Only one Conference USA team, East Carolina, has enjoyed a winning pointspread record over the last eight seasons, so there are wagering opportunities here. Teams listed in predicted order of finish with 2007 records, returning starters (RS)--including kickers--and returning lettermen (RL) in parenthesis:
CUSA EAST
EAST CAROLINA (8-5 SU, 8-5 ATS, 16 RS, 48 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 41-55
ATS: 50-44-1
HF: 11-11
HD: 10-10
AF: 7-7
AD: 20-12-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Pirates have been excellent in the role of an away underdog, the last eight seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: East Carolina has covered 11 of its last 12 meetings with Memphis, including five straight at home.
CENTRAL FLORIDA (10-4 SU, 8-6 ATS, 14 RS, 37 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 45-51
ATS: 41-48
HF: 12-9
HD: 8-9
AF: 5-11
AD: 15-18
Sportsbook Buster: The Knights have been a risky proposition as a road favorite over the past eight seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Central Florida has covered four straight games against Marshall.
MEMPHIS (7-6 SU, 7-5 ATS, 15 RS, 52 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 45-51
ATS: 41-47-1
HF: 11-16
HD: 10-6
AF: 4-9
AD: 14-14-1
Sportsbook Buster: Like the Knights (see above) the Tigers have been clawless as a road favorite the last eight years.
Sports Betting Angle: Memphis has covered seven of its last eight meetings with Tulane at home.
MARSHALL (3-9 SU, 4-6-1 ATS, 17 RS, 41 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 56-42
ATS: 36-50-4
HF: 13-15-2
HD: 6-1-1
AF: 6-13-1
AD: 8-20
Sportsbook Buster: At 14-33-1 ATS, the Thundering Herd has been one of the worst road teams in the country over the past eight years.
Sports Betting Angle: Marshall is 6-1-1 as a home underdog the previous eight seasons.
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (7-6 SU, 6-6 ATS, 10 RS, 41 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 60-40
ATS: 45-48-2
HF: 16-19
HD: 1-2
AF: 15-10-1
AD: 9-14
Sportsbook Buster: At 10-16 ATS the last eight seasons, the Golden Eagles have been a shaky bet on the road.
Sports Betting Angle: Southern Mississippi is a combined 17-2 ATS its last 19 meetings with Louisiana-Lafayette (3-0), Auburn (4-0), Alabama-Birmingham (4-1) and East Carolina (6-1).
ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM (2-10 SU, 6-5 ATS, 16 RS, 39 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 40-53
ATS: 44-44-1
HF: 11-16
HD: 8-3-1
AF: 4-9
AD: 21-15
Sportsbook Buster: The Blazers are 29-18-1 as an underdog the last eight seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: UAB has covered seven of its last eight games against Memphis.
CUSA WEST
TULSA (10-4 SU, 5-9 ATS, 14 RS, 40 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 46-54
ATS: 44-50-2
HF: 10-10
HD: 10-10-1
AF: 9-8-1
AD: 12-19
Sportsbook Buster: The Golden Hurricane is 12-19 as a road underdog the last eight years.
Sports Betting Angle: Tulsa has covered three straight games against Tulane.
UTEP (4-8 SU, 7-4 ATS, 12 RS, 46 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 39-57
ATS: 40-49
HF: 9-11
HD: 10-9
AF: 4-8
AD: 17-18
Sportsbook Buster: The Miners are 9-0 as road underdogs trying to avenge a defeat to the same team from a year earlier.
Sports Betting Angle: UTEP is 10-5-1 as an underdog the past four seasons.
HOUSTON (8-5 SU, 4-8 ATS, 12 RS, 49 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 42-55
ATS: 39-54-1
HF: 12-16
HD: 7-9
AF: 6-5-1
AD: 12-19
Sportsbook Buster: The Cougars are just 19-28 as an underdog the last eight years.
Sports Betting Angle: Houston has covered five consecutive games against Tulane.
RICE (3-9 SU, 5-6 ATS, 16 RS, 53 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 34-59
ATS: 48-53-1
HF: 8-7
HD: 14-15-1
AF: 3-8
AD: 20-19
Sportsbook Buster: The Owls are 19-2-1 as a conference home underdog their last 22 games in that situation.
Sports Betting Angle: Rice has covered five straight games with UTEP.
SMU (1-11 SU, 4-8 ATS, 13 RS, 41 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 25-68
ATS: 41-51
HF: 8-10
HD: 13-15
AF: 3-4
AD: 17-22
Sportsbook Buster: The Mustangs are 6-1 ATS the week after playing Tulsa.
Sports Betting Angle: SMU is 1-9 ATS on the road against non-conference opponents.
TULANE (4-8 SU, 5-6 ATS, 15 RS, 48 RL)
By the Numbers (2000-2007)
SU: 37-57
ATS: 40-47-1
HF: 7-4
HD: 11-17-1
AF: 4-3
AD: 17-22
Sportsbook Buster: The Green Wave is just 28-39-1 the last eight years as an underdog.
Sports Betting Angle: Tulane has covered six of its last seven meetings with SMU.
Legend:
SU = Straight Up
ATS = Against the Spread
HF = Home Favorite
HD = Home Underdog
AF = Away Favorite
AD = Away Underdog
This is the eighth installment of an 11-part preview series.
Next: College Football Betting: Analyzing the Mountain West Conference.
