Ryan Horvat, BetQL Network Host

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One-year upgrade requires financing, qualifying, device and upgrading in good condition after six months with half paid off. Ryan, how you doing? Doing great, Zach.

Thanks so much for having me. This is the weekend I've been waiting for, man. This is the best slate of college football I think that we're going to get this season. And the NFL slate, it's funny because like you look at these numbers, the NFL slate kind of looks like the college slate.

A lot of double-digit spreads, you know, totals that are being hit right now with the weather coming to the East Coast, but I can't wait to get going, man. So, one thing I want to see this weekend, and I just went on a rant, I can't stand Dabo Swinney. I think in the last year or two he's failed the Clemson program because he's not willing to adapt. You have a Florida State team that could really put the nail in the coffin for Clemson if they start off the year 2-2 and lose to Duke and Florida State. The Seminoles are only a two-point favorite. That's the only thing that gives me a little cause for concern, but I've already laid the two points to two and a half points with Florida State. How confident are you that Florida State takes care of business on Saturday at noon Eastern?

Alright, so I'm betting against both of my teams this weekend. Half my family out in Tallahassee. My uncle was the coach at PCC Tallahassee Community College for a couple years there, so they've been giving me a hard time. I actually like Clemson. Game of the Year Zach, Clemson was a two and a half point favorite. They lay an egg against Duke, and I get it, but it was the first game in a new offense.

Cade Klubnick's now the guy. It's the Garrett Riley offense, it's supposed to be, but yet they ran the Clemson offense. There was a bunch of red zone goal line turnovers. It was a flukey game. Plus, Duke's for real.

Mike Elko's doing a really good job. See, I just think this is a sleepy spot for Florida State. Again, it's the second straight week where they have to play a noon game. And last week they barely got past Boston College, and I know there was a lot of stuff going on. They were dealing with a flu bug in their locker room.

They were prepared to play in rain and windy conditions. Jordan Travis got hurt. But again, the offense didn't put together a full four quarters. They didn't score in the final 17 minutes of the game. Almost had their season ended by Boston College, who almost lost to Holy Cross, and Clemson's defense is a big step up in class. You know, I know they've been a little bit of a disappointment. I know the offense hasn't looked great just yet for Clemson, but I think they're alive in this spot. And if they lose, like you said, Davo is now under fire. That's two losses in conference, and we're not even into October yet. So pressures on Clemson in this game, I think they get it done, unfortunately, but I hope I'm wrong.

I'm sick. That's the one game I hope you're wrong on this weekend. Let's go 3.30 p.m. Eastern. The team that everyone's talking about the most, Colorado with their biggest task yet, going to Eugene, Oregon to square off against Dan Lanning and Bo Nix. Right now, Oregon is a 21-point favorite, is the smart play to plus the 21 here and continue to ride Coach Prime in the Colorado Buffaloes. So this is the one that I've been waiting for, the spot that I've been waiting for to fade Colorado. Unfortunately, I did it with Nebraska.

That was a big, big letdown. And then I did it again last week with Colorado State. Colorado State actually should have won that game on the road. They committed, I believe, 17 penalties for like 185 yards.

But, you know, the problem is the market caught on. They were like, hey, smart guys, we know you're waiting to fade Colorado. Maybe we have to wait until next week with USC.

I laid it with Oregon here. It's just, you know, Colorado, the reason that they've over exceeded expectations, they were a three and a half win projected team, is because the starters are all four and five stars, right? I mean, they have a bunch of talent. The problem is they just don't have a lot of depth.

The depth behind the starters, behind the Travis Hunters, who's hurt now for the next couple weeks, are the guys that were on the five and 21 teams the last couple of years. So I just think this is a huge step up in class. What I'm going to do is I'm going to lay the first half. Unfortunately, we missed the number. It opened at 11 and a half.

It's out to 13, 13 and a half in some shops. Rather than worry about a backdoor cover, because you know Deion's going to have those guys motivated to cover that number, because he's been really quiet this week. Meanwhile, Dan Lanning's been kind of running his mouth.

But I like the first half. Really? Has Dan Lanning?

We had him on last night. I thought he was keeping it close to the vest here. I'll say this. He's not really running his mouth, and I'm the biggest Dan Lanning fan. But a couple weeks ago, he said Colorado, what have they ever won? Yeah, he's not wrong. Everybody's talking about Colorado.

Here's the thing, man. This is going to be the most watched game. Even though we have Notre Dame, Ohio State in primetime on 4K, this is going to be the most watched game.

Playing Colorado right now, that's the biggest spot in college football. I don't think the pressure's on Coach Prime. He's not expected to win this year. He's expected to win maybe in two or three years. We'll see how long he even sticks around. The pressure's on Dan Lanning, because the Pac-12 loaded.

It's year two. Year two coaches at Oregon always went double-pitch at game. And yeah, I mean the 21 and a half point favorite, but I think the pressure's actually on Oregon in this spot. And I think they're going to be extra motivated in this game. Also, just on paper, like football matchup, I don't know how you stop Bo Nix with Colorado's defense.

Are you able to get home three, four guys? Or are you going to have to send a blitz? And if you send a blitz, I think Bo Nix is going to pick you apart. And then on the offensive side of the ball for Colorado, losing Travis Hunter is huge. You could say he's only worth a point to the market, because he's a wide receiver at DB. But he's playing 126 snaps, and he's their best player. I think he's their most important player.

So, I like Oregon in the first half, and I do like them a little bit in the full game as well. Well, Coach Prime, if you're listening, I just want it to be known that I am a believer. So, I did plus the 21 points with Colorado. That is Ryan Horvat, who's a non-believer, so go after him. No, no, don't do that to me, Zach, because I saw how he was coming after Danny Connell. I do not want that. Coach Prime, I am a believer.

I am a believer. Doesn't sound that way. Doesn't sound that way. Don't do that to me.

No, no, no. Ohio State, Notre Dame, it's now the Buckeyes by three points. My big thought on this game is I've seen how Ohio State has lost the last two years to Michigan. It's because Michigan beat the crap out of them inside the trenches, and they had a big time running back.

Really, two with Blake Corman and Donovan Edwards. You look at Notre Dame, they have a big time offensive line, they have Alder Gastemay and a really good quarterback in Sam Hartman. Do you like the Fighting Irish this weekend? So, I'm a homer because I'm a Notre Dame fan, and I did bet them game of the year because the number was seven, and I thought they were a little bit better than everybody was projecting them to be because I'm a big Sam Hartman guy.

This is your game of the year? This was, well, for me, so game of the year bet, like that comes out in the summer, right? And you can bet a couple of the games. You can look ahead in numbers.

And everybody always gives me a hard time because everybody's worried about the baseball season. Usually we're in the NBA Finals, and I'm betting college football games of the year just because these numbers aren't going to be there anymore. So, Notre Dame was actually a one-time. I didn't get the best number. It was a seven and a half point dog.

Wow. Yeah, and so they're a little bit better than projected, obviously, with Sam Hartman taking over. And the reason I like Sam Hartman, I loved him at Wake Forest, and look at that offense. I like the mesh offense that they run there, but now he's playing behind a better offensive line. He has a real run game. Audrick Estimate is the best running back in the country right now, and he's running guys over six yards after initial contact. And I think, like, but that's the thing nobody's talking about.

Estimate has been great, but a lot of it is coming after contact. And Notre Dame's offensive line at times has been pushed around. Joel is awesome, their tackle.

But on the other side, Fisher's lost a bunch of weight and just doesn't look like the same player. And I'm worried about the interior of the offensive line getting pushed around a little bit. Ohio State has really good edge rushers.

Sawyer's really good. I think he's going to be probably a first-round pick. And that defense, that's the matchup nobody's talking about, right? Everybody's worried about Kyle McCord. He can't push the ball down the field. I think throws 20 or more yards down the field.

He's 11 for 29, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense because he has probably the best wide receiver room in the country. But I don't think the matchup's going to come down to McCord versus Hartman or which offense is better. I think it's going to come down to the battle in the trenches, and that's what worries me a little bit about Notre Dame. Now that we're at three, I unfortunately think Ohio State wins the game.

But again, I'm bitter. Notre Dame hasn't beat them since 1936. I was at one of these matchups. The other thing that nobody's talking about, a couple smart people have been talking about it, being a fan. Every time they play in one of these games against one of these Midwest teams, you would figure Notre Dame fans are going to be there. It's going to be loud.

It's prime time. Oh, that'd be a lot of Ohio State fans. The ticket sales, 40% of the ticket sales are going to be Buckeye fans.

They travel very well, so that's going to be like a 50-50 crowd on Saturday night. I think Ohio State wins, unfortunately. I think the real bet, though, is the under in the game. I think it's going to be a low-scoring game. Alrighty, I'll chop off one NFL game. I want to give you one more college because, like you said, it's a monster slate, and the college slate is so much better than the NFL slate this weekend on paper.

Ryan Horvat here with us. Ole Miss, Alabama. Do you like the over 55.5? Alabama is a 6.5-point favorite. I saw that number, I think, opened up at Alabama by 7, so it's down by a half point. Your favorite play in this game is what? You know, now that we're under a touchdown, I'm staying away from the total because I don't know what to do right there.

But I would lean over. I think we get some points. But I think this is going to be a big Tommy Reese game, right? If we get under a touchdown here, which we're at right now, I like Alabama on this spot. I mean, you look at Ole Miss, and they're undefeated right now, but Jackson Dart right now is their offense. He's their leading rusher. He is a little bit better as a quarterback.

He's number 11 right now, I believe, in QBR. But I don't know that they're going to be able to run the ball against Alabama, and I know the Alabama quarterback situation is a mess. They go back to Jalen Milro. I think this is a big Tommy Reese game, man, because Tommy Reese, for whatever reason, is trying to run the Jalen offense, the Alabama Tua offense. I think what he needs to do is run the Jalen Milro offense, which is quarterback design runs. For whatever reason, they've only called five the first three games, and he's averaging 9.2 yards per carry on those runs. So I think that's what they need to do. They need to make this a Jalen Milro game, get him out in space. And then, you know, I love Lane, but I think he may have poked the bear. So you're giving me Alabama, when everybody's done with them, under a touchdown.

I'm going to buy a little one last time. And if I'm wrong, you know, I talked about it with Dabo, two losses, and we're in September. What if Saban has two losses?

We know he's fine, but everybody else on that coaching staff might be in some big trouble, man. Alrighty, I think this is the most fascinating game on the NFL slate this weekend, Ryan Horvat, because for some reason, maybe I should bet this that it will end in a tie. It wouldn't shock me if it did, between the Chargers and the Vikings. Two fan bases out of the Vikings have a fan base. The Chargers really don't, ever since they've moved to LA. But both of these teams have just been absolutely miserable right out of the gate.

Minnesota, it's basically a pick-up. They're a one-point favorite. Who wins the game between the Chargers and the Vikings? Man, so like, it looks like Minnesota should be the play here, because the number doesn't really make a whole lot of sense.

Because the Chargers were three-point favorites against the Dolphins week one, and then three-point road favorites against the Titans week two. Now we're supposed to believe that their one-point dogs are a pick against the Vikings, and I know the Vikings, like you said, that's a tough place to play. The offense on paper looks great, but even the passing game's struggling a little bit right now. Justin Jefferson doesn't have a touchdown yet. Jordan Addison's looked really good as a rookie, I know, and JJ's putting up the numbers, but they still have no run game, man. So bad they had to call up Cam Akers, and I don't know how good he's going to be in that offensive system, especially if he does give it a go coming up this weekend. Vikings defense, terrible. Chargers pass defense for whatever reason, terrible. I think this is a huge game for Brandon Staley. They start 0-3, and the offense has been fine.

The problem is the first three quarters, they're number four in EPA. Yeah, but in the fourth quarter, Herbert's kind of like falling apart. They're running the ball too much, and the defense, with all that money they spent, has been a mess.

They're getting after the quarterback, the secondary's just been a mess. You can't let Ryan Tannehill go 11-13 outside the numbers to his wide receivers. I get it week one against two in that offense, but I'm going to buy in one last time with the Chargers. I just can't do it with the Vikings, man. I could see the Vikings starting 0-4, maybe even looking to move Kirk Cousins before next year so you get something in return, if there's an offer out there.

People could make it happen financially, but I just think this number is crazy, so I've got to take the Chargers one last time. Way too much talent in that team. When I look at the Panthers and Seahawks, Bryce Young is out, and then you look at the Seahawks, they have no offensive line.

All their guys are banged up. Seattle's a five and a half point favorite, the over-under is 42. What's a better play? Do you plus the points with the Panthers, do you lay them with the Seahawks, or do you just hammer the under of 42? Here's one I bet, and I usually don't bet favorites over three and a half points, but in the right situation I do.

Last night I liked San Francisco even at ten and a half. In this spot I do like Seattle. I know the offensive line is shaky, the defense is still young, but I think they're going to click here in a couple weeks. I was worried about Seattle because I was high on them coming into the season in the West like most of us were, and they didn't look very good. They get upset by the Rams, defense was shaky.

Gino kind of looked like maybe he was going to go back to being a pumpkin. Then last week, that was a huge win against the Lions, and now I really like them in this spot here. Carolina, I bet them on Monday night, is three point dogs.

I never want to do that ever again. Bryce, out the next couple weeks, Dalton stepping in, I can't do it with the Panthers. They can run the ball, they're tough enough defensively, but I like Seattle to win this game by a touchdown. And also Miles Sanders is so overrated. He was not as good as people thought he was just because he had a really good year last year in Philadelphia. They gave up on him in the postseason. You don't have the offensive line that you had in Philly, and no more Nick Sirianni, and also Shane Stike, and even though Frank Reich gets the tag of a decent coach in the NFL, probably better than what I think.

Let me ask you one final thing. Your favorite NFL play, if it's an anytime touchdown, over, under, spread, first half, total, whatever. What's your favorite NFL play this weekend?

I found a prop that I really like, and it's my favorite. It's Brian Robinson for the commanders. Under 14 and a half yards, longest rush. I like Brian Robinson. He's not a three down back, though. He's more of your goal line, tough yardage back.

They're using him a little bit different this season, but I found that longest rush under 14 and a half. There's really good prices out on that one, so I do like that. And you know what? I went back and forth on this one. I'm taking Green Bay.

I am not sold on this thing. Defensively, we know what they are. They're going to be a top five, top ten unit, but offensively, you know, and I know everybody was high on the Derek Carr pickup, but I just haven't seen it. Maybe things change when Kamara gets there. Mike Thomas is still fine.

I really, really like Chris Alave, but I think Green Bay is better than people are talking about. Maybe you worry about the run game, but I don't think that's going to kill him this week, and that's still a really good pass defense. And offensively, you look like you get Christian Watson back. You get Aaron Jones back, which is huge, man, because I'm so done with the A.J.

Dillon experiment. 17 carries for 19 yards. Like, he looks like Mike Allstop, but he runs like Warwick. So Aaron Jones is 175 pounds.

He runs harder than A.J. Dillon, so I like Green Bay to bounce back after that loss to Atlanta. I actually like them at home against the Saints.

I'm not sold on New Orleans this year. He is Ryan Horvath from BetMGM tonight. You could also catch him out on Saturday mornings getting you ready for all the college football games on the BetQL network. Ryan, we'll do it again next week. Thank you.

Zach, thanks so much. Because you're a friend, UCLA, if we get to seven, is Kam Rising's place. They're going to win that game.

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