It is important to understand at this time of year what public teams are. Public teams are typically high-scoring soccer teams with national recognition, both in the collegiate and professional ranks. Notre Dame and the Dallas Cowboys certainly fit that bill. Both have a long tradition of being great football programs and both have flashy offenses.

Notre Dame is averaging 32 points and 273 passing yards under quarterback Brady Quinn and coach Charlie Weis. They are exciting and imaginative on offense, which makes for good TV. They have also been overrated by punters, going 4-7 against the spread this season (2-5 ATS at home). Punters will factor in a few extra points here and there knowing that the average Joe punter is more likely to throw money at the Irish than, say, Stanford, North Carolina or Purdue, three teams that Notre Dame beat but couldn’t cover.

I used this reasoning last Monday when the Eagles and Cowboys met in Dallas for a pivotal NFC East matchup. Overall, it was an even game, with winning teams, aggressive defenses, good coaches, good quarterbacks, and the division title on the line. So why was Dallas a 7-point favorite? That is far from even game in the eyes of bettors.

In my analysis of the game, I wrote, “Why is this line so high? The simple reason is that the Cowboys are America’s team. The Cowboys will get more money because they have better-known players, a high-profile owner, and a big name coach But looking at the statistics shows that no two teams are pretty much the same.

“The true line should be Dallas -3 or -4, not the full touchdown fee. Philadelphia has only lost one game all season by more than a road field goal. Dallas gains 5.7 yards per play and allows 5.2 , for a 0.5 ypp advantage, very strong. But Philly is even better. Eagles gain 6.1 yards per play and allow 5.0, for a positive 1.1 ypp advantage. That’s the biggest differential in the league. Expect this game to the end with the 7-point margin never in question”.

Philadelphia never had any doubts about covering the number, leading from start to finish. This can also be applied to bowling games. Many teams from well-known and renowned schools are always in bowls, while others are playing in bowls for the first time, or the first time in years.

Lesser known schools that are motivated and talented can offer great betting value. Rutgers, for example, was a great play for me last week. There was ample reason to expect a major effort from the Scarlet Knights who, let’s face it, don’t get seen in bowls or as a national powerhouse very often.

Head coach Greg Schiano was given the opportunity to travel to Miami, Florida and take a much higher profile position. He turned down the Hurricanes’ offer. It shows that he feels that Rutgers hasn’t peaked yet, and that this can become a high-powered type of football program.

This was only his second game of bowling in 28 years! As further proof, Rutgers fans petitioned the local cable provider to add the NFL network to their service so they could watch their beloved Scarlet Knights play. Their opponent, Kansas State, was starting with an erratic rookie quarterback in Josh Freeman, with a poor 6-to-13 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

I concluded with, “I hope the Scarlet Knights get away with forcing the young Wildcat to beat them. Backing this Kansas State team in a come-from-behind mode is not healthy for your budget.” When looking at bowl point spreads, keep in mind which teams are public and which lesser-known quality teams may offer excellent bet value.