It was a heck of a ride last week. Although my college football parlay failed to cash, it was definitely exciting to follow, and I felt like it was destined to hit after the first two legs came in. All week long, I thought that Ohio State would easily win over Maryland and figured they were more likely to win by 30 than to lose. Of course, the Buckeyes defense had other ideas, and I spent the entire game chewing away at my fingernails hoping to see Ohio State pull it out. They were finally able to get the win after Maryland decided to go for broke in overtime, and I was relieved they were in my parlay and not my teaser.
The second win was nerve wracking too. Temple fell behind South Florida 17-0 at halftime and it looked like the Owls were dead on offense. However, five USF turnovers and some bad play from Blake Barnett cancelled out a good start for the Bulls, and Temple nearly ended up covering per the college football betting odds.
We all know what happened with the third leg. I thought that Cincinnati had a great chance to end UCF’s winning streak, and it looked good for the Bearcats early on. However, they couldn’t cash in on their opportunities, and eventually the Knights made them pay. That stung, and I still only have two college football parlay wins to my name this year.
Week 1: No Play
Week 2: +$267.68
Week 3: -$100
Week 4: -$100
Week 5: -$100
Week 6: -$100
Week 7: -$100
Week 8: -$100
Week 9: +$264.46
Week 10: -$100
Week 11: -$100
Week 12: -$100
College Football Parlay Betting Odds (Courtesy of BetDSI)
Florida ML -250 at Florida State
Texas ML -667 at Kansas
UCF ML -625 at USF
Michigan ML -196 at Ohio State
Baylor ML +197 vs. Texas Tech
Washington ML +120 at Washington State
$100 to win $1742.77
It’s the last week of the regular season, so why not go for broke in an effort to win it all back and have a little fun? If I lose, it’s just another $100 down the drain, but if I win, I’ll have made back all of my losses and then some this year, and I’ll have an epic story that I can tell my grandkids one day after they turn in their first parlay cards.
Related: College Football Betting Guide
Maybe I’ll jinx myself by saying this, but I don’t see how either Texas or UCF lose this week. The Longhorns are going to be ready for the Jayhawks after losing in Lawrence two years ago, and they won’t mess things up when a win clinches them a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game. Kansas might keep it close enough for a cover, but the Jayhawks have been incredibly fortunate with turnover luck and that is bound to run out.
UCF and USF are programs going in opposite directions. The Knights have the longest active winning streak in the nation, while the Bulls are in a free-fall and blowing a 17-point lead last week felt like a symbol of something more. USF doesn’t have a good defense, and its offense can’t keep pace with UCF.
In the other game between Sunshine State rivals, Florida should get the better of Florida State. The Seminoles offensive line is still a total mess, and the Gators have one of the best defensive lines in the country. FSU is unlikely to move the ball well, and UF will just need to avoid turnovers.
We’re getting to the fun stuff now. This is Michigan’s best chance yet to win a game in Columbus for the first time since 2000. The Wolverines have one of the top defenses in the nation, and they should be able to move the ball well against Ohio State’s paper-mache defense.
Baylor is undervalued against Texas Tech, considering the Red Raiders have no idea who their starting quarterback will be. The Red Raiders’ top three quarterbacks are all battling injuries, and they may be forced to have a little-used quarterback get the start.
This six-team parlay ends with one of my favorite plays of the week. Washington State is ranked No. 8 in the nation, but the advanced stats on this team aren’t good, and there is no reason to believe the Cougars will suddenly be able to have success against Washington’s defense. The Huskies know exactly how to stop Mike Leach’s offense, and Wazzou has gotten nothing done against them in four straight years.
