Last week was just a weird week all around. When you have Stanford looking barely competent against Kansas State and then rolling into Los Angeles and routing USC, you know it’s a strange week all around. (And yet, that was one of just seven games the computer lost on the moneyline for college football in Week 2. More on that on the podcast Tuesday.)
Anyway, bad weeks happen, and when they do, you just have to get back up and try again the next week. Here are my best bets for September 13 on the moneyline.
EVERTON, -155
There’s not a lot to get excited about with Everton on the moneyline, but the Toffees are at home against an unimpressive Burnley side. Everton has seven points from three matches in this term, and the Toffees have won on five of Burnley’s past seven trips to Goodison Park. The blue side of Merseyside should have plenty to cheer about here.
BAYERN MUNICH, -105
There was a time when picking against Barca at Camp Nou would have been borderline suicidal, but Barcelona just isn’t what it used to be when it had Messi on the pitch. Plus, Bayern has dominated Barca in four of their past five meetings, and the German champions still appear to be every bit as good as they’ve been in past years even as time begins to catch up to some of their biggest names. This is a Tuesday match, but I like Bayern too much here not to include them.
BLUE JAYS, -125
Toronto is sizzling right now, and the Jays have pulled themselves into the first wild card spot, which was almost unthinkable a few weeks ago. The Rays are a great team and will coast to the AL East title, but I want no part of Ryan Yarbrough going into Toronto and facing Alek Manoah. The Jays need to be the pick here.
CARDINALS, -110
One of my best friends is a huge Mets fan and probably still thinks Adam Wainwright is a dirty word based on the 2006 NLCS. But Wainwright is undergoing a renaissance this season and the Cardinals are just a game back of being vindicated in their decision not to sell the way the Cubs did. They’re right on the Reds’ heels, and they’ve got a favorable schedule the rest of the way. The Mets have played well at home, but I’m not trusting Rich Hill against Wainwright here.
RAIDERS, +180
Is Lamar Jackson going to do everything on his own without the help of a running game or a secondary? Baltimore is down multiple running backs as well as shutdown corner Marcus Peters, but the Raiders are still getting points at home. The Ravens are a good team, but a team this hampered isn’t likely to go into Las Vegas and get a win here. Not only do the Raiders believe they’re improved, but Nevada finally gets to go see its team after decades of waiting and then a year of the Raiders playing behind closed doors. The Ravens are walking into a cauldron of fire here at far less than full strength, and I’m all over the Raiders here.
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