Last year San Francisco went into the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl looking like they were going to be the winner. They collapsed and were predicted to be back again this year. That doesn't look like it has a chance after getting blown out by Miami at home last week. Jimmy G. was even benched, as things were extremely ugly. Looking ahead this lie was -3 a week ago, and it is now +3.5. That is just way too much movement off 1 game. This is a contrary league, and despite of what is happening thus far this season, the Niners are still a very good football team, and I expect they respond after getting their heads handed to them last week. Typically this is the case in the NFL. The Niners are a toxic public team right now. Like a hot piece of coal, no one wants to touch it. There have been 351 burning embers before them. Those teams which failed to cover the point spread by 27 or more points came back the next week and went 195-145-11 ATS covering 57.4% of all games. This has been even stronger since division realignment in 2002 where these teams have since gone 132-86-8 ATS or 60.6% winners. (18-5-2 ATS if the line is less than +7). Make the play on San Francisco.

The NFL is typically a contrarian league, but there are exceptions, and they get my attention when the exception involves turnovers, the most predictive stat of all in the NFL. The problem is, trying to predict how the ball will bounce isn't always easy. The one lesson to go by, is history. It is a fact that a team's chances of covering goes up with each game that passes where they committed 0 turnovers.

After 1 turnover free game    50.4% ATS
After 2                       54.6% ATS
After 3                       65.5% ATS
After 4                       69.4% ATS
After 5                       77.8% ATS
After 6                      100.0% ATS
After 7                      100.0% ATS

7 is the NFL record so it ends there.
The Packers have completed 4 games on their schedule turnover free which places them at the 69.4% mark. While this is just 1 game, and anything can happen, turnovers are essential to outcome, and the above is the best qualifying way I have found to get a handle on the likely outcome, and is turnover based. Make the play on Green Bay.     

This is a system play that plays under the total on a division home favorite with a total of 44 or more if they are on regular rest and their opponents last opponent scored fewer than 32 points. This is 195-115 ATS to the under. Make the play on the under.

division=o:division and HF and total>43.5 and rest=6 and opo:points

The Minnesota Vikings are off to a 1-4 start, but they have covered 3 of the 5 games. The problem is their are 4 unbeaten teams in the NFL, and 3 of the 4 Minnesota losses have come against them, including a pair by a single point. Granted the Vikings have not looked great, but when 4 of 5 games have come vs Super Bowl contenders that are a combined 16-2 it has kept them under the radar. The Falcons 0-5 start put an end to Dan Quinn on the sidelines and in comes Raheem Morris. The league has changed a lot since he was last a head coach in Tampa Bay in 2011. He was 17-31 SU there, so not sure what the Falcons think they have. QB Matt Ryan is beginning to look old and has not thrown a TD pass in 2 straight games. The last time that happened? His rookie season! Morris left off losing 10 straight games outside of his division, covering just 1. Meanwhile Mike Zimmer is 21-3-1 ATS in his last 25 coming off a loss, if it is not a division game, unbeaten in this role at home. Make the play on Minnesota.

The Cleveland Browns have won just 2 of the last 28 meetings vs the Steelers in Pittsburgh. That includes the last 16 meetings where they have not won even once. This is a match up advantage for Pittsburgh. The Browns have a suspect secondary and if they don't get pressure they do not fare very well. Pittsburgh allows the 7th least sack rate and are right near the top of the league in QB hit rate. QB Baker Mayfield is dealing with injuries to his ribs and shoulder. While the line may seem fair,, there is some hidden value here on the Steelers. Make the play on Pittsburgh.The Cleveland Browns have won just 2 of the last 28 meetings vs the Steelers in Pittsburgh. That includes the last 16 meetings where they have not won even once. This is a match up advantage for Pittsburgh. The Browns have a suspect secondary and if they don't get pressure they do not fare very well. Pittsburgh allows the 7th least sack rate and are right near the top of the league in QB hit rate. QB Baker Mayfield is dealing with injuries to his ribs and shoulder. While the line may seem fair,, there is some hidden value here on the Steelers. Make the play on Pittsburgh.

Texas AM waited a long time or what they did last week vs Florida. They beat a top 5 team at home or the first time in 18 years. That is giving this team a lot more respect than they deserve. Florida is not a top 5 team at any point this season. You would have to look pretty hard to find a top 5 team that allows better than 33ppg. QB Kellen Mond is vastly overrated, The offense generates 455 vs a schedule of teams allowing 473. Those are pedestrian numbers. The best part of the Aggie team is the run defense allowing 3.4 yards per carry vs a schedule of teams generating 4.2. The problem is Mike Leech teams don`t run the ball, as the Bulldogs run 18 times a game andd pass 63. The best part of the AM team will be a non-factor in this contest. What will be under the gun is an Aggie defense that allows a stunning 10.2 yards per pass attempt. However, the biggest advantage is the Miss St. defense that allows a stingy 4.2 yards per play to a schedule of teams that generate 5.5. Miss St. has turned the ball over 14 times in 3 games, which is unsustainable, and makes them look a lot worse than they really are. AM could be flat as a pancake off their biggest win in close to 2 decades, and a road favorite off a win vs a top 14 team is 88-116-2 ATS covering just 43.1%. (drops to 40% in an anticipated competitive game with a line of -6 or lower). Make the play on Miss St.

Duke has one number that is difficult to wrap around. Through 5 games they have turned the ball over 19 times. That means the offense has forfeited possession 19 times, yet they have scored 31 and 38 points in the last 2 games, and had 102 offensive snaps in their last one despite 4 turnovers. NC State has scored 137 points and allowed 137 points through 4 games, or on average close to 70ppg. I think the points will be flowing in this game, and would project this one closer to 70 than 60. Make the play on the over.

Notre Dame is off to a 3-0 start, but there are still a lot of questions for this team. They destroyed a helpless S. Florida team, but against a pair of mediocre teams in Florida St. and Duke. They failed to cover or put away either of them. Louisville is 1-3 and has some offensive upside, which could keep the backdoor open. Notre Dame will be in their 4th straight home game. Louisville may be 1-3 on the season, but they have out-gained the 4 opponents by better than 30 yards per game. The killer for this team thus far is their -8 turnover margin on the season. I went against the Irish last week vs Florida St. for the win, and Louisville is very similar to that team, but I think more upside if they can resolve the unfortunate turnovers. Make the play on Louisville.

This game fits a totals system that is a ridiculous 432-211-14 ATS at 67.2% winners on 657 games. Make the play on the under. (5-1 under so far this year)

The SEC is certainly at the top of the mountain when it comes to NCAA Football. The 3 teams that seem to get all the attention are Auburn, Georgia, and Alabama. This is a much more vulnerable team in Auburn than most years. QB Bo Nix gets a lot of ink, but he has yet to show he is special, as most thought this would be a breakout year for him. The Auburn defense is young, banged up, and has been below average thus far. The Tigers are 2-1, but could easily be 0-3. A late controversial call, a missed extra point, and a failed 2 point conversion helped them beat Arkansas last week. Their opener against Kentucky saw them at +3 in turnovers, in a game where they lost the yardage battle. South Carolina lost to Tennessee by just 4 points, winning the yardage battle, but lost the turnover battle 2-0. They lost the yardage battle to Florida by just 19 yards, and dominated Vandy 41-7. Overall, South Carolina has been 150 yards a game compared to Auburn (+92 to -58), to a fairly comparable schedule. Wrong team favored. Make the play on South Carolina.

This game fits a totals system that is a ridiculous 432-211-14 ATS at 67.2% winners on 657 games. Make the play on the under. (5-1 under so far this year)

This game fits a totals system that is a ridiculous 432-211-14 ATS at 67.2% winners on 657 games. Make the play on the under. (5-1 under so far this year)

The BYU Cougars are 4-0 on the season, but after beating their first 3 opponents by an average margin of 41ppg, they beat UT San Antonio at home by just 7. While the running game has been pretty vanilla thus far QB Zach Wilson has been electric completing 80% of his passes. The Cougars looked very ordinary last week against a solid team, but now they head out on the road after 3 straight home games, and their stiffest test of the season thus far. Houston is extremely under the radar and is the most experienced team in the country with 9 starters returning on both sides of the ball. What is even better than that, is they have 3 transfers from power 5 schools on defense that had to sit out a year ago. They are all starting, so 3 starters on defense rom a year ago, add depth to the Houston defense. Looking at the final score of Houston vs Tulane looked like a shootout, as Houston won 49-31. AA closer look reveals Tulane scored 14 defensive points, had a 5-0 turnover advantage and still lost by 18. To put that in perspective, since 1980, just 5 teams that lost the turnover battle 5-0 won the game out of 119 occurrences, and no team won by more than 14 points, until Houston. That is because despite 5 ewer possessions, Houston won the yardage battle 476-211. Houston QB Clayton Tune led an above average offense when he started a year ago, and this is a complete Houston team. I would not be surprised if they won here outright. Make the play on Houston.

Right now the optics are high for both these teams. The Cleveland win in Dallas has them looking strong, but truthfully, Dallas has a boatload of under-achieving talent, and what is crazy at 1-3 they trail the division leading Eagles by just half game, in the NFC Least. A quick review of the Brown's resume offers less than meets the eye. They were destroyed by Baltimore 38-6, barely survived Cincinnati at home winning 35-30, and trailed Washington at home in the 4th quarter. The Colts have won 3 straight by a combined score of 83-29, and have a legit defense, and enough offense behind Rivers. The telling story here is the Browns have faced 1 legit defense and scored 6 point. I don't see them getting much room in this one, and their defense is average at best. The Browns put up nearly 40ppg the last 3 weeks, but this isn't Cincinnati, Washington, or Dallas. The Browns are allowing 31.5ppg, and are in trouble here. Make the play on indianapolis.

This will be a reset game for Notre Dame who has not played in nearly a month. It is the age of covid, and after starting 2-0 the Irish missed better than a week of practice time, and even held a scrimmage right in the middle of their season, because the circumstances are so disjointed. They struggled in game 1 vs a not so good Duke team, winning 27-13, and we will likely see them struggle against a not so good Florida St. team that trailed in the 2nd half vs Jacksonville St. last week. The Mike Norvell era is off to a shaky start, but perhaps on a brighter note he may have found himself a QB. The Florida St. offense was really struggling and in comes Jordan Travis. Travis went 12/17 with a TD, and led the Noles to 5 straight TD drives. He has been named the starter vs Notre Dame. The Irish will still have 10 or so players missing for this game. The public is all over Notre Dame at 88%, and this number is eroding despite of that. This looks like the ideal place to buy some ugly. Make the play on Florida St.

Kentucky has shot themselves in the foot in 2 straight games and it has led to an 0-2 start. The Cats have played a pair of close games but are -4 in turnovers, and 2 cost them dearly as they occurred at the 1 yard line ready to score. Cats lost last week on a missed extra point in overtime. They have out-gained their opponent by 80 yards a contest, and have a solid experienced QB in Terry Wilson who is completing just under 70% of his passes. The ground game is strong, and the defense is above average. Kylin Hill may very well miss this contest for Miss St. who upset LSU, and then went and lost to Arkansas at home. Welcome to the Mike Leach era. Cats season is on the line in this one, and they haven't started 0-3 in 38 years. Balance is the key here, and this line looks a bit light to me, and a false favorite. Make the play on Kentucky.

This game is part of my monster total algorithm, that has crushed totals in NCAA Football for years, and is 66% over 800+ games. Make the play on the under.

This game fits a situation that is 106-47-4 ATS to the under. Make the play on the under.

The BYU Cougars certainly have not been in the deep end of the pool yet, but that won't change this week as they host UT San Antonio. The Cougars have put up "Alabama" like passing numbers thus far, and I don't see UT San Antonio being the place that stops. The Cougars are generating 8.3 yards per play, and UTSA just 4.1. BYU has played a tougher schedule, even though it has been soft, and own a 400 yard advantage over their opponents. That could be larger here. UTSA is +5 in turnovers, so they have actually been worse than they look, which is already bad. This looks like a 58-6 type game to me. Make the play on BYU.

MREAST NFL MONDAY ODDS CRUSHER

It seems like a team playing on Monday Night just opens the playbook and let's it fly if they have a bye coming up the following week. Perhaps the defense doesn't focus as well looking forward the 2 weeks without another game. Whatever the reason or theory, when a team plays on Monday Night and has a bye the following week the over is 58-31-2 ATS. It helps if they are a good team as .600 or better teams in this situation are 31-13-2 ATS to the over. (14-2-1 ATS to the over since 2009). Make the play on the over.

The New England Patriots took a blow losing Cam Newton to covid-19. That means Brian Hoyer will get the nod at QB. Hoyer has an ugly recent resume as he is 0-16 in his last 16 starts. The Chiefs are the best team in the NFL, but there is a way to out-perform the line against them, and you can be certain that Bill Belichick understands this. Since the start of last season, the Chiefs have an amazing line of demarcation. They are 14-0 ATS when their opponent rushes the ball 25 times or less, and 1-7 ATS when the opponent rushes the ball 26 times or more. New England is all about the run, and their ability to run the ball tonight will determine their fate. New England has the #2 rushing offense in the league, and he beat Kansas City 23-16 employing that strategy. The idea of course is to limit the KC possessions, and keep the ball out of Mahomes hands. New England is 29-10 ATS in their last 39 games as a dog of 6 or more and 6-1 ATS under Belichick as a double digit dog. Belichick is also 82-55-4 ATS with revenge, and is 9-4 in his career vs unbeaten teams. (8-1 ATS if prior to week 7). This is the ultimate ugly duckling, the best team vs the best coach. Somehow Belichick and his team seems to rise to the occasion. Make the play on New England.

Who would have thought a 3-0 team would have a QB controversey? Thus is the case with the Chicago Bears. Nick Foles will be the QB going forward. The issue with Foles has always been this. When he is not the man and comes off the bench he has been elite. When he becomes the man, he really stumbles. Indianapolis has the best rated defense in the NFL, but they have also played a schedule of teams that are 1-8 on the season. The same can be said off the Bears who have also played a schedule of teams that are 1-8 on the season. Chicago already has set an NFL record coming from 16 or more points down in the 4th quarter to win both times. The luck will run out here. It could be less than ideal conditions in Chicago Sunday with some rain, and 20 MPH wind gusts. The Colts are the better team on both sides of the ball, and Foles has proven to be a liability throughout his career when he becomes the man. Make the play on Indianapolis.

The Buffalo Bills have started the season at 3-0 for the 2nd straight season. It is the 1st time in 28 years. The Bills went on to start 9-3 a year ago, before falling in 4 of their last 5 including a playoff loss to Houston. Things just look different this season, especially Josh Allen who looks like he has taken the next step. Las Vegas was impressive in its home opener but this team has a lot of injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Vegas QB Derek Carr continues to be fools gold. He has some big games, but some awful ones, and his 2 fumbles last week killed the Raiders chances at New England. The defense is really struggling and I think the Bill's defense has under-performed so far, and could be much better in this game. The Raiders have had 17 losing seasons the last 18 years, and are still climbing the hill, while the Bills have gotten over it, and are just the better team here on both sides. Make the play on Buffalo.

The Jacksonville Jaguars played relatively well in their first 2 games of the season. They beat Indianapolis in their opener, and took Tennessee to the final gun in game 2, before losing 33-30. Last week the wheels fell off vs the Miami Dolphins in a 31-13 loss. Dropped passes, offensive line debacles, and the inability to convert 3rd downs spelled doom for the Jags in week 3. The Jags defense is getting little pressure and has now allowed 30 points or more the last 2 weeks. There are not a lot of reasons to be buying on the Jags right now. The Bengals have not been able to protect Joe Burrow at all. The NFL has been a grave yard for winless home favorites of 3 points or less prior to week 5 as they are a woeful 24-51-4 ATS. This game should be a toss up, and with situational support. Specifically game 4 of more than -1 not off a bye and a winning percentage below .500 are 33-68-2 ATS. Make the play on Jacksonville.

Russell Wilson has set an all-time record by throwing 4 or more TDs in each of his first 3 games. He is looking like a hands down MVP after 3 weeks, but it is a long season. This may be the perfect spot to play against him. They will be playing in what could be heavy rain in Miami and high winds on Sunday. The Seahawks will also be playing on the East Coast, and high humidity. Lost in the shuffle is the fact that Seattle is allowing 2 yards shy of 500 per game. The Dolphins have had 10 days to prepare for this one, and Seattle is also off consecutive games vs Dallas and New England that went to the wire. Seattle has been out-gained by 89 yards per game on the season, so what Wilson has done so far, is almost 100 yards less than what opponents have done to Seattle. Big overlay here, and I will play on Miami.

The 3 military schools Army, Navy, and Air Force run the triple option almost every play. That leads to short games, and defenses that practice against it every day, and always do a good job against it when they face each other. the 3 schools are now 33-9 to the under when facing each other the last 14 years. Make the play on the under.

The Baylor Bears are off a 47-14 win last week vs Kansas. While that may look like a monster win the numbers inside the game show just how misleading the score was. The Bears had 2 kick off returns for TDs and recorded a safety as well. They averaged just 5.5 yards per play vs a Kansas team that already lost to Coastal Carolina at home. Baylor won the first down battle just 24-20 and the total yards by 352-328. That hardly looks like a 47-14 game. West Virginia on the other hand W. Virginia lost 27-13 at Oklahoma St. despite winning the 1st down battle 22-20 and the total yards battle 353-342. Oklahoma St. also had a 56 yard fumble recovery TD in that game. Both these teams are off misleading scores. I'm in Neal Brown's corner as his team at Troy made huge strides in year 2. The Mountaineers played an 111 win Baylor team to within a FG last year on the road, and just 2 defenders return from that team. Baylor faced a 3rd team QB against Kansas last week so the defensive effort has to be weighed accordingly. I think this line is off, and W. Virginia should be favored here. Make the play on W. Virginia.

Arkansas St. is a football program, and Coastal Carolina is trying to be one. The Red Wolves have had a winning record for 9 straight seasons, while Coastal Carolina has never had one. So here is an Arkansas St. team that went to Kansas St. as a monster under dog and won. That win became more legit after Oklahoma lost to Kansas St. at home. So something stinks to high heaven here does it not. The Chanticleers are just a FG+ dog at home on Saturday. Well, maybe not. Coastal Carolina has knocked on the door the last 2 years winning 5 games, and just shy of Bowl eligibility. They went to Arkansas St. last year and lost by a single point. So what has changed? Coastal Carolina has a freshman QB in Grayson McCall that has thrown 7 TDs and 0 INTs through 2 games and has looked very good. Arkansas St. has a very ugly home v road dichotomy, as they are 47-156-5 SU on the road while they are 101-54 SU at home. That is one of thee largest gaps in college football. Coastal Carolina is the only team that got in all 15 spring practices. Covid issues have plagued Arkansas St. who have not played since the upset of Kansas St. 3 weeks ago. Make the play on Coastal Carolina.

The BYU Cougars have come out looking like a special team. They have dominated 2 opponents in Navy, and Troy. They have won the 2 games by a combined score of 103-10. QB Zach Wilson has emerged as a high octane QB through 2 games completing 80% of his passes at 12.5 yards per attempt. LA Tech has a pretty pedestrian defense and has thus far underachieved vs a pair of weak offensive teams. The BYU defense has been every bit as good, and the altitude here is also going to come into play. I think this sets up as another blowout win for BYU who also fits into a very strong 90-34-3 ATS situation. I'm all in on the Cougars. Make the play on BYU.

The Denver Broncos decided that Drew Lock was their best option at QB. The offense was not all that great with him, but since he went down with an injury the offense has been pathetic generating just 4 yards a play. Former Boise St. QB Brett Rypien will be under center for this one. I would imagine the schemes will be simplified when the Broncos have the ball. Rypien was undrafted, and failed to even make the roster, so an already sluggish offense could become much worse. While the Jets do not do many things well, they have been very good getting pressure. The Jets are the only team in the NFL that has not had the lead in any game on the season, but that may prove fruitful tonight, as an NFL team that has gone at least 2 straight games without having the lead are 256-211-16 ATS or cover just shy of 55% of all games (56% at home), from a near 500 game sample size. The Broncos have a myriad of key injuries, including their top receiving option in Courtland Sutton. The Jets have now become a 1 point favorite and Thursday Night favorites are 142-100 ATS. make the play on the NY Jets.

A lot of eyes are on Devante Adams for this game. Adams is crucial to the Packer offense, as he has 17 receptions in 20 targets on the season, in just 108 snaps. That means Rogers has targeted him in 1 of every 6 offensive plays. That puts added pressure on the rest of the pedestrian Packer receivers, who will be covered by better defenders. The Packers list Adams as doubtful, and playing on turf this week, will likely mean he is sidelined. The Packers have numerous key injuries, and while Rodgers has come up big in his first 2 games, against weak defenses, this is a much bigger challenge. New Orleans is much better than they have shown thus far. This is nothing new for the Saints that for some reason struggle through the first 2 weeks of the season where they have gone 4-17-1 ATS since 2010. The awakening seems to kick in from that point on where they are 88-59-1 ATS.  The Packers have looked great producing 40+ points in each of their first 2 games, but they will be challenged here by a New Orleans team, that overall is better than they have shown. Make the play on New Orleans.

This is going to be an ugly, unfavorable pick. One of those hold your nose, NFL specials. The Detroit Lions are 34-98 SU in their last 132 road games. The Detroit Lions have now set an NFL record as they have now lost 4 straight games in which they had a 10 or more point lead in any of them. Meanwhile, in Arizona Kyler Murray is getting rave reviews. He is not only connecting with DeAndre Hopkins, but he has run 21 times for 158 yards. The Cards are being touted as the most improved team in the league. That has resulted in a public blitz of the Cards, who are taking over 70% of the bets. People are lining up like it is free money. Well, the Lions are bad, but in the dirty road numbers comes this tidbit. Detroit is 46-32-2 ATS on the road to a line of +5 or more. Week 3 NFL teams off 2 against the spread losses and have 0 wins, and their combined against the spread margin is -12 or worse are 74-43-1 ATS. If they are facing an opponent that allows fewer than 35ppg they are 60-30-1 ATS, including 18-$ ATS if their opponent is off 2 ATS wins, and 15-2 ATS if they are a dog. These numbers don't look like something the betting public has seen, and by pushing the line to 6, I'm buying ugly. Make the play on Detroit.

The New England Patriots came up a yard short of being 2-0 to start the season. They are a very difficult team to beat when they are coming off a loss. The Pats are 38-18-2 ATS off a loss since 2004, including 29-7-1 ATS if they are not favored by -7 or more. (7-0 ATS in this time frame vs a team off a dog win. Las Vegas is not only off a home dog win, they opened their new stadium by taking down a very good New Orleans team. That will be tough enough to overcome a letdown, but on top of it they have to travel on short rest all across the country to New England. Cam Newton was a great signing by New England who always seems to come up with what they need. The last 4 times a road dog won as a MNF home dog, they have lost all 4 by an average of -21ppg. Belichick has a way of galvanizing his team off a loss, and the situation looks very ripe here. Make the play on New England.

There is a lot to unpack in this game, as injuries have taken a lot of strength away from these teams. The San Francisco 49ers may be without 3 defensive linemen. I think this is a good spot for Daniel Jones, as despite the loss of Sheppard, the Giants still have a wealth of capable receivers. Jones is often under extreme pressure, and makes a lot of mistakes when that is the case, but the 49ers defense is not only down 3 linemen, they are without Sherman in the secondary. Jimmy Garoppolo is likely out as well, and that means Nick Mullins will be under center.Deebo Samuel is out and George Kittles has been limited in practice, and the fact that the Niners claim the field caused the injuries last week, here they are back at the same field, so perhaps their err on the side of caution and hold Kittles out? The Giants aren't as bad as many think, and this simply is not the 49ers team that was in the Super Bowl last year. I will make the play on the NY Giants.

While Joe Burrow has covered his first 2 games in the NFL, his performance sure has not been that complimentary. he has put the ball in the air just shy of 100 times already in 2 games, and averages a league low in yards per pass. The one thing the Eagles have is a secondary that can slow down the Bengals top targets. The Bengals have some issues on their front line, and I would think that Malik Jackson and Fletcher Cox are going to be in his grill all game. Carson Wentz has been no picnic through 2 games himself. That part of this match up is not as foreboding as the Eagles ground game that is right near the top of the league, against a Bengals run stop unit that ranks among the worst. The Eagles look a lot worse than they have actually been as they have a negative 5 turnover margin through 2 games, which will not continue going forward. I think this line has been fueled by the way the Eagles have burned bettors, while the Bengals have rewarded them. I was waiting for this to get to -4 and it has, and I will make the play on Philadelphia.

There is one thing for sure, the Georgia Bulldogs are going to have an elite defense, and they may need to. QB Jake Fromm has left for the NFL. QB JT Daniels was the heir apparent, but he tore his ACL, and then had to have additional surgery in January. Daniels as of now has not been cleared to play. Moreover, the Bulldogs thought they had everything covered with Wake Forest grad transfer Jamie Newman. Newman suddenly opted out 3 weeks ago, and Georgia will have to go with freshman D`Wan Mathis. That creates a lot of unknowns for the Georgia offense, especially playing on the road as a 4 TD favorite, the largest road point spread ever for the Dogs in a conference game since at least 1980. Arkansas will start Florida transfer Felipe Franks, who gives them a pretty solid upgrade. The Dogs have only been a conference favorite 4 times of greater than 27 points and covered none of them. There are a lot of questions for this team, and I like Arkansas and the bundle in this one.

The Army has started at 2-0, after a disappointing 5-8 season in 2019. I don`t think the 2-0 record says they are back, as they were 3-1 last yer, before finishing 2-7. This year they have faced 2 brutal opponents, and it has made them look a lot better than they really are. The offense is going to struggle against a Cincinnati defense that allowed 20.6ppg a year ago and return 10 starters. Those 10 starters shutout Navy allowing 124 rushing yards on 52 carries. Army tends to have an edge running the triple option, but Cincinnati has defended the option vs Navy with the returning starters, and I don`t think Army is going to score much at all here. The Army defense is pretty solid and Cincinnati is not an explosive offensive team. Army will milk a lot of clock running on just about every down, and Cincinnati runs a lot as well. This game fits an extremely strong under indicator, that is 40-6-6 ATS, that plays in part on two teams off 4 TD or better wins. Make the play on the under.

Matt Campbell sure has upgraded the Iowa St. football program. He has an NFL caliber QB, and the Cyclones are no longer the doormat of the Big-12 Conference. Looking at their opener against Louisiana may have a lot of people doubting the Cyclones, but that was a total fluke. Iowa St. gained more yards, had more first downs, but ended up losing by 17. The last 10,000+ NCAAF games shows that if a team has more total yards along with more first downs, they win 84.2% of the time, and cover 62.7% of the time at home. They lose by 17 or more points just 2% of all games. The reason was Iowa St. gave up a 95 yard kickoff return, an 83 yard punt return, a 78 yard broken coverage passing TD, and for good measure a TD in the last 10 seconds. It is one of those games you just forget about, and move on. TCU has dealt with covid issues, and this will be their first game of the season. I like the upside here with Iowa St. and a pro caliber QB, vs a backup for TCU, who has not seen the field yet. Make the play on Iowa St.

The Liberty Flames are now under the direction of Hugh Freeze. Hugh Freeze is 57-34 ATS in his career, and is now with his 3rd team. he has been one of the top coaches in the country in that respect. his Liberty team was expected to take a fall this season, but he brought in Auburn transfer Malik Willis to play QB. Willis ran for 168 yards and 3 TDs last week, and added 133 in the air, so he was personally responsible for over 300 yards of offense. When the QB is good, the team usually plays and looks better. The Flames out-gained W. Kentucky by just under 200 yards. Enter FIU. FIU lost their QB to the NFL, and overall are one of the least experienced teams in the country, and to make matters worse, this team has dealt with covid issues, and this will be their first game. Liberty is a surprising 2-0 and FIU has yet to step on the field breaking in a new QB, and a lot of players missing key practice time due to covid. Make the play on Liberty.

The Kentucky Wildcats have been a long time doormat in the SEC, but things are changing. Kentucky has put together 4 straight winning seasons, and a 5th would be the most in over 40 years. They have won 3 or more conference games 4 straight seasons, the most in over 40 years as well. Kentucky has not beaten a team from the SEC West on the road since 2009. Kentucky has a very strong offensive line, and also the return of QB Terry Wilson, who led them to 10 wins in 2018, before tearing an ACL last year in game 2. The line is the place to watch and between offense and defense, Auburn lost 7 linemen. Kentucky will have a strong defense, and I think this game is a lot closer than it looks. Make the play on Kentucky.

The Sunday Night Football game is between a pair of heavyweights as New England heads to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. Seattle QB Russell Wilson is off a huge game completing 31 of 35 passes with 4 TDs and 0 INT's. While Wilson stole all the fanfare, and rightfully so, the Seattle defense was brutally bad. The defense allowed 506 yards. They couldn't guard anyone as 3 receivers had over 100 yards, and 4 caught passes good for 20 yards or more. New England won their first game with Cam Newton under center. He played well, and showed he was healthy running for 75 yards and a pair of TDs. The New England ground game amassed over 200 yards. A team rushing for 175 or more yards in game one is 51-35-1 ATS in game 2. Seattle is known for being an elite home team. That is due to them going 39-6 SU from 2012-16. They have since been 14-10 SU or about average. The Seattle defense is really bad, and getting another near perfect performance from Wilson against a Bill Belichick defense and game plan isn't likely. There will also be no fans so what ever home field edge the Seahawks are maintaining is diminished. This game implies a +7 line on New England if fans were in the stands, and I just don't see it. Make the play on New England.

A pair of playoff hopefuls the Minnesota Vikings and the Indianapolis Colts will square off in Indianapolis. This immediately becomes a pivotal game as the loser will move to 0-2 on the season. Philip Rivers had a mostly good debut in Indianapolis last week, but once again he is haunted by turnovers. Rivers 2 INTs put him at 200 for his career, and moved his overall record to 77-84 SU, from the 5th year of his career to the present. He should once again have strong passing numbers vs a Minnesota team that saw their weak secondary exposed by Aaron Rodgers last week. I'm going to ride with a lot of very strong bounce back situations, with one being 102-41-4 ATS. Another is a week 2 specific situation that shows that a team that lost in week 1 as a favorite are 44-27-2 ATs in week 2. That goes to 30-11-2 ATS if the line is fewer than +6 and since 2010 that has been even stronger at 14-1-1 ATS. Make the play on Minnesota.

If you are a Packers fan, it was good to see Aaron Rodgers have a big day. Many thought the Packers loading up on running backs, and not addressing the pass catchers Rodgers needs meant the Packers were going to turn to the running game. That certainly wasn't the case vs a depleted and weak Minnesota secondary, and likely we will see the same thing vs Detroit, who has a depleted secondary due to injuries.The Packers put up over 500 yards of offense, but also gave up 34 points themselves. Matthew Stafford completed 24-of-42 attempts for 297 yards, one touchdown, and averaged 7.1 yards per attempt.Those are strong numbers against a pretty good Bears defense. I think Stafford can put up similar numbers against Green Bay, and the fast pace offense of the Bears was too much for the Lions. There was 7 points lost in that game as D"Andre Swift dropped a wide open pass in the end-zone that would have won the game for the Lions with just a few ticks on the clock. Make the play over the total.

It is becoming pretty clear that covid-19 will continue to have an influence on the 2020-21 NCAAF season. Last week LA Tech saw their game vs Baylor cancelled due to the fact that they had 38 covid cases. This is a team that has just 8 returning starters as it is, and with a challenging depth chart, they are going to be far behind. Even if many of the players return, they have missed a lot of practice time. Southern Miss had a horrific opener as they lost to South Alabama as a nearly 2 TD favorite. The result was Coach Jay Hopson resigned. He will be replaced by Scott Walden. Walden immediately made a statement of what to expect. The Golden Eagles will put their foot on the gas, and not take it off for 4 quarters. His offense will attack hard, and play lightning fast. He has a history of that as he was the coach of E. Texas Baptist Univ. and his team averaged 50ppg and totaled over 550 yards per game. That has a pretty good chance against a Tech team with a depleted roster, and little in the way of experience to begin with. Southern Miss has been rock solid at home off a loss where they are 11-0 SU and 8-3 ATS. Like their situation here, make the play on S. Mississippi.

Georgia Tech had a tough year last season, as they transitioned out of the triple option. They now have a year under their belt, and a whole lot of experience. They went to Florida St. as a +13 point under dog, and won outright 16-13. They trailed 10-0 at the half, but anyone watching could see who the better team was. Tech drove to the Florida St. 40 on 4 drives, 3 of which became red-zone opportunities and they came away with 0 points. The Game was all Tech despite the final score as they doubled the Seminoles yards per play of 3.8 producing 7.6 of their own. C. Florida saw 10 players opt out this season due to covid-19, and Tech has a game under its belt, while UCF has not taken the field yet. I think if this game were later in the season, the line would look right, but not under this year's circumstances. I like Georgia Tech to win this one straight up, but will not press my luck as +7.5 looks like a great bet. Make the play on Georgia Tech.

The Denver Broncos host the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night football. There is a lot of excitement for this Tennessee team, coming off a strong playoff performance from last year. They were a fairly ordinary team coming into the playoffs and the hype is in full force this season, and I think that leaves the team overrated early in the season. Derrick Henry had an amazing season, especially in the playoffs. He carried the ball over 300 times and when you add in the playoffs he was on the doorstep of 400. Since 2011 there have been 11 players top the 300 carry mark and their next season was dramatically worse. There was just 1 of the 11 that increased their rushing yards the following year and that was Marshawn Lynch. Despite increasing his yardage he did so at a price, 4.2 yards per carry vs 5.9 the previous year. Including Lynch the average yards per carry dropped from 4.75 to 3.99. The average yards gained dropped on average by 762! Denver has a long history of winning early at home. They are 33-4 SU and 22-11-4 ATS at home in weeks 1 and 2. The simple reason is early in the season most NFL players are not in game shape yet, and playing in the altitude in Denver really takes its toll. When the line is -7 or fewer points that jumps to 19-5-4 ATS, including 10-1-3 ATS at -3 or less. (4-0-1 ATS as pick or dog). This year I think that advantage is even greater with training camps limited due to covid-19, and no exhibition games. Good spot tonight for the Broncos, make the play on Denver.

This one opened at -4.5 for the Saints, but th Brady lovers, and the hype of the Tampa Bay offense has cut a point off the opener. This is a tough year to field a team with so many key transitional players, as they have had less time on the field, and no practice games to get a sense of timing down. Tom Brady has seen his yards per pass attempt decline in each of the past 4 years from 8.2 to 7.9 to 7.6 to 6.6. His 24 TD passes a year ago were his fewest since 2006. He ill have a much more talented receiving core this season, but in this game, will he be able to take advantage? I believe the Saints defense could be the best in the entire NFL this season. This game will be influenced by the Saints bringing in Malcolm Jenkins. He is the top slot defender in the NFL. Brady has had Welker, and Edelman as his favorite targets pretty much his entire career. I think Jenkins will shutdown the Buc's solid slot receiver in Chris Goodwin. I also think the fact that Brady no longer throws the long ball, as his depth of target last year was 8.0 ranking 28th, and Mike Evans benefitted from gunslingers Fitzpick-6, and Winston who threw downfield a lot. Where Brady will be an immediate upgrade is in turnovers. Brady knows how to take care of the football, and Winston threw 30 INTs a year ago, and also lost 5 fumbles. The Bucs defense looked bad last year but was actually very good. They had to defend short fields on 35 turnovers, and spent too much time on the field, and will improve substantially this year. The Saints offense should be ahead of most, as they have pretty much the same team as a year ago, while Tampa may be the most impacted, as they have a lot of new faces. The Saints are one of few teams that are talented enough in the secondary to match up with Tampa Bay, and the Bucs OL is going to get Brady sacked a lot more than he is used to. This is a good opening spot for the Saints, especially with the public putting their hand on the scales. Make the play on New Orleans.

The San Francisco 49ers come into the 2020-21 NFL season as the Super Bowl loser. They coughed up a 10 point 4th quarter lead. Things have not gone well for the previous year's Super Bowl loser as they are 4-16 ATS over the last 20 years in game 1. Arizona has covered 5 straight vs San Francisco, and have covered 4 straight on the road in this series. I think Arizona is going to be considerably improved with Murray a bit more mature. Arizona Cliff Kingsbury certainly thinks so, as he promises to push the pace, and the Cards were already ranked 4th last year in that department. He now has a top shelf core of receivers with DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk. San Francisco comes into game 1 pretty banged up. I think the Cards are going to surprise a lot of people here this year, and have played well in San Francisco. Make the play on Arizona.

The Florida St. Seminoles have been just 18-20 SU over the last 3 seasons. This is one of the worst stretches ever for this program. Georgia Tech enters off a horrible 3-9 season, but last year was a transitional year away from the option under new coach Geoff Collins. Mike Norvell is an upgrade, but I don't like backing a 1st year head coach in game one, especially this year with covid-19 eliminating all spring practices. There is a lot of talent, but new schemes on both sides of the ball, and little practice time, puts Florida St. behind early in the season. The Seminoles are now learning their 4th offense in 4 years. QB James Blackmon has put up some strong numbers but has thrown 22 INTs already in his career. The weak spot in the Florida St. offense is an OL that allowed 48 sacks a year ago. They have lost a lot of those players for less experience, so that is going to take time to come around. The defense ranked as one of the worst in the country, and they have a lot to prove in the secondary where they ranked 119th in the country. This is just too many points here, and I will make the play on Georgia Tech.

Notre Dame will be a member of the ACC in the strange year of covid-19. This has long been a team predicated on defense. Over the last 179 Irish games the under has prevailed 100-74-5 ATS, with just an average of 49 total points having been scored despite the average total being posted in their games having been 53.2. There is a long term bias on this team's posted totals. It may be attributable of the huge following this team has, and square bettors opting for the over the majority of the time. Once again I see that bias at work in the total here as I see 6-7 points worth of value. Notre Dame in its last 350 games has allowed 18.4ppg. that drops to 15.1ppg in game 1. Duke averaged a misleading 25ppg a year ago, but against the better defensive teams they were extremely limited, and managed just 7 vs ND. Former Clemson QB Chase Brice will be the Duke QB, but with limited practice time, and a strong defense, I'm not believing he will have a whole lot of success. This total is quite tainted in history, and as it stands now. Make the play on the under.

Nothing like opening the season with a 42-0 win as Army did. The Army bandwagon immediately filled up, and their game with UL Monroe which opened at -14.5 has soared to -22/-22.5. That is totally out of hand, and the books algorithms don't miss by 8+ points. The fact that Army won 10+ games for 2 straight years, and appear to be good again, has the public opinion of this team beyond expectations. The public is dismissing the 5-8 season from a year ago. The 5 wins came against 2 FCS teams, and UMass (1-11), Texas San Antonio (4-8)and Rice (3-9). Army has a new QB in Christian Anderson, and that usually means mistakes running the triple option. Army ran the ball 62 times but at just 5.6 yards per carry, which is not conducive for scoring 42 points, so the offensive numbers are somewhat misleading. They may improve upon that this week vs a UL Monroe team that was awful against the run a year ago, and will likely be equally as bad this year. Army had a 4-0 turnover advantage in that game, and another clean game by Anderson, and the high risk Army triple option is not likely, and neither is a +4 in turnovers. The opening line was pretty close to what I would have made it, but as most bettors base this week's bets on last week's results (perception), has forced the books to move this one way too far. I will make the play on Army in this one.

The Arkansas Red Wolves have a long history of being a very strong team at home, but a very weak one on the road. When it comes to playing outside the conference the numbers only get worse. Arkansas St. is 40-24 SU at home outside the conference, and over the same period of time they are 7-103-5 SU on the road. The average score of the games at home have been 31.7 to 21.6 on the road just 13.7 to 35.7. This has led to an abundance of games failing to get to the total, as the under is cashing just 27.2% of all games. One huge change in the Red Wolves offense is the loss of WR Omar Bayless and his 17 TDs and 1,653 yards. He averaged nearly 12 yards per target, and that simply will not be replaced. The Memphis defense should be better this year with 8 returning starters and the entire secondary. A high total like this in game 1 and the situation here tends to look inflated. Make the play on the under.

The NCAA Football season will truly get underway tonight. The South Alabama Jaguars finished 2-10 a year ago, so not a lot of people are taking a hard look at this team. There is a lot of changes from year to year, but one big hint came at the end of last season. The Jags averaged just 18.3ppg a year ago, including 11.4ppg vs division 1-A opponents prior to the last 4 games of the season. They averaged 26ppg over the last 4. So what changed? Desperate for a QB they inserted freshman Desmond Trotter. Trotter threw 8 TDs to just 2 INTs in the 4 games. He has 4 members of the OL returning along with 7 of the top 8 pass catchers. Jack Abrahms of S. Miss had a very good year, but was held back by his 15 INT's and lost 5 of his top 7 pass catchers. The biggest loss is All-CUSA WR Quez Watkins, who was drafted by the Eagles. The Eagles defense now has just 4 starters returning, with 2 players opting out. Overall, this game should be pretty competitive, and I like South Alabama to get the money in this one.

DEEBO SAMUEL  MVP     +2500   (1/2 of 1 UNIT)
>>
>> I always shy away from the QB's in this game, as it is the logical choice and the value is usually not there. that typically means I am on a long shot. i don't just like to choose a long shot on a whim, but on value so I will make the case for Deebo Samuel of the 49ers here. First, the 49ers have barely passed the ball at all in the post-season so the value is enriched as Samuel will not be on most bettors radar. He is on mine. The Niners were not sure what they had in Samuel early in the season, and his use was limited. Through 9 weeks he had 22 receptions for just 227 yards, or just over 10 yards a catch. he had just 1 catch for 30+ yards, and scored 1 TD. He also had 5 rushing attempts for 37 yards. Then starting in week 10 the Niners started to realize he had something to add to their attack. from week 10 on he caught 35 passes for 575 yards, or 16.5 yds. per catch, a quantum leap. he had 4 catches for 30+ yards and added 3 TDs. Since week 13 the 49ers wanted him to get more touches and he ran the ball 9 times for 122 yards. he had 4 runs of 20+ yards, and 2 TDs. despite the 49ers pretty much running their way to the Super Bowl he caught more balls, for more yards than any other receiver. he also ran the ball 3 times for 49 yards. When I make an MVP choice, I like players that can impact a game multiple ways (running and receiving in this case). I think the 49ers have so much to look out for that Samuel could become an under the radar part of the game plan, as he has taken on an expanded role late in the season and has delivered.
> ************************************************************************************************************************************************
> The rest of my Super Bowl props are all based on FGs. I have more detailed information on this than anyone would ever expect. It is because I had the foresight to track everything in this area for every Super Bowl, and the data I didn't have I added as I got older. These are some extremely powerful props based on FGs. I only consider the last 45 years. I have done so because the goal posts were moved in 1974 to the back of the end-zone which changed things. Here we go:
>
> UNDER   3.5 MADE FGs (Both teams)   3.5   -120
>
> The last 45 Super Bowls have topped 3,5 just 14 of 45 years (31.1%) Huge value
> **************************************************************************************************************************************
> UNDER  4.5 MADE FGs (Both teams)  4.5   -240
>
> There have been 5 or more made FGs in just 3 of the last 45 Super Bowls (6.6%) EXTREME VALUE!
> ****************************************************************************************************************************************
> UNDER 5.5 MADE FGs (Both teams)  5.5   -650
>
> THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED  0-45!
> ****************************************************************************************************************************************
> LONGEST MADE FG  47.5 YARDS    UNDER   -130
>
> There has been just 6 Super Bowls with a FG longer than 47 yards.  HUGE VALUE!
> **************************************************************************************************************************************
> TOTAL COMBINED MADE FG YARDS (Both teams)  UNDER   122.5   -110
>
> Only 12 of 45 Super Bowls have topped this number (26.6%)  TREMENDOUS VALUE!
> ************************************************************************************************************************************
> BOTH TEAMS WILL RECORD A MADE FG OF 33 OR MORE YARDS?  NO   -110
> This has occurred in just 14 of 45 Super Bowls  (31.1%) HUGE VALUE
> **********************************************************************************************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTE**********

When betting money line odds please remained disciplined!  For example on the prop that is -650, that doesn't mean to bet -650 to win 100 (if your unit size is 100.00). It means bet 100 to win 15.38. Don't get greedy thinking these are guaranteed to win, they are not! What I can guarantee which you can see is these are heavyweight advantaged props, but it is still one game and anything can happen! Whatever your unit size, stick with betting 1 unit. betting is a continuous of scraping a few dollars here and there, and suddenly when you look down, those few dollars start to add up instead of disappearing. STAY DISCIPLINED PLEASE!
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HIGHEST SCORING HALF:    2ND    -155

There has been a long history of Super Bowl games starting slowly. It seems that each team takes a look at how they are being defended early in the game before they open things up. The total points scored in the 1st quarter of 53 Super Bowl games is just 439 total points. that has led to the 2nd half outscoring the first half 1263-1142. The last 21 Super Bowls has seen the 2nd half outscore the 1st half to a record of 16-4-1. Like the odds here. The 2nd half is 8-2-1 in this when the total has been 50+ and 18-6-1 if the total has been 47+. Make the play on the 2nd half being the higher scoring half.
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HIGHEST SCORING QUARTER UNDER 21 -155

Overall there has been just 16 of 53 Super Bowls that saw more than 21 points scored in a quarter. That is just 30% if all games. The next thing to look at is the early years of the Super Bowl that had a lot of low scoring games, or at least by the posted totals the games were anticipated to be lower scoring. prior to Super Bowl 28 there was just 1 game with a posted total of 50+ so if we start from there and look at games from Super Bowl 28 forward we get a better idea on this. There have since been 10 Super Bowls with a posted total of 50+. just 2 of those saw more than 21 points scored in a quarter between both teams. make the play on the under.
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LOWEST SCORING QUARTER  UNDER   3.5   +140:

There has been 34 times out of the 53 Super Bowls that saw the lowest scoring combined score come in at 3 or fewer points or 64.2% of the time. It isn't just because the games were lower scoring in the early years, as one might expect. The fact is in the last 21 Super Bowls it has occurred 13 times or 62% of the time, including 5 of the last 7 times the total was 50+. Getting plus odds on this shows value.
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TEAM THAT SCORES LAST WINS THE GAME  YES  -240:

This is one of the best values of all. The Yes is 18-2 the last 20 years, 27-5 in the last 32 years and 33-7 the last 40 years. needless to say the odds makers swung and missed on this one.
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PLAY KC/SF  UNDER   54.5   -110





Enjoy the game!

Tulane started the season 5-1 but finished 1-5. A lot of that had to do with scheduling as the Green Wave lost to UCF, Memphis, SMU, Navy, and Temple. Their 6th loss was to Auburn. They were up yo task against several elite teams. One thing the Green Wave has done is averaged 41.1ppg as a favorite in their last 8. S. Miss has a very good passing attack that averages 8.8 yards per attempt. See some value on the total here as AAV teams have seen Bowl games average over 63.1ppg all-time and the over has cashed 57% of the time. Make the play on the over.

The Nevada Wolfpack has been dealt a bad hand for their Bowl game. They lost 3 defensive players to suspension and 2 are DB`s further enhancing the mismatch already in place with a high octane Ohio U. passing attack. A 4th defensive starter will miss the 1st half and a 5th is questionable. While the weather is usually an issue in Boise, ID. in January it will not today as the temperature will be 50 degrees with light winds. Ohio St. duel threat QB Nathan O`Rourke is going to be difficult to handle, and with a lack of depth on defense, the Wolfpack could be wilting in the 4th quarter. Ohio also fits a 25-5 ATS Bowl situation based in part by their poor ATS mark this season. Make the play on Ohio, U.

The story at Indiana is a great one. Indiana has win 8 games for the 1st time since 1993, and the program has never won 9. That looks and sounds great but here is the Hoosiers reality. They did mot neat a single Bowl eligible team all season, and the combined record of their opponents in their 7 wins vs FBS teams is 31-66. They will be up against a lot more than that tonight with an equally motivated Tennessee team that started the season ugly at 1-4 but they proceeded to go 6-1 in the rugged SEC. Tennessee has the edge from the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and with both teams motivated, look for the talent to win out. Make the play on Tennessee.

It was a very strong year for the Cincinnati Bearcats, but the ending to this point has been painful. They lost each of their last 2 games to Memphis and should be in an ornery mood for this one. the calling card for Cincinnati is defense and Boston College who ran the ball all season will have to replace A.J. Dillon and his 1,685 yards as he sits out to prepare for the NFL draft. BC is also missing fired coach as Rich Gunnell will take over the play-calling. The BC defense has been poor all season and without their best offensive player will find it tough to keep up vs a very strong Cincinnati defense. make the play on Cincinnati.

This game is from my super total system and the play is on the under.

Matt Rhule has now become an elite coach. he turned a pathetic Temple program around and has now transformed a Baylor program ridden with filth into a power. he has an incredible record getting his team prepared when his team is the weaker one in the fight. His coaching career shows 4 winning seasons and playing as a dog, in those 4 years, his team is 13-10 SU and 20-3 ATS. That becomes 13-7 SU and 19-1 ATS when not a dog of more than 14 points. His team has outscored opponents by 5.6 points per game to an average line of 6. Make the play on Baylor

The Oregon Ducks are coming off a big win vs Utah putting together perhaps their best game of the season. They have 2 losses coming against Auburn and Arizona St. Oregon played very well in the Auburn game and Utah game, their biggest physical tests of the season. They have a sure 1st round pick in the NFL draft at QB in Hebert. The Wisconsin defense recorded 4 shutouts in their first 6 games but took a step back when the competition got stiffer but is still very good. I think Oregon has the better "A" game and a better offense.  teams that come into a Bowl game off winning a Championship game vs a team losing a Championship game tend to excel as they are 7-1 SU and 6-1-1 ATS. The Pac-12 has struggled of late in Bowl games, but in this spot they have excelled:

game type = BG and conference in [P12 , P10] and month = 1 and line >= -6 and line 6 and o:wins < 13 and season > 1982 and oA(points) > 30

SU:19-5-0 (12.96, 79.2%)Teaser Records

ATS:22-2-0 (13.08, 91.7%)

Make the play on Oregon.

It has been a long time since Alabama has not played in the playoffs or BCS Championship. Bowls are a lot about motivation, and it is hard to see this Alabama team bringing a full tank to this game. They will be without 2 elite defenders that have decided to skip and get ready for the NFL draft. Anytime a team faces the Crimson Tide it is motivating all unto itself and I expect a big effort from a very good Michigan team. This Alabama defense is pretty good, but at the same time, it has allowed more points than any Alabama team since 2008 and will be missing their best 2 defenders. Michigan has a great "A" game which was seen in a blowout win vs Notre Dame and I fully expect to see it here. Make the play on Michigan.

There is a lot to unpack for this Bowl game. There are a lot of defections on both sides heading to the NFL that will not play. There are coaching changes deep into both staffs. What there is here is the reputation and pride that has driven Florida St. in Bowl games almost forever. This energy is tough to go against, so I won't, I will embrace it. 

game type = BG and team = FLST and o:WP < 91 and line >= -10

SU:18-4-1 (9.13, 81.8%)Teaser Records

ATS:20-3-0 (8.09, 87.0%)

Florida St. is the King of Bowl domination at 20-3 ATS as ling as they are not a 10 point favorite or more, and their opponent is not elite and has a winning percentage of less than .910. More recently they are 15-1 ATS in this spot, with the only ATS loss coning by 1/2 of a point. Make the play on Florida St.

The Kentucky ground game has devastated their last 3 opponents to the tune of 1,380 yards in their last 3 games. That is an average of 460 yards per contest. It might be a lot tougher in this one as with no threat in the passing game and against one of the best-run stop units in the country in Virginia Tech loading the box, yards aren't going to come easy. The bigger problem is if they get behind they have little to offer in the passing game. Tech has an elite passing game and should be able to move the chains effectively. Kentucky is in an awful Bowl situation which is 7-41 ATS, which is based in part on their recent ATS prowess. Make the play on Virginia Tech.

This game fits a situation I love. When a team gives up from 40 to 64 points in their last game before their Bowl and are from a P5 conference other than the SEC, they are 25-53 ATS (1-12 ATS lately). Make the play on Florida.

This is for a chance to play for the National Championship. If you look at these teams statistically they are pretty much a dead heat. If you go strictly by the eye test LSU has been playing lights out, and Oklahoma isn't scoring at the rate they were earlier in the season. each game provides a unique challenge, and there will be a lot more pressure on LSU here as a2 TD favorite to get it done. Oklahoma has lost key players to suspension and injury, but I don't think that will matter much. If there is a vulnerability to this LSU team it is a very good running QB. They struggled vs Ole Miss allowing 400+ rushing yards, and also against Texas. Alabama has a power running game as well and in those 3 games, the Tigers allowed a total of 123 points or 41ppg. Oklahoma has all of that and more with Jalen Hurts who was responsible for 50 TDs all by himself. Hurts not only passes for 11 yards per attempt, but he has also run for 1,255 yards and 18 TDs. There is speed and game-breakers all over the field. The Sooners also have a kicker that is 17-17 and has range beyond 50 yards. Edwards-Helaire is a big deal. he is the entire running game for the Tigers and he is hobbling some and not 100% and his status is questionable. The Sooners have been big dogs of 10 or more just 3 times since 2013 and have won 2 of them and covered them all including a 14 point win vs Alabama as a -16.5 point favorite. Despite facing top defensive teams in the 3 games, the Sooners scored 112 points or 37.3ppg. Those were much better defenses than LSU, by far. yes, Oklahoma has not scored nearly as well in their last 4 games, but the yards have been there (477 yds per game), against much better defenses than LSU. Just remember this. Since October 26, 1996, Oklahoma is 24-4 SU and 27-1 ATS if they score 30+ points as long as they are not a favorite of -3.5 points or more. The only loss was as a +3 dog in overtime, so they even out-played that line in regulation. Look at that straight-up number. That is with no games as a favorite of more than 3 and includes 5-0 ATS as a double-digit dog and 4-1 SU! Of course, there is no guarantee they will score 30 points, certainly loke their chances. Make the play on Oklahoma. 

A lot of could have beens for the Iowa St. Cyclones. this is a much better team than the 7-5 record would have you believe. They lost 1 point games vs Iowa, and Oklahoma, and a 2 point game to Baylor. The Baylor and Oklahoma losses were on the road. Their last 2 Bowl games resulted in a 1 point win and a 2 point loss. This team could easily be 10-2. Notre Dame does not do well in Bowl games as they are 3-9 SU and 2-10 ATS in their last 12 when they have had 8 or more wins. Cyclones are 18-6-2 ATS in their last 26 as a dog. Notre Dame fits a Bowl situation that is 7-41 ATS as well. make the play on Iowa St.

This is the best Memphis team ever at 12-1 and they earned a trip to the Cotton Bowl to face Penn St. They are facing some difficult circumstances however as Mike Norvell left for the Florida St. job and took DC Adam Fuller with him. There is no one left on the staff that has ever called plays before. They will also have a game plan devised by those never having made one on their own. They will face a very quick Penn St. team that has the best defense by far they will have seen all season. Penn St. was down by 4 at Ohio St. before losing by 11 in the Buckeyes closest call of the season. Memphis did not have nearly as challenging of a schedule as they were favored by 9.5 points or more in 9 of their games and did not play as an underdog all season. This is the caliber team they have not seen this year that does well in Bowl games (18-12 ATS). Make the play on Penn St.

Bowl teams that are 6-6 or worse and facing a team better than 6-6 to a line of +2 or more but less than +11 are:

game type = BG and WP 50 and line >= 2 and line

This game fits a horrible situation against USC:

game type = BG and ats streak >= 3 and ats streak < 10 and line > -7 and line < 5 and wins < 11 and month = 12

SU:34-69-0 (-4.79, 33.0%)Teaser Records

ATS:29-74-0 (-5.98, 28.2%)

play against a bowl team on an ats streak of 3-9 games of they are not a -7 point favorite or more or a dog of +5 points or more in December Bowls providing they have fewer than 11 wins.

make the play on Iowa.

Oklahoma St. Quarterback Spencer Sanders will play after sitting out the last 2 games with a thumb injury. make no mistake about motivation here, Mike Gundy comes to Bowl games to win. His team has won 3 straight Bowl games and 7 of 9 averaging 36.8ppg in the process, with all 9 games vs P5 opponents. While Texas A&M had an impossible schedule they failed to beat any team this season with a winning record. Oklahoma St. os 8-4 SU and 10-2 ATS in their last 12 as a dog, and Gundy usually has a trick play or 2 for an added edge. make the play on Oklahoma St.

It has been a long way back for North Carolina who will be playing in a Bowl game for the first time since 2016. They also enter on a 3 game Bowl losing skid. They dusted off their former coach Mack Brown and he has already impacted a program by winning 6 games after the previous 2 years saw just 5 combined wins. His most recent stint in Texas saw him win 9 of his last 12 Bowls and he won his last 2 when at NC. That is a huge difference from Temple 1st year coach Rod Carey who went 0-6 SU and 0-6 ATS in 6 Bowls at N. Illinois. (average loss 25ppg). This game will come down to the NC elite passing offense vs the Temple elite passing defense. the Temple defense really struggled against the 2 elite passing offenses they saw this season in SMU and Central Florida where they gave up 1,279 yards and 108 points. The Temple offense really struggles, and Temple has proven to struggle against elite passing attacks. Temple also facing a situation that is 29-74 ATS that in part plays against a Bowl team ob an extended ATS winning streak. Make the play on North Carolina.

This is a big deal for E. Michigan to play in a Bowl close to home in Detroit. Coach Chris Creighton has completely changed the culture at E. Michigan. His teams have won 25 games over the last 4 years something that took 11 years to do previously. The 4-year record shows 30-17-3 ATS. he will take on a Pittsburgh team that is 7-5 on the season but has been outscored by opponents. Pitt has no offense and averaged 20ppg but does have a solid defense. The main factor here is motivation. Pitt seemed to play the top teams on its schedule tough losing to Penn St. by just 7 and beating Central Florida. here is a pretty glaring stat. The Panthers have not won a game all season by more than 10 points and here they are as nearly a 2 TD favorite vs a motivated team. A December Bowl team that averages fewer than 38.5ppg and is a favorite of -8 or more is 32-57 ATS. There is also a 23-5 ATS situation that plays on certain Bowl teams with a poor ATS record. make the play on E. Michigan.

It is hard to see that Miami, Fla. has any motivational interest in this game. They finished the season a disappointing 6-6 despite the fact that the average line in their games has been as a -10 point favorite and this will be their 10th time as a favorite. They have never been a dog of more than a TD all season as well. A favorable schedule, and unfavorable results. They lost 3 games outright as a favorite of -10, -18, and -18.5, and won another by 5 points as a -29 point favorite. making things worse are a pair of defensive ends sitting out that combined for 9.5 sacks, and a LB that was 2nd on the team in tackles and made 12.5 tackles for a loss. They will also be without WR Jeff Thomas. LA Tech will be playing an hour from home, making the 1 hour trip due west in I-20 and will have the fans behind them. Tech lost to Texas in the opener 45-14 but the yards show 413-454 and J'mar Smith threw for 340 yards at 8.3 yards per attempt. Speaking of Smith, Tech has won 9 straight with him at QB, as 2 losses came while he served a 2 game suspension. A win here will gibe LA Tech 10 wins, a school record. This is the 6th straight Bowl appearance by LA Tech, and they have won the previous 5 and are now 6-1 ATS in their last 7 Bowls. They fit a Bowl situation that is 55-29 ATS as well. Motivated dog vs an unmotivated favorite here. Make the play on LA Tech.

The Green Bay Packers are 11-3 and are almost a TD underdog in Minnesota. There are a lot of reasons for that. The Packers are being out-gained substantially by opponents on the season, and in their last 6 games has out-gained just Washington, while being out-gained by the LA Chargers, Carolina, SF, NYG, and Chicago. long ago the St. Louis Cardinals have coined the fastest team on turf. Well, Minnesota is the best team on turf. the Vikings on turf as a less than double-digit favorite prior to week 17 are 27-3 SU and 27-3 ATS (14-0 SU/ATS lately). The Packers are not or never have been a good turf team. They are 78-50-2 ATS on the road playing on grass and 53-74-1 ATS on turf. Rodgers is 7-18 ATS in his last 25 as a road dog. The first game saw GB get out to a 21-0 lead less than a minute into the 2nd quarter at home and had to hold on for a 21-16 win. That game saw Minnesota fumble a season-high 5 times (lost 2), but disrupted 3 other drives, and had 1 INT. Cousins 70.5% completions on the season was 14-32, and the Vikings were penalized 100 yards. Minnesota was 0-2 in the red-zone, while GB was 3-3, but did not sniff the red-zone for the last 44 minutes of the game. This is a huge revenge game for Minnesota, and they are in a very favorable matchup. Make the play on Minnesota.

High scoring teams tend to under-perform in Bowl games:

game type = BG and tA(points) >= 40.25 and total < 64 and season > 2007 and line

When it gets late in the season (week 15 and on), and you have what I call a snoozer game between 2 teams that each have a losing record there is nothing to play for, and they seem to play to get the game over with. this leads to low scoring games as a rule:

week >= 15 and WP < 50 and o:WP < 50 and AD and total > 36 and total < 46.5 and line < 8

SU:47-94-0 (-4.46, 33.3%)Teaser Records

ATS:66-73-2 (-0.20, 47.5%)  avg line: 4.3+6:  97-41-3 (70.3%)  -6:  36-102-3 (26.1%)  +10:  111-27-3 (80.4%)  -10:  24-116-1 (17.1%)  

O/U:48-92-1 (-2.83, 34.3%)

Make the play on the under.

When it gets late in the season (week 15 and on), and you have what I call a snoozer game between 2 teams that each have a losing record there is nothing to play for, and they seem to play to get the game over with. this leads to low scoring games as a rule:

week >= 15 and WP < 50 and o:WP < 50 and AD and total > 36 and total < 46.5 and line < 8

SU:47-94-0 (-4.46, 33.3%)Teaser Records

ATS:66-73-2 (-0.20, 47.5%)  avg line: 4.3+6:  97-41-3 (70.3%)  -6:  36-102-3 (26.1%)  +10:  111-27-3 (80.4%)  -10:  24-116-1 (17.1%)  

O/U:48-92-1 (-2.83, 34.3%)

Make the play on the under.

When it gets late in the season (week 15 and on), and you have what I call a snoozer game between 2 teams that each have a losing record there is nothing to play for, and they seem to play to get the game over with. this leads to low scoring games as a rule:

week >= 15 and WP < 50 and o:WP < 50 and AD and total > 36 and total < 46.5 and line < 8

SU:47-94-0 (-4.46, 33.3%)Teaser Records

ATS:66-73-2 (-0.20, 47.5%)  avg line: 4.3+6:  97-41-3 (70.3%)  -6:  36-102-3 (26.1%)  +10:  111-27-3 (80.4%)  -10:  24-116-1 (17.1%)  

O/U:48-92-1 (-2.83, 34.3%)

Make the play on the under.

Once again the Boise St. Broncos have had a stellar season at 12-1. perhaps the storyline here is their former coach Chris Peterson will be coaching his last game for Washington. This just doesn't have the look of the typical Boise St. power. They have used 3 QB's this season and the schedule was ranked in the 80s this season. These teams are both pretty even from the line of scrimmage but Washington did so to a much more difficult schedule. The biggest edge may be motivation and special teams here for Washington. Washington is ranked top 15 in special teams, and Peterson has been known for successful trickery in Bowl games and his team will want to send him off with a win. make the play on Washington.

Butch Davis has turned the FIU program around as this will be the Panthers 3rd straight Bowl game and won for the 1st time last year. That win came without QB James Morgan, who has returned and has to be highly motivated to play in a Bowl after missing it last season. This is not only an experienced Bowl team they ranked in the top 20 of experienced teams coming into the season. They needed an impossible win over Miami, Fla. and got the huge upset. Arkansas St. is food offensively but the defense is one of the worst in the country after losing 4 defensive linemen starters to injury over the course of the season. looking at important stat matchups most favor FIU and they are a dog coming into this game, and I believe the wrong team is favored. The history of 6-6 Bowl teams that want to finish with a winning season has been 44-13 ATS in this spot. Play on FIU.

Florida Atlantic will be at home vs SMU in the Boca Raton Bowl. Both these teams love to put the ball in the air, but the weather may curtail what is supposed to be a shootout. The winds are going to have a lot to say about this one with sustained winds of 20 MPH and husts to over 30 during the game. Rain is in the forecast as well. Bowl games with a total of fewer than 73 points with a team that averages over 40pph have played under the total to a 59-31-1 ATS. make the play on the under.

The Kent St. Golden Flashes finished the season needing to win their last 3 games to qualify for a Bowl and did so. They are the only Bowl team to have done so. Kent St. took on an aggressive out of conference schedule against Auburn, Arizona St., and Wisconsin. This team has come a long way after going 2-10 each of the last 2 years. The other 9 Kent St. games saw then not lose by more than 7 points in any of them. Utah St. is led by QB Jordan Love who has entered the NFL draft bit will play in the Bowl game. Love had a horrible season as last year he threw 28 TDs to 5 INTs and this year 17 TDs to 16 INTs. A Bowl team that is .500 or less and facing a team that is better than .500 to a line of +2 to +10.5 is 44-13 ATS in their Bowl game. Make the play on Kent St.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been rolling despite one of the worst offenses in the league. They have gotten by with defense and an inordinate amount of forced turnovers as their opponent has coughed the ball up 33 times in 13 games. Looking at the 8 wins the combined record of those opponents is 33-70-1. The combined record of their opponents in their 5 losses is 48-17. The defense allowed 26.4ppg in the losses and 14.8ppg in the wins. Do questions arise as to just how good this defense really is? I would think so. Buffalo is 9-4 on the season, and the eye-test says they are the better team. The Bills simply don't turn the ball over (just 2 turnovers in their last 8 games). Make the play on Buffalo.

If there was ever team in a huge flat spot or breather alert it is the San Francisco 49ers. They are off 3 consecutive games vs Green Bay, Baltimore, and New Orleans and after this one, they face the Rams and Seahawks. Atlanta has an offense that can compete vs a big line, and the Niners believe it or nor are a double-digit favorite for just the 2nd time in 6 years! (did not cover either). The Niners will be without most of their secondary and they are also down 3 defensive linemen. Falcons are 3-2 in their last 5 hames and continue to play hard. Certainly could see a competitive game here, and the Falcons also have great backdoor potential. Make the play on Atlanta.