Best bets to consider for NFL-CFB win total matchups

Will Ohio State win one more game than the Browns this year? You can bet on it.

While certain shops offer win total matchups between two teams in both the NFL and college football markets, some are allowing bettors to cross over. Here are the NFL-college football win total matchups for 2019:

Best bets to consider

Michigan -0.5 vs. Bears

Michigan's been seeing some under money come in on its win total, as it's moved from 10.5 victories down to 10 in some places. There's no denying that Michigan's schedule will present some challenges: The Wolverines get Notre Dame, Iowa, Michigan State, and Ohio State at home, and have road contests at Penn State, Wisconsin, and Indiana, the latter of which is a sandwich game between a pair of rivals. Yikes.

While Michigan will likely be on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff, the program can still outpace the Bears' win total. Chicago - who enjoyed a leap from 5-11 in 2017 to 12-4 last season - is the fade here.

The Bears registered a mind-boggling 27 interceptions and 36 takeaways overall last season. That's not sustainable, especially with the loss of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Chicago was also one of the healthiest teams last season and was rarely put in a spot where it had to replace key players.

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's job last season was to not lose games. He had a pretty wide margin for error with his defense holding opponents to 17.6 points per game. But with expected defensive regression looming, I don't think wins are going to come easy for Trubisky and the Bears in 2019.

Browns +0.5 vs. Ohio State

The Browns' bandwagon is officially full after they added more stars to a team that finished strong last season. You typically have to temper expectations when the market drools over a team that hasn't finished .500 or better in the last 11 seasons, but the hype over Cleveland is justified. There are very few holes on a roster projected to take the AFC North.

As for Ohio State, I'm pumping the brakes on the Buckeyes after being initially bullish on them in Year 1 under Ryan Day. Though they typically reload on an annual basis, the offense - which is replacing most of its starting production from last season, including at quarterback with Justin Fields - is cause for concern. Ohio State will once again be talented, but if there are two losses on its schedule, Cleveland bettors will be heading to the window.

UNLV +1.5 vs. Raiders

I'd say there's plenty to like about UNLV, but I'd be lying. The Rebels were lucky to win four games last year and are favored in just four contests this season, although there are a couple of coin flips that could go either way. However, UNLV doesn't have to reach its full ceiling to cover 1.5 wins against a Raiders team that's been a popular bet to finish with the worst record in the NFL.

Oakland finished 4-12 in Jon Gruden's first year back at the helm and has the toughest schedule in the NFL this season. Meanwhile, UNLV's star quarterback, Armani Rogers, is healthy after missing a chunk of 2018 due to injuries. He ran the Rebels' offense like a well-oiled machine when he was able to take the field.

The Raiders will likely need six wins to cover this number, and I wouldn't bank on them improving from last year.

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 @AlexKoIodziej.