College Football Games of the Year

Videos by OutKick

Today is a major summer milestone on the sports betting calendar in Las Vegas. For the 7th straight year, the Golden Nugget is opening their menu of college football game of the year lines before anyone else in the city. The 248 games that include some of the season’s most high profile contests will be available for wagering starting Friday afternoon at the legendary downtown hotel.  As far as college football bettors are concerned, this marks the unofficial beginning of college football season from a betting perspective.

Race and Sports head of the Golden Nugget Tony Miller and his top oddsmaker Aaron Kessler call the arduous process of getting all the numbers up a labor of love. From the modest beginnings of just 28 games when the hotel first started the project, increased demand led them to take on the daunting task of hanging nearly 250 games in anticipation of the 2013 season, a far cry even from last year’s ambitious slate of 109. Kessler was rather modest when I had the chance to talk to him early this week about the expenditure of man hours for such an endeavor, ballparking his time commitment around 100. As a former oddsmaker myself, let me say when he says 100 it’s nearly triple that in addition to all the time spent cultivating power rankings, reading everything you can, and then double checking your work a minimum of 3 times before prices can be released to the betting public. 

Miller and Kessler, along with plenty of collaboration from respected handicapper Bruce Marshall, poured over each team to build a rating they feel accurately represents a team’s overall strength (or weakness).  As one would expect the biggest programs from the top conferences appear most frequently on the comprehensive list highlighted by national runner up Notre Dame lined in all 12 of their regular season games.  Kessler admitted he made a 3.5 point adjustment in his power ratings to the Irish once Everett Golson left South Bend.  Alabama made the list 10 times and is a double digit favorite in every game except for their trip to College Station on September 14 where they’re listed as a 6 pt road favorite vs Texas A&M.  Clearly we should all be circling our calendars for the much awaited September 21 clash when Colorado St invades the SEC; Alabama is a 41 pt chalk, the largest line for any game on the sheet.

What surprised me the most from my extensive conversation with Kessler is how high he was on Ole Miss this year. There are obvious reasons to like what they’re building in Oxford but I was still startled to see him list Ole Miss as 4 pt favorites for their road opener in Vanderbilt considering some offshores opened Vanderbilt as high as a 5 point favorite.  Among other programs he was high on, Kessler included 3 teams in the Pac 12: Arizona St, Oregon, and Oregon St as sides to watch in 2013 while both LSU and UCLA posed him plenty of challenges trying to power rate them correctly. Miller believes the Stanford Cardinal are a team that might continue to catch people by surprise while both Golden Nugget oddsmakers agreed Louisville had a tremendous opportunity to be 11-0 headed into their season finale against Cincinnati.  Auburn and Arkansas were two teams mentioned that posed a few problems, mainly because no one expects them to be as bad as they were a year ago but the gambling community at large is still skeptical about how big an improvement both can make with new coaches.

Unfortunately for those diehard Sun Belt fans, none of the conference games made the list. In total, 83 teams are featured so fans of nearly every school can get their gambling fix if they’ll be in Las Vegas this summer.  Betting limits for the games remain 1,000 and the 10 totals that are available will have a 500 max bet.  Without further fanfare, what everyone came here to see… the unveiling of all 248 games in the order they’ll appear on the college football schedule this season.

Thursday, August 29

UNLV @ Minnesota (-13)
North Carolina @ South Carolina (-12)
Ole Miss (-4) @ Vanderbilt

Saturday, August 31

Washington St @ Auburn (-11.5)
Northwestern (-10.5) @ California
Nevada @ UCLA (-15)
Colorado vs Colorado St (-3.5) **Denver
Temple @ Notre Dame (-24)
Penn St (-6.5) vs Syracuse ** East Rutherford, NJ
Mississippi St vs Oklahoma St (-14) ** Houston
BYU (-3.5) @ Virginia
Boise St @ Washington (-2)
Alabama (-17, 48.5) vs Virginia Tech ** Atlanta
Georgia (-3.5) @ Clemson
LSU (-4) vs TCU ** Arlington, TX

Monday, September 2

Florida St (-13) @ Pittsburgh

Saturday, September 7

Washington St @ USC (-21)
South Carolina @ Georgia (-4)
Syracuse @ Northwestern (-13)
South Florida @ Michigan St (-16)
Notre Dame @ Michigan (PK)
San Diego St @ Ohio St (-21.5)
West Virginia @ Oklahoma (-16)
Texas (-7.5) @ BYU
Oregon (-21) @ Virginia
Florida (-2.5) @ Miami FL
Arizona (-17) @ UNLV

Thursday, September 12

TCU (-4) @ Texas Tech

Saturday, September 14

Mississippi St (-1) @ Auburn
Wisconsin @ Arizona St (PK)
Ohio St (-21) @ California
Boston College @ USC (-21.5)
Nevada @ Florida St (-26)
Iowa @ Iowa St (-4)
Louisville (-14) @ Kentucky
UCLA @ Nebraska (-6)
Tulsa @ Oklahoma (-18)
Alabama (-6, 54.5) @ Texas A&M
Ole Miss @ Texas (-8)
Oregon St (-6) @ Utah
Washington (-11) vs Illinois ** Chicago
Central Michigan @ UNLV (-4)
Tennessee @ Oregon (-25)
Notre Dame (-14) @ Purdue
Vanderbilt @ South Carolina (-11)

Thursday, September 19

Clemson (-11) @ North Carolina State

Saturday, September 21

Oregon St (-6.5) @ San Diego St
Arizona St @ Stanford (-10)
Michigan (-12) @ Uconn
Tennessee @ Florida (-12)
North Carolina @ Georgia Tech (-4.5)
Michigan St @ Notre Dame (-6)
Auburn @ LSU (-18)
West Virginia (-2) @ Maryland
Arkansas @ Rutgers (PK)
Kansas St @ Texas (-9)
Utah @ BYU (-7.5)
Colorado St @ Alabama (-41)

Thursday, September 26

Virginia Tech (-1) @ Georgia Tech

Saturday, September 28

Texas A&M (-17) @ Arkansas
USC @ Arizona St (PK)
Miami FL (-10) @ South Florida
LSU @ Georgia (-6, 52)
Southern Mississippi @ Boise St (-21.5)
Oklahoma @ Notre Dame (-2)
Florida (-20) @ Kentucky
Florida St (-17) @ Boston College
Wisconsin @ Ohio St (-11, 45)
Colorado @ Oregon St (-22)
Wake Forest @ Clemson (-21)
Arizona @ Washington (-5)
Stanford (-18.5) @ Washington St
Oklahoma St (-11) @ West Virginia
Ole Miss @ Alabama (-17)
South Carolina (-14) @ Central Florida
California @ Oregon (-34)

Thursday, October 3

Texas (-12) @ Iowa St
UCLA (-5) @ Utah

Saturday, October 5

Washington @ Stanford (-10)
Oregon (-37) @ Colorado
Arkansas @ Florida (-17)
Ohio St (-8) @ Northwesterm
Arizona St vs Notre Dame (-4) ** Arlington, TX
Minnesota @ Michigan (-15)
Clemson (-8) @ Syracuse
Kansas St @ Oklahoma St (-9)
TCU @ Oklahoma (-9)
Louisville (-17) @ Temple
West Virginia @ Baylor (-7)
North Carolina @ Virginia Tech (-6.5)
LSU (-9) @ Mississippi St
Michigan St (-9) @ Iowa
Georgia Tech @ Miami FL (-7)
Kentucky @ South Carolina (-23.5)
Georgia (-11) @ Tennessee

Thursday, October 10

Arizona @ USC (-7)
Rutgers @ Louisville (-10)

Friday, October 11

Temple @ Cincinnati (-18)

Saturday, October 12

South Carolina (-13) @ Arkansas
Colorado @ Arizona St (-27)
California @ UCLA (-16.5)
Missouri @ Georgia (-18)
Alabama (-30) @ Kentucky
Florida @ LSU (-4, 41.5)
Texas A&M (-4) @ Ole Miss
Michigan (-2.5) @ Penn St
Boston College @ Clemson (-22)
Oklahoma vs Texas (PK) ** Dallas
Georgia Tech @ BYU (-3)
Stanford (-13) @ Utah
Oregon St (-13) @ Washington St
Northwestern @ Wisconsin (-6)
Baylor @ Kansas St (-5)

Thursday, October 17

Miami FL @ North Carolina (PK)

Friday, October 18

Central Florida @ Louisville (-11)

Saturday, October 19

Washington @ Arizona St (-5)
Utah @ Arizona (-12)
UCLA @ Stanford (-10)
Oregon St (-13) @ California
Minnesota @ Northwestern (-15)
USC @ Notre Dame (-5)
Florida (-6) @ Missouri
LSU @ Ole Miss (-2)
Iowa @ Ohio St (-23)
TCU @ Oklahoma St (-10)
Florida St @ Clemson (-2)
Georgia (-10) @ Vanderbilt
Auburn @ Texas A&M (-24)
Arkansas @ Alabama (-29)
Washington St @ Oregon (-35.5)

Friday, October 25

Boise St @ BYU (-1)

Saturday, October 26

Utah @ USC (-18)
Arizona (-20) @ Colorado
North Carolina St @ Florida St (-20)
Louisville (-13) @ South Florida
Oklahoma St (-14) @ Iowa St
South Carolina (-7) @ Missouri
Penn St @ Ohio St (-16)
Texas Tech @ Oklahoma (-14)
Stanford (-3) @ Oregon St
Vanderbilt @ Texas A&M (-16)
California @ Washington (-17)
Tennessee @ Alabama (-27)
Notre Dame (-18) @ Air Force
Northwestern (-12) @ Iowa
West Virginia @ Kansas St (-9)
UCLA @ Oregon (-20)
Texas (-3) @ TCU
Arizona St (-15) @ Washington St

Friday, November 1

USC @ Oregon St (-2)

Saturday, November 2

Auburn @ Arkansas (-3.5)
Arizona (-11) @ California
Colorado @ UCLA (-22)
Miami FL @ Florida St (-8)
Georgia (-4, 44.5) vs Florida ** Jacksonville
Navy @ Notre Dame (-18)
Michigan @ Michigan St (-3)
North Carolina (-2.5) @ North Carolina St
Illinois @ Penn St (-19)
Kansas @ Texas (-31.5)
Clemson (-13.5) @ Virginia
Iowa St @ Kansas St (-13.5)
Ohio St (-17) @ Purdue
Mississippi St @ South Carolina (-15)
West Virginia @ TCU (-10)

Thursday, November 7

Oregon (-4) @ Stanford
Oklahoma (-6) @ Baylor

Friday, November 8

Louisville (-10.5) @ Uconn

Saturday, November 9

UCLA @ Arizona (-4)
USC (-17) @ California
TCU (-9.5) @ Iowa St
Nebraska @ Michigan (-4)
Penn St (-8) @ Minnesota
Florida St (-18) @ Wake Forest
Kansas @ Oklahoma St (-29)
Notre Dame (-10.5) @ Pittsburgh
BYU @ Wisconsin (-8)
Texas (-12) @ West Virginia
LSU @ Alabama (-11.5, 39.5)
Virginia Tech @ Miami FL (-3.5)
Auburn @ Tennessee (-8)

Thursday, November 14

Georgia Tech @ Clemson (-9)

Friday, November 15

Washington @ UCLA (-2)

Saturday, November 16

Georgia (-15) @ Auburn
Oregon St @ Arizona St (-4.5)
Washington St @ Arizona (-19)
Stanford @ USC (-1)
Syracuse @ Florida St (-16)
Michigan @ Northwestern (-3)
Houston @ Louisville (-17)
Michigan St @ Nebraska (-6)
Iowa St @ Oklahoma (-20)
Purdue @ Penn St (-13.5)
Oklahoma St @ Texas (-6.5)
Alabama (-23) @ Mississippi St
Ohio St (-23) @ Illinois
TCU @ Kansas St (-4.5)
Utah @ Oregon (-28.5)
Florida @ South Carolina (-5)

Saturday, November 23

Oregon (-12) @ Arizona
California @ Stanford (-22)
Arizona St @ UCLA (-3)
USC (-24.5) @ Colorado
Kentucky @ Georgia (-29)
Michigan St @ Northwestern (-3)
BYU @ Notre Dame (-11)
Memphis @ Louisville (-24)
Texas A&M @ LSU (-1, 47.5)
Wisconsin (-10) @ Minnesota
Indiana @ Ohio St (-25)
Baylor @ Oklahoma (-11)
Washington @ Oregon St (-5)
Nebraska @ Penn St (PK)
Michigan (-10.5) @ Iowa
Oklahoma (-4) @ Kansas St
Virginia @ Miami FL (-15)
Vanderbilt @ Tennessee (-1)

Thursday, November 28

Texas Tech @ Texas (-16)
Ole Miss -6.5 @ Mississippi St

Friday, November 29

Iowa @ Nebraska (-14)
Miami FL (-7) @ Pittsburgh
Washington St @ Washington (-14)
Iowa St @ West Virginia (-7.5)
Oregon St @ Oregon (-16)

Saturday, November 30

Alabama (-24) @ Auburn
Arizona @ Arizona St (-5)
Notre Dame @ Stanford (-5.5)
UCLA @ USC (-7)
Florida St @ Florida (-2, 44)
Georgia (-9) @ Georgia Tech
Tennessee (-7.5) @ Kentucky
Arkansas @ LSU (-17)
Minnesota @ Michigan St (-14)
Ohio St (-6, 50.5) @ Michigan
Texas A&M (-13) @ Missouri
Virginia Tech (-10) @ Virginia
Penn St @ Wisconsin (-9)
Northwestern (-13) @ Illinois
Kansas St (-21.5) @ Kansas
BYU (-7.5) @ Nevada
Clemson @ South Carolina (-4.5)
Baylor @ TCU (-5)

Thursday, December 5

Louisville (-3) @ Cincinnati

Saturday, December 7

Oklahoma @ Oklahoma St (-3)
Texas (-8) @ Baylor

Saturday, December 14

Army vs Navy (-9) ** Philadelphia

For more betting information on the GOY lines, check in throughout the weekend at www.donbest.com

 

Written by Clay Travis

Clay Travis is the founder of the fastest growing national multimedia platform, OutKick, that produces and distributes engaging content across sports and pop culture to millions of fans across the country. OutKick was created by Travis in 2011 and sold to the Fox Corporation in 2021.

One of the most electrifying and outspoken personalities in the industry, Travis hosts OutKick The Show where he provides his unfiltered opinion on the most compelling headlines throughout sports, culture, and politics. He also makes regular appearances on FOX News Media as a contributor providing analysis on a variety of subjects ranging from sports news to the cultural landscape. Throughout the college football season, Travis is on Big Noon Kickoff for Fox Sports breaking down the game and the latest storylines.

Additionally, Travis serves as a co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, a three-hour conservative radio talk program syndicated across Premiere Networks radio stations nationwide.

Previously, he launched OutKick The Coverage on Fox Sports Radio that included interviews and listener interactions and was on Fox Sports Bet for four years. Additionally, Travis started an iHeartRadio Original Podcast called Wins & Losses that featured in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports.

Travis is a graduate of George Washington University as well as Vanderbilt Law School. Based in Nashville, he is the author of Dixieland Delight, On Rocky Top, and Republicans Buy Sneakers Too.