Witt's Wagers: Week 11
Ben Wittenstein offers insight on Indiana's spread at Penn State this week, as well as other games he's eyeing this week.
Some of you may remember Witt’s Wagers, featured in each BSB weekly preview during the 2024 season and produced by my good friend and respected betting expert (and IU alumnus) Ben Wittenstein. We’re bringing it back for 2025 and expanding it into its own weekly guest BSB post!
Ben will offer at least one Indiana bet that he likes each week, as well as other bets around college football that may or may not be Indiana-related.
I’m thrilled to have Ben back in the BSB fold, and I know he will make us all lots of money! The edition below is the first installment.
We’ve been winning some fun first-half bets with this team, so instead of testing those waters again, let’s keep it nice and simple this week and just take the Hoosiers to win, and win big.
Bet: IU -14.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Season Record: 5-4
Listen, if you’ve read me before, you know I’m a big “market guy.” It’s important to be aware of how good or bad the market thinks about your team. In this case, IU’s stock couldn’t be higher. They’ve been bulldozing teams left and right like the world’s most efficient construction worker. So yes, it would make a little sense to fade those sentiments and maybe get PSU at a good number.
But this year’s Indiana team is just…different.
They’ve got the crazy Cignetti DNA inside of them that simply doesn’t let them let up. Indiana has to win, and they have to win as big as they can.
Now they’re on the road against a Penn State team that just a couple months ago looked like a potential title contender. Fast forward through a coaching firing, an offensive collapse, and four straight losses, and this isn’t your slightly older twin’s Nittany Lions.
IU has shown time and time again that they truly don’t have a glaring weakness. If they’re going to have a close game at this point, it’ll be due to a first-time problem or some unfortunate turnover luck. I think the Hoosiers keep winning and keep winning big, so a three-possession win at this point almost seems expected. So let’s bet on it!
OTHER GAMES I’M EYEING
Season Record: 9-11-1
Mississippi State 1H +5.5 (-110, Hard Rock) – Death, taxes, and fading Georgia in the first half of SEC games. Weirdly, this has been profitable, with Kirby Smart and Co. going 1-5 ATS in first halves against SEC teams this season. If you’re an avid reader of this column, you know I love a team that fights. Mississippi State? They’re the Rocky of the SEC right now. Eyes glued shut, sweat soaking their hair, cuts all over their face — yet no quit in them. At home under the lights, against a team that tends to sleepwalk, the Bulldogs can keep it close or even take a lead into the locker room.
UConn +9.5 (-110, BetMGM) – By now, you should know I’m a fan of a good situational spot, and there are at least two here. First, the Blue Devils just pulled off a big road win at Clemson with a two-point conversion in the final 40 seconds. After that emotional ending, Duke faces a quick turnaround with a huge Top-25 matchup against Virginia looming next week. In between sits a road trip to “lowly” UConn, a smaller non-conference program likely getting little of Duke’s attention. Duke wants to get in, get out, stay healthy, and avoid showing too much. The Huskies, meanwhile, love to challenge bigger teams and could keep it close.
PARLAY: Oregon ML, Clemson ML (+156, ESPNBet) – Iowa is a seemingly trendy dog, but truthfully, I think Oregon can win big just by sheer talent. Clemson is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Duke of all teams. I think FSU’s win last week was more a bad spot for Wake, so I think Clemson takes advantage.
Ben Wittenstein has created sports betting content during the last six years for various media outlets, including CBS Sports, Stadium, Bleav Network, BetMGM, and Bet QL. He graduated from IU with a journalism degree in 2017 and spent four years broadcasting IUFB games on top of Memorial Stadium’s press box (shoutout WIUX). You can find Ben on Twitter at @BenWittenstein, where you can ask betting questions about IU and beyond.