Baylor vs Albany Betting Preview
In the ninth game of our Countdown to Kickoff series, Sportsmemo handicapper JM Sports takes a look at Baylor vs Albany on September 3. After Baylor’s loss to TCU last season, the Bears went 5-0 including three wins over top 10 teams and a Sugar Bowl victory.
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Saturday, September 3 | College Football Betting Notes |
---|---|
Point Spread: | Baylor Bears (N/A) vs Albany Great Danes |
Total: | N/A |
Kickoff: | 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT |
Venue: | McLane Stadium in Waco, TX |
TV: | Big 12 Network / ESPN+ |
Baylor vs Albany Analysis
The Albany Great Danes have their hands full as they travel to Waco, Texas to take on the 10th ranked Baylor Bears in their season opener.
Baylor finished last season ranked 5th in the country behind a 12-2 record, while Albany secured just 2 wins in FCS play, ending the season 2-9.
Baylor Boasts Strong Defense
Baylor had one of their best rankings in recent memory, touching the top 10 for just one week since 2017 prior to last season. They held one of the most dominant defenses in the country, finishing with the best defense they have had in the last seven years without question.
They held their opponents to just 18.3 PPG, allowed just 346 yards, both a team best in the last seven years, as well as setting team records over the span in rushing YPG allowed (118), YPC allowed, average play, and the putting up the 2nd most sacks in a season over that span.
This year, they have six returning starters on defense and they arguably could still put up the best defense in the conference. They have the best DL and DBs in the Big 12. Al Walcott looks to be one of the leaders of this secondary, as he is tied for the most INT’s by a returning player in the conference with three. Baylor does lose four of their top six tacklers, but they have plenty of talent that fit into the next up mentality.
Offense Re-Shuffle For Bears
Their offense could take a small step back this season, they put up some of the best offensive numbers we have seen from Baylor since the Bryce Petty era, but they lose a lot of their experience in the skill positions.
Baylor had their best season running the ball that they have had in recent memory putting up over 200 rushing yards per game, but they lose their top three leading rushers, and return just 44 rush attempts from last season.
They also have to replace their QB and three leading receivers. They add highly recruited freshman Armani Winfield at WR to help fill the void in the receiving unit.
While Blake Shapen steps up at QB. They may not be leading the way through the conference in the offensive stats, but Shapen looked good in his 2 starts last season, throwing for 596 yards, 5 TD’s and 0 INT’s!
Baylor vs Albany Prediction
This may be the first ever meeting between the Great Danes and the Bears, but Baylor has posted a 9-2 record since Dave Armanda took over as coach. They are 5-2 against the spread as a home favorite and 3-1 against the spread against non-conference opponents. Although, dating back to 2015, Baylor is just 2-4 ATS when taking on FCS opponents, including a straight up loss against Liberty in 2017, prior to their arrival in the FBS.
Prediction : This game has no line, but I do think Baylor wins by a hefty margin. Although this more be one of the top-10 teams that I would be more likely to bet against ATS. I think their offense could struggle early. Depending on where the line were to come out, I would take Baylor up to 24 or 25 points, and look for an under as well.
Interested in placing a bet on this Baylor vs Albany Week 1 showdown? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
Sportsmemo Today | NFL Season Preview
JM Sports joins Dan Neubert and Dr Chuck on Sportsmemo Today to discuss the NFL futures market, and the Week 1 betting lines.
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Meet the Author
Jeff’s hunger for handicapping began at a young age being surrounded by parents that made sports betting a daily routine. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of other Cleveland handicappers like Marc Lawrence, Phil Steele, Ralph Michaels, Ed Meyer and Bryan Leonard, Jeff started his sports betting career working for both Northcoast Sports and Phil Steele Publications learning the intricacies of sports betting and becoming a profitable handicapper. Through out his college years, Jeff’s mathematical and analytical prowess helped him develop a betting strategy that turned sports betting into a profitable venture, where he focuses on the NFL, college football, NBA, college basketball and MLB while showing strong results in the WNBA.
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