Football Betting Advice – Florida International Unveils New Look

When we give out football betting advice, we have to take into account the changes that some teams make in their program, and when it comes to the FIU Golden Panthers, they are unveiling that new look in action on Saturday against a substantial opponent. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who are now a regular in bowl games, will take the trip south, and line up against FIU in a game that is slated to begin at 8 PM ET at FIU Stadium (artificial turf) in Miami. In the college football odds, Rutgers is favored by 17.5 points, and our football betting advice is based on those numbers.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) at Florida International Golden Panthers (0-0 SU & ATS)
Live at FIU Stadium, Miami
Saturday, September 11 — 8 PM ET
TV: SNY,. ESPN Game Plan

College Football Odds:
Rutgers -17.5
Florida Intl.  +17.5
Total 47.5

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Rutgers took a while to get going under coach Greg Schiano, but they have now been to five straight bowl games. Not major bowls, mind you, but this program has developed a reputation as one that not a lot of teams really want to play. They have won the last four bowls, possess a defense that gave up just three yards a carry last year and returns three starters to the defensive line, and there is the presence of a quarterback who was one of the top recruits in the country and should be more comfortable in the offense in his second season at the helm.

There was a game last year between these teams, held in New Jersey. Rutgers led comfortably, 23-0 in the fourth quarter, before getting a little sloppy, and Florida International chalked up a couple of touchdowns to cover the game as a 16.5-point underdog in the college football odds. As we prepare our college football advice for this game, we notice that the pointspread affords an additional point to the Golden Panthers, even though they are playing at home.

Here are some of the trends as they impact our NCAA expert pick on this game:

• Rutgers has won 17 of its last 21 games SU
• Rutgers has won six of its last seven road games SU
• Florida International has covered one of its last seven games
• Florida International has lost nine of its last 12 games SU
• Florida International has played four of its last six games UNDER the total
• Florida International has covered one of its last five home games
• Florida International has lost 14 of its last 20 home games SU
• Florida International has played 13 of its last 19 home games UNDER the total

Mario Cristobal, the former University of Miami player and Rutgers assistant who is the head coach t FIU, has inserted two new coordinators this season. One of them is Geoff Collins, the new defensive guy, who formerly assisted Nick Saban and George O’Leary. Scott Satterfield is now in charge of the offense, and he will bring the spread offense to FIU, with most of it in the hands of the rather mobile Wesley Carroll, a Mississippi State transfer, at quarterback. One of the Rutgers assistants, Phil Galiano, was he defensive coordinator at FIU last year, so he has an insight as to the personnel.

When you’ve got 17 Floridians on the roster, as Rutgers does, that tells you this is a fertile recruiting territory for a program. Does that sound like a place they are going to lay down? I would not give football betting advice to that effect. Rather, Schiano, who was the defensive coordinator for some great Miami teams, wants to look good to attract local talent, as he is competing with a number of programs that have the geographic jump on him. It is true that Rutgers has faced some receiver attrition over the past couple of seasons, with the likes of Kenny Britt, Tiquan Underwood and Tim Brown departing. But those guys will be replaced, and Savage, who did not expect to play as early as he did, threw for 2211 yards and 14 TD’s. He will only get better. If Rutgers can run it better this year with Joe Martinek, that makes things a whole lot better. I’m not sold on Wesley Carroll at quarterback, and the same can be said for Wayne Younger (38% last year), and wideout T.Y. Hilton, a superb athlete, had more bark than bite last season. Rutgers is laying a lot of points in the college football odds, but we believe they can get there against this commuter school, and our football betting advice tells us to lay the lumber.

JAY’S PLAY:  RUTGERS -17.5 **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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