Illinois 2009 Betting Odds: Over 7½ Wins -165 , Under 7½ Wins +125

Illinois could be a surprise team in the Big 10 this year. They undoubtedly will have one of the most explosive offenses in the country led by star quarterback Juice Williams. He can cause havoc for opposing defenses with not only his legs but also his arm. The Illini have four guys vying for the starting running back position so someone will have to step up to aid Williams in the run game. Junior wide receiver, Arrelious Benn is excellent and will be Williams’ go to guy. The offensive line returns three starters which should improve on pass protection as well as opening holes for Illinois tailbacks. The defensive line and secondary are causes for slight concern. However, if Josh Brent returns after getting a DUI in the spring he will pair up with Corey Liuget to give Illinois two outstanding defensive tackles. The safety position is a concern as well but coaches think Supo Sanni can be a solid starter for them on defense.

All in all the schedule sets up where I have Illinois losing to Ohio State and Penn State for sure. They will be challenged by Michigan State but they get them at home. Another tough road test is going to be at Cincinnati on a Friday night. Even if they lose all four of those games, I think they will win the other 8. I agree with the odds makers decision to place hefty vig on the Illini at -165 to go over 7½ wins. I’d lay to the price and take the over as the Illini finish 8-4 in my opinion.

TrevRogers.com considers BetUs.com the #1 online sportsbook for many reasons. One of them being the huge amount of football betting futures odds that they make available for bettors before the college football or NFL season kicks off. We have been taking a looks at the “Over/Under” team win totals for certain college football teams this week. We continue today with a look at the 2009 college football betting odds for the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Tennessee Volunteers: Over 7 Wins +110 , Under 7 Wins -150

The Tennessee Volunteers are coming off a disappointing 5-7 season but the arrival of new head coach Lane Kiffin has people excited in Knoxville about the ’09 campaign. Tennessee returns just 13 starters but there is still plenty of talent on this team to make a vast improvement from last year. Much of the success will depend on quarterback, Jonathan Crompton. He’s been through four offensive coordinators in four years but Kiffin plans on using Crompton’s athleticism and arm strength to stretch opposing offenses. Tennessee is very young at the skill positions but the talented freshman they’ve brought in could be difference makers. The defense was very good last season but returns just six starters. They will not be as dominant as the unit that finished third in the nation in overall defense. They lack experience and depth at the linebacker position as well as defensive line. Despite the inexperience, I have Tennessee penciled in for 8 regular season wins. They should win their first two against Western Kentucky and UCLA. Then they have home games against Ohio University, Auburn, South Carolina, Memphis, and Vanderbilt, all of which are very winnable games. I’ll take the over 7 wins for Tennessee as I see them improving from the ’08 campaign.

South Carolina Gamecocks: Over 7 Wins +150 , Under 7 Wins -200

South Carolina returns just 11 starters from a team that went 7-6 a year ago. They will likely open the season 0-2 in my opinion with road games at North Carolina State, who is going to be a solid team this year, and then at Georgia. They get Mississippi and Florida at home but I don’t see them winning either one of those games. On October 17th, they travel to Alabama which figures to be too much of a rugged road test and they also have to go to Tennessee. I see this team winning 6 regular season games at best and that’s only if they can take care of Clemson at home to close out the season. South Carolina lost quarterback Smelley leaving huge question marks at that position and if you don’t have a quarterback in the SEC, you’re asking for trouble. Depth on the defensive side of the ball is also a major concern. I just don’t see this team winning more than 6 regular season games. The schedule is too difficult and they’ve simply lost too many good players from last year.

We continue our look at the 2009 SEC College Football “Over/Under” win totals set by online sportsbooks BetUS.com. Today we focus the 2009 College Football Betting Odds radar on Ole Miss, Georgia and LSU.

Mississippi Rebels: Over 9 -115 Under 9 -125
I think the odds makers are really underestimating this Ole Miss team. They are my pick to win the SEC West as they return 16 starters from a team that went 9-4 last season. If Jevan Snead can get solid protection from his offensive line, he could have a big year. The receivers are very good and the running backs are talented and deep as well. This is definitely a potential Top 10 team as the schedule is situated just right for them to rack up a lot of wins this season. I have them penciled in for at least 10 wins. They play Memphis, Southeast Louisiana, UAB, and Northern Arizona out of conference, all of which will be wins for the Rebels. They also get Alabama, Tennessee, and LSU all at home. Their road games in conference don’t look to be too much of a concern either. With the talent and the soft schedule, I think Ole Miss definitely goes over the number of 9 wins.

Georgia Bulldogs: Over 8½ -110 Under 8½ -130
This is another number where I think the odds makers absolutely got it right. Georgia returns 15 starters from a team that went 10-3 but gone are their three stud skill position players in Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and Mohamed Massaquoi. Senior quarterback Joe Coz will look to fill Stafford’s shoes and many experts agree that he can be a competent quarterback. The offense will use a running back by committee approach behind what should be a pretty solid offensive line. The defense should be a solid group but not spectacular. Much of the success will depend on their front four. Georgia opens up at Oklahoma State which could be a tough match-up on the road. They also could lose to LSU at home, Florida in Jacksonville, and at Georgia Tech. They should win at least 8 regular season games and I think they will get some sweet revenge against Georgia Tech in the regular season finale. Therefore, I’ll go with over the total of 8½ for the BullDogs and I’ll peg them as a 9 win team.

LSU Tigers: Over 8½ -105 Under 8½ -135
LSU is another team that figures to be in the mix to win the SEC West. They return 14 starters from a team that went 8-5 and won a bowl game last season. They however have a pretty tough schedule as they play Florida, at Georgia, at Alabama, and at Mississippi. However, even if they lose all four of those games, they should win the rest leaving them with 8 regular season wins. They have the talent to win at least one of those four games so I will also go over the total of 8½ with this LSU squad.

BetUs.com has recently posted over/under odds on season win totals for a number of college football programs this season. We will be doing a series of articles in which we briefly preview each team that has been posted and provide a prediction of whether they will go over or under the posted number of wins. The articles to come will be grouped by conference for reference sake. We will start with three teams out of the SEC.

Florida Gators: Over 11 Wins -105 , Under 11 Wins -135
Everyone has the Gators posted as their pre-season pick to win the National Championship in ’09 and so do I. This is an extremely talented team that went 13-1 last season, won the National Championship, and returns 18 starters. That’s right, 18! Tim Tebow, college football’s Mr. Everything has returned and the entire defense is back along with all 11 back ups. This is a very dangerous team and I think will land right on the number 11. LSU has huge revenge set for the Gators this season after being blown out 51-21 last season. That one loss pulls the Gators to 11-1. Every thing would have to go perfect for the defending champs in order for an UNDER bet not to cash. I just do not see perfection on the menu 2 years in a row for Urban Meyer and the Gators. Take the UNDER on Florida.

Alabama Crimson Tide: Over 9½ Wins +120 , Under 9½ Wins -160
I think the odds makers have pinpointed this line right on the money. The Crimson Tide only return four starters on offense and will be extremely inexperienced at the quarterback position as John Parker Wilson has graduated. The defense will be very stout as they return nine starters from a unit that was very good a season ago. Make no mistake about it, Nick Saban will be relying on his defense this season to win games. I have them penciled in for 9 regular season wins. They start out the season against a very good Virginia Tech team who could spoil the season opener for Alabama. I also think they will lose at Mississippi. The next two toughest games are both at home which I think they will spit against Tennessee and LSU. They will beat Tennessee and possibly let down the following week and lose at home to LSU. I’ll take the Under -160 as a potential lack of offensive cohesion may stifle Alabama early on in the 2009 season.

Auburn Tigers: Over 7½ Wins +170 , Under 7½ Wins -230
Auburn lost six of their last seven games last season and finished just 5-7 overall. I expect them to be better this season as they return 15 starters. However, new head coach Gene Chizik has his work cut out for him. The Tigers will face four teams likely to be rated in the Top 15 this year. They are at LSU and at Georgia. Meanwhile, they will face both Mississippi and Alabama at home. Throw in a non-conference game against West Virginia and you’re looking at a pretty tough road to 8 wins. I think they could win 7 but not 8. I say they stay under the posted total of 7½ wins as they have to find an identity on offense.