A lot of folks are high on Ohio State. Others fancy Oregon. A segment of fans also favors Texas. However, is the public overlooking Miami as a legitimate national title contender?
Admittedly, the Hurricanes must fill vacancies left by four starting offensive linemen, alongside defensive ends Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor. Even so, Miami retains one of the nation’s premier wideouts in Malachi Toney, plus a physical rushing attack fronted by Mark Fletcher Jr., coming off a squad that made it all the way to the CFP National Championship. Furthermore, their transfer portal haul features signal-caller Darian Mensah—who accumulated 3,973 passing yards and 34 scores at Duke of all places—along with his primary target from his time with the Blue Devils, Cooper Barkate.
Perhaps the most compelling case for Miami’s championship run is an incredibly favorable slate of opponents. Their schedule features just a single adversary ranked in the preseason Top 25, which is a November 7 showdown against Notre Dame.
Currently sitting at +1000 on DraftKings to secure the national crown (trailing Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, Oregon, Georgia, and Indiana), the Hurricanes begin their campaign this Friday with a trip out West to play Stanford (1-0). Miami enters the matchup favored by 23.5 points.
Though the clash between the Hurricanes and Cardinal takes center stage on Friday, bettors have plenty of other opportunities, including a handful of college gridiron matchups and a packed MLB lineup. Here is an overview of key events to watch and wager on using the best sports betting apps for Friday, Sept. 4. All times are Eastern.
Top college football wagers and broadcast details
UTEP at No. 10 Oklahoma
Kickoff: 8 p.m. | Venue: Norman, Okla. | Television: SEC Network | Live Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Selection — Computer Model: UTEP +41.5 | Handicapper: Under 52 -114 (David Bearman)
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables made a name for himself as a defensive mastermind, and his unit backed that up last year by finishing sixth nationally in yards allowed per game (272.5) and seventh in scoring defense (15.5). This stout defensive play resulted in only two of the Sooners’ 13 contests exceeding a total of 51.5 points. On the other side, “UTEP had only one matchup cross into the 50-point range last year and has since suffered heavy transfer portal losses, particularly from an offensive unit that finished 99th in scoring at 23.3 points per game and 114th in overall yardage,” Bearman explained to SportsLine. The SportsLine Projection Model, which runs 10,000 computer simulations for every game, projects a 79% probability of the Miners beating the spread, giving a “B” rating to UTEP +41.5.
No. 7 Miami at Stanford
Kickoff: 9 p.m. | Venue: Stanford, Calif. | Television: ESPN | Live Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Selection — Computer Model: Stanford +23.5 | Handicapper: Miami -24.5 (Emory Hunt)
In Tavita Pritchard’s coaching debut last week, the Cardinal squandered a 16-point lead in the final period before scoring consecutive touchdowns late to escape Hawaii with a 37-27 victory. However, the Hurricanes present a far greater challenge than Hawaii. Stanford has historically faltered against elite competition, posting a dismal 1-18 record against Top 25 opponents since October 2021, losing those games by an average of 27.4 points. This trend includes a lopsided 35-point defeat to Miami last season, where the Hurricanes dominated the yardage battle 404 to 144. “The Hurricanes possess a deep arsenal of playmakers and should consistently stress the Cardinal defense from start to finish,” Hunt shared with SportsLine. Conversely, the SportsLine computer simulation leans the other way, suggesting the Cardinal have a 53% probability of covering, labeling Stanford +23.5 with a “B” grade.
Fresno State at No. 14 USC
Kickoff: 9 p.m. | Venue: Los Angeles | Television: FOX | Live Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Selection — Computer Model: Fresno State +21.5 | Handicapper: Fresno State +23 (Emory Hunt)
Though USC’s starting lineup looked impressive versus San Jose State last week, their second-stringers surrendered three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a 42-26 win. Hunt highlights that the Bulldogs offer a much tougher challenge on the offensive and defensive lines than the Spartans did. “Fresno State is eyeing a potential playoff bid and must perform at their peak in this high-profile non-conference test,” Hunt commented to SportsLine. This sentiment is echoed by the SportsLine Projection Model, which projects a 54% cover rate for Fresno State and gives a “B” rating to the Bulldogs at +21.5. Notably, the Bulldogs have covered the spread in each of their past four opportunities when playing as underdogs of 20 or more points.
Top MLB bets and broadcast schedule
Braves at Phillies
First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. | Venue: Philadelphia | Television: MLB.TV | Live Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Selection — Computer Model: Braves -1.5 (+173)
A premium pitching matchup features Atlanta’s Chris Sale (13-9, 2.06 ERA) against Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez (16-4, 2.52) to kick off a high-stakes four-game set at Citizens Bank Park. There are only 22 games left on the regular-season calendar, and the division-leading Braves (83-57) currently hold a four-game advantage over the second-place Phillies (79-61) in the NL East. Should Philadelphia manage a four-game sweep, they would pull even for the top spot. Sale enters this contest fresh off a dominant complete-game shutout against Los Angeles, where he allowed just five hits, struck out 11 batters, and walked none. Additionally, Sale has a 2-0 record against the Phillies this season, while the Braves hold a 5-1 head-to-head edge over Philadelphia on the year. The SportsLine Projection Model estimates a 71% chance that the Braves cover, assigning a “B” rating to Atlanta -1.5 on the run line.
On the horizon
College football: Clemson at No. 11 LSU
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday | Venue: Baton Rouge, La. | Television: ABC | Live Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Selection — Computer Model: LSU -10 | Handicapper: LSU -10 (Tom Fornelli)
If the upcoming schedule for LSU matches the drama of its offseason, local breweries will be working overtime. The Lane Kiffin era kicks off with a massive influx of roster talent, highlighted by the nation’s top-rated transfer portal class, which features quarterback Sam Leavitt. On Saturday evening, LSU plays host to a Clemson squad that must break in four new starting offensive linemen to protect their newly named starting quarterback, Christopher Vizzina. “I have consistently argued that Clemson’s championship window has closed, and this could easily be the most talent-deprived roster Dabo Swinney has fielded in the last ten years,” Fornelli observed to SportsLine. The SportsLine Projection Model shares this outlook, anticipating a 55% chance that LSU covers the double-digit spread and giving a “C” rating to LSU -10.
