Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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11-02-13 | Ohio State v. Purdue +32.5 | 56-0 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 24 m | Show | |
15* Big Ten GAME OF THE WEEK on Purdue +32.5
The Purdue Boilermakers are catching too many points at home Saturday against the Ohio State Buckeyes. While things have not gone as planned for Purdue this far, it has kept fighting. Now, this is its Super Bowl and a chance to compete against a Top 5 team in the country. Purdue has played a couple of games this season that make me believe it can hang with the Buckeyes. It only lost 24-31 at home to Notre Dame as a 17-point underdog. It also only lost 0-14 at Michigan State as a 28-point dog last time out. It was only outgained by 68 yards by the Spartans behind a dominant defensive performance, limiting them to 294 total yards. This was a 7-0 game with 8:55 left to go in the 4th. Now, with two weeks off since that game against Michigan State, Purdue is fresh and ready to go. Meanwhile, Ohio State is tired after a brutal stretch which includes games against Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa and Penn State. Three of those games were decided by 10 points or less. Sure, the Buckeyes blew out Penn State last week, but that's why I believe this line is inflated because the betting public has that blowout fresh in their minds. They are pounding the Buckeyes as a result, and I'll gladly play the role of contrarian here. That's especially the case when you consider how tough Purdue has played Ohio State the past two seasons. Purdue beat Ohio State at home 26-23 in overtime in 2011 as a 7.5-point underdog. In 2012, the Boilermakers went into Ohio State and lost 22-29 as a 17-point dog in overtime. They actually outgained the Buckeyes 347-342 last year, limiting Braxton Miller to 9 of 20 passing for 113 yards and an interception, and 47 rushing yards on 12 carries. The Boilermakers are 17-8 ATS in their last 25 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game. The Buckeyes are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. Purdue is 4-1 ATS in its last five meetings with Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 1-5 ATS in their last six trips to Purdue. Roll with the Boilermakers Saturday. |
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11-01-13 | USC +4.5 v. Oregon State | 31-14 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show | |
15* USC/Oregon State Pac-12 No-Brainer on USC +4.5
The Oregon State Beavers are in a bit of a letdown spot here tonight. They are coming off a hard-fought game against Stanford, losing by a final of 12-20 at home. They will have a hard time getting back up from the map after such a physical game and on a short week. Stanford sacked Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion eight times in that contest to push its sack total to 27 on the season. That's number is the exact same amount of sacks (27) as USC has on the season behind the play of one of the most dominant defensive lines in college football. USC has been a completely different team since interim coach Ed Oregeron took over for the fired Lane Kiffin three games ago. It has gone 2-1 with its only loss coming at Notre Dame by a final of 10-14. It has outgained each of its three opponents in the process, beating Arizona 38-31 in a game that was a much bigger blowout than the final score would indicate, and topping Utah 19-3. Last week, the Trojans held the Utes to just 201 total yards while forcing four turnovers. Oregon State beat Utah too, but it needed overtime to do so and gave up a whopping 539 total yards back on September 14. The Beavers are one of the most underrated teams in the country due to the easy schedule that they have faced outside of Stanford and Utah. The other six opponents OSU has faced have been Eastern Washington, Hawaii, San Diego State, Colorado, Washington State and California. They lost to Eastern Washington, and only beat San Diego State 34-30. Meanwhile, USC has already played the likes of Utah State, Arizona State, Arizona, Notre Dame and Utah and have managed to get through that daunting slate at 5-3. USC is giving up just 19.2 points and 317.2 yards per game this season to rank 11th in the country in total defense. It only gives up 106.0 yards rushing and 211.9 passing and will have an answer for Mannion tonight with its ability to get after the opposing quarterback. Offensively, the Trojans are expected to get back perhaps the best receiver in the country in Marqise Lee tonight, which will be a huge boost. Plays on road underdogs (USC) - good offensive team (5.6 to 6.2 YPP) against a poor defense (5.6 to 6.2 YPP) after 7+ games are 31-7 (81.6%) ATS over the last five seasons. Bet USC Friday. |
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11-01-13 | Detroit Pistons +8 v. Memphis Grizzlies | 108-111 | Win | 100 | 9 h 15 m | Show | |
15* NBA Friday Night Line Mistake on Detroit Pistons +8
The Detroit Pistons are one of the most underrated teams in the league heading into the 2013-14 season. That was evident in their opener as they dismantled Washington 113-102 as only a 2.5-point home favorite. The Wizards are a hot pick this season to be much-improved, so it was a really good win. I love what Detroit has done this offseason. It has brought in Josh Smith, Chauncey Billups and Brandon Jennings. While Jennings is out with an injury, the Pistons did not miss him much as they scored 113 points on 50% shooting. Will Bynum had 19 points while Billups scored 16 to lead the Pistons' backcourt. But the real reason this team is going to be so tough going forward is the length of the three big men in Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. Monroe and Drummond were already arguably the most underrated big man tandem in the league, and when you throw Smith into the mix, this is going to be a tough team to deal with. Monroe scored 24 points in the opener, while Smith (19) and Drummond (12) had solid games as well. Conversely, I believe the Memphis Grizzlies are one of the most overrated teams heading into 2013-14. That's because they made the Western Conference Finals last year. However, they were aided by an injury to Blake Griffin in their series win over the Clippers, and then Russell Westbrook missed the entire series in the Conference Semifinals for Oklahoma City. Memphis' true colors showed in the conference finals as they were swept in four games by the Spurs. The Grizzlies did nothing to improve their team this offseason, especially offensively. They lost 94-101 to San Antonio in the opener in a game that was a much bigger blowout than the final score would indicate as they shot just 41.9 percent from the floor. Sure, Memphis is going to be a good defensive team again this season, but so is Detroit with their trio of big men. Detroit is 72-49 ATS in road games off a home win by 10 points or more since 1996. The Pistons are 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a S.U. win. Detroit is 6-0-1 ATS in its last seven games following an ATS win. the Pistons are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight road games. Detroit is 5-0 ATS in its last five after scoring 100 or more points in its previous game. These four trends combine for a perfect 24-0 system backing the Pistons. Take Detroit Friday. |
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11-01-13 | Milwaukee Bucks v. Boston Celtics UNDER 188 | 105-98 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 47 m | Show | |
15* NBA Friday Total DOMINATOR on Bucks/Celtics UNDER 188
The books have set the bar way too high tonight in this contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. Both of these teams are going to be solid defensively this year, but each is also going to be terrible offensively. That couldn't have been more evident than in the openers for each on Wednesday. Milwaukee lost 83-90 at New York in its opener while shooting just 45.9 percent from the floor. It did allow 50.7 percent shooting to the Knicks, but so for such a low-scoring game, that just shows the kind of slow pace they played at. Boston lost 87-93 at Toronto despite shooting 58.5 percent from the floor. Again, it was such a low scoring game due to the slow pace. Brad Stevens is the new head coach at Boston. At Butler in college, Stevens always got the most out of this teams behind a suffocating defense. He even took the Bulldogs to the NCAA Championship twice, which is simply remarkable. He did that despite having a below-average offensive team in terms of points per game because they played at such a slow pace and relied on defense. Milwaukee boasts two of the best defensive big men in the league. Larry Sanders and John Henson have a ton of length and can alter shots as well as any tandem in the NBA. However, neither player is gifted offensively. So this is certainly going to be a defensive-minded Bucks team, especially after letting go of Monte Ellis and Brandon Jennings in the offseason. Both teams have injuries to guards that are really going to hamper their offensive production in the early going, and force them to play at an even slower pace. Milwaukee is expected to be without starting point guard Brandon Knight and backup point guard Luke Ridnour, leaving the unproven Nate Wolters to handle the PG duties. Boston is without Rajon Rondo (knee), while backup PG Avery Bradley is questionable with a head injury. The UNDER is 7-2 in the last nine meetings in this series. Had one of those games not gone to overtime, the UNDER would be 8-1. The UNDER is 6-1 in Celtics last seven games overall. The UNDER is 6-0 in Celtics last six vs. NBA Central opponents. The UNDER is 4-0-1 in Bucks last five road games. The UNDER is 4-0 in Bucks last four vs. NBA Atlantic foes. Roll with the UNDER in this game Friday. |
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11-01-13 | Toronto Raptors v. Atlanta Hawks -2.5 | Top | 95-102 | Win | 100 | 9 h 47 m | Show |
20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Atlanta Hawks -2.5
The Atlanta Hawks will be hungry for their first win of the season on Friday as they return home to face the Toronto Raptors. Despite allowing 57.1% shooting at Dallas on Wednesday, they hung tough and lost by a final of 109-118. Obviously, the defense isn't going to be nearly as bad at home, and Toronto isn't going to be nearly as hot at Dallas was the other night. The offense looked solid in scoring 109 points, and head coach Mike Budenholzer has been preaching defense heading into this one, especially in transition. "If you sprint back, you've got to take care of the basket first, and then the ball and then the most dangerous (potential shooter) - in that order," Budenholzer said. "A lot of times if it truly is transition, you don't end up with your own man." Point guard Jeff Teague had 24 points, nine assists and four steals while doing a nice job triggering Budenholzer's new offense. Newcomer Paul Millsap scored 20 points from the power forward spot previously manned by Josh Smith, and another newcomer, Cartier Martin, added 17 points off the bench. "We were running back to our own man; that's stuff you learn in second grade," Teague said. "They were getting easy baskets. We've got to get back in transition and match up. It doesn't matter who you guard. We made mistakes. We're learning. We're a new team. We'll get better." I strongly believe the Hawks are underrated heading into the season due to the trade of Josh Smith in the offseason. Well, they return almost everyone except Smith, and Paul Millsap is an ample replacement. In fact, he is arguably the single-most underrated player in the entire league. I was more impressed with how the Hawks hung tough in Dallas in a losing effort than I was with Toronto's 93-87 home victory over Boston to open the season. The Celtics are in full-blown rebuilding mode, and the Raptors struggled to put them away as an 8-point favorite. They are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers tonight, while the Hawks aren't getting enough. Atlanta has won nine of its last 11 meetings with Toronto. Bet the Hawks Friday. |
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10-31-13 | Golden State Warriors v. Los Angeles Clippers OVER 203 | Top | 115-126 | Win | 100 | 17 h 41 m | Show |
20* Warriors/Clippers TNT Late-Night BAILOUT on OVER 203
Two of the best offensive teams in the entire league will be on display Thursday night when the Los Angeles Clippers match up with the Golden State Warriors on TNT. I look for a shootout between these teams tonight. According to some preseason rankings that I trust very much, the Clippers are projected to be the most efficient offensive team in the league. That's easy to see when they have Chris Paul and Blake Griffin surrounded by deadly accurate 3-point shooters like J.J. Redick and Matt Barnes, along with proven scorer Jamaal Crawford. Even in an off night, the Clippers managed over 100 points in their 103-116 loss to the Lakers to open the season. I also expected this team to struggle defensively due to the personnel with below-average defenders like Redick and Jamaal Crawford. That was certainly the case against the Lakers. Golden State opened its season last night by putting up a big number on the Lakers, winning 125-94 at home. With deadly shooters in Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, this squad is going to be tough to defend, just as it was in the playoffs last year. Taking a look at previous meetings between these teams from last season, it's easy to see that there is some value with the OVER tonight. The Clippers and Warriors combined for 205, 204, 209 and 224 points in their four meetings last year. As you can see, they topped 203 points each meeting, and they averaged 210.5 combined points in the four contests. The OVER is 8-1 in Clippers last nine games overall. The OVER is 5-0 in the last five meetings in this series. The OVER is 16-5-1 in Clippers last 22 games vs. division opponents. The OVER is 11-2 in Warriors last 13 vs. division opponents. Bet the OVER in this game Thursday. |
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10-31-13 | Cincinnati Bengals v. Miami Dolphins +3 | 20-22 | Win | 105 | 14 h 26 m | Show | |
15* Bengals/Dolphins NFL Thursday No-Brainer on Miami +3
The Cincinnati Bengals are getting a lot of respect from the books as a road favorite over the Miami Dolphins Thursday. This is a make-or-break game for Miami, and there's no question it will be putting its best foot forward tonight to try and get back to .500 on the season and back into the playoff hunt. There's no question that Cincinnati is a quality team, but I believe this is a bad spot for the Bengals. They are coming off a 49-9 win over the Jets in which they returned two interceptions for touchdowns to blow the game wide open. I believe they are overvalued because of that final score, and they are in a position to fall flat on their faces against a Dolphins team that wants it more. Miami has held a lead in each of its last three games, including a lead in the fourth quarter in two of them, but found a way to lose. It fell to Baltimore (23-26) and Buffalo (21-23) at home, as well as New England (17-27) on the road. It even blew a 17-3 lead over the Patriots. Taking a deeper look into the box scores really shows that the Dolphins gave away the last two games. They held the Bills to just 268 total yards, but were -2 in turnover differential, giving the ball away three times. They held the Patriots to just 252 total yards, but again committed three turnovers and finished -2 in turnover differential. Miami has gotten its running game going of late, amassing 276 yards on the ground the past two weeks, including 156 against New England. With middle linebacker Rey Maualuga (knee) out for Cincinnati, the Dolphins should continue their success on the ground in this one as the middle of the Bengals' defense will be much softer without their starter. Plays against road teams (CINCINNATI) - after covering the spread in 5 or 6 out of their last 7 games, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a team with a losing record are 71-34 (67.6%) ATS since 1983. The Bengals are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five road games. The Dolphins are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Miami is 5-2 ATS in its last seven home games. Knowing that we're going to get the best effort that Miami has, and knowing that Cincinnati is in a letdown spot here, I'll gladly side with the home dog in this one. Roll with the Dolphins Thursday. |
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10-31-13 | Rice +4 v. North Texas | 16-28 | Loss | -114 | 14 h 31 m | Show | |
15* CFB Thursday PLAY OF THE DAY on Rice +4
The North Texas Mean Green have been an excellent surprise story this season. However, they are now getting too much respect from oddsmakers, and I'll gladly fade them in this contest against a much stronger team in the Rice Owls. When you look at North Texas' five wins this season, they have come against Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss, LA Tech, Ball State and Idaho. The only impressive win in that bunch is Ball State, but the Cardinals turned theball over five times and essentially gave that game away in a 27-34 loss. Rice is 6-2 this season with its only losses coming to Texas A&M and Houston. The Aggies are one of the best teams in the SEC, and they put up 31 points on them. They only lost 26-31 to the Cougars, who currently sit atop the American Athletic Conference with a 6-1 record. I was huge on Rice coming into the season, believing that it was the best team in all of Conference USA with 19 starters back. At 6-2 on the season to this point, I see nothing to change my mind. The Owls will go out and prove that they are the best team in C-USA Thursday. Rice is a perfect 6-0 against the spread as a road underdog over the last two seasons. Rice is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games. The Owls are 7-0 ATS in their last seven October games. The Mean Green are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. These four trends combine for a perfect 23-0 system backing the Owls. Take Rice Thursday. |
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10-30-13 | Memphis Grizzlies v. San Antonio Spurs UNDER 189 | Top | 94-101 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 9 m | Show |
20* NBA Wednesday Total ANNIHILATOR on Grizzlies/Spurs UNDER 189
This is a rematch from the playoffs last year where the San Antonio Spurs swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four games. There's no question that these teams are very familiar with one another, which will lead to a defensive battle tonight in the season opener for both teams. Miraculously, four of the last eight meetings between the Spurs and Grizzlies have gone to overtime. I believe that's a big reason why this total has been inflated. The betting public doesn't always realize this, and they just see that the over/under ratio is 4-4 in the last eight games in this series. A closer look really shows how the Spurs and Grizzlies consistently play in defensive battles. If you exclude overtime, then I find that the last eight meetings have seen 179, 172, 170, 188, 182, 185, 190 and 174 combined points at the end of regulation. As you can see, only once did the Spurs and Grizzlies combine to score more than 188 points in the last eight meetings. When you average it out, they have combined for 180.0 points per game on average in the last eight meetings at the end of regulation. That's a full nine points below tonight's posted total of 189. I have seen nothing from the Spurs and the Grizzlies in the offseason that makes me believe either team will be better off offensively this season. In fact, in my defensive efficiency ratings which factors in points allowed per 100 possessions, San Antonio ranks as the No. 1 defensive teams in the league, while Memphis checks in at No. 3 heading into the 2013-14 season. Plays on the UNDER on any team (MEMPHIS) - in a game involving two teams who had good records (60% to 75%) from last season are 40-15 (72.7%) over the last five seasons. With an added intensity due to meeting in the playoffs last year, I look for this to be an absolute defensive battle tonight. Bet the UNDER in this game Wednesday. |
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10-30-13 | Indiana Pacers v. New Orleans Pelicans +2 | Top | 95-90 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 39 m | Show |
20* NBA Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on New Orleans Pelicans +2
The New Orleans Pelicans are going to be one of the most improved teams in the league this season. After missing a lot of time last season, both Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis are healthy to start to the 2013-14 campaign. These are the cornerstones of the franchise, so that's very important. With two of the best moves of the offseason, the Pelicans have added point guard Jrue Holiday and shooting guard Tyreke Evans, which will be a huge addition to the offense. They have two shooters who can stretch the floor in Ryan Anderson and Anthony Morrow. This is now one of the deepest lineups in the league. Only the Chicago Bulls (8-0) posted a better preseason record than New Orleans, which went 7-1. Davis picked up right where he left off last season when healthy, averaging 19.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game in the preseason. Gordon put up 17.0 points in an average of 20.8 minutes per game. Holiday added 11.8 points and 6.1 assists, while Morrow (12.5 points) and Anderson (11.9 points) provided a scoring punch as well. The Indiana Pacers are coming off an unconvincing 97-87 win over Orlando in their opener Tuesday night. They trailed by four points at halftime against arguably the worst team in the league in the Magic. Also, Roy Hibbert banged up his knee, while Paul George jammed his finger in the win. While both players are expected to play, there's no question this is concerning for Indiana fans. Indiana's bench was one of the worst in the league last season. It hasn't gotten much better in the offseason, either. That's key here because the Pacers will be playing the second of a back-to-back after their starters played big minutes last night. I know it's still early, but playing the second of a back-to-back hurts teams like the Pacers without a bench more than it would a team like the Clippers with a deep bench. Plus, Danny Granger remains out, which makes the Pacers' bench even more thin. The home team has won five of the last seven meetings in this series. The Pacers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a S.U. win. The Pelicans are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games when playing on three or more days' rest. Take New Orleans Wednesday. v |
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10-30-13 | Charlotte Bobcats v. Houston Rockets -12 | 83-96 | Win | 100 | 15 h 39 m | Show | |
15* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Houston Rockets -12
A year after striking gold with James Harden in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets have now landed the biggest-named free agent on the market in Dwight Howard. After making the playoffs last season, the Rockets are now primed to make a deep run in the postseason with two superstars leading the way. What makes the Rockets so deadly now is that they have a ton of quality pieces surrounding Howard and Harden. Omer Asik will combine with Howard to form one of the best defensive frontcourts in the NBA. Patrick Beverly and Jeremy Lin are battling for playing time, and each is an above-average point guard in this league. Chandler Parsons is a deadly accurate 3-point shooter who can do a little bit of everything. While the Charlotte Bobcats made a big splash in the offseason to finally get a scoring big man in Al Jefferson, the fact of the matter is that they won't be much better off in 2013-14. Plus, Jefferson is questionable to play Wednesday as he battle a nagging ankle injury. While I fully expect him to suit up, this is a terrible matchup for he and the Bobcats. Houston loves to run the pick and roll, and Jefferson routinely ranks among the league's worst in defending the pick-and roll. A banged-up Jefferson will be even more vulnerable against Harden, Beverly, Lin and company in pick-and-rolls. Then there's Ben Gordon, who finished 5.6 points worse per 100 possessions than the average defender last season, which was the worst mark in the entire league by a wide margin. After opening 7-5 last season, Bobcats' fans believed that it was going to be their year. It turns out that they won all six games that were decided by five points or fewer, including a double-overtime win against the winless Wizards for victory No. 7. It also turns out that only one of those seven teams finished with better than a .500 record. Charlotte would go on an 18-game losing streak thereafter, while also posting a 7-47 record over its next 54 games. The Jefferson signing isn't going to just make all of their problems go away. Houston has absolutely owned Charlotte in recent meetings, and that was before it landed Howard this offseason. The Rockets are 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings with the Bobcats. Four of the five victories came by 12 or more points. Houston has won by 14, 20 and 16 points in its last three home meetings with Charlotte. The home team is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings. The favorite is 12-3-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings. The Bobcats are 0-5 ATS in their last five meetings in Houston. Charlotte is 5-16 ATS in its last 21 road games. The Bobcats are 14-37 ATS in their last 51 vs. Western Conference opponents. Roll with the Rockets Wednesday. |
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10-30-13 | St. Louis Cardinals +107 v. Boston Red Sox | 1-6 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 3 m | Show | |
15* Cardinals/Red Sox Game 6 No-Brainer on St. Louis +107
I look for the St. Louis Cardinals to even this series and force a Game 7 tonight with a victory behind arguably the best pitcher left in the postseason in Michael Wacha. He got the job done when the Cardinals needed a win in Game 2 in Boston, and he'll get it done tonight, too. Wacha has been absolutely sensational all season, going 7-1 with a 2.22 ERA and 0.988 WHIP in 13 starts. He has been even better in the postseason, going 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA. Wacha has only allowed three earned runs over 27 innings in four postseason starts this year. St. Louis is a perfect 7-0 (+8.0 Units) against the money line when trailing in a playoff series over the last 3 seasons. It is coming back to win 7.1 to 3.7 in this spot, or by an average of 3.4 runs per game. This trend just shows the resiliency of this team in the biggest games. Bet the Cardinals in Game 6 Wednesday. |
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10-30-13 | Cincinnati v. Memphis +3 | 34-21 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 58 m | Show | |
15* Cincinnati/Memphis American Athletic ANNIHILATOR on Memphis +3
There's a reason why this line continues to drop despite the betting public being all over Cincinnati. The sharp money is on Memphis for good reason, and I'll gladly list several of those reasons below. The public sees a small favorite like Cincinnati with a 5-2 record against a 1-5 team like Memphis and automatically jumps all over the team with a better record. There is a lot more than what meets the eye when you dig into it and look past the records. Cincinnati has played one of the softest schedules in all of college football to this point. The seven teams that the Bearcats have played have been Purdue (1-6), Illinois (3-4), FCS Northwestern State (3-5), Miami Ohio (0-8), South Florida (2-5), Temple (1-7) and Connecticut (0-7). As you can see, it hasn't faced a team with a winning record yet. If you take out FCS opponent Northwestern State, the six FBS opponents that the Bearcats have played have a combined 7-37 record. Miraculously, Cincinnati actually found a way to lose to two of those teams. Both were on the road in losses to Illinois (17-45) and South Florida (20-26). In fact, the Bearcats are 0-3 against the spread in road games this season. They fell to Illinois as a 7-point favorite, to South Florida as a 10.5-point favorite, and needed two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat winless Miami (Ohio) 14-0 as a 24.5-point favorite. While Memphis is 1-5 right now, it has played a daunting schedule and could easily be at least 3-4 right now. The Tigers held second-half leads against co-conference leaders Houston and Central Florida before falling in each contest. Memphis lost its third straight game last time out in a 29-34 setback at home to a vastly underrated SMU team. Memphis held UCF to just 270 total yards while outgaining it by by 123 yards in a 17-24 loss. The Tigers held Houston to 241 total yards and outgained the Cougars by 102 total yards, but found a way to lose by a final of 15-25. In fact, the Tigers have outgained four of their first six opponents, which is clearly the sign of a much better team than their 1-5 record would indicate. The Tigers feature the 13th-best defense in the entire country, giving up just 331.0 total yards per game. That's impressive when you consider the six opponents it has faced combined to average 441 yards on the season, so they are holding them to 110 yards less than their season averages. Looking at Cincinnati's numbers compared to the quality of the opposition shows that this team is a fraud. The Bearcats are gaining 467 yards per game on offense against seven defenses that combine to give up an average of 456 yards per game. The Bearcats are only giving up 287 total yards per game, but the seven offenses they have faced combine to average just 298 yards per game. Plays against road favorites (CINCINNATI) - a good offensive team (28-34 PPG) against a poor offensive team (16-21 PPG), after scoring 37 points or more in two straight games are 25-5 (83.3%) ATS since 1992. Cincinnati is 0-6 ATS in its last six games off a win by 21 or more points. Memphis is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games off three straight losses to conference rivals. The Tigers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game. These three trends combine for a perfect 18-0 system backing the Tigers. Bet Memphis Wednesday. |
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10-30-13 | Washington Wizards v. Detroit Pistons UNDER 190.5 | 102-113 | Loss | -104 | 14 h 9 m | Show | |
15* NBA Wednesday Total DOMINATOR on Wizards/Pistons UNDER 190.5
The Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons will be two of the better defensive teams in the league in 2013-14. I look for that to show in the opener as these teams take part in a defensive battle Wednesday night in Detroit. With the addition of Josh Smith, the Pistons boast a formidable frontcourt that will not allow many easy baskets around the rim. Andre Drummond came into his own last season as a shot blocker and rebounder, and he is only going to get better a year later. Greg Monroe is also a solid defender, though not quite to the level of Smith and Drummond. A big key here is that Brandon Jennings is going to miss the first week or two of the season due to injury. Jennings was added to provide some offense at the point guard position, and the Pistons will miss his ability to create shots for teammates and himself in the early going. Chauncey Billups is a candidate to take his place. I like the toughness that Billups brings to the table as one of the best perimeter defenders the league has ever seen. However, he's not quite the offensive player he once was, much more preferring to play off the ball these days. Washington was one of the most underrated defensive teams in the league last season, which was evidenced by their 45-34-3 UNDER record. Once John Wall returned from injury in January, the Wizards gave up just 99.7 points per 100 possessions, which was the sixth-best mark in the entire league from that point-on. This team features a bunch of plus-defenders who play big minutes, such as Bradley Beal, Nene Hilario, Kevin Seraphin and Trevor Ariza. Taking a look at recent meetings between the Wizards and Pistons, it's easy to see that there is a ton of value with this UNDER Wednesday. The Pistons and Wizards have combined to score 191, 181, 183, 168, 193, 156 and 175 points in their last seven meetings, respectively. That's an average of 178.1 points per game, which is roughly 13 points less than tonight's posted total. Washington is 11-1 to the UNDER as a road underdog of six points or less over the last two seasons. The Wizards are 40-15 to the UNDER in their last 55 road games overall. According to my adjusted defensive ratings, I have Washington listed as the 5th-best defense in the league, while Detroit features the 9th-best defense in 2013-14. Take the UNDER in this game Wednesday. |
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10-30-13 | Milwaukee Bucks +8 v. New York Knicks | 83-90 | Win | 100 | 14 h 9 m | Show | |
15* NBA Wednesday Night Line Mistake on Milwaukee Bucks +8
The New York Knicks are one of the most overrated teams in the league heading into the 2013-14 season. This line is certainly a reflection of that as I believe the Milwaukee Bucks are much more evenly-matched with the Knicks than this line would indicate. I'll take full advantage and pounce on the points in the opener for both teams Wednesday. The Knicks were a dominant team before Amare Stoudemire returned last season. They won 70.4 percent of games in the early going, but when Stoudemire returned in January, they went on to win just 55.2 percent of the rest of their games. He doesn't fit in this offense, but the money they are paying him forces coach Mike Woodson's hand to put him in the lineup. J.R. Smith had an excellent year last season, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors. However, he struggled in the playoffs and is coming off knee surgery. Plus, he will be serving a five-game suspension to open the season due to violating the league's substance abuse problems. Without his energy and shot-making off the bench, this is just a mediocre team. In perhaps the worst move of the offseason, New York traded for former Raptor Andrea Bargnani. He offers nothing of what New York needs and everything it should avoid. The injury-prone Bargnani shot just 39.9 percent from the floor and 30.9 percent from 3-point range when healthy enough to play in Toronto last year. He also averaged a measly 4.6 rebounds per 36 minutes played last year, which is unacceptable for a 7-footer. Bargnani is expected to start, and he severely handicaps New York's defense, making Tyson Chandler's job much more difficult than it should be. Now to the Bucks, who quietly had a very productive offseason. I love the fact that they got rid of Brandon Jennings and Monte Ellis, who simply hijacked the offense with ill-advised shots. In fact, Ellis and Jennings combined for the third-most field goal attempts of any duo in the league last season, finishing only behind Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and New York's Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. After the Bucks ranked just 23rd in offensive efficiency last season, it was time for them to go. Milwaukee has now shifted its focus to building around two of the most underrated players in the league in Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders. Ilyasova scored 13.2 points to go along with 7.1 rebounds and 44.4 percent from 3-point range last season. He becomes the go-to scorer on this team, but the additions of O.J. Mayo, Caron Butler and Brandon Knight will help take a big part of the scoring load off his shoulders. Then there's Sanders, who is one of the best defenders in the league after leading the NBA in block percentage and finishing third in total blocks. He also improved as a rebounder, averaging 13.9 boards per 40 minutes of floor time. To better understand his importance, the Bucks were 5.0 points per 100 possessions were defensively when Sanders was on the bench last season. Sanders will team with John Henson for a formidable frontcourt filled with length and athleticism. Luke Ridnour provides a veteran presence to back up Knight at the points, while Gary Neal brings some solid scoring off the bench. Milwaukee is an astounding 48-19-2 ATS in its last 69 vs. NBA Atlantic Division opponents. It is also 7-3 ATS in its last visits to New York. Bet the Bucks Wednesday. |
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10-29-13 | Chicago Bulls +4.5 v. Miami Heat | Top | 95-107 | Loss | -102 | 16 h 47 m | Show |
25* NBA Season Opening GAME OF THE YEAR on Chicago Bulls +4.5
The Chicago Bulls are going to want revenge from their loss to the Miami Heat in the conference semifinals last year. It's remarkable that the Bulls were able to even get to the second round with all of the injuries they suffered last season. Derrick Rose missed the entire year, and Luol Deng came down with an unexpected sickness in the playoffs. Not to mention, Richard Hamilton, Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson would combine to miss 87 games during the regular season. The experience this team gained will go a very long way into making them a championship-caliber squad going forward. Guys like Deng, Jimmy Butler, Carlos Boozer, Noah, Gibson and Hinrich all had to step up their games and play bigger roles. Now, with the return of Rose, the rest of these players won't have to just stand around and watch him operate. They know they can contribute, because they did last season. Also, the addition of Mike Dunleavy gives this team a deadly accurate 3-point shooter that has been much-needed since the loss of Kyle Korver a few years back. Chicago rolled to an 8-0 record in the preseason due to the play of Rose. He averaged an absurd 20.7 points over 27.4 minutes per game while showing off his improved range, hitting on 12-of-27 (44.4%) from behind the 3-point line. Lebron James has only fueled the fire for the Bulls. "We don't like them, they don't like us," James said of the Bulls after practice Monday. "It's not unheard of. We all know how it is." "It don't matter who it is," James said of the opponent for the opener. "But we like the fact that it's the Bulls." Considering Chicago has been knocked out of the playoffs two of the last three years by Miami, James would have been wise to keep quiet heading into this one. Miami will be raising its 2012-13 championship banner and getting its rings before the game. That in itself is a huge distraction, and one that will not help the Heat as they take on what I believe to be the best team in the Eastern Conference in the Bulls. This is a very familiar spot for the Heat on both sides of the spectrum. After the Heat won the title in 2006, the Bulls promptly put a quick end to their celebration on opening night, winning 108-66. The Heat were in the Bulls' shoes two years ago. After losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 finals, they got revenge in the 2011-12 opener by blasting the defending champs by double-digits. Few teams can match up with the Heat quite like the Bulls. Deng and Butler are two of the best wing defenders in the league. With these two on James and Wade, respectively, the Bulls can make life very difficult on Miami's stars. I look for Chicago to quickly put an end to Miami's ring ceremony and banner raising celebration by winning outright on opening night. I'll just take the points for some added insurance. Bet the Bulls Tuesday. |
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10-29-13 | Orlando Magic +12 v. Indiana Pacers | 87-97 | Win | 100 | 15 h 51 m | Show | |
15* Magic/Pacers NBA Season Opener on Orlando +12
The Orlando Magic come into the season way undervalued due to finishing with the league's worst record in 2012-13. Conversely, the Indiana Pacers enter the season overvalued due to taking the Miami Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. As a result, I believe there is a ton of value in backing the Magic as a double-digit dog in the opener. Arron Afflalo is coming off his best season as a pro, finishing with career highs in points, rebounds and assists. Jameer Nelson enters 2013-14 healthy, while the No. 2 overall pick in Victor Oladipo is ready to show that he's an up-and-coming star in this league. Nikola Vucevic is one of the most underrated players in the NBA after a year in which he was a double-double machine. The ankle injury to Tobias Harris hurts, but Andrew Nicholson showed some great signs over the summer and into the preseason. He scored a team-high 60 points for Canada in the FIBA Americas, hitting 6-of-7 shots from beyond the arc. He carried that over into the preseason, connecting on 46.2 percent from distance. Maurice Harkless showed flashes of brilliance last season, and he averaged 10.8 points on 48.4 percent shooting in the preseason as well. Indiana is a quality team that I rode quite a bit in the playoffs last year. While I have a ton of respect for the Pacers with what they did last season, they have created the kind of expectations for themselves that will make them good fade material in the early going. Plus, Danny Granger has suffered another setback with a calf injury and will miss the first three weeks of the season. Depth was a huge issue for the Pacers last season, and without him, the bench takes a big hit. The road team has won three of the past four meetings in this series, so home-court advantage isn't a big factor when these teams get together. The price is right to pull the trigger on Orlando in the opener. Take the Magic Tuesday. |
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10-28-13 | Seattle Seahawks v. St Louis Rams UNDER 43 | Top | 14-9 | Win | 100 | 99 h 51 m | Show |
20* Seahawks/Rams ESPN Monday Total ANNIHILATOR on UNDER 43
I look for this divisional showdown to be very low-scoring Monday night when the Seattle Seahawks visit NFC West rival St. Louis. It was tempting to take Seattle against the spread because of its dominant defense against St. Louis' poor offense, but instead I believe the value is with the UNDER in this contest. The Seahawks held the Cardinals to just 234 yards last week in a 12-point win in Arizona to continue their stellar defensive play. Seattle ranks 2nd in the league in total defense at 280.7 yards per game, and 3rd in scoring defense at 16.6 points per game. I don't expect the Rams to be able to do much against this defense with the shape they are in offensively right now. St. Louis is in a world of hurt right now with the loss of starting quarterback Sam Bradford. He is out for the season with a torn ACL. You would be hard-pressed to find a team with a worse backup quarterback situation than the Rams. That's why they have signed Brady Quinn and Austin Davis this week. They were so desperate that they even put a call into Brett Favre. Instead, the Rams will be giving the ball to Kellen Clemens, who should be out of the league as he has never done anything to warrant being a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Rams rank 30th in total offense at 298.8 yards per game, and it |
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10-28-13 | Boston Red Sox v. St. Louis Cardinals -123 | 3-1 | Loss | -123 | 9 h 26 m | Show | |
15* Red Sox/Cardinals Game 5 No-Brainer on St. Louis -123
I look at this as basically a must-win situation for St. Louis with the series tied 2-2 and guaranteed to go back to Boston for two games. It will be hard to win two games in Boston if they have to, so the Cardinals really need to get Game 5 at home tonight. I like their chances with ace Adam Wainwright on the mound. The right-hander has gone 21-11 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.053 WHIP in 38 starts this season. He has been at his best at home, going 11-6 with a 2.36 ERA and 0.920 WHIP in 19 starts. Jon Lester has been a much worse pitcher on the road than at home. The left-hander is 9-7 with a 4.18 ERA and 1.401 WHIP in 21 road starts in 2013. Also, Wainwright is 4-0 with a 1.07 ERA in eight postseason games, four starts, in St. Louis. He went the distance in his most recent start there, a 6-1 clinching win over Pittsburgh in Game 5 of the NL division series. St. Louis is 38-13 in its last 51 home games, including 5-1 in its last six playoff home games. The Cardinals are 48-20 in their last 68 games following a loss. St. Louis is 50-24 in Wainwright's last 74 starts following a team loss in its previous game. Bet the Cardinals in Game 5 Monday. |
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10-27-13 | Green Bay Packers v. Minnesota Vikings UNDER 47.5 | Top | 44-31 | Loss | -110 | 76 h 36 m | Show |
20* Packers/Vikings NBC Total ANNIHILATOR on UNDER 47.5
The oddsmakers have set the bar way too high in this Sunday night game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Both teams are limited offensively right now, and I look for the defenses to dominate this contest because of it. Plus, it's a division game, which means both teams are very familiar with each other. These division games are almost always more low-scoring than any other games. Green Bay has played UNDER the total in each of its last three games overall. It won 22-9 over Detroit, 19-17 at Baltimore, and 31-13 over Cleveland in its last three contests for an average combined score of 37.0 points per game. The Packers are playing without three of their top four receivers in Randall Cobb, James Jones and Jermichael Finley. Aaron Rodgers and company simply cannot be as explosive without these three, and as a result they have relied more on the running game in recent weeks. What has really helped the Packers is a defense that has allowed less than 300 yards in three of the past four games. This stop unit is allowing only 13.0 points per game in the last three games overall, and should have great success against a lackluster Minnesota offense. The Vikings managed just 290 total yards in a 10-35 loss to Carolina before gaining a woeful 206 yards in a 7-23 loss to the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. As you can see, they are scoring just 8.5 points per game in their last two contests. The UNDER is 7-1 in Packers last eight games vs. NFC North opponents. The UNDER is 4-0 in Packers last four October games. The UNDER is 7-2 in Vikings last nine games vs. a team with a winning record. Given the state of both of these offenses, I look for a very low-scoring game tonight in Minnesota. Take the UNDER in this game Sunday. |
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10-27-13 | Boston Red Sox -105 v. St. Louis Cardinals | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 52 m | Show |
20* Red Sox/Cardinals Game 4 No-Doubt Rout on Boston -105
The only weakness in the St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation is Lance Lynn. I'll gladly fade Lynn and back the underrated Clay Buchholz tonight in pretty much a must-win situation for Boston in Game 4. Buchholz has been absolutely dominant this season, going 12-1 with a 2.23 ERA and 1.080 WHIP in 19 starts. He has been at his best away from home, going 6-0 with a 1.76 ERA and 1.020 WHIP in eight road starts. Lance Lynn has gone 16-11 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.344 WHIP in 35 starts for St. Louis. In two postseason starts, Lynn has allowed seven earned runs and 19 base runners over 9 2/3 innings. He has been far from spectacular. Boston is 20-4 (+16.6 Units) against the money line after batting .225 or worse over a 5 game span this season. Buchholz is 14-2 (+11.1 Units) against the money line vs. poor power teams - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game over the last 2 seasons. The Red Sox are 16-3 in Buchholz's 19 starts this season. Boston is 20-6 in Buchholz's last 26 starts as a road favorite. Bet the Red Sox in Game 4 Sunday. |
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10-27-13 | Pittsburgh Steelers -2.5 v. Oakland Raiders | Top | 18-21 | Loss | -110 | 86 h 29 m | Show |
25* NFL BLOWOUT GAME OF THE YEAR on Pittsburgh Steelers -2.5
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the most underrated team in the league right now due to their 2-4 record. I believe that they were underrated the past two weeks, and I have backed them with success in wins over the Jets and Ravens. I'll continue riding this gravy train knowing that the betting public isn't a believer in the Steelers yet due to the record. I think they are a top-10 team right now in their current form now that they are finally getting healthy. The biggest reason for the turnaround is an offense that recently got back starting running back Le'Veon Bell and starting tight end Heath Miller. Bell has rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns in just three games, finally giving the Steelers a running game that they lacked in the first three weeks of the season. Miller has caught 17 balls for 206 yards and a score in just four games since returning from injury. He is Big Ben's favorite outlet when he's in trouble. Also, Antonio Brown may be the most underrated receiver in the league, catching a team-high 47 balls for 548 yards and two touchdowns thus far. While I love what I've seen from the offense in recent weeks, it's the defense that really carries the load in Pittsburgh. Somehow, this stop unit continues to get overlooked even though it's one of the best in the league, which has been the case over the past decade. Pittsburgh ranks 6th in the league in total defense, giving up just 306.8 yards per game. It yielded only 267 yards in a 19-6 win at New York on October 13, and 287 yards in a 19-16 home victory over the Ravens last week. Oakland is getting way too much respect from oddsmakers here. Unlike Pittsburgh, this team is every bit as bad as its 2-4 record would indicate. It should have only one win on the season, which was a lackluster 19-9 home victory over the winless Jaguars. It should not have beaten San Diego at home as the Chargers did everything in their power to give that game away. In fact, San Diego outgained Oakland 423-299 in that contest, but finished -5 in turnover differential which proved to be the difference. The Raiders are putting up just 17.5 points and 320.8 yards per game this season to rank 24th in the league in total offense. They have all sorts of injury concerns along the offensive line, and Darren McFadden cannot seem to stay healthy. Terrell Pryor has certainly done as good of a job as you could expect from him given the situation, but he doesn't have what it takes to single-handedly beat this stout Pittsburgh defense that comes in playing its best football of the season. Plays against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (OAKLAND) - a poor offensive team (14.5-18 PPG) against an average defensive team (18-23 PPG), after scoring 14 points or less last game are 22-4 (84.6%) ATS over the last 10 seasons. Oakland is 30-66 against the spread in its last 96 games vs. a team with a losing record. The Raiders are 7-21 against the number in their last 28 home games off a road loss to a division rival. Sure, Oakland it coming off its bye week, but that hasn't helped it in year's past. In fact, the Raiders are 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 games following a bye week. Bet the Steelers Sunday. |
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10-27-13 | San Francisco 49ers v. Jacksonville Jaguars +17 | 42-10 | Loss | -115 | 68 h 6 m | Show | |
15* 49ers/Jaguars NFL Overseas No-Brainer on Jacksonville +17
The San Francisco 49ers are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers in this one. They come in having won four straight games by double-digits, which has them overvalued in a big way. Those four games were all closer than the final score would indicate aside from the St. Louis game, which they outgained the Rams by 182 yards. In fact, the 49ers have actually been outgained in each of their last three games against Houston, Arizona and Tennessee, but managed to win by double-digits anyway. That trend won't continue here. Jacksonville has been a much more competitive team over the last three weeks than the scores would reflect. It actually outgained St. Louis by 12 yards in a 20-34 loss. The Jaguars were only outgained by 45 yards in a 19-35 at all-mighty Denver. That was a 19-21 game in the third quarter before the Broncos tacked on two late touchdowns. Even last week against Sand Diego, the game was much closer than the 6-24 final would indicate. The Jaguars managed 353 total yards including 318 passing from Chad Henne, but couldn't execute in the red zone. A trip overseas could be just what Jacksonville needs just to get away from it all. Plus, head coach Gus Bradley lost his father this week, so that's another thing for the Jaguars to rally around. Bradley was critical of last week's effort. "We acted like a young team," he said. "I just think that we didn't respond the right way to the challenge. The three most dangerous words in the NFL are 'I've got it,' and I think that we felt like 'We're making strides. We've got this. We've just got to go out there and do this,' and that's not how it works. Bradley said quarterback Chad Henne would start for a third straight game. Henne has topped 300 yards in his two games since taking over for the injured Blaine Gabbert, and he's coming off a season-high 318 yards Sunday. He gives the Jaguars the best chance to succeed, and he has two great, underrated weapons on the outside to work with. Cecil Shorts has caught 39 balls for 491 yards and a touchdown in just six games, while Justin Blackmon has 25 receptions for 384 yards and a score in just three games since returning from his four-game suspension. This offense has moved the ball much better since Blackmon's return. When you look at the numbers for the 49ers, it's easy to see that they are not nearly as good as their 5-2 record would indicate. They rank just 17th in the league in total offense at 335.0 yards per game. While the defense is solid and giving up 326.1 yards per game, the offense has been lackluster to say the least. The 49ers are only outgaining their opponents by an average of 8.9 yards per game on the season. That's a number more indicative of a .500 team rather than one that is 5-2. Plays on underdogs of 10.5 or more points (JACKSONVILLE) - after 7 or more consecutive losses against opponent after 2 or more consecutive wins. are 22-4 (84.6%) ATS since 1983. Plays against favorites of 10.5 or more points (SAN FRANCISCO) - after 2 or more consecutive wins against the spread, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a terrible team (<=25%) are 29-8 (78.4%) ATS since 1983. Roll with the Jaguars Sunday. |
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10-27-13 | Cleveland Browns v. Kansas City Chiefs -7 | 17-23 | Loss | -115 | 68 h 5 m | Show | |
15* NFL Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Kansas City Chiefs -7
What a difference a year makes. The Kansas City Chiefs have been the best team in football en route to their 7-0 start. They have gone 5-2 against the spread in the process with five of their victories coming by nine or more points. The others were wins against two very good teams in the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, who are much better than their record would indicate. The result is the best record in the league, and this team is not ready to suffer its first loss of the season this week. Cleveland comes into town riding a two-game losing streak after blowout losses to Detroit (17-31) and Green Bay (13-31). This team just hasn |
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10-26-13 | Florida Atlantic +24.5 v. Auburn | 10-45 | Loss | -110 | 65 h 7 m | Show | |
15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Florida Atlantic +24.5
The Florida Atlantic Owls are one of the most underrated teams in the country dating back to last season. They have gone a ridiculous 14-3 against the spread in their last 17 games overall. The betting public hasn |
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10-26-13 | South Carolina v. Missouri -2.5 | 27-24 | Loss | -110 | 65 h 36 m | Show | |
15* South Carolina/Missouri ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Missouri -2.5
The Missouri Tigers have been underrated all season. They have opened 7-0 and are really the only team left in the SEC aside from Alabama that has a legitimate shot to play for the BCS Championship. They have also gone 6-1 against the spread in the process with their only loss coming in a 22-point win over Arkansas State as a 23-point favorite. In fact, the Tigers have won all seven of their games this season by 15 points or more, so it |
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10-26-13 | Baylor -34.5 v. Kansas | 59-14 | Win | 100 | 65 h 36 m | Show | |
15* CFB Saturday Big Chalk BLOWOUT on Baylor -34.5
When you can put up points at will, you can cover five-touchdown spreads like this one with ease. That was the case last week as Baylor topped Iowa State 71-7 as a 33-point favorite in an absolute laugher. I would argue that Iowa State is a better team than Kansas, too. Baylor is putting up a ridiculous 64.7 points and 713.8 yards per game to rank 1st in the country in scoring and total offense. The defense is improved, too, giving up 16.2 points and 317.3 yards per game to rank 10th in total defense. Bryce Petty is completing 71.0 percent of his passes for 2,033 yards with 15 touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing for 51 yards and five scores. Lache Seastrunk is a Heisman Trophy contender, rushing for 760 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging an eye-opening 9.2 per carry. Antwan Goodley (37 receptions, 861 yards, 8 TD) and Tevin Reese (29, 714, 6 TD) form one of the most explosive receiving duos in the country. Kansas has been atrocious this season with a 2-4 start that includes wins over lowly South Dakota and Louisiana Tech. The Jayhawks lost at home to Texas Tech by a final of 16-54, which is a team that runs a similar offense to Baylor with the spread attack. The Red Raiders racked up 518 yards while limiting the Jayhawks to 273 in the win. Kansas is scoring 18.3 points and averaging 288.0 yards per game to rank 119th in total offense. It will have a hard time keeping up with the Bears with that kind of offensive production. That's especially the case when you consider that the Jayhawks do not have a passing game. Kansas ranks 113th in the country in passing offense at 157.8 yards per game. When it gets behind, it won't be able to throw to catch up, so it will keep falling further behind. Plays on any team (BAYLOR) |
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10-26-13 | Buffalo -1.5 v. Kent State | 41-21 | Win | 100 | 61 h 7 m | Show | |
15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Buffalo -1.5
I was high on Buffalo coming into the season and it hasn't let me down. After road losses to two of the best teams in the country in Ohio State and Baylor, Buffalo has reeled off five straight victories with the last four coming by 28 or more points. They are a clear contender to win the MAC this season, and will take another step in the right direction with a win at Kent State Saturday. Kent State came into this season way overrated due to making it to the MAC Title last season. However, the Golden Flashes lost a ton of talent from that team as well as head coach Darrell Hazell. They have opened 2-6 with five of those losses coming by double-digits. That includes a 21-38 loss at South Alabama last week. Now, the Flashes could be without starting quarterback Colin Reardon, who is completing 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,199 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. Reardon is questionable with an ankle injury after missing last week's game against South Alabama. Buffalo features 16 returning starters and some of the best players in the entire country that few have heard about. Two-time first-team All-MAC linebacker Khalil Mack anchors a defense that is giving up 23.1 points per game this season. 2011 first-team All-MAC running back Branden Oliver leads and offense that is putting up 29.6 points per game. Oliver has rushed for 689 yards and five touchdowns this season. Then there's arguably the best receiver in the MAC in Alex Neutz, who was a first-team All-MAC receiver last year and has 35 receptions for 543 yards and six touchdowns in 2013. Kent State has been atrocious on both sides of the football. It is scoring just 19.1 points and averaging 347.5 yards per game to rank 103rd in the country in total offense. It is giving up 30.9 points and 468.0 yards per game to rank 109th in total defense as well. Its only wins this season have come against Liberty (17-10) and Western Michigan (32-14). Plays against a home team (KENT ST) - after allowing 37 points or more last game against opponent after two straight wins by 28 or more points are 32-7 (82.1%) ATS over the last 10 seasons. The Bulls are 4-0 against the spread in their last four vs. a team with a losing record. Buffalo is 14-6-1 against the number in its last 21 games after allowing less than 20 points in its previous game. Home-field advantage means little in this series considering the road team has won four straight and six of the last seven meetings between the Bulls and Golden Flashes. Bet Buffalo Saturday. |
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10-26-13 | Connecticut +22.5 v. Central Florida | Top | 17-62 | Loss | -106 | 58 h 37 m | Show |
25* College Football DOG OF THE YEAR on Connecticut +22.5
The betting public wants nothing to do with 0-6 Connecticut. As a result, oddsmakers are going to be forced to inflate its numbers in the coming weeks, which is certainly the case here against Central Florida. Four of its six losses this season have come by 15 points or less, including setbacks against Michigan (21-24) and South Florida (10-13). The Huskies made a coaching change in that game against USF and should have won. They outgained the Bulls by 128 yards in that contest but simply gave the game away. While they lost 16-41 at Cincinnati last week, the offense looked much sharper. Tim Boyle threw for 310 yards against a very good Bearcat defense, but he was picked off three times, which proved to be costly. The defense has actually played well for most of the season, giving up 377.7 yards per game to rank a respectable 48th in total defense. This is a huge letdown spot for Central Florida. It is coming off a big win over AAC favorite Louisville last week in which it erased a 21-point deficit in the second half to win 38-35. It |
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10-26-13 | Oklahoma State -12.5 v. Iowa State | Top | 58-27 | Win | 100 | 58 h 37 m | Show |
20* Big 12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Oklahoma State -12.5
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are still very much alive for the Big 12 Title in this wide open conference. They did lose to West Virginia in their conference opener, but they bounced back nicely with two straight wins over Kansas State and TCU. Now they get to go up against an Iowa State team that is just 1-5 on the season and clearly down this year. The Cyclones are lacking confidence after a 7-71 loss at Baylor last weekend, and things won |
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10-26-13 | Louisville -20 v. South Florida | Top | 34-3 | Win | 100 | 58 h 37 m | Show |
20* American Athletic GAME OF THE WEEK on Louisville -20
The Louisville Cardinals aren |
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10-25-13 | Boise State v. BYU UNDER 61.5 | Top | 20-37 | Win | 100 | 48 h 48 m | Show |
25* Boise/BYU ESPN Friday TOTAL OF THE YEAR on UNDER 61.5
The books have set the bar way too high in this game between Boise State and BYU Friday night. I look for a defensive battle similar to the 7-6 game these two teams played last year. Boise State gained 261 yards in the win, while BYU was held to 200 yards in the loss. These defenses are much better than they are getting credit for. Meanwhile, I believe this line is inflated due to BYU's 47-46 win at Houston last weekend. Boise State is giving up 22.9 points and 392.1 yards per game to rank 59th in the country in total defense. Even with allowing 46 points to Houston last week, BYU is only giving up 21.4 points and 366.0 yards per game on the season to rank 36th in the country in total defense. It has held some great offenses down this year like Texas (21 points), Utah (20), Utah State (14) and Georgia Tech (20). Both teams prefer the run in this one, which is huge considering both defenses are stout against the run. BYU ranks 14th in the country in rushing offense at 263.0 yards per game, while Boise State is 21st in rushing offense at 224.0 yards per game. The seven opponents that BYU has faced average 201 rushing yards per game and 4.7 per carry. Well, BYU has held those seven opponents to an average of 135.4 yards per game and 3.5 per carry to rank 32nd against the run. The seven opponents that Boise State has faced average 181 rushing yards per game and 4.2 per carry. Well, the Broncos have allowed those seven opponents to gain just 152.1 rushing yards per game and 3.5 per carry to rank 53rd in the country against the run. Boise State just lost its starting quarterback in Joe Southwick to a broken ankle. That's a huge loss considering Southwick was completing 72.3 percent of his passes for 1,589 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. Junior Grant Hedrick made his first start of the season against Nevada last week. It's clear that the Broncos are going to be conservative with Hedrick under center considering he threw for just 150 yards with an interception on only 21 attempts in a 34-17 win over Nevada. They ran the ball 46 times in that contest. Plays on the UNDER on any team against the total (BOISE ST) - in a game involving two good teams (outgaining opponents by 0.6 to 1.2 YPP) after 7+ games, after gaining 475 or more total yards in their previous game are 36-11 (76.6%) over the last 10 seasons. Boise State is 32-13 UNDER versus good rushing teams that average 200 or more rushing yards per game since 1992. The Broncos are 24-7 UNDER versus good rushing teams that average 4.75 yards per carry or more since 1992. BYU is 16-4 UNDER in home games vs. good teams - outscoring opponents by 10+ PPG on the season since 1992. BYU is 27-13 UNDER versus good offensive teams that average at least 425 yards per game since 1992. The Cougars are 16-5 UNDER after allowing 42 points or more last game since 1992. Bet the UNDER in this game Friday. |
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10-24-13 | Carolina Panthers v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7 | 31-13 | Loss | -125 | 23 h 34 m | Show | |
15* Panthers/Bucs NFC South ANNIHILATOR on Tampa Bay +7
Oddsmakers realize that the betting public is not going to want to back an 0-6 team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also realize that the public is going to want to back a team like Carolina that is coming off back-to-back blowout victories. Because of these realizations, they have now been forced to set this line higher than it should be with the Panthers currently favored by upwards of a touchdown. Carolina has not played that well on the road this season, going 1-2 while losing to Buffalo (23-24) and Arizona (6-22). Tampa Bay has been extremely competitive at home, losing on last-second field goals to both New Orleans (14-16) and Arizona (10-13), while also hanging around with Philadelphia (20-31). It fought tough against a desperate Atlanta team last week that was coming off its bye, falling by a final of 23-31. Mike Glennon has been better than Josh Freeman this season. Glennon threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns against Philadelphia while leading the Bucs to 20 points. He also threw for 256 yards and two scores against Atlanta last week. He and Vincent Jackson have hooked up four times for touchdowns in the past two weeks, so he is certainly starting to develop some chemistry there. Tampa Bay |
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10-24-13 | St. Louis Cardinals +112 v. Boston Red Sox | 4-2 | Win | 112 | 8 h 20 m | Show | |
15* Cardinals/Red Sox Game 2 No-Doubt Rout on St. Louis +112
Michael Wacha (3-0, 0.43 ERA) has a 0.30 ERA while winning his last four starts dating back to his final outing of the regular season, when he was one out away from a no-hitter against Washington. The right-hander took a no-hitter into the eighth of a 2-1 Game 4 win over Pittsburgh with the Cardinals on the brink of elimination in the Division Series. Wacha tossed 6 2/3 innings of a 1-0 victory over Los Angeles in Game 2 of the NL championship series. He then blanked the Dodgers through seven frames of a 9-0 win that clinched the pennant in Game 6. Wacha and the Cardinals should not be the underdog in Game 2 Thursday. The Cardinals are 47-20 in their last 67 games following a loss. St. Louis is 5-0 in Wacha's last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record. Bet the Cardinals behind Wacha Thursday. |
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10-24-13 | Marshall -8 v. Middle Tenn State | Top | 49-51 | Loss | -110 | 22 h 43 m | Show |
20* Marshall/MTSU Conference USA GAME OF THE WEEK on Marshall -8
The Marshall Thundering Herd are one of the best non-BCS teams in the country in 2013. Their only losses came on the road against Virginia Tech in overtime, as well as a 31-34 loss at Ohio despite outgaining the Bobcats by 147 total yards in that contest. Middle Tennessee is very fortunate to be 3-4 on the season considering it has been outgained in each of its last six games. Middle Tennessee |
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10-23-13 | St. Louis Cardinals v. Boston Red Sox UNDER 7 | Top | 1-8 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 29 m | Show |
20* Cardinals/Red Sox Game 1 No-Brainer on UNDER 7
The temperatures in Boston are supposed to be in the low 40's with a chance of rain tonight. The ball will not be traveling when two of the best starters in the league in Adam Wainwright and Jon Lester square off for Game 1 of this series. Wainwright is 21-10 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.047 WHIP over 37 starts this season. He has been even more dominant in the postseason, going 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 0.783 WHIP in three starts. Jon Lester has gone 17-9 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.281 WHIP in 36 starts this season, 8-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 15 home starts, and 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in his last three starts overall. The Cardinals are hitting .246 and scoring 3.9 runs/game against left-handed starters this season, which is a far cry from what they are doing against right-handers. St. Louis is hitting .210 in the players, while Boston is hitting .236 this postseason. Lester is 11-1 UNDER (+9.7 Units) vs. teams whose hitters draw 3 walks or less/game in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The UNDER is 13-4-2 in Cardinals last 19 games vs. a left-handed starter. The UNDER is 18-5 in John Hirschbeck's last 23 games behind home plate vs. St. Louis. Bet the UNDER in Game 1 Wednesday. |
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10-22-13 | Louisiana-Lafayette -2.5 v. Arkansas State | Top | 23-7 | Win | 100 | 26 h 3 m | Show |
20* LA-Lafayette/Arkansas State No-Doubt Rout on LA-Lafayette -2.5
After losing two tough road games at Arkansas and Kansas State to open the season, the Louisiana-Lafayette Rajin' Cajuns have been rolling since. They have won four in a row, including back-to-back blowout victories over Texas State (48-24) and Western Kentucky (37-20) to take over first place in the Sun Belt. They will certainly be out for revenge against the two-time defending conference champion Red Wolves. Last year, the Rajin' Cajuns simply gave the game away to Arkansas State, losing by a final of 27-50. They committed a whopping five turnovers, finishing -5 in turnover differential in that contest. Terrance Broadway threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns in that game, but he also threw three costly interceptions. Look for Broadway and company to take much better care of the football in this one, and to get back to their running game. The Rajin' Cajuns rushed for 254 yards against a very good Western Kentucky defense last week. They rank 21st in the country in rushing offense at 223.3 yards per game. Arkansas State ranks 93rd in rushing defense, allowing 196.7 yards per game and a whopping 5.1 per carry. The Red Wolves allowed 301 yards in a 9-38 loss to Auburn, 329 yards in a 7-31 loss to Memphis, and 239 yards in a 19-41 setback at Missouri. Their three wins have been unimpressive with victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Troy and Idaho. They even gave up 614 yards in their 41-34 win over Troy and only won due to being +4 in turnover differential. Lafayette is 7-0 against the spread vs. good passing teams that average at least 250 passing yards per game over the last three seasons. The Rajin' Cajuns are 12-2 against the number in their last 14 road games versus good offensive teams that average at least 425 yards per game. Arkansas State is 6-20 against the number in its last 26 versus good rushing teams that average at least 4.75 yards per carry. Louisiana-Lafayette is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven games following a S.U. win. The Rajin' Cajuns are 21-8 against the number in their last 29 road games. |
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10-21-13 | Minnesota Vikings +3.5 v. NY Giants | Top | 7-23 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
20* Vikings/Giants ESPN Monday No-Brainer on Minnesota +3.5
In all honesty, the Minnesota Vikings are very close to being a 3-2 team right now. They were beaten on one of the final plays of the game with a touchdown pass from Jay Cutler in a 30-31 loss at Chicago. They also lost in the final two minutes in a 27-31 home loss to the Cleveland Browns. There |
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10-20-13 | Denver Broncos -6 v. Indianapolis Colts | Top | 33-39 | Loss | -110 | 105 h 16 m | Show |
20* Broncos/Colts NBC Sunday Night BAILOUT on Denver -6
I wanted to release this early before the line gets to the Broncos -7 as I believe it inevitably will. I'll be back with analysis within the next couple of days. |
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10-20-13 | Baltimore Ravens v. Pittsburgh Steelers -1 | Top | 16-19 | Win | 100 | 101 h 12 m | Show |
25* AFC GAME OF THE YEAR on Pittsburgh Steelers -1
The Pittsburgh Steelers got back on track off their bye week with an impressive 19-6 road victory over the New York Jets last week. They forced their first two turnovers of the season in the win while limiting New York to just 267 total yards. A big reason for their 0-4 start was the fact that they had not forced a single turnover through the first four contests, which is unheard of for a Pittsburgh defense. After finally winning the turnover battle, look for the Steelers to make it a priority going forward. Baltimore is just 1-2 on the road this season with losses to Denver (27-49) and Buffalo (20-23). The Ravens were in line for a Super Bowl hangover, and for the most part, that appears to be the case during their 3-3 start. Pittsburgh realizes that it still has a chance to make the playoffs with a big finish in the suspect AFC North, and it starts this week with a home victory over the rival Ravens. A closer look at the numbers actually shows that Pittsburgh has been the better team to this point despite the records. The Ravens rank 21st in the league in total offense (335.7 yards/game) and 17th in total defense (352.5 yards/game) while getting outgained by 16.8 yards per game. The Steelers rank 17th in total offense (338.8 yards/game) and 6th in total defense (310.8 yards/game), outgaining opponents by 28.0 yards per game. That |
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10-20-13 | Houston Texans +7 v. Kansas City Chiefs | 16-17 | Win | 100 | 46 h 46 m | Show | |
15* Texans/Chiefs AFC Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on Houston +7
Houston has thrown an interception that has been returned for a touchdown in five straight games. It |
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10-20-13 | Cleveland Browns +10 v. Green Bay Packers | 13-31 | Loss | -110 | 46 h 45 m | Show | |
15* NFL Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Cleveland Browns +10
The Green Bay Packers are way overvalued as a double-digit home favorite against the underrated Cleveland Browns Sunday. There are several factors that have me backing the Browns in this one, but the biggest is the injuries the Packers are dealing with right now. They will be without two of their top three receivers and Randall Cobb and James Jones on offense. They are also without their best player on defense in Clay Matthews. Green Bay struggled offensively last week once Jones and Cobb went down with injury. It nearly blew a 16-3 lead to the Ravens, eventually winning by a final of 19-17. It got help from the ground game, which has been coming on in recent weeks, but the passing game is certainly hurting going forward. With the way the Browns have been able to stop the run, and having shutdown corner Joe Haden to defend Jordy Nelson this week, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if they went into Lambeau Field and pulled off the upset. Cleveland ranks 7th in the league in total defense at 312.5 yards per game allowed, including 8th against the run at 98.2 yards per game and 3.5 per carry. The Browns are clearly the better team on this side of the football. They will be up against a Green Bay team that ranks 18th in the league in total defense at 371.8 yards per game allowed, including 28th against the pass at 293.6 yards per game. The Packers are allowing a ridiculous 65.2 percent completions and 8.1 passing yards per attempt to opposing quarterbacks. The Browns had won three straight games over the Vikings, Bengals and Bills before blowing a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter to lose to the Detroit Lions last week. Brandon Weeden threw a couple of costly interceptions, but he also threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Green Bay really struggled against Detroit the week prior, winning by a final of 22-9 in a game where Calvin Johnson sat out for the Lions. The Packers' offense is clearly in trouble right now after averaging just 20.5 points the past two weeks, and now without Jones and Cobb. Meanwhile, the Browns have really flourished offensively the past four weeks with the return of Josh Gordon from a two-game suspension to open the season. They have averaged 25.5 points per game their past four contests and clearly have the firepower to keep u with a depleted Green Bay offense. Gordon has 25 receptions for 429 yards and two touchdowns through four games, while talented tight end Jordan Cameron has 38 receptions for 460 yards and five scores on the season. The Browns are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss. Cleveland is 11-5-1 ATS in its last 17 games following a S.U. loss. The Browns are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. This is simply too good of value to pass up catching double-digit points in what is a very evenly-matched game given the injuries to the Packers, and the way Cleveland has played of late. Roll with the Browns Sunday. |
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10-20-13 | San Diego Chargers v. Jacksonville Jaguars +7.5 | 24-6 | Loss | -110 | 42 h 21 m | Show | |
15* NFL Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Jacksonville Jaguars +7.5
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 0-6 on the season. As a result, the public doesn't want anything to do with them. That's why I believe there is a ton of value in backing the Jaguars more than a touchdown home underdog Sunday against the inconsistent San Diego Chargers. I like what I've seen from Jacksonville in recent weeks, and I believe it is primed to make a run at its first win of the season this weekend. Just two weeks ago, the Jaguars showed some great signs in a 20-34 loss at St. Louis in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate. The Jaguars outgained the Rams 363-251 for the game. Justin Blackmon made his return from suspension, and caught five balls for 136 yards and a score. Chad Henne replaced the injured Blaine Gabbert in the second half and went on to complete 7 of 13 passes for 89 yards and a score after Gabbert had already thrown two interceptions. Last week, Henne was named the starter as a 27.5-point underdog to the Denver Broncos. This offense is clearly better with Henne under center and with Blackmon back in the lineup. Jacksonville kept it close against Denver, trailing just 21-19 midway through the third quarter before eventually losing 19-35. The Jaguars were only outgained 362-407 by the Broncos. Henne threw for 303 yards, while Blackmon finished with 14 receptions for 190 yards. He helped open things up for Maurice Jones-Drew, who rushed for 71 yards and a score in the loss. San Diego simply cannot seem to string wins together. It has followed each loss with a win, and each win with a loss this season. Off a huge win on Monday Night Football over the Colts by a final of 19-9, this is clearly a letdown spot for the Chargers again. Also, after playing on Monday, they are working on a short week, which is certainly a disadvantage. Their win over the Colts is fresh on the public's minds, so they come into this contest overvalued because of it. Plays on underdogs or pick (JACKSONVILLE) - poor offensive team - scoring 17 or less points/game, after allowing 35 points or more last game are 55-26 (67.9%) ATS over the last 10 seasons. San Diego is 1-8 ATS vs. poor passing defenses - allowing a comp. pct. of 61% or worse over the last 2 seasons. Jacksonville is 10-2 ATS after allowing 25 points or more in three straight games since 1992. The Chargers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a ATS win. San Diego is 0-6-1 ATS in its last seven games following a S.U. win. Bet the Jaguars Sunday. |
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10-20-13 | Buffalo Bills +7.5 v. Miami Dolphins | 23-21 | Win | 100 | 42 h 21 m | Show | |
15* NFL Sunday Afternoon Line Mistake on Buffalo Bills +7.5
The Miami Dolphins are getting way too much respect from the books. They opened 3-0 this season, which had them way overvalued going into back-to-back losses to New Orleans (17-38) and Baltimore (23-26). They continue to get too much respect this week as more than a touchdown favorite over the Buffalo Bills. They are coming off a bye, but I still don't believe this team should be laying a touchdown to any team in the league. Taking a look at the numbers, it's easy to see that the Dolphins are nowhere near as good as their 3-2 record would indicate. Miami ranks 26th in the league in total offense at 316.6 yards per game, and 25th in total defense at 393.0 yards per game. As you can see, it is getting outgained by 76.4 yards per game on the season, which is a number that would more often than not represent a team that is 1-4 or 2-3 at this point rather than one that is 3-2. Buffalo has been highly competitive in 2013 as five of its six games have been decided by a touchdown or less. Unfortunately, it has lost three of those contests, including last week's 24-27 setback against the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime. I was on the Bills last week as a touchdown home underdog to the Bengals, and I'm riding them again this week because they are simply undervalued due to the quarterback position. E.J. Manuel isn't worth as many points as he's getting credit for, and Thad Lewis is an ample replacement. Lewis completed 19 of 32 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns without an interception against against a very good Cincinnati defense last week. He did that despite not having his best receiver in Stevie Johnson, who was out with a back injury. Johnson is expected to return this week, which will be a huge boost for the offense. This is an offense that is better than it gets credit for with a trio of excellent running backs in C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson and Tashard Choice, who have helped Buffalo to the league's 3rd-best rushing attack at 148.8 yards per game. The Bills have scored at least 20 points in all six games this season, so Doug Marrone's new up-tempo scheme is certainly working. The Bills are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. loss. The Dolphins are 11-31-1 ATS in their last 43 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Miami only has one win by more than 4 points this season, while Buffalo only has one loss by more than 7 points. This is simply too good of value to pass up in Week 7. Take Buffalo Sunday. |
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10-19-13 | Washington State +39.5 v. Oregon | Top | 38-62 | Win | 100 | 57 h 48 m | Show |
20* Pac-12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Washington State +39.5
The Cougars are certainly improved in the second year under head coach Mike Leach. They have opened 4-3 despite playing a very tough schedule with their only losses coming to Auburn, Stanford and Oregon State. They have an impressive 10-7 road win at USC on their resume, as well as a 44-22 victory at California. They have certainly played their best football on the road as they also lost to Auburn 24-31 as a 14-point underdog despite outgaining the Tigers 464-396 for the game. Leach has implemented his Air Raid offense from Texas Tech to Washington State with perfection. The Cougars are putting up 29.9 points and 413.3 yards per game to rank 66th in the country in total offense. Quarterback Connor Halliday is completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,241 yards with 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on the season. Gabe Marks is a freak at receiver, catching 46 balls for 512 yards and four scores. The defense has been improved this season as well, limiting opponents to an average of 25.2 points per game. The strength is a run defense that ranks 40th in allowing 144 yards per game and 3.8 per carry, which will be huge against Oregon. The Ducks will likely be without top running back De'Anthony Thomas once again Saturday as he is listed as doubtful. Few teams have played Oregon as tough as Washington State over the past three years. In fact, The Ducks have only been able to beat the Cougars by 25, 15 and 20 points in the last three meetings, respectively. The last two meetings were scarily close in the box scores. In 2011, Washington State outgained Oregon 462-454 in a 28-43 road loss. In 2012, the Cougars were only outgained 402-469 in a 26-51 home loss that was much closer than the final score would indicate. Washington State is coming off a bad loss to Oregon State, but it simply gave that game away by committing six turnovers and giving up 35 unanswered points in the final 17 minutes. That 22-point loss actually plays in our favor here considering Mike Leach is a perfect 8-0 against the spread in road games off a loss of 21 or more points to a conference opponent in all games he has coached. This could be a big letdown and look ahead spot for Oregon. It is coming off its best win of the season with a 45-24 triumph at Washington. Now, it has No. 9 UCLA on deck and Stanford after that. The Ducks could easily be overlooking the Cougars, which is something they have done each of the last three years. It |
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10-19-13 | Duke v. Virginia -2 | Top | 35-22 | Loss | -110 | 50 h 20 m | Show |
20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Virginia -2
The Virginia Cavaliers have played an absolutely brutal schedule in 2013, which is the biggest reason for their 2-4 start. Their four losses have come against the likes of Oregon, Pittsburgh, Ball State and Maryland. They even have a home win over a very good BYU team on their resume as well. They played well last week at Maryland, falling 26-27 as a 6-point underdog despite gaining 505 yards of total offense. This is clearly a team that is much better than its record would indicate. Duke is a bit of a fraud at 4-2 on the season. Its four victories have come against NC Central, Memphis, Troy and Navy. Virginia is an excellent running team that is averaging 188.8 yards per game to rank 47th in the country in rushing offense. Duke has given up an average of 224.5 yards per game on the ground in the last four weeks. The Blue Devils rank 81st in the country against the run, giving up 179.7 yards per game on the season. Virginia boasts a very solid defense that is giving up just 361.8 yards per game to rank 37th in the country in total defense. That |
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10-19-13 | UCLA +6 v. Stanford | 10-24 | Loss | -110 | 50 h 18 m | Show | |
15* UCLA/Stanford Pac-12 No-Brainer on UCLA +6
The UCLA Bruins have been one of the most underrated teams in all of college football in 2013. They have opened 5-0 straight up and 5-0 against the spread with impressive road wins over Nebraska (41-21) and Utah (34-27). That |
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10-19-13 | Florida v. Missouri +3.5 | 17-36 | Win | 100 | 47 h 8 m | Show | |
15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Missouri +3.5
The Missouri Tigers continue to get no respect from oddsmakers despite their impressive 6-0 start. They have gone 5-1 against the spread in the process, with their only non-cover coming in a 22-point victory over Arkansas State as a 23-point favorite. They are not only winning, they are dominating the opposition with all six victories coming by 15 points or more. That |
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10-19-13 | Purdue +28 v. Michigan State | 0-14 | Win | 100 | 46 h 25 m | Show | |
15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Purdue +28
The Michigan State Spartans are getting way too much respect from the books Saturday. This line is an over-inflation due to Michigan State's 42-28 win over Indiana last week, coupled with Purdue's 7-44 loss to Nebraska. I believe there is a ton of value with the Boilermakers in this one, and I'll back them because of it. The Spartans need to win by more than four touchdowns to beat us, and I don't believe they are capable of it. Aside from their 55-17 victory over Youngstown State, the Spartans' biggest win this season came by a final of 21-6 at home over South Florida as a 21-point favorite. They also failed to cover as a 27.5-point favorite in their opener with a 26-13 victory against lowly Western Michigan. Michigan State simply doesn't have the offensive firepower to cover big spreads like this. It has been held to 30.5 points and 374.7 total yards per game this season to rank 87th in the country in total offense. There's no question that the Spartans have one of the best defenses in the country, but their offense isn't going to put up enough points to cover this inflated number. Purdue has failed to cover the spread in three consecutive games, so the betting public is obviously not willing to back this team. It was only a 21.5-point underdog at Wisconsin on September 21, and now it is a 28-point dog to Michigan State. Comparing these two spreads alone show that this line is inflated when you consider that Wisconsin is a better team than Michigan State. The Boilermakers have shown some promise offensively in recent weeks. They put up 524 total yards in a loss to Northern Illinois on September 28 in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate. The defense has been better than average too, giving up 417 total yards per game against six offenses that are combining to average 444 yards per game on the season. The biggest reason for Purdue's slow start is a brutal schedule that has been much tougher than that of Michigan State. It has already played the likes of Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and Nebraska. Those five teams all have winning records and have combined for a 23-7 record on the season. Only two of Michigan State's six opponents thus far have winning records in Notre Dame and Iowa. This has been a very closely-contested series. Purdue only lost 31-35 at Michigan State as a 20.5-point underdog in their most recent meeting. Each of the last 12 meetings since 1997 have been decided by 24 points or less with eight of those contests behind decided by 10 points or fewer. That makes for a perfect 12-0 system backing the Boilermakers pertaining to today's spread of 28. The Boilermakers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a double-digit loss at home. Michigan State is 2-9 against the spread as a home favorite over the last two seasons. It is only winning 23.9 to 17.4 on average in this spot, or by 6.5 points per game. Roll with Purdue Saturday. |
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10-19-13 | Connecticut v. Cincinnati -13 | 16-41 | Win | 100 | 47 h 49 m | Show | |
15* CFB Saturday Big Chalk BLOWOUT on Cincinnati -13
The Cincinnati Bearcats have one of the best home-field advantages in the entire country. After opening 3-0 at home this season, they are now 50-14 at home over the past 11 years. The have already rolled Purdue (42-7), Northwestern State (66-9) and Temple (38-20) at home this season. They are outscoring their opponents at home by an average of 36.7 points per game in 2013. Cincinnati will be up against a Connecticut team that is one of the worst in all of college football. The Huskies have opened 0-5 straight up and 1-4 against the spread in 2013 with three of those losses coming by double-digits. They lost 10-13 at home to South Florida last week as a 3.5-point favorite. The Huskies are in shambles right now with the firing of head coach Paul Pasqualoni after four games. Their worst loss came on the road on September 28 in a 12-41 setback at Buffalo. It was their lone road game of the season, which makes their 0-5 start even worse when you consider they have played four home games compared to just one on the road. I expect a similar beat down at the hands of Cincinnati in this one. The Huskies are averaging 16.4 points and 290.4 yards per game to rank a woeful 117th in the country in total offense. They are going to have a very hard time moving the ball on one of the best defenses in the land. Cincinnati is giving up just 17.8 points and 271.8 yards per game to rank 6th in total defense. The offense hasn |
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10-19-13 | SMU v. Memphis -3 | Top | 34-29 | Loss | -120 | 47 h 49 m | Show |
20* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Memphis -3
The Tigers may be the best 1-4 team in college football. Their four losses have come against Duke (14-28), Middle Tennessee State (15-17), UCF (17-24) and Houston (15-25.). In their best performance of the season, they beat a very good Arkansas State team 31-7 at home on September 21. Memphis outgained Houston by 102 yards, UCF by 123 yards and Middle Tennessee by 66 yards, but found a way to lose those three games when they really should have won given the numbers. Memphis has a massive edge on defense in this one. It is giving up just 20.2 points and 305.2 yards per game to rank 11th in the entire country in total defense. It is giving up just 91.0 yards on the ground and 214.2 through the air. SMU, meanwhile, is allowing 43.2 points and 445.8 yards per game to rank 98th in total defense. The Mustangs are 1-4 on the season with their only win coming against Montana State by a final of 31-30 at home. They have allowed 41 or more points in their four losses. Plays on any team (MEMPHIS) |
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10-19-13 | TCU v. Oklahoma State -7 | 10-24 | Win | 100 | 47 h 48 m | Show | |
15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Oklahoma State -7
The Cowboys are 4-1 and still have a ton to play for in the wide open Big 12 despite an early loss to West Virginia. With two Big 12 losses already, TCU really is behind the eight ball in terms of competing for a conference championship in 2013. Oklahoma State will come into this game on two weeks |
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10-18-13 | Los Angeles Dodgers -125 v. St. Louis Cardinals | 0-9 | Loss | -125 | 9 h 33 m | Show | |
15* Dodgers/Cardinals Game 6 ANNIHILATOR on Los Angeles -125
I believe the Dodgers force a Game 7 behind ace Clayton Kershaw tonight. Rarely will you ever get the best pitcher in baseball at this kind of price, and I'll gladly take advantage in Game 6 with their season on the line. Kershaw has been stupid-good in 2013, going 17-10 with a 1.73 ERA and 0.898 WHIP over 36 starts. He continues to get better as the season goes on, going 3-1 with a miniscule 0.28 ERA over his last five starts while allowing just one earned runs in 32 innings. Kershaw did not allow an earned run in Game 2 against St. Louis while also putting three runners on base over six innings. He did give up an unearned run, which proved to be the difference in a 1-0 Los Angeles defeat. I believe he gets his revenge tonight against Michael Wacha. The Dodgers are 55-27 in Kershaw's last 82 starts as a favorite. Los Angeles is 52-20 in its last 72 vs. a right-handed starter. The Dodgers are 9-2 in their last 11 games following an off day. Bet Los Angeles in Game 6 Friday. |
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10-18-13 | Central Florida +13 v. Louisville | Top | 38-35 | Win | 100 | 44 h 35 m | Show |
20* UCF/Louisville AAC GAME OF THE WEEK on Central Florida +13
There |
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10-17-13 | Seattle Seahawks v. Arizona Cardinals +7 | Top | 34-22 | Loss | -120 | 20 h 19 m | Show |
20* Seahawks/Cardinals NFL Thursday No-Brainer on Arizona +7
The Arizona Cardinals were clearly one of the most underrated teams in the league heading into 2013. They have opened 3-3 this season despite playing a tough schedule to this point that has featured four road games with two of them coming against San Francisco and New Orleans. They are playing their best football at home, going 2-0 while beating a pair of quality opponents in the Lions (25-21) and Panthers (22-6). The defense recently returned linebacker Daryl Washington, and he and Karlos Dansby have been a force in recent weeks. This is one of the more underrated stop units in the league as well, allowing a respectable 21.2 points per game on the season. Arizona actually outplayed San Francisco last week, but lost 20-32 despite outgaining the opposition 403-387 for the game. The Cardinals simply gave that game away by committing four turnovers. After playing the 49ers tough on the road, they have a good chance of keeping it close against the Seahawks at home. Seattle has been at its worst on the road this season. Despite being 2-1, it was fortunate to beat both Houston (23-20) and Carolina (12-7) after needing to come behind in the second half to do so. They even erased a 20-3 halftime deficit against the Texans that was aided by yet another pick-six from Matt Schaub late. The Seahawks were outgained by 206 total yards in that contest. They also lost at Indianapolis 28-34 in their last road contest. As you can see, the Seahawks have not won a road game yet this season by more than five points. Home-field advantage has been huge in this series as the home team has won each of the last four meetings over the past two seasons. Arizona has won six of its last seven home meetings with Seattle. It clearly wants revenge from the worst loss of the season last year, which was a 58-0 drubbing in Seattle late in the season. The Cardinals had nothing to play for at the time, and these players have not forgotten that defeat. They'll be playing with a chip on their shoulder in this one. The Cardinals are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home meetings with Seattle. Seattle has some big injury concerns heading into this game. Its leading tackler from last season in Bobby Wagner is doubtful with an ankle injury. Its leading sacker from last season in Chris Clemons (11.5 sacks) is also doubtful with an elbow injury. Marshawn Lynch is nursing a hip injury as well and sat out of practice Tuesday, though he is expected to go Thursday. Arizona got some good news when DE Calais Campbell, LB Karlos Dansby and WR Larry Fitzgerald all practiced Tuesday. All three are expected to play in this one. The Cardinals are 26-9 against the spread in their last 35 games vs. a team with a winning percentage of better than 75% on the season. Arizona is 39-16 against the number in its last 55 games vs. good teams that outscore their opponents by 6 or more points per game. Bruce Arians is 8-0 against the spread in home games in all games he has coached. The Cardinals are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games following an ATS loss. Arizona is 5-0 against the number in its last five games after allowing more than 30 points in its previous game. The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings. These last four trends combine for a perfect 22-0 system backing Arizona. Bet the Cardinals Thursday. |
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10-17-13 | Boston Red Sox v. Detroit Tigers -115 | 4-3 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 60 m | Show | |
15* Red Sox/Tigers ALCS Game 5 No-Doubt Rout on Detroit -115
The Detroit Tigers will win their final home game of the series and take a 3-2 lead going back to Boston. The Tigers not only have the edge on the mound, they now have the edge at the plate as well after manager Jim Leyland mixed things up in Game 4. The result was a 7-3 victory and the most production from the offense in the series. Anibal Sanchez has been shutting down the opposition all season. The right-hander is 15-9 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.175 WHIP in 31 starts this year. In Game 1 of this series, Sanchez pitched six shutout innings while striking out 12 in a 1-0 Detroit victory. Jon Lester has been sub-par on the road this season. The left-hander is 8-7 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.381 WHIP in 20 starts away from home in 2013. The Red Sox are just 8-12 in those starts. Lester is also 2-3 with a 4.24 ERA and 1.490 WHIP in eight career starts against the Tigers. In his last start at Detroit on June 21, Lester gave up five earned runs, 12 base runners and two homers over 5 2/3 innings. The Red Sox are 4-10 in Lester's last 14 road starts. Boston is 4-10 in Lester's last 14 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. Detroit is a perfect 7-0 in its last seven games vs. a left-handed starter. The Tigers are 57-25 in their last 82 home games with the total set at 7.0-8.5. Detroit is 8-2 in Sanchez's last 10 starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Tigers are 11-4 in Sanchez's last 15 starts overall. Roll with Detroit in Game 5 Thursday. |
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10-17-13 | Miami (Florida) v. North Carolina +9.5 | 27-23 | Win | 101 | 19 h 10 m | Show | |
15* Miami/UNC ESPN Thursday ANNIHILATOR on North Carolina +9.5
There |
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10-16-13 | Boston Red Sox v. Detroit Tigers -118 | Top | 3-7 | Win | 100 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
20* Red Sox/Tigers ALCS Game 4 No-Brainer on Detroit -121
I believe this is a must-win situation for Detroit as only 16% of teams have come back to win from a 3-1 deficit. I like it chances with the edge it has on the mound in this one, and the home-field advantage. Doug Fister is 14-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 33 starts this season. He has been at his best at home, going 8-5 with a 3.61 ERA in 16 starts. In his last start against Boston on September 2, Fister pitched seven shutout innings to get the win in a 3-0 Tigers victory. Jake Peavy has pitched well at home this year, but he's just 5-5 with a 5.03 ERA in 15 road starts in 2013. Peavy is 1-3 with a 6.68 ERA in his last five starts against Detroit, allowing 23 earns runs and 9 homers over 31 innings pitched. He clearly struggles against this team. The Red Sox are 28-57 in their last 85 games as an underdog. The Tigers are 56-25 in their last 81 home games with a total set of 7.0-8.5. Detroit is 11-4 in Fister's last 15 starts overall. The Tigers are 26-10 in Fister's last 36 home starts. Detroit is 7-2 in its last nine home meetings with Boston. Bet the Tigers Wednesday. |
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10-15-13 | Louisiana-Lafayette v. Western Kentucky -4 | Top | 37-20 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 55 m | Show |
20* LA-Lafayette/WKU Sun Belt GAME OF THE MONTH on Western Kentucky -4
After opening the season with an impressive 35-26 win over Kentucky, the Hilltoppers dropped their next two road contests at Tennessee and South Alabama. They have been a completely different team since, reeling off three straight blowout victories over Morgan State (58-17), Navy (19-7) and Louisiana-Monroe (31-10). This team is hitting its stride under first-year head coach, Bobby Petrino. Western Kentucky is scoring 31.2 points and averaging a whopping 473.7 yards per game to rank 30th in the country in total offense. Quarterback Brandon Doughty has thrived in Petrino |
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10-15-13 | Boston Red Sox v. Detroit Tigers OVER 7 | 1-0 | Loss | -115 | 5 h 53 m | Show | |
15* Red Sox/Tigers ALCS Total DOMINATOR on OVER 7
The books have set the bar too low on this total tonight in Game 3 between Detroit and Boston. Both John Lackey and Justin Verlander are getting way too much respect from the books in this one. Lackey has been at his worst on the road this season, going 4-10 with a 4.48 ERA in 16 starts away from home. Verlander has been at his worst at home this year, going 6-7 with a 3.73 ERA in 17 starts in Detroit. While Verlander is hot of late, he has struggled in recent starts against Boston. He has allowed 13 runs and 31 base runners over 16 innings in his last three starts against the Red Sox. John Lackey sports a 3.86 ERA in 12 career starts against Detroit. Boston is scoring 5.3 runs/game on the road this season, while Detroit is putting up 5.3 runs/game at home. That's a combined 10.6 runs/game given this situation, which is 3.6 runs more than tonight's posted total. There is clearly some value with the OVER in this one ladies and gents. Detroit is 15-3 OVER (+12.3 Units) at home when the total is 7.5 or less this season. The OVER is 7-0 in Red Sox last 7 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game. The OVER is 9-2 in Boston's last 11 games overall. The OVER is 16-5-3 in Tigers last 24 home games. The OVER is 40-19-2 in Tigers last 61 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150. The OVER is 13-5 in the last 18 meetings in this series, including 5-1 in the last six meetings in Detroit. Take the OVER in Game 3 Tuesday. |
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10-14-13 | Indianapolis Colts v. San Diego Chargers UNDER 50.5 | Top | 9-19 | Win | 100 | 10 h 40 m | Show |
20* Colts/Chargers ESPN Monday No-Brainer on UNDER 50.5
I believe the recent OVER run on Monday Night Football has forced the oddsmakers to inflate tonight's total set. Each of the last three MNF games have gone OVER the number, and five out of six on the season. With the way the public likes to bet MNF as it is, the oddsmakers can not longer continue to take a pounding by setting the number too low. What I really like about this UNDER is that it's strength vs. strength, which clearly favors a defensive battle. Indianapolis ranks 5th in the league in pass defense, giving up just 201.4 yards per game through the air. San Diego features a very one-dimensional offense, ranking 3rd in the league in passing offense at 311.2 yards per game. I look for the Colts to slow down Philip Rivers in this one, especially with the pressure they'll get from the front four, including NFL sack leader Robert Mathis. San Diego has had one of the most underrated run defenses in the league over the last several years. It is strong at the point of attack again, allowing 117.2 yards per game despite going up against five offenses that average 127 yards per game on the ground. Stopping the run will be big considering the Colts rank 4th in the league in rushing offense at 142.0 yards per game. Five of the last six meetings between San Diego and Indianapolis have seen 50 or less combined points. The Colts and their opponents had combined for 44 or less points in each of their first four games of the season before a high-scoring affair with Seattle last week that ended with a final score of 34-28. The Colts were very fortunate to score 34 points considering they had just 317 yards of total offense in the game. I believe that misleading final score last week also has this total inflated. San Diego is 31-16 UNDER in home games vs. good offensive teams - scoring 24 or more points/game since 1992. The Colts are 12-3 UNDER against AFC opponents over the last two seasons. The UNDER is 5-0 in Colts last 5 road games. The UNDER is 10-3 in Colts last 13 vs. a team with a losing record. The UNDER is 5-0 in Chargers last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The UNDER is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings. Bet the UNDER in this game Monday. |
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10-14-13 | St. Louis Cardinals v. Los Angeles Dodgers +108 | 0-3 | Win | 108 | 9 h 35 m | Show | |
15* Cardinals/Dodgers NLCS Game 3 ANNIHILATOR on Los Angeles +108
It's now or never for the Los Angeles Dodgers. I believe they are showing excellent value as a +108 home underdog in this must-win situation tonight. I look for the Cardinals to relax a little as well after taking the first two games of this series at home. Hyun-Jin Ryu get the ball for Game 3. The left-hander has had a solid season, going 14-8 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.221 WHIP in 31 starts. Ryu has been his best at home, going 7-4 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.210 WHIP over 16 starts. Ryu pitched seven innings without allowing a single earned run in his lone start against St. Louis this season on August 8. He gave up just five hits without a walk while striking out seven to get the win. The Dodgers are 24-5 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in home games vs. NL teams allowing 3.8 or less runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons. St. Louis is 8-17 (-15.8 Units) against the money line after 4 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons. The Cardinals are 6-15 in their last 21 road games vs. a team with a winning record. The Dodgers are 6-1 in Ryu's last 7 starts as an underdog. Los Angele sis 11-4 in Ryu's last 15 home starts. Take the Dodgers in Game 3 Monday. |
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10-13-13 | Washington Redskins +6 v. Dallas Cowboys | Top | 16-31 | Loss | -110 | 53 h 56 m | Show |
25* Redskins/Cowboys NBC Sunday Night GAME OF THE YEAR on Washington +6
The Washington Redskins have given the Dallas Cowboys all they have wanted and more over the last several years. They won both meetings last year, winning 38-31 in Dallas and 28-18 at home with the NFC East title on the line. In fact, only once in the last 13 meetings has Washington lost to Dallas by more than 5 points. That |
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10-13-13 | Jacksonville Jaguars +27.5 v. Denver Broncos | 19-35 | Win | 100 | 49 h 30 m | Show | |
15* Jaguars/Broncos AFC Sunday No-Brainer on Jacksonville +27.5
Even with how bad Jacksonville has been, any time the books are going to give me nearly four touchdowns in an NFL game, I'm going to look to take it. There |
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10-13-13 | Carolina Panthers +1 v. Minnesota Vikings | 35-10 | Win | 113 | 45 h 26 m | Show | |
15* NFL Sunday Upset Special on Carolina Panthers +1
Carolina has held a halftime lead in each of its first four games of the season. It has blown three of those leads in the second half, and it |
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10-13-13 | Cincinnati Bengals v. Buffalo Bills +7 | Top | 27-24 | Win | 100 | 45 h 25 m | Show |
20* AFC GAME OF THE WEEK on Buffalo Bills +7
Oddsmakers have certainly over-adjusted for Thaddeus Lewis being named the starting quarterback this week. The Bills were going to be somewhere around a 3.5-point underdog if E.J. Manuel was the starting quarterback this week, and I do not believe he's worth anywhere close to 3.5 points, which is the difference in the line adjustment. There is a ton of value here in backing the Bills as a touchdown home underdog Sunday due to the quarterback situation. After all, Buffalo doesn |
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10-13-13 | Pittsburgh Steelers +1 v. NY Jets | 19-6 | Win | 105 | 45 h 25 m | Show | |
15* NFL Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Pittsburgh Steelers +1
The Pittsburgh Steelers are desperate for a win to turn their season around. They realize there is still a lot of football left to be played with three-fourths of their season remaining. Their bye week came at a perfect time, which will allow them to regroup after an 0-4 start. Meanwhile, the Jets are coming off a big win at Atlanta on Monday Night Football, which puts them on a short week and in a letdown spot here. The edge in rest and preparation clearly favors Pittsburgh. When you look at the numbers, it |
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10-12-13 | California +25.5 v. UCLA Bruins | Top | 10-37 | Loss | -110 | 44 h 11 m | Show |
20* Cal/UCLA Pac-12 GAME OF THE WEEK on California +25.5
The California Bears are simply catching too many points against UCLA Saturday. You won't find many teams that have played a tougher schedule than Cal to this point, which is the biggest reason for its 1-4 start. It has actually handled itself well, losing 30-44 to Northwestern, 34-52 to Ohio State, 16-55 to Oregon and 22-44 to Washington State. Many of those final scores were very misleading. Cal actually outgained Northwestern 548-508 and Washington State 585-570. It was only outgained by Ohio State 503-608 and by Oregon 325-383. As you can see, only one of those losses came by more than 22 points. I simply believe that UCLA is overvalued as a 25-point favorite here considering it has faced such an easy schedule to this point. Cal is certainly battle-tested and we'll always have a chance for a cover in this game due to its electric offense. The Bears rank 18th in the country in total offense at 515.4 yards per game, including 4th in passing offense at 402.6 yards per game. Freshman quarterback Jared Goff has already thrown for 1,801 yards and nine touchdowns against five interceptions. Chris Harper (37 receptions, 558 yards, 4 TD) and Bryce Treggs (36, 418, 1 TD) are absolute studs at receiver. My biggest reason for betting against UCLA and on Cal in this one is the fact that the Bruins are in a huge letdown spot. They have Stanford on deck next week, whom they lost two twice last season, including a setback in the Pac-12 Title Game. They also have Oregon the week after. There's no question that UCLA will be looking ahead to those two games, and overlooking 1-4 Cal. The Golden Bears absolutely dominated UCLA last season by a final of 43-17. They put up 481 total yards, while limiting the Bruins to just 381 total yards. UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley threw four interceptions in the loss. Zach Maynard threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns in the win for Cal, and I look for Goff to have a big day as well against this suspect UCLA defense. UCLA is 3-13 against the spread off two consecutive covers as a favorite since 1992. It is coming back to lose 27.2 to 29.2 in this spot. The Bruins are 16-35-1 against the number in their last 52 games vs. a team with a losing record. The underdog is 12-4-1 against the spread in the last 17 meetings in this series. You have to go all the way back to 2001 to find the last time that UCLA beat Cal by more than 17 points, which was a 56-17 victory. In fact, that was the only time in the last 21 meetings that UCLA beat Cal by more than 18 points. That makes for a 20-1 system backing the Golden Bears when you factor in the spread for this game. Bet California Saturday. |
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10-12-13 | Texas A&M v. Ole Miss +6 | Top | 41-38 | Win | 100 | 42 h 12 m | Show |
20* Texas A&M/Ole Miss SEC GAME OF THE WEEK on Ole Miss +6
Few teams in the country have faced a schedule as tough as the one that Ole Miss has been up against in the early going. In all reality, it has done an excellent job of opening 3-2 considering it has already faced four road games against the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Texas and Vanderbilt. This is still one of the better teams in the country that returned 19 starters from last year. Now, the Rebels get to start a stretch in which they play six straight home games. Ole Miss clearly wants revenge from last year |
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10-12-13 | Los Angeles Dodgers -126 v. St. Louis Cardinals | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -126 | 7 h 58 m | Show |
20* Dodgers/Cardinals Game 2 ANNIHILATOR on Los Angeles -126
The Los Angeles Dodgers will bounce back with a Game 2 victory behind Ace Clayton Kershaw. Getting him at this price is an absolute gift from oddsmakers. This is the best starter in the game, hands down. Kershaw is 17-9 with a 1.77 ERA and 0.908 WHIP in 35 starts this season, including 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 0.737 WHIP in his last three starts. Somehow, he continues to get stronger as the season goes on. There's no question that Michael Wacha has been a solid starter in limited action for the Cardinals. I have even backed him a couple times, but he is simply out-classed in this one. The Dodgers need the win more, and they'll get it behind their ace. Kershaw is 15-2 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in road games vs. teams whose hitters draw 3 walks or less/game in the second half of the season in his career. Kershaw is 23-5 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last two seasons. Los Angeles is 50-18 in its last 68 games vs. a right-handed starter. Take the Dodgers in Game 2 Saturday. |
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10-12-13 | Oregon v. Washington +14 | 45-24 | Loss | -110 | 38 h 38 m | Show | |
15* Oregon/Washington Pac-12 No-Brainer on Washington +14
This isn |
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10-12-13 | Florida +7 v. LSU | 6-17 | Loss | -110 | 37 h 9 m | Show | |
15* Florida/LSU CBS Saturday No-Brainer on Florida +7
Florida has been a completely different team since inserting Tyler Murphy in as their starting quarterback. He led them to a comeback win over Tennessee by a final of 31-17 after replacing the injured Jeff Driskel on September 21. Since then, he led the Gators to a 24-7 victory at Kentucky as an 11-point favorite, and a 30-10 home victory over Arkansas as a 12.5-point favorite. Murphy is making plays and not turning the ball over like Driskel did. Murphy is completing 72.2 percent of his passes for 530 yards and five touchdowns against one interception, while also rushing for 135 yards and two scores. Matt Jones has recently returned at running back to give the offense a boost as well. He has rushed for 322 yards and two scores. Solomon Patton (19 receptions, 348 yards, 4 TD), Trey Burton (23, 282, 1 TD) and Quinton Dunbar (18, 274) are all solid targets outside for Murphy. LSU hasn |
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10-12-13 | Boston College +24.5 v. Clemson | Top | 14-24 | Win | 100 | 37 h 16 m | Show |
25* ACC GAME OF THE YEAR on Boston College +24.5
The Boston College Eagles are clearly an improved team in 2013. They brought back 18 starters and have gotten off to an impressive 3-2 start this year. They have improved as the season has gone on with their last two performances being their best two heading into this one. Boston College only lost by a final of 34-48 at Florida State as a 24-point underdog on September 28. It put up 407 total yards on a very good FSU defense, which shut out Maryland 63-0 last week. Boston College amassed 523 total yards in a 48-27 beat down of Army as a 12.5-point favorite last weekend. Quarterback Chase Rettig is gaining confidence with each start, completing 64.2 percent of his passes for 896 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions on the season. However, the biggest playmaker on the Eagles is running back Andre Williams. He has already rushed for 768 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Receiver Alex Amidon is a beast as well, catching 32 balls for 431 yards and two touchdowns. This is a huge letdown spot for Clemson. It has a meeting lined up with No. 6 Florida State next week on October 19. The Tigers will clearly be overlooking Boston College and looking ahead to that showdown with the Seminoles. That |
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10-12-13 | Missouri +7.5 v. Georgia | 41-26 | Win | 100 | 34 h 37 m | Show | |
15* Missouri/Georgia ESPN Early ANNIHILATOR on Missouri +7.5
The Missouri Tigers are the real deal in 2013. While they haven |
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10-12-13 | Nebraska v. Purdue +14.5 | 44-7 | Loss | -110 | 34 h 40 m | Show | |
15* Big Ten Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Purdue +14.5
Purdue |
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10-11-13 | Los Angeles Dodgers -122 v. St. Louis Cardinals | 2-3 | Loss | -122 | 9 h 56 m | Show | |
15* Dodgers/Cardinals Game 1 No-Brainer on Los Angeles -122
I'll back Zach Greinke and the red hot Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of this series Friday. This is a Dodgers team that scored a combined 26 runs while beating the Atlanta Braves 3-1 last season. Zach Greinke has been one of the best starters in baseball all season. The right-hander is 15-5 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.100 WHIP over 29 starts. He has posted a 1.59 ERA and 0.647 WHIP in his last three starts as well. Greinke is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his last three starts against St. Louis, allowing just three earned runs over 19 1/3 innings. The right-hander has allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his last 10 starts against the Cardinals. Greinke is a perfect 12-0 (+12.8 Units) against the money line vs. poor power teams - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game this season. The Dodgers are 65-29 in their last 94 games overall. Los Angeles is 9-2 in Greinke's last 11 road starts. The Cardinals are 0-4 in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog. Bet the Dodgers in Game 1 Friday. |
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10-11-13 | Temple v. Cincinnati UNDER 51.5 | Top | 20-38 | Loss | -110 | 21 h 33 m | Show |
20* Temple/Cincinnati ESPN Friday Total DOMINATOR on UNDER 51.5
I fully expect a defensive battle Friday night between Temple and Cincinnati in American Athletic Conference action. While Cincinnati may get to 30 points by game's end, I don't see Temple being able to surpass 10-14 points in this one. I expect somewhere in the neighborhood of a 31-10 final. Cincinnati has been atrocious offensively in games outside of Purdue and Northwestern. I managed just 17 points against Illinois, scored 14 points against Miami Ohio with both touchdowns coming in the fourth quarter, and managed just 20 points against winless South Florida. What has been the saving grace for the Bearcats is a defense that is one of the best in the entire country. They are giving up just 17.4 points and 251.0 total yards per game to rank 4th in the FBS in total defense. The Bearcats have not allowed an offensive touchdown since the second quarter of the Northwestern State game on September 14, a span of 10 quarters. In the lost to South Florida last time out, they gave up a fumble recovery for a score, and a 75-yard return for at touchdown on a blocked field goal. This defense is the real deal. I look for this fierce Cincinnati defense to completely shut down a very suspect Temple offense. In fact, the Owls are scoring just 15.8 points per game while averaging 342.4 yards per game to rank 102nd in the FBS in total offense. Four out of five of Temple's games this season have seen 50 or less combined points. Those four were losses to Notre Dame (6-28), Houston (13-22), Idaho (24-26) and Louisville (7-30). Three of Cincinnati's five games have seen 49 or less combined points. They were wins over Purdue (42-7) and Miami Ohio (14-0), as well as a loss to South Florida (20-26). Last year, Cincinnati beat Temple 34-10 on the road as an 8-point favorite with a total set of 55 points. Cincinnati outgained Temple 472-267 in the win. I look for the Bearcats to get a big lead early into the 3rd quarter, and to run out the clock with their solid rushing attack that is averaging 200 yards per game. The UNDER is 35-20 in Cincinnati's last 55 home games. The UNDER is 24-9 in Cincinnati's last 33 October games. The UNDER is 12-5 in Temple's last 17 road games. The UNDER is 5-1 in Bearcats last 6 vs. a team with a losing record. The UNDER is 4-1-1 in Owls last 6 games overall. Bet the UNDER in this game Friday. |
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10-10-13 | Arizona +6.5 v. USC | 31-38 | Loss | -106 | 11 h 9 m | Show | |
15* Arizona/USC Pac-12 BAILOUT on Arizona +6.5
This has been an extremely competitive series in recent years. Each of the last seven meetings between USC and Arizona have been decided by 7 points or less, including last year |
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10-10-13 | NY Giants +8 v. Chicago Bears | Top | 21-27 | Win | 100 | 78 h 37 m | Show |
20* Giants/Bears NFC Thursday ANNIHILATOR on New York +8
Even with an 0-5 start, head coach Tom Coughlin will still be able to keep his team motivated. That |
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10-10-13 | Rutgers v. Louisville UNDER 56 | 10-24 | Win | 100 | 8 h 9 m | Show | |
15* Rutgers/Louisville ESPN Total DOMINATOR on UNDER 56
The books have set the bar too high in this contest between Louisville and Rutgers. I look for a low-scoring, defensive battle, which has been the theme in this rivalry in recent years. Each of the last four meetings between Rutgers and Louisville have seen 53 or less combined points scored. In fact, the last two years, they have combined for 37 and 30 points, respectively. Louisville beat Rutgers 20-17 on the road last season as both offenses were held in check for a second straight year. Both Louisville and Rutgers have a key loss on offense heading into this one. Rutgers is expected to be without leading rusher Paul James, who has ran for 573 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 7.3 yards per carry. Louisville is expected to be without leading receiver DaVante Parker, who has caught 21 balls for 375 yards and six scores. Louisville boasts one of the best defenses in the entire country. It is giving up just 6.8 points and 228.0 total yards per game to rank 3rd in the FBS in total defense. It has held Rutgers to 17, 14 and 13 points in the last three meetings in this series. Plays on the UNDER on all teams where the total is between 49.5 and 56 (RUTGERS) - average defensive team (330 to 390 YPG) against an excellent defensive team (<=280 YPG) are 77-38 (67%) over the last 10 seasons. The UNDER is 19-8 in Rutgers' last 27 games overall. The UNDER is 8-1 in Scarlet Knights last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The UNDER is 13-5 in Louisville's last 18 home games. Take the UNDER in this game Thursday. |
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10-09-13 | Pittsburgh Pirates +150 v. St. Louis Cardinals | 1-6 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 2 m | Show | |
15* Pirates/Cardinals NLDS Game 5 No-Brainer on Pittsburgh +150
I applaud manager Clint Hurdle for sending rookie Gerrit Cole to the mound for Game 5 instead of Francisco Liriano, who has really struggled on the road this season. Cole is the real deal and he has been better on the road than at home. The rookie has gone 11-7 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.135 WHIP in 20 starts this season, including 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA and 0.896 WHIP in eight road starts. Cole started Game 2 in St. Louis, allowing just one earned run and three base runners over six innings of a 7-1 Pittsburgh victory. There's no question that Adam Wainwright is an excellent starting pitcher in this league. However, I believe he is getting too much respect from oddsmakers in this one. Cole has posted very comparable numbers and I believe this is an evenly-matched contest on the mound, so the price is right to pull the trigger on the Pirates, who continue to prove their doubters wrong. Pittsburgh is a very profitable 38-26 (+19.7 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +100 to +150 this season. The Pirates are 6-1 in their last 7 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150. Pittsburgh is 9-2 in its last 11 road games. The Pirates are 5-0 in their last 5 games following a loss. Pittsburgh is 6-0 in Cole's last 6 starts overall. The Pirates are 38-15 in their last 53 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. Bet Pittsburgh in Game 5 Wednesday. |
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10-08-13 | Boston Red Sox v. Tampa Bay Rays OVER 7.5 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
25* MLB Playoffs TOTAL OF THE YEAR on Red Sox/Rays OVER 7.5
The books are giving both Jake Peavy and Jeremy Hellickson way too much respect tonight. I look for the biggest slug fest of the series thus far to take place at Tropicana Field in Game 4 Tuesday. Each of the first three games in this series have gone OVER the number. They combined for 14 runs in Game 1, 11 runs in Game 2 and 9 runs in Game 3. Every starting pitcher that has been out there for each team is better than both starters tonight. Jake Peavy is 12-5 with a 4.17 ERA over 23 starts this season. He has really struggled on the road, going 5-5 with a 5.27 ERA in 14 starts away from home. Jeremy Hellickson is 11-10 with a 5.24 ERA in 31 starts this season. He has been atrocious of late, going 0-2 with a 7.81 ERA In his last three starts. The OVER is 7-0 in Red Sox last 7 games overall. The OVER is 5-0 in Red Sox last 5 road games. The OVER is 7-0-1 in Red Sox last 8 road games as a favorite of -110 to -110. The OVER is 5-0 in Rays last 5 vs. AL East opponents. These four trends combine for a 24-0 system backing the OVER. Bet the OVER in Game 4 Tuesday. |
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10-07-13 | NY Jets +10 v. Atlanta Falcons | Top | 30-28 | Win | 100 | 9 h 28 m | Show |
20* Jets/Falcons ESPN Monday No-Brainer on New York +10
The New York Jets have surprisingly been one of the best teams in the league in 2013. The numbers don |
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10-07-13 | St. Louis Cardinals v. Pittsburgh Pirates +104 | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 4 h 51 m | Show | |
15* Cardinals/Pirates NL Early Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on Pittsburgh +104
The Pittsburgh Pirates are ready to close out this series with the St. Louis Cardinals at home in Game 4 Monday. They know that they don't want to go back to St. Louis. Pittsburgh is an impressive 52-31 at home this season, while St. Louis is 43-39 on the road. Rarely will you get this good of a home team as an underdog. I'll take advantage tonight as the city of Pittsburgh will be rocking once again. Charlie Morton isn't getting the kind of respect he deserves from oddsmakers. The right-hander has gone 7-4 with a 3.26 ERA in 20 starts this season, allowing just six homers over 116 innings pitched. Morton is 2-2 with a 2.85 ERA in nine home starts, and 0-0 with a 1.86 ERA in his last three starts overall. The Pirates are a very profitable 45-31 (+26.9 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +100 or higher this season. The Pirates are 7-1 in their last 8 games as an underdog. St. Louis is 0-5 in its last 5 during Game 4 of a series. The Cardinals are 0-4 in their last 4 playoff road games. Pittsburgh is 10-2 in its last 12 during Game 4 of a series. St. Louis is 2-8 in its last 10 meetings in Pittsburgh. Take the Pirates in Game 4 Monday. |
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10-06-13 | Houston Texans +7 v. San Francisco 49ers | Top | 3-34 | Loss | -130 | 54 h 6 m | Show |
20* Texans/49ers NBC Sunday Night BAILOUT on Houston +7
There |
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10-06-13 | Carolina Panthers -1 v. Arizona Cardinals | Top | 6-22 | Loss | -110 | 50 h 42 m | Show |
25* NFC GAME OF THE YEAR on Carolina Panthers -1
The Carolina Panthers are coming off their most lopsided win in the franchise's 19-year history. They beat the New York Giants 38-0 at home on September 22, limiting them to just 150 total yards while forcing three turnovers. That win gave them a ton of confidence heading into their bye week, and now they're refreshed and ready to go Sunday at Arizona. While Carolina is just 1-2 this season, its two losses came by a combined six points to Seattle (7-12) and Buffalo (23-24). I really like the improvement I've seen from the defense, which ranks 3rd in the league in scoring, allowing just 12.0 points per game. This defense should have its way with an Arizona offense that ranks 25th in scoring (17.2 points/game) and 26th in total offense (320.2 yards/game). The Cardinals have been held to a combined 20 points in their last two games, a 7-31 loss at New Orleans, and a 13-10 victory at Tampa Bay. That win over the Bucs was far from impressive, and a late comeback for the victory has the Cardinals getting more respect than they deserve from oddsmakers heading into this one. Carolina's offense put up 402 total yards in the win over the Giants to get untracked. DeAngelo Williams rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries and has averaged 125.3 yards on 6.0 per carry over his last four games since last season. The Panthers have won seven of their last eight regular season meetings with the Cardinals with their only loss during this stretch coming in 2011. That was Cam Newton's rookie debut, and all he did was throw for 422 yards and two touchdowns. This Carolina team has come a long way since then, and I believe it is one of the most underrated teams in the league to this point. I love looking at teams coming off a bye, especially when they are on the road and they are favored. In fact, road favorites off a bye are 39-14 (73.6%) ATS since 2003. Not only do I believe Carolina is the superior team in this one, I also love the extra rest and preparation it has coming into this contest. Plays against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (ARIZONA) - slow starting team - outscored by 5+ PPG in the first half, after scoring 14 points or less last game are 30-7 (81.1%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Cardinals are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game. Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games following a S.U. win. Bet the Panthers Sunday. |
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10-06-13 | Kansas City Chiefs -2.5 v. Tennessee Titans | 26-17 | Win | 100 | 47 h 36 m | Show | |
15* NFL Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Kansas City Chiefs -2.5
The Kansas City Chiefs are a completely new team under first-year head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith. While the offense has been vastly improved under the guidance of these two, it |
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10-06-13 | Seattle Seahawks -1 v. Indianapolis Colts | 28-34 | Loss | -129 | 47 h 36 m | Show | |
15* Seahawks/Colts NFL Sunday No-Brainer on Seattle -1
There's no question in my mind that the Seattle Seahawks are the best team in the league in 2013. Even in an off performance last week, they managed to find a way to rally and beat Houston 23-20 in overtime on the road. This team is gaining a lot of confidence as the season goes on with each victory. Seattle ranks 6th in the league in scoring offense at 27.2 points per game, and 2nd in the league in scoring defense at 11.8 points per game. This team is consistently undervalued on the road because of the reputation they get for having such a dominant home-field advantage. Well, they have won five of their last six road games dating back to last season with their only loss coming to the Falcons in the Georgia Dome on a last-second field goal in the playoffs by a final of 28-30. Russell Wilson continues to lack the respect he deserves. He ranks ninth in the league with a 95.3 passer rating and is fifth among quarterbacks with 131 rushing yards. When the pocket breaks down, he has a sixth sense that is unmatched by any other quarterback in the league. Wilson rushed for 77 yards against Houston last week as he simply refused to go down time and time again. I believe Indianapolis is one of the biggest frauds in the NFL. It went 11-5 last season, but won nine of ten games that were decided by a touchdown or less. It is also off to a 3-1 start this season, getting too much credit for wins at San Francisco and at Jacksonville over the past two weeks. The 49ers had huge injury problems that week and were deflated coming off a bad 3-29 loss to Seattle the previous week. The Colts have not looked good at home, needing to come from behind in the fourth quarter to beat the Raiders 21-17 as an 11-point favorite in Week 1, and falling to Miami 20-24 in Week 2. The Seahawks are a perfect 6-0 against the spread in their last six road games, further devaluing the theory that their not a good road team. Seattle is a perfect 8-0 against the spread in its last eight games vs. a team with a winning record. The Seahawks are 7-0 ATS vs. good teams - outscoring opponents by 6+ PPG on the season over the last 3 seasons. Seattle is 6-0 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 24 or more points/game over the last 2 seasons. The Seahawks are 7-0 ATS after allowing 400 or more total yards in their previous game over the last 3 seasons. These five trends combine for a perfect 34-0 system backing Seattle. Take the Seahawks Sunday. Note: I recommend buying the Seahawks to -2.5 or less if you have the option. |
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10-06-13 | New England Patriots +1 v. Cincinnati Bengals | 6-13 | Loss | -110 | 47 h 36 m | Show | |
15* NFL Sunday Undervalued Underdog on New England Patriots +1
After opening the season with a pair of ugly wins over the Bills and Jets, the Patriots have been scary good the last two weeks. They beat Tampa Bay 23-3 at home in Week 3 before picking up their biggest win of the season last week in a 30-23 victory at Atlanta. Almost nobody escapes the Georgia Dome with a victory, and the Patriots were able to accomplish that feat. The defense is thriving, and the offense is finally getting untracked now that Tom Brady is getting accustomed to his new receivers. Brady is coming off his best performance of the season, throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns against Atlanta. He is getting comfortable with new top targets Kenbrell Thompkins and Julian Edelman. Thompkins had six receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons, while Edelman caught seven balls for 118 yards in the win. The Patriots now rank 11th in the league in total offense at 367.2 yards per game. What has been most impressive is the improvement from the defense, which ranks 6th in the league in scoring (14.2 points/game). Cincinnati isn |
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10-05-13 | Washington Huskies +7.5 v. Stanford | Top | 28-31 | Win | 100 | 103 h 45 m | Show |
20* Washington/Stanford ESPN Saturday Night BAILOUT on Washington +7.5
The Huskies are one of the most improved teams in the country in 2013. They returned 18 starters and 58 lettermen, and this is clearly Steve Sarkisian |
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10-05-13 | Detroit Tigers v. Oakland A's +114 | 0-1 | Win | 114 | 12 h 39 m | Show | |
15* Tigers/A's AL Division Series No-Brainer on Okland +114
The Oakland A's are essentially in a must-win situation tonight. They cannot afford to go to back to Detroit down 0-2. They did not come this far to pack it in. Rookie Sonny Gray will get the job done just as he has all season when called upon. The right-hander is 5-3 with a 2.85 ERA and 1.133 WHIP in 10 starts this season, including 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 0.934 WHIP in six home starts. Justin Verlander is getting too much respect from oddsmakers tonight. The right-hander has been vulnerable this season, going 13-12 with a 3.63 ERA and 1.319 WHIP in 34 starts. In his last start against Oakland on August 27, he gave up five runs over five innings of a 3-6 loss as a -165 favorite. Verlander is 0-7 (-14.1 Units) against the money line after giving up no earned runs last outing this season. He and the Tigers are coming back to lose 2.9 to 5.9 in this situation. Detroit is 1-9 in Verlander's last 10 starts as a favorite, including 0-6 in his last 6 starts as a road favorite. The A's are 8-0 in their last 8 games as an underdog of +110 to +150. Oakland is 10-1 in its last 11 games following a loss. These five trends combine for a 40-2 system backing Oakland. Bet the A's Saturday. |
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10-05-13 | Oregon v. Colorado +39.5 | 57-16 | Loss | -110 | 40 h 59 m | Show | |
15* Pac-12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Colorado +39.5
The Colorado Buffaloes are certainly improved under first-year head coach Mike MacIntyre. After winning just one game all of last season, MacIntyre has already doubled that win total while leading his team to a 2-1 start. He has great credentials from his time at San Jose State. He took a team that had only one winning season in nine years to 16 wins over his final 22 games there. MacIntyre brought six assistants and both of his coordinators over with him from San Jose State to Colorado. The improvements have been dramatic, especially offensively as the Buffaloes are averaging 32.0 points and 412.7 total yards per game. MacIntyre had high-octane offenses at San Jose State in his final two seasons there as well. Connor Wood has been solid at the quarterback position. The former Texas transfer is completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 887 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He loves having wide receiver Paul Richardson back after the junior missed all of last season with an injury. Richardson already has 26 receptions for 487 yards and five touchdowns through three games. Oregon is already starting to just go through the motions after a start in which it has blown out its first four opponents. After taking a 55-3 lead against California last week, it nearly allowed the Bears to come from behind to cover the 38.5-point spread. In fact, the Bears scored 13 points in garbage time late to lose by a final of 16-55 and miss covering the spread by a half-point due to a missed PAT. Oregon has been playing its reserves late in games, and that could very well happen again Saturday against Colorado, which could allow the Buffaloes to get a back-door cover if need be. Big news has come out of Eugene in that starting running back De |
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10-05-13 | Central Florida v. Memphis +10 | Top | 24-17 | Win | 100 | 49 h 45 m | Show |
25* American Athletic GAME OF THE YEAR on Memphis +10
There |
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10-05-13 | Clemson v. Syracuse +14 | Top | 49-14 | Loss | -106 | 37 h 29 m | Show |
20* Clemson/Syracuse ACC ANNIHILATOR on Syracuse +14
The Syracuse Orange have done just fine under first-year head coach Scott Shafer, who was the defensive coordinator here over the last four years before getting the promotion in 2013. This is a team that won eight games last year and is much better than they had gotten credit for coming into the season. Sure, they are just 2-2, but both of their losses came on the road against superior Big Ten opponents in Penn State and Northwestern. They hung tough against the Nittany Lions in a 17-23 loss, and their game against the Wildcats was much closer than the score would indicate as they racked up 434 total yards in the loss. Syracuse has opened 2-0 at home this season with blowout victories over Wagner (54-0) and Tulane (52-17). It has one of the most underrated home-field advantages in the country inside the Dome. In fact, it is 6-1 at home over the past two seasons with its only loss coming to Northwestern (41-42) by a single point. It even beat then-No. 11 Louisville at home 45-26 last season. All Louisville did was go on to win a BCS Bowl over Florida and open 4-0 in 2013 as well. Clemson struggled in its only road game this season, winning 26-14 at NC State as a 12-point favorite. It only outgained the Wolfpack 415-378 in the win. Syracuse has been very strong on both sides of the ball in 2013. It is scoring 37.5 points per game while ranking 55th in the country in total offense (423.5 yards/game). It is allowing just 22.0 points per game while ranking 32nd in total defense (337.7 yards/game). The offense has exploded with the insertion of Terrel Hunt into the starting lineup against Wagner in Week 3. The sophomore is completing 76.7 percent of his passes for 462 yards with seven touchdowns without an interception this season. "We have a little more chemistry with [Hunt] because he was here in the springtime when we were going through the new offense," tailback Jerome Smith said. "Between extending plays and our chemistry being better, that's the difference." Syracuse has had two full weeks to prepare for Clemson having last played on September 21. The Orange are an impressive 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games following a bye week. Syracuse is 6-0-1 against the number in its last seven home games. The Orange are 14-2 against the spread in their last 16 home games off a home win by 17 points or more. Take Syracuse Saturday. |
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10-05-13 | North Carolina State v. Wake Forest +7.5 | 13-28 | Win | 100 | 37 h 29 m | Show | |
15* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Wake Forest +7.5
While the Demon Deacons are off to just a 2-3 start in 2013, they did go into Army and beat the Black Knights 25-11 as a 1.5-point favorite. This is a team that returned 15 starters from last year and should continue to improve as the season goes on. I do like what I |
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10-05-13 | Ohio v. Akron +5 | 43-3 | Loss | -109 | 36 h 58 m | Show | |
15* CFB Saturday Upset Special Akron +5
The Akron Zips are one of the most underrated teams in the entire country due to their 1-4 start this season. That start can be attributed to a schedule that has seen the likes of UCF, Michigan and Bowling Green on the road, as well as LA Lafayette and FCS power James Madison at home. Remember, the Zips were just one play away from beating Michigan in the Big House, falling by a final of 24-28 as a 35-point underdog. This Zips had their chances against Bowling Green and Louisiana Lafayette, too. They led Bowling Green 14-10 at halftime before eventually falling 14-31 on the road. They fell 30-35 at home to a very good Louisiana team as a 7.5-point underdog. They were only outgained 455-460 in that defeat. They have certainly played some great football this season and are hungry for that first conference victory Saturday when the Ohio Bobcats come into town. Conversely, the Bobcats are way overrated due to their 3-1 start. All three of their victories came at home, and they easily could have lost two of them as they squeaked by both North Texas (27-21) and Marshall (34-31). In that win over the Thundering Herd, the Bobcats were thoroughly ouplayed, getting outgained by 147 total yards for the game. However, that win over Marshall is earning them a lot more respect than they deserve, because ultimately they should have lost. In its lone road game this season, Ohio was throttled 7-49 at Louisville. Ohio has some huge injury problems heading into this game with Akron. While the betting public pays attention to injuries to skill players, they rarely factor in injuries along the offensive and defensive lines, even though those players can be just as important to a team. Well, Ohio is going to be without FOUR, count it, FOUR starting offensive linemen Saturday against Akron. The Bobcats will be a mess offensively because of it, and I look for Akron's improved defense to take advantage. Akron only lost 28-34 at Ohio last year as an 18.5-point underdog. It actually outgained the Bobcats 456-441 for the game. Jawaan Chisolm rushed for 177 yards in the loss. I look for Chisolm and Kyle Pohl, who is completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,072 yards and eight touchdowns to six interceptions this year, to have huge games against this Ohio defense. The Bobcats are giving up 423.5 total yards per game against a much softer schedule than Akron has faced. Ohio is 1-9 against the spread after scoring 37 or more points in its last game over the last three seasons. The Bobcats are 1-7 against the spread in their last eight conference games. Ohio is 1-6 against the number in its last seven road games. The Bobcats are 0-5 against the spread in their last five games following a SU win of more than 20 points. These four trends combine for a 27-3 system backing the Zips. Bet Akron Saturday. |
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10-05-13 | Texas Tech v. Kansas +17 | 54-16 | Loss | -115 | 34 h 58 m | Show | |
15* Big 12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Kansas +17
The Kansas Jayhawks are an improved team in 2013 under second-year head coach Charlie Weis. He did an excellent job of going out and nabbing numerous talented recruits from the JUCO level. It is paying off thus far as Kansas has doubled its win total from last season already. This is a team that lost five games last year by a touchdown or less, including a 34-41 road loss to Texas Tech in double-overtime as a 24-point underdog. Texas Tech is overrated due to its 4-0 start that has featured wins over the likes of SMU, Stephen F Austin and Texas State. Even its 20-10 win over TCU doesn |
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10-04-13 | Detroit Tigers v. Oakland A's +113 | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 18 h 37 m | Show | |
15* Tigers/A's AL Late-Night BAILOUT on Oakland +113
Just like they have been all season, the Oakland A's (96-66) are once again getting disrespected in Game 1 of this series against the Detroit Tigers. They are a home underdog despite winning 96 games and beating out Detroit (93-69) for the No. 2 seed in the American League. I'll gladly take advantage and back the A's behind one of the most underrated starters in baseball. The ageless Bartolo Colon is quietly having a career year, going 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.166 WHIP in 30 starts. He is 8-3 with a 2.58 ERA and 1.165 WHIP in 16 home starts, and 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA and 0.900 WHIP in his last three outings. Max Scherzer has been solid as well, but is getting too much respect from the books due to his 21-3 record. His ERA (2.90), while impressive, is higher than that of Colon (2.65). Plus, Scherzer was rocked the last time he faced Oakland on August 29, giving up six runs, five earned, and two homers over five innings. In two starts against Detroit this season, Colon has only allowed four earned runs and 15 base runners over 12 innings for a solid 3.00 ERA. He will shut down a Detroit lineup that comes in with zero confidence. The Tigers scored a combined three runs while getting swept by the lowly Miami Marlins 0-3 to close out the season. In fact, they have been held to a combined 14 runs over their last seven contests, averaging just 2.0 runs/game. Miguel Cabrera isn't his old self as he continues to battle a groin injury. Oakland is 14-1 (+13.6 Units) against the money line after 2 straight games with 5 or more extra base hits over the last 2 seasons. Detroit is 0-7 (-9.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a game with a combined score of 2 runs or less over the last 2 seasons. The Tigers are 0-4 in their last 4 playoff games as a favorite. Detroit is 0-4 in its last 4 games as a road favorite of -110 to -150. The A's are 8-0 in their last 8 games as an underdog of +110 to +150. These five trends combine for a 37-1 system backing Oakland. Roll with the A's in Game 1 Friday. |
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10-04-13 | BYU +6.5 v. Utah State | Top | 31-14 | Win | 100 | 76 h 26 m | Show |
25* BYU/Utah State Instate Rivalry GAME OF THE YEAR on BYU +6.5
The Utah State Aggies are finally getting the respect they deserve from oddsmakers. Now, the books have over-adjusted in listing Utah State as a 6.5-point favorite in this instate rivalry. There is a ton of value with this line on the underdog BYU Cougars, who could easily be 4-0 right now as their two losses to Virginia (16-19) and Utah (13-20) came by a combined 10 points. In fact, the Cougars outgained both opponents despite losing those games and simply gave them away. BYU has played a very tough schedule thus far as it has had no gimmes in games against Middle Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. It took care of business against Middle Tennessee (37-10) and Texas (40-21), outgaining those opponents by 274 and 234 total yards, respectively. Statistically, this is one of the best teams in the country. BYU ranks 22nd in the FBS in total offense at 492.5 yards per game, and 24th in total defense at 320.5 yards per game. Once again, you have to factor in the difficulty of their schedule thus far to appreciate how impressive those numbers really are. A closer look at the numbers really shows how good they have performed. The four opponents that they have played have allowed an average of 404 yards per game on the season, and the Cougars have bested that by 88 yards (492). The four opponents that they have faced have averaged 418 yards of offense on the season, and they have bested that by 98 yards (320). Taysom Hill has thrown for 741 yards on the season, while also rushing for a team-high 565 yards and six touchdowns. He is going to be very difficult to stop Friday night. Bronco Mendenhall is 8-0 against the spread in road games vesus good rushing teams that average at least 4.75 rushing yards/carry as the coach of BYU. BYU is 8-0 against the number in its last eight games as an underdog. The Cougars are 10-1 against the spread in their last 11 vs. Mountain West Conference opponents. The Cougars are 7-0 against the number in their last seven games after committing three or more turnovers in their previous game. These four trends combine for a 33-1 system backing the Cougars. Also, BYU has gone 22-2 straight up in its last 24 meetings with Utah State. Bet BYU Friday. |
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10-04-13 | Pittsburgh Pirates +125 v. St. Louis Cardinals | 7-1 | Win | 125 | 9 h 8 m | Show | |
15* Pirates/Cardinals NL Early ANNIHILATOR on Pittsburgh +125
After taking St. Louis in a 9-1 victory over Pittsburgh in Game 1 last night, I'm going to switch gears and back the Pirates to get Game 2 Friday. They know they can't afford to fall into an 0-2 hole if they want to win this series, so they'll be the more motivated team. Plus, I like their edge on the mound. While Gerrit Cole is a rookie, he certainly hasn't pitched like it in 2013. Cole has gone 10-7 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.168 WHIP in 19 starts this season. The right-handed has been at his best on the road, going 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA and 0.949 WHIP in seven starts away from home. He was also clutch down the stretch when games mattered most, going 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.211 WHIP over his final three starts. Lance Lynn is one of the weak links in St. Louis' rotation. The right-hander has gone 15-10 with a 3.97 ERA and 1.314 WHIP in 33 starts this season. Lynn has really struggled in his last two starts against Pittsburgh in 2013, going 0-1 with a 10.61 ERA while allowing 11 earned runs and 22 base runners over 9 1/3 innings. I look for the Pirates to get after him early and often in this one. The Pirates are 4-0 in their last 4 games following a loss. Pittsburgh is 8-0 in its last 8 road games with a total set of 7.0-8.5 runs. The Pirates are 4-0 in their last 4 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. Pittsburgh is 5-0 in Cole's last 5 starts overall. These four trends combine for a 21-0 system backing the Pirates. Take Pittsburgh in Game 2 Friday. |