NJ online sportsbook action
It was a productive 2-1 type of week for our last week as we cashed the New York Giants in preseason football and the Florida-Miami under in the college football season opener.
This week, we’ve got a full slate of college football action to focus on as we aim for the perfect 3-0 this week. Here’s a look at our favorite NJ online sportsbook best on the board:
Atlanta Braves at Toronto Blue Jays
Date: Tuesday, August 26th
The Braves are on fire right now as they’ve won eight straight games. On Tuesday, they’ll be visiting a team that’s ice cold as the Blue Jays have dropped seven of eight.
We’ve got a big mismatch on the mound as the Braves will go with rookie Mike Soroka, who has been stellar of late. He has a 2.60 ERA this month and has been strong on the road all season long. He’s 6-0 in away games with a 1.32 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .192 batting average.
He’ll take on Jacob Waguespack, who has been decent for the Jays. They’ve actually won four of his last five starts as he’s given up just six earned runs in his last 28 innings pitched. He’s faced some good competition too as he’s fresh off an outing where he lasted seven innings and gave up just one hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
We’re going to see a sizable moneyline in this game as the Braves will be expected to roll but with both pitchers throwing well, this could be a much tighter game than expected. I like the under in this spot.
Pick: Under
Wisconsin Badgers at South Florida Bulls
Odds: Badgers -13.5 at PointsBet
Date: Friday, August 30th
The Bulls were almost a complete disaster last season under Charlie Strong. They started the year 7-0 – playing fairly poorly along the way – but then reality set in as they dropped six in a row to end the year. This is a team that gave up about 250 rushing yards per game last season. I’m not convinced that they’ll be better. That’s not great news considering the Wisconsin Badgers are coming to town.
The Badgers are perennially one of the best rushing teams and that will be the case once again. Running back Jonathan Taylor is on the short list of preseason favorites of the Heisman Trophy and he should pile up the yards in this game. The Badgers do have some question marks at quarterback but things can’t be worse than they were a year ago.
The Bulls return nine starters on offense but with a new offensive coordinator, they are changing the way they play. Gone is the up-tempo style as they try to slow things down and control the clock. They won’t Wisconsin at their own game. Lay the points.
Pick: Badgers -13.5
Georgia Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores
Odds: Georgia -20.5
Date: Saturday, August 31st
We’re looking at a big point spread here but this is one I’m comfortable laying as I expect Georgia to roll.
It’s true that Vanderbilt has been decent under Derek Mason and that’s why he received an extension in the offseason. They also have one of the nation’s top tight ends in Jared Pinkney, a stellar wideout in Kalija Lipscomb and a quality running back in Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
However, they have to replace a four-year starter at quarterback, a bunch of offensive linemen and have questions on the defense.
Georgia has one of the nation’s top offensive line, a Heisman Trophy candidate in running back D’Andre Swift and that might be all they need in this one. They are going to tee off on Vandy’s suspect defense. And it doesn’t hurt to have Jake Fromm under center.
In his first two meetings with Vandy, he’s completed 24-of-34 passes for 379 yards, five touchdowns and no picks. When Vandy has the ball, they have some playmakers but they’ll get stifled by a defense that’s loaded with future NFL prospects.
This game should be a whitewash as I’m expecting Vanderbilt to get flattened.
Pick: Georgia -20.5
Other Things To Watch This Week
No.16 Auburn Tigers vs No. 11 Oregon Ducks – This will be on one the marquee matchups of Week 1. The Ducks, who are loaded with one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Justin Herbert, will look to take down the Tiger, who are hoping to prove they’re still among the SEC’s best teams. This is the Saturday night, primetime affair.
Syracuse Orange at Liberty Flames – It’s the start of the Tommy DeVito era at Syracuse as the Orange enter the season in the Top 25. They have an easy opener as they’ll face a Liberty team who was just 6-6 last season. Things will get much tougher for the Orange in the coming weeks with contests against Maryland and No. 1 Clemson.
UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs Zhang – The UFC heads to China this weekend for UFC on ESPN+ 15. Jessica Andrade, who is the women’s strawweight champion, will defend her belt against Weili Zhang. Zhang is 19-1 in her MMA career and enters on a 19-fight winning streak. However, she’s still relatively new to the UFC as this is just her fourth fight. Andrade is favored at -160.
See you same time next week when we start off the week with our Best Bets Of The Week!
Top NJ online sportsbooks of the week:
