal range at the Ducks’ 28-yard line. Quarterback Will Howard completed a pass to freshman star Jeremiah Smith, who was subsequently called for pass interference. The penalty pushed Ohio State out of field goal range to the Oregon 43, but more importantly, there was no sense of urgency from Ohio State to line up offensively. The clock was set to start on the whistle, and the Buckeyes wasted a bunch of time as it appeared that neither the coaching staff nor Howard realized the clock was going to run before the snap. Howard threw an incomplete pass, and then with only six seconds remaining, ran up the middle for 12 yards as time expired. A catastrophic finish for the Buckeyes.

Florida’s Napier, who is on one of the hottest seats in college football, had a decision to make in the fourth quarter against Tennessee. Gators quarterback DJ Lagway hit receiver Chimere Dike on a post route for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 29 seconds to play. The score pulled the Gators within an extra point of tying the game, but Florida took a timeout to discuss going for two and the late lead. After the timeout, Florida came out in a trick formation, causing Tennessee to use a timeout. In that timeout, Napier elected to kick the extra point and tie the game instead of going for two as planned. The decision could end up costing him his job. The Vols escaped in overtime and Napier left Knoxville without a signature win he desperately needed.

Check back in on Tuesday for a recap of the NFL weekend and get some great injury news that will help you handicapping Week 7.

Visit AmapolaCasino.com for more information or to start placing bets yourself today!