To be perfectly honest, I’ve run out of any witty yet un-funny quiips to try and entertain you before a bunch of dudes give you terrible gambling advice. Though the terribleness of the advice depends on who you choose to listen to.
For instance, Jeff Woody is validating his reputation as the smart kid in town that knows what he’s talking about when it comes to football…or, he’s just lucky. Then look at the six guys on the bottom of the leader board. A bunch of brilliant minds, football savants, and even a guy that has a full time job to predict a thing that’s really hard to predict (hopefully with better accuracy). Don’t listen to those guys unless you’re going to pick opposite of them. But then again, maybe their luck is about to start.
Let the knowledge drop commence!
Former Cyclone RB, Jeff Woody
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – I’m not a stats guy for the most part (sorry, Kirk), but I do like stats that matter. And one that does matter is turnover margin. West Virginia is -13 in turnover margin on the year compared to K State’s +5. They’ve fumbled 22 (!!) times on the year and lost 14 of them. They’ve been skating by in spite of that, but turning the ball over to K State is a recipe for disaster because you aren’t going to get the ball back for 5+ minutes on the game clock. Give me the Vampire. #EMAW.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – I agree with Vegas here. I think Wisco wins by about 10. Although, if it’s going to go another direction from there it’ll be an increase in Wisconsin’s winning margin. Iowa’s front 4 are stout, but to stop Melvin Gordon III, it is IMPERATIVE that ALL 11 guys on defense are in the right spot at the right time AND make tackles. I don’t think the Hawkeyes’ back 7 are disciplined enough to stop him. May be another 250+ yard day for the Heisman trophy finalist. I’ll take the Badgers.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – The phrase winning in spite of yourself applies to the Golden Domers as much as it does the Mountaineers. Notre Dame has thrown 15 interceptions and lost 11 fumbles. That’s an average of about 3 turnovers per game. Their defense gets a lot of turnovers to make up for it, but it’s risky. I do think Notre Dame wins this and covers (because it’s at home and the ‘Ville is just not that good– they’ve been ranked, but so was Oklahoma State at one point this year), but if you’re looking for a reason why they’ve fallen out of favor so quickly– there it is.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Has Brett Bielema finally gotten the Razorbacks into a winning mentality? Maybe. I dunno. I have no idea on this game. I’ll take Arkansas to cover 3.5. #YOLO
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Bears. Oklahoma State’s biggest weaknesses are 3 and outs on offense and pass defense on the other side of the ball. Anyone think that’s gonna work against Baylor in Waco? Art Briles knows exactly what his team needs to do to get into the playoffs, and they are going to be looking for style points. They want to win by 60, and even though OSU is down this year, a 50 point blowout of the name "Oklahoma State" has some resonating power. I will take the Bears to win by eleventy billion points.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – From what I’ve heard, practice has been much better this week than it has the past few, not for the sake of execution, but effort an intensity. For that reason, and the fact that Tech has come north of Oklahoma a grand total of 5 times in the history of Texas Tech football in the month of November, I will take the Cyclones to get win number 3.
Former WOI-TV Sports Director, Dave Zawilinski
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – I expect WV to beat themselves. K-State.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Iowa.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – ND.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Ole Miss keeps faint playoff hopes alive.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Baylor needs to keep winning impressively.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Texas Tech.
Former Cyclone WR, Lane Danielsen
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – West Virginia. The Mountaineers are salty at home!
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Wisconsin. Go Badgers!
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Notre Dame. No clue here. Going with the home team.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Ole Miss. Bo Wallace takes this game over.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Oklahoma State. This is a lot of points for the Bears. I think Okie State covers on the road.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Texas Tech. Just don’t see anything that makes me want to pick my Cyclones. I hope I’m wrong.
CF Director of Sales, Adam Gray
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – KSU.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Iowa.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Notre Dame.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Arkansas.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – OSU.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Tech.
The enCYCLONEpedia Guy, Kirk Haaland
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – The Wizard finally failed me last week and the Mountaineers are tough at home, WVU.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – I’m inclined to pick Iowa in a "keep it close" special…but, I just can’t after watching Melvin Gordon last week.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Notre Dame just lost at home to Northwestern…how could I possibly pick them to cover 3.5 over Louisville? I don’t know, but I will.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Hogs. Hogs. Hogs.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – I know the Cowboys are relatively terrible, but man, 27.5?!?! But, Baylor.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – If the team hasn’t quit I think the Cyclones win and cover. My bet is that they haven’t.
ESPN Broadcaster, Chris Hassel
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – K-State. Good matchup.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Hawks. Ferentz can contain a dominant pro offense much easier than a fly-by-night spread.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Cards. Notre Dame always seems to either win by a score or lose by a score.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Hogs. Mississippi teams are soooo October.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Okie State. One of these days I’ll learn to stop picking Pokes to cover.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – TTU. Holy moly. I’m surprised ISU is favored.
Former Cyclone WR, Jack Whitver
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – K State was exposed last week. WVU exposes them further. Mountaineers cover.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Melvin Gordan was unreal last week. Not sure Iowa is going to stop him, but they could hold him to 200. Bucky easily covers.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Louisville wins straight up and covers.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Arkansas won their first SEC game in two years last week. They get their second this week. Razorbacks win straight up at home to cover.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – That is a huge spread, but Baylor is playing for style points right how. They need to run it up as much as possible. Bears cover.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – TT is not that great, but they can score. ISU’s offense will have a hard time keeping up with the Red Raiders. TT wins straight up to cover.
Former Cyclone LB, Adam Carper
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – K-State.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Iowa.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Golden Domers.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Arkansas.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Okie State.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Tech.
CF Publisher, Chris Williams
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – Wildcats have outscored West Virginia by a combined 64 points the last two seasons. And you want to give me two points? I’ll take them. Bill Snyder 27, West Virginia 24.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – The Badgers could be on the verge of a letdown here but I’m just not sure how Iowa will stop that rushing attack. Wisconsin 30, Hawks 20.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Fighting Irish 24, Louisville 21.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – The Hogs are 8-1 ATS this season and feeling good. Give me Arkansas to cover and Ole Miss to win. Rebels 24, Hogs 21.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Baylor has covered 23 of its last 27 home games and Oklahoma State has hit rock bottom. No number is too high for the Bears. Baylor 49, Oklahoma State 10.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – I feel like Texas Tech should win this game by double digits but the trends state otherwise. Tech is 2-11-1 vs. the number in its last 14. Prior to the last two games, the Cyclones were 5-0-1 ATS. But those last two games were really, really bad. A true toss-up, so I guess I’ll take the Cyclones. Iowa State 42, Texas Tech 35.
Former Cyclone QB, Bret Meyer
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – West Virginia.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Wisconsin.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Louisville.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Arkansas.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – OSU.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Tech.
Former Cyclone QB, Austen Arnaud
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – West Va. here, it will be close but West Va. has too much offensive firepower at home.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Wisconsin can clinch the Big Ten West with a win and a Minnesota loss at Nebraska. Sconny by two TD’s
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Notre Dame bounces back in a low scoring hard fought game. Golden Domers win on late TD
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Arkansas coming off their first conference win in 3 years, they stay hot and beat ole miss at home.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Baylor may win by double the spread. Okie State is really struggling right now.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Cyclones put the first W in the win column since Toledo in early October. Cyclones win in a shoutout 49-44
CF Columnist, Brent Blum
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – West Virginia 31 K-State 27.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Wisconsin 27 Iowa 21.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Notre Dame 30 Louisville 24. Chris Klenakis goes shirtless to prove some bizarre point, probably.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Arkansas 31 Ole Miss 21.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Baylor 48 Oklahoma State 24.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Iowa State 31 Texas Tech 29.
WHO-TV Meteorologist, Brett McIntyre
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – Kansas State.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Wisconsin.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Louisville.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Arkansas.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Baylor.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Iowa State.
KXNO Producer/Host, Andrew Downs
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – K State. Mountaineers drop a third straight.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Iowa. Homer pick.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Notre Dame. Irish won’t lose a third straight.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Ole Miss. Rebels are just better.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – Baylor. Style points needed.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Texas Tech. I’m afraid the team has quit.
Former Cyclone K, Bret Culbertson
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – K-State.
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Badgers.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Notre Dame.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Ole Miss.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – I believ Kip Smith for OSU has the best net punt in the nation right now, not to mention the best beard. In the NFL, a high net will put more food on your family’s table than any other stat. Hoping he can give Baylor a lot of green between the LOS and the endzone – of course that may just give Baylor the chance to have a high-yardage game if the Okie State defense can’t keep up. Fear the beard…pulling for the Cowboys to beat the spread.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Cyclones need a good win. A no-bowl season puts a good dent in morale. I’d love to see these guys have fun with this one. Clones.
CF Senior Writer, Rob Gray
Kansas State @ West Virginia (-2) – I trust in Mr. 1:10 p.m. to a fault, but I like the Mountaineers at home, 34-28
Wisconsin (-9.5) @ Iowa – Everything about this game screams BADGERS, which is why I’m going Hawks. They do weird things. Wisconsin probably wins, but doesn’t cover.
Louisville @ Notre Dame (-3.5) – Fighting Irish are reeling, but Kelly will have them right for this one. ND by a touchdown.
Mississippi (-3.5) @ Arkansas – Now that the Hogs have finally broken through, look out. Great D. Arkansas wins outright.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor (-27.5) – What a shocking line this would have been a year — or even a month — ago. Cowboys circling the drain (like me in the pick ‘ems). Bears cover.
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (-1.5) – Cyclones have a chance to escape the cellar (via head-to-head tie-breaker). Think they’ll do it. ISU 38, TTU 35
