Week 6 is the midseason mark of the NCAA college football campaign. Coaches have the starters set though injuries are a weekly concern forcing some backups to step in. The long grind of a football season, from August practice to the bowls, will take a toll on college athletes forcing coaches to dig deep into their depth on the bench - provided they have any.
Players can be lost for the season, while even minor injuries can inhibit a player's performance for a few weeks. That's especially true with key skill position talent, such as a quarterback dealing with a bruised elbow or wide receivers and starting running backs dealing with some hamstring concerns.
This adds another layer of handicapping study, factoring the extent of injuries into the weekly betting lines prior to making your weekly college football picks.
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Why Use Week 6 College Football Picks
Assessing injuries is one of many reasons that can help or hurt a team's chances against the spread. There are numerous situational spots, such as revenge, bye weeks, let-down spots, and grueling road trips. These are all things that my weekly college football computer picks take into consideration before outputting a pick. Make sure you check them out weekly as they are 100% free.
The best handicappers gather stats and CFB consensus information, make their own betting numbers, then compare against the actual odds and wager on the lines with the most variance. The oddsmakers do a very good job overall, as many games end up right around the actual number or are in doubt right into the final minute of play.
Even a variance of 1-2 points identified by a handicapper can be a significant difference between a win, loss, or push. Gaining the expert advice and selections each week from a professional will add to your handicapping knowledge and help you identify more winners.
Betting Value in Week 6 College Football Picks
Bye weeks during the NCAA college football campaign can provide an advantage with rest and extra prepartion - if the coaching staff knows how to take advantage of it. In one recent season, Oklahoma State was coming off a bye and was an underdog of +3.5 at rival Texas.
Both teams were in the Top 25, so it was a Big 12 showdown. Texas had to play rival Oklahoma the Saturday before in an emotional game and lost a wild one, 55-48. The Longhorns looked out of gas late in the game against the Cowboys, getting outscored 16-0 in the fourth quarter as Oklahoma State rallied for a 32-24 upset.
The Cowboys were +140 to win the game, providing wagering value with the points as a dog as well as on the moneyline. Emotional spots and byes are a few of the many situational factors that can offer wagering value.
Wunderdog Week 6 College Football Picks
I don't end my college football Saturdays hoping that Lady Luck is going to be the deciding factor on whether my games cover or not. Instead, I spend Sunday through CFB Friday gathering all the information to put the edges in my favor by the time kickoff rolls around.
Math is a subject most people can't stand, but it's one of my many specialties that I incorporate into identifying the softest lines and best mathematical percentages to beat the point spread.
All my releases have multiple factors attached and are revealed as past picks on my website so you can verify the explanations and results. Results and plus-money are that matters in the competitive world of 11-to-10.
Free Week 6 College Football Picks vs. Premium Picks
Free Week 6 College Football Picks Pros:
- Keeps you up to date on all the changes coaches are working on
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Free Week 6 College Football Pick Cons:
- Reliance on betting trends is a fool's paradise without other concrete reasoning
- Websites that bark only about winners and ignore losers are unreliable
- Analysis has to be streamlined to the winning edges and not all over the place
Premium Pick Pros:
- Week 6 is an ideal time for situational handicapping spots and soft lines
- A good service handicaps and explains the essential data saving you time and effort
- Trusted services should have recommended money management percentages to wager alongside graded releases
Premium 6 Pick Cons:
- Know the background and track record of the handicapper and the website
- Betting addictions can be destructive, so make certain you have total control of your senses and your bankroll
- Winning handicappers are selective. Be wary of companies forcing side and total releases on too games
How To Win With Free Week 6 College Football Picks
Winning at sports betting requires focus, discipline, putting in the work, and recognizing the difference between strong betting numbers and weak ones. Part of that discipline is not changing the amount you wager on games very much. If you play 3% of your bankroll on most plays and a service recommends "30% on this one game because it's a lock" then head for the exit.
That's not sound discipline or money management. Acquiring different opinions through free college football picks keeps you up on the key game information while opening your eyes to the different (and profitable) wagering options on the table.
Free Week 6 College Football Picks Betting Strategy
Injuries
In the NFL, injuries can influence team chemistry when backups are forced to step in. With NCAA college football, it's less about chemistry and more about raw talent. NFL rosters are brimming with the best players from college, even the backups.
But very few college football players make it to the NFL, so the talent drop-off can be severe. Big-name college programs often have very talented backups that can step in and there is no drop-off in production. It's important to keeping accurate updates on injuries not just with quarterbacks but with offensive linemen or linebackers to see what kind of depth will be stepping in.
After making these assessments, look at the betting line for the upcoming weekend and gauge if the injuries will have a negative impact or none at all.
Situational Spots
Situational handicapping spots are things that take place off the field that can influence how a team is going to perform. These would be road trips where a team has to fly 3,000 miles, rivalry games, emotional let-down spots, or national TV games that could have the hometown fans and players in a frenzy as it's their lone game of the season where the whole country can watch them.
A team can give its best performance of the season if the situation favors them. A team could also give a poor performance if, for example, they come off an emotional double-overtime win at home where the fans stormed the field and now they have to play on the road.
They might be a little burned out, beat up, or short on focus. In one recent season, Duke was a small home dog to Georgia Tech and gave it all they had, losing 31-27 on a last-minute TD pass. The following week they went on the road in an emotional let-down spot...and lost at Virginia, 48-0.
Bye Weeks
Not every college football team has a bye week, but it can be a significant advantage in several ways. The extra rest gives injured players time to heal. In addition, a good coaching staff will take advantage of the extra prep time, find weaknesses in the opponent to exploit, and even fashion a few new plays or add some trick plays.
Ole Miss had a big 31-17 in at home over LSU to move up to No. 10 in the nation. The following week, they travelled to face a rested Auburn team coming off a bye. Auburn won and covered, 31-20, rolling up 483 yards.
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My picks are put together after a careful analysis of all the information and factors along with a detailed database I've been compiling for over two decades. You can obtain these selections to add to your handicapping prowess and even comparing my picks to yours.
Taking a second look at a contest improves your understanding of the handicapping world. Take advantage and play alongside a documented winning pro by signing up for my Free Week 6 College Football Picks through a subscription service at no cost to you.
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