Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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01-03-19 | Rockets v. Warriors UNDER 226 | 135-134 | Loss | -110 | 25 h 23 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Houston and Golden State at 10:35 pm et on Thursday. None of the last six meetings in this series have even come close to sniffing the posted total we're working with on Thursday night, but I'm not one bit surprised we're dealing with such a high number. It's the nature of today's NBA, with totals regularly reaching into the 220's and 230's. The Rockets continue to roll along without Chris Paul among others, but look at who they've faced lately. Houston's current five-game winning streak has come at the expense of the Spurs, Thunder, Celtics, Pelicans and Grizzlies, with four of those games coming at home. Elite defensive squads are few and far between in that mix. Meanwhile, the Warriors exploded for 132 points last time out, but that was against the lowly Suns. The 'under' has actually cashed in three of their last four contests. Take the under (10*). |
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01-03-19 | Hurricanes v. Flyers UNDER 6 | 5-3 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 46 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Carolina and Philadelphia at 7:05 pm et on Thursday. I’ll stick with the trends here as the Hurricanes have seen six of their last seven games stay ‘under’ the total while the Flyers are riding an incredible ‘under’ run, including their last three contests staying ‘under’, with Philadelphia scoring a grand total of only two goals in the process. It is of course also worth noting that these two teams just met in Carolina on New Year’s Eve, with Carolina skating to a low-scoring 3-1 victory. Tonight’s expected goaltending matchup will feature Petr Mrazek for the Canes and Michal Neuvirth for the Flyers. Mrazek has allowed eight goals over his last four games while Neuvirth came on in relief of rookie Carter Hart against the Canes earlier this week and turned aside all 23 shots he faced. Take the under (10*). |
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12-31-18 | NC State v. Texas A&M OVER 55.5 | 13-52 | Win | 100 | 23 h 31 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between N.C. State and Texas A&M at 7:30 pm et on Monday. This game has major shootout potential with both the Wolfpack and the Aggies featuring capable quarterbacks and dynamic ground games. Both offenses are certainly comfortable in what they do and closed out the regular season on high notes with N.C. State routing East Carolina and Texas A&M prevailing in an overtime thriller against LSU, 74-72 (yes, you read that right). Neither defense is a pushover by any means, but these units have also become somewhat accustomed to getting involved in high-scoring affairs. I believe both teams will come in with the mentality that they need to end drives with 7's rather than 3's in order to prevail in this one. Take the over (10*). |
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12-31-18 | Virginia Tech v. Cincinnati UNDER 53.5 | Top | 31-35 | Loss | -109 | 16 h 31 m | Show |
NCAAF Bowl Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'under' between Cincinnati and Virginia Tech at 12 noon et on Monday. Cincinnati put up some big offensive numbers down the stretch this season but it did so against weak opposition. Meanwhile, the Bearcats were held to 13 points against UCF, 26 points in an overtime win over SMU and 17 points in an overtime loss to Temple, just to name a few subpar offensive performances. Virginia Tech isn't the defensive powerhouse it once was, but it can still hang. Like the Bearcats, the Hokies offense didn't do a great job when stepping up in class this season. Prior to scoring 34 and 41 points in their final two regular season games, they had put up 28 points or less in six consecutive contests. I simply feel this total will prove too high. Take the under (10*). |
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12-25-18 | 76ers v. Celtics OVER 222.5 | 114-121 | Win | 100 | 44 h 16 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Philadelphia and Boston at 5:35 pm et on Tuesday. This matchup was a bit of a dud on the opening night of the regular season as Boston cruised to a 105-87 victory, not coming anywhere close to eclipsing the posted total. Now we're dealing with a considerably higher total but is it warranted? I believe it is. Both teams bring excellent form to the table, at least from an offensive standpoint. The 76ers took full advantage of a Raptors squad that was missing Kawhi Leonard on Saturday night, scoring 126 points in an eventual blowout victory. Meanwhile, the Celtics 'got right' with a 119-103 win over the Hornets on Sunday. The 76ers didn't have Jimmy Butler the last time these two teams met. Look for a track meet on Christmas Day in Beantown. Take the over (10*). |
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12-24-18 | Broncos v. Raiders UNDER 43.5 | Top | 14-27 | Win | 100 | 23 h 15 m | Show |
NFL AFC West Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'under' between Denver and Oakland at 8:15 pm et on Monday. You can be sure there will be a lot of bettors looking for action eager to play the 'over' in this, the lone game on the board on Christmas Eve. I can't help but feel the total has been shaded a little high. Note that the Raiders have been involved in a string of relatively high-scoring affairs with the 'over' going 3-1-1 in their last five contests. I'm not sure that's sustainable, however, noting that the Oakland offense is rather punchless. While the Raiders defense has been bad as well, I don't believe the Broncos are well-suited to take advantage. With RB Philip Lindsay struggling over the last couple of games, the Denver offense hasn't been able to gain any headway. An injury to WR Emmanuel Sanders - QB Case Keenum's favorite target - hasn't helped. Note that the 'under' has cashed in four straight meetings in this series and none of those games have really come all that close to going 'over'. That includes earlier this season, when the Broncos beat the Raiders 20-19 with a field goal in the closing seconds. Take the under (10*). |
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12-23-18 | Rams v. Cardinals UNDER 44 | Top | 31-9 | Win | 100 | 20 h 41 m | Show |
NFC West Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'under' between Los Angeles and Arizona at 4:05 pm et on Sunday. There's really nothing to fear when it comes to the Rams offense right now. Injuries have taken their toll with WR Cooper Kupp sidelined and RB Todd Gurley banged-up to say the least. We've seen a severely limited Sean McVay offense in the last couple of games and things don't figure to get much easier as they hit the road to face a Cardinals squad eager to play the spoiler role on Sunday afternoon. On the flip side, the Arizona offense continues to struggle. Now they go up against a highly-motivated Rams defense that has gotten better with the return of CB Aqib Talib. Note that the Rams shut out the Cardinals earlier this season and have allowed just 16 points in taking each of the last three meetings in this series. Take the under (10*). |
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12-23-18 | Giants v. Colts OVER 47.5 | Top | 27-28 | Win | 100 | 17 h 0 m | Show |
NFL Non-Conference Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between New York and Indianapolis at 1 pm et on Sunday. This is an excellent spot to back the 'over' as the Giants aim to bounce back from a truly ugly showing at a rain-soaked Meadowlands last Sunday. Look for RB Saquon Barkley and TE Evan Engram to pace the charge for the Giants offense, which has certainly been handicapped by an ineffective Eli Manning this season. The Colts offense didn't have to do a whole lot at home against the Cowboys last week as they cruised to a 23-0 victory. QB Andrew Luck will likely have to dial it up a little more in this one, and should have plenty of success against a very limited Giants defense that has been getting ripped on a regular basis this season. Take the over (10*). |
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12-23-18 | Texans v. Eagles OVER 46 | 30-32 | Win | 100 | 17 h 48 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Houston and Philadelphia at 1 pm et on Sunday. The Eagles are really an 'over' bettors' dream at this stage of the season. Their defense is completely decimated in the secondary and they've had no luck at all slowing down mobile opposing quarterbacks. Their offense is pass-first and appears rejuvenated with Nick Foles back under center, not to mention the fact that they've got their issues sorted when it comes to recently-acquired WR Golden Tate, who is not a fit in this offense. Tate has seen limited action in the last two weeks, to the benefit of the Eagles passing game. The Texans scored 29 points in a win over the Jets last Saturday and have now scored more than 20 points in five straight games. QB DeShaun Watson and WR DeAndre Hopkins should have a field day against the Eagles struggling secondary on Sunday afternoon. Take the over (10*). |
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12-22-18 | Ravens v. Chargers UNDER 42 | 22-10 | Win | 100 | 23 h 1 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Baltimore and Los Angeles at 8:20 pm et on Saturday. I'll back the 'under' at StubHub Center on Saturday night. The Ravens offense has had some success since going with Lamar Jackson under center but this is a tough matchup, traveling across the country to face a banged-up but still strong Chargers defense. The strength of the Los Angeles defense lies in its secondary right now. The Chargers should be able to cheat a little bit in this one and force Jackson to beat them through the air, something he hasn't done particularly well since taking over the starting job. Los Angeles staged an incredible fourth quarter comeback in Kansas City last week but QB Philip Rivers should find the going tough against a tough Ravens defense on Saturday. WR Keenan Allen may be able to play but it's unlikely he'll be 100% healthy. The same goes for RB Melvin Gordon. Take the under (10*). |
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12-22-18 | Houston v. Army OVER 59 | Top | 14-70 | Win | 100 | 7 h 52 m | Show |
NCAAF Total of the Week. My selection is on the 'over' between Houston and Army at 3:30 pm et on Saturday. We won with the 'under' in Army's last game, its annual clash with Navy earlier this month. I won't hesitate to switch gears and back the 'over' in this one, however, even with Houston missing QB D'Eriq King to a knee injury. Keep in mind, in the Cougars last game against Memphis, backup QB Clayton Tune threw for over 250 yards and three touchdowns. I do believe the Cougars will be able to move the football against this Army defense. On the flip side, Houston is not a good defensive team, getting ripped time and time again over the course of the season. I'm not sure the extra preparation time will have helped all that much as they get ready to go up against the Army triple-option offense. Take the over (10*). |
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12-21-18 | Florida International v. Toledo OVER 57 | 35-32 | Win | 100 | 15 h 21 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Florida International and Toledo at 12:30 pm et on Friday. We saw a couple of situations where Toledo came out completely flat and was held down offensively this season but for the most part, the Rockets were explosive to say the least and I fully expect to see them get up for this Bowl tilt with Florida International on Friday. The Panthers saw a similar story unfold over the course of the regular season as they put up some gawdy offensive numbers on several occasions but were also held down in a couple of flat spots. This is not such a flat spot as the Panthers will be up for an opportunity to secure a Bowl win against a MAC opponent. There's little reason to anticipate either team holding much back in the Bahamas on Friday - I believe we're dealing with a reasonable total. Take the over (10*). |
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12-20-18 | Marshall v. South Florida OVER 51 | 38-20 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Marshall and South Florida at 8 pm et on Thursday. I believe this game has shootout potential, noting that Marshall posted an 8-4 o/u mark during the regular season while South Florida certainly was involved in its share of high-scoring affairs as well. The Bulls limped down the stretch but I don't believe they'll shy away from a shootout on Thursday night. Given they've had no success slowing down opposing running games, they'll be hard-pressed to avoid having to let it rip on offense in order to keep up. If nothing else, Marshall has been consistent putting points on the board this season, putting up at least 20 points in each and every game. The Thundering Herd scored 30+ on five different occasions. I expect a similar story to unfold here. Take the over (10*). |
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12-15-18 | Texans v. Jets UNDER 44 | 29-22 | Loss | -108 | 19 h 21 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Houston and New York at 4:30 pm et on Saturday. I'll back the 'under' in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon. The Texans have generally been good for around 20 points or less on the road this season, outside of a shootout victory over the Colts in Indianapolis, but that came back in late September. The Jets are coming off an unexpectedly high-scoring affair in Buffalo last Sunday, winning by a 27-23 score. That was their highest scoring output since putting up 42 points against the aforementioned Colts back in mid-October. New York has been outgained by over 120 total yards in four consecutive games. The last meeting between these two teams came back in 2015 and it resulted in only 41 total points. I don't expect to see much different of a story to unfold here. Take the under (10*). |
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12-10-18 | Vikings v. Seahawks OVER 45.5 | Top | 7-21 | Loss | -105 | 22 h 14 m | Show |
NFL Monday Night Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between Minnesota and Seattle at 8:15 pm et on Monday. I believe we're dealing with a very reasonable total in this matchup, largely due to how inept the Vikings offense looked in last week's ugly 10-point effort in New England. I do expect a strong bounce-back performance here as the Seahawks have certainly been beatable on defense this season, regardless whether they've been at home or on the road. Key here may be the fact that Seattle is giving up nearly six yards per rush in recent weeks, and goes up against a highly-motivated RB in Dalvin Cook. The Vikings are beat up defensively and will go up against a Seahawks offense that seems to be gaining confidence with each passing week. Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett is poised for a big performance against a struggling Vikings defense in the slot. Meanwhile, RB Chris Carson has given Seattle some real consistency in the backfield. Minnesota has been tough against the run but I think the Seahawks will be creative enough with Carson and Rashaad Penny running the football to make some headway. Take the over (10*). |
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12-08-18 | Navy v. Army UNDER 40.5 | 10-17 | Win | 100 | 17 h 12 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Navy and Army at 3 pm et on Saturday. The 'under' cashes each and every year in this matchup and while we're dealing with a very low total this time around, I still believe the number will prove to be too high. Army has its best defense in years and comes into this game on an incredible run, having allowed 22 points or less in regulation time in 10 straight games. Only in the Black Knights season-opener against Duke did they give up more than that number. While Navy did score a combined 65 points over its final two regular season games, those performances came against Tulsa and Tulane. They'll be facing a much tougher challenge here. There's no question its been a down year for Navy football as the Midshipmen check in with just three wins to their credit. The familiar matchup should help to keep them competitive, however, and I believe that lends itself to another relatively low-scoring affair between these two teams. Take the under (10*). |
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12-03-18 | Redskins v. Eagles UNDER 45.5 | 13-28 | Win | 100 | 12 h 45 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Washington and Philadelphia at 8:15 pm et on Monday. I'll back the 'under' at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night. This should be a matchup for the Redskins offense to take advantage of with the Eagles defense completely injury-ravaged in the secondary. However, Washington's offensive line is also severely short-handed due to injuries and I'm not convinced that QB Colt McCoy will have enough room or time to find his targets downfield and expose the Eagles weakness in the secondary. On the flip side, we should see Philadelphia show a renewed commitment to their ground game with RB Josh Adams coming off a tremendous second half performance against the Giants last week. This has been a high-scoring series in recent years with the 'over' cashing in four of the last five meetings. That only serves to give us a relatively high total to work with in this key December divisional matchup. Take the under (10*). |
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12-02-18 | Broncos v. Bengals OVER 44.5 | Top | 24-10 | Loss | -110 | 25 h 32 m | Show |
NFL AFC Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Denver and Cincinnati at 1 pm et on Sunday. The Broncos are coming off a lower scoring game than most expected last week at home against Pittsburgh but it’s not as if the Steelers didn’t move the football all afternoon long. The common line of thinking here is that the Denver defense will be able to manhandle the Jeff Driskel-led Bengals offense but I’m not so easily convinced. Driskel has actually had quite a bit of experience running the Cincinnati offense in the preseason and attempted 29 passes in relief of Andy Dalton last Sunday against Cleveland. I like the fact that Driskel got his feet wet with a touchdown pass to WR Tyler Boyd last week and expect him to build off of that 17-29, 155 pass yards performance against a beatable Broncos secondary. Driskel is expected to have WR A.J. Green at his disposal for this one as well. The Denver offense has been hit-or-miss for the most part this season but lately we have at least seen some consistency as the Broncos have scored 20, 45, 23, 17, 23 and 24 points over their last six games with the outlier coming in a pre-bye week game against the Texans. Here, the Broncos will go up against an awful Bengals defense that simply isn’t stopping anyone right now. Look for RB Philip Lindsay and WR Emmanuel Sanders to go off in this game. We’re dealing with a relatively low total here, largely due to the unappealing matchup between two 5-6 teams. I believe we will see more offensive fireworks than most anticipate. Take the over (10*). |
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11-30-18 | Northern Illinois v. Buffalo UNDER 51 | 30-29 | Loss | -108 | 22 h 25 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Northern Illinois and Buffalo at 8 pm et on Friday. We haven't seen all that great quarterback play from either of these teams down the stretch. Northern Illinois QB Marcus Childers has thrown just three touchdowns compared to four interceptions over his last six games. Meanwhile, Bulls QB Tyree Jackson has thrown multiple touchdown passes in just two of his last eight games. Northern Illinois was once a shoo-in for this game, but not in recent years. Meanwhile, the Bulls will be going Bowling for the first time in a long time, but they want more than that in the form of a MAC Championship. I'm anticipating a tightly-contested affair on Friday night at Ford Field and that lends itself to a relatively low-scoring game. Take the under (10*). |
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11-28-18 | Spurs v. Wolves OVER 218 | Top | 89-128 | Loss | -110 | 22 h 12 m | Show |
NBA Western Conference Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between San Antonio and Minnesota at 8:05 pm et on Wednesday. I'll back the 'over' in Minnesota on Wednesday night. The Spurs needed everything they had to get past the lowly Bulls by a single point in Chicago on Monday night. It did mark their seventh straight game scoring over 100 points and I don't think they'll have much trouble eclipsing that number again on Wednesday. Note that San Antonio has scored 117 and 112 points in two meetings with the T'Wolves since the start of 2018. Minnesota has seen the 'under' cash in seven straight games. While they have allowed just 96 and 95 points over their last two games, those contests came against the Cavs and Bulls - two of the league's weakest teams. They'll face a much tougher challenge here, although based on the pointspread being in their favor, I'm certainly anticipating a competitive game from start to finish, and that should lend itself to a high-scoring affair in this case. The first meeting between these two teams this season totaled 220 points. I'll call for more of the same here. Take the over (10*). |
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11-25-18 | Seahawks v. Panthers OVER 46 | Top | 30-27 | Win | 100 | 16 h 46 m | Show |
NFL Total of the Week. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Seattle and Carolina at 1 pm et on Sunday. We won with the ‘over’ in Seattle’s win over Green Bay last Thursday night and I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson looks as healthy as he has been all season and has now thrown for over 400 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in his last two games. Add in the fact that RB Chris Carson has been productive in four of his last six games and this is an offense with a lot of upside right now. The Panthers benefited from facing a predictable Lions offense last week but still fell by a 20-19 score. There should be a sense of urgency as they return home this week off of back-to-back road losses. I’m still high on the Carolina offense, which has certainly had its share of big games this season. We can count on a big bounce-back effort here against a beatable Seahawks defense that just isn’t what it once was, particularly in the secondary. Take the over (10*). |
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11-24-18 | Utah State v. Boise State OVER 66 | Top | 24-33 | Loss | -110 | 25 h 53 m | Show |
NCAAF MWC Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Utah State and Boise State at 10:15 pm et on Saturday. Unlike Boise State’s most recent big MWC test against Fresno State (we won with the Broncos in that game) which turned into a bit of a slugfest, we can expect plenty of offensive fireworks as the Broncos welcome the Aggies to the blue turf on Saturday night. Utah State faced a bit of a challenge last Saturday as it struggled to get its usually-potent offense going on the road against Colorado State on senior night. I certainly anticipate seeing the Aggies offense bounce back in a big way here, however. Boise State’s defense does come in playing well but I’m not sure it’s sustainable against a top-level opponent. Note that the Broncos have allowed 44 points against Oklahoma State, 27 points against Nevada, 28 points against Colorado State and 38 points against Air Force this season. In other words, the Broncos defense is beatable. On the other side, Boise State’s offense is rolling right now, with QB Brett Rypien having thrown for 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions over his last five games. RB Alexander Mattison has racked up a whopping 299 rushing yards on 50 carries over his last two games and has found the end zone seven times in his last five. Utah State is 10-1 on the strength of its offense, not its defense and that should be evident against Boise State on Saturday night. Take the over (10*). |
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11-24-18 | BYU v. Utah UNDER 44.5 | 27-35 | Loss | -105 | 25 h 36 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between BYU and Utah at 10 pm et on Saturday. While we’re dealing with a low total in this matchup, it’s pretty much par for the course in this rivalry and I believe it’s warranted again this season. BYU comes in having scored a whopping 80 points over its last two games, but those came against lowly UMass and New Mexico State. Prior to those two victories, the Cougars had scored just 22 points combined in back-to-back losses at home against Northern Illinois and at Boise State. Utah has been feasting on offense lately as well, but again, it has had a lot to do with its schedule. The Utes Pac-12 slate was top-heavy to say the least as they opened their conference slate with back-to-back losses against Washington and Washington State, scoring just 31 points in the process. I don’t believe they’re the offensive juggernaut they look like on paper, and they’ll certainly face a tough test against rival BYU on Saturday. Last year’s meeting totaled just 32 points as Utah prevailed by a 19-13 score. Expect to see a defensive tone set once again. Take the under (10*). |
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11-24-18 | Wake Forest v. Duke UNDER 59.5 | 59-7 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 10 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Wake Forest and Duke at 12:30 pm et on Saturday. While I'm not expecting a defensive slugfest in this game, I do feel that the total has simply been set too high. Wake Forest has really cooled off on offense here in November, scoring 24, 27 and 13 points in winning just once in three games. On a positive note, the Demon Deacons defense has done a better job lately, most recently holding Pitt to just one touchdown until over midway through the third quarter. Two weeks ago they gave up just one touchdown through three quarters of football against N.C. State. Duke suffered an expected 35-6 loss at Clemson last week but should bounce back here. I don't consider the Blue Devils to be an elite offensive team, however, noting that they've scored fewer than 30 points in six of 11 games so far this season. They've had a few scoring outbursts here and there, but in this particular spot, I feel they'll simply be looking for a bounce-back win following last week's ugly performance. Style points don't mean a whole lot in this one. Take the under (10*). |
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11-24-18 | Purdue v. Indiana OVER 64.5 | 28-21 | Loss | -105 | 15 h 42 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Purdue and Indiana at 12 noon et on Saturday. I’m comfortable playing the ‘over’, even at a rather lofty number on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington. Purdue has now dropped back-to-back games, with the latest coming in heartbreaking fashion at home against Wisconsin last Saturday. The Boilermakers offense did keep rolling along in that game, with QB David Blough throwing for just shy of 400 yards and four touchdowns. Now he faces a sieve-like Indiana defense that has come apart at the seams down the stretch this season. On the flip side, the thinking is that the Hoosiers won’t shy away from another shootout, with Bowl eligibility hanging in the balance. Their offense stalled last week, but that was against mighty Michigan in The Big House. They’ll be taking a big step down in class here against a weak Boilermakers defense. Prior to last week’s poor showing, Hoosiers QB Peyton Ramsey had thrown for over 230 yards in seven straight games. I’m confident Indiana RB Stevie Scott will also have a field day against the Boilers’. Take the over (10*). |
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11-23-18 | Arkansas v. Missouri OVER 59 | Top | 0-38 | Loss | -110 | 22 h 30 m | Show |
NCAAF SEC Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Arkansas and Missouri at 2:30 pm et on Friday. There is high potential for a shootout when the Razorbacks and Tigers do battle in Columbia on Friday afternoon. Keep in mind, this matchup produced a whopping 93 points a year ago. While we may not get quite that level of shootout this time around, I still feel we’re dealing with a very reasonable total. Arkansas is rounding out a dismal campaign, having posted just two victories to date. We haven’t seen many signs of life from the Hogs offense over the last couple of games, but those have been in tough matchups at home against LSU and at Mississippi State. They’re certainly capable of busting out given the fact they’ve put up 31 points against Alabama, 33 against Ole Miss and 31 against Vandy this season. Here, they get a Missouri defense that has held up well lately, but has certainly been vulnerable at times this season. The Tigers offense continues to hum along, having scored 111 points during their current three-game winning streak. They should be able to keep on rolling against an Arkansas defense that has given up at least 37 points in four of its last five losses. Take the over (10*). |
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11-23-18 | Nebraska v. Iowa OVER 53 | Top | 28-31 | Win | 100 | 19 h 5 m | Show |
NCAAF Big Ten Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Nebraska and Iowa at 12 noon et on Friday. I really like the way this one sets up as a high-scoring affair in Iowa City on Friday afternoon. Nebraska is coming off an exceptionally low-scoring result against Michigan State last week, prevailing by a 9-6 score. Keep in mind, just two weeks ago, the Huskers were involved in a wild 54-35 home win over Illinois. The week previous to that they fell just short in a shootout at Ohio State, losing by a 36-31 score. Those type of shootouts have been the norm for Nebraska this season so I look at last week’s result as nothing more than a late season anomaly. Iowa absolutely shredded Illinois last Saturday, rolling to a 63-0 victory. QB Nate Stanley’s streak of three straight games throwing for over 200 yards came to an end, only because of game flow. While the Hawkeyes are known for their defense, they’ve also been involved in their share of shootouts this season, winning 48-31 at Minnesota and losing 30-24 at Penn State and 38-36 at Purdue. Last November, Iowa posted a 56-14 rout of Nebraska. I’m anticipating a more competitive game this time around, and I believe that sets up well for the ‘over’. Take the over (10*). |
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11-22-18 | Bears v. Lions UNDER 44 | Top | 23-16 | Win | 100 | 15 h 12 m | Show |
NFL NFC North Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'under' between Chicago and Detroit at 12:30 pm et on Thursday. If we lose this play, so be it. I'm just not sure where the offense is going to come from with the Bears missing their emerging young quarterback and the Lions without their top rusher and one of their top two wide receivers, not to mention their starting right guard. Chicago is playing on an extremely short week after outlasting the Vikings on Sunday night. It has barely practiced in advance of this game and I can't imagine QB Chase Daniel will have the full offensive playbook at his disposal. Of course, the Bears defense is one of the few dominant defenses left in the NFL today. They'll have a major advantage against an undermanned Lions offense that is missing RB Kerryon Johnson, who is coming off one of the best efforts of his young career, and played a major part in the first meeting between these two teams this season. On the other side, we've seen the Lions defense improve, particularly against the run, since adding Snacks Harrison. While their secondary is missing some key cogs, I'm not sure the Bears will be able to take full advantage without Trubisky. Take the under (10*). |
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11-20-18 | Duquesne v. Notre Dame OVER 140 | 56-67 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 30 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Duquesne and Notre Dame at 7 pm et on Tuesday. Both of these teams are coming off 'under' results - games in which they shot in the low-40's percentage-wise. I'm anticipating a bounce-back offensively from both squads here, and believe this could turn out to be a bit of a track meet. The Irish have actually seen their last three games go 'under' the total after opening their campaign with an 84-67 win over Illinois-Chicago. I will point out that the Irish did get loose in the second half of their most recent game against William and Mary, scoring 46 points in the final 20 minutes. They got to 73 points in that game despite shooting right around 41% including a dismal 25% from three-point range. I'm confident we'll see some carry-over from their second half performance in that contest. Duquesne is coming off an impressive win over Radford (the same Radford team that beat Notre Dame). The Dukes scored just 69 points in that victory but that wasn't unexpected with the total sitting in the 130's for that one. Take the over (10*). |
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11-19-18 | Chiefs v. Rams UNDER 63.5 | 51-54 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 2 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Kansas City and Los Angeles at 8:15 pm et on Monday. I'm going to take the contrarian route and back the 'under' in this showdown between the Chiefs and Rams on Monday night. The move from Mexico City to Los Angeles didn't have any effect on this total, despite the fact it would have set up even better for the 'over' in the high altitude of Mexico, where the defenses would have likely worn down in a hurry. The Chiefs defense in particular has actually performed well lately, allowing just 10, 23, 21 and 14 points during their current four-game winning streak. They'll obviously be taking a big step up in class here but I do feel they can hold up well. The Rams defense hasn't come close to living up to expectations but do benefit from catching the Chiefs at home at least. We certainly don't need a defensive slugfest to cash this ticket. A shootout and an 'under' result could actually correlate with the exceptionally high total. Take the under (10*). |
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11-18-18 | Vikings v. Bears UNDER 45 | 20-25 | Push | 0 | 54 h 52 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Minnesota and Chicago at 8:20 pm et on Sunday. |
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11-18-18 | Eagles v. Saints OVER 56 | Top | 7-48 | Loss | -108 | 50 h 1 m | Show |
NFL NFC Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between Philadelphia and New Orleans at 4:25 pm et on Sunday. |
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11-18-18 | Steelers v. Jaguars UNDER 47 | 20-16 | Win | 100 | 16 h 50 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Pittsburgh and Jacksonville at 1 pm et on Sunday. I'll back the 'under' in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon. The Jaguars will be playing their first true home game since way back in Week 7. They do draw the red hot Steelers in a favorable spot here, with Pittsburgh playing on the road in an early start game, where QB Ben Roethlisberger has typically struggled. I do see this as a solid bounce-back matchup for the Jaguars defense, which hasn't come close to living up to expectations this season. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's defense has quietly turned things around following a disastrous start to the season. The Steelers have to be licking their chops at the prospect of facing the Jags undermanned and overmatched offensive line. While RB Leonard Fournette did provide the Jags a spark in his return last week, I'm not sure he'll be able to do enough to make up for QB Blake Bortles shortcomings on Sunday afternoon. Take the under (10*). |
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11-16-18 | Memphis v. SMU OVER 72.5 | Top | 28-18 | Loss | -102 | 24 h 6 m | Show |
NCAAF Friday Night Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between Memphis and SMU at 9 pm et on Friday. This is one of the highest totals on the board this week and the lofty number is warranted in my opinion. When these two teams met last season they combined to score 111 total points. Memphis has of course been involved in shootout after shootout this season. The 'over' has cashed in each of the Tigers last three games. We've seen at least one team score 50+ points in six of Memphis' 10 games overall this season. There's little reason to expect anything different on Friday as the Tigers face an SMU squad that is fresh off a wild 62-50 win over Connecticut last Saturday. After getting bogged down offensively in games against UCF, Tulane and Cincinnati, they've scored a combined 107 points in their last two contests. At least one team has scored 40+ points in seven of the Mustangs 10 games this season. Take the over (10*). |
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11-15-18 | Packers v. Seahawks OVER 48.5 | 24-27 | Win | 100 | 24 h 33 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Green Bay and Seattle at 8:20 pm et on Thursday. I'll back the 'over' in Seattle on Thursday night as the Seahawks host the Packers in an intriguing NFC matchup. The Seahawks are coming off a wild, high-scoring affair in Los Angeles last Sunday, ultimately falling by a 36-31 score against the Rams. Seattle's defense is undermanned, missing LB K.J. Wright once again. The Seahawks have been getting torched on the ground lately and this one sets up as another unfavorable matchup against an improving Packers running game. Green Bay RB Aaron Jones is gaining close to seven yards per carry and should have little trouble carving up the Seahawks vulnerable run defense here. That opens things up for QB Aaron Rodgers to perhaps finally turn in the big performance many have been waiting for. I have full confidence in the Seahawks offense going up against a banged-up Packers defense. Green Bay is already missing a number of key cogs and LB Blake Martinez is questionable as well playing on a short week on a bad ankle. The matchup sets up well for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. I'm confident we'll see him take a lot of shots downfield with WRs Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett in this one. It's also worth noting that like the Seahawks, the Packers are vulnerable against the run, giving up just shy of five yards per rush over their last four contests. Take the over (10*). |
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11-14-18 | Miami-OH v. Northern Illinois UNDER 48 | Top | 13-7 | Win | 100 | 23 h 56 m | Show |
NCAAF MAC Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'under' between Miami-Ohio and Northern Illinois at 8 pm et on Wednesday. We won with the 'under' in Miami-Ohio's big home win over Ohio last week and I won't hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here as the Redhawks face another must-win situation on the road against Northern Illinois. Miami-Ohio has dealt with some key injuries on the defensive side of the football this season and as a result we've seen it get involved in its share of shootouts. However, it's also worth noting that the Redhawks have held six of 10 opponents to 26 points or less in regulation time. They jumped all over a weak Ohio defense last week, scoring 28 first half points, although QB Gus Ragland didn't throw for 200 yards nor did they have a 100-yard rusher in that victory. Now they go on the road and face a tough Northern Illinois defense that has given up 21 points or less in five of its last six contests. We saw the Huskies explode for 38 points last week against Toledo, although I will point out that their offense didn't find the end zone until the final 30 seconds of the first quarter and not again until nearly halfway into the third quarter. Two games back they scored 24 first half points but then their offense didn't reach the end zone again over the rest of the game. Take the under (10*). |
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11-12-18 | Giants v. 49ers OVER 44.5 | Top | 27-23 | Win | 100 | 22 h 23 m | Show |
NFL Monday Night Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between New York and San Francisco at 8:15 pm et on Monday. We saw the 49ers post an 'under' result in primetime last week, rolling to a blowout victory over the hapless Raiders. Meanwhile, everyone is down on the Giants offense with struggling QB Eli Manning at the helm. With that being said, I believe we're in for a rather entertaining affair on Monday night as the Niners host the Giants in Santa Clara. As long as the G-Men have the likes of RB Saquon Barkley, WRs Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepherd and TE Even Engram, they have a shot. The 49ers defense is banged up and hasn't been good against the pass at the best of times this season so I'm confident we'll see New York find some offensive success. Meanwhile, the San Francisco offense looked rejuvenated with QB Nick Mullens at the helm and I expect to see some carry-over from last week's performance. Like the Giants, the 49ers do still have talent at the skill positions on offense with RB Matt Breida, WR Marquise Goodwin and TE George Kittle. The Giants defense is undermanned, particularly in the secondary which opens the door for another solid performance from Mullens. Take the over (10*). |
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11-11-18 | Cardinals v. Chiefs OVER 49.5 | 14-26 | Loss | -105 | 17 h 8 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Arizona and Kansas City at 1 pm et on Sunday. This isn’t one of the highest totals on the board this week but it absolutely should be as I believe it has shootout potential. The Cardinals are coming off their bye week but prior to that we saw new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich take over play-calling duties and show some glimmers of hope for this struggling group. Rookie QB Josh Rosen certainly has potential and that potential can be reached an awful lot sooner by better incorporating RB David Johnson and WR Larry Fitzgerald in the offense. Even though Arizona scored only 15 points in a loss to the 49ers last time out, Rosen actually threw for over 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns with Fitzgerald hauling in eight catches for over 100 yards and a score. The Cards offense obviously draws a favorable matchup here as the Chiefs have struggled on defense for much of the season, even if they have shown positive signs of late. To be honest, I’m not sure we’ll need all that much from the Arizona offense to get ‘over’ this reasonable total but we may get it anyway. No opponent has truly been able to slow down the vaunted Chiefs offense and I don’t expect anything to change on Sunday afternoon. RB Kareem Hunt should have an absolute field day against Arizona’s dreadful run defense while QB Patrick Mahomes will have little trouble carving up a secondary that faces considerable drop-off after Patrick Peterson. Even if WR Sammy Watkins can’t go in this one, forcing even more attention than usual WR Tyreek Hill’s way, the Chiefs simply have too many offensive weapons for the Cardinals defense to contend with. Take the over (10*). |
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11-10-18 | Miami-FL v. Georgia Tech UNDER 55.5 | Top | 21-27 | Win | 100 | 47 h 46 m | Show |
NCAAF TV Total of the Week. My selection is on the 'under' between Miami and Georgia Tech at 7 pm et on Saturday. |
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11-10-18 | North Carolina v. Duke UNDER 58.5 | 35-42 | Loss | -110 | 40 h 12 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between North Carolina and Duke at 12:20 pm et on Saturday. |
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11-10-18 | Navy v. Central Florida UNDER 63 | 24-35 | Win | 100 | 40 h 52 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Navy and Central Florida at 12 noon et on Saturday. |
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11-08-18 | Panthers v. Steelers OVER 51 | Top | 21-52 | Win | 100 | 48 h 58 m | Show |
NFL TNF Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'over' between Carolina and Pittsburgh at 8:20 pm et on Thursday. I really like the way this total sets up on Thursday night. I expected to see a considerably higher number but perhaps the Steelers relatively low-scoring result last Sunday in Baltimore has helped keep it in check. We won with the 'under' in Pittsburgh's victory over the Ravens and also leaned hard to the 'over' in the Panthers rout of the Bucs. This is a favorable spot for both offenses on Thursday night and I believe both teams will come in with the mentality that they'll need to finish drives with touchdowns not field goals in order to secure a victory. This has the makings of a shootout. The Panthers offense was good, but perhaps not great against a weak Bucs defense last Sunday afternoon. RB Christian McCaffrey has taken his game to another level this season, which has had a lot to do with the outstanding run blocking by the Panthers offensive line. QB Cam Newton didn't have a banner game against the Bucs, but still put up solid numbers, and left some points on the field. He should be able to run wild against a Steelers defense that has had a tough time containing mobile quarterbacks this season. I also expect Newton and WR Devin Funchess, not to mention TE Greg Olsen to have a field day against this beatable Steelers secondary. On the flip side, the Panthers defense is not all that imposing and faces a Pittsburgh offense that has been gaining steam lately, and really did a nice job of getting WR Antonio Brown going last Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger has enjoyed plenty of time in the pocket this season with the Steelers o-line doing a tremendous job protecting him, particularly of late. Big Ben should have all the time in the world to pick apart an average Panthers pass defense on Thursday night. The last time these two teams met they got into the 50's - that was back when the Panthers didn't have the explosive ground game they do now. Expect another shootout on Thursday night. Take the over (10*). |
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11-07-18 | Predators v. Avalanche UNDER 6 | 4-1 | Win | 100 | 25 h 16 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Nashville and Colorado at 10:05 pm et on Wednesday. With the Avs coming off consecutive wild, high-scoring games, this is an ideal spot to back the 'under' as we have a catalyst for change with them returning home to face one of the league's best defensive teams. The Predators are coming off a 1-0 result at home against the Bruins. Their last three contests have totaled just 11 goals. Note that Nashville has given up just 12 goals in six road games this season. It's worth noting that both goaltenders in this matchup have performed well this season with Preds veteran Pekka Rinne posting a .948 save percentage and Avs Semyon Varlamov recording a .936 save percentage. Feels like the winner scores three or less in this matchup, which would assure a winning result for us. Take the under (10*). |
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11-07-18 | Ohio v. Miami-OH UNDER 61.5 | 28-30 | Win | 100 | 22 h 4 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Ohio and Miami-Ohio at 7 pm et on Wednesday. We missed the mark with the 'under' in Miami-Ohio's shootout with Buffalo last week but I won't hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here. The Redhawks will return home and know that they'll need to play far better defensively in order to secure a critical fourth victory on the season. With only three games left on the schedule, the Redhawks will need to run the table in order to become Bowl eligible. They face a tall task here as Ohio checks in off three straight wins, scoring an incredible 160 points in the process. Note that Ohio has taken five straight meetings in this series, with the 'under' going 3-2 in those five contests. I like the way the Bobcats have been playing defensively holding three straight opponents to exactly 14 points. I certainly don't expect to see them repeat their 59-point explosion from last week, noting that they had scored 31 points or less in each of their first four road games this season including just 27 and 21 points in two previous MAC road tilts. Take the under (10*). |
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11-04-18 | Rams v. Saints OVER 56.5 | 35-45 | Win | 100 | 26 h 18 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Los Angeles and New Orleans at 4:25 pm et on Sunday. This is the highest total on the board this week but it's warranted in my opinion. The Saints expected shootout with the Vikings fizzled last Sunday night as New Orleans jumped out in front and was able to control the game from there. Here, I'm anticipating more of a true back-and-forth shootout as both offenses are capable of scoring at will, and both will come in with the mentality that they'll need to finish drives with 7's on the board in order to secure a victory. The fact that we get this matchup in ideal conditions at the Superdome only adds to my confidence in the 'over'. The Rams will likely have WR Cooper Kupp back on the field and he should make an immediate impact against a beatable Saints pass defense. With all of the tools at his disposal, I'm confident Rams head coach Sean McVay will draw up a gameplan to scorch this up-and-down Saints defense. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles defense hasn't exactly lived up to expectations this season and the New Orleans offense continues to round into form, leading to a mismatch here. Saints WR Michael Thomas should have a field day, as should RB Alvin Kamara. I'm just not convinced either defense will have any answers on Sunday afternoon in New Orleans. Take the over (10*). |
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11-04-18 | Steelers v. Ravens UNDER 47 | Top | 23-16 | Win | 100 | 23 h 58 m | Show |
NFL AFC North Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Pittsburgh and Baltimore at 1 pm et on Sunday. I’ll back the ‘under’ in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon as the Ravens and Steelers do battle for the second time this season. We missed the mark with the ‘over’ in the first matchup and I won’t hesitate to switch gears and back the ‘under’ in this spot. The Steelers just aren’t the same offensive team on the road, particularly in these early start games. The Ravens defense didn’t perform well last week in Carolina but should bounce back against a familiar opponent here at home. This is still one of the best defenses in the league and they’ll certainly be up for this matchup against an explosive Steelers offense. Meanwhile, we’ve seen Pittsburgh’s defense play better lately, essentially dating back to that last meeting with the Ravens on September 30th. Since then, Pittsburgh has allowed 17, 21 and 18 points during its three-game winning streak. The Ravens offense has been good, but certainly not great on a consistent basis, having been held to 27 points or less in seven straight games since exploding for 47 points in their opener against the Bills. Take the under (10*). |
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11-04-18 | Falcons v. Redskins UNDER 48 | Top | 38-14 | Loss | -105 | 23 h 57 m | Show |
NFL NFC Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Atlanta and Washington at 1 pm et on Sunday. We’re dealing with a fairly high total here considering both of these defenses come in playing relatively well. The Falcons are loaded with weapons on offense but they will face a tough test here as the Redskins are arguably playing their best defensive football of the season right now. That has had something to do with the schedule they’ve faced, although their current three-game winning streak did begin with a stellar defensive performance in a 23-17 win over the Panthers. Since getting torched by the Saints in New Orleans on Drew Brees’ record-setting night back on October 8th, they’ve really tightened things up. Getting the Falcons outdoors, away from the ideal conditions inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is a key for Washington. On the other side of the football, the Falcons defense has played better the last couple of games and now comes off the bye week. Atlanta welcomed Grady Jarrett back last time out, and his presence will be key against the Redskins run-first offensive attack. With RB Chris Thompson banged-up, the ‘Skins aren’t able to fully employ their preferred short passing game, which would ordinarily be a massive advantage against a Falcons defense that is willing to concede passes to running backs. Take the under (10*). |
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11-03-18 | Georgia Tech v. North Carolina UNDER 64 | Top | 38-28 | Loss | -105 | 16 h 34 m | Show |
NCAAF ACC Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Georgia Tech and North Carolina at 12:15 pm et on Saturday. Georgia Tech has certainly been involved in its share of wild, high-scoring affairs this season but I don’t believe this one sets up as another shootout between these two familiar opponents. Note that last year’s meeting went 33-7 in favor of the Yellow Jackets. Last week things got carried away early against Virginia Tech but we did see the Jackets settle down and play some good defensive football from the second quarter on. After giving up two early first quarter touchdowns, Georgia Tech held the Hokies to just one touchdown from five minutes remaining in the first quarter until less than four minutes left in the fourth. We missed the mark with the ‘under’ in North Carolina’s 31-21 loss at Virginia last Saturday, but only by a couple of points. I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here as the Tar Heels return home. Note that their last home game resulted in a 22-19 loss to Virginia Tech back on October 13th. On the heels of four straight losses they know they’ll need to tighten things up against the Jackets explosive ground attack. Keep in mind, just two games back, Georgia Tech was held to only 14 points at home against Duke. Take the under (10*). |
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11-03-18 | Louisville v. Clemson UNDER 62 | 16-77 | Loss | -115 | 15 h 22 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Louisville and Clemson at 12 noon et on Saturday. We’ve seen Clemson really run up the score on the road this season but it’s been a bit of a different story here at home, where the Tigers have done an excellent job of ‘managing’ games, still winning by margin, but perhaps not going full throttle on offense for four quarters. Their home scores to date are as follows: 48-7, 38-7, 27-23 and 41-7. Meanwhile, in four road games they’ve put up 28, 49, 63 and 59 points. Louisville has reason to show up here after getting flat out embarrassed in a 56-35 home loss to Wake Forest last time out. The Cardinals followed that up with their bye week. Note that they were similarly embarrassed in a 66-31 home loss to Georgia Tech on October 5th and followed that up with a more respectable showing in a 38-20 road loss at Boston College. I don’t believe this will be a competitive football game, and that lends itself to an ‘under’ result with the total sitting in the high-60s. Take the under (10*). |
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11-02-18 | Pittsburgh v. Virginia OVER 48 | 23-13 | Loss | -110 | 70 h 18 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Pittsburgh and Virginia at 7:30 pm et on Friday. We missed the mark with the ‘under’ (barely) in Virginia’s 31-21 win over North Carolina last Saturday but I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here as the Cavaliers stay home to host Pittsburgh. Virginia has been involved in a string of relatively low-scoring games lately and that goes hand-in-hand with its current three-game winning streak. Opponents simply haven’t been able to stay focused on running the football against the Cavaliers lately, largely due to game flow, ie falling behind on the scoreboard early. Here, I do believe we’ll see Pitt’s ground game find some success against the Cavaliers defense. The Panthers have sandwiched two wild, high-scoring games against Syracuse and Duke around a defensive slugfest against Notre Dame. We actually won with the ‘over’ in the game against Syracuse and the ‘under’ against Notre Dame. Save for that strong defensive showing against the Irish, the Panthers defense hasn’t held up well at all this season. This certainly isn’t a favorable spot, traveling on a short week after spending a lot of time on the field against Duke last Saturday. The Cavaliers have essentially been as good as they’ve needed to be on offense lately, and here I believe they’re going to have to generate their share of touchdown drives in order to outlast the Panthers. Note that QB Bryce Perkins has thrown multiple touchdown passes in six of eight games this season and tossed three on only 27 pass attempts in last week’s win over North Carolina. Take the over (10*). |
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11-01-18 | Temple v. Central Florida UNDER 61 | Top | 40-52 | Loss | -107 | 46 h 20 m | Show |
NCAAF AAC Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Temple and UCF at 7:30 pm et on Thursday. I really like the way this one sets up in Orlando on Thursday night. We’ve already cashed a couple of ‘under’ tickets in games involving Temple this season and I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play in this spot. Temple is coming off three straight victories and a bye week. In those three wins, the Owls allowed a grand total of just 40 points. Prior to that we had seen positive glimpses from their defense in dominating wins over Maryland and Tulsa, but there was also an ugly 45-35 loss at Boston College in the mix, not to mention a 36-29 setback at home against Buffalo in their second game of the season. The Knights will arguably offer the toughest challenge the Temple defense has faced so far this year. UCF has scored over 30 points in all seven games this season. With that being said, the only opponents the Knights have gotten into the 40’s or higher against were Florida Atlantic, Pitt and SMU. I would certainly rate the Temple defense higher than all three of those squads. Last time out, we saw UCF get held out of the end zone until nearly midway through the second quarter, and after adding another touchdown four minutes later, the Knights didn’t reach the end zone on offense again until six minutes were left in the fourth quarter. That was against East Carolina. Defensively, the Knights have been dominant for the most part, save for a couple of shootouts against Florida Atlantic and Memphis. It’s worth noting that UCF actually shut out Memphis from two minutes left in the first half on in a wild 31-30 come-from-behind victory, on the road no less, back on October 13th. To put it simply, the Knights can handle the Owls offense. Take the under (10*). |
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10-30-18 | Miami-OH v. Buffalo UNDER 51.5 | 42-51 | Loss | -100 | 23 h 53 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Miami-Ohio and Buffalo at 8 pm et on Tuesday. Playing the 'under' in these early week college matchups used to be almost automatic but that hasn't really been the case in recent years. With that being said, I do like the way the spot sets up for a relatively low-scoring affair between Miami-Ohio and Buffalo on Tuesday night. For the Redhawks, it's getting late awfully early as they have just three wins to their credit with only four games remaining. In other words, they need to win at least three out of four in order to gain Bowl eligibility. They can ill afford to get involved in a shootout with the Bulls here, as their own defense simply hasn't proven it can slow opposing passing games this season. Meanwhile, Buffalo entered the campaign with high hopes and has lived up to expectations, going 7-1 SU. The Bulls have given up at least 28 points on three different occasions this season, but all three of those games were back in September. During their current three-game winning streak, the Bulls have allowed a grand total of just 47 points. Buffalo will face a stiffer challenge from the Redhawks offense than it did a year ago as Miami-Ohio has senior QB Gus Ragland under center. With a lot on the line for both teams, I tend to think we'll see a tightly-contested, relatively low-scoring affair. Take the under (10*). |
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10-30-18 | Islanders v. Penguins UNDER 6.5 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -100 | 22 h 37 m | Show |
My selection is on the 'under' between New York and Pittsburgh at 7:05 pm et on Tuesday. You would have to go back four meetings, to December of last year, to find the last time these two teams combined to score more than six goals in a game and it's worth noting that one needed overtime to get there. The Islanders have had a couple of big offensive outbursts this season but for the most part they've struggled in the post-John Tavares era. They do catch the Penguins in a favorable spot here with Pittsburgh fresh off a four-game western Canadian road swing. While the Pens offense has been rolling along, I believe we see things settle down a bit here. Note that Isles goaltender Robin Lehner has been a bright spot, posting a .929 save percentage this season. Take the under (10*). |
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10-29-18 | Patriots v. Bills UNDER 45 | 25-6 | Win | 100 | 23 h 1 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between New England and Buffalo at 8:15 pm et on Monday. I'll back the 'under' in Orchard Park on Monday night. The Patriots have been involved in back-to-back wild, high-scoring affairs but I don't believe they'll need nearly as much offense to secure a fifth straight win on Monday. It's certainly worth noting that the Pats have scored at least 38 points in four straight games heading into this one. While the Bills aren't thought of as much, the fact is they do possess a pretty solid defense, despite being on the field an awful lot this season. Their weakness is against the run but I'm not sure the Patriots have the ground game to take full advantage - especially with RB Sony Michel likely sidelined for this one. While New England is known for its offense, the Pats defense has come up big when called upon as well. You have to think the Bills will take a conservative approach with veteran Derek Anderson under center. That actually plays into the hands of a Pats defense that is hungry after giving up a ton of points in the last two weeks, albeit against two good offensive teams in the Chiefs and Bears. The 'over' has cashed in each of the Pats last three games. We haven't seen four straight 'over' results involving New England since the first four games last season. Take the under (10*). |
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10-28-18 | Colts v. Raiders OVER 50.5 | 42-28 | Win | 100 | 18 h 28 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Indianapolis and Oakland at 4:05 pm et on Sunday. It seems that most are quick to downgrade the Raiders offense after dealing away WR Amari Cooper. The fact is, Coopers has underachieved in a big way this season and I actually feel his departure may serve to give this offense a bit of a jumpstart. This is certainly a 'get right' matchup against a weak and undermanned Colts defense. On the flip side, the Colts continue to bomb away with no running game to speak of. I certainly anticipate Andrew Luck having a field day against a very weak Raiders pass defense and non-existent pass rush. We're dealing with a high total for a reason in this one, yet most bettors aren't expecting much from either offense. Take the over (10*). |
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10-28-18 | Bucs v. Bengals OVER 54.5 | Top | 34-37 | Win | 100 | 16 h 44 m | Show |
NFL Total of the Week. My selection is on the 'over' between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati at 1 pm et on Sunday. This is one of the highest totals on this week's NFL board but it's warranted in my opinion. Both teams are dealing with cluster injuries on the defensive side of the football. The Bucs were already without Gerald McCoy and Vinny Curry and will now have to go on without Kwon Alexander as well. Meanwhile, the Bucs are missing a number of key cogs, with Vontaze Burfict the latest to go down. Both offenses are poised to take full advantage on Sunday afternoon. We saw 'under' results from both teams last Sunday but that's of little consequence here. The Bucs were able to march the football up and down the field against a better Cleveland defense than the one they'll face here. The Bengals couldn't get out of an early hole against the Chiefs, which completely changed their offensive gameplan. They should be more comfortable back at home against arguably the league's worst defense in the Bucs. This one has all the makings of a shootout. Take the over (10*). |
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10-27-18 | North Carolina v. Virginia UNDER 51 | 21-31 | Loss | -110 | 24 h 35 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between North Carolina and Virginia at 12:20 pm et on Saturday. This was a low-scoring affair last year as Virginia won by a 20-14 score. I’m anticipating another relatively low-scoring game on Saturday. North Carolina woke from its offensive slumber to get involved in a wild, 40-37 double-overtime loss at Syracuse last week. Keep in mind, that game totaled just 54 points in regulation time. It was also played in ideal conditions inside the Carrier Dome. Prior to that, the Tar Heels had been held to 29 points combined over their last two games. Now they go up against a tough defense in Virginia, as the Cavaliers have allowed only 27 points over their last two games, with those coming in tough matchups against Miami and Duke. Virginia certainly hasn’t gotten off to a 5-2 start on the strength of its offense. Last Saturday against Duke, the Cavaliers scored a couple of touchdowns in the game’s first 16 minutes but then didn’t find the end zone again until the final four minutes of the fourth quarter. Last week we saw North Carolina hold a potent Syracuse offense out of the end zone until the final two minutes of the first half. The week previous the Tar Heels allowed a touchdown in the game’s first two minutes against Virginia Tech but then not another until over midway through the third quarter. Take the under (10*). |
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10-27-18 | Army v. Eastern Michigan UNDER 48 | 37-22 | Loss | -115 | 23 h 18 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Army and Eastern Michigan at 12 noon et on Saturday. We missed the mark with the ‘under’ in Army’s overtime win at Miami-Ohio last week, but it’s certainly worth noting that the game did stay under the total in regulation time. Army has now put up a whopping 125 points over its last three contests but that’s had more to do with that overtime result, as well as the level of opposition the Black Knights have faced than anything else. Prior to last week’s game, Army had gone up against Buffalo and San Jose State in its previous two games, not exactly two defensive juggernauts. Here, it will face a tough challenge against one of the nation’s most underrated and overlooked defensive teams, on the road no less. Eastern Michigan has held five straight opponents to 27 points or less, despite facing some tough competition over that stretch. We saw a bit of an offensive explosion from the Eagles last week as they put up 42 points in a rout of Ball State. That’s been the exception rather than the rule, however. Prior to that outburst, Eastern Michigan had scored 28 points or less in six consecutive games. Take the under (10*). |
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10-27-18 | Wake Forest v. Louisville UNDER 66.5 | 56-35 | Loss | -110 | 23 h 17 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Wake Forest and Louisville at 12 noon et on Saturday. I’ll back the ‘under’ at Cardinal Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This lofty total has a lot to do with the fact that Wake Forest has been involved in a number of wild, high-scoring affairs this season while Louisville has gotten into a couple of high-scoring games of its own in recent weeks. I simply feel this total will prove too high. Wake Forest has given up a whopping 101 points in dropping each of its last two games. With that being said, the Demon Deacons draw a favorable matchup here as Louisville has been held to 24 points or less in each of its last four games. Defensively, we saw the Cardinals give up a couple of touchdowns in the first six minutes of the game against Boston College last week but then stiffened up from there, not allowing another touchdown until the third quarter. It was at the very least improvement over their previous game as they were throttled by Georgia Tech, 66-31. On the flip side, we’ve seen Wake Forest’s offense sputter lately, scoring just 20 points combined in its last two games. I’m just not convinced we’re in for a shootout on Saturday afternoon. Take the under (10*). |
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10-26-18 | Louisiana Tech v. Florida Atlantic UNDER 58 | 21-13 | Win | 100 | 45 h 55 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Louisiana Tech and Florida Atlantic at 6:30 pm et on Friday. I'll back the 'under' in Boca Raton on Friday night. This was a high-scoring matchup last year with FAU prevailing by a 48-23 score on the strength of a big game from RB Devin Singletary. We've seen Singletary continue to rack up touchdowns this season but hasn't been nearly as dominant on the ground, averaging just 4.5 yards per rush after gaining 6.4 ypr last season. Opponents simply aren't respecting the Owls passing game the way they have in recent years, instead stacking the box against FAU's dynamic rusher. Note that Louisiana Tech checks in allowing just 3.8 yards per rush this season. The Owls have allowed a whopping 64 points over their last two games but do find themselves in a favorable bounce-back spot against a Bulldogs squad that has topped out at 31 points against FBS opponents this season. Louisiana Tech has actually put up 31 points in each of its last two games, but those two contests came against UTSA and UTEP, two weaker opponents than the one they'll face on Friday. Take the under (10*). |
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10-25-18 | Dolphins v. Texans UNDER 44.5 | 23-42 | Loss | -107 | 47 h 27 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Miami and Houston at 8:20 pm et on Thursday. The Dolphins have surprisingly been involved in back-to-back high-scoring 'over' results, which comes on the heels of consecutive 'under' outcomes. I'm not anticipating a lot of offense in Thursday night's game as Miami will need to lean heavily on its defense to stay competitive with cluster injuries at the wide receiver position on offense. The Texans have done an excellent job of taking away opposing running games this season and should be able to do the same against Miami, forcing QB Brock Osweiler to beat them through the air, something I'm not sure he's capable of with both Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills ruled out due to injuries. The Miami defense is certainly beatable but the Texans haven't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard, having put up 20 points or less in three straight games. They've scored 22 points or less in six of seven games this season. Texans QB DeShaun Watson has been serviceable this season but lacks the mobility we've been accustomed to seeing from him due to a myriad of injuries. Take the under (10*). |
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10-25-18 | Toledo v. Western Michigan UNDER 68 | Top | 51-24 | Loss | -104 | 46 h 55 m | Show |
NCAAF MAC Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'under' between Toledo and Western Michigan at 7 pm et on Thursday. These two teams have been involved in their share of shootouts this season but I don't necessarily see one developing on Thursday night. Since exploding for 52 points against a hapless Bowling Green defense, Toledo has been held to just 43 points combined in its last two games - both losses. The Rockets managed only two first half touchdowns in last Saturday's loss to Buffalo, and those came on 70 and 80-yard plays - the type of plays I don't expect to see out of them against an improving Western Michigan defense. The Broncos were involved in an unsurprising track meet against Bowling Green two weeks ago but followed that up with a defensive gem against Central Michigan last Saturday, winning that game by a 35-10 score. Western Michigan scored three first half touchdowns in that game before going scoreless until the final minute of the third quarter. Even in their 42-point outburst against Bowling Green, the Broncos didn't find the end zone until over midway through the second quarter. Toledo rolled past Western Michigan by a 37-10 score in last year's meeting. I don't believe the Rockets will come close to approaching that level of output this time around. Take the under (10*). |
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10-25-18 | Baylor v. West Virginia UNDER 66 | 14-58 | Loss | -104 | 46 h 44 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Baylor and West Virginia at 7 pm et on Thursday. As is the case with many of these projected Thursday night shootouts, I get the sense this one may fizzle out in Morgantown. Baylor has seen the 'over' cash in five of its seven games so far this season but is coming off a low-scoring affair against Texas, resulting in a 23-17 loss. In fact, two of the Bears last four games have totaled 40 points or less so track meets have by no means been the norm for this squad this season. Save for a blowout loss at Oklahoma on September 29th, the Bears have actually held their own defensively of late. Even in a game where they allowed 34 points (in a winning effort) against Kansas State, they gave up just two touchdowns through the first three quarters. Like Baylor, West Virginia is coming off its bye week, which came on the heels of an ugly 30-14 loss at Iowa State. After a red hot start to the season we've seen the Mountaineers offense cool somewhat, relatively speaking in the wild, often high-scoring Big 12. Even against a hapless Kansas defense two games back, the Mountaineers scored three first half touchdowns but then didn't find the end zone again until the final play of the third quarter. We have seen stretches where the West Virginia offense has gone stagnant this season. Last year's matchup between these two teams produced 74 points, managing to eclipse the total. With that said, we haven't seen back-to-back 'over' results in this series since 2012 and 2013. Take the under (10*). |
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10-24-18 | Lightning v. Avalanche UNDER 6.5 | Top | 1-0 | Win | 100 | 25 h 55 m | Show |
NHL Non-Conference Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'under' between Tampa Bay and Colorado at 9:35 pm et on Wednesday. I'll back the 'under' in Denver on Wednesday night. There will be a ton of offensive firepower on display in this matchup but I'm not sure we're going to see a high-scoring affair. The key here is that we have two expected starting goaltenders who are absolutely at the top of their game right now in Andrei Vasilevskiy and Semyon Varlamov. Vasilevskiy did get lit up by the Wild in his most recent game but had allowed two goals or less in each of his previous four starts. Varlamov has allowed two goals or less in five of six games this season. The Lightning have managed to collect at least a point in each of their first two games on their current road trip and both of those contests have been very high-scoring, again providing us with some contrarian value backing the 'under' in this spot. The Avs have seen the 'under' cash in four of their last five games, with three of those totaling four goals or less in regulation time. Returning home on just one day of rest following a four-game eastern road swing I don't believe the Avs will be interested in getting involved in a high-scoring game here. Take the under (10*). |
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10-21-18 | Bengals v. Chiefs OVER 58 | 10-45 | Loss | -106 | 23 h 11 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Cincinnati and Kansas City at 8:20 pm et on Sunday. These lofty totals have become much more commonplace in NFL action this season after a number of years where we would see totals top out at 54 points or so. In this case, I believe the high posted total is warranted as this matchup sets up as a shootout. The Chiefs are of course rolling on offense right now and unlikely to be slowed down by a Bengals defense that hasn't done much to stop opposing running or passing games this season. Even with the return of LB Vontaze Burfict, the Bengals are still giving up just shy of five yards per rush. Meanwhile, they've been getting shredded on a weekly basis by opposing passing games. The Bengals offense remains somewhat underrated with QB Andy Dalton enjoying a renaissance year under center. RB Joe Mixon returned to the field last week and should contribute after being a virtual non-factor against the Steelers last week. We won with the 'under' in last week's game against the Steelers, as we anticipated more of a physical, defensive tone between two defensive rivals. I expect a much different story to unfold here. Take the over (10*). |
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10-21-18 | Rams v. 49ers OVER 52 | Top | 39-10 | Loss | -104 | 19 h 24 m | Show |
NFL NFC West Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Los Angeles and San Francisco at 4:25 pm et on Sunday. I’ll back the ‘over’ in Santa Clara on Sunday afternoon. We missed the mark with the ‘over’ in the Rams last game – a relatively low-scoring win in Denver last week. I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here, however. Los Angeles will certainly be taking a step down in class against a 49ers defense that did nothing to slow down Aaron Rodgers and the somewhat limited Packers offense on Monday night. In fact, the Niners have had a tough time slowing down anyone this season. The good news is, the San Francisco offense continues to evolve with C.J. Beathard under center. He certainly looked comfortable running the offense in Green Bay on Monday night and while he faces a slightly tougher test here, the fact is the Rams defense has been below average, and will be playing on the road for the third straight game. With RB Matt Breida, TE George Kittle and WR Marquise Goodwin, the Niners have more than their share of offensive weapons. Meanwhile, the Rams will be without WR Cooper Kupp but shouldn’t miss a beat offensively. QB Jared Goff is coming off a subpar performance last Sunday but should bounce back in a big way here. And of course RB Todd Gurley should run wild as he’s done virtually every week this season. This is a high posted total but it’s warranted in my opinion. Take the over (10*). |
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10-21-18 | Patriots v. Bears OVER 48 | 38-31 | Win | 100 | 16 h 26 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between New England and Chicago at 1 pm et on Sunday. I believe there’s strong potential for a back-and-forth shootout in this game as both teams come in off high-scoring affairs last Sunday. The Patriots offense continues to round into form. They’re fresh off a 43-point effort against the hapless Chiefs defense last Sunday night so they’ll definitely be facing a tougher challenge here. With that being said, I believe they’re in good position to keep building against a Bears defense that got completely worn down in the Miami heat last Sunday afternoon. It’s worth noting that Khalil Mack is questionable for the Bears as he deals with an ankle injury. I really like the emergence of RB Sony Michel in the Patriots offense, not to mention the way WR Julian Edelman has worked his way back into the fold. We should only see the Pats offense continue to improve from here. Meanwhile, the Bears offense has also been evolving nicely with QB Mitchell Trubisky settling in and doing an excellent job of spreading the football around to his multitude of weapons. Over his last two games, Trubisky has thrown for well over 600 yards and nine touchdowns (mind you much of that success came against the lowly Bucs defense two games back). In this particular matchup, Chicago should find success with their short passing game. Note that the Patriots have given up at least 24 points in four of six games this season. Take the over (10*). |
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10-21-18 | Vikings v. Jets OVER 45.5 | 37-17 | Win | 100 | 16 h 25 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Minnesota and New York at 1 pm et on Sunday. I’ll back the ‘over’ at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon as the Vikings find themselves in a terrific spot to explode offensively. The Jets haven’t been able to generate a pass rush, nor have they don’t a consistently good job defending the pass. That leaves them in a very difficult position trying to slow down a Vikings offense that save for its pass protection has been truly electric this season. The question is whether the Jets can do enough offensively to help this total along. The good news is they do come in with plenty of confidence following back-to-back big offensive showings against the Broncos and Colts. They’ll face a tougher test here, but should be able to turn some drives into points, noting that the Vikings did lose one of their most underrated defenders in cornerback Mike Hughes to a torn ACL last week. Take the over (10*). |
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10-21-18 | Browns v. Bucs OVER 52 | 23-26 | Loss | -105 | 16 h 20 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Cleveland and Tampa Bay at 1 pm et on Sunday. There’s little reason to expect anything other than a shootout in this Sunday afternoon matchup in Tampa. The Browns offense has the potential to go off, just as virtually every opponent of the dreadful Bucs defense has this season. Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith was fired earlier this week but it’s tough to envision much changing here. It’s worth noting that the Tampa Bay defense is without two of its best defenders in DT Gerald McCoy and DE Vinny Curry. Browns QB Baker Mayfield should have plenty of time and room to operate and has just enough talent at the WR and TE position to hang a crooked number on the scoreboard here. We saw the Bucs offense thrive, as expected, in Atlanta last Sunday (we won with the ‘over’) and while it certainly draws a tougher matchup here, I’m still anticipating plenty of scoring drives, noting that the Browns defense suffered a big drop-off in performance in their last road game, a wild 45-42 loss in Oakland. This is one of the highest totals on the board this week for a reason. Take the over (10*). |
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10-20-18 | Oregon v. Washington State OVER 67.5 | 20-34 | Loss | -108 | 46 h 26 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Oregon and Washington State at 7:30 pm et on Saturday. I fully expect this to turn into the shootout that most are anticipating on Saturday night in Pullman. Oregon was involved in a slightly lower-scoring game than it is accustomed to last week, posting an impressive 30-27 home win over Washington. That improved the Ducks to 5-1 on the season with their lone loss coming in a real blown opportunity at home against Stanford back on September 22nd. I liked the way the Ducks persevered on offense against the Huskies last Saturday as they still managed to score 30 points despite an off day from QB Justin Herbert. He threw for only 202 yards on 18 completions in that game but should bounce back with a big performance against a very beatable Washington State defense here. After starting the season with a couple of strong defensive showings in cupcake matchups against Wyoming and San Jose State, we’ve seen the Cougars struggle to keep the opposition out of the end zone lately, allowing 124 points over their last four games, good for 31 points per game. Offensively, Washington State is a juggernaut. It comes in rested and ready off its bye week, after scoring a whopping 56 points in a wild, shootout victory over Oregon State on October 6th. QB Gardner Minshew has put up video game numbers this season, throwing for over 400 yards in four of his last five games, totaling 16 passing touchdowns and just three interceptions over that stretch. The Oregon defense has been good but not great, despite facing few truly explosive offenses this season. Keep in mind, the Ducks have only played one of their first six games away from home. In their lone road contest, they allowed 24 points against a relatively weak Cal offense. Take the over (10*). |
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10-20-18 | Kansas v. Texas Tech OVER 58.5 | 16-48 | Win | 100 | 42 h 30 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Kansas and Texas Tech at 3:30 pm et on Saturday. I’ll back the ‘over’ in Lubbock on Saturday afternoon. Kansas has been a perennial Big 12 doormat and this year appears to be no different as it enters this matchup off three straight blowout losses to open the conference slate. We have at least seen some signs of life from the Jayhawks offense, however, and I do believe they catch the Red Raiders in a favorable spot here, as Texas Tech is coming off one of its best defensive showings of the season in a big 17-14 road win at TCU last Thursday. It’s certainly well within the realm of possibility that the Red Raiders could let down their guard in this layup spot. Kansas has continued to bomb away in losing efforts against Oklahoma State and West Virginia over its last two games, scoring a combined 50 points in the process. Keep in mind, we also saw the Jayhawks explode for 55 points in a matchup with Rutgers earlier this season. While that wasn’t all that impressive when you consider the opposition, the fact is, the Jayhawks haven’t been able to generate that level of offense against anyone in recent years. Of course, we know that the Red Raiders are capable of on offense. Prior to last week’s defensive battle against TCU (we won with the ‘under’ in that game), they had scored 215 points over their last four games, good for an average of well north of 50 points per contest. The last time we saw Kansas, it gave up three touchdowns against West Virginia before the game was 19 minutes old. The Jayhawks have given up a whopping 86 points over their last two games. This matchup produced 84 points last October as Texas Tech rolled to a 65-19 victory. I’m anticipating a bit more competitive of a game this time around, which lends itself to another high-scoring affair. Take the over (10*). |
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10-20-18 | Colorado v. Washington UNDER 50 | 13-27 | Win | 100 | 42 h 29 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Colorado and Washington at 3:30 pm et on Saturday. We’ve won with the ‘under’ in each of Colorado’s last two games and I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here. The Buffaloes turned in an awful second quarter last week against USC, allowing three touchdowns. They didn’t give up another offensive touchdown in the game’s other three quarters, however. Two weeks ago they gave up a touchdown in each of the first three quarters against Arizona State but then held the Sun Devils off the scoreboard from 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter on. Washington is coming off a couple of higher-scoring games than it is accustomed to over the last two weeks. With that being said, the Huskies have scored more than 35 points in a game just once this season, and that came against FCS squad North Dakota back on September 8th. They’re not an offensive juggernaut by any means but do possess a formidable defense. Even last week, Washington didn’t allow a touchdown against Oregon until the final two minutes of the first quarter and then not again until the last 15 seconds of the first half. The Huskies have given up 21 points or less in five of seven games this season. This matchup resulted in a blowout last year as Washington rolled to a 37-10 victory. I’m confident we’ll see the Buffaloes defense hold up much better this time around but I’m not convinced we’ll see Colorado break through against a terrific Huskies defense. Take the under (10*). |
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10-20-18 | NC State v. Clemson OVER 56 | 7-41 | Loss | -108 | 42 h 28 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between N.C. State and Clemson at 3:30 pm et on Saturday. I’m anticipating a high-scoring affair as the Wolfpack and Tigers to battle in an ACC showdown of unbeatens on Saturday afternoon. N.C. State is off to a surprising 5-0 start but did dodge a matchup with West Virginia on September 15th as that game was cancelled. I do like what I’ve seen from the N.C. State offense, particularly its consistency. Note that the Wolfpack have scored 24, 41, 37, 35 and 28 points. They’ve seemingly been getting more efficient with each passing week. Clemson does boast an elite defense but was certainly made to look even better by a disjointed Wake Forest offense last time out. Note that the Tigers have allowed 20+ points in half of their games this season, only holding Furman, Georgia Southern and aforementioned Wake Forest to fewer points. Offensively, there’s little reason to expect any sort of regression from Clemson coming off its bye week. QB Trevor Lawrence continues to get acclimated to the offense while the Tigers run game has been positive dominant. Against Wake Forest, Clemson had three rushers total at least 128 yards on the ground with a touchdown, combining for six scores in total. Last year’s matchup between these two teams was a shootout, with the Tigers prevailing by a 38-31 score. While there’s a chance the Tigers manhandle the Wolfpack offense here, I believe we’re dealing with a reasonable enough total to take a shot with the ‘over’. Take the over (10*). |
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10-20-18 | Miami-OH v. Army UNDER 48 | 30-31 | Loss | -115 | 39 h 0 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Miami-Ohio and Army at 12 noon et on Saturday. I’ll back the ‘under’ in West Point on Saturday afternoon. Miami-Ohio has put up some gawdy offensive numbers lately, scoring 38, 39, 41 and 31 points over its last four games. That’s had more to do with the MAC matchups the Redhawks have faced over that stretch than anything else, however. I certainly don’t expect them to enjoy that level of success on the road against a good Army defense on Saturday. On the flip side, I do believe we’ll see Miami-Ohio continue to thrive defensively. It has given up a grand total of 23 points over its last two games. Even in wild, high-scoring games against Bowling Green and Western Michigan back in late September, there were still positives. Against Bowling Green, the Redhawks didn’t allow a touchdown until over halfway through the fourth quarter. They gave up two first quarter touchdowns against Western Michigan but then didn’t allow the Broncos to reach the end zone again until six minutes into the third quarter. The Redhawks had a difficult time containing the Western Michigan passing game, but won’t be faced with such a challenge here as Army rarely throws the football. Also note that earlier in the campaign the Redhawks held Cincinnati and Minnesota to just 21 and 26 points, respectively, albeit in lopsided losses. Army has scored a whopping 94 points over its last two games, but again, that has had more to do with the matchups than anything else. Last week it caught a terrible San Jose State squad and was held scoreless for a quarter before the Spartans awful run defense got worn down and the floodgates opened. I’m more interested in the Black Knights defense here, noting that they have allowed 21 points or less in all but one game this season – that coming against Duke back in their season-opener. Even in the 34-14 loss to Duke they didn’t give up a touchdown until the second quarter. The last time these two teams met we saw a 35-28 shootout in favor of Miami-Ohio, but that was way back in 2011. Expect a different story to unfold here. Take the under (10*). |
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10-19-18 | Air Force v. UNLV UNDER 57 | 41-35 | Loss | -110 | 60 h 34 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Air Force and UNLV at 10 pm et on Friday. This is a make-or-break game for both of these programs as far as their Bowl prospects go this season. With both checking in at 2-4, neither can afford to suffer a fifth loss with the end of October approaching. We won with the 'under' in Air Force's narrow 21-17 loss at San Diego State last Friday night and I won't hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here. Since giving up 42 points in a loss at Utah State back on September 22nd, Air Force has allowed a grand total of just 56 points over its last three contests. It did allow 30 points against UNLV in last year's matchup but catches a break here as the Runnin' Rebels are without their versatile QB Armani Rogers, who torched the Falcons for 148 rushing yards and a score in last year's meeting. Without Rogers over their last two games, the Rebels offense has been limited, with sophomore QB Max Gilliam throwing for five touchdowns, but most of those came in garbage time when UNLV was already getting blown out. I do expect a more competitive affair here, meaning the Rebels will have less opportunity to pad their stats against disinterested fourth quarter defense. It's worth noting that opposing defenses have keyed on RB Lexington Thomas in Rogers' absence, holding him to just 87 yards on 18 carries over the last two games. The Falcons triple-option offense is obviously tough to prepare for on a short week but the good news is, the Rebels face Air Force every year in the Mountain West Conference and should certainly have a chip on their shoulder after giving up 50+ points in back-to-back games. UNLV does have a better defense that it has shown over the last couple of games and this is a pretty good bounce-back spot against an Air Force squad that has topped out at 38 points this season - that performance coming against FCS squad Stony Brook back in its season-opener. Take the under (10*). |
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10-18-18 | Georgia State v. Arkansas State OVER 56 | 35-51 | Win | 100 | 50 h 7 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Georgia State and Arkansas State at 7:30 pm et on Thursday. I’ll back the ‘over’ in Jonesboro on Thursday night. We had to settle for a push with the ‘under’ in Georgia State’s most recent game – a 37-20 road loss to Troy back on October 4th. That was certainly a tough draw for the Panthers against a good Troy defense. Here, they should face a lot less resistance against an Arkansas State defense that just got dismantled by Appalachian State last week. The Mountaineers got off to a sluggish start against the Red Wolves, but eventually settled in and scored three second quarter touchdowns before adding two more in the second half. Appalachian State essentially got whatever it wanted against this Arkansas State defense. One game before that we also saw the Red Wolves hold up well for a stretch before falling apart and allowing three touchdowns from five minutes remaining in the third quarter until the end of the game in a loss to Georgia Southern. Keep in mind, prior to the blowout loss at Troy, Georgia State scored 46 points in a rout of Louisiana-Monroe, finding the end zone four times in the first half alone. The problem for the Panthers has been their defense, which got lit up for three touchdowns before the game was just over a quarter old against Troy and also allowed 34 points or more in each contest during a three-game slide earlier this season. Arkansas State shot itself in the foot time and time again on offense against Appalachian State last week but should find the going much easier against Georgia State. Take the over (10*). |
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10-16-18 | 76ers v. Celtics OVER 208.5 | 87-105 | Loss | -106 | 23 h 20 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Philadelphia and Boston at 8:05 pm et on Tuesday. I'm anticipating a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair between the 76ers and Celtics as the NBA regular season tips off on Tuesday night at TD Garden. We saw a relatively high-scoring playoff series between these two teams last spring and there's little reason to expect any sort of shift here. The 76ers appeared to be in midseason form offensively during the preseason while the Celtics were able to get Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving loose as they work their way back from long-term injuries. The C's are thought of as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference and I'm confident we'll see them come out and push the envelope against one of their biggest threats in the 76ers. I don't believe that slowing things down and drawing out possessions is in either team's DNA. I feel this total could have been set higher, and would likely still consider the 'over'. Look for higher numbers in games involving these two teams in the coming weeks. Take the over (10*). |
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10-15-18 | 49ers v. Packers OVER 46 | 30-33 | Win | 100 | 24 h 57 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between San Francisco and Green Bay at 8:15 pm et on Monday. I'll back the 'over' at Lambeau Field on Monday night. Most have already written off the 49ers given all of their injuries, including the big one to QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Last week's home loss to the lowly Cardinals certainly did nothing to change that narrative. While I'm not high enough on the 'Niners to suggest grabbing the points with them here on Monday, I do expect them to do enough offensively to help this one 'over' the relatively low posted total. QB C.J. Beathard has actually performed admirably in a backup role here since the start of last season. Last week we saw him turn in a 300+ yard passing day, even with a number of his offensive weapons sidelined. What I like about Beathard is his ability to extend plays with his mobility. Note that he has scored a rushing touchdown in four of the eight games he's gotten into since the start of last year. The emergence of TE George Kittle has given the 49ers offense a different look this season and he should prove to be a handful for the Packers struggling defense on Monday. Even though he's still nursing a number of injuries, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers continues to bomb away and that's not going to change on Monday night. With the return of RB Aaron Jones the Packers do possess a more versatile offense than they did earlier this season, with three capable running backs to lean on. Like the 49ers, the Pack are also dealing with some key injuries on offense and at wide receiver in particular. I'm not really sure it matters all that much here though. Rodgers should be able to turn in one of his best stat lines of the season against a very beatable 49ers defense that hasn't had any success generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks or slowing down vertical aerial attacks. Look for a big night from Packers TE Jimmy Graham. It's also worth noting that the 'Niners are giving up well north of four yards per rush this season. This may not evolve into a true shootout, but I do believe the posted total will prove too low. Take the over (10*). |
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10-14-18 | Ravens v. Titans UNDER 42 | 21-0 | Win | 100 | 67 h 5 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Baltimore and Tennessee at 4:25 pm et on Sunday. We won with the ‘under’ in the Ravens overtime loss to the Browns last Sunday and I’ll go right back to the well with the same play this week as Baltimore stays on the road to face the Titans. This Baltimore defense continues to improve and welcomed back cornerback Jimmy Smith last week – a true gamechanger for this unit. I’m confident in Baltimore’s ability to limit a below average Titans offense here. Tennessee has topped out at 26 points this season, but that came two weeks ago against a depleted Eagles defense that has struggled in the early going. The good news is, the Titans do possess a terrific defense that is capable of containing a Ravens offense that has really only been able to bust out against bottom-tier defenses this season. We’ve seen Baltimore make headway against the likes of Buffalo, Denver and Pittsburgh. However, in its other two games against Cincinnati and Cleveland it managed to score a grand total of 32 points. Note that when these two teams met last season, the Titans prevailed by a 23-20 score. I believe both defenses are better this year and anticipate a lower-scoring affair as a result. Take the under (10*). |
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10-14-18 | Rams v. Broncos OVER 51.5 | Top | 23-20 | Loss | -107 | 67 h 47 m | Show |
NFL Non-Conference Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Los Angeles and Denver at 4:05 pm et on Sunday. Even with the Rams injury concerns at the wide receiver position, and the Broncos struggles with Case Keenum under center, I’m still anticipating a shootout in Denver on Sunday afternoon. The Rams offense has a bit of a ‘next man up’ feel so even if Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp are unable to go, I still expect to see this unit put plenty of points on the board. Keep in mind, the Rams still have arguably the best running back in football in Todd Gurley, who should have a field day against a vulnerable Broncos run defense on Sunday afternoon. We successfully faded the Broncos on the road against the Jets last Sunday and the fact is, the final numbers put up by their offense actually made things look a lot better than they actually were, putting points on the board in garbage time. Here, I am expecting a strong bounce-back performance from the Denver offense as they draw a favorable matchup against a Rams defense that has had a miserable time slowing down opponents this season. While Los Angeles is certainly thought of as an elite team, deservingly so, it’s largely on the strength of its offense. Defensively, the Rams are missing key cogs and the personnel they have had on the field has not come close to living up to expectations. There’s little reason to expect a sudden turnaround as they stay on the road for the second straight week and face a highly-motivated Broncos offense. Take the over (10*). |
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10-14-18 | Colts v. Jets OVER 45 | 34-42 | Win | 100 | 64 h 49 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Indianapolis and New York at 1 pm et on Sunday. I’ll back the ‘over’ in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon. The Colts defense has fallen back to Earth following a surprisingly strong start to the season. They check into this one having allowed over 30 points in back-to-back games and while things should get a little easier here, the Jets are coming off their best offensive showing of the season last week and could build off of that performance in this favorable matchup at home. QB Sam Darnold has shown plenty of positives in his rookie campaign and should be brimming with confidence after hitting a number of big plays against the Broncos once-feared pass defense last week. We saw WR Robby Anderson re-emerge in last week’s contest and I look for some carry-over from that performance as he continues to build chemistry with Darnold. On the flip side, the Colts offense has shown some progression with QB Andrew Luck getting back in rhythm with the offense. He did well to keep his team in the game against the Patriots last week. The Colts have been bombing away, so to speak, and I anticipate more of the same here this Sunday as Indianapolis could be playing from behind once again. The Jets defense isn’t scaring anyone these days. While the Colts are still missing WR T.Y. Hilton and TE Jack Doyle, they showed last week that they can still consistently move the football down the field with their short passing game. It’s that short game that should give the Jets some trouble on Sunday afternoon. We’re dealing with a relatively low total here due to the reputations these two teams carry as AFC also-rans. I see the game playing out differently. Take the over (10*). |
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10-14-18 | Seahawks v. Raiders OVER 48 | 27-3 | Loss | -109 | 64 h 48 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Seattle and Oakland at 1 pm et on Sunday. It’s not easy to call for a shootout in a game involving the Raiders these days. They were absolutely manhandled by the Chargers last Sunday but do find themselves in a favorable spot here facing a Seahawks defense that is by no means a feared unit anymore. After giving RB Marshawn Lynch very little work in last week’s blowout loss, I do expect Oakland to go back to Lynch in this matchup against his former team and that should bode well for the Raiders offensive production. As for the Seahawks, I expect their offense to go off against a weak Raiders defense that hasn’t been able to stop the run, allowing over five yards per rush, nor has it been able to defend the deep ball, which plays right into the hands of this Seattle aerial attack. The Seahawks are of course back at full strength in their passing game with WR Doug Baldwin back on the field. He was virtually a non-factor in last week’s narrow loss to the Rams but should play a much bigger role this Sunday. Meanwhile, the Seahawks ground game has quietly emerged as a serious threat to opposing defenses and I’m confident we’ll see Chris Carson and Mike Davis run wild in this contest. This is a reasonably high posted total for a ‘London game’ but I do believe it’s warranted. Take the over (10*). |
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10-14-18 | Bucs v. Falcons OVER 57 | 29-34 | Win | 100 | 52 h 35 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Tampa Bay and Atlanta at 1 pm et on Sunday. This is the game that will likely have fantasy owners scrambling to pick up Bucs QB Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay will turn to Winston on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta and he draws an extremely favorable matchup in his first start back. I may sound like a broken record playing Falcons ‘overs’ seemingly every week but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Atlanta defense remains depleted and faces another opponent that won’t hesitate to go vertical on them all afternoon long. With little semblance of a running game, the Bucs will likely bomb away and find success doing so. On the flip side, the Falcons offense is coming off a bit of a stinker last week in Pittsburgh. They were able to move the football but ultimately couldn’t put points on the board, but should rebound against a Bucs defense that has shown absolutely zero ability to slow down opposing passing games. Tampa Bay’s main focus is on stopping the run, and it has done a good job of limiting opposing backs. However, the Bucs secondary is bottom of the barrel and will certainly have its hands full against the Falcons loaded receiving corps. We’re dealing with a very high posted total in this one, but it’s warranted in my opinion. Take the over (10*). |
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10-14-18 | Steelers v. Bengals UNDER 52.5 | 28-21 | Win | 100 | 52 h 35 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati at 1 pm et on Sunday. Most are expecting a shootout between these two high-scoring division rivals on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati but these AFC North slugfests rarely play out that way (the most recent meeting between these two teams went 23-20 in favor of the Steelers) and I anticipate more of the same this week. The Steelers were in an absolutely beautiful spot last week, hosting a depleted Falcons defense, at home no less. Not surprisingly, they had their way with Atlanta offensively (we won with the Steelers and the over) but should face a considerably tougher challenge on the road against the Bengals on Sunday. Cincinnati is coming off a strong defensive showing last week, absolutely shutting the Dolphins down after digging an early hole, allowing the offense to rally before notching a late defensive score. I look for some carry-over from that second half performance here. Keep in mind, the Bengals defense has gotten stronger, particularly against the run, with the return of LB Vontaze Burfict. Pittsburgh’s defense had been getting torched repeatedly prior to last week’s bounce-back performance against the Falcons. That effort should bode well for this group as it prepares to face a somewhat underrated Bengals offense on Sunday afternoon. Both teams may very well get into the 20’s in this contest, but I believe the lofty posted total will simply prove too high. Take the under (10*). |
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10-13-18 | Colorado v. USC UNDER 58 | 20-31 | Win | 100 | 60 h 14 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Colorado and USC at 10:30 pm et on Saturday. We saw a fairly high-scoring game between these two teams last season as USC pulled out a 38-24 victory in early November. I expect a different story to unfold on Saturday night as both defenses should come to play in this important Pac-12 matchup. We won with the ‘under’ in the Buffaloes 28-21 win over Arizona State last Saturday and I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here. In that game, Colorado held Arizona State off the scoreboard from 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter onward. It was another strong showing for the Buffaloes offense with the Montez to Shenault connection coming up big. I do believe USC is capable of slowing that duo down on Saturday night, however. The Trojans manhandled Arizona, on the road no less, last Saturday, holding the Wildcats scoreless until midway through the third quarter in an eventual 24-20 victory. There are still concerns when it comes to the USC offense, however, noting that the Trojans didn’t score again after Aca’Cedric Ware’s long touchdown run in the first five minutes of the third quarter against a weak Arizona defense. After narrowly escaping with a wild 39-36 victory over Washington State in their most recent home game, the Trojans would be wise to avoid another shootout here. Colorado has scored a whopping 78 points in two road games this season, but those came against weak defensive opponents in Colorado State and Nebraska (and the first of those games wasn’t really a true road game as it was played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver). Take the under (10*). |
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10-13-18 | Missouri v. Alabama UNDER 74 | Top | 10-39 | Win | 100 | 57 h 46 m | Show |
NCAAF TV Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Missouri and Alabama at 7 pm et on Saturday. It’s not easy playing the ‘under’ in games involving the Alabama Crimson Tide but here we are on Saturday night. ‘Bama has some things to clean up after allowing 31 points in another blowout win over Arkansas last week. I fully expect to see the Crimson Tide come out and play a near-flawless brand of defensive football on Saturday night, even against a tough offensive opponent in Missouri. Keep in mind, while the Tide did give up 31 points against Arkansas, it held the Hogs to only two touchdowns through the game’s first three quarters. It wasn’t until things were completely out of hand that the Tide softened up, relatively speaking. We did cash an ‘over’ ticket in a game involving Missouri back on September 22nd – a 43-29 home loss to Georgia. It is worth nothing, however, that the Tigers scored a touchdown with two minutes remaining in the first quarter but then were held out of the end zone until midway through the third quarter. That was actually a relatively low-scoring game early on that turned on a couple of first half defensive scores by Georgia. While there’s certainly a good chance the Tide defense does some scoring on Saturday night, it’s not really something that we can truly account for. Even last week against South Carolina, Missouri scored two touchdowns before the first quarter was 11 minutes old but then didn’t reach the end zone again until the fourth quarter. The Tigers defense has been pretty bad this season but has shown the ability to hold up for stretches. Going back to the Georgia game, they didn’t’ allow the Bulldogs to score an offensive touchdown until nearly four minutes into the third quarter. ‘Bama rolled to a 42-13 win the last time these two teams met back in 2014. A similar outcome isn’t outside the realm of possibility on Saturday night. Take the under (10*). |
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10-13-18 | Virginia Tech v. North Carolina UNDER 57.5 | 22-19 | Win | 100 | 57 h 42 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Virginia Tech and North Carolina at 7 pm et on Saturday. I’ll back the ‘under’ in Chapel Hill on Saturday night. The Hokies are fresh off a relatively high-scoring affair against an emerging Notre Dame offense last week but I expect to see the scoring settle down here. Remember, just two games back, the Hokies held Duke to just one touchdown through the first three quarters in a 31-14 victory, on the road no less. This is also the team that opened the season with a positively dominant defensive performance on the road against Florida State, delivering a 24-3 victory (we won with the ‘under’ in that game). Sure, there was the anomaly against Old Dominion – a game in which the Hokies suffered an inexplicable fourth quarter defensive collapse – but I’m willing to give them a mulligan for that one. This is a spot where the Hokies need to show up and I’m confident they will, on the defensive side of the football at least. North Carolina has been involved in one shootout this season – a 38-35 home win over Pittsburgh back on September 22nd. Outside of that, we’ve seen the Tar Heels offense struggle. Last time out they suffered a 47-10 loss at Miami (we won with the ‘over’) with the offense looking completely out of sync and unsure of itself at times. This isn’t an ideal ‘get right’ spot by any means. I will point out that the Tar Heels defense did hang in against Miami, in spite of the lopsided final score. They allowed just two offensive touchdowns through the first three plus quarters of that game and only three in total over the full 60 minutes. They’ll be taking a step down in class against the Hokies offense here. Take the under (10*). |
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10-13-18 | Pittsburgh v. Notre Dame UNDER 55 | 14-19 | Win | 100 | 6 h 49 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Pittsburgh and Notre Dame at 2:30 pm et on Saturday. With Notre Dame coming off three straight relatively high-scoring games and Pitt fresh off a wild, high-scoring overtime win over Syracuse last Saturday (we won with the ‘over’ in that game), we’re dealing with a rather high posted total in advance of this matchup in South Bend on Saturday. I believe the total will prove too high. After getting off to a rough start defensively last week, Pitt did settle down, keeping Syracuse out of the end zone from six minutes remaining in the first quarter until nearly midway through the third quarter. On the flip side, however, the Panthers scored a touchdown with just under six minutes left in the first quarter but then the offense didn’t reach the end zone again until the first minute of the third quarter. It’s also worth noting that the Panthers kept the Orange out of the end zone for the entire fourth quarter and overtime. Notre Dame delivered a 45-23 knockout blow at Virginia Tech last Saturday night. I will point out that the Irish scored a touchdown six minutes into the game but then didn’t put another offensive touchdown on the board until three minutes into the third quarter. They gave up just one touchdown in the second quarter and then didn’t allow another until the game was all but out of hand over halfway through the fourth quarter. The last meeting between these two programs was a shootout but that was back in 2015. Expect a different story to unfold on Saturday. Take the under (10*). |
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10-13-18 | Troy v. Liberty OVER 63.5 | 16-22 | Loss | -107 | 52 h 50 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘over’ between Troy and Liberty at 2 pm et on Saturday. I’ll back the ‘over’ in Lynchburg on Saturday afternoon. We settled for a push with the ‘under’ in Troy’s most recent game – a 37-20 win over Georgia State last Thursday night. There’s no denying the Trojans offensive ability as they scored at will both early and late in that victory over the Panthers. Now they draw a matchup with a Liberty squad that is quite simply built for shootouts. Its last two games have reached 95 and 90 total points against New Mexico and New Mexico State. It will obviously be facing a tougher defensive test against the Trojans, but I still feel Liberty will be up for the challenge. Note that it got off to a sluggish start last week, which was perhaps to be expected after scoring 52 points in an upset win the week earlier. Once the Flames got rolling in the second half they managed to find the end zone on four different occasions. I don’t believe Troy will shy away from another shootout here. It seems that the Trojans are getting better offensively with each passing week. While they’ve scored a whopping 82 points in notching back-to-back home wins over the last two weeks, they also scored 35 points (all coming in the first half) in their last road game against Louisiana-Monroe. With Liberty possessing one of the nation’s worst defenses, this has all the makings of a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair on Saturday afternoon. Take the over (10*). |
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10-13-18 | Duke v. Georgia Tech UNDER 55 | 28-14 | Win | 100 | 50 h 3 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Duke and Georgia Tech at 12:20 pm et on Saturday. Duke steamrolled Georgia Tech by a 43-20 score in last year’s meeting. The Blue Devils find themselves in an underdog role in the same matchup this Saturday, despite their 4-1 overall record. Rather than focus on the side, I’ll call for a lower-scoring game than the betting marketplace is anticipating. Unlike past editions of the Blue Devils, this year’s squad can play some defense. They’ve allowed 14 points or less in three of five games so far, but are coming off a 31-14 setback at home against Virginia Tech last time out. They’ve had an extra week to regroup following that loss and I fully expect them to rebound with a strong effort here. It seemed in that game against the Hokies, the Blue Devils hung tough early, limiting Virginia Tech to just a single field goal in the first quarter before grabbing a lead and letting down their guard. Keep in mind, earlier this season we saw Duke go on the road against a good Baylor offense and hold the Bears scoreless for the entire first half and gave up just one offensive touchdown through the first three quarters. The Blue Devils familiarity with the Yellow Jackets’ option-based offense will certainly help their cause here. We missed the mark with the ‘under’ in Georgia Tech’s last game – a wild 66-31 shootout victory over Louisville last Friday night. The Yellow Jackets have now scored 60+ points in back-to-back games but I don’t see them coming close to reaching that level of offensive production here. Remember, the Jackets were held to just 40 points combined in back-to-back losses to Pitt and Clemson earlier this season. They took full advantage of a Louisville squad that simply didn’t show up last week – something they won’t be afforded against what will be a hungry Blue Devils team in a bounce-back spot here. Take the under (10*). |
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10-13-18 | Florida v. Vanderbilt UNDER 50.5 | 37-27 | Loss | -108 | 50 h 49 m | Show | |
My selection is on the ‘under’ between Florida and Vanderbilt at 12 noon et on Saturday. This is a bit of a tricky spot for Florida, on the heels of four straight victories, including a big 27-19 win over rival LSU last Saturday, it hits the road to face a Vanderbilt squad that will be eager to bounce back from a poor showing at Georgia last week. The Gators haven’t given up much defensively this season. Even in their lone loss at Kentucky they allowed just one first half touchdown and with the game hanging in the balance held the Wildcats scoreless from four minutes left in the third quarter until allowing a defensive fumble return for a touchdown on the game’s final play. Last week against LSU, Florida gave up a touchdown in the game’s first four minutes but then didn’t allow the Tigers to sniff the end zone again until a few minutes into the fourth quarter. Now they face a limited Vandy offense that didn’t score a touchdown until two seconds remaining in the game at Georgia last week, at which point the Bulldogs defense wasn’t really all that interested. Even two games back at home against FCS squad Tennessee State, Vandy didn’t score a touchdown until four minutes into the second quarter. I do expect the Commodores defense to show up for this one, however. They actually hung tough with the Bulldogs for much of the first half last week, only suffering a lapse on a 75-yard touchdown catch early in the first quarter before getting sloppy again on Georgia’s final drive of the opening half. We did cash an ‘under’ ticket in the Commodores 22-17 loss at Notre Dame back in early September. I can’t help but feel that this situation sets up similarly. Vandy will be overmatched talent-wise, but might just catch the Gators lacking a real ‘killer instinct’, which would play into our hands with an ‘under’ ticket in hand as far as I’m concerned. Take the under (10*). |
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10-12-18 | Air Force v. San Diego State UNDER 46.5 | Top | 17-21 | Win | 100 | 60 h 7 m | Show |
NCAAF Mountain West Conference Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Air Force and San Diego State at 9 pm et on Friday. I’ll back the ‘under’ in San Diego on Friday night. This hasn’t exactly been a low-scoring series in recent years but I expect to see a different story unfold this time around. Air Force is coming off a dominant 35-7 win over Navy. It is worth noting that the Falcons didn’t find the end zone until over midway through the second quarter in that game. Even in a wild 42-32 loss at Utah State two games back, Air Force scored two second quarter touchdowns but then didn’t reach the end zone again until the fourth quarter. Earlier this season against Florida Atlanta (we won with AFA and the ‘under’ in that game) the Falcons didn’t score a touchdown until there were less than three minutes remaining in the first half. You get the picture. Now the Falcons go on the road to face a stout San Diego State defense that is coming off its most impressive performance of the season, defeating Boise State by a 19-13 score last Saturday, on the road no less. Over the course of its current four-game winning streak, San Diego State has given up a grand total of just 68 points. With that being said, the Aztecs offense hasn’t exactly been a juggernaut. They’ve yet to score more than 28 points in a game this season. Of note, in a 28-14 win over FCS squad Sacramento State earlier this season, the Aztecs scored a touchdown with a little under six minutes left in the first quarter but then didn’t reach the end zone again until the game’s final four minutes. Two games back at home against Eastern Michigan, the Aztecs managed only two touchdowns, both coming in the second quarter. In other words, both of these squads are prone to extended touchdown droughts. While we are dealing with a relatively low total, I believe it is warranted. Take the under (10*). |
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10-11-18 | Eagles v. Giants OVER 43.5 | Top | 34-13 | Win | 100 | 24 h 30 m | Show |
NFL NFC East Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'over' between Philadelphia and New York at 8:20 pm et on Thursday. We won with the 'over' in the Giants last second loss at Carolina last Sunday while missing the mark with the 'over' in the Eagles home loss to the Vikings. I'll stay the course and call for the 'over' again as this matchup has shootout potential on Thursday night. The Eagles offense didn't look particularly sharp last Sunday against Minnesota but it may have been a case of the wrong place at the wrong time as the Vikes were bent on revenge after falling in last year's NFC Championship Game and were coming off an extended week following a tough Thursday night loss to the Rams in Los Angeles, in which their defense got lit up. Here the Eagles will draw a Giants defense that hasn't had any answers for opposing offenses this season due to injuries and otherwise. The G-Men will get Olivier Vernon back this week but all indications are that he'll be on a limited snap count. In the last eight meetings in this series, the Giants have allowed 27, 34, 27, 35, 23, 24, 27 and 34 points. As for the Giants offense, we've seen them turning things around lately, scoring at least 27 points in two of their last three games. The Eagles defense is injury-ravaged and has had its hands full with Eli Manning and co. at the best of times in recent years. I've been one of Manning's biggest critics but there's no denying we saw plenty of positives in last week's shootout loss to the Panthers. It does seem as if the G-Men are finally figuring out ways to move the football with all of that star power on offense. With Rodney McLeod sidelined and now his replacement Corey Graham on the shelf as well, Philadelphia is in a tough spot trying to defend the pass. Regardless who falls behind in this game there's certainly 'bomb away' potential against these defenses. Take the over (10*). |
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10-11-18 | Texas Tech v. TCU UNDER 62.5 | Top | 17-14 | Win | 100 | 55 h 14 m | Show |
NCAAF Big 12 Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Texas Tech and TCU at 7:30 pm et on Thursday. This one will be billed as a shootout but I’m not convinced that’s how the story will unfold on Thursday night in Fort Worth. Texas Tech is coming off a wild, high-scoring affair against West Virginia back on September 29th. With a posted total in the mid-70s for that one, it certainly had all the makings of a shootout and played out precisely that way. I will point out, however, after giving up four first quarter touchdowns the Red Raiders did hold the Mountaineers to just one offensive touchdown the rest of the way. Offensively, Texas Tech could only muster one first half touchdown of its own. Two games back the Red Raiders posted an impressive 42-17 win at Oklahoma State, allowing just two first half touchdowns before shutting out the Cowboys the rest of the way. I certainly would not expect TCU to get involved in many shootouts of its own this season. There was a 40-28 loss to Ohio State back on September 15th (we missed with the ‘under’ in that game) but that contest included two defensive scores by the Buckeyes. The next week, the Horned Frogs were completely manhandled by Texas (we won with the ‘under’ in that game) and last time out they had to settle for a narrow 17-14 win over Iowa State at home on September 29th. Keep in mind, last year’s matchup between these two teams totaled only 30 points as the Horned Frogs won in a walk, 27-3. Both teams enter this game rested and ready and I believe that lends itself to a lower-scoring game than the oddsmakers are calling for. Take the under (10*). |
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10-11-18 | Oilers v. Bruins OVER 6 | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 22 h 59 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Edmonton and Boston at 7:05 pm et on Thursday. I get the feeling we're going to see a lot of games involving the Bruins play out like their 6-3 victory over Ottawa on Monday. Here Boston has another opportunity to flex its offensive muscle against an Oilers squad that won't shy away from a back-and-forth affair. Edmonton started its season overseas and suffered a 5-2 loss to the Devils. Cam Talbot wasn't good between the pipes for the Oilers last season and his 2018-19 opener certainly didn't go well either (he gave up four goals). I do at the very least expect to see the Oilers stick around in this game on the strength of their offense. The Bruins have sandwiched two fairly poor showings in their own end of the rink with a shutout win over Buffalo. Take the over (10*). |
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10-08-18 | Redskins v. Saints UNDER 52.5 | Top | 19-43 | Loss | -110 | 24 h 12 m | Show |
NFL MNF Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'under' between Washington and New Orleans at 8:15 pm et on Monday. I'll back the 'under' at the Superdome on Monday night. The Redskins have given up yardage in big chunks on the ground this season but that's by design as they're willing to give up rushing yards and focus on stopping the pass. That should actually serve them well against the explosive Saints offense on Monday night. Note that New Orleans will get RB Mark Ingram back from suspension on Monday which could certainly lead to the Saints being a little more run-oriented. The Saints defense has finally shown some signs of life after a miserable start to the season. They were tough on the Giants last week, on the road no less, and keep in mind, New York scored 30+ points yesterday in Carolina. Here, the Saints draw a manageable matchup as the Redskins offense isn't going to scare anyone. QB Alex Smith has yet to get completely in sync with the offense and Washington has proven rather one-dimensional over its last couple of games (after Adrian Peterson turned back the clock in Week 1 against Arizona). I simply feel that we'll see plenty of long, clock-eating drives in this contest. I'm not convinced that the lofty total is warranted. Take the under (10*). |
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10-07-18 | Cowboys v. Texans UNDER 45.5 | 16-19 | Win | 100 | 58 h 36 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'under' between Dallas and Houston at 8:20 pm et on Sunday. Perhaps the fact that both of these teams were involved in relatively high-scoring games last week, certainly higher-scoring than expected, is resulting in us dealing with a rather lofty posted total in advance of this Sunday night showdown. Whatever the case, I'll back the 'under' as I don't have a great deal of faith in either offense right now. The Cowboys will do their best to churn out long, clock-eating drives on offense again this week, centring around RB Ezekiel Elliott. While I do believe the Texans have their weaknesses defensively, most of those lie in the secondary where they are ravaged by injuries. Their run defense has actually been stout, giving up just 3.6 yards per rush this season. And the question remains whether the Cowboys are capable of exposing any secondary, no matter how depleted, with their often lifeless passing game. The Dallas defense doesn't get nearly enough credit, mainly because it's been overshadowed by the issues on offense. Even without LB Sean Lee, the 'Boys still possess a solid defense across the board and one that will only get better with the return of DL David Irving from suspension this week. Lee's absence is mainly felt against the run but the Texans backfield is average at best. It's through the air where the Cowboys will need to be on their toes defending but I like the way their secondary matches up against the Texans strong wide receiving corps led by DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. The last time these two teams met in 2014 we saw only 37 total points. That has little bearing on the outcome of this week's game but I'm anticipating another relatively low-scoring affair. Take the under (10*). |
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10-07-18 | Vikings v. Eagles OVER 46 | Top | 23-21 | Loss | -110 | 54 h 45 m | Show |
NFL NFC Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between Minnesota and Philadelphia at 4:25 pm et on Sunday. We won with the 'over' in the Vikings loss to the Rams last Thursday night and I won't hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here. Entering the season most believed Minnesota's defense would be one of the best in the league but that simply hasn't been the case, due to injuries and otherwise. The Rams absolutely exposed the Vikings defense (if it hadn't been already) last week and I expect to see plenty of carry-over from that miserable performance against the Eagles this Sunday. Philadelphia continues to work QB Carson Wentz back into the fold and we saw considerable progression from him last week against the Titans. That was despite facing a Tennessee defense that has applied a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Despite their reputation, I don't believe the Vikes will have much success putting Wentz under duress here. I'm anticipating a big game from Eagles WRs Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery in particular as they should have little trouble finding open field against what has become a porous Minnesota secondary. This is obviously a bit of a desperation spot for the Vikings who are quickly seeing their season crumble before them. With that in mind, we can expect them to throw everything they have at the Eagles, and that has to start with their offense, which is certainly capable of operating at a high level, just as we saw last Thursday night against the Rams. QB Kirk Cousins should be able to find success bombing away against an Eagles pass defense that continues to struggle without corner Rodney McLeod. The Eagles have been much tougher against the run but the Vikes haven't shown much interest in running the football anyway and there's a good chance they'll be playing from behind for much of the game on Sunday, leading to a lot more looks for stud WRs Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Take the over (10*). |
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10-07-18 | Rams v. Seahawks OVER 50 | 33-31 | Win | 100 | 54 h 41 m | Show | |
My selection is on the 'over' between Los Angeles and Seattle at 4:25 pm et on Sunday. I'll back the 'over' at CenturyLink Field on Sunday afternoon. We've actually won with the 'over' in each of the Rams last two contests and there's absolutely no reason to switch gears here. It seems impossible, but the Rams offense is actually getting better with each passing week. It feels like ages ago that we saw them sputter in the early going against the Raiders in Week 1. Now they look like a fine-tuned machine and with an extra few days to prepare for this matchup against a depleted Seahawks defense I fully expect a big performance across the board. There are concerns worth noting on the Rams defense, however. Cornerback Aqib Talib remains sidelined and while fellow corner Marcus Peters has managed to stay on the field he hasn't looked healthy and has subsequently gotten burned on a number of occasions over the last couple of weeks. Los Angeles should be able to score at will against the Earl Thomas-less Seattle defense but I don't believe it will be the only team putting points on the board on Sunday afternoon. Seattle did welcome back WR Doug Baldwin last week and in his absence Tyler Lockett carved out a nice role in this offense as well. Likely playing from behind most of the day, I expect the Seahawks to all but abandon their running game and more passing certainly helps our cause with the 'over'. Take the over (10*). |
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10-07-18 | Raiders v. Chargers OVER 52.5 | Top | 10-26 | Loss | -110 | 54 h 33 m | Show |
NFL AFC Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between Oakland and Los Angeles at 4:05 pm et on Sunday. I've seen enough evolution from the Raiders offense to warrant a play on the 'over' as they make the short trip to Los Angeles to face the Chargers on Sunday afternoon. Oakland certainly didn't shy away from a shootout at home against the Browns last week, moving the football at will against an up-and-coming Cleveland defines. QB Derek Carr has turned things around over the last couple of weeks following a miserable start to the season. He certainly appears to be getting comfortable with veteran WR Jordy Nelson in the slot and last week we saw flashes of big play ability on a couple of ultimately failed hook-ups with WR Martavis Bryant. I like the matchups that Bryant and WR Amari Cooper draw against the Chargers secondary this week. Los Angeles will continue to struggle to keep opposing offenses at bay as long as LB Joey Bosa is sidelined and now will have to press on without another one of their top defenders in LB Kyzir White as well. Meanwhile, there's little reason to believe the Raiders defense will have any answers for the Chargers versatile offense. QB Philip Rivers likely won't have to worry about any sort of pressure on Sunday afternoon as no team has recorded fewer sacks than the Raiders this season. Look for Rivers to have a field day slinging the ball all over the field to his talented group of wide receivers. RB Melvin Gordon doesn't get enough credit for the work he does - perhaps overshadowed by another elite RB in the same city in Todd Gurley. Oakland checks in allowing almost six yards per rush and should also struggle to cover Gordon in the passing game. Take the over (10*). |