🍺 Weekly Recap
Another 3–0 week, bringing Best Bets to 12–5–1, and yes… I can believe it. We got lucky as shit with the Cocks walking it off against Tennessee, but a win is a win and I’ll cash that ticket every time.
North Texas continues to be an unstoppable force on offense, and Navy had no chance of keeping them out of the end zone. Meanwhile, Colorado State still refuses to acknowledge that defense is part of the sport. If they played North Texas, I’d set the total at 100 and bet the over. Luckily, they outscored the Aztecs behind their backup QB — who, let’s be honest, has been the best quarterback play they’ve had all season.
Going forward, you could probably just bet North Texas and Colorado State overs and retire early. But in case you’re not ready to hang it up yet, you can roll with this week’s best bets instead.
🔥 Best Bets
Illinois Fighting Illini (4–3, 3–4 ATS) at Maryland Terrapins (2–5, 3–4 ATS)
Location: SECU Stadium, College Park, MD
Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM ET (FS1)
Opening Line: Illinois -2.5
Current Line: Illinois -2.5
Analysis: Of all the teams that fired their coaches, Maryland is the one with real value as an underdog. Illinois beat the skeleton of Oregon last week, and now they have to travel to the East Coast to face a Terps team with a new look and a fresh reset.
At this point, it’s pretty clear Oregon and Illinois are closer to the bottom of the Big Ten than the top, and now they’re meeting a Maryland squad sitting at rock bottom but coming off a bye with the classic one‑game bump you get from a midseason coaching change. Add in the fact that Maryland has the best quarterback in this matchup, and suddenly this line looks a little off.
Illinois is 0–4 ATS as a favorite this season, and I’m betting on that trend to keep rolling. Give me the Terps as a live home dog
Pick: Maryland (+2.5)
Virginia Cavaliers (3–5, 4–4 ATS) at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4–4, 3–5 ATS)
Location: Allegacy Stadium, Winston‑Salem, NC
Date: Saturday, October 31st, 2026
Time: 2:45 PM ET
Channel: ESPN 2
Opening Line: Wake Forest -13.5
Current Line: Wake Forest -12.5 (just snagged a 12 if you can find it 12.5 more widely available)
Analysis: I’m tired of missing out on the juggernaut that is Wake Forest. After failing to cover their first two games, they’ve ripped off five straight covers and made it look easy. Meanwhile, Virginia came out hot early in the season, but week after week they’ve been exposed, now sitting at 4–4 after a home loss to Duke.
The Cavaliers haven’t covered a single game away from home all season, and their only real path to staying competitive here is running the ball — which plays directly into the strength of the Demon Deacons’ defense. I have zero faith that Bo Pribula can beat anyone through the air, and that’s exactly what he’d need to do to keep up.
I’ll ride with Gio Lopez and the Deacs to take care of business and keep the cover train rolling.
Pick: Wake Forest (-12.5)
New Mexico Lobos (6–1, 6–1 ATS) at San José State Spartans (4–4, 4–4 ATS)
Location: CEFCU Stadium, San José, CA
Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM ET
Channel: MW+
Opening Line: New Mexico -14.5
Current Line: New Mexico -14.5
Analysis: As a UNM grad, I don’t know what kind of curse San José has on us, but the Lobos have struggled there forever — in football and basketball. Their last win in San Jose in football was 1969, and even last year, when UNM clearly outmatched the Spartans, they still managed to drop the road game.
I’d actually argue San José State has been more competitive this season, and this spot sets up perfectly for them. The Lobos are fresh off arguably the biggest win in school history, and with a couple of massive games on deck, this has all the makings of a classic sleepy spot.
I fully expect UNM to win — they’re the better team, the more physical team, and the one with real momentum — but Sparty has a way of dragging the Lobos into weird games in that building. With the historical trend and the emotional letdown angle I’ll take the Spartans to keep it inside two touchdowns in a flat spot for UNM.
Pick: SJSU (+14.5)
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