Dix Stadium, home of the final Temple Saturday game of the year.
Temple vs. Kent St.
Starting time: 2 p.m.
Radio: WPHT (1210 AM)
TV: MAC-SPORTS.COM (pay site)
The heart is too strong and my head can't stand losses to my heart (if the Owls lose) and solar plexis (wallet, although I don't put it there) twice on the same day.
Yet I never cease to be amazed by how good Vegas is with these odds every week.
Last week against Akron, the line for the five days preceeding the game was 29 1/2 points.
Temple won, 30-0.
The morning of the game the line jumped up to 30.5. My friend, who shall remain nameless, jumped on it nonetheless and lost some serious coin on one of those internet betting sites.
I'm telling him now like I tell every die-hard Temple fan. Don't bet Temple. Don't bet with or against Temple. Watch the game, enjoy it, root like crazy for the Owls. But don't bet it.
Both my heart and head says a "comfortable" Temple today, somewhere in the 10-point range, say, 27-17.
Vegas, though, disagrees.
It calls for an "uncomfortable" Temple win of 3 1/2 points. Since you can't win by 3 1/2 points, I'm guessing it will go 17-14 today.
Guessing, not betting since I'm too much of a wimp. My bookie moved out to Sandy, Utah, 10 years ago and I haven't used a bookie since. I don't like putting my credit card number online, particularly to an offshore company, so I don't do that, either.
Plus, being flat-out broke doesn't help.
So I have my reasons for not betting real dough.
But I'm knowledgeable on college football, particularly the non-BCS conferences, and I like to pit that knowledge against Vegas with play money. I do OK with play money.
If Delaware or Pennsylvania every brings in legalized sports betting, I'm there with the real cash on a very limited basis.
I do much better on games I'm emotionally detached from so that's why I like these ones this week (for amusement purposes only, of course):
Army 17, Air Force 14 _ Army is a 7-point underdog at home. Air Force is not the dominating team it has been the last few years. Army is good.
Florida 31, Vandy 10 _ Gators are a 14-point favorite on the road. I got to believe if UConn beats Vandy by 19, Florida beats Vandy by 21.
Fresno State 24, Louisiana Tech 20 _ Fresno State is a 2-point road favorite. Fresno State is good. Louisiana Tech not so good.
