CFB bad line of the week: Fade Florida Atlantic under Willie Taggart
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We picked Tulane -3.5 over Southern Mississippi as our bad line of the week last Saturday. The Green Wave rolled by 42 points. It won't get easier than that all year.
Alas, we'll try to find another layup for Week 5. Here's how the college football board is shaking up:
Week 5 spreads
| Matchup | Spread |
|---|---|
| Louisiana Tech @ BYU | BYU -23.5 |
| Missouri @ Tennessee | Tennessee -11.5 |
| Baylor @ West Virginia | Baylor -3 |
| TCU @ Texas | Texas -13 |
| South Carolina @ Florida | Florida -18.5 |
| East Carolina @ Georgia State | GSU -1 |
| NC State @ Pitt | Pitt -14 |
| Arkansas State @ Coastal Carolina | Ark. St -3 |
| UTSA @ UAB | UAB -20.5 |
| UNC @ Boston College | UNC -13.5 |
| Texas Tech @ Kansas State | KSU -1.5 |
| Memphis @ SMU | Memphis -2.5 |
| Texas A&M @ Alabama | Alabama -16.5 |
| South Florida @ Cincinnati | Cincinnati -21.5 |
| Oklahoma State @ Kansas | OSU -21 |
| Ole Miss @ Kentucky | Kentucky -6.5 |
| Virginia Tech @ Duke | VT -10.5 |
| Charlotte @ Florida Atlantic | FAU -6.5 |
| Western Kentucky @ MTSU | WKU -7 |
| Navy @ Air Force | Navy -7 |
| Georgia Southern @ UL Monroe | GSU -20.5 |
| Arkansas @ Mississippi State | MSST -18 |
| LSU @ Vanderbilt | LSU -20.5 |
| Southern Miss @ North Texas | North Texas -1.5 |
| Tulsa @ Central Florida | UCF -22 |
| Oklahoma @ Iowa State | OU -7 |
| Auburn @ Georgia | Georgia -7 |
| Virginia @ Clemson | Clemson -28 |
| Troy @ South Alabama | Troy -5.5 |
Bad line of the week: Florida Atlantic -6.5 (vs. Charlotte)
I'm struggling to understand this spread.
Florida Atlantic was one of the most lovable mid-majors under Lane Kiffin. A transition to Willie Taggart isn't just a downgrade at head coach; it's a downgrade for our bankrolls.
Kiffin went 24-16 against the spread as Florida Atlantic gained traction over his three-year tenure. Though he dipped for Ole Miss, he left Taggart an offense that paced the Conference USA in both points (36) and yards (449) per game in 2019.
How will Taggart screw this up?
This should be a walk in the park for the veteran head coach, who used a 10-2 season at South Florida in 2016 as a launching pad to Oregon. But he went just 7-5 with the Ducks before fleeing to Florida State, where he dropped five games as a favorite in a little more than a year of service.
The Owls might be a team to back in the future, but not early in the year. Right now, there isn't a lot of continuity for a program that has yet to play a game. The roster has also been gutted outside of a couple of stud transfers: Florida Atlantic entered the offseason returning just 51% of last year's production, a figure that ranked 109th in the country.
Charlotte, meanwhile, is a great bet when getting points. Head coach Will Healy picked up three outright wins as an underdog in 2019 and already recorded an ATS victory in Week 2 against Appalachian State. The 49ers have also covered four of the last five as 'dogs.
Don't be shocked if Charlotte takes this one outright.
Pick: Charlotte +6.5
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.