SuperBook Sports previews the weekend ahead

CFB: No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida

No, Florida will not pull an upset at the famed, neutral-site, World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party – a name that’s no longer official but still used by anyone who cares about college football.

But there is reason to watch. And wager.  And maybe even have a cocktail – indoor or outdoor – or two.

Regardless of how dominant Georgia has been this season (and last) or in the recent history of this rivalry (Georgia has won five of the last six), the Gators have a habit of making things interesting. Besides, in neutral-site rivalry games, traditional rules and rankings don’t always apply.

Florida isn’t the Florida of old, but the Gators most certainly are not a team that can be overlooked (just ask Tennessee, who was whipped earlier in the season by the Gators). To some extent, they’ve been unpredictable all season long. And while Georgia has – for the most part – been the picture of consistency, they’re dealing with a few key injuries (namely tight end Brock Bowers, a focal point of the Bulldog offense) and the mounting pressure of an perfect season.

So, what will happen amidst the flood of Hurricanes and Mint Juleps? Don’t expect an upset, but here’s how Bud sees it.

Bud Parmalee’s Pick: Florida +14.5 (-110) – and/or – OVER 48.0 (-110)

Don’t be fooled by Florida’s omission from the top-25 polls. The Gators are very capable of a) keeping things close against anybody, and b) putting up points. Look no further than two opponents that both teams have in common thus far this season. Against Vanderbilt (2-5), Georgia unsarcastically gave up 20 points, while putting up 37. Florida only allowed 14 and put up 38. Perhaps South Carolina (2-4) is an even more telling story, as George won by 10, but only scored 24 points against the Gamecocks, while Florida squeaked out a two-point win behind a 41-point offense outburst. By no means do those two samples tell the whole story, but the point is, both teams are capable of good defense and even better offense. In fact, Georgia averages 40.1 points per game, while Florida averages 23.9 – but has scored 38 and 39 in their last two games. You can play this one a couple of ways (or both if you’d like to parlay), taking Florida to keep it interesting and betting big on a high scoring affair – exactly what 84,000 sauced Southerners want to see. 

CFB: No. 3 Ohio State at Wisconsin

Like the Georgia-Florida matchup, Ohio State-Wisconsin pits a highly ranked, headed-to-the-CFP team against an unranked, yet unpredictable conference foe. Swap out the conference, trade the heat of the South for the nip of the Midwest and put the bourbon on the shelf in favor of brewskies and it’s practically identical. Even the spread is the same, favoring Ohio State by 14.5.

The teams are too – at least in a roundabout way.

Ohio State is that team that might have “looked” overrated at times during the season. The Buckeyes hadn’t played anybody. They should have lost to Notre Dame. They’ve got a quarterback that’s green and anything but flashy. But, upon further review, it would appear that the Buckeyes are sitting at No. 3 for very good reason. Their win over Penn State last week was proof of that, as their identity is clearly a stingy and consistent defense. That’s how they’ve won and that’s how they’ll continue to win.

Wisconsin, amazingly, has yet to play a top-25 team, so it’s difficult to say what might transpire when they do. Like Florida, the Badgers lost an early season, West Coast, road game to a Pac-12 team. Wisconsin’s only home loss came against Iowa (6-1) in the battle for the Heartland Trophy, something that has Camp Randall a bit restless. This weekend represents a chance to right that wrong.

Whether or not the Badgers can hang with Ohio State is a different matter, though. Don’t overthink the bet you make in this Big Ten battle.

Bud Parmalee’s Pick: Ohio State -14.5 (-110)

After the Penn State win, it’s starting to look as if the Buckeyes aren’t overrated at all. They may not win “pretty” but they’ve won nonetheless. They’re a defensive team, and that’s just fine. And even though Camp Randall will be buzzing, the Badgers – behind backup quarterback Braedyn Locke – aren’t on the same level this season. They’re not a proven offensive team, yet Ohio State’s defense is not only proven, but dominant. Defense travels and Ohio State has the ability to score, as they did against and Maryland (37) and Purdue on the road (41). Additionally, the trends tend to favor the Buckeyes, as they’re 4-2-1 ATS, while Wisconsin is a lackluster 3-4 ATS. Confidently take the Buckeyes and the points.

NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers

The Minnesota Vikings started off this season with a 1-4 record, less than ideal to say the least. But two straight wins have them back in the running and if the playoffs started today, they’d be in.

What’s more impressive is that they have won those two contests without their best overall player, Justin Jefferson. The wide receiver injured his hamstring in Week 5 and was placed on injured reserve. He will be absent yet again, as the Vikings travel to Green Bay to play their division rival.

The Packers have seen their season turn, as well, but in the opposite direction. They started the year off 2-1 and are now 2-4 after losing a close one to the Denver Broncos last week.

It may not be as bad as it seems, though. Three of their four losses have come by four points or less, and they have had an abundance of opportunities to win those close games. That could be why the game line is closer than most think it should be.

The spread for this game is currently set at 1.5 in favor of Minnesota. Despite Green Bay’s decent performances being overshadowed by their record, the Vikings definitely deserve more than what they are being given.

Similar to the Packers, the Vikings have also had many close games this year. All seven of the Vikings games have been won or lost by one possession. Early on, they were losing close games, but they have seemingly hit a stride thanks to players such as Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson stepping up in Jefferson’s absence.

Hockenson was introduced into the Vikings offense last season, but Addison is a rookie wide receiver who looks to be the best one of the 2023 class. Last week, he connected with Kirk Cousins for two touchdowns, which included a 60-yard statement to end the first half.

The offensive line also had a breakout performance, holding the San Francisco 49ers to zero sacks. If Cousins and the rest of the offense perform like they did last week, it’s hard to see the Vikings not covering the spread.

Steve Quinne’s Pick: Minnesota -1.5 (-110)

The Vikings are starting to hit their stride. If Cousins and company can continue their solid play of late, they’ll win the game and cover the spread with ease.

NFL: Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Chargers

It’s do-or-die time for both of these teams. The Chicago bears are 2-5 and the Los Angeles Chargers are 2-4. However, the Bears seem to be on the rise and the Chargers seem to be falling apart.

Chicago started the year off with a 0-4 record. They were widely regarded as the worst team in football and quarterback Justin Fields was receiving much of the blame. Fields was able to get the dominant win against the Washington Commanders, but he got injured in the 19-13 loss against the Minnesota Vikings.

With him down, the team turned to rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent. In his first NFL start, Bagent looked good against Raiders. He led Chicago to a 30-12 victory, throwing for a touchdown and no interceptions. It was an impressive debut for the rookie and he will need to follow it up on “Sunday Night Football” with Fields listed as doubtful to play with a lingering thumb injury.

Despite having a 2-4 record, the Chargers are still a good team. Three of their four losses have come by a margin of three points or less and they have had one of the league’s toughest schedules.

The Bears will be the worst team they will have played thus far and it will be a good chance for Justin Herbert to rebound. Last week, the Chargers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 31-17. Herbert threw two interceptions to just one touchdown, while running back Austin Ekeler was quiet yet again, posting only 45 yards on 14 carries.

This week, they will play in their home stadium and they are currently 8.5-point favorites. That number is a scary bet, as it would require the Chargers to win by more than one possession, something they haven’t done all year.

But against Tyson Bagent and the Bears, this could definitely be the week to do so. However, it’s the NFL and it’s “SNF.” Anything could happen.

Steve Quinne’s Pick: Los Angeles -8.5 (-110)

The moneyline is the safer option, by a mile. But at -450, there just isn’t much value. It’s hard to see the Bears winning this one, as the Chargers are desperate for a win; their season is on the line this week. So roll the dice on Los Angeles doing something they don’t normally do; they’ll win by more than one score.