Witt's Wagers: Week 2
Ben Wittenstein offers insight on: Indiana's First Quarter Team Total against KSU, 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.
Indiana failing to get to the 40-point threshold last week was, in all honesty, nuts. That wide-open dropped TD pass nearly made me walk out of my house and never come back, Weapons style.
But here we are in Week 2, and Curt Cignetti has talked about how much work this team needs to do and how disappointed he was in IU despite the win. So…
Bet: Indiana 1st Quarter Team Total Over 9.5 (-135, DraftKings)
One thing about Curt Cignetti: when he’s not happy, his players hear about it—and respond. It’s no secret that IU underperformed against Old Dominion in Week 1. The offense was sloppy in the red zone, the skill players made mistakes, and the coaching was subpar.
This team is too talented to have that happen again.
Expect IU to get into the red zone early in this one—with Fernando Mendoza growing more comfortable each week—and expect them to actually finish drives inside the 20.
IU was one of the best in offensive conversion rate last year, and I expect them to lean back in that direction. Kennesaw State ranks 113th in defensive success against the pass, which sets up IU to finally hit on some deep shots early and establish control.
OTHER GAMES I’M EYEING
1. Michigan-Oklahoma Under 45.5 (-110) – We’ve got Brent Venables vs. a Big Ten team that loves to run. Oklahoma: welcome to Big Ten football. Expect three yards and a cloud of dust, with OU’s defense returning six starters from a unit that ranked 33rd in opponent points per play. Michigan, meanwhile, ranked 15th in rush rate last year and ran for 200+ in Week 1. Lots of ground game, lots of defense. Gimme a low-scoring battle in Norman.
2. Kansas State -17 (-110) vs. Army– After two rough weeks, it’s finally time to get on the Wildcats’ bandwagon. Week 0 in Ireland was a disaster, and KSU had to fight jet lag before a short-turnaround Week 1 game. No surprise they nearly got clipped by North Dakota, an FCS team treating it like their Super Bowl. Now, KSU gets a normal prep week and hosts an abysmal Army team that just lost in OT to Tarleton State. Time to grab a deflated line.
3. Iowa State-Iowa Under 41.5 (-110) – Listen, if you’re not betting the under in the CyHawk Game, you’re simply not taking part in an American pastime. Four of the last five Iowa State-Iowa games have gone under, and this year will likely continue that trend. Two teams with TONS of familiarity, oftentimes mediocre passing games, and great defenses. Expect points to be at a premium.
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.