Every season, Las Vegas releases advance spreads on Games of the Year so that bettors can put down some cash on matchups that won't occur for several months. If you have a good sense of a team (or teams), it's a great way to get potential value on an underrated team or fade an overrated team.
Here are my best early value bets for South Point's Games of the Year.
TCU Horned Frogs (+7.5) at Baylor Bears
November 5
The Frogs are an under-the-radar team this year and much better than most people think. They have been picked as low as sixth in the Big 12, but I have them second. Every day, another Baylor recruit seems to be going elsewhere, and three of them were my projected starters. Baylor may be 30-3 the past five seasons at home, but the Bears no longer have Art Briles on the sideline. In that five-year span, Gary Patterson has brought his Frogs here twice; they won 49-21 in 2012, and in 2014, they led by 21 in the fourth quarter but lost a tight one by 3. I think TCU wins this game, and you are getting loads of value with the Frogs at 7.5.
Arizona State Sun Devils (+7) at Arizona Wildcats
November 25
This is a rivalry game, and I like to go with rivalry 'dogs. Five of the past seven games in this series have been decided by seven points or fewer, and the Sun Devils are getting the full seven points here. Arizona State is another team I believe is flying under the radar, as it has just 10 returning starters, but a ton of junior college transfers are joining the ranks in Tempe. Last season, Arizona State dominated this game, leading 31-10 at the half, and could easily pull the road upset this season. Take the generous points.
California Golden Bears (+13.5) vs. Stanford Cardinal
November 19
This is a rivalry game, and as previously mentioned, I like to go with the rivalry 'dog. Cal lost their top four wide receivers, but by the end of November, that unit will be experienced. Stanford has had its way with Cal the past few years, but I like the fact that Cal had a 495-358 yard edge last year. The situation is good for Cal -- Stanford will not only be on its sixth road game in nine weeks, but the Cardinal have lost two of the past three the week after their big battle versus Oregon, and this one will be at Autzen Stadium this season.