EAST CAROLINA VS VIRGINIA TECH

KEY RELEASE WEEK ONE

8/30

2* East Carolina +10 over Va Tech - There are only a couple of +10's still available but there's a good chance we'll see more 10's as game day approaches. Either way you need to shop for the best lines at as many top sportsbooks as possible.

Skip Holtz has done a great job with the East Carolina program. He has done, exactly what is expected when a program brings in a coach to turn a program around. He took over a team that was 2-9 in 2004. In 2005 he won 5 games. In 2006 he won 7 and last year he won 8. Hopes are sky high this year as the team is loaded with returning starters at every position including QB where they have two kids who can start. To add to the hype, their toughest two games of the season look to be games 1 and 2 against Va Tech and West Virginia. Every other game on the schedule is winnable. Look for the Pirates to go to a major bowl and also look for the major schools to come calling on Skip Holts.

But, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Right now, we're concerned with Virginia Tech. These two met on opening day a year ago, an emotional day for Tech, a game in which Tech came away with a 17-7 win. Not much has changed talent wise for Holtz and East Carolina. But lots has changed for the Hokies. They lost their top 4 receivers, their leading rusher and 7 starters from a defense that ranked 4th in the nation. For many programs, that would be huge. But Tech always has talent. Put them right up there with the Michigan's of the world. As they saying goes, they don't rebuild, they reload. They win 10 or 11 games just about every year regardless of how many returning starters they have.

But if the door were ever open for a team like the Pirates to pull an upset, it would have to be now. They are a confident bunch that comes into this one knowing they played these guys even last year. They are largely intact from a year ago and have the benefit of having played together whereas Tech will more than likely start slowly with all the new faces. This game is being played in Charlotte, the Panthers home field, before a sellout crowd of over 73,000 which will only ad to the excitement.

We can't pass up getting 10 points in a game where an upset is not entirely out of the question. We're not kidding ourselves. We realize East Carolina is no Virginia Tech. You can't compare the two. Tech is always loaded, and plays a much tougher schedule than East Carolina will ever play. But this looks to be the start of a special season for Holtz and East Carolina, so we'll take the +10 and hope Tech starts slow as we anticipate and makes this game close heading into the 4th quarter. Another wager that may be worth a look is taking East Carolina in the first half.

Remember the Key Release ratings :

1* Opinion

2* Small play

3* Regular play

4* Above average

5* Top Play

7* rare

10* very rare

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