Early CFB win totals: Fade Auburn, bet Wisconsin
College football win totals were recently released for the 2021 campaign. Bettors can certainly be patient with the season still months away, but here are three that should be bet right now.
Auburn under 7 (-140)
I like nothing about Auburn in 2021.
Quarterback Bo Nix was in the 22-1 range to win the Heisman last year after a flashy freshman season, but he took a huge step back. Now, he gears up for his junior campaign without his top-three receivers from last season in Anthony Schwartz, Seth Williams, and Eli Stove. The running game will be a strength, but it remains to be seen whether Auburn will lead enough for it matter.
The Tigers have a new coaching staff, are barely in the top half of the country in both offensive (No. 60) and defensive production (No. 62), and draw the nation's second-toughest schedule.
Overall, this is a program that plays in the most grueling conference in football and features only mediocre talent. I'd expect 2021 to be a huge wake-up call for War Eagle.
Wisconsin over 9.5 (+110)
This is an awesome price on a team I believe is the biggest threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten.
Wisconsin's Paul Chryst has quietly been money at his post, owning the third-best winning percentage (.750) of any active head coach who's been at the same program for six-plus years. His Badgers went just 4-3 last season but exited with plenty of momentum.
The defense finished No. 4 in the nation in SP+. It was especially stiff against the cream of the crop, limiting a trio of ranked opponents to fewer than 20 points per game.
The offense, meanwhile, dealt with a plethora of injuries and COVID-19-related absences but returns 84% of last year's unit, including a senior-heavy skill corps.
Wisconsin gets its first four games of the year at home and doesn't draw the Buckeyes. This sets up the Badgers for a pretty favorable run in 2021, and one that bettors can get at +110.
Missouri over 7 (-125)
Missouri's schedule is soft enough to at least push the seven wins.
The Tigers get Central Michigan, Southeast Missouri State, and North Texas in the non-conference slate. They bypass both LSU and Alabama in the SEC, while games against Florida and Texas A&M are at home.
Missouri also draws winnable games against Boston College, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. Overall, the program's just one of three in the conference with a strength of schedule rank outside the top 25.
This is a solid buy, especially on a team returning 82% of last year's offensive output.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.