While the SEC gets the majority of the television coverage as the nation’s strongest conference. that doesn’t in any way translate to betting success. In fact, the Arkansas Razorbacks are 0-5 in conference play this season and yet they have the SEC’s best record against the spread at 7-2 thanks to a handful of close losses.
As we head down the home stretch of the college football season, here’s a quick look at the four best ATS teams so far this season.
1. TCU Horned Frogs (8-1 ATS, 8-1 SU)
It should be no surprise that TCU is at the top of this list after climbing to the top of the Big 12 and establishing itself as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender. The Horned Frogs produced another dominant cover with a 41-20 win over Kansas State last week as Trevone Boykin accounted for over 300 total yards and four touchdowns. The TCU offense has averaged 47.2 points per game – third best in the country – and they have won three of their last four games by three touchdowns or more.
Their only straight up loss came in a close game against Baylor. The other close call, and the only mark-up in the ATS column, was when they barely scraped by West Virginia 31-30 a couple of weeks later when they were a three-point favorite.
The Horned Frogs might not be as strong of a bet as we get towards the playoffs and the public starts to realize this team is for real. But so far this season, there has been no better team to bet on against the spread.
2. Western Michigan Broncos (8-1 ATS, 6-3 SU)
The MAC might be the last place the public looks for a smart ATS bet, but it should probably be one of the first as Western Michigan is right there with TCU as the best teams to bet ATS this season. The smaller schools never get the same attention or respect as the bigger schools but the Broncos have won four straight games including the last three by double digits and they continue to find ways to cover underwhelming spreads.
3. Georgia Southern (8-2 ATS, 8-2 SU)
Another small school team that had produced big results for bettors this season is Georgia Southern. No team in the country has been more efficient running the football as the Eagles, who have averaged a ridiculous 386.5 rushing yards per game, which is easily the best mark in the country. The ability to run the football so effectively has translated to an average of 42.8 points per game while their defense has also benefited from the additional rest that running the football provides and has allowed an average of just 21.3 points per game. Those differentials lead to big wins and that’s why Georgia Southern has been such a strong bet all season.
4. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-2 ATS, 7-3 SU)
Louisiana Tech didn’t look very good in blowout losses to Oklahoma and Auburn but they have pulled together five straight wins out of the Conference USA and they are now 8-2 ATS this season. This is the perfect example of a team that bettors might want to stay away from against ranked opponents but that is still talented enough to make some noise against other smaller schools. Louisiana Tech really struggled against the ranked opponents they played but have been dominant during their five game win streak.
