College Football Parlays

It’s been a trying season for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. They head to Newark, DE for the first-ever matchup with the Delaware Blue Hens in a Conference USA game at Delaware Stadium looking to keep their bleak hopes of a bowl game alive. It’s technically possible, even at 1-5, but MTSU needs to get going now. While the Blue Raiders have the dismal record, three of the past four games are one-score games, with Middle Tennessee going 1-2 SU in those games. It had a 14-13 win at Nevada back on Sept. 13 for the only victory. It is coming off a narrow, gut-wrenching 22-20 loss to Missouri State, which could have turned things around significantly. The Under has cashed in the past two games, and the defense isn’t that bad allowing 24 or fewer points in three of the past four.

For Delaware, it is .500 at 3-3, and just 1-2 inside the conference. It is transitioning to FBS, but if it qualifies with six wins, and there are not enough bowl-eligible teams, it is possible they could still go bowling. The Blue Hens have lost consecutive games to Western Kentucky and Jacksonville State, two of the better teams in C-USA. The Under is 2-1 in the past three games, and 4-2 in six games overall. This won’t be a defensive slog in Delaware, but 55 is an awfully high number, especially given Middle’s lack of offense, and above-average D.

Under 55 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to 53.

The Missouri State Bears head out west to face the New Mexico State Aggies in Las Cruces on Wednesday night. After getting absolutely torched at USC in the opener, 73-13, the Bears have stayed the course and pulled things together. They scored nice road wins at Marshall and Middle Tennessee, and are back to .500. However, it won just 22-20 at MTSU last time out, failing to cover as a 2.5-point favorite. The Under has cashed in five straight games since that annihilation at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to open the season.

For New Mexico State, like MO State, it is also 3-3. This game is crucial for both teams, in terms of bowl eligibility. Missouri State would get a bid only if enough bowl-eligible teams cannot fill the spots, as it is transitioning to FBS. But, it has a good shot at satisfying bowl-eligibility criteria. The Aggies have been stout at home, winning all three games, including a 37-10 rout of Sam Houston on Oct. 2 in the most recent home contest. It is also 2-0 ATS at home against FBS opponents, while covering the past two. The Over is 3-1 in the past four games, so it’s a rather conflicting trend for totals. We’ll lean into the moneyline for the home side, as the Aggies nearly pulled off the upset at Liberty, and they’re playing really good ball lately.

New Mexico State Moneyline (+100) at time of publishing. Playable to -110.

Kennesaw State heads to South Florida looking for its first win of the season in three tries on the road. Meanwhile, FIU welcomes the Owls looking for redemption after losing 27-26 in suburban Atlanta last season as a 9-point favorite. FIU outgained Kennesaw State by a 400-to-358 margin in total yardage, but the Owls had a fourth quarter comeback after entering the final quarter down 26-17.

FIU is flying high after dealing Western Kentucky its first conference loss last week in Bowling Green, winning 25-6 in emphatic fashion as a 10-point underdog. That snapped a 10-game losing streak on the road, which, technically should have ended against Kennesaw State, if not for the big comeback last November by KSU. The Owls have won four in a row, and they’ve covered three in a row, scoring 24 or more points in every game to date. Their only two losses are at Wake Forest, 10-9, on Aug. 29, and against No. 2 Indiana on Sept. 6, falling 56-9. The Owls have covered three in a row, too. Still, a trip to South Florida in the heat and humidity will be tough to overcome, as will a battle against a Panthers team which handily topped the previously first-place Hilltoppers in their place.

FIU Moneyline (+140) at time of publishing. Playable to +120.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers head down to Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana looking for redemption after getting absolutely runover in unexpected fashion by visiting FIU last week, suffering their first loss of Conference USA play. It had previously been smooth sailing for the ‘Toppers, as they were not only 3-0 inside the league, but also 3-0 against the spread (ATS) against C-USA opponents. In fact, Western was 5-1 ATS in the previous six games before FIU came to town and won outright as a 10-point underdog. Nobody saw that coming, even FIU’s biggest support, singer Pitbull.

As far as Louisiana Tech is concerned, it is smack-dab in the middle of the C-USA chase, but it is also coming off a stunning loss. The Bulldogs were also unbeaten in league play, and favored last week, and, like WKU, they were also manhandled. Louisiana Tech was belted 35-7 at Kennesaw State last week as a 4.5-point favorite, snapping a 3-game win streak, while suffering its first non-cover of the season. The Under is 5-1 on the season for LT, while the Under has cashed in four in a row for WKU. Since both teams are a bit hard to figure at the moment, after separate stunning losses, and the Under trend is pretty clear, we’ll lean low on the total. But, if you were looking for an SGP opportunity, WKU and the points with the Under is the way to go.

Under 50 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to 48.5.