State -25.5 vs EKU

[PMDawg]

Not that I encourage gambling, but interested in the line. Thoughts?

With a new coach, new offensive scheme, and a green DC, I would take the points. EKU got drilled by Cincinnati last year, but every other game was either a win or a close loss. They even played Kentucky tight. Now, granted, I have no idea how much they return from last year, but they were competitive. Seems like good work by the coaching staff.

ETA: Just a quick google search indicates they made a few coaching changes, but kept the HC (year 5) and all 3 coordinators. So, still a solid staff. They have a new QB replacing a 5 year starter (Western Ill transfer). They had 2 RBs last year that split time, and one transferred out. The one that remains rushed for over 700 yards and had 4 TDs last year. They seem to feel like they are "stacked" at WR and TE. The DL has 10 guys they feel like can play, with 5 returning who have played a "ton" of snaps. ILB seems to be a weak spot for them, but OLB returns a lot and added transfer depth. CBs were bad last year, and may be again this year. Safety is a strength for them. They gave up a lot of big plays on defense last year.

We obviously out-talent them everywhere, and should be able to cover the spread, but for reasons mentioned above, it could be a risky bet. Too many unknowns. Personally, I would advise finding a better game with more knowns to bet on. But, if I had to bet it, I would probably lean towards taking the points. Caveat - If their new QB is bad, or we can pressure him, it could get ugly for them.