Beating The Book: Chris Fallica, College Football Conference Futures, Season Win Totals

picks in terms of conference futures and count them. Six season wind totals, seven conference futures, six season win totals. And before all that, look into the past. How the Bear became the Bear? How do you get to ESPN? How do you become the man? And better that he is on the way right now on the Beating the Book Podcast, enjoy It's a numbers game with your host

Jil Alexander wants to believe in analytics. It is our number two of the numbers game right here at Visa the Sports Betting Network, serious XM Channel two or four, Visa dot Com, the Visa Half Bubo Sling Game plus on down the line. We appreciate it, uh, and a special treat today. I know it's all hypothetical. We don't know if any of this is going to happen, but we got a whole bunch of time on our hands,

and it's fun to talk about hypothetical football. So we bring in the man that I enjoy talking about it most with from ESPN's College Game Day. Of course, you know him as the Bear. You can also find him on Daily Wager and of course the Stanford Stephen the Bear podcast with that kind of music in the background, that doomsday sound. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Chris Blaka. How you doing, Chris. I'm doing well. I'm just passing the time and just taking a day by day kind of

like everybody else right now. And yeah, yeah, it seases to put a bunch of stuff up and my uh,

we're we're we're looking for content at ESPN. A lot of people, based on the reaction on my Twitter timeline from yesterday, are pretty starved for something to talk about and anticipating the hopefulness and potentially they're being some some college football to people played either in the fall of the winter or even the spring fill up put together from some of my favorite potential wind totals in conference,

and it felt good to do. It was almost like a little therapeutic, just because it did give a little bit of normal sea to kind of play it, play on what hypothetically if the season distant place. Uh here here, here are some things that I like to look forward to and and uh at some point sports is going to be back, and when they are, we're gonna be ready. I felt that way to going through like you know, the likes of Coastal Carolina's schedule and stuff like that.

Last night. I'm serious, it was it was like, oh wow, I forgot like this is fun, so much fun. I hope we can get back to this soon before we do all that. Because along the lines of what you're saying, we also don't get a chance when sports are in full steam, you know, full bore, playing them every day from sport to sport. We never get a chance to just stop and sort of talk about what made the man, what made the better that you are today, what were

the factors that took place? And we don't have to spend a great deal of time on this because I know people are interested in your your thoughts on season wins and on conference futures. But just take us real you know, quickly, I don't have to be that quick, but just take your time and telling us what were the factors? How did you grow up? What was your first exposure to betting? Like how did Chris Flieck become the bear Man. It's interesting because I think like a

lot of people. I shouldn't say I think like a lot of people because you don't know, but I would imagine like many people. Uh, my first really my first couple I would of introductions cam to sports gaming. Obviously,

we're through horse racing. My dad, my dad's uncle H used to write for a racing publication, so we would go to the track quite a bit, so that that was something that I was always around and actually that that's kind of like how you and I always joke about, I if this one sport left it, it would be horse racing me. That was kind of my first real introduction.

And then in terms of sports, uh, it was the silly little parlay cards that everyone's dad would bring home from work the body shop or the deli or wherever you might have gotten them from H you'd throw together a few little team parlay on a couple of those cards, and you'd watch the games, maybe an age can or whatever. You wouldn't fully understand what what what what getting ten points or laying ten points, but but you got it

pretty quick. So that those are the first reel things that introduced me into a into wagering that obviously as you get older you understand more. And uh, it's funny. My evolution really was more of and and I'll be fully transparent here, like I came when I started working on Gameberry. I was always a little hesitant to bet on games when it technically wasn't legal. Um, I didn't want to put myself in a position where, oh, you're working at ESPN and you're working on a college football

show and you're betting on games. It's it's and And I was always very GUYF I was in Vegas or it's had no no issues. Also, I was always more on their people. Obviously you do, but I was always into it more from a numbers and angle, a research type standpoint, looking at games, looking teams and figuring out the number in staller and are we talk about like the spread a lot, and because we understood that people

wanted to know this type of information. So I was always I did it more for a an educational type uh exercise for for for fans and viewers, more than I did it for myself. Like oh wow, on a numbers game with with Michael Alexander right here on Visa and I'm sorry, Chris, go ahead, Yeah, I guess I did more for an entertainment, uh an educational type standpoint for uh for for for viewers and listeners, and like you look at the number and I oh yeah, and I'm saying, I thank you do, but you can touch

only laying four and a half against whatever. And boy, this Michael Vick guy is going to be really good. And that's and I can remember that year, uh doing my Buddies radio show weekly in Birmingham, Alabama, and I probably had one of the most ridiculous runs against the spread that I've ever had, and uh, it was crazy.

And then and then he went up moving on to Columbus and the guy who became one of my big friends, he was a listener of ian show, and I had another great run and he actually like somehow tracked me down and set me like a couple of bottles of praying and stuff like that for going well. But but yeah, it was more from the for the for the viewer at first, and then as it became more commonly accepted in stuff, you would you would figure out ways to write.

You know what people are doing it. Everyone knows we're doing it and don't don't be so so it so gunshy about it when when you're not necessarily in Vegas. But I used to like, I mean, we would go every year and I'd play a bunch of futures and such and uh. But it's crazy to see how really widely accepted is right now when it's kind of turned into I mean, look on at the FPN right now, we have a daily wager show. I talked about sports,

gambling and college game. So that's one of the better shows on our network is openly talking about and giving me a platform to to talk about points, breads and games. So it's uh, it's pretty darn cool. Um. I missed the detail, by the way, if you said your dad's uncle wrote for and for a horse racing publication, that's interesting. I didn't know that about you back. So you grew up in in in New York out in Suffer County

Online Island. Yeah, and we had a quarter horse. We had a quarter horse track out about fifteen ten minutes from our house. Obviously we had Belmont and and Roosevelt Raceway was there at the time as well, so aqueductly was there. So I mean it was a very uh,

horse racing centric and everybody like, like horses matter. The New York the Daily News and Newsday and the Post would have like, I mean, they had dedicated racing writers, uh doing articles and write ups every day, so I would I would always read those to look at those, and I just I just started to fascinating And that was really how I started really becoming interested in racing and running most columns and then looking at the form to try and like figure out what they were talking about.

And I've always few like the Daily Racing Form. The amount of information you could find in that publication on one little running line just through some some numbers is pretty incredible. Talking to Chris Felika from ESPN, of course at Chris Felika f A L L I C A on Twitter. Last thing, how did you get to the University of Miami and then how did you get to ESPN?

Because I think there's a lot of people listening who would love to walk in your footsteps one day, and they would love to hear how that path was for you. I always knew that I wanted to be involved in sports, and I was the kid sitting it's six seven years old and my seventy at eighteen seventy nine, getting my my easeball scoreshie now keeping track of AH keep the score of the Yankees and Angels game and UH in

the middle of June. So I always knew that I wanted to be involved in sports, and I knew I wasn't going to be a a Division one college football player and anything on baseball player I think al on most lines. So I actually in researching colleges, I looked for schools and that were a in a big media market or had really good media programs, and be also that had a very good UH athletic program with its teams, or was in a city that had a lot of sports teams and I could potentially be involved in. So

I landed on Miami. I actually got an early admission into Miami. So I knew going into my senior year of high school that I was going to Miami, and it worked out really well because I was able to get a really good scholarship and I knew going into that year, um I was. I had an internship lined up, the student assistant role lined up in the sports infumation department. I actually had written a letter and put together some

of the things that I had done in high school. Uh. We had a high school TV show, we had a high school newspaper. I would keep statistics her the her the basketball team and in the baseball team that after playing and such. I would send them all these examples of things that I had done. And they got packed to me saying, um, you obviously you you are one of us. When you get here, come see us. You will have a job lined up in the in the

sports information department. Uh. The guy a little rich Dalrymple, who I believe he is still with the the Dallas Cowboys. And when I got to Miami and met everybody else, they would tell all the stories about how they were sitting there and I got my pack of my envelope, my resume, I guess I could say at the time of all the information and they're are like, Wow, this kid is like unbelievable like like laughing at like how how like bucked up I was and have serious I yeah,

but but it worked out. It worked out because then yeah, seguent down I got to ESPN. It was because of that. Um well, I don't know how many people are familiar if it still works out this way at the time.

But when the Dolphins or the Heat or the Kings, Kings, the Dolphins and the Heat of the Marlins and the Panthers would have home games, visiting radio, visiting TV would need local hires to do stats for a night, UH talent stats, broadcast stats for night and for a college kid that was great, like they would reach out to like the home teams would reach out to us because they knew we were capable of doing it and we

didn't have obligations specifically working for the protein. So here I am a college kid making like at the time, fifty bucks at night is seventy five bucks at night doing stats for for a game and getting to go to a game, getting press box food and meeting all these people. It was unbelievable. But one night in UH, I guess it would have been and the three winter of nine three, I had a duty of doing stats for w f a N for a Nick Seat game and Breen, Mike Breen and Clide Frasier. We were obviously

the the on air presonalities. And I remember doing the game and after the game, I felt I had a good game. I felt comfortable and up and my brain was awesome. And I said, hey, just I live out in Long Island. I'm gonna be going into my senior year next year. Are there any internships available at w f a N. And like, without hesitations, like absolutely called me. Whill we get back from the road trip. I'll set you up with who you need to talk to and you're good, And I'm like, all right, So did that?

Followed through, got my internship at w f a N for the in between my junior and senior year at Miami, and then after I had graduated, I mean, in the the internship was great. It was the heyday of w f a N with Mike and the Mad Dog and Wren Berman and I MS and Drainage still behind and it was awesome. And then Jody McKie and Eagle and after graduating, one of the producers I got there with Bill Rodman who was there at the time. Um he ran moving up to ESPN Radio, which was just getting

picked off the ground. He had gotten win that I had just graduated, was looking for a job and at the time ESPN Radio was weekends only. He's I said, we can't pay you much, but I know you're looking for a job. It's the door. And I was literally commuting from my parents house on an island where I was standing in time as I still had by regular like summer job that got me through high school. Um, but I want up to I was probably losing money in the commute between gas money or ferry money and

tolls uh to go up to ESPM. But it got me in the door. It got my name known. And then that spring during the n C Double A tournament by the research manager had gotten aimed of radio's got some some kids who's like dialed in on college hoops. So I got hired. It's like a part time n C Double A research tournament researcher. So I think this was like nineties, would have been nineties five, it would have been, and so so I hired part time. Then we kind of figured out some things to do to

keep me around. And then in nineties, same same thing. Basketball researcher, and then in college football game day job had opened up and I wind up getting that, and then the rest has kind of been uh, sisters, So it really worked out. Everything kind of aligned perfectly for me. But at the same time, I was willing to go out there and not necessarily take to take a paying job and just do what I had to do in

order to be seen. And if I had to do it over again, it probably wouldn't have been much that I would have changed for this experiences and the things I've done and the people I've met, Uh to get me to worry now that we've been pretty amazing. I appreciate you sharing that because I'm sure there's more than a few people out there listening who will be inspired

by that. UM. You know, you and I were a type right where that kid that was obsessed with sports and and could see us doing nothing else but this, UM. And it's a great story, and look, a lot of it is good fortune. But as the saying goes, you know, luck is where preparation meets opportunity, and you were always prepared for that opportunity to come and and you know, fast forward to you go in the final fours, and Masters and getting in ain texts all day long for

me and it's fabulous. I should be I should be on I should be on my way to Augusta right now. You should be that. I should be on the imustting today. I head down to us right now after watching the the National Championship Team courts that was by Alan McDonough. But here we are. I'm talking to you, and that's not too bad. And I'm healthy, I have a job, I'm good. Whatever it's gonna happen, we're going to get

through this. And that the goal right now is to just listen to the medical people and in do your part to get us through this. As quod please we can totally well said um. And with that as a backdrop again knowing that I can't in good conscience say to folks, hey, go out and bet these because if I don't know a season is going to happen, that's

sort of not my instinct. As I was talking with Las Vegas Chris about yesterday, it's not our instincts is better to go as better as to go out and bet things that we don't know it's going to happen. But um, I still love the process. Of going through these, because in the event that it does happen, Uh, this is great insight to have. So without further ado, sir, and we will be interrupted by commercials. But um, without

further ado, let's get into some of these. You just wrote a piece at ESPN dot com, your what I like to call your manifesto of college football season wins and conference futures. Let's begin with one. How do you want to do this? You want me to just sort of say what they are, say a few words and then throw it to you to flesh them out. Whatever

you want to do. All right, Let's let's start with a Let's start with a pretty uh what would be obvious to some and his heavy chalk, Uh, the A C C. You've got Clemson to win the A C C. And I believe the numbers like minus six hundred or something like that. But it's one of these bets that minus six hundred just isn't high enough for. Is it? Basically?

What you're saying here, because if you look at their schedule and again with all these and all of these people should know, is there's a I say this with my baseball season win totals too, there's a best case scenario for teams, there's a worst case scenario, and then there's the spectrum of everything that could happen in between. Right if everything breaks right, if everything goes bad. I mean, look, if you're Clemson, what's the break? I mean you look

at their schedule. Okay, you lose it, Notre Dame, not a conference game, um, and then what you play the one game where you're messing around and you end up winning by a point, like that's Clemson's thing. But they're winning the A C C for goodness sake, Yeah they are. And you mentioned that the way the SEC schedule shakes down for them. They go to Florida State, who you would assume it is going to be improved with Norvell

in his first years and coach. But so this is a team that the last two years is lost fifty nine, ten and ten uh to Clemson, And you go back to the stuffing loss on that Friday night at Syracuse. You're looking at Clemson who has won twenty straight ACC games thirty three points a game, when three of those games have been decided by fewer than two touchdowns. But they've got more wings by seven touchdowns five than they do by wins by fewer than two touchdowns in that's matches.

It's been utterly dominant. Um, you can't even really say for sure who's going to come out of the coastal that potentially play them in the SEC Championship. Are you Are you sure it's going to be North Carolina? I mean, I don't want to heck of a lot better than seven to one on North Carolina to win the SEC and they're gonna get a change of them. And sure, it looks like Miami has their quarterback now and they've got a good defensive line and we show but they

still they have issues in the offensive line. Uh, they're they're they're still is going to be retold from So I can't say for certain you would be Miami getting to the SEC game on the other side until further notice the CCS clumbs into the you've got to lock up money for a long time and maybe you wait a little bit that. I don't know what the ligas are a caesers or what they're taking on the app or how you can do this, but I I just I just don't see any way around clumps in the

a SEC. Yeah, No, I'm glad you. You put that caveat in there too. By the way, again, for those who missed it, the reason that we're going through these is because Caesar's released a hundred thirty college football season win totals yesterday. And you're right, Chris, Before we get tweets from people who who you know, are convinced they know more than we do. We don't know what the limits are, right, so we we don't expect it. We

don't expect it to be big. Um, but we got about what we got about thirteen of these to get through, and the insight is what we're after. Uh. For those who do want to bet on these things, we got six more season wind totals coming up, excuse me, six more futures conference futures that is that we're starting with, and then six season win totals on the way with

Chris Felika. Um, I want to I'm tempted to get into one now, but we have to get to a commercial here in a second, so I don't want to break it up, but I'll tease it by saying Big twelve on the way. People will like a pretty sexy, uh longest shot in the Big twelve. You won't be so surprised by the big ten play a absolutely not absolutely not play a team not to play in the back twelve uh sec thoughts, I believe we've got the mac coming up the mountain west and then again a

handful let's count them. Six season win totals all over the country, uh Sun, Bell, Elton and Conference USA teams included. On the way with Chris Felika, the bear from ESPNS College Game Day College Football, we hope we'll talk about it all hour long right here on the Numbers Game at Visa the Sports Betting Network. Oh, I got to talk about a family feud. Champion of the Ages. On the way, Welcome back to a Numbers game with Jill Alexander. It is a Numbers game brought to you by the

Ben mgm app. Chris Felika joining us for the hour to talk college football season wins and conference futures. Chris, before we resume, please tell everybody how annoying all of my family feud texts were last night. You can be honest, no not. You had given me equality scouting report about ten days or two weeks ago. On the be on the lookout for Meg Laslap is the greatest family Feud player of all time and she would get a cold

blooded assassin. Last night. She was great. However, that that that episode was preceded by one of the great performances Carla Daily. Maybe I don't know what what Daily as her last, but Carla from The Daily Daily's Emily one. I mean it nearly got the two bills by herself and Fast Money five number one answers. It was. It was an unbloodable performance. And the funny thing is that her teammate stepped up to the plate and got a bagel on the first answer, so it was kind of funny, and

then obviously that they got on the second up. But but it was the best Fast Money performance that I

have ever seen. Well, it's amazing. It's amazing. It's amazing what you watch these days and sit there and I got back and forth with a with actually not not not out Eric, but another buddy of mine, Eric, and uh, we'll like set hypothetical lines like after like the my mine is two seventy five to get to you plus plus four, and it's kind of stimple, like we're like making hypothetical fund that's what There's nothing else going on right now, But it's kind of funny and just almost

like therapeutic to to watch some of these old episodes right now and just uh, it's a mindless it's mindless, thankfless television. So you can sit there and just have that one really loud belly laugh. It's some of the ridiculous answers that goad and I'd like to throw it out, but but but that's usually usually my wife. She gets up a little earlier though, But I do now the reason that it came up. Yeah, the reason that it came up, by the way, is because I was in

Terse and Keikos. Chris subsequently went to ters and Keikos that's your spot. I went on on your recommendation, and you casually had mentioned to me, Yeah, Molly and I we spent so much time watching family feud over and over, and I go, oh my god, that's what I never songs fashion stylist. And I did, and I felt myself getting progressively dumber with each with each viewing. But I said to you, as you said at the time, I go, but you know, I watched this one family, the Lathrops,

and their captain Meg Lathrop. She's the greatest family feud player that I've ever seen. And last night, sure enough on Game Show Network, the rerun of a game on And let's just put it this way. When when the Lathrop family got knocked out, Steve Harvey and I quote Steve Harvey says as he's shaking their hands, he goes, let me tell you something. Your family was an absolute pleasure. You were a great family man. You all were great TV. You were great TV. You broke a record. Baby. Basically,

meg Lather was just number one answers left it right. Anyway, if you can YouTube the Lathrop family on Family Feud, there's your recommendation. Can we do? Can we do the Big Ten? Because that's obviously somewhat similar to the A C C although not similar because for Clemson it's sort of a free ride. But if we could just jump over to uh, your pick of Ohio State? Um, this is what is it? Plus Swan fifty? Is that right on Ohio State to win the Big Ten? Um? You know,

I think it was minus forty. I'm sorry for you. I had that wrong. I apologize minus one forty. But in two minutes here explain you're thinking on Ohio State. I guess there's not much. I mean there's Look, there's at Michigan State, at Penn State mid season that could always be a trip up. There's Michigan at the end. Hardball hasn't solved that puzzle yet. Um yeah, I mean there's at Oregon early, but that doesn't really scare me. I guess it doesn't scare you either. But this is

the big ten we're talking about for Ohio State. Mine. Yeah, I canna say the Origon game is really a non starter in terms of the Big ten the result there, but I can't Michigan State. I think it's going to be really talent avoid uh this year. They they they don't have a time at all coming back, and you get a coaching change, so pretty much what's gonna happen. Though, I think this is gonna be a very long first

year for Melt, Tucker and Spark. And so I don't know if I did it with you or if I did it with somebody else last year, but we talked about how the work concern a lot of people had about Ohio State last year. There was always seemed to have that one game under Erbic Buyer where they were a big favorite and they slip up and struggling, and I had thrown out there. I'm like, you know what,

maybe that's gonna change this year. Sometimes a little bit of change a different Maybe the message wasn't getting through now maybe it will. And they annihilated everybody last year, so I'm not concerned about them going on the road and maybe struggling with Michigan State, Like maybe that would have been in the past. You've got Michigan at home. They haven't been closed. I cannot see that the talent gap between High State is slowly turning into a little

bit of a Clemson Uh in the AE. Seeing how the game of Penn State would be the one that concerns me. The lost there four years ago, two years ago, they had a big fourth quarter to come back, so I think they could still. I gotta jump in here, and Chris, I gotta jump in here. Break. Most importantly, no Minnesota, No Wisconsin will come back. Sexy or Picks next on the Numbers gave it decent with Chris Flika. Welcome back to a Numbers game with Jill Alexander. All

of us missed the action, that's for sure. That's why Quick Picks is here to help take a side on an age old argument who was better in their prime? For example, was it Kevin Kevin Durant rather in his MVP season back or the Beard James Harden in eighteen when he won the m v P. That's one example from the new Quick Picks Classic, which offers matchups of

NBA stars based on their historical game stats. And with Quick Picks Classics, you can play these matchups and win money on them to select your first ticket for as little as ten cents in an exclusive offer for visa and customers too. By the way, try Quick Picks Classic today and get deposit bonus. Quickpicks Classic now available to play in twenty states, including New York. For all the details, go to quickpicks dot Com slash Visa and bonus. That's

quick picks dot Com slash Visa bonus. Chris Felika from ESPN's College Game Day Daily Wager in the standard Steven the Bear Podcast kind enough to continue with us, uh if you've missed it so far. Clemson to win the a C C minus six hundred we know, but justified nonetheless in Ohio State minus one forty to win the Big tenant I mentioned going to break. One of the breaks if you will, that Ohio State gets is breaks

and quotes because it's Ohio State. But it doesn't hurt that they don't have to play the likes of Wisconsin or Minnesota. That helps along the way as well. Let's do some of the sexier ones here. Let's get to the big twelve. Iowa State Chris at ten to one. Now, I talked earlier about how there's a good case scenario, great, a best case, and there's a worst case. Uh, and that applies to every single team. But in some teams cases, there's no question that that gap is pretty dramatic, and

I would consider the cyclones one of them. I mean, if I look at the best case, and I guess, if you're taking a ten to one, you're you're leaning this way. If I look at the best case before they're open date in mid August, I don't know, Maybe they you know, maybe they go to Iowa and they win, and let's say they split Oklahoma State in Oklahoma. Maybe they split at TCU and at Texas later, but they went all their home games, it's a two lost season.

I could also see that schedule going really bad for them, and then losing half of their games too, but you clearly uh lean towards the former, you could I just yeah, yeah, they're they're one of those teams that really can't shake because you view the upside of you see last year they were really young and a lot of positions, uh, running back and receiver on in certain spots on defense,

you got block Purty back at quarterback. And you think at some point they're gonna get a little positive regression, uh in some of these close games and some of these turnovers if you go back as as you go about the last four years or so in games decided by a field goal or less of foreign so you would think at some point they're going to get a little bit better luck. Again, this is I don't think the Big Twelve is as easy as Oklahoma and everybody else this year. In fact, I would love to see

a promp that out there. I yes, no prop will Oklahoma make the Big Twelve championship game, because I don't think it's a lot that they do it all this year. I think I always State, I think Texas, I think Oklahoma State. Uh, certainly those teams all have I think pretty good cases to potentially get there. But but I think if you look if you look at Iowa State, UM, I think this year with pretty coming back and the experience they had last year, but they very easily could

have won a Norman last year. Uh, they very easily could have won against Iowa in that weird game that had a hour hours long weather delay, and they blew a game at Baylor. This is a team that last year very easily could have been tended to. So I think they're really really close, and I think it tends to one. I think it's like going to work the shop. Alright, This one is not a play on. This is just a note from you. Don't play usc at plus two fifty uh to win the pack twelve. Forget about Alabama

and Notre Dame as book ends. Those are hard enough, but we're talking pack twelve here. I'm with you. There's a lot of road games that they could trip up here on Stanford is I know people are like, oh, Stafford, it's always gonna be trouble at Stanford, at Utah, at Oregon, at u c l A. Uh, don't play usc at plus two fifty to win the pack twelve, is what

you're saying. Yeah, the price just doesn't justify because in the month, I know its South is not a great division, and the sc has got slogans and a bunch of guys coming back. But but at the same time, is it worth really taking plus two fifty on a team that you're not necessarily sure is going to get there? When it they get to the Patrols Championship Game, probably gonna be it won't maybe be plus two fifty, but they'll probably be for the playing Wagon. They'll probably still

be a small dog. So I just don't think the risk reward is worth it at that at at short of a number. I still think Oregon is the best team in the Pac twelves, but again there um there are a short plus two hundreds, So again I don't think that the risk award there is more than forgan in the Pac twelve. It's interesting one team that you and I have talked about in the past is Stanford.

It's amazing to look at the Caesar's Conference title features, and I don't know if any of the other ones are out there, but the only two teams with shorter rods or should it say longer rods to win the past twelve with Stanford for Arizona in Colorado. I mean, wow, have the mighty of fall. Wow, no kidding, Let's go to the SEC. You've got Georgia at plus three fifty to win the SEC. I look at their conference schedule. Yeah,

there is at Bama, that's for sure. There they do avoid l s U, but they get Auburn at home. They got Florida of course in Jacksonville. Uh, you're all about Jamie Newman and the Bulldogs. I am, and I'm really all about their defense. I think this defense I've been told that Kirby thinks that this could be, uh among the right there with the best defensive units he's had, which includes but once he's had and the ones he's

had at Alabama that one national championship. So I think we all got a little bit of a steek peaked last year in the Sugar Bowl. How good, uh this defense can be. I think Newman is gonna be a difference maker a quarterback this year. His ability to run and throw the deep ball to picking some of the other young guys they have. I think his legs will be a big factor this year because they the Dogs do lose a couple of people on the offensive line so so I think a mobile quarterback will be able

to help there. And even if you mentioned the game in Alabama, if they go to Alabama and lose, all they really need to do is be Florida in the cocktail party and they're going to get that to the SEC championship game with the chance to avenge that locks against Alabama or A and M or l s U or Albert who who never ultimate leasing on the other side. But if if I were holding George plus money in Alabama plus money, I would feel pretty good about that position. Uls.

You would be a team that I wouldn't really be looking at a player. I think at eight one, UH, you'll lose Joe Brady, you leave Stave Randah, You'll you'll all lose Joe Burrow, You'll lose Edwards, and you'll you'll lose Queen and Daddy and way too many and justin Jefferson, you'll lose way too many guys for my liking to

be able to repeat that title. Run for last You all right, Chris Dan, But we got a lot to get to, including the your bets for conference champion UH in the MAC in the Mountain West and then six season win totals coming back. Chris Flika on a numbers game at vast in these sports betting Now welcome back to a number game with Jill Alexander. All Right, more with my man, Chris Felika at Chris Felika f A

L L I C A on Twitter. Alright, last two conference futures that you like, Let's go to the mac ball state, which you can get at eight to one. I would imagine this will come down to forget at Michigan at Indiana. Those are big ten games, those tough enough. But in the conference, I would imagine it comes down to at Buffalo, at Miami and at Toledo. Those are probably where it uh where it turns, and that this is a team that when all win three last year in games st of a four point so less against

some of the better teams. Uh in the back, but I think the Sea there were the ingredients for a breakthrough season or there. Uh. Quarterback to a pittis back in a punt meeting, the leading runnerings back basically the entire office of line and the leading one. See we are back the back seven, the linebacker and defensive back units should be really really good. Among the backs best, and I think this could be a year where ball State eclipse as their win total. You could make a

run towards the back title. Alright, last conference future in the Mountain West. You like Boise State, UM, just looking at their schedule, what a what an interesting start to their schedule with two strange offenses in Georgia Southern and at air Force. They also then have the Florida State game rematch up an amazing game last year. Only air Force counts about regarding the conference among those three games.

But how do you see Boise States path here? Oh yeah, and this is minus five and I think it should be higher the Mountain West's it's a lead. This guy thinking a little bit of flux right now between your coaches that are gone from San Diego State, probably like Jordan lug has gone air Force. He's tied up retooling this year. Uh boy, she wasn't gonna be had last year with a freshman quarterback, a frustrating back, each us a quarterback and all the turnover there. When are we

when are we get gonna happen time? I think boys, and it probably should be higher. And they get b YU at home. That certainly doesn't hurt either. Alright, season wins. Let's go to the the sun Belt, the coastal Carolina four and a half? Which way going over? Under? I'm going I'm going over. There were five and seven last year. Uh they beat Kansas last year that lost four four one score games, including a triple overtime game leading rush receive.

You Marable was back when of the better defensive players turned Jackson and a double jud tax last year is back. I mean a repeat of five and seven to get enough. And I think you look at up games like Jaqueine, South Alabama, Arkansas State, Georgia, Southern Texas State, Eastern Michigan, Kansas. All those games are potentially winna bull. So I think this could be the year that the Shots break through and go to a bowl. Yeah that before they're open date.

They have an open date October tenth. But as you said, besides South Carolina at Eastern Michigan win a bull, Duquesne certainly got to win that. Kansas win a bull, Arkansas State, you can win that. You could have three wins perhaps can servatively before the open day if all goes well. I like this one more than any of your season win totals. Arizona in the pack twelve under four and a half plus one thirty five. I'm which you explain,

I don't see where five wins are coming from. Uh, your defense was one of but was was one of the worst of the country last year in terms of expected points hundreds and third, you'll lose two little tight You'll lose J. J. Taylor when you won four games last year and that included d D. Texas Tech and U C. L A at home. You go to both Lubbock and Pasadena this year, and both of those teams

should be better, uh than they were last year. I mean, I think there's a good chance they go over the road on their park Swall slate and you get USC Oregon on Arizona State three. You the better teams in the parks Wall at home, so there's certainly no lock that they're going to beat the multiple wins at home

over those teams. YEA would probably be Hawaii im Portland State at home to Toba in the ear even though Todd Graham former or the state coach might want to have a little something to say about that with away in the in the early season game. But yeah, even if they do start too and oh, I don't know if there's three wins more on that schedule. Yeah, I mean another otherwise put before their open date, which is

at the end of September. It's Hawaii at home forget Portland's state for a minute, but then it's Stanford and at Texas Tech. I mean, there's a scenario there where Kevin Sumlin is on the hottest of hot seats before they even get to their hardest half dozen football games. So I'm completely with you on that. Let's go to Conference USA. Oh, du Old Dominion the Monarchs. How do

you see them? Their number, by the way, is three. Yeah, it's three plus one twenty and I'll the six it up putting the call, which is probably the least favorite. But but I think there's things can look at there. I mean, they were one of the worst offensive teams in the country last year. Enter forward pennch date offensive coordinator, are Ricky Annie as their head coach and as bad as things we are, five parks down passes there, leading rusher had like three hundred and fifty yards. They lost

three one score games. The defense hung in there for most of the year, and now with Ronnie coming in, I can't help, but think that they will improve. And we had one and eleven last year. But there's a chance that you talked to we talked about Arizona and they're having a bunch of Coast of Carolina A bout your winds. Rather early on you get Hampton, f I U Middle Tennessee Yukon in E T s A about good October. So there's certainly a chance that could win

three of those games. Yeah, if if you figure Hampton, Yukon and U T s A, which are played by mid October. And I know U T s A some fans are going to object to this, but if you if if that's your handicap, then it's a free role from that point forward. Right at three, it's plus money. So I get it's your least favorite, but I get why you would include it. I'll talking to CHRISTALLNK. Of course, let's go to the big tent and we got three

more of these per do uh? Their season win total is set at at five and you like the over here at minus one oh five. I like you over a lot. I'd be shocked as Jeff Bromstein didn't win six games this year. I mean they did there weren't many teams nationally that we're bit by the injury bug as bad as the Boiler Beakers were last year. You have David Bell and rogdal Moore on your offense, and

that's a pretty dam good place to start. All of the injuries and inexperience of last year, that all the pain of last year will they'll be better off for that, uh this year on the field. And and I don't sure. I don't think they will start six and oh, but it's certainly possible. And I also have a game against its Western at home. Minnesota will probably regress a little bit with all those one score games and that last year, and the least your offensive coordinator, and you still have

Wisconsin and IOW will come into West Lafayette. So I would be shocked if Perdue you not win six games. Yeah, you you hit on exactly what I would have there, which is the schedule is easier early, right, And so there is a scenario where they go six and o or five and one, and of course they avoid Michigan State, they avoid Ohio State, they avoid Penn State, none of

whom are on their schedules. So you could have a pretty pleasant bet if Perdue gets off to a good start, or maybe it's the sweat of a lifetime down the stretch a sec wake Forest. You are not as bullish on their number there at seven. The under is a dog at plus one forty five. But you don't You don't see them getting to seven, do you. Yeah, I don't see you getting seven, and I certainly don't see them getting to eight to lose. An any awakens the

team that I've been high on lately. I've had them over a couple of times in the last few years. They've cashed tickets for me. But you lose Jamie Neom in your quarterback, you lose your leading rush for kay Karneie. You gose three year top four wide receivers. Uh, you're not gonna eat Clemson. You've got a game against Notre Dame, but you'll probably lose. You've got road games at Florida State and Losable. So if you lose those four games, which I think you're four topas games, you've got to

run the table to you. I don't. I don't see that's happening. I think push at seven is as white is a really good possibility, But I just don't see eight and the loss agree Clemson, Notre Dame in Charlotte, at Florida State, Miami at home at Louisville, at NC State at Duke. Yeah, where are you getting seven wins? I mean, even if you give them a couple of those right at seven at best, it would seem I'm with you there. And finally, and we hate to pick

on this team perennially, but somehow we do. The Kansas Jayhawks, Chris, Uh, they are they are set. Um, you didn't get a chance to avy for a national championship in college basketball this year. Um, guess what. It's not gonna happen in football either. Three and a half got the under Yeah, I I do. Look, they were a pleasant surprise last year and winning three games, nearly beating Texas and Austin last year. But uh, people talking about canvas football on

a positive light and excitement with left miles. But now comes the hard part repeating that building on it and again, I just don't see where where the Wings are coming from. Defensively, they lose a ton and they really weren't great productive defensively. Led you you're basically starting over at quarterback. I think both sides of the ball on the line, you're you're you're kind of thin, and yeah, maybe you start three in one if you happen to beat your Hamsford BC

and winning Coastal Carolina who you lost that. But you're at Bailey or at Kansas State, You're at West Virginia who you lost through last year. You're at Texas Tech, you're at Oklahoma. You're not winning any of those games. Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas in PC you were your home games. I mean, I think there's a chance, certainly a better than a miniscule chance that they don't win

a big twelve game. And if if that happens, you're certainly gonna when you're getting Even if they win one game as a chance, I'll though, uh, they'll only manage tune on conference wins and they will give you brill in mind. So hopefully think the future is brighter for real. I think this is like a step that type of year for Kansas potentially took a couple of steps calling potentially next year. Yeah, um, there have been hiccups, but certainly perennially we don't uh, we don't think great things

about Kansas. If there was a prop I don't know how much I would lay how high I would lay to to have Kansas win exactly two games. Just feels like a two win season if in fact we get this off. Let's review him, Chris. We'll put them up on the screen at Visa dot Com and the Visa app. You said that you like Old Dominion the least of your season win totals. What do you think you like the best of those? I would say to do and then Ari Sauna would be the cue that I drank it. Yeah,

and I'm sorry, sorry, go ahead, no, No. As far as the conference futures, he's it's it's obvious. I mean, it's got to be Clemson. I mean, if you're willing to you're willing to tie up that money for a couple of months, pick to get your return on it in know we December potentially if you've got that guy had I don't like a limit to ay, but what what makes it working to you? But it's got to be Clemson as the UH as the best, and then it probably I think I think Georgia. I think Boys

would be the one after that then Georgia. Okay, all right, Chris, appreciate it. Chris, fa Leika, Thank you so much. Man appreciate it very much. Of course Game Day Daily Wager, and of course uh Staying receiving their podcast. Thank you to Michael Lombardi, Thank you to you Stay safe, Back down the p