Bettors pounce on college football games of year at South Point

The South Point sportsbook posted lines on 97 college football games of the year Friday, and sharp bettors promptly pounced on numbers that differed from their own, causing many lines to move.

“There wasn’t as much action as in previous years where we had games run six, seven or eight points,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said. “None of them moved by more than three points this time.”

Andrews said the vast majority of wagers were from sharp bettors.

“It’s got to be 95 percent (sharp),” he said.

One of the biggest line moves was on Alabama over Miami in their Sept. 4 season opener in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide opened as 13-point favorites, and the line was quickly bet to -16.

“Miami and North Carolina were two teams I was very high on, but bettors disagreed with me on that,” Andrews said.

Rolling with Tide

Pro bettor Paul Stone flew in from Texas to bet on the opening lines. He took Alabama -14 over the Hurricanes and also backed the Tide in three other games as double-digit favorites.

“I thought they were a little low on Alabama,” said Stone (@PaulStoneSports). “They lost a lot of playmakers on offense, so they may not average the 45 to 48 points they have the last few years. But the talent level is still there.

“They have a number of players right now we haven’t seen in prominent roles, but I’m sure they’ll emerge as the next set of first-round draft choices.”

The defending national champions had a record-tying six players selected in the first round of April’s NFL draft. Stone also bet Alabama -10 over Texas A&M (now -10½), -17 over Louisiana State (now -19) and -12 over Auburn (now -13½).

Fading Tigers, Cyclones

Stone made 22 bets, including three wagers each against Iowa State and Auburn.

“I thought Iowa State was overrated slightly,” he said. “They’re going to be in the preseason top 10, without question. But it’s a little bit of uncharted territory for the Cyclones, and I think it’s different going from the hunter to the hunted.”

Stone’s first bet was on Texas +10 at Iowa State on Nov. 6 (now +7).

“Texas will be a different team Nov. 6 than it will be out of the gate,” he said.

He also took Oklahoma -6 over Iowa State (now -7) and West Virginia +7 over Iowa State (now +6).

Besides taking the Tide in the Iron Bowl, Stone bet Georgia -5 over Auburn (now -6) and Texas A&M -7 over Auburn (now -7½).

Down on Notre Dame

Notre Dame moved from -6 to -7 at Florida State in their Sept. 5 season opener and from -6 to -8 at Stanford. But Andrews doesn’t expect to see as much fight in the Irish this year.

“I had them greatly downgraded from last year,” he said. “I don’t want to say the well is dry, but they lost a lot of talent.”

Stone played Notre Dame -2 at Virginia Tech (now -3). The Irish also are +4 vs. Wisconsin in Chicago and pick at home against North Carolina. Notre Dame is a small home favorite over Southern California (-1) and Cincinnati (-2).

The Bearcats were bet up from -4 to -7 over Central Florida.

“I’m very high on Cincinnati, but maybe I did not rate them highly enough,” Andrews said.

In other line moves, Brigham Young is -3 over Virginia after the line opened at pick, and LSU is -3½ at UCLA in their opener after the line opened at 2.

UNLV is a 23-point underdog at UNR on Oct. 30.

Tebow prop

Station Casinos has posted a total touchdowns prop on Tim Tebow, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a tight end.

The total is 2½, and the under is -150 after it opened at -125.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.