Arkansas Receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs highlight the West in 2012 East West Shrine Game
East – West Shrine Game 2012 College Football Predictions: Several of the top college football players, looking to get noticed by NFL scouts, have been preparing all week to play the traditional East West Shrine Game today at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The game will be the last time these players, divided into East and West teams, will be coached by college coaches. Oddsmakers at online sportsbook TopBet.com list the West as 1 1/2-chalk College Football Odds favorite over the East with a 38 point combined score (over/under) total. NFL Network will televise the game with a 2:00 pm ET kickoff.
Handicapping these college all-star games is not very scientific. With the best players divided equally, finding a true edge on either side can be difficult. However, that doesn’t mean one can’t be successful in finding winning action. Perhaps the best bet is against the game total.
The game features a mixture of players from traditional power programs and small college. Some of the more notable’s to play today are East Quarterbacks John Brantley of Florida and Austin Davis of Southern Mississippi. Alfred Morris of Florida Atlantic will also be among the quarterbacks for the East. Calling the signals for the West will be Northwestern’s Dan Persa,
Tyler Hansen of Colorado and Chandler Harnish of Northern Illinois.
For quarterbacks to be good, they need great wide receivers and today’s game has no shortage of those. The West is loaded with big names such as Greg Childs and Jarius Wright of Arkansas and Tyler Shoemaker of Boise State. B.J. Cunningham of Michigan State is the big name wide out for the East along with Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins. Cunningham is joined by less notables as Kevin Hardy of The Citadel, Lance Lewis of East Carolina and Thomas Mayo of California-Pennsylvania. West fans need to keep their eyes on one of the best Tight Ends in the nation, Kevin Koger of Michigan.
While offenses get most of the attention, the team with the best defense usually wins. Each team is loaded with quality on the defensive line like Tyrone Crawford of Boise State and Kentrell Lockett of Ole Miss and Josh Kaddu of Oregon. Hawaii sent its two bookends Vaughn Meatoga and Kaniela Tuipolotu. The West is well equipped with great linebackers like Jerry Franklin of Arkansas, Tank Carder of TCU and Dajohn Harris of USC.
Best Bet – The best side bet will be giving the 1 1/2-points College Football Odds and taking the West. I also like the OVER against the 38 total.
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