Greetings, A2Z Sports reader! The weekend is upon us, which means it’s time to bet (responsibly) on football again.
For today’s blog, we have two guest appearances: Rishi, from Beat the Odds Blog, and Marlee, from Parlay With Marlee. We each picked a bet that we consider to be locks to his this weekend, and combined them all into a three leg parlay that’s bound to hit. Two of the legs were on college football, and one (from yours truly) was on an NFL game. The final bet slip is posted at the end of the article, and its time of creation was midnight on Friday, October 20th. Send us screenshots @A2ZSportsTakes of you placing your squad ride bets, and you might just get featured in Monday’s article!
Now, let’s get right into it:
RISHI’S PICK: PENNSTATE VS OHIO OVER 46.5
Rishi’s background: Rishi is the founder of the Beat the Odds Blog. He is an avid sports bettor and writer with a keen eye on football and hockey.
We have an all time classic Big 10 rivalry on our hands this weekend as the No 3. Ohio State Buckeyes host the No. 7. Penn State Nittany Lions. Both teams are 6-0 on the season and are hungry for a shot at the National Championship Trophy. The total of this game is set at 45.5 points which means I’m not taking either side, but instead just rooting for offense because I’m taking the over. 45.5 points seems low for a rivalry Big 10 game, especially with powerhouse teams like Ohio State and Penn State who are both ranked in the top 10.
The Buckeyes are coming off a blowout win over Purdue where the offense dominated 41-7. Quarterback Kyle McCord has done a great job of stepping up in place of CJ Stroud and has kept the Ohio State offense moving. McCord has 11 touchdowns and 1 interception this season. Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is probably the best player in the country right now, and he seems to be showing no signs of slowing down his production, especially not for a rivalry game. The Buckeyes have 28 total touchdowns this season which brings their average to just over 4.5 touchdowns per game.
On the other side of the ball, The Penn State Nittany Lions are coming in HOT this year. Their quarterback, Drew Allar, has been outstanding this season and has kept the offense thriving with 12 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Nittany Lions are sure to come out with fire as they are looking for their first win against Ohio State since 2016. Penn State has 35 touchdowns this season which bring their average to just under 6 touchdowns per game.
I’m taking the over (45.5) here because I’m confident that this Big 10 rivalry will end up being a shootout. I can’t imagine the score being anything less than 24-23. This rivalry match has a combination of explosive offenses and high ranks, making it an automatic lock for the over.
MARLEE’S PICK: TENNESSEE VS ALABAMA UNDER 47.5
Marlee is the founder of Parlay With Marlee sports blog, where she has been making and writing about sport parlays and gambling.
This time last year, the Tennessee Volunteers pulled off a shocker, taking down the Alabama Crimson Tide 52-49, ending a 15-year drought. The excitement for a rematch is palpable, but let’s get real – I’m not putting my money on either moneyline because this one’s a toss-up. Now, if we’re going by history, betting the under might seem a bit silly, given the high-scoring thriller we witnessed last time. But something tells me that neither of these teams are where they were last year. Since then, nine players from Alabama’s stellar lineup have entered the NFL, and five from Tennessee followed suit. That’s a lot of star power lost.
Bama, in particular, is missing the electric Bryce Young, the number one draft pick who set records on the crimson field. His absence changes the game, no doubt. Tennessee isn’t without its losses either, notably Darnell Wright, who was arguably the best offensive lineman in the 2023 draft. The point is, both teams have had to make adjustments, and they’re not the same teams they were last season.
Tennessee stands at 5-1 overall, and had their highest scoring game against Virginia earlier in the season where they blew out the Cavaliers 49-13 in a season opener. The team is currently led by nationally ranked #2, Hendon Hooker and supported by sophomore James Pearce Jr. who is tied for second in the SEC for most sacks with six so far under his belt. The Vols are also second in the league for tackles for loss, racking up 52 yards. And while all of this is impressive, I am inclined to think their performance against Texas A&M paints a more realistic picture, where they came out on top 20-13. I am not saying they’re a bad team, I am just not sure how high a scoring game we’re going to see.
Alabama, on the other hand, is holding a 6-1 record, with a 56-point performance in their home opener. They repeated the feat against Texas A&M, finishing them off 26-20. But there’s a glaring issue – their offensive line has allowed a concerning 31 sacks in just seven games. That’s a major red flag. Scoring points requires protecting your QB, and that’s something I’m not entirely sure the Crimson Tide can do consistently.
So, what’s my call for this weekend? I’m not expecting a point total that exceeds 47.5. The roster changes, strong defenses, and Bama’s shaky offensive line all point to a more moderate scoring affair. Get ready for an exciting game, but don’t be shocked if the scoreboard doesn’t light up like it did last time.
MY PICK: SAN FRAN -7 AGAINST MINNESOTA
If you don’t already know my background, take a stroll around the site, read some more of my articles, and check out my about page.
This line is criminally low at the moment. It’s likely where it’s at due to the uncertainty surrounding Christian McCaffrey, Debo Samuel, and Trent Williams, and whether they’ll return from the injuries they sustained in last week’s loss to the Browns, but I believe that even if they’re absent, the Vikings will still struggle to cover the 7 points.
As of now (Friday, October 20th), CMC, Deebo, and Trent Williams have all yet to practice, and their availability status is currently questionable. It should be noted, however, that their game doesn’t take place until Monday, which gives them an extra day to recover. I believe that we will see all three players step out onto the field come Monday night, but as I said before, even if they aren’t available, I think the Niners would cover the -7 easily. Here’s why:
The Vikings barely squeaked by the Bears last week, and their offense was only able to put up 13 points against that atrocious Chicago defense. To add to this, the Niners have the best defense in the league (in my professional opinion, and they have the least allowed points per game at 13.6) which will pose a much larger threat to Minnesota than Chicago’s dusty lineup (which is ranked among the worst defensively across the league).
Also, with all of this talk surrounding the 49ers players, people have seemingly forgotten that Justin Jefferson will be unavailable. His absence cripples Minnesota’s offense, and with the Niners solid pass defense, the Vikings will have to rely on Alexander Mattison to carry the load in the run game early. Mattison has yet to rush for more than 100 yards in a single game this season, and he’s still waiting on his first touchdown as well. Overall, his performance has been subpar after securing the lead role once Dalvin Cook left, and I don’t expect that to change this weekend.
With a run game set up to fail, and a pass offense that’s missing their cornerstone, the Vikings don’t stand a chance against the well-rounded machine that is the San Francisco 49ers. I stand firm on my belief that the -7 spread is a Mortal Lock for the week, and you should cash in (responsibly) before CMC, Deebo, and Trent Williams are ruled in and the odds shoot way down.
THE FINAL SLIP:
There you have it. A three leg, +614 parlay, cooked up by Parlay With Marlee, Beat the Odds Blog, and A2Z Sports. Make sure to follow each account to stay up to date on all things gambling, all the time, and don’t forget to let us hear your thoughts in the comments below!