Year To Date: 1-2 (-1.1 units)

Not exactly the hot start I was looking to get off to for all of you wonderful readers. TO be completely honest, even the picks I didn’t give out weren’t pretty, I simply had the wrong read on a ton of sides this week. As they say, it’s always darkest before the dawn, so we move on and try again.

Baylor vs SMU over 64.5 -115

We’re in line for a battle of two high powered offenses with something to prove this Saturday. Baylor is coming off of a tough loss against a very game Auburn team, and while their defense didn’t exactly look the part of a Big 12 contender, their offense showed signs of life. Head Coach Dave Arranda did not shy away from going for it on fourth downs, and with Sawyer Robertson under center I don’t blame him. Those risks didn’t exactly pay off, as they only went 2 for 5 on fourth down and set up the Auburn offense with solid field position several times. I do think that Baylor should be able to exploit a weaker SMU defense this time around on the way to a better offensive output than in Week 1. SMU didn’t have the best showing out of the gates against lowly East Texas A&M, but came on late in a blowout win. Kevin Jennings still needs to prove that he can cut down on the turnovers, but the addition of a formidable running back combo in TJ Harden and Chris Johnson Jr. (feel old yet?) should make the Baylor defense have to respect the ground game. Wide Receiver Jordan Hudson’s status is up in the air after leaving Week 1 with an upper body injury, but there are still several other options for Jennings as he looks to take advantage of a wobbly Baylor secondary. Expect a high point total in this one.

West Virginia Moneyline vs Ohio -155

Yes, I know this isn’t the sexiest pick of all time, but sometimes you just have to see the ball go through the hoop. The Ohio Bobcats looked much more competent than many expected in their close loss to Rutgers last week, but I just don’t see that holding up long term. The point of attack that West Virginia should be looking to hammer is the run game, centered around star running back Jahiem White. With CJ Donaldson leaving for Ohio State, the backfield is all White’s and he made a great first impression with a 92 yard day with two touchdowns against Robert Morris. Ohio gave up 171 yards on the ground in Week 1 to Rutgers, and the Scarlet Knights aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire with their offense. I’ll back the team with the better talent and a hungry Rich Rodriguez who’s looking to turn the program around in Morgantown, even if I have to lay a little extra juice.

Syracuse -6.5 vs UConn -125

Who would have thought we’d all be looking to bet a Syracuse vs UConn matchup in a sport other than basketball? If this is the life of a degenerate gambler then so be it. Syracuse are coming off of a tough loss to Tennessee in Week 1, and while Tennessee looked like a dominant force in the box score, don’t be fooled. The Orange hung around in that game against a team with superior talent and at points looked like a real threat for an upset. New Quarterback Steve Angeli looked solid in his role, leading the offense to several successful drives alongside talented running back Yasin Willis. There are obvious spots that Syracuse needs to improve on, the run defense needs to improve significantly after being battered for a full four quarters, and the secondary cannot miss as many tackles as they did a week ago. UConn isn’t a cupcake matchup, they have proved over the past few years that under Head Coach Jim Mora that they can fight in these matchups that they are overlooked in. I still like Fran Brown’s group in this one, they aren’t really seen as a contender in the ACC but they aren’t as far off as one would think. This might be a closer game than anticipated, but just like my West Virginia pick, sometimes you just need to back the team with more talent.

On twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon.