Deondre Francois Injury Plummets Florida State’s National Title Odds
The Florida State Seminoles will be without star quarterback Deondre Francois this weekend when they host the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks as 32-point favorites on the Week 2 college football betting lines at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The 20-year-old stepped up last year following a preseason injury to starter Sean Maguire, leading FSU to a 10-3 straight up record and a trip to the Orange Bowl, and was a major reason why the squad opened the campaign as a +750 bet on the national championship odds.
But with Francois now facing season-ending surgery after going down to injury in Florida State’s season-opening 24-7 loss to Alabama as a 7.5-point underdog, the Seminoles have plummeted to a distant +2500 in national championship betting.
This marks the second straight year that Florida State has lost one of its stars to an early season-ending injury. All-American safety Derwin James also needed surgery after hurting his knee in a 52-8 Week 2 win over Charleston Southern last year, which the Seminoles followed up on with a devastating 63-20 loss to the Louisville Cardinals as 1-point chalk.
However, the Seminoles should have an easier time against Louisiana-Monroe, which is 2-21 SU in its past 23 road games but covered in six of its past nine.
While the Seminoles fade, the Clemson Tigers are climbing the national championship odds, moving past FSU to +2000 following a 56-3 demolition of Kent State as 38-point home chalk.
Clemson faces a tougher task Saturday when they renew their century-old rivalry with Auburn as 5.5-point home betting favorites. The defending national champions currently ride a six-game SU win streak. Clemson also is unbeaten in three straight games against Auburn, which takes a three-game road losing streak into Saturday night’s matchup at Memorial Stadium.
In other ACC action this week, the Cardinals take on North Carolina as 9.5-point road favorites, and Penn State battles Pittsburgh as heavy 20.5-point home chalk. Boston College hosts Wake Forest as a slim 1.5-point favorite, while Miami visits Arkansas State as a 14.5-point favorite.
Louisville is a dismal 2-8 ATS in its past 10 games according to the OddsShark College Football Database, but it faces a Tar Heels squad that is winless SU in three straight home games. The Nittany Lions put on a clinic last weekend in a 52-0 thrashing of Akron as 30-point chalk, but face a high-powered Panthers squad that has scored over 45 points per game over their past five games.
The Eagles are enjoying their first four-game SU win streak since 2013, and are 7-3 SU in their past 10 games against the Demon Deacons, but have covered just twice in their past six meetings.
Thumbnail photo via John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports Images
