Bet The Game: 3 Takeaways from the Betting Weekend
The NFC West is the best division in football.
After the 49ers 31-3 demolishing of the Cleveland Browns on MNF, there are three teams from the NFC West residing in the top-10 of ESPN’s Week 6 NFL Power Rankings. The Seahawks took care of their business on TNF against division rival Los Angeles, and we are now in a three way battle for the top spot in the West.
NFC West teams are now 12-7 against the spread, and the division consists of three of the NFL’s top young head coaching minds: McVay, Shanahan, and Kingsbury — plus the best coach in the division, the 2x CFB National Champion and Super Bowl Champion, Pete Carroll.
When you look at how the NFC West has done against teams outside of their division, the West is 10-4-1 (71.4%) straight up. This is second best behind the NFC North. If you remove the young and reckless Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams are a combined 9-2 (81.8%) in non-divisional games.
We are still just barely through the first quarter of the NFL season, but the NFC West may indeed be the best division in the NFL as it stands right now — and Russell Wilson is quietly on track for an MVP season. 🤫
Will anyone beat out Mahomes for MVP? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/g0AampU89n
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) October 4, 2019
Oregon State earns their first conference win, and you can thank Jake Luton.
It’s official, the Beavers have won their first Pac-12 conference game since their OT victory against Colorado on October 27th, 2018. There’s a pattern with these last two conference wins, and it has to do with quarterback Jake Luton.
Luton played his best game of the season in last year’s win over the Buffs, throwing for 310 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. In their win over UCLA this past weekend, Luton threw for 285 yards, 5 touchdowns (career high), and 0 interceptions.
OKAAAY JAKE 🏆 pic.twitter.com/A47ZwrfHaB
— Oregon State Football (@BeaverFootball) October 7, 2019
When Luton plays well, and especially when he plays well early in the game, it elevates the confidence of this entire team and the other areas of their game plan begin to get rolling.
So far through five games, Jake Luton has thrown for nearly 1,300 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. The 6’7″ senior quarterback has really settled into this offense and is keeping the Beavers competitive in every game. In fact, you could tell a story of how OSU could be 4-1 at this point in the season. Two losses by 3 points to Hawaii and Stanford is not that far off.
In addition to Luton having the best season of his college career, the Beavers are one of the best teams against the spread this season. They have covered every game since their opening loss to Oklahoma State, and are currently 13.5-point underdogs when they host Utah this Saturday night at Reser Stadium.
Fun Fact: The last time that Oregon State and Oregon won a conference game on the same weekend was November 19th, 2016.
The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns, the only undefeated team against the spread left in college football.
If you haven’t been risking some coin on the Ragin’ Cajuns, you’ve been missing out on some certified winners. UL Lafayette is the only team in college football that remains unblemished against the number.
Following Lafayette’s 37-24 victory over Georgia Southern, head coach Billy Napier received a contract extension through the 2023 season. This is Napier’s second season with the program, and his Cajuns are off to a hot 4-1 start to the 2019 campaign.
🗣️ HOW BOUT THEM CAJUNS? #cULture | #GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/jpLEyDzHMK
— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) September 29, 2019
The Cajuns are coming off of a bye week this past weekend, but will play this Wednesday evening against the top team in the Sun Belt’s East Division, Appalachian State. The game is a rematch from the Sun Belt Championship last season, where App St got the best of the Cajuns 30-19.
Lafayette opened as a 2-point underdog to App St, and early action on the Cajuns has brought the number down to a pick-em via VegasInsider. 👀