Before the Saturday action begins, there are some mid-week college football games worth watching and wagering on. MetroBet breaks two of them down below.
Navy Midshipmen vs Memphis Tigers (-14)
Moneyline: Midshipmen +450, Tigers -770
Betting Total: TBA
Time (Eastern), TV: Thu, 8 p.m., ESPN
Legal online sportsbooks are dishing out a ton a free cash in order to lure you away from the black market. Right now you can get a free $50 VISA gift card and up to $250 in risk free betting cash at MetroBet.us/Sugar by entering promo code: METROBET
The Navy Midshipmen (2-0) bring their vaunted triple-option offense into the Liberty Bowl to face the Memphis Tigers (3-0) and their high-powered offense on Thursday night. Those expecting a shootout should tap on the brakes though, as both of these defenses have played well through the first four weeks of the college football season. Bettors should gladly take the two touchdowns with Navy in what looks like a fairly even matchup.
The Midshipmen are led on offense by senior quarterback Malcolm Perry, who’s dropped back to throw just 16 times through his first two games. He’s carried the football 34 times and is the team’s leading rusher, as he was in 2018. Perry has also produced five rushing TDs while fullback Nelson Smith has accounted for three of his own. Wide receiver C.J. Williams (15 touches, 229 all-purpose yards) is also highly adept at making plays for Navy.
The Tigers’ offense runs like a well-oiled machine with signal caller Brady White at the helm. The junior has completed 72.2 percent of his passes through three games at an astonishing 10 yards per attempt with a 5-2 TD-INT ratio. Freshman running back Kenneth Gainwell has given a good account of himself so far, averaging 6.4 yards per carry on 48 attempts with three TDs.
Both Navy and Memphis are in the top five in total defense this year, so the scoring should not get out of hand. But the Midshipmen are more than capable of keeping this game close, as they’ve covered in each of their last six contests.
The play: Midshipmen spread
Duke Blue Devils at Virginia Tech Hokies (-9.5)
Moneyline: Blue Devils +245, Hokies -335
Betting Total: TBA
Time (Eastern), TV: Fri, 7 p.m., ESPN
The Duke Blue Devils’ dual-threat quarterback Quentin Harris should help his team to at least a cover in Friday night’s ACC showdown with the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium.
Harris has filled the shoes of Daniel Jones fairly well this year, completing 72.5 percent of his 91 passes this year for 7.5 yards per attempt. His TD-INT ratio is a robust 8-2. Harris is also Duke’s leading rusher through three games at 203 yards (six yards per rush). The Blue Devils have covered in seven of their last eight road games.
Virginia Tech is fresh off a scare against Furman, in which they survived by just a touchdown. The Hokies have committed to the ground game this year but the tandem of Keshawn King and Deshawn McClease has led their team to a wanting 80th-place ranking in that department. Quarterback Ryan Willis has been shaky in his senior season, tossing four INTs through three games.
The play: Duke spread
