Alamo Bowl 2010: Why Hasn’t The Line Moved?
The Alamo Bowl 2010 will feature a Texas Tech team without its head coach yet the line hasn't moved more than a half point at online sportsbooks like SBG Global. The line remained at -7 ½ after opening at -7. More than 70 percent of those betting this game were still on Texas Tech.
In one of the biggest stories in College Football Bowl news over the past few days, Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach found his head on the chopping block. He was fired for allegedly abusing an injured player.
From Stats Inc:
Mike Leach guided Texas Tech to bowl games in each of his 10 seasons as head coach while transforming the team's offense into arguably the most electrifying in the nation.
Those accomplishments, however, are almost certain to be quickly forgotten following an ugly ending to his career there.
Just three days after learning their head coach had been fired, the Red Raiders will try to move forward under interim coach Ruffin McNeill when they face an undermanned Michigan State team in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night.
Leach -- the winningest coach in school history -- was fired Wednesday after he took the school to court to try to overturn his suspension for alleged mistreatment of an injured player.
"I'm very sad to say there's only one person to blame for this and it's Mike Leach," Texas Tech chancellor Kent Hance told The Associated Press.
The Scouts Edge at Scouts Inc. has the Red Raiders winning the Alamo Bowl 2010 but not by the designated 7 ½ point spread:
Both teams are dealing with plenty of off-the-field controversy. On Wednesday, Texas Tech fired head coach Mike Leach, who was under suspension following allegations he mistreated an injured player. Reports indicate that inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley is expected to call the plays for the Red Raiders, and he is well-versed in Tech's scheme after spending several seasons under Leach's tutelage, but there are concerns about the ability of acting head coach Ruffin McNeill to juggle those duties along with his responsibilities as defensive coordinator. On the other side, player suspensions will handcuff Michigan State's passing game and passing defense. In the end, look for the Red Raiders to come out on top because, distractions aside, it's the players that are most important to the outcome of a game.
Scouts gives Texas Tech a 4 point advantage here.
Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com