Calling Off The Hounds!

Happy Tuesday Cougar fans!

It’s that time of the week again, so if you don’t give a rip about spreads, over/unders and parlays, the next couple hundred words are not for you.  With this post, readers can stop slamming Sutra over his Letter to Bill Moos, and can go on to calling me a degnerate gambler or something like that…

But first, all the bitching and griping about Cougar football will be over within one month (holy crap!) and basketball season gets under way beginning this Saturday in Pullman as the Cougs take on Southern.  Things should be exciting on the hardwood for our Cougs in 2010-2011.  The Pac 10 Media tabbed the Cougars 5th in the conference behind, I think, UW, Arizona, UCLA, and ASU.  Hopefully the young Cougs are able to build off of last season and the new coaching staff has learned a few things about themselves and our team.  Hopefully this isn’t the final season in crimson and gray for Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto.

Thompson you understand, but Casto you say?  Well there is some kind of rumor/speculation that the payday from any opportunity to play professionally (whether that is the NBA, Europe or the NBDL) might be enough to get Casto out of Pullman, due to some newfound family responsibilities (he and his girlfriend have a child). 

Here is my thought – If Klay and DeAngelo do leave Pullman after this year, that likely means the Cougs just completed a fantastic season.  So I am all for it.  What about you?

So, with all of that said, let’s take a look at some of the action this week, Las Vegas style!

One funny little note before we begin.  The last few weeks I have been breaking action down into “Lines I Like” and “Lines I Don’t Like.”  What I just now realized is that if there is a line I don’t like, taking the opposite would make it a “Line I Do Like.”  For example.  Last week I didn’t like Alabama -6.5 and then went on to list why I liked LSU +6.5.

So for simplicities sake, and to prevent myself from looking like a moron, here are a bunch of lines that I do like.

Last week the Vandals hosted Nevada and allowed the Wolfpack to roll up 844 yards of total offense.  To all of the people sucking at Akey’s teet the last twelve months, how does it taste now that the milk has gone sour?   I am thinking something to the tune of Boise 66 – Idaho 14.  How many of you truly want Robb Akey to be the WSU coach?  Can you say that with a straight face?  Scott Van Pelt, put your hand down!

Utah has been a thing of beauty this season for those who follow the weekly lines.  The Utes have covered seven straight to open the season, before dropping the last two spreads against Colorado State and Air Force.  Utah rolls most mid-majors, and let’s be honest here, Notre Dame is nothing more than a mid major these days.  Utes by 14.

The Dawgs are a rough 3-6 ATS, but if you give them time to let their wounds heal, they should have no problem covering this one.  Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, right?

Really Las Vegas?  Really?  You aren’t going to make Texas a touchdown underdog here?  The Pokes are 7-2 and one of the biggest surprises in 2010, while the Horns are 2-7 ATS and have three losses in Austin. Okie State is averaging nearly 47 points per contest and the Horns are putting up under 25?  Wow!  I am taking my money and a boatload of Blackmon/Hunter touchdowns all the way to the bank.  Thanks Vegas, Pokes 59 – Horns 24.

Georgia might be resting comfortably at 5-5, but take a closer look.  Those wins come over Idaho State, Louisiana Lafayette, Venderbilt, Kentucky and Tennessee.  Mark Richt is fighting to save his job in Athens, and it isn’t going to get easier traveling westward into Alabama this weekend to face the #2 Tigers.  War Eagle!!  Tigers 56 – Georgia 10.

Did you see how well the Cardinal played last weekend against Arizona?  Arizona > Arizona State.  Does it get any easier than that?  That isn’t even a full touchdown that Stanford is favored by!  Really quick, while we’re talking the nerds in Palo Alto.  Five years ago, if I told you that Stanford football would be extremely relavant on the national scale in less then five years, would you have bet against it? 

I know I would!

And with that, I bid you adieu.

Have a great day!