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Miami head coach Mario Cristobal continues to talk a good game, despite a 5-7 finish in his first season
But, is betting on a (+3) jump in the win column too much to ask for from a team picked to finish fifth in the ACC preseason poll?
The 'Canes are hoping a full season from QB Tyler Van Dyke, solid returns from a host of high-profile transfers including C Matt Lee, and new coordinators (Shannon Dawson on offense; Lance Guidry on defense) keep them afloat. Here are 3 things we're looking at when evaluating the Hurricanes' over/under win total:
Miami Hurricanes Betting Odds at Home
WIN GAMES AT HOME
Miami was embarrassed in home losses to Middle Tennessee St., Florida St. and North Carolina St. Throw in a close loss to UNC, and the 'Canes did nothing to create any sort of home-field advantage at Hard Rock Stadium in Year 1 under Cristobal. This year, Miami plays six of its first eight games at home, including the opener vs. Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 1, followed by Texas A&M (Sept. 9).
Given Miami's home struggles, getting to 2-0 to start the season is no sure thing. (* In fact , I would take a look at taking the Redhawks +17.) The Hurricanes, who host Clemson before November road trips to NC State and FSU, have dates with Louisville and Boston College to close out their regular season schedule.
Betting on Miami Hurricanes College Football Games
However, one of the key traits of any elite college football program is being able to win games at home. And this edition of the 'Canes has yet to prove they can do that. It also leads into a bigger issue for me, when evaluating the entire schedule.
Van Dyke's availability for the opener came into question earlier this week -- before Cristobal was quick to quiet the reports. Yet, I wonder how invested some of UM's upperclassmen, including Van Dyke, will be by mid-November - especially with a lot of them already keeping close tabs on the NFL Draft.
Jason Taylor - Miami Hurricane Coach
A lot of new coaches were added to the staff, in addition to Jason Taylor (yes, that Jason Taylor) being bumped up to defensive line coach. A number of coaches were also dismissed, including offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. So, there's been plenty of turnover in Coral Gables. And that's worrisome, when you consider Dawson working in a new offense around Van Dyke, who is not only on his third offensive coordinator in as many years, but coming off a subpar season. Miami will also start the season with several new starters on the OL, including Lee. How soon they come together, if at all, will be interesting. I'm also not sure Guidry is a better option than Kevin Steele at DC. It feels like a lot of new pieces in key roles.Be careful. COACH BETTER ON GAME DAY Let's face it: Cristobal needs to be better on game day. A lot better. Just 64-64 as a head coach, Cristobal, 7-21-2 ATS in his last 30 games, looked outmatched in most of Miami's games last season. His team looked like they quit on him - most notably in the blowout losses to Middle Tennessee St. and FSU. That's not good. The Hurricanes looked sloppy, as turnovers and penalties in key moments of games became the norm. A number of Miami players also regressed last year. And those issues fall squarely on Cristobal's shoulders. So, I'm not convinced another year at the helm, is going to make Cristobal a better coach.
Miami Hurricanes - College Football Betting Analyst
Despite all the optimism coming out of Coral Gables, getting to 8-4 seems like quite a climb for a team with a number of questions, and faced with a daunting schedule inside a top-heavy conference.
Hurricanes Under 7.5 WINS Fernie Ruano, a South Florida-based multimedia specialist and copywriter with a concentration in sports betting analysis and Miami culture, has just about covered it all over the years. Follow him on Twitter at @bet_on305fernie.
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