NAVY @ MEMPHIS (MEM -9.5, 49)
NAVY (1H) -5.5
Last year's Navy-Memphis game was decided by just four points. You can expect something similar today. Memphis is coming off a big win over Florida State last week and now they have to face a new Navy offense. The Midshipmen still run the triple option, but the offense is more of a hybrid Wing-T. That should give Memphis some issues.
The other issue facing the Tigers is this. Service academies are great bets against the first half spread when they are playing as the underdog. Coach Rick nailed Air Force in this same situation last week at Baylor. The academies are 91-59 ATS in the first half in the last decade when they are playing as the underdog. That's 61 percent and that's enough for me to play it again.
TENNESSEE @ OKLAHOMA (TEN -6.5, 57.5)
TENNESSEE (1H) -3.5
This is an interesting matchup for a number of reasons. The first is that it will be the very first SEC game for Oklahoma. Then, there is Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel. If you didn't know, Heupel was a star quarterback for the Sooners back in the 1990s. Now, his Vols team is the No. 1 scoring offense in the country.
If you have been following Coach Rick and his Quick Picks, you know that we like Tennessee. We especially like the Vols in the first half. That's because Heupel is a master game-planner and his teams typically come out of the gate pretty quickly. Remember, Heupel spent three years as a head coach at UCF before coming to Tennessee in 2021.
Heupel-coached teams are 43-17-2 ATS in the first half. Those numbers are even more magnified when Heupel's teams play on the road. In away games, his teams are 22-7-1 against the first half spread. That's a 75.9 percent winning percentage!
IOWA @ MINNESOTA (IOWA -2.5, 35.5)
MINNESOTA +120
This should be another Big Ten beauty. Take a look at these scores - 12-10 and 13-10. Those are the last two final scores in this series. You can expect another similar one tonight. Minnesota has given up one touchdown in its three games so far. The Gophers have pitched consecutive shutouts in their last two games. Those games were against Rhode Island and Nevada, by the way.
Iowa lost to rival Iowa State 20-19 two weeks ago. The Hawkeyes trailed Troy at the half last week before rallying to win. Iowa has owned this series with Minnesota. The Hawkeyes are 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS in the last nine games against the Gophers. Still, there is something about the "Row the Boat" philosophy of Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck. Coach Rick had a player play for him when he was at Western Michigan years ago.
Coach Rick likes Coach Fleck and he really likes the Minnesota defense. The Gophers are playing at home tonight. Plus, the underdog has actually won the last two games in this series outright. We're taking a chance tonight on the home dog at a great price on the moneyline.
Ylose expert Coach Rick Bowe delivers his daily Quick Picks. The Coach continues to roll up big wins in MLB, college football, the NFL, and much more. Coach Rick offers a unique perspective to handicapping. Check out his daily free picks right here and jump on his daily Best Bets, which you can find right here at Ylose.com/coach.