Posted on 12/20/2007 12:44:09 PM

NCAA Football Betting – Emerald Bowl Maryland at Oregon State

By Charles Jay

LAST POINTSPREAD RESULT: Maryland shut out North Carolina State 37-0, covering as a 1.5-point underdog and outgaining the Wolf Pack 466-250. Oregon State won its third straight game, beating Oregon 38-31 as a 1.5-point road dog.

ABOUT MARYLAND:

The Good News -- Chris Turner stepped into the starting quarterback spot in the season's fifth game and did a very serviceable job, completing 64% of his passes for 8.3 yards an attempt, although he only had five TD tosses. There is an effective running combo with Keon Lattimore (789 yards) and Lance Ball (763). Maryland scored wins over Rutgers, Georgia Tech and Boston College and also posted a +9 turnover ratio.

The Bad News -- Maryland surrendered 38 QB sacks. Only ten teams in the country allowed more. And the Terps had to beat NC State in the season's final week in order to get themselves eligible for a bowl.

MARYLAND TRENDS:

* MD has covered three of its last ten games

* MD has won two of its last six games SU

* MD has played five of its last six games UNDER the total

* MD has covered nine of its last 25 games

ABOUT OREGON STATE:

The Good News -- The Beavers ranked #2 in the country in rushing defense, allowing just 2.1 per carry and 75 yards a game. They also tied for third in the nation, with 42 sacks, and are sixth in the country in tackles for loss.

The Bad News -- Between Lyle Moevao and Sean Canfield, Oregon State does not get consistent quarterback play. Combined, they threw 10 TD passes and 20 interceptions. Special teams have been a liability, especially in the punting (112th nationally) and punt return (105th) units.

OREGON STATE TRENDS:

* OSU has won and covered six of its last seven games

* OSU has played four OVERS in its last six games

* OSU has won its last three bowl games SU

THE BOTTOM LINE: Oregon State has the superlative stats on defense, that's for sure, and it is significant that the Beavers played well down the stretch with people like Canfield, wide receiver Sammy Stroughter and Yvenson Bernard injured for all or part of that time. But the big win over Oregon took place with the Ducks crippled at quarterback. And with the ineffectiveness of their QB's, not only is Oregon State going to be mistake-prone, it does not appear to be the kind of offense that possesses a lot of KO power. Let's not forget that Maryland is good enough to have defeated some solid opponents, and with key offensive linemen like Andrew Crummey back in action, this team may be well-equipped to have better success protecting the passer. We'll take the points with Maryland, the six-point underdog in the BetUS college football betting odds.

WHAT: Emerald Bowl

WHO: Maryland Terrapins (6-6 SU, 4-6-1 ATS) vs. Oregon State Beavers (8-4 SU, 7-4 ATS)

WHEN & WHERE: December 28, 8:30 PM ET at AT&T Park in San Francisco (grass)

BETUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING LINE: OREGON STATE -6, Total: 48

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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com loves to help people pick winners. He is a regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room)