Losses come in all shapes and sizes in betting, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a weirder one than what we witnessed from last week’s “Ugly Underdog.
asserted
we → come → Underdog
South Alabama scored 21 points in the second quarter against Kentucky and was up 21-14 with halftime approaching, but somehow the Jaguars were not able to cover the 20.5-point spread, handing us our first loss since Week 1.
asserted
Jaguars → score → Week
Perhaps it had something to do with giving up 390 rushing yards.
asserted
it → have → yards
We’re on Rutgers against the defending champs this week.
asserted
We → ’re → champs
There’s only one place to start our preview of Rutgers vs. Indiana, and that’s in Amherst, Mass.
asserted
that → ’ → Amherst
You don’t need to remind any Scarlet Knights fans about their loss to UMass in Week 1, but I’ll do it anyways.
asserted
I → need → it
The Minutemen were five-score underdogs and riding a 16-game losing streak when they upset Rutgers, 37-21, in Piscataway.
asserted
they → rid → Piscataway
It was one of the first games of the entire college football season, but it was likely to go down as one of the most embarrassing results of the season.
asserted
it → go → season
Don’t look now, but UMass is 4-0 and all the way down to 15/1 to win the MAC.
asserted
UMass → look → MAC
That won’t make anybody at Rutgers feel much better, but it’s worth noting as we evaluate the Scarlet Knights for the rest of the season.
asserted
we → make → season
But it looks slightly less embarrassing these days.
asserted
it → look → ?
It also helps that Rutgers has played better since the Minutemen routed them.
asserted
Minutemen → help → them
The Scarlet Knights lost a close one on the road to Boston College in Week 2, and then came excruciatingly close to an upset over USC in Week 3.
asserted
Knights → lose → Week
The Scarlet Knights followed that up with a 51-point win over Howard last time out.
asserted
Knights → follow → Howard
Nothing to write home about, but you can start to see the sun peeking out from behind the clouds.
asserted
you → write → clouds
While Rutgers is searching for existential answers, Indiana will bring the nation’s longest winning streak with them to New Jersey.
asserted
Indiana → search → Jersey
It’s hard to nitpick a team that won the national championship last year and hasn’t lost since Dec. 20, 2024, but the Hoosiers have yet to really click into top gear this season.
asserted
Hoosiers → ’ → gear
That was certainly the case last week when they got everything they could handle from Northwestern in Bloomington.
uncertain
they → get → Bloomington
That 29-23 win showed some cracks in Indiana’s armor, but there are other factors that can help Rutgers cover this 24.5-point spread.
asserted
Rutgers → show → spread
Something tells me Curt Cignetti won’t have an issue with taking his foot off the gas if this one is in the bag.
asserted
one → tell → bag
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We should also be helped by Indiana’s game plan.
asserted
We → get → plan
The Hoosiers are running the ball on 60 percent of their snaps this season, and I’d imagine that number will tick up after this game, as the likeliest scenario is an Indiana romp.
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scenario → run → game
That’s OK by us, as it will keep the clock moving, making it tougher for Indiana to get the requisite number of possessions to cover this huge number.
asserted
Indiana → ’ → number
I’m not kidding myself by suggesting that Rutgers, a team that lost to UMass by 16 points at home, is in the same league as Indiana, but I’m deadly serious when I say that Rutgers’ improvement, the schedule spot and Indiana’s less-than-stellar showing last time out make the Scarlet Knights worth a bet Saturday.
asserted
Knights → kid → Indiana
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry.
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Leboff → suffer → industry
He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
asserted
punters → use → sports
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