It’s the middle of November which means that the Miami Hurricanes are NCAA football betting favorites to win and cover, as they have done in their last eight games in the eleventh month of the year, against the Virginia Cavaliers. This November has been no exception, with the Canes 2-0 SU and ATS so far, including a 41-8 prison beatdown of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday. It was like Whacking Day all over again, which as you may know, was started in 1924 as an excuse to beat up the Irish.
- Date: November 18
- Time: 12:05 PM
- Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
- Sportsbook online college football wagering odds:
Virginia +19½ (-110) +800
Miami Florida -19½ (-110) -1250
Miami the city that keeps the roof blazin’
The Hurricanes were quick to reap the rewards of upsetting Notre Dane; individually, freshman offensive guard Navaughn Donaldson, sophomore linebacker Zach McCloud and junior safety Jaquan Johnson were named offensive lineman of the week, co-Linebacker of the week, and defensive back of the week, respectively, while Miami as a whole earned its highest AP and Coaches rank since 2003 (No. 2). Confidence is an at all time high; some say the Hurricanes are the best football team in the country, and should, when the latest College Football Playoff rankings are released, hold the top spot. Chip on your shoulder much? We don’t know about best in the country, but the Canes certainly have one of the best defenses, allowing 16.6 points per game, which explains why the total has gone under in all but one Miami game. Moreover, the Hurricanes are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games after an ATS win, 10-4 ATS in their last 14 overall, and 7-3 against the NCAA football betting spread in their last 10 ACC games.
Pride; or, the consolation prize
The Cavs have gone 1-3 SU and ATS in their last four games, including a 21-38 loss to Louisville on Saturday which dashed their hopes of winning the ACC Coastal Division, and allowing Miami to clinch it. “We’re playing for everything that you signed up to play football for,” junior running back Jordan Ellis said. “I mean, it’s our pride. We’ve still got something left to prove: what kind of team we are.” According to head coach Bronco Mendenhall, his boys, who led the program to a bowl for the first time since 2011, were unaccustomed to success and it got to them. Like Shelly Long. “A brand-new challenge,” Mendenhall said. “Otherwise, they would have been through it before. It’s the first time any of these kids have qualified for a bowl game. They were ecstatic and are ecstatic. Now getting them right back to ground-level humility and passion and the determination, I think they tried hard to stay there, but we don’t know how to do it yet.” Virginia is 4-1 ATS playing a team with a winning record, 3-7 ATS in their last 10 ACC games, 2-5 ATS in their last seven on the road, and 2-5 ATS in their last seven after an against the NCAA football betting loss.