Winning Sports Picks

15* Heat/Lakers NBA TV Late-Night BAILOUT on Miami +8 

No team has been more impressive than the Miami Heat in the first two weeks of the season.  The Heat have gone 6-2 SU & 6-1-1 ATS and have been greatly undervalued night in and night out.  I believe they are undervalued yet again here catching 8 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

I realize the Heat are playing the 2nd of a back-to-back, but this is a deep team that can handle it better than most.  And that is factored into the line too much.  The Heat made easy work of the Suns 124-108 last night and didn’t have to play their starters too many minutes.  They’ll won’t be tired at all as they’ll get up to face the Lakers in Staples Center. 

I think the Lakers are being overvalued now after going 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  They nearly lost in Chicago last time out, needing to erase a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win as 7-point favorites.  This game will go down to the wire as well.  The Lakers may win, but they will not cover. 

Plays against favorites (LA Lakers) - off two or more consecutive road wins, in a game involving two teams that win 75% or more of their games are 22-4 (84.6%) ATS since 1996.  The Lakers are 5-17 ATS off two or more consecutive road games over the last two seasons.  The Heat are 41-23 ATS as road underdogs over the last three years.  The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Take the Heat Friday. 

20* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK on Denver Nuggets -5 

The Philadelphia 76ers lost Ben Simmons to a shoulder injury in a loss to the Jazz on Wednesday.  He’ll miss at least the next two games, and I’m lining up to fade them in the immediate future.  I think we are getting the Nuggets cheap at home here against the 76ers. 

Denver is off to a 5-2 start this season and coming off a 109-89 home win over Miami.  That was back on Tuesday, so the Nuggets are rested and ready to go working on two days’ rest.  They had the best home record in the NBA last season and continue to have a tremendous home-court advantage this year. 

The 76ers got off to a 5-0 start against a soft schedule but have since dropped two straight road games at Phoenix and at Utah.  Now they’ll actually be playing their 4th road game in 7 days, which is a tough spot for any team in the NBA.  It makes it even worse for them now that they don’t have their floor general in Simmons running the show. 

The home team is 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in the last three meetings winning by 7, 16 and 19 points.  The Nuggets are 22-11 ATS in home games off a win over the last two seasons.  Denver is 19-7 ATS in home games off an ATS win over the last two years.  Take the Nuggets Friday. 

20* CBB GAME OF THE WEEK on Weber State +17 

Weber State has the Big Sky’s best player in Jerrick Harding (21.4 PPG).  The Wildcats also return second-leading scorer Cody John (14.8 PPG) and Israel Barnes (6.5 PPG).  They have a tremendous backcourt and return some key reserves in Michal Kozak (4.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG) and Caleb Nero (6.5 PPG). 

Head coach Randy Rahe has been at Weber State for 13 years, and and last year their 18-15 record resulted in the second-most losses since he has been there.  The Wildcats are a perennial contender in the Big Sky and are primed for a bounce-back season.  I think they open 2019-20 undervalued off last year’s results. 

Utah State is ranked 17th in the country and overvalued.  That was evident in the Aggies’ opener as they actually trailed Montana State by a bucket as 21.5-point favorites with just six minutes remaining.  The close on a 17-7 run to secure a shaky 81-73 victory, which is not good for a veteran team like the Aggies that returned four starters.  They will get everyone’s best shot because of their national ranking, including Weber State tonight. 

These teams play every season and almost every game goes right down to the wire.  In fact, each of the last 11 meetings have been decided by 12 points or less.  That makes for an 11-0 system backing Weber State pertaining to this 17-point spread.  Bet Weber State Friday. 

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Ole Miss -21.5 

The Ole Miss Rebels are coming off a very successful season in head coach Kermit Davis’ first year on the job in 2018-10.  He guided the Rebels to a 20-13 record and a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, making the big dance for the first time since 2015 and earning Davis SEC Coach of the Year honors. 

Now, Ole Miss returns three starters and a tremendous backcourt.  Back is potential SEC Player of the Year candidate Breein Tyree (17.9 PPG) to run the offense at point guard.  Also back is G Devontae Shuler (10.3 PPG) who shot 51.1% on 2-pointers and 40.2% from 3-point range.  G/F Blake Hinson (8.3 PPG) is back after scoring in double figures 10 times as a freshman.  The Rebels also nabbed four-star prospect Austin Crowley, who stayed at home.  Bryce Williams is a big-time athlete who scored 15.3 PPG and shot 44% on 3-pointers at a community college. 

Arkansas State is picked to finish in the bottom 3rd of the Sun Belt this season.  It’s easy to see why as Mike Balado returns just one starter in Marquis Eaton (11.2 PPG).  The Red Wolves lose leading scorer Ty Cockfield (22.4 PPG) and third-leading scorer Grantham Gillard (10.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG).  They are coming off a 13-19 season and back-to-back disappointing campaigns under Balado. 

I would have to say it’s going to be another disappointing season after seeing Arkansas State struggled to put away Arkansas-Monticello 65-49 in a game where there wasn’t even a point spread.  They only led 28-22 before pulling away in the second half. 

Arkansas State is 1-8 ATS in November games over the last three seasons.  The Red Wolves are 1-9 ATS when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last two seasons.  Ole Miss is 24-10 ATS in its last 34 games overall.  The Rebels are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 non-conference games.  Roll with Ole Miss Friday. 

20* AFC West GAME OF THE MONTH on Oakland Raiders +1.5 

The Oakland Raiders have been undervalued all season.  Despite playing a brutal schedule with five straight games away from home, they have gone 4-4 SU & 5-3 ATS this season.  Give Jon Gruden and his players credit for taking a step forward this season and getting themselves into playoff contention midway through the season. 

While the Raiders have faced the 2nd-toughest schedule in the NFL this year, the Chargers have played the 23rd-ranked schedule.  That’s a difference of 21 spots in strength of schedule.  Yet the Chargers are just 4-5 on the season and on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. 

I think the only reason the Chargers are favored in this game is because everyone assumes they are going to make a run in the second half of the season like they always seem to do.  They come in having won two in a row to start their run, and while their performance against the Packers was impressive, it was a Packers team that is one of the most overrated in the NFL with a leaky defense.  And they had no business beating the Bears, who outgained the Chargers by 157 yards and missed a last-second field goal. 

The Raiders have been competitive in every game except for their loss to the Chiefs back in Week 2 where they were outgained by 160 yards.  They haven’t been outgained by more than 83 yards in any other game this season.  And they are only getting outgained by 8 yards per game on the season. 

Derek Carr leads the NFL in completion percentage at 71.2% with a 13-to-4 TD/INT ratio.  And Josh Jacobs has given this offense an identity that they haven’t had in years.  Jacobs has rushed for 740 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry.  This balanced attack has been tough for teams to tame here of late as the Raiders have scored at least 24 points in five straight games coming in. 

Plays against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 (LA Chargers) - off an upset win by 14 points or more as a home underdog, after the first month of the season are 27-7 (79.4%) ATS since 1983.  The Raiders are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games.  Bet the Raiders Thursday. 

20* Celtics/Hornets TNT GAME OF THE MONTH on Charlotte +7.5 

The Charlotte Hornets were tabbed as the worst team in the NBA by almost everyone coming into the season.  As a result, there has been value on them in the early going, and there’s no question they are better than expected.  The Hornets are 4-3 SU & 5-2 ATS this season. 

The Hornets come in having won three straight and having covered four straight.  I think they will be out to prove something tonight against their former teammate in Kemba Walker, who chose the Celtics over them.  Terry Rozier came over from the Celtics to replace Walker, and he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder as well. 

I love the way the Hornets are playing team basketball and sharing the rock.  Both Devonte Graham (17.3 PPG, 6.7 APG) and Rozier (16.9 PPG, 5.6 APG) have been the catalysts.  P.J. Washington (15.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG) has been one of the best rookies in the NBA and is shooting 46.7% from 3-point range.  Miles Bridges (13.3 PPG) and Dwayne Bacon (11.1 PPG) are both greatly improved over last year, and Cody Zeller (12.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG) provides some veteran leadership and consistent double-doubles. 

The Celtics come in overvalued after having won five straight since a season-opening loss to the 76ers.  But they have been far from dominant with only two of their wins coming by more than 6 points.  They only beat the Knicks 104-102 as 9-point home favorites and the Cavs 119-113 as 6-point road favorites in their last two games.  The Hornets are better than both those teams and should be able to stay within this 7.5-point spread at home. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Hornets won 124-117 as 4-point dogs and 117-112 as 3.5-point dogs in their last two home meetings with the Celtics.  Roll with the Hornets Thursday. 

15* Temple/USF ESPN No-Brainer on South Florida +2.5 

Charlie Strong deserves a lot of credit for turning around USF’s season following a 1-3 start.  The Bulls have gone 3-1 since with an upset home win over BYU and blowout road wins over UConn by 26 and ECU by 25 to improve to 4-4 on the season.  Their only loss during this stretch came on the road against a powerhouse Navy team. 

Now, the Bulls sit at 4-4 and with a legitimate chance to make a bowl game.  If they are going to go bowling, this is a must-win situation for them because they have some very tough games coming up next against Cincinnati, Memphis and UCF.  Look for the Bulls to handle their business and pull off the upset at home tonight. 

Temple is coming off arguably its three biggest games of the season upsetting Memphis at home, but getting blown out by SMU by 24 on the road and by UCF by 42 at home.  And that was a fluky win over Memphis as the Tigers committed four turnovers to give the game away. 

South Florida has been able to run the ball at will on opponents, averaging 180 rushing yards per game and 5.0 per carry this season.  And during this run they are averaging 263.3 rushing yards per game 6.5 per carry in their last four games overall.  Now they face a Temple team that has allowed an average of 291.5 rushing yards per game in their last two games against SMU and UCF.  Look for the Bulls to be able to run at will on this Temple defense. 

The home team is 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  South Florida has won by 36 and 21 in its two home meetings with Temple during this stretch.  And the Bulls were the only team to cover on the road in this series as they only lost 17-27 as 14-point dogs at Temple last year.  The Bulls want some revenge from that defeat adding to their motivation.  The Owls are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.   

Plays on all teams where the line is +3 to -3 (USF) - after outrushing its last opponent by 150 or more yards against a team that was outrushed by 125 or more yards in their previous game are 27-6 (81.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take South Florida Thursday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Utah Jazz -2 

The Utah Jazz come in highly motivated for a win Wednesday night.  They are coming off two straight road losses to the Kings and Clippers.  But now they are back home where they are 3-0 this season and winning by 17.0 points per game.  Salt Lake City is one of the biggest home-court advantages in the entire NBA. 

The Jazz also come in rested and ready to go on two days’ rest since last playing the Clippers on Sunday.  They have owned the 76ers at home throughout the years, going 18-4 SU in the last 22 meetings in Salt Lake City. 

The 76ers are 5-1 and overvalued as a result.  They just lost 109-114 at Phoenix in their last road game.  Yes, they are 3-1 on the road this season, but their three wins came by 6 over Detroit, by 2 over Atlanta and by 1 over Portland.  They needed huge comebacks against both the Hawks and Blazers.  They won’t be so fortunate tonight against the motivated, rested Jazz. 

Plays on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (Utah) - after having lost two of their last three games, a marginal winning tam (51% to 60%) playing a winning team are 63-29 (68.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Jazz are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games following a loss.  Bet the Jazz Wednesday. 

15* Miami (OH)/Ohio ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Miami Ohio +7 

The Ohio Bobcats have been overvalued all season because they were the popular pick to win the MAC this year.  They have disappointed, going 4-4 SU & 2-6 ATS despite playing the 103rd-ranked schedule in the country.  Their inexperience has shown as they returned just 10 starters this year.  The Bobcats continue to be overvalued here as 7-point favorites against Miami Ohio. 

The Redhawks have also gone 4-4 this season, but it has come against the 60th-ranked schedule in the country.  That’s 43 spots tougher than the slate Ohio has faced.  They have had to play road games against Iowa, Cincinnati and Ohio State, which have resulted in three of their four losses. 

That tough schedule has helped Miami Ohio get ready for MAC play.  They have dominated in MAC action, going 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS with upset home wins over Buffalo and Northern Illinois, as well as an upset road win at Kent State.  The fact that they were dogs in all three of those games just goes to show how disrespected this team is and how undervalued they have been after that tough start against that schedule. 

Yes, Miami Ohio lost 16-38 at Western Michigan, but that was one of the most misleading finals in the MAC this season.  The Redhawks outgained the Broncos by 55 yards and held their explosive offense to just 310 total yards.  But they lost the turnover battle 3-1.  They only trailed 16-21 in the 4th quarter but the Broncos tacked on 17 points in the final 7:22 to make the final margin look worse than it really was. 

Ohio has been outgained in five of its eight games this season and is getting outgained by 35 yards per game on the season.  The Bobcats have a leaky defense that allows 446.4 yards per game and 6.4 yards per play against teams that average 398 yards per game and 5.7 per play.  They have given up 39 points to Northern Illinois and 38 points to Kent State in two of their last three games, which are two of the worst offenses in the MAC. 

Miami Ohio is 9-1 ATS after playing a conference game over the last two seasons.  The Redhawks are 10-2 ATS against conference opponents over the last two seasons.  The Bobcats are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games.  Ohio is 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a bye week.  Take Miami Ohio Wednesday. 

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Pittsburgh +4.5 

Jeff Capel did a great job in his first season at Pitt.  He took a team that went winless in the ACC and with eight wins overall under Kevin Stallings and got them to 14-19 on the season.  Now, in his second season with the team, Capel and the Panthers should make a big leap forward. 

The Panthers return four starters led by guards Xavier Johnson (15.5 PPG) and Trey McGowens (11.6 PPG).  JC transfer G Ryan Murphy should contribute right away.  They also return Au’Diese Toney (7.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Terrell Brown (5.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG) down low and add in UNC Greensboro transfer Eric Hamilton.  Freshman Justin Champagnie is a swingman who is strong off the dribble and can rebound.  He should bring some much-needed scoring pop to the frontcourt. 

The Florida State Seminoles are coming off an awesome 29-win season.  However, they lost six of their top eight scorers from that team and won’t be starting fast this season.  They don’t return a single double-digit scorer as their top two returnees are Trent Forest (9.3 PPG) and M.J. Walker (7.5 PPG).  It’s going to take some time for the Seminoles to gel with all they lost. 

Plays on home teams (Pittsburgh) - first five games of the season, after closing out last season with eight or more losses in their final 10 games, a team that had a losing record last season are 121-71 (63%) ATS over the last five seasons.   

Pittsburgh beat a very good FSU team 75-62 as identical 4.5-point home underdogs last season.  The Panthers are now 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  The Seminoles are 1-4 ATS in their last five trips to Pittsburgh.  Roll with Pittsburgh Wednesday. 

15* Michigan State/Kentucky ESPN No-Brainer on Michigan State -2.5 

The Michigan State Spartans went 32-7 last year and made the Final Four.  I completely agree with them being the No. 1 ranked team in the country this season with all that they return.  They are clearly the best team in college basketball to start the season. 

Head coach Tom Izzo welcomes back Big Ten Player of the Year Cassius Winston at point guard.  He averaged 18.8 points and 7.5 assists per game last year and is the heart and soul of this team.  Also back are key contributors in G Kyle Ahrens (4.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG),  F Aaron Henry (6.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG) and F Xavier Tillman (10.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG).  And the Spartans expect key contributions from freshmen G Mark “Rocket” Watts and F Malik Hall. 

I like fading teams like Duke and Kentucky early in the season because they are filled with one and done players and usually start slow.  That will be the case for Kentucky, which loses four double-digit scorers from last season in P.J. Washington (15.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG), Tyler Herro (14.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG), Keldon Johnson (13.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG) and Reid Travis (11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG).  Their only returning starter is PG Ashton Hagans (7.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG). 

Michigan State is 26-10 ATS in its last 36 games overall.  Kentucky is 1-3-1 ATS in its last five vs. Big Ten opponents.  The Spartans have won four of their last six meetings with the Wildcats.  Roll with Michigan State Tuesday. 

15* NBA Tuesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Charlotte Hornets +3.5

Most people tabbed the Charlotte Hornets as the worst team in the NBA coming into the season.  As a result, there has been some value in backing them as the Hornets have opened 3-3 SU & 4-2 ATS.  They are certainly better than they were getting credit for coming into the year. 

The Hornets are doing a great job of playing team basketball and sharing the ball.  They have six players averaging at least 12.5 points per game this season.  Terry Rozier has been an adequate replacement for Kemba Walker, PJ Washington is one of the best rookies in the NBA, and Devonte Graham, Cody Zeller, Dwayne Bacon and Miles Bridges have all made big jumps this season.  Plus, they still have Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to lock it down defensively. 

The Indiana Pacers come in overvalued off three straight wins.  Two of those came at home against the Cavs and Bulls, while the other was a road win at Brooklyn.  The Pacers have some serious injury concerns right now playing without their two best players in Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner, plus Domantas Sabonis is questionable. 

The Hornets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven against Eastern Conference opponents.  The home team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  The Hornets are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home meetings with the Pacers.  Take the Hornets Tuesday. 

20* MAC GAME OF THE WEEK on Toledo -6.5 

The Toledo Rockets are undervalued right now because they lost two straight road games to Bowling Green and Ball State in ugly fashion.  But as usual, the Rockets have a tremendous home-field advantage, and that will be the case again here in a standalone MAC Tuesday night home game.  The Rockets are 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS at home this season winning by 15.5 points per game. 

Kent State is certainly improved this season, but let’s be honest, they haven’t beaten anyone.  The Golden Flashes are 3-5 this season with their three wins coming against Kennesaw State (by 3), Bowling Green and Akron.  They are 0-5 against everyone else with all five losses by 7 points or more and by an average of 24.8 points per game. 

Toledo will have a massive advantage on the ground in this game.  The Rockets are rushing for 245 yards per game and 5.4 per carry this season.  Kent State gives up a whopping 251 rushing yards per game and 5.1 per carry.  I just don’t see how the Golden Flashes are going to get off the field with their run defense.  Toledo should be able to score at will. 

Toledo is 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS in its last four meetings with Kent State with all four wins coming by double-digits and by an average of 19 points per game.  The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  The Golden Flashes are 1-4 ATS in their last five vs. a team with a. Winning record.  The Rockets are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games.  Toledo is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 vs. a team with a losing record.  The Rockets are 4-1 ATS in their last five Tuesday games.  Bet Toledo Tuesday. 

20* Cowboys/Giants ESPN Monday No-Brainer on New York +7 

The Dallas Cowboys are getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers here Monday night because they are coming off their bye week, and they went into their bye with a blowout home win over the Eagles.  But their bye week advantage is certainly negated some here because the Giants get an extra day of rest as well with this game being played on Monday Night Football. 

The Cowboys had lost three straight prior to that win over the Eagles.  And their other three wins came against the Giants, Redskins and Dolphins.  That was a Giants team in the season opener that wasn’t very good and was starting Eli Manning.  They have been a much better offensive football team since Daniel Jones took over at quarterback, and they are starting to get healthy. 

Jones has led the Giants to an average of 21.7 points per game in his six starts this season.  And keep in mind the Giants have been without Saquon Barkley, Evan Ingram, Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard at various times in those six games.  Now, he’ll have all four weapons healthy and playing in this game Monday night for the first time this season.  This is going to be a dangerous Giants offense moving forward with his Jones’ full compliment of weapons. 

The Cowboys have had offensive line injuries bite them once again this season.  Tyron Smith is back healthy, but both G Zack Martin and T La’el Collins are questionable heading into this game.  And while the Cowboys have put up some good numbers this season, it has come against the league’s 30th-ranked schedule.  The Giants have faced a much more difficult slate and will be out for revenge tonight at home. 

Dallas is 6-16 ATS in its last 22 road games off a home blowout win by 21 points or more.  New York is 17-3 ATS in its last 20 games after allowing 17 points or more in the first half of two consecutive games coming in. Pat Shurmur is 14-3 ATS after having lost five or six of his last seven games as a head coach.  Bet the Giants Monday. 

20* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Washington Wizards -2.5 

The Washington Wizards came into the season tabbed as one of the worst teams in the NBA.  As a result, they were undervalued to start the season and remain undervalued right now.  They are 1-4 SU but 4-1 ATS and could easily have more wins than they do. 

Two of their losses came by a combined 3 points to San Antonio (122-124) as 11.5-point road dogs and Houston (158-159) as 8-point home dogs.  They also covered as 9-point dogs in an 8-point loss at Dallas and upset Oklahoma City by 12 as 8.5-point road dogs.  Their only poor performance came at home against Minnesota in the game after the deflating loss to the Rockets.  Now, I expect the Wizards to be highly motivated to get their second win of the season tonight at home against the Pistons. 

The Pistons have already played seven games compared to five for Washington.  Detroit will be playing its 8th game in 13 days to start the season and its 3rd game in 4 days.  Making matters worse for the Pistons is that they are so banged up right now.  They are without starters Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson.  Now they are without both Derrick Rose and Tim Frazier, the two backup guards to Jackson.  They are in a world of hurt right now due to these injuries and lack of rest. 

The home team is 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in this series, winning by an average of 11.3 points per game.  The home team is also 11-2 SU in the last 13 meetings.  The Pistons are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games playing on one days’ rest.  The Wizards are 5-1 ATS in their last six home meetings with the Pistons.  Take the Wizards Monday. 

20* Jazz/Clippers NBA Sunday Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles -4 

I love the spot for the Los Angeles Clippers tonight.  They want revenge from a 96-110 loss in Utah on October 30th.  But Kawhi Leonard didn’t play in that game, and he is expected to play tonight.  Look for the Clippers to get their revenge in this one. 

The Clippers are 3-0 at home this season outscoring opponents by 10.4 points per game.  They come in rested and ready to go on two days’ rest having last played on Thursday.  Expect a big effort from them here tonight, especially since they have another two days off after this. 

The Jazz just haven’t been very impressive this season.  They are 4-2, but their four wins have come against the Thunder, Kings, Suns and Clippers (minus Leonard).  They also lost to the Kings and lost to the Lakers on the road, going 1-2 in road games with their only win coming by a single point over the Suns. 

The home team has won three straight and five of the last six meetings in this series.  The Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.  Plays on favorites (LA Clippers) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, in a game involving two teams that had marginal winning records (51% to 60%) last season are 36-13 (73.5%) ATS since 1996.  Bet the Clippers Sunday. 

15* Browns/Broncos AFC Late-Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on Cleveland -3.5 

The Cleveland Browns have played the 4th-toughest schedule in the NFL this season.  They have played a brutal stretch of games here of late with five in a row against the Rams, Ravens, 49ers, Seahawks and Patriots who are a combined 32-7 this season.  It’s a big reason they are just 2-5 on the season. 

I believe the Browns are undervalued right now due to their record.  But the schedule gets a lot easier moving forward, starting with this showdown with the hapless Denver Broncos, who are 2-6 this season.  The Browns still believe they can make some noise, and they will be ‘all in’ this week to try and turn their season around and get a victory. 

The Broncos have to be deflated right now.  They led almost the entire way against the Colts last week, but lost on a last-second field goal by a final of 13-15.  They just keep losing close games, but they also have three losses by 8 points or more.  It’s a team that I think will find it hard to be motivated the rest of the way because they know they have no chance of catching the Chiefs in the division, while the Browns still have hope to win their division. 

Now the Broncos will give Brandon Allen his first career start after Joe Flacco went on injured receiver with a neck injury following that loss to the Colts last week.  “Honestly, I haven’t had too much work with him,” conceded Broncos top wideout Courtland Sutton.  That’s a bad sign for the Broncos this week, especially since they just traded away their other top weapon in Emmanuel Sanders.  I just can’t foresee their offense having very much success against Cleveland’s defense this week. 

Plays on road favorites (Cleveland) - off a road loss, in November games are 57-26 (68.7%) ATS since 1983.  The Broncos are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 home games.  Denver is 7-16 ATS in its last 23 games following a loss.  Their downward spiral continues this week against a highly motivated Browns team ready to bust out.  Roll with the Browns Sunday. 

20* NFC GAME OF THE WEEK on Tampa Bay Buccaneers +6 

The Seattle Seahawks just don’t have the home-field advantage they used to.  They are 6-2 this season, but both of their losses this season came at home to Ravens & Saints.  Their two home wins this season each came by a single point over the Bengals and Rams.  They haven’t gotten margin at home yet this season, and they shouldn’t be laying 6 points here to the Bucs. 

The Seahawks have played the 23rd-toughest schedule in the NFL.  The Bucs are 2-5, but they have played the 2nd-toughest schedule in the NFL this season.  And they’ve been competitive in basically every game they’ve played.  The problem with them is turnovers.  They have committed 11 of them in their last two games yet still had a chance to win both.  If they just take care of the football, the Buccaneers can beat anyone. 

We saw that when they went on the road and upset the Rams 55-40 as 9-point dogs.  They also upset the Panthers on the road, and only lost to the Saints by 7 on the road.  Last week they lost 23-27 at Tennessee, but they deserved to win that game as they outgained the Titans by 143 yards.  Turnovers hurt them, but refs did them no favors either blowing a play dead that would have been a TD in their favor and changed the outcome. 

The Seahawks allowed a whopping 512 total yards to Matt Schaub and the Atlanta Falcons last week.  This is a bad Seattle defense that ranks 23rd in total defense giving up 376.1 yards per game and 30th in yards per play (6.2) allowed.  Conversely, the Bucs are improved greatly defensively this season, ranking 14th in yards per play (5.4) allowed. 

The Seahawks have a huge game on deck against the 49ers in a division rivalry.  They could easily be overlooking the Bucs here and looking ahead to that divisional showdown against the undefeated 49ers.  The Seahawks are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games.  Now they have to try and get margin here against a Bucs team that is way better than their record would indicate. 

Plays against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points (Seattle) - after having won six or seven of their last eight games, a team that is winning 75% or more of their games on the season are 29-8 (78.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Plays on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Tampa Bay) - with a scoring defense that allows 27 or more points per game are 43-17 (71.7%) ATS over the last five years.  Bet the Buccaneers Sunday. 

15* NFL Sunday UPSET SHOCKER on Pittsburgh Steelers +1 

The Pittsburgh Steelers are much better than their record would indicate.  They are 3-4 this season, but their four losses have come to the Patriots, 49ers, Seahawks and Ravens, who are a combined 27-4 on the season.  And three of those losses came by 4 points or less, which just shows how close they are to being a 6-1 team.  But because they actually have a losing record, they are undervalued right now and should not be home underdogs to the Indianapolis Colts this week. 

The Colts are 5-2 and are overvalued because of their record.  All seven of their games have been decided by a touchdown or less, so they have been extremely fortunate in close games.  They trailed the entire way against the Broncos at home last week and needed a last-second field goal to escape with a 15-13 victory.  That’s a bad Broncos team, and I think their luck comes to an end this week. 

The Colts have some key injuries here that are getting overlooked.  They will be without their best receiver in T.Y. Hilton due to a calf injury.  The Colts are 0-5 SU without Hilton in the lineup over the last couple seasons. They could be without both LB Justin Houston and FS Malik Hooker, who are both questionable.  I know James Conner is doubtful for the Steelers, but other than him they are relatively healthy. 

I think both offenses are pretty comparable here with backup QB’s in Mason Rudolph and Jacoby Brissett.  However, there is a big advantage for the Steelers on defense in this one.  Pittsburgh ranks 7th in yards per play (5.1) allowed.  Indianapolis ranks 22nd in yards per play (5.9) allowed.  Yards per play is easily the most important stat to determine how good a defense is. 

The Steelers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.  Pittsburgh is 32-20 ATS as an underdog under Tomlin.  The Colts are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a losing record.  The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU & 6-3 ATS in its last nine home meetings with Indianapolis.  Take the Steelers Sunday. 

25* NFL London GAME OF THE YEAR on Jacksonville Jaguars +1.5 

The Jacksonville Jaguars have really become a good team once Gardner Minshew took over at quarterback.  They have gone 4-3 SU & 5-2 ATS in his seven starts with their three losses coming to Houston (by 1), Carolina (by 7) and New Orleans (by 7).  So they have been competitive in every game.  Their four wins have come by an average of 9.8 points pre game. 

Now the Jaguars head over to London determined for revenge from a 12-13 loss at Houston in their first meeting this season.  That was Minshew’s first career start, and he still nearly led the Jaguars to a win.  They came up inches short on a two-point conversion in the closing seconds.  They have gone 4-2 since that defeat and are coming off back-to-back wins by double-digits.  Minshew is averaging 7.6 yards per attempt with a 13-to-2 TD/INT ratio on the season. 

Jacksonville is certainly used to this London trip.  The Jaguars have been over to London for seven straight seasons, and fans over there are starting to adopt them as their team.  In fact, I actually think they have a bigger home-field advantage in London then they do in Jacksonville.   

The Jaguars have flown out late in the week to London here recently and have everything figured out that goes along with the trip.  Players won’t be distracted because they are used to it.  And the Jaguars have gone 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four London games despite being an underdog in all four.  They have covered the spread by an average of over 10 points per game in these contests. 

Houston isn’t the same team that Jacksonville faced the first time these teams met.  The Texans are now without their most important defender in J.J. Watt, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Raiders last week.  Their defense was already pretty soft, and now it’s going to be one of the worst defenses in the NFL without Watt moving forward.  Especially since they have cluster injuries at cornerback.  The Texans are also missing their big playmaker in Will Fuller at receiver.  Stats have shown that Watson is a much better quarterback with Fuller on the field than off of it. 

I just haven’t been impressed at all with the Texans here lately as it is.  They are 1-1 SU & 0-2 ATS in their last two games overall.  They lost 23-30 at Indianapolis and trailed the entire way.  And last week they trailed basically the entire way against Oakland until late in the fourth quarter and were fortunate to win 27-24 as 5.5-point favorites. 

It’s well documented that Deshaun Watson takes more sacks than any other quarterback in the NFL.  A big part of that is poor offensive line play, but it’s also because he holds onto the ball too long and tries to extend plays too often.  Well, the Texans have been at their worst offensively against teams like the Jaguars that get after the quarterback.  The Jaguars rank 4th in the NFL in sacks (29).  They held the Texans to 13 points in their first meeting. 

Bill O’Brien is 0-6 ATS after having 34 possession minutes or more and 24 or more first downs in their previous game as the coach of Houston having never covered in this situation.  The Jaguars are 5-0 ATS in their last five vs. AFC opponents.  The underdog is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.  Bet the Jaguars Sunday. 

15* Fresno State/Hawaii MWC Late-Night BAILOUT on Hawaii -1.5 

No team covered more spreads than Fresno State and Jeff Tedford for two seasons running in 2017 and 2018.  As a result, the Bulldogs came into 2019 way overvalued, and bettors just seem to be stuck on the past.  The fact of the matter is this is a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs as they returned only nine starters, including three on offense.  They simply aren’t as good as they were in 2017 and 2018. 

Indeed, Fresno State is just 3-4 SU & 2-4-1 ATS through its first seven games of the season.  Their three wins have come against Sacramento State by 14 as 24.5-point favorites, New Mexico State by 13 as 21-point favorites, and UNLV by 29 as 16.5-point favorites.  Those are two of the worst FBS teams in the country and an FCS team. 

When Fresno State has stepped up in class, they have lost.  They lost their first two games of the season to USC and Minnesota.  Then in conference play they lost 24-43 at Air Force as 3-point dogs and were thoroughly outplayed.  And last week they were upset 31-41 by Colorado State at home as 13.5-point favorites.  They gave up 500 total yards to Colorado State.  Their defense has suffered the biggest drop off as they have allowed 31 or more points four times this year. 

Hawaii is one of the most improved teams in the country.  The Rainbow Warriors are 5-3 this season with their only losses coming to Washington and Boise State on the road, as well as Air Force at home.  They have impressive wins over Arizona and Oregon State in the Pac-12, a dominant 54-3 win at Nevada, and a solid 45-31 win at New Mexico last week. 

I think a big reason we are getting Hawaii as less than a field goal favorite was due to that 45-31 win at New Mexico last week.  That final score was a lot closer than the game really was.  In fact, Hawaii led New Mexico 45-10 with just under eight minutes left in the game.  They pulled their starters, and New Mexico tacked on three touchdowns in the final eight minutes.  It was certainly a misleading final. 

Fresno State’s soft defense that is allowing 31.0 points per game this season will now get a huge test up against an explosive Hawaii offense that is putting up 36.6 points and 488.1 yards per game this season.  Head coach Nick Rolovich has implemented the run-and-shoot offense, and his players are executing it to perfection now.  It’s a veteran Hawaii team that returned 18 starters this year and is in Year 2 of the season. 

Fresno State is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 games off an upset loss a home favorite.  The Bulldogs are 5-17 ATS in their last 22 road games off a home loss.  Hawaii is 24-10 ATS in its last 34 games after gaining 575 or more total yards in its previous game.  Jeff Tedford is 0-8 ATS when he total is 63.5 to 70 in all games he has coached having never covered the spread in this situation.  Tedford is also 12-26 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 in all games he has coached.  Take Hawaii Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on UCLA -6.5 

The UCLA Bruins have the same feel of last year.  They started terribly last year and finished strong.  And this year they are doing the same thing.  They played as tough a schedule as anyone in the early going and opened 1-5.  But they have since pulled outright upsets over Stanford and Arizona State each of the last two weeks in dominant fashion. 

Now, at 3-5 the Bruins feel like they can make a run at a bowl game.  They still have home games against Colorado and California left which are two games they should win.  And I’m taking them this week against Colorado in a game they only have to win by a touchdown or more to cover this 6.5-point spread. 

Two weeks ago, UCLA got Dorian Thompson-Robinson back at QB from injury after he had miss the previous two games in losses to Oregon State and Arizona.  It made all the difference.  UCLA blitzed Stanford 34-16 on the road and outgained the Cardinal by 257 yards while racking up 455 total yards. 

Last week, I was on UCLA as 4-point home dogs to Arizona State.  They stormed out to a 42-10 lead by the end of the third quarter before pulling their starters.  Arizona State actually outscored UCLA 22-0 in the fourth quarter to make it a misleading 42-32 final.  I think that works in our favor here.  If UCLA had won 42-10 like they should have, the Bruins would be more than 6.5-point favorites here. 

I also think Colorado is getting too much respect for its close 31-35 home loss to USC last week.  Well, that was a USC team in a sandwich spot off a big game against Notre Dame the previous week, and with a game on deck against Oregon.  The Trojans came out flat and it nearly cost them.  But they rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes to win.  Now, Colorado has to be deflated from that defeat because it was their chance to beat USC for the first time in school history.  I think the Buffaloes now suffer a hangover from that loss. 

It’s not like the Buffaloes were even competitive before that loss to USC, either.  They had gone 0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS in their previous three games with an upset home loss to Arizona, and blowout road losses to Oregon (3-45) as 23-point dogs and at Washington State (10-41) as 13.5-point dogs.  Simply put, this Colorado team just isn’t very good, going 1-4 in conference play and getting outscored by 15.8 points per game.  UCLA is 3-2 SU & 4-1 ATS in conference play, outscoring opponents by 2.4 points per game. 

Colorado is 0-11 ATS after failing to cover the spread in two of their last three games over the last three seasons.  The Buffaloes are 1-12 ATS after playing a game where 60 or more points per scored over the last three years.  The Buffaloes are 0-7-1 ATS in their last eight November games.  The Bruins are 5-1-2 ATS in their last eight conference games.  Colorado is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 conference games.  Bet UCLA Saturday. 

20* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Charlotte Hornets +1 

Wrong team favored here.  The Golden State Warriors are now 2000-1 to win the NBA title.  Let that sink in for a minute.  They are literally the worst team in the NBA right now, and I don’t even think it’s really that close.  They are fade material for the time being. 

No Kevin Durant.  No Klay Thompson.  And now now Stephen Curry.  Plus, Kevon Looney has been out with a hamstring injury, and Draymond Green is battling a back injury.  The Warriors just can’t catch a break.  Now they will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after a 127-110 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs last night.  Worse yet, it will be their 5th game in 7 days, which is one of the toughest situations in the NBA.  Their lack of depth will really be felt tonight. 

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets come in on two days’ rest after last playing on Wednesday in a 118-111 road win over the Sacramento Kings.  Most people tabbed the Hornets as the worst team in the NBA coming into the season, but that clearly hasn’t been the case.  And I think they are undervalued for the time being due to the low preseason expectations. 

The Hornets are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  Charlotte is 6-1 ATS in its last seven road games.  The Warriors are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Golden State is 2-9-1 ATS in its last 12 games playing on zero days’ rest.  The Warriors are 16-34-1 ATS in their last 51 home games.  The road team is 6-1-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Bet the Hornets Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday Total DOMINATOR on Raptors/Bucks UNDER 225.5 

The Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks are very familiar with one another after playing in a six-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals last season.  They clearly don’t like each other, and this game will be played closer to the vest.  I think it will be a low-scoring, defensive battle tonight as a result. 

Seven of the last eight meetings in this series have seen 222 or fewer combined points at the end of regulation.  In fact, the Raptors and Bucks have averaged just 206.4 combined points at the end of regulation in those seven meetings.  That’s roughly 19 points less than tonight’s posted total of 225.5, so there is tremendous value with this UNDER.  Take the UNDER in this game Saturday. 

25* SEC GAME OF THE YEAR on Ole Miss +20 

This is a great spot to fade the Auburn Tigers.  Auburn just suffered its dream-crushing loss to LSU last week.  That was the 2nd SEC loss for the Tigers, who certainly won’t be winning the SEC West now.  I think they suffer a hangover from that 20-23 defeat to LSU. 

Not to mention, it was one of the most misleading finals of the season.  LSU outgained Auburn by 221 yards.  They moved the ball up and down the field on Auburn’s defense with 508 total yards.  But they just couldn’t convert in the red zone, which was the only reason it was even close.  Bo Nix had another terrible game completing just 15 of his 35 pass attempts for 157 yards.  Now Auburn has to try and get back up off the mat and put away Ole Miss by three touchdowns or more.  That’s a lot to ask 

Ole Miss is coming off a bye week and will be rested and ready to go.  It’s an Ole Miss team that is 3-1 ATS in its last four games overall and improving.  Ole Miss lost 17-24 to Texas A&M last time out.  But they were covering almost the entire way in that game as 6-point dogs. 

Texas A&M got a 62-yard fumble recovery TD that gave them their first lead of the game, and they scored another TD with only 2:34 left.  Ole Miss outgained Texas A&M by 65 yards and held them to 340 total yards.  I’ve been very impressed with the improvement of this Ole Miss defense this season under new coordinator Mike MacIntyre.  And the offense is coming around under Rich Rodriquez.  They scored 31 points on Alabama and another 27 at Missouri in their two most recent road games. 

I think the Rebels can go into Auburn and give the Tigers a run for their money this weekend given the favorable spot for the them off the bye week.  And I know I’m going to get max effort out of this Ole Miss team because they sit at 3-5 and are desperate to make a bowl game after missing out on a bowl game by one win with a 5-7 record.  This is kind of their ‘all in’ game this week. 

Ole Miss has only lost one of its last eight meetings with Auburn by more than 18 points.  And that was a 21-point loss a couple years ago.  The Rebels haven’t lost by more than 21 points in any of the last 13 meetings in this series as well.  As you can see, they have pretty much been competitive in every game with Auburn over the last 13 years, especially when factoring in this point-spread range as a level of competitiveness. 

Plays against any team (Auburn) a good offensive team (34 PPG or more) against an average defensive team (21-28 PPG) after 7-plus games, after a loss by 3 points or less are 40-14 (74.1%) ATS since 1992.  Bet Ole Miss Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Georgia Tech +7.5 

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are just 2-5 SU & 1-6 ATS this season.  The betting public wants nothing to do with them.  It’s a good time to ‘buy low’ on them, just as I did in their last game in their upset win at Miami as 18-point underdogs.  And now they are coming off a bye week, so they will be rested and ready to go while taking away a ton of confidence from that Miami victory. 

Georgia Tech has been more competitive than a 2-5 team.  They were only outgained by more than 49 yards twice, which came against Clemson and North Carolina.  They were only outgained by Temple by 18 yards in a misleading 2-24 road loss.  They actually outgained Duke by 6 yards in a misleading 23-41 road loss.  And they were only outgained by 12 yards by Miami, so there was nothing fluky about that 28-21 (OT) upset road win over the Hurricanes.  It’s safe to say first-year head coach Geoff Collins is doing a great job, and teams with first-year head coaches benefit from bye weeks more than most. 

No question the Pittsburgh Steelers have been impressive this season with a 5-3 record.  But they aren’t the type of team you want to be laying big points with.  In fact, each of Pitt’s last six games have all been decided by 7 points or less.  They only have one win by more than 7 points this year, and that was a lackluster 20-10 home win over Ohio.  What makes it tough to lay points with Pittsburgh is their weak offense, which is averaging just 21.0 points per game this season. 

Pitt and Georgia Tech have met six times since the Panthers joined the ACC.  The series is tied 3-3, but Pitt’s three wins have all come by 5 points or less.  That’s why getting 7.5 points here with the Yellow Jackets at home is such a tremendous value, especially since they are off a bye week and Pitt is coming off a physical, taxing 12-16 home loss to Miami. 

Pittsburgh is 15-30 ATS in its last 45 road games off a home loss.  The Panthers are 13-29 ATS in their last 42 road games off a game where they committed three or more turnovers.  Georgia Tech is 18-6 ATS in its last 24 games off an upset win as a road underdog.  The Yellow Jackets are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games following an ATS win.  The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Roll with Georgia Tech Saturday. 

20* CFB Non-Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on Virginia Tech +17.5 

The is a great spot to fade the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  This is a team that went 12-0 in the regular season last year and made the four-team playoff.  They expected to get back.  Now, after suffering their second loss of the season in a ugly 31-point loss at Michigan last week, their dreams of making the playoff have been crushed.  I think they suffer a hangover effect this week as a result. 

The Fighting Irish catch a Virginia Tech team coming off a bye and coming in with momentum.  Everyone left the Hokies for dead after a 35-point loss to Duke to fall to 2-2.  Since then, they’ve gone 3-0 with an upset road win over Miami and an upset home win over North Carolina.  I think it puts to rest any of the doubts that people had about head coach Justin Fuente. 

A big reason for the Hokies’ turnaround this season has been inserting QB Hendon Hooker into the lineup for that Miami game.  He has run away with the QB job ever since and has led the Hokies to an average of 39.7 points per game in his three starts.  Hooker has a 7-to-0 TD/INT ratio and is averaging 9.5 yards per attempt in those three wins and adds a running element, rushing for 156 yards and a score on 48 carries.  He has everyone on the team believing in him, which is key. 

Notre Dame just hasn’t been that impressive this season.  They were either outgained or only outgained five of their seven opponents by 47 or fewer yards.  The only exceptions were against terrible Bowling Green and New Mexico teams.  They only outgained USC by 47 and Virginia by 5 yards at home.  They only outgained Louisville by 31 yards on the road.  They were outgained at Georgia and outgained by 257 yards at Michigan. 

Plays against home teams (Notre Dame) - a good offensive team scoring 35 or more points per game, off a loss by 21 points or more are 68-32 (68%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Justin Fuente is 10-2 ATS coming off a bye week in all games he has coached.  Take Virginia Tech Saturday. 

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Chicago Bulls -3 

The Chicago Bulls were a popular sleeper team coming into the season.  They were clearly overvalued as they have now been favored in four of their five games, including in all four of their road games.  This team never used to be favored on the road, which shows just how overvalued they were. 

Now, the Bulls are 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS and the betting public doesn’t want much to do with them.  It’s time to ‘buy low’ on the Bulls tonight.  They have played four of their five games on the road with their only home game coming against the defending champion Raptors.  Now the Bulls get a team they can handle in the Detroit Pistons. 

The Pistons are 2-3 this season with their only two wins both coming against the lowly Indiana Pacers.  Their three losses have come by a combined 35 points.  The Pistons are without their two best players in Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson, and they could be without Markieff Morris, who is questionable.  Meanwhile, the Bulls are 100% healthy right now. 

Detroit is 5-16 ATS after failing to cover three of their last four games against the spread over the last two seasons.  The Pistons are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games overall.  Detroit is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games following a loss by more than 10 points.  The home team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  Take the Bulls Friday. 

20* Navy/UConn ESPN 2 Friday No-Brainer on UConn +27.5 

Navy is coming off a massive 41-38 home win over Tulane last week to move to 6-1 and put themselves in a great position to play for an AAC title.  I think this is a big letdown spot for the Midshipmen, who will have a hard time getting up for UConn enough to win this game by four touchdowns or more, which is what it will take to cover this massive 27.5-point spread. 

Connecticut is vastly improved this season under Randy Edsall.  They were the youngest team in the country last year, and while still young, Randy Edsall has done a great job of developing his players and getting them to be much more competitive this year.  They are 2-6 SU but have covered each of their last two games in impressive fashion. 

Two weeks ago, UConn outgained Houston by 152 yards but lost 17-24 as 21-point home dogs.  It was one of the most misleading finals of the season as the Huskies should have won that game outright.  And last week they went on the road and blitzed UMass 56-35 as 9.5-point favorites and racked up 539 total yards in the win. 

Navy isn’t the type of team to rub the opponent’s noses in the dirt.  If they get up in this game, they aren’t going to keep trying to pour it on.  Plus, their triple-option offense isn’t built for covering big spreads like this. They are built for long, extended drives on the ground that keep the clock moving.  This is the biggest favorite role the Midshipmen have been in all season.  They were 21.5-point favorites against Holy Cross in their opener to compare.  I think the Midshipmen are being overvalued now due to their 6-1 record. 

UConn is 20-8 ATS in its last 28 November home games.  The Huskies are 12-2 ATS in their last 12 games after three consecutive games where they committed one or fewer turnovers.  Navy is 1-5 ATS in its last six road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  The Huskies will be highly motivated for this nationally televised home game and a chance to pull a huge upset against a 6-1 Navy team.  We’ll get their best effort tonight.  Bet UConn Friday. 

15* NBA Friday Total DOMINATOR on Bucks/Magic UNDER 215.5 

The Orlando Magic are 4-0 to the UNDER this season.  They are a great defensive team due to their length at almost every position.  But they are an atrocious offensive team because they lack shooting.  Look for this game to easily go UNDER the number tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The Magic rank 29th in the NBA in pace at 99.3 possessions per game.  They will control the tempo playing at home tonight and slow this thing down to a snail’s pace.  The Magic rank 29th in offensive efficiency and are shooting just 39.5% on the season.  But the Magic are 3rd in defensive efficiency while holding opponents to 93.7 points per game and 41.2% shooting. 

The Bucks haven’t face a team with the length and defensive strengths of the Magic.  They have played Houston, Miami, Cleveland and Boston with the majority of those teams being guard-led and playing little defense.  The Bucks are a great defensive team in their own right as they are holding opponents to 43.1% shooting this season. 

The UNDER is 3-1 in the last four meetings with these teams averaging just 201 combined points per game.  That’s nearly 15 points less than tonight’s posted total of 215.5.  There’s clearly some value with the UNDER tonight.  Roll with the UNDER in this game Friday. 

20* NBA TOTAL OF THE WEEK on Nuggets/Pelicans OVER 222.5 

The New Orleans Pelicans are an OVER machine and have been ever since Alvin Gentry took over as head coach.  He finally has the youngsters to run the offense he wants, which is get up and down the floor and get up a shot as quickly as possible while playing little defense. 

The Pelicans are 4-0 OVER this season.  They rank 5th in the NBA in pace at 106.8 possessions per game.  They are 6th in offensive efficiency at 110.8 points per 100 possessions, and 28th in defensive efficiency while giving up 116.6 points per 100 possessions.  They are combining with their opponents to average 249.2 points per game on the season. 

While the Nuggets like to play at a slower pace, they won’t have a choice here.  The Pelicans will control the pace playing at home here tonight.  And they get their best player in PG Jrue Holiday back from injury after a one-game absence, which benefits the OVER. 

The head-to-head series history favors the OVER, too.  The Pelicans & Nuggets have combined for at least 227 points in eight of their last nine meetings, making for an 8-1 system backing the OVER pertaining to tonight’s total set of 222.5.  The OVER is 6-0 in Pelicans last six Thursday games.  The OVER is 4-1 in the last five meetings in New Orleans.  Roll with the OVER in this game Thursday. 

15* CFB Thursday Total DOMINATOR on Georgia Southern/App State UNDER 44.5 

Two teams who love to run the football and who both have good defenses square off Thursday in this Sun Belt showdown between Georgia Southern and Appalachian State.  The clock will be running constantly due to both teams running the football.  This game has all the makings of a low-scoring, defensive battle, especially since it will be windy (17 MPH-plus) with a good chance of rain during game time. 

Georgia Southern runs the triple-option.  The Eagles average 53 rushing attempts for 261 yards per game and 5.0 per carry.  They only average 10 pass attempts per game.  They’ll be up against a very good Appalachian State defense that is allowing 19 points, 326.6 yards per game and 5.0 yards per play.  The Mountaineers are only giving up 13.5 points, 249.7 yards per game and 4.2 yards per play in their four conference games.  They also only give up 140 rushing yards per game and 3.9 per carry on the season. 

Appalachian State has a decent offense, there’s no question about that.  They are good at running the football and also run it a lot, averaging 44 attempts for 249 yards per game and 5.7 per carry.  But they have feasted on some bad run defenses this season.  Georgia Southern has a good defense, giving up 342 yards per game and 5.2 per play, holding opponents to 80 yards per game and 0.9 per play less than their season averages.  The Eagles have been very good against the run, giving up 134 rushing yards per game and 3.5 per carry. 

The UNDER is 4-1 in the last five meetings in this series.  They have combined for 48 or fewer points in all five meetings, and 44 or less in three of them.  Georgia Southern has averaged just 15.8 points and 234.3 yards per game in their last four meetings with Appalachian State.  The Eagles did hold the Mountaineers to just 288 total yards last year and forced five turnovers in an upset victory. 

Georgia Southern is 9-0 UNDER In its last nine games after allowing 125 or less passing yards in its last game.  The UNDER is 14-3 in Eagles last 17 games off a win by more than 20 points.  The UNDER is 8-2 in Eagles last 10 Thursday games.  The UNDER is 5-1 in Mountaineers last six conference games. 

Plays on the UNDER on all teams where the total is between 42.5 to 49 (Appalachian State) - after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games against an opponent after allowing 7 points or les sin the first half of two straight games are 25-4 (86.2%) over the last five seasons.  Take the UNDER in this game Thursday. 

15* Clippers/Jazz ESPN No-Brainer on UNDER 217 

This huge game between the Clippers and Jazz will be played at a snail's pace tonight.  The Jazz rank 28th in pace this season, averaging just 99.3 possessions per game.  The Clippers are 21st in pace at 102.4 possessions per game. 

Not to mention, these are two of the best defensive teams in the NBA.  The Jazz are 1st in the NBA in defensive efficiency at 92.0 points per 100 possessions allowed.  The problem for the Jazz is on the other end, where they rank 27th in offensive efficiency at 99.5 points per 100 possessions. 

The Clippers have put up big numbers offensively this season, but they’ve played against some bad defensive teams in the Warriors, Suns and Hornets in their last three games.  I think those gaudy offensive numbers have inflated this total.  The Jazz give up just 91.5 points per game and 39.1% shooting on the season, so the Clippers will have their stiffest test yet tonight. 

The UNDER is 7-0 in Jazz last seven games overall.  The UNDER is 4-0 in Jazz last four home games.  The UNDER is 14-3 in Jazz last 17 games following an ATS loss.  Bet the UNDER in this game Wednesday. 

15* Nationals/Astros Game 7 ANNIHILATOR on Washington +124 

The Washington Nationals are simply a team of destiny.  To come back and win that Game 6 after losing three straight at home is just another example of their remarkable resilience.  They came back from two runs down in the 8th to beat the Brewers in the wild card, came back from 2-1 down in the series to the Dodgers to win in five games, and now they are going to come back from 3-2 down in the World Series to win in seven games. 

The Max Scherzer injury that forced him to miss Game 5 is going to turn out to be a blessing in disguise.  It set the Nationals up to have Strasburg and Scherzer pitch their final two games with the season on the line.  After all, the Nationals are now 9-0 in games started by Strasburg and Scherzer this postseason.  Scherzer is 9-2 with a 2.49 ERA and 0.952 WHIP in 14 road starts this season . He is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.947 WHIP in his last three starts. 

Zack Greinke gave up 7 hits and 3 walks in 4 2/3 innings in Game 3 against the Nationals, but he only gave up one run, which is hard to do.  He won’t be so fortunate in Game 7 tonight as the Nationals will jump on him early and often.  Greinke is now 0-4 with a 5.56 ERA in his last seven postseason starts, giving up 21 earned runs and 8 homers in 34 innings. 

The Nationals are 7-0 in their last seven playoff road games.  Washington is 16-5 in Scherzer’s last 21 starts.  The Nationals are 38-15 in Scherzer’s last 53 road starts.  The Astros are 1-4 in their last five World Series home games.  The Nationals are 11-1 in their last 12 meetings in Houston.  Take the Nationals in Game 7 Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Washington Wizards +8 

The Washington Wizards have really impressed me this season thus far.  They are 1-2 SU but 3-0 ATS despite playing their first three games on the road.  Now they play their home opener here Wednesday and come in on three days’ rest having last played on Sunday, so they’ll be ready to go tonight. 

Washington only lost by 8 at Dallas as 9-point dogs in their opener.  They pulled the 97-85 upset at Oklahoma City as 8.5-point dogs.  And the very next night they gave the Spurs all they could handle in a 122-124 loss as 11.5-point dogs.  The Wizards are playing great team basketball with eight players averaging at least 10 points per game. 

The Houston Rockets are clearly one of the most overrated teams in the NBA in the early going.  They are 0-3 ATS despite playing their first three games at home.  They lost outright to the Bucks, barely beat the Pelicans by 3 as 12-point favorites, and also barely beat the Thunder by 4 as 10-point favorites. 

The home team is 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Wizards are 6-1 ATS in their last seven vs. Western Conference opponents.  Washington is 17-5 ATS in its last 22 home games after a combined score of 245 points or more.  Roll with the Wizards Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Brooklyn Nets -3 

The Indiana Pacers are one of the worst teams in the NBA.  They are 0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS with their three losses coming to the Pistons (twice) and Cavaliers.  That’s a Pistons team playing without Blake Griffin, and they were without Reggie Jackson in the second meeting.  And it’s a Cavaliers team that is one of the worst in the NBA. 

The Nets come in on two days’ rest and highly motivated for a win today.  They have opened 1-2, but could easily be 3-0 as both of their losses have come by a single point.  I think we are getting them at a tremendous value as only 3-point home favorites here Wednesday. 

Plays on favorites (Brooklyn) - off an upset loss as a road favorite, first six games of the season, a playoff team from last season who lost four or more of their last five games are 36-13 (73.5%) ATS since 1996. 

Indiana is 7-18 ATS in road games after playing a road game over the last two seasons.  Brooklyn is 39-20 ATS when playing only its 2nd game in 5 days over the last three years.  The Pacers are 0-6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Indiana is 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 vs. NBA Atlantic Division opponents.  The Nets are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 games when playing on two days’ rest.  Take the Nets Wednesday. 

20* NBA Non-Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on Minnesota Timberwolves +7.5 

The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to get no respect from oddsmakers here as 7.5-point road underdogs to the Philadelphia 76ers.  They have opened 3-0 SU & 2-0-1 ATS this season and are clearly one of the most underrated teams int he NBA in the early going. 

I just don’t trust the Philadelphia 76ers all that much to lay big numbers.  They are 3-0, but two of their wins have come by 6 points or less to the Pistons and Hawks, two teams in the bottom half of the NBA.  The rank just 19th in offensive efficiency and don’t have many shooters, so they are going to go on stretches where points are hard to come by. 

The Timberwolves are taking advantage of their youth this season and rank 11th in pace.  They rank 4th in offensive efficiency, scoring 111 points per 100 possessions.  They are also 11th in defensive efficiency, and it helps that they have a healthy Robert Covington and drafted Jarrett Culver, giving them two of the best wing defenders in the NBA. 

The Timberwolves come in on two days’ rest, so they will be ready to go tonight.  Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last five road games.  Bet the Timberwolves Wednesday. 

20* Grizzlies/Lakers NBA TV Late-Night BAILOUT on Memphis +12 

The Memphis Grizzlies are a fun team this year because they actually have some scorers now, and they still play great defense.  They are playing great team basketball in the early going as they have seven players averaging at least 10.7 points per game. 

Ja Morant is the real deal, averaging 18 points, 6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.  Jaren Jackson Jr. is his sidekick, averaging 17.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.  And I like the role players in Jonas Valanciunas, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill, Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones. 

The Lakers are simply laying too many points tonight.  They are overvalued coming off back-to-back wins and covers over Utah and Charlotte at home.  They will be without Kyle Kuzma and could be without Raton Rondo.  And I like the fact that Jaren Jackson Jr. is a great defender and will make Anthony Davis work for everything he gets. 

The Grizzlies are 4-2 SU & 4-2 ATS in their last six meetings with the Lakers, including outright wins as underdogs in their last two trips to Los Angeles.  The underdog is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.  The Lakers are 4-16 ATS in their last 20 against teams that are outscored by 3-plus points per game by their opponents over the last two seasons.  Bet the Grizzlies Tuesday. 

15* Nationals/Astros Game 6 ANNIHILATOR on Washington +165 

Amazingly, the road team is 5-0 in this series.  The Nationals didn’t deal with the pressure of trying to please their home fans the last three games.  Perhaps getting back on the road here is exactly what the doctor ordered. 

I cashed in Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals as +170 underdogs in Game 2 of a dominant 12-3 victory.  It was the biggest underdog Strasburg had ever been in his career.  And now he’s roughly the same price here Tuesday.  Strasburg is clearly a big game pitcher, going 5-2 with a 1.34 ERA in eight postseason starts while allowing just 7 earned runs in 47 innings with 64 K’s. 

Justin Verlander is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his last four starts this postseason, giving up 14 earned runs in 23 1/3 innings.  He has also allowed a whopping 7 homers during this stretch, and giving up the long ball has been a problem for him all season as he has now allowed 42 homers on the year. 

The Nationals are 6-0 in their last six road games.  Washington is 45-15 in Strasburg’s last 60 starts.  The Nationals are 91-35 in Strasburg’s last 126 starts overall.  Washington is 10-1 in its last 11 trips to Houston.  The Nationals are 4-0 in Strasburg’s last four starts against the Astros.  Roll with the Nationals in Game 6 Tuesday. 

15* Hawks/Heat NBA TV No-Brainer on Atlanta +8 

The Atlanta Hawks are 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS this season and one of the most undervalued teams in the NBA to start the year.  They should be 3-0 as they led basically the entire way against the 76ers last night but came up short with a 103-105 loss as 5.5-point home dogs.  They missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won it. 

I actually like the fact that they lost that game because they will come back highly motivated for a victory tonight.  And I’m not concerned at all about the Hawks playing the 2nd of a back-to-back this early in the season because they are a young team with young legs built for it.  They have tremendous young talent in Trae Young (34 PPG, 9 APG), John Collins (14.3 PPG, 10 RPG) and De’Andre Hunter (11.3 PPG) leading the way. 

I think this line is inflated due to Jimmy Butler making his season debut for the Heat tonight following the birth of a child.  Butler has been a cancer in his recent stops in Minnesota and Philadelphia.  The ball sticks to him, which won’t allow the Heat to play the nice team basketball they’ve been playing up to this point en route to a 2-1 start. 

The Hawks are 4-3 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings with the Heat.  All four wins came outright as underdogs, and two of the losses came by a combined 4 points.  The Hawks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games, and 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games overall.  Atlanta is 31-16 ATS off a home loss over the last three seasons.  Take the Hawks Tuesday. 

20* Dolphins/Steelers ESPN Monday No-Brainer on Miami +14.5 

This line is outrageous.  The Miami Dolphins cannot be catching more than two touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Dolphins aren’t as bad as they are perceived to be, and the Steelers are one of the worst teams in the NFL, so they just can’t be laying this big of a number. 

The Steelers are 2-4 this season with their two wins coming against the Bengals and Chargers, who are a combined 2-12.  And their win over the Chargers was very misleading as the Chargers basically gave them two touchdowns with turnovers.  The Steelers only gained 256 total yards on offense against the Chargers. 

And that’s my problem with the Steelers laying this big of a number.  Their offense is horrid.  They average just 20.5 points and 276.5 yards per game this season.  The Steelers rank 28th in total offense this season.  With backup quarterbacks, they have gone to a dink and dunk passing game that will get figured out rather quickly.  They just aren’t going to be putting up points in a hurry. 

My mind was blown last week when it was announced that Ryan Fitzpatrick was going to start against the Bills instead of Josh Rosen, and the line didn’t move at all.  Fitzpatrick is at least worth 3 to 4 points over Rosen, and he has proven that the last two weeks.  He entered late against the Redskins and led the Dolphins on two touchdown drives, nearly leading them to their first victory of the season in a 16-17 loss. 

Then last week, Fitzpatrick did everything in his power to beat the Bills as 17-point road underdogs.  The Dolphins probably deserved to win that game because they outgained the Bills by 76 yards.  Fitzpatrick threw for 282 yards with one touchdown and one pick, while also rushing for a score.  The Bills got a 45-yard onside kick return TD for a score with 1:38 left to make it a misleading 31-21 final. 

I like the fight I saw in the Dolphins in that game.  They are rallying around Fitzpatrick and they clearly aren’t tanking contrary to popular belief.  I’ve seen a team hungry for a victory the last two weeks.  And that certainly won’t change on the bright lights of Monday Night Football.  This team would love nothing more than to get their first win of the season on the biggest stage to quiet their naysayers. 

Plays against home favorite of 10.5 or more points (Pittsburgh) - after having won two of their last three games, in October games are 38-13 (74.5%) ATS since 1983.  Pittsburgh is 12-28 ATS in its last 40 games as a favorite of 10 or more points.  Mike Tomlin is 5-14 ATS against teams that are outscored by 10-plus points per game on the season as the coach of the Steelers.  Pittsburgh is just 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a bye week.  Bet the Dolphins Monday. 

15* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on New Orleans Pelicans -4 

The New Orleans Pelicans could easily be 3-0 instead of 0-3.  They led the entire game against the Raptors on the road in the opener before losing by 8 in overtime.  They played the Mavericks tough in their second game and lost 116-123.  And last time out on Saturday they only lost 123-126 on the road at Houston as 12-point dogs. 

The Golden State Warriors haven’t even come close to winning.  They lost 122-141 in their home opener to the Clippers.  And yesterday they got crushed on the road 92-120 by a bad Oklahoma City Thunder team.  So they’ll now be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back. 

The problem for the Warriors is that they don’t have any scorers outside Stephen Curry and De’Angelo Russell.  And Russell isn’t off to a promising start in his first season with the Warriors.  They have no depth, and they really miss Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.  They also have no inside game as both Kevon Looney and Willie Cauley-Stein are out.  And they play no defense, ranking dead last in the NBA in defensive efficiency by a wide margin. 

The Pelicans rank 6th in offensive efficiency and will test this porous Golden State defense.  The Warriors are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 games playing the 2nd of a back-to-back.  New Orleans is 8-0 ATS in its last eight Monday games.  Take the Pelicans Monday. 

15* NBA Monday Undervalued Underdog on Atlanta Hawks +5 

The Atlanta Hawks are getting zero respect early in the season.  They went on the road as underdogs and crushed the Pistons 117-100 in their first game.  And they upset the Magic 103-99 in their home opener on Saturday.  Now the Hawks are once again underdogs to the Philadelphia 76ers. 

It’s a 76ers team that could be without Joel Embiid, who is battling an ankle injury.  The 76ers have opened 2-0 with a good win over Boston in their opener, but they needed a comeback win against the Pistons to beat them 117-111 on the road.  That’s a Pistons team that was playing without both Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson, arguably their two best players. 

The Hawks rank 7th in offensive efficiency and 10th in defensive efficiency thus far through two games.  They are shooting 51.2% and giving up just 38% as a team.  Trae Young is averaging 38.5 points and 9.0 assists as he appears to be building off the tremendous second half last year.  And they drafted De’Andre Hunter to improve their defense and guard the opposing team’s best player.  He is also shooting 61.5% from the floor and 50% from 3 in the early going. 

Philadelphia is 4-14 ATS after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games over the last two seasons.  The 76ers are also 9-23 ATS off two or more consecutive wins over the last two years.  Atlanta is 27-13 ATS after playing a home game over the last two seasons.  The Hawks went 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS against the 76ers last season, upsetting them as 4.5, 7.5 and 10-point dogs in the three meetings.  Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last seven home meetings with Philadelphia.  Roll with the Hawks Monday. 

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Minnesota Timberwolves -6.5 

It’s a tough spot for the Miami Heat tonight.  They erased a 17-point halftime deficit yesterday against the Bucks and came back to force overtime.  They eventually won 131-126 as 11.5-point dogs in the extra session.  Now, this is obviously a letdown spot, but they’ll be pretty tired playing the 2nd of a back-to-back off an OT game. 

The Timberwolves will test the fatigue factor for the Heat.  They ranked 1st in pace in the preseason and are currently 8th in pace through two games of the regular season.  This is a young team, and they’ve stated they want to get up and down the floor this year to take advantage of their youth. 

So far so good for the Timberwolves, who are 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS with two road wins over the Nets and Hornets.  Fans should be pretty excited and turn out for their home opener today against the Heat.  It’s their only home game in their first five games this season, so look for them to take advantage.  Bet the Timberwolves Sunday. 

15* NFL Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Cleveland Browns +13 

I love several things about the Browns +13 over the Patriots this week.  First and foremost, the Browns are coming off their bye week, giving them a chance to regroup.  And the Patriots will be working on a short week after playing on Monday Night Football.  The rest and preparation advantage clearly goes to the Browns in this one. 

The Patriots were -10.5 over the Browns on the lookahead line last week.  But after beating the Jets 33-0, the Patriots jumped up to -13 favorites.  Well, the Jets basically gave that game away by committing six turnovers.  They threw two touchdowns in the end zone and just nothing went their way as Sam Darnold famously said he was ’seeing ghosts’. 

The Browns come in highly motivated for a victory after two straight losses, including a blown 20-6 lead over the Seahawks to lose 28-32 going into the bye week.  The Browns also get a lost healthier this week as they get some key pieces back in the secondary in CB’s Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward from injury.  And Baker Mayfield got some much needed extra time to rest his banged up hip. 

I think the Browns are one of the most underrated teams in the NFL right now due to their 2-4 start.  The talent is just too good on this team to be 2-4.  They showed what they were capable of in their 40-25 road win over the Ravens as 7-point dogs a few weeks back.  Unfortunately, they haven’t always lived up to their potential because of turnovers.  They have already committed 14 turnovers in six games, including a combined 12 turnovers in their four losses.  There’s no question they are primed for a big effort off their bye week as long as they take care of the football. 

The Patriots are clearly overvalued right now after their 7-0 start to the season.  I say that because they have faced the easiest schedule in the entire NFL.  Their schedule ranks 32nd in difficulty.  The Browns have faced the 13th-toughest schedule to compare.  Six of the Patriots seven wins have come against teams that are a combined 7-32 on the season.  The lone exception was the 16-10 win over the 5-1 Buffalo Bills, but that was a fluky result as the Bills outplayed them and should have won.  The Bills outgained them by 151 yards.  I believe Cleveland is by far the 2nd-best team the Patriots will have faced this season. 

The Browns are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.  Cleveland is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games following an ATS loss.  Plays against favorites (New England) - a good offensive team scoring 27 or more points per game against a poor defensive team that allows 23 to 27 points per game, after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games are 33-12 (73.3%) ATS since 1983.  Roll with the Browns Sunday. 

25* NFL Non-Conference GAME OF THE YEAR on Buffalo Bills -1.5 

The Buffalo Bills are legit this season, yet they just rarely get the respect they deserve from oddsmakers.  And I definitely think they are getting overlooked as only 1.5-point home favorites here against the Eagles. 

This is the best Bills team the city has seen in probably decades.  They are 5-1 and nothing about what they have done this season is a fluke.  They are outgaining teams by nearly 70 yards per game this season.  They have outgained five of their six opponents. 

The only exception was actually last week in a flat performance against the Dolphins, yet they still won by 10 points.  And I think the fact that they didn’t cover that inflated 17-point spread is why we are getting them at a discount here.   

Nobody has played the Patriots tougher than the Bills.  They lost 10-16 to the Patriots, but gave up a special teams touchdown and outgained the Patriots by 151 yards.  Tom Brady had one of the worst games of his career in that game.  He was 18-of-39 passing for 150 yards without a touchdown and an interception. 

Now this elite Bills defense will continue to terrorize Carson Wentz, who is probably seeing ghosts by now just like Sam Darnold.  The Eagles lost by 18 at the Vikings and followed it up with a miserable 27-point road loss to the Cowboys last week.  If they were going to show some fight, it would have been last week against the Cowboys.  I just think this team is broken right now. 

They have one of the worst secondary’s in the league.  And they just got rid of Orlando Scandrick, who called out the Eagles’ locker room for being content after winning the Super Bowl two years ago.  He said the hunger is gone, and it’s hard to argue. 

The Vikings and Cowboys proved you could run on the Eagles.  Those two teams averaged 156 rushing yards per game the last two weeks on this Eagles defense.  They have injuries on the offensive line and at the skill positions that are making things tough on Wentz and the offense. 

The Eagles are now 1-3 on the road this season and getting outscored by 10.5 points per game.  It will be a very hostile atmosphere in Buffalo this week as the fans couldn’t possibly be more excited about this team.  It is one of the most passionate fan bases in the NFL, even when they’re bad.  But when they’re good, their home-field advantage is massive. 

Plays on home favorites in non-conference games off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival are 28-7 (80%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Plays against any team (Philadelphia) - after trailing in their previous game by 14 points or more at the half against an opponent that scored 30 points or more last game are 40-14 (74.1%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet the Bills Sunday. 

20* NFC GAME OF THE WEEK on New York Giants +7 

The Detroit Lions just can’t be favored by a touchdown over the Giants today.  They are 2-3-1 on the season with their two wins coming by a field goal each.  And they were aided by mistakes by the Chargers and injuries to the Eagles. 

Detroit’s defense has completely fallen apart.  The Lions are giving up 33.0 points and 462.7 yards per game in their last three games, which have all resulted in losses.  The injuries are mounting on defense as they will be without DT Mike Daniels and CB Darius Slay.  And they just traded away a team captain and one of the most liked players on the team in Quandre Diggs, and players voiced their frustrations over the move. 

The Giants should be able to shred this Lions defense as well.  Detroit just got back some key pieces from injury last week in Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram.  And Golden Tate is back from suspension.  Their offense is about as healthy as it has been at any point this season, and Daniel Jones is primed for another big performance here. 

I liked what I saw from the Giants’ defense last week against a good Cardinals offense.  They held the Cardinals to just 245 total yards, including 89 passing.  They fell in a quick 17-0 hole early and were able to climb their way back with a chance to win thanks to the job the defense did.  They held the Cardinals to just 10 points over the final three quarters, and one of those was a field goal after the offense turned it over on downs deep in their own territory late. 

Plays against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points (Detroit) - after covering the spread in four of hitter last five games, a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a losing team are 23-5 (82.1%) ATS since 1983.  The Lions are 16-37 ATS in their last 53 games after covering the spread in four or five of their last six games.  They are getting too much respect here after covering four of their last five coming in, and they aren’t winning by margin. 

The Giants are 16-3 ATS in their last 19 games after allowing 17 points or more in the first half of two straight games.  New York is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 road games.  The road team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.  Look for New York to continue to be road warriors here and cover this inflated number.  Take the Giants Sunday. 

20* Washington State/Oregon ESPN Late-Night BAILOUT on Washington State +14.5 

The Oregon Ducks are coming off a massive comeback road win over Washington last week.  The Ducks trailed that game by double-digits most the way before coming on strong in the second half to escape with a victory from the jaws of defeat.  I think they are now being overvalued off that huge win here laying more than two touchdowns to a good Washington State team.  It’s also a sandwich spot with a road game at USC on deck. 

Washington State put an end to a tough three-game losing streak with an emphatic 41-10 home win over Colorado last week.  They blew late leads against both UCLA and Arizona State or they’d be 6-1 this season. I think the fact that they are only 4-3 has them undervalued this week. 

Overlooking Washington State has been a regular occurrence every year for Oregon.  It’s clear that the Cougars get up for this game more than the Ducks do, and Mike Leach has them figured out.  Washington State is a perfect 9-0 ATS in the last nine meetings, covering the spread by a whopping 152 combined points in those nine meetings.  That’s an average cover of 16.9 points per game.  The Cougars have gone 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings with the Ducks and haven’t lost to them by more than 7 points in any of the last five meetings. 

Washington State is 9-0 ATS vs. good passing teams that average 250 or more yards per game over the last three seasons.  The Cougars are 7-0 ATS when the total is 63.5 to 70 over the last three years.  Throw in the 9-0 ATS in the last nine meetings, and we have a combined 25-0 system backing the Cougars here.  Roll with Washington State Saturday. 

20* Clippers/Suns NBA Late-Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles -9 

I don’t even think it’s an overreaction to say that the Clippers are the best team in the Western Conference from what we’ve seen from them so far.  They beat the Lakers 112-102 in their home opener, then went on the road Thursday and crushed the Warriors 141-122. 

Not only do the Clippers have a great starting lineup led by Leonard, Beverly and the underrated duo of Shamet and Zubac, but they clearly probably have the best bench in the league.  Their bench scored 60 points against the Lakers and following it up with 68 against the Warriors.  That’s a mind-blowing 128 bench points in two games.  It’s scary to think that they are doing this without Paul George. 

The Phoenix Suns are in an awful spot tonight.  They will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days.  Not only that, but they went to overtime against Denver on the road in the altitude last night. They won’t have much left in the tank, especially since they’ll be without DeAndre Ayton again tonight. 

The Clippers already own the Suns, going 12-0 SU & 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  A whopping 10 of those wins came by double-digits.  And now the Clippers have the best team they’ve ever had, while the Suns are still the same old Suns.  Bet the Clippers Saturday. 

25* MLB Playoffs GAME OF THE YEAR on Washington Nationals +101 

The Houston Astros are favored for a fourth straight game.  The Nationals cannot get any respect despite having the best record in baseball since the end of May.  And despite the fact that they are 18-3 in their last 21 games overall.  One loss is not going to deter the Nationals, who actually played well last night but couldn’t capitalize on their base runners.  They had 14 base runners and only scored one run.  That’s hard to do. 

Now, the Nationals are set up well here in Game 4.  They will throw out left-hander Patrick Corbin, who is 9-2 with a 2.62 ERA and 1.009 WHIP in 17 home starts this season.  And after Corbin, they have the luxury of throwing both Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson, their two best relievers who are on two days’ rest.  They were able to use their worst relievers in Game 3 in the later innings to save these two horses. 

Conversely, Houston will be going with a bullpen game.  They will start rookie Jose Urquidy, and I can’t see that going well for the youngster.  Last night, the Astros used all of their best relievers in Will Harris, Joe Smith and Roberto Osuna.  Harris pitched 1 2/3 innings and almost certainly won’t be available tonight.  If any of these guys are available, the Nationals will be ready for them after seeing them last night. 

The Nationals are 8-1 in their last nine playoff games.  Washington is 23-9 in its last 32 games off a loss.  The Nationals are 42-17 in their last 59 games overall.  Washington is 6-0 in Corbin’s last six home starts vs. a team with a winning record.  The Nationals are 14-3 in Corbin’s last 17 home starts.  Bet the Nationals Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Chicago Bulls +3.5 

The Chicago Bulls are a young team that can handle these back-to-back situations better than most.  I love their young, talented roster, and they really should be 2-0.  They lost 125-126 at Charlotte only after the Hornets made a ridiculous 23-of-44 from 3-point range.  But they came back and won 110-102 at Memphis last night. 

The Raptors lost Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green from last year.  They just won’t be as good this year, and they should be 0-2.  They trailed almost the entire way against the Pelicans in their home opener, needing overtime to beat them while getting a fluky cover as 7-point favorites.  And last night they lost to the rival Celtics 106-112 on the road and now will be on the road again for the 2nd of a back-to-back.  I think that affects the Raptors worse because they have several older players in Lowry, Gasol and Ibaka who play big minutes and will need to be limited here. 

Fans will be excited for the home opener for the Bulls and they’ll pack the United Center tonight.  It should be a great atmosphere for a fan base starting for a winner, and the Bulls are very close to turning the corner with the talent they have stockpiled.  Chicago is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 meetings with Toronto.  Take the Bulls Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on UCLA +4 

We saw last season the UCLA Bruins improve greatly as the season went on in Year 1 under Chip Kelly.  And I think we will see the same thing in the second half this season as the Bruins try and chase down a bowl game after a slow start. 

The biggest reason for UCLA’s slow start is the schedule.  Their schedule ranks as the 6th-toughest in the country thus far.  A big reason for that is a brutal non-conference schedule that featured Cincinnati, San Diego State and Oklahoma.  They got off to a 1-5 start this season and had their stud QB in in Dorian Thompson-Robinson getting hurt. 

Thompson-Robinson missed part of the Arizona loss and the entire Oregon State loss, which explains that defeat.  But he returned against Stanford last week and led the Bruins to an impressive 34-16 road victory as 4-point dogs to the Cardinal.  Now, UCLA has two winnable home games in a row coming up against ASU and Colorado, and if they can win those two games they’d get to 4-5 and in great shape for a bowl game.  That is clearly the goal here. 

I think Arizona State is one of the most overrated teams in the country.  The Sun Devils are ranked No. 24 in the country and off to a 5-2 start this season.  But they had a fluky win at Michigan State where they were outgained by 188 yards, they were upset by Colorado at home, they needed a last-second TD to beat Washington State at home, and they only beat Cal by 7 and Sacramento State by 12 as 35.5-point favorites.  They are fortunate to be 5-2 to say the least. 

Arizona State’s true colors showed last week in a 3-21 road loss to Utah where they managed just 136 yards of total offense.  And it’s that dreadful offense that makes it hard for ASU to be laying points on the road here to UCLA, which has the better offense in this matchup, especially with a healthy DTR at QB.  Arizona Stae is averaging just 22.1 points and 365 yards per game this season, including 12.3 points and 239 yards per game in their three road games. 

The Sun Devils are 4-14 ATS in their last 18 road games after having won five or six of their last seven games coming in.  The Bruins are 4-1-2 ATS in their last seven conference games.  UCLA is 11-5 ATS in the last 16 meetings, including 6-2 ATS in the last eight home meetings.  Take UCLA Saturday. 

15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Kentucky +10.5 

The Missouri Tigers are notorious for beating up on bad teams and losing when they step up in class.  But they even lost to a bad team last week, falling 14-21 as 21.5-point favorites at Vanderbilt.  And there’s no way they should be laying double-digits on the road here against Kentucky. 

I was very impressed with how well Kentucky played last week in a 21-0 loss at Georgia.  They were only outgained by 99 yards by the Bulldogs.  Three of Kentucky’s four losses have come on the road this season.  They are 3-1 at home and should be 4-0 as they missed a chip shot field goal that would have likely given them the upset win over Florida.  Instead, the Gators scored on the next play from scrimmage to win 29-21.  If they can play Florida that tough at home, they certainly will have a chance to pull off the upset here against Missouri. 

The weather is going to help the Wildcats, too.  There is a 100% chance of precipitation.  Kentucky wants to run the ball anyway with WR turned QB Lynn Bowden Jr.  He rushed for 196 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas two weeks ago.  And last week he rushed for 99 yards on 17 carries against Georgia’s vaunted defense. 

Missouri has faced the 77th-toughest schedule in the country this season.  Kentucky has faced the 20th-toughest schedule according to Sagarin, a difference of 57 spots.  So I think the Tigers are overrated and that showed last week in their upset loss at Vanderbilt.  And Kentucky is underrated due to the difficulty of their schedule thus far. 

Kentucky has Missouri’s number.  The Wildcats are 3-1 SU & 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  They pulled two outright upsets as more than a touchdown underdogs.  I’m not so sure Missouri should even be favored in this game, let alone a double-digit favorite.  The Tigers are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  The Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games.  Roll with Kentucky Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Total DOMINATOR on Missouri/Kentucky UNDER 45 

Forecasts are calling for 100% chance of precipitation in Lexington for this game between Kentucky and Missouri.  As a result, I’ll back the UNDER in what will be a low-scoring game due to the poor weather, and the resulting game plans by both teams to almost exclusively run the football. 

Kentucky wants to run the ball anyway with WR turned QB Lynn Bowden Jr.  He rushed for 196 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas two weeks ago.  And last week he rushed for 99 yards on 17 carries against Georgia’s vaunted defense.  Since Bowden Jr. took over at QB, the Wildcats have only passed the ball 28 times in two games, or an average of 14 attempts per game. 

Missouri likes to run the football anyway, too.  They average 44 rushing attempts per game compared to 32 passing attempts per game.  Since both teams are going to be keeping the ball on the ground probably 75% to 80% of the time in this game due to weather, that’s going to keep the clock moving and benefit this UNDER greatly. 

The UNDER is 4-0 in Kentucky’s last four games overall with combined scores of 41, 31, 44 and 21 points.  The UNDER is 5-1 in Missouri’s last six games overall as they have a worse offense and a better defense than most were expecting coming into the season.  These teams combined for just 29 points in their meeting last season, and a similar result can be expected here due to the weather. 

Kentucky is 7-0 UNDER in weeks 5 through 9 over the last two seasons.  The UNDER is 9-2 in Kentucky’s last 11 conference games.  The UNDER is 7-2 in Tigers last nine conference games.  The UNDER is 4-1 in the last five meetings.  Bet the UNDER in this game Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Milwaukee Bucks -10.5 

The Miami Heat are going to be without Jimmy Butler, Dion Waiters and James Johnson tonight.  They were able to overcome the loss of these three in their opener, winning 120-101 over the Grizzlies at home.  But that was a misleading final as the Grizzlies led the entire way, and it took a crazy 26-1 run in the 4th by the Heat to beat them. 

Now, the Heat take a big step on in class on the road against the team that I believe is the best in the Eastern Conference in the Milwaukee Bucks.  It’s a Bucks team that returned almost everyone from last year and also added in Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez and Kyle Korver.  And unlike the Heat, they are completely healthy. 

The Bucks own the Heat.  They won their final three meetings last season against the Heat by 38, 15 and 29 points.  Those 38 and 29-point wins came at home, and I expect another blowout here in their home opener in what will be a great atmosphere for a game in Milwaukee tonight. 

The Heat are 3-13 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more over the last three seasons.  The Bucks are 37-17-2 ATS in their last 56 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  Bet the Bucks Saturday. 

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE WEEK on Michigan State +6.5 

This is a great spot to fade the Penn State Nittany Lions.  We cashed with Michigan +9 over Penn State last week.  And we’re fading them again this week for many of the season reasons.  I believe the Nittany Lions are one of the most overrated teams in the country.  They are undefeated and ranked No. 6 in the country and you’re paying a heavy price to back them now, so it’s time to ’sell high’. 

It’s a tough spot for the Nittany Lions.  They are coming off two huge night game victories on the road at Iowa and at home over Michigan.  I question how much they have left in the tank.  Now they face a rested, hungry Michigan State team that is coming off its bye week. 

Everyone has left the Spartans for dead after back-to-back blowout road losses at Ohio State and at Wisconsin, and now it’s time to ‘buy low’ on them.  They lost by 24 at Ohio State and 38-0 at Wisconsin.  It was a 17-0 game at Wisconsin entering the 4th quarter, and they simply ran out of gas and gave up 21 points in the final period. 

But now the Spartans are refreshed with two weeks off and back home.  The Spartans are 3-1 at home this season with their only loss a fluky 7-10 loss to Arizona State.  They outgained ASU by 188 yards in that game.  They are outscoring opponents by 15.3 points and outgaining them by 182 yards per game at home this year. 

Michigan State has outgained five of its seven opponents this season.  Penn State has actually been outgained by 4 of their 7 opponents, which isn’t the sign of a 7-0 team.  They were outgained by Pitt, Buffalo & Michigan at home, and they were also outgained at Iowa.  They have only had to play two true road games all season, and one of those was at Maryland, which was essentially a home game for them. 

Michigan State owns Penn State, going 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in its last six meetings with the Nittany Lions.  The Spartans won outright as 13.5 & 9.5-point underdogs the last two years.  And I fully expect them to win this game outright and hand the fraudulent Nittany Lions their first loss of the season.  Make sure to sprinkle some on the money line, but we’ll take the +6.5 points for some insurance. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Michigan State) - off two consecutive losses by 10 points or more to conference opponents, in weeks 5 through 9 are 34-9 (79.1%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet Michigan State Saturday. 

15* Auburn/LSU CBS No-Brainer on UNDER 59.5 

LSU has the best offense in school history this season.  There’s no denying that.  But they will finally get some resistance against the best defense they have faced all season.  And as a result, I think this total of 59.5 between Auburn and LSU has been inflated here Saturday too much due to LSU’s offensive numbers up to this point. 

Auburn’s defense gives up 17.1 points, 319 yards per game and 4.7 yards per play this season.  They are holding opponents to 12.9 points, 93 yards per game and 1.3 yards per play less than their season averages. This is an elite Auburn defense that might have the best defensive line in the country. 

LSU’s defense isn’t too shabby, either.  The Tigers give up 20.0 points, 319 yards per game and 4.7 yards per play which is very similar to Auburn’s numbers.  And the key here is that Auburn isn’t going to be able to match LSU score for score because freshman QB Bo Nix hasn’t played well on the big stage. 

In Auburn’s three games against Oregon, Texas A&M & Florida, Nix has gone a combined 37-of-80 (46.2%) passing for 428 yards for an average of just 142.7 passing yards per game.  Auburn’s only hope of keeping this game close is to run the ball and control the clock, which I think they will try and do, and that is going to favor the UNDER. 

This has been an UNDER series.  In fact, 52 of the last 53 meetings in this series have seen 59 or fewer combined points.  That makes for a 52-1 system backing the UNDER pertaining to this 59.5-point total.  Take the UNDER in this game Saturday. 

15* AAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Tulane/Navy UNDER 57.5 

Two familiar foes who love to run the football meet in a key AAC showdown when Navy hosts Tulane Saturday.  I expect this to be a low-scoring game, and this total of 57.5 is simply too high.  The clock will be moving constantly and both of these defenses are good enough to keep this game UNDER the number. 

Navy is obviously a triple-option team still that runs the ball an average of 60 times per game.  Tulane throws more than last year, but not that much more as they average 45 rushes per game.  Navy averages 34 possession minutes per game as its key is to control the clock, and it has worked out well as the Midshipmen are greatly improved at 5-1 this season. 

The biggest reason for Navy’s improvement has been their defense.  They are only giving up 16.2 points per game, 282 yards per game and 4.6 yards per play, holding opponents to 8.6 points, 81 yards per game and 0.7 yards per play less than their season averages.  They have been great at stopping the run, giving up just 97 rushing yards per game and 3.0 per carry and holding opponents to 64 rushing yards per game and 1.0 per carry less than their season averages. 

Tulane boasts arguably the best defensive line in the AAC.  That gives them a great chance of stopping Navy here.  The Green Wave give up 23.1 points, 347 yards per game and 5.2 yards per play this season.  They are giving up 142 rushing yards per game and 4.0 per carry, holding opponents to 41 rushing yards per game and 0.6 per carry less than their season averages. 

Both of these teams are familiar with one another as this will be the 5th meeting in five years between these teams.  That familiarity will help both in stopping the opposing offenses, which clearly favors the defenses.  And all four previous meetings have seen 57 or fewer combined points and an average of just 45.3 combined points per game, which is roughly 12 points less than this 57.5-point total.  Roll with the UNDER in this game Saturday. 

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Virginia -3 

Yes, I’m on Virginia again this week.  And yes, it’s for many of the same reason.  I really believe this is one of the better teams in the country and they should be 7-0, but since they are not they are still undervalued.  I cashed in with them with ease over Duke in a 48-14 win as 3-point favorites last week.  And I expect them to cover a similar spread this week against Louisville. 

The reason I believe Virginia should be 7-0 is because they lost two games they should have won and are 5-2 instead.  One was a 20-35 loss at Notre Dame as a 10.5-point dog.  They led at halftime but committed five turnovers and gave the game away in the second half.  They were only outgained by 5 yards by Notre Dame.  The other was their 9-17 loss at Miami.  They had six trips inside the Miami 25-yard line and came away with just three field goals, failing to score a single touchdown.  So they basically gave both those games away. 

This is a bad spot for Louisville.  The Cardinals are coming off a 10-45 home loss to Clemson, and I think they could suffer a hangover from that defeat.  They are pretty fortunate to be 4-3 this season because two of their wins came by a combined five points with their 41-39 win over Boston College and 62-59 win over Wake Forest.  Their three losses all came by double-digits, including an 18-point home loss to Notre Dame to give them a common opponent.  

The Cardinals didn’t play Notre Dame nearly as tough as Virginia did, and Virginia was on the road while Louisville was at home.  Another common opponent is Florida State.  Virginia beat Florida State 31-24 at home and outgained them by 86 yards, while Louisville lost 24-35 at Florida State and was outgained by 112 yards. 

Virginia has the much superior defense in this matchup, and that’s another big reason I trust them more.  The Cavaliers are only giving up 19.7 points, 270.3 yards per game and 4.3 yards per play.  They are holding opponents to 5.7 points, 86 yards per game and 0.9 yards per play less than their season averages.  Louisville gives up 33.4 points, 455.3 yards per game and 6.1 yards per play.  Opponents are averaging 4.6 points, 42 yards per game and 0.3 yards per play more than their season averages on Louisville’s defense. 

Louisville is 1-9 ATS vs. good offensive teams that score 31 or more points per game over the last two seasons.  The Cavaliers are 8-1-2 ATS in their last 11 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.  The Cardinals are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 conference games.  The Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet Virginia Saturday. 

20* Mountain West GAME OF THE WEEK on Nevada +14 

The Wyoming Cowboys are one of the most fraudulent teams in college football.  They are 5-2 this season but could easily be 2-5.  Four of their five wins have come by 13 points or less with the only exception being a blowout win over a bad UNLV team.  They beat Idaho by 5 as 27.5-point favorites and New Mexico by 13 as 17-point favorites.  They should not be laying 14 points to Nevada here. 

The numbers show that Wyoming is a fraud.  The Cowboys have been outgained in six of their seven games this season, including by Texas State, Idaho, Tulsa and New Mexico, which are four bad teams.  They are getting outgained by 47 yards per game on the season. 

Nevada is one of the better teams in the Mountain West.  They are 4-3 this season with their only losses coming to Oregon, Hawaii and Utah State.  I know they have been going through a QB carousel, but I’m not too concerned about it because Wyoming has an awful offense that won’t be able to put away Nevada no matter who is under center. 

Plays on road underdogs of 10.5 to 21 points (Nevada) - off one or more consecutive unders, an average offensive team (21 to 28 PPG) against a good offensive team (28-34 PPG) are 27-6 (81.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Cowboys are 1-6 ATS in their last seven vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Nevada Saturday. 

15* MAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Ball State -2.5 

Bettors just haven’t caught on with how good Ball State is this year because expectations were so low on them coming into the season.  And bettors continue to give Ohio too much respect because the Bobcats were picked by many to win the MAC this year as expectations were high.  Getting Ball State as only a 2.5-point home favorite over Ohio Saturday is a gift from oddsmakers. 

It’s Ball State that is the team capable of winning the MAC this year.  They have gone 4-3 SU & 5-2 ATS, including 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in MAC play.  There were signs early in the season that this team was going to be good before we even got into conference play.  They only lost by 10 at Indiana as 17.5-point dogs, and lost by 11 at NC State as 19-point dogs. 

The Cardinals then opened MAC play with two straight outright road wins as underdogs over Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan.  Then they blew the doors off another MAC favorite in Toledo 52-14 at home last week.  They put up 580 total yards on Toledo and held the Rockets to just 309 total yards, so it wasn’t a fluke. 

Ohio is just 3-4 SU & 1-6 ATS this season, yet they continue to get respect from the books.  Their three wins have come over Rhode Island, Buffalo (by 1) and Kent State (by 7).  They lost on the road to Pitt and Marshall, were blasted by 25 at home by Lafayette in an upset, and were also upset by Northern Illinois at home.  They gave up 39 points and 510 total yards to a bad NIU offense, while Ball State held NIU to 20 points and 388 yards to give them a common opponent. 

The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  It’s time for the Cardinals to exact some revenge on Ohio after getting blown out by them the last two seasons.  Take Ball State Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Early ANNIHILATOR on Northwestern +10.5 

Everyone has left Northwestern for dead with their 1-5 start this season.  This is exactly the time to ‘buy low’ on the Wildcats and head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who thrive in this underdog role with their backs against the wall. 

The biggest reason for Northwestern’s struggles this season has been the schedule.  In fact, Northwestern has faced the No. 1 toughest schedule in the entire country according to Sagarin.  They have played Stanford, Wisconsin and Nebraska on the road, and Ohio State and Michigan State at home.  That is simply murderer’s row. 

The Wildcats have had an extra day to recover and regroup from their 3-52 home loss to Ohio State last Friday.  Now, they face an Iowa Hawkeyes team that is more on their level.  And it’s a Hawkeyes team that they own, going 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in the last three meetings with two outright wins as double-digit underdogs. 

The Hawkeyes feasted on an early easy schedule of Miami Ohio, Rutgers, Iowa State and Middle Tennessee en route to a 4-0 start, and they were fortunate to beat Iowa State.  But reality has set in since they got into Big Ten play, going 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS with their only win coming against Purdue 26-20 as 17.5-point favorites. 

Iowa’s offensive line is a mess right now due to injury and poor performance.  They are averaging just 57.7 rushing yards per game and 1.9 yards per carry in Big Ten play.  Their inability to run the ball is putting too much pressure on QB Nate Stanley, who is also without his favorite receiver in Brandon Smith (33 receptions, 407 yards, 4 TD) due to injury.  You just can’t trust this Iowa offense to be laying double-digits on the road. 

Northwestern is 21-7 ATS in its last 28 games following a double-digit home loss.  The Wildcats are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.  Northwestern is 6-0 ATS when playing against a team that wins 60% to 75% of their games over the last two years.  The Hawkeyes are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.  Bet Northwestern Saturday. 

15* Mavs/Pelicans ESPN No-Brainer on OVER 228 

The New Orleans Pelicans consistently play at one of the fastest paces in the NBA under head coach Alvin Gentry.  That won’t change this season, especially with a younger roster that is built for getting up and down the floor. 

The Pelicans were 5th in pace in the regular season, averaging 110.4 possessions per game.  In their opener, they went to OT against the Raptors in a 122-130 loss.  Well, that game was tied 117-117 at the end of regulation despite poor shooting from both teams.  The Pelicans shot 42.2% from the field while the Raptors shot 40.8%. 

The Mavericks are coming off a low-scoring, 108-100 home win over the Wizards in their opener.  The Wizards shot just 39.8% from the field and aren’t very good.  The Mavericks are going to have to do a lot more offensively in this one to keep up with the Pelicans, who will control the pace at home. 

The OVER is 6-1 in the last seven meetings with combined scores of 220, 226, 241, 238, 220, 235 and 248 points at the end of regulation in the last seven meetings, respectively.  That’s an average of 232.6 combined points per game.  And both teams are stronger offensively with what they did this offseason.  Take the OVER in this game Friday. 

15* Astros/Nationals Game 3 ANNIHILATOR on Washington +127 

I cashed in the Nationals +197 and +170 in Games 1 and 2.  I’m sticking with them here Friday in Game 3 as they continue to lack the respect they deserve from oddsmakers.  Bettors just keep backing the Astros because they are in a must-win, failing to realize that the Nationals are just the better, hotter team right now. 

No team has a better record in MLB than the Nationals since late-May.  They carried over their momentum from comeback wins over the Brewers in the wild card and the Dodgers in the NLCS.  The Nationals have now gone 8-0 in their last eight games overall and 18-2 in their last 20 games. 

Anibal Sanchez is 1-0 with a 0.71 ERA in two postseason starts this season.  He was four outs away from a no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLCS.  Zack Greinke is 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in three postseason starts for the Astros.  Greinke is now 0-4 with a 6.14 ERA in his last six postseason starts, giving up 20 earned runs and 8 homers in 29 1/3 innings. 

The Nationals are 7-0 in their last seven interleague games.  Washington is 4-1 in Sanchez’s last five starts.  The Nationals are 21-5 in the last 26 meetings.  Roll with the Nationals in Game 3 Friday. 

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Boston Celtics -2.5 

The Boston Celtics are highly motivated for a win in their home opener.  They lost on the road to the 76ers to open the season Wednesday and now they welcome the defending champs to Boston.  Look for them to handle their business as only 2.5-point home favorites tonight. 

I loved the move to replace cancer Kyrie Irving with Kemba Walker.  Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are on their way to becoming stars and will get to play larger roles this season.  And Gordon Hayward is back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench last year.  Hayward scored 25 points in the opener and should return to the player that he was in Utah. 

The Raptors lost both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Lakers in free agency.  They still have some talent here with Lowry, Gasol, Siakam, Ibaka and Van Vleet, but they are a far cry from the team they were last year.  They didn’t do much to add to their roster in the offseason and two signees in Patrick McCaw and Rondae-Hollis Jefferson are out with injuries. 

Nick Nurse is 4-15 ATS after a combined score of 235 points or more as the coach of Toronto.  Boston is 15-4 ATS in home games vs. division opponents over the last three seasons.  The home team is 11-0 SU & 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings as home-court advantage has been huge in this series.  Bet the Celtics Friday. 

15* Redskins/Vikings NFC ANNIHILATOR on Washington +17 

This is a great time to ’sell high’ on the Minnesota Vikings and ‘buy low’ on the Washington Redskins.  The Vikings are 5-2 SU & 5-2 ATS this season, while the Redskins are 1-6 SU & 2-5 ATS.  Bettors want nothing to do with the Redskins and want to back the Vikings as a result.  That creates artificial line inflation as the books don’t want to have one-sided action on the Vikings.  This line should be less than two touchdowns, so we’ll take the value. 

The headline surrounding this game is Kirk Cousins facing his former team.  But what about Adrian Peterson and Case Keenum?  Cousins chose to leave for Minnesota in free agency.  Keenum was the one who would have been hurt because the Vikings didn’t want him despite a great season, electing to sign Cousins instead. And you know Adrian Peterson wants to have a big game against his former team. 

I think having both Keenum and Peterson will be a huge advantage for the Redskins.  They know all of Mike Zimmer’s defensive tendencies, so they won’t be surprised by anything they see.  And I expect Washington players to rally around their veteran leaders and try and put forth their best game of the season here to try and get them both a win against their former team. 

“It’s gonna help a lot, watching film and seeing some of their tendencies,” said Peterson on how his familiarity with the Vikings defense could help the offense on a short week.  "Just knowing the personalities and their mentality right there is gonna be very important for me and being able to talk to these guys as well since it’ll probably be their first time going up against some of them.” 

“This is where we’re at and there’s only one way to get out of it, is to get out of it together,” said offensive tackle Morgan Moses on how the locker room is dealing with the team’s tough start. “I think we have a great plan, I know the guys are still here, they’re still bought in.  We show up everyday to work, to make our situation better.” 

The Vikings have won and covered three straight coming in.  They couldn’t possibly be more overvalued right now as a result.  Kirk Cousins had a disastrous start in his first four games this season, but has gotten going against three bad defenses in the Giants, Eagles and Lions.  Now, Cousins won’t have his favorite target in Adam Thielen, who suffered a hamstring injury in the win over the Lions last week.   

Not having to face Thielen should make Washington’s job a lot easier on defense.  They can now double-team Stephon Diggs because the Vikings simply don’t have any other great weapons.  Focus on stopping Diggs and Dalvin Cook will give them a chance to be competitive in this game.  It’s a Redskins defense that comes in playing well having given up just 12.5 points per game and 277 yards per game in their last two games overall. 

Plus, Kirk Cousins is covering about 2/3 of the time in 1:00 EST games on Sunday’s, but he has shied away from the big stage.  Cousins is only covering about 1/3 of the time with the Vikings in games not in the 1:00 EST Sunday time slot.  Each of the last 10 meetings in this series have been decided by 12 points or less, making for a perfect 10-0 system backing the Redskins pertaining to this 17-point spread. 

Plays on any team (Washington) - after being beaten by the spread by 42 or more points total in their last five games against an opponent that went over the total by 35 or more points total in their last three games are 25-5 (83.3%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Take the Redskins Thursday. 

15* Bucks/Rockets TNT Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Milwaukee +2 

The Milwaukee Bucks had the best record in the NBA last season and will challenge for the top spot again in 2019.  They didn’t lose much this offseason outside Malcolm Brogdon, who was simply an injury waiting to happen and the Pacers paid way too much for him. 

I actually think the Bucks got better in the offseason.  They brought back their core four in Giannis, Bledsoe, Middleton and Lopez.  They added veteran Wesley Matthews, C Robin Lopez, G Kyle Korver and F Dragan Bender.  The Bucks will be a force once again and are far and away the best team in the East in my opinion. 

I think it’s going to take some time for the Rockets to get accustomed to playing with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the two most ball-dominant players in the NBA.  They lost Chris Paul, Iran Shumpert and Kenneth Faried in the offseason.  I don’t like the additions of Tyson Chandler and Thabo Sefolosha, who have both been non-factors in the NBA due to injury and age. 

The Bucks owned the Rockets in both meetings last season.  They won 108-94 at home and held the Rockets to 36.4% shooting.  They also won 116-109 on the road and held the Rockets to 37.6% shooting.  The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Expect more of the same here in the opener.  Roll with the Bucks Thursday. 

20* SMU/Houston ESPN Thursday No-Brainer on SMU -13 

The SMU Mustangs are one of the best teams in the country that nobody is talking about.  They are 7-0 SU & 6-1 ATS this season while covering the spread by a combined 81 points.  They are covering by an average of 11.6 points per game, which really shows how underrated this team has been. 

Now, SMU is laying less than two touchdowns to a Houston team that is in rebuilding mode.  We’ll gladly back the Mustangs in what will be yet another blowout victory in their favor tonight.  This is their chance to show the world how good they are with a standalone week night ESPN game, so I’m not worried at all about them having a letdown. 

Houston pretty much sealed its fate when all-everything QB D’Eriq King and his favorite WR in Keith Corbin decided to redshirt after four games this season.  Houston has gone 2-1 since, but just 1-2 ATS and their two wins were against North Texas and UConn.  They lost by 15 at home to Cincinnati and will suffer a similar fate here against SMU. 

Last week, Houston barely beat UConn 24-17 as 21.5-point favorites.  That’s a UConn team that is one of the worst in all of college football.  And Houston really should have lost that game as they were dominated in the box score.  The Cougars managed just 286 total yards and gave up 438 yards to the Huskies, getting outgained by a whopping 152 yards. 

SMU boasts a high-powered offense led by Texas transfer Shane Buechele at quarterback.  They re putting up 44.3 pints and 521.1 yards per game this season.  I expect them to match or exceed their season average considering they will be up against a soft Houston defense that allows 30.7 points and 473.9 yards per game this season.  SMU has scored at least 41 points in six straight games, including against some good defenses in TCU, Temple and Tulsa. 

I have been impressed with the improvement of SMU’s defense as much as anything this season, especially under an offensive-minded head coach like Sonny Dykes.  They hold opponents to 370 yards per game and 5.0 yards per play, limiting them to 27 yards per game and 0.4 yards per play less than their season averages.  So, this is an above-average defense coupled with one of the best offenses in the country.  I don’t see any way Houston gets to 30 points in this one, which is at least what it will take to cover this spread. 

The Cougars are 1-6 ATS in their last seven vs. a team with a winning record.  Houston is 0-4 ATS in its last four conference games.  Bet SMU Thursday. 

15* Nationals/Astros Game 2 ANNIHILATOR on Washington +170 

I cashed in the Nationals as nearly +200 underdogs last night, and I’m back on them again tonight as this line is way out of whack.  They are factoring in the must-win situation for the Astros too much into this line.  The fact of the matter is that the Nationals are the Astros’ equals, and they just aren’t getting treated like it from oddsmakers. 

The Nationals have now won seven straight games overall and have the best record in baseball since late May.  They simply feel invincible right now after coming back from 3-1 down in the 8th inning to beat the Brewers in the wild card, and from a 2-1 deficit in the series with the Dodgers to win the final two games, including a comeback victory late in Game 5. 

Stephen Strasburg is quietly showing he’s a great big game pitcher.  He is 4-2 with a 1.10 ERA in his postseason career while giving up just 5 earned runs in 41 innings.  He is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in the 2019 postseason and won’t shy away from the moment tonight. 

Justin Verlander is having a great season, but he has given up 41 homers this year and that has been his kryptonite.  And Verlander has been very hittable in the postseason, going 0-2 with a 5.19 ERA in his last three stats while allowing 10 earned runs and 5 homers in 17 1/3 innings. 

The Nationals are 7-0 in their last seven games overall.  Washington is 5-0 in its last five road games.  The Nationals are 10-1 in Strasburg’s last 11 interleave starts.  Washington is 44-15 in Strasburg’s last 59 road starts.  The Nationals are 90-35 in Strasburg’s last 125 starts overall.  Washington is 9-1 in its last 10 meetings in Houston.  Bet the Nationals Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Memphis Grizzlies +8 

The Miami Heat are getting too much respect from oddsmakers in their opener against Memphis.  They signed Jimmy Butler, and he has been a cancer in his last two stops in Philadelphia and Minnesota.  He needs to have the ball in his hands to be effective, and he’s just not a great team player. 

The rest of Miami’s starting five includes Jutise Winslow, Dion Waiters, Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo, though Waiters is out with a suspension.  They are also without key role player James Johnson.  They lost Dwyane Wade, Josh Richardson and Hassan Whiteside.  I like the draft pick on Tyler Herro, but Meyers Leonard was their only other key addition, and he’s just not very good. 

The Grizzlies managed to win 33 games last year despite all of their injuries and players they traded away.  They enter a new era now with a younger, exciting group of players.  Their top two picks in the draft the last two years in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant are absolute studs.  They also got Brandon Clarke in the draft, giving them three huge building blocks for the future. 

Jonas Valanciunas was not a downgrade at all from Marc Gasol at center.  He played well down the stretch for the Grizzlies as they were a thorn in the side of a lot of playoff contenders.  They also added veteran Jae Crowder, who will start alongside Jackson Jr., Morant, Valanciunas and Dillon Brooks, who had a big preseason and looks to take the next step forward.  They have a lot of depth as they added 10 players this offseason.  Roll with the Grizzlies Wednesday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Chicago Bulls -2.5 

The Chicago Bulls will be one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season.  The Charlotte Hornets will be the worst team in the NBA by my estimation.  So it only makes sense to back the Bulls as short favorites here in the opener over the Hornets. 

Injuries decimated the Bulls in a 22-60 season last year.  This is one of the most talented rosters in the league when healthy.  They have Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr. and Zach LaVine as veterans to lead the way.  They landed Coby White in the draft and added Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky in free agency.  And they get last year’s first-round pick in Wendell Carter Jr. back from injury. 

The Hornets could have traded Kemba Walker and got a big return either of the last two seasons.  Instead, they gave hime a lowball offer and let him walk in free agency to Boston.  They replaced him with a backup PG in Terry Rozier.  The Hornets also let Jeremy Lamb walk in free agency, so they’ve lost their two best players.  Their projected starting five of Rozier, Bacon, Washington, Bridges and Zeller is the worst in the NBA.  Bet the Bulls Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Cleveland Cavaliers +9 

The Orlando Magic open the 2019-20 season getting too much respect from oddsmakers after a big finish last season to make the playoffs.  I like their team, but they should not be laying 9 points to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opener. 

While the Magic didn’t do much this offseason, the Cavaliers will be greatly improved after going just 19-63 last season.  They drafted Daris Garland to pair with Collin Sexton, giving them one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA.  They also drafted Dylan Windler and Kevin Porter Jr., thought Windler is out to start the season with a leg injury. 

Now the Cavaliers have a nice mix of youth and veterans.  Their frontcourt is in good shape with Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, and they brought back Matthew Dellavedova, who are the holdovers from the 2016 glory days.  Love is still an All-Star caliber player who was hurt last year.  Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. should take another step forward this year.  Take the Cavaliers Wednesday. 

15* Nationals/Astros Game 1 ANNIHILATOR on Washington +197 

Getting Max Scherzer as nearly a 2-to-1 underdog is too good a value to pass up.  I like that the Nationals have had some extra time to rest their arms, while the Astros only had a few days in between series.  We saw the Astros lose Game 1 to the Yankees after having just one day off after beating the Rays in five games. 

The Nationals just feel like a team of destiny this year.  They came back from 3-1 down in the 8th inning to beat the Brewers in the wild card just to get into the NLDS.  Then they won Game 4 and Game 5 of the NLDS over the Dodgers, including a comeback win in Game 5.  They have since swept the Cardinals behind dominant pitching, limiting St. Louis to a total of 6 runs in the four games. 

No question Gerritt Cole is having a phenomenal year, but he is hittable.  He had his worst performance in a while and the Yankees let him off the hook last time out as he walked five batters.  Scherzer has allowed just one run and five hits in 15 innings in his last three postseason appearances. 

The Nationals are 6-0 in their last six playoff games.  Washington is 4-0 in its last four road games.  The Nationals are 15-3 in Scherzer’s last 18 starts.  Washington is 37-15 in Scherzer’s last 52 road starts.  The Nationals are 40-16 in their last 56 games overall.  Take the Nationals in Game 1 Tuesday. 

20* Pelicans/Raptors TNT No-Brainer on New Orleans +7 

I think the injury to Zion Williamson is being overblown here, and the Pelicans are catching too many points now on opening night to pass up.  This line has moved from Toronto -5 up to Toronto -7, providing us with ample value to pull the trigger on the Pelicans. 

New Orleans made plenty of other offseason moves that will improve them.  They also added Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the draft.  They signed JJ Redick and Nicolo Melli in free agency while also dealing for Derrick Favors.  Plus, they got Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram back in the Anthony Davis trade.  This team is loaded with talent and depth now. 

The Raptors lost both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Lakers in free agency.  Kyle Lowry will play despite recovering from offseason thumb surgery.  And key signees Patrick McCaw (knee) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (groin) will be out to start the season.  There is still some talent here with Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka, but they are a far cry from the team that won the title last year while riding Leonard. 

The Pelicans are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six trips to Toronto.  The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Bet the Pelicans Tuesday. 

20* Patriots/Jets MNF GAME OF THE MONTH on New York +10 

The New York Jets have been a completely different team with Sam Darnold at quarterback.  In their two games with him this season, they only lost 16-17 to the Bills and upset the Cowboys 24-22 as 7-point dogs.  And they led 16-0 over Buffalo before linebacker C.J. Mosley went out with an injury, and gave up three straight scoring drives late to lose by one. 

Darnold returned from Mono last week and had a great game against the Cowboys, going 23-of-32 passing for 338 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.  They jumped out to a 21-3 lead early before the Cowboys made it interesting late with two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter.  And now, the Jets are expected to get back the quarterback of their defense in Mosley, who is one of the best linebackers in the NFL and has been out since Week 1. 

The Jets want some revenge from a 14-30 road loss to the Patriots as 20.5-point dogs.  They managed to cover that spread despite having the inept Luke Falk at quarterback.  This team had no chance with Falk, and their season numbers are skewed because of having to start him for three games.  The numbers look much better in games with Darnold at quarterback as he is simply picking up where he left off at the end of last year. 

The Patriots are dealing with a ton of injuries themselves, especially on offense where they haven’t looked the greatest in recent weeks despite facing the Bills, Redskins and Giants.  Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett are both banged up, but both are expected to play.  Josh Gordon was forced to leave the Giants game last week with a leg injury, and his status is questionable, though I would guess he’s more doubtful.  They lost FB James Devlin to a neck injury and their running game just hasn’t been the same since.  The Patriots only average 102 rushing yards per game and 3.5 per carry this season.

The Patriots have put up historic numbers defensively thus far this season.  However, it’s worth noting that they have played the single-easiest schedule (32nd) in the entire NFL.  Five of the six teams they have played have two wins or less on the season with the one exception being the Bills, and they probably should have lost that game as they were outgained by 151 yards in that game.  The Jets have played the 10th-toughest schedule as four of the five teams they have faced are .500 or better with the lone exception being the Browns.

Plays against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points (New England) - a good offensive team that averages 27 or more points per game, after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games are 24-5 (82.8%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (NY Jets) - revenging a same-season loss, off a home win are 37-13 (74%) ATS over the last 10 years.  New York is 7-1-1 ATS in its last nine home games vs. a team with a winning record.  Bet the Jets Monday. 

20* NFC GAME OF THE MONTH on Chicago Bears -3 

I’m fading the New Orleans Saints again this week.  My handicap wasn’t bad on the Jaguars last week.  I said Teddy Bridgewater and the Saints offense isn’t very good.  And they only scored 13 points against the Jaguars.  But they still won because their defense was lights out and held Gardner Minshew down. 

They keep winning every close game because Bridgewater has been a game manager and their defense has been good enough.  But the streak stops here.  The Saints are way overvalued right now due to being 5-1, but all five victories have come by one score, so they have gone 5-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less.  That’s very tough to sustain.   

The Bears are pissed off coming off a loss to the Raiders in London.  And they’ve had two weeks to get ready for the Saints as they are coming off their bye week.  I’m not concerned at all whether Chase Daniel or Mitchell Trubisky starts for the Bears because I have them power rated the same.  It looks like Trubisky is good to go, and he has the higher ceiling and more mobility.   

The last time we saw the Bears at home they were shutting down the Vikings 16-6.  And they will shut down Bridgewater and the Saints again this week.  Chicago is giving up just 13.8 points per game this season and 8.0 points per game in their two home games against the Packers & Vikings. 

The Saints are averaging just 18.3 points and 278 yards per game on the road this season.  This is the best defense that Bridgewater will have seen yet.  The Saints are giving up 374 yards per game on the road and getting outgained by 96 yards per game in their three road games this year. 

The Bears are 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 home games against a team with a winning record.  The Bears are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 home games overall.  They have had a great home-field advantage over the past few seasons.  The Saints have notoriously struggled in road games outdoors on grass because it neutralizes their team speed.  And it’s worth noting their best playmaker in Alvin Kamara is banged up right now.  Take the Bears Sunday. 

25* NFC TOTAL OF THE YEAR on Rams/Falcons OVER 53.5 

Expect plenty of offensive fireworks in this game between the Rams and Falcons Sunday played inside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.  It’s perfect conditions for a high-scoring affair between two of the better offenses in the NFL, but also two of the worst defenses in the league. 

The Falcons rank 7th in total offense at 391.3 yards per game.  The Rams are 12th in total offense at 370.8 yards per game.  The Falcons are 26th in total defense, giving up 388.8 yards per game.  And the Rams are 12th in total defense at 346.8 yards per game. 

The Falcons are giving up 31.0 points per game this season.  It’s like their defense has quit, but they have also been hit hard by injuries.  The Falcons have been particularly bad defensively the last two weeks.  They gave up 53 points to the Texans and 34 points to the Cardinals. 

The Rams started the season pretty well defensively against some bad offenses, but they have been very poor defensively the last three weeks.  They gave up 55 points to the Bucs, 30 to the Seahawks and 20 to the 49ers for an average of 35.0 points per game.  I expect both offenses to top 28 points in this one, and likely to get into the 30’s with the winner scoring 40-plus. 

The Rams traded for Jalen Ramsey, and he should play this week.  But they also traded away CB Marcus Peters, lost their best corner in Aqib Talib to a rib injury, and lost one of their best pass rushers in Clay Matthews to a broken jaw.  That helps explain why their defense has been so poor.  Offensively, they should get back Todd Gurley from injury this week, who they didn’t have against the 49ers. 

The Falcons are also dealing with a ton of injuries defensively as they are without S J.J. Wilcox, DT Michael Bennett, S Keanu Neal and S Johnathan Cyprien.  They could also be without CB Desmond Trufant and CB Blidi-Wreh-Wilson, who are both questionable.  These secondary injuries basically give them no chance of stopping anyone.  Matt Ryan has thrown for over 300 yards in every game this season as the Falcons are consistently playing from behind.  Fortunately, they have stayed almost 100% healthy on offense and have a ton of playmakers for Ryan. 

The Rams are 7-0 OVER in their last seven road games after possessing the ball for 26 or fewer minutes and gaining 13 or fewer first downs in their previous game.  The OVER is 5-1 in Rams last six games following an ATS loss.  The OVER is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Atlanta with combined scores of 55, 58, 64 and 51 points.  The OVER is 16-5 in the last 21 meetings overall.  Bet the OVER in this game Sunday. 

20* AFC South GAME OF THE MONTH on Indianapolis Colts -1 

I really like the spot for the Indianapolis Colts this week.  They are coming off a bye and first place in the AFC South is on the line.  That’s why I’m not concerned at all bout them having any sort of letdown following their big upset road win over the Chiefs last time out. 

The bye week came at a great time because the Colts were really banged up.  Now the Colts should get back several key players this week, including their best defensive player in LB Darius Leonard, who led the NFL in tackles last season.  They’ll be as healthy as they have been at any point in the season this week. 

The Texans could suffer a letdown following their comeback from 14 points down at Kansas City last week to win 31-24.  And they didn’t come out of that game unscathed.  They have a ton of injuries at linebacker and in the secondary, as well as the offensive line.  And those injuries to two starters up front will be where the Texans hurt the most. 

The key to beating the Texans is to sack Deshaun Watson.  The Falcons and the Chiefs weren’t able to get after him the last two weeks, but the Colts will be able to.  The Texans managed just 13 points against the Jaguars, who rank 7th in adjusted sack rate.  The Texans only managed 10 points against the Panthers, who rank 1st in adjusted sack rate.  And the Colts rank 3rd in adjusted sack rate, so they will be in Watson’s face all game long, especially going up against a banged up offensive line. 

The Colts are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.  Indianapolis is 14-3 SU in its last 17 home meetings with Houston.  The Texans are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 road games off an upset win as an underdog.  Houston is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 road games vs. a team with a winning record.  Roll with the Colts Sunday. 

15* CFB Saturday Late-Night BAILOUT on Nevada +21 

The Utah State Aggies are getting treated like the team they were last year and not like the team they are this year by oddsmakers.  They had one of their best seasons in program history last year and lost head coach Matt Wells to Texas Tech as a result.  Former Utah State head coach Gary Anderson has returned to the program, and the cupboard was left bare as the Aggies returned only nine starters this year. 

Utah State is off to a 3-2 start this season, but it only has one win by more than 10 points, and that came against FCS opponent Stony Brook.  In no way should the Aggies be favored by three touchdowns over Nevada here.  They only beat a bad Colorado State team 34-24 as 23.5-point favorites in their last home game, and they lost 6-42 at LSU last time out.  They simply aren’t nearly as good as they were last year. 

Nevada returned from its bye with a solid 41-38 home win against an improved San Jose State team last week.  Nevada was up 24-3 before taking its foot off the gas, so that game was a bigger blowout than the final score showed.  And it was the first start from former Florida State transfer Malik Henry at quarterback, and he was brilliant in leading the Wolf Pack to 41 points. 

Henry was the #2 dual-threat QB in the country coming out of high school, but he had some depression issues at FSU that held him back.  He has found a home here in Nevada now, and things are looking up for him after a great start last week.  Henry threw for 352 yards and a touchdown against SJSU last week.  Look for him to try and match Utah State QB Jordan Love score for score in this one. 

Nevada has had Utah State’s number in recent years.  Nevada is 8-3 SU in the last 11 meetings with its three losses coming by 4, 4 and 2 points.  As you can see, Utah State hasn’t beaten Nevada by more than 4 points in any of the last 11 meetings, making for a perfect 11-0 system backing the Wolf Pack pertaining to this 21-point spread.  The underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet Nevada Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Wake Forest -1.5 

I believe the Wake Forest Demon Deacons got the humbling they needed last week against Louisville.  They opened 5-0 before losing to the Cardinals 59-62 at home last week.  It was a game they deserved to win as they outgained the Cardinals by 148 yards.  But because they lost that game and they aren’t 6-0 now, we are getting the Demon Deacons at only -1.5 when they would probably be more than 3-point favorites had they won that game. 

Florida State’s biggest rival is Clemson, and they lost to the Tigers 14-45 last week.  I think the Seminoles suffer a hangover effect from that defeat and won’t be up for Wake Forest this week as a result.  Clemson outgained the Seminoles by 299 yards and held them to just 253 yards while forcing four turnovers in the win. 

I realize Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman was knocked out of the Louisville game with a shoulder injury.  However, I don’t think there’s any difference between Newman and backup Sam Hartman, who gained starting experience for the Demon Deacons last year and is ready to go if called upon.  Hartman went 9-of-15 for 172 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a score in place of an injured Newman last week and nearly led the comeback against Louisville. 

The Seminoles will have their hands full against an explosive Wake Forest offense that puts up 39.7 points, 540 yards per game and 6.3 yards per play this season.  They have a balanced attack with 209 rushing yards and 331 passing yards per game.  They are very tough to tame, which is bad news for a FSU defense that allows 32.2 points and 464 yards per game.   

Florida State is 1-8 ATS after playing three straight conference games over the last three seasons.  The Seminoles are 0-7 ATS vs. excellent passing teams with a completion percentage of 62% or better over the last three years.  Florida State is 0-3-1 ATS in its last four road games.  The Demon Deacons are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a loss.  The home team is 6-2-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.  Bet Wake Forest Saturday. 

20* Michigan/Penn State ABC No-Brainer on Michigan +9.5 

I’m back to fading Penn State again this week.  I must really love misery.  But in all seriousness, this line has gotten out of hand.  It’s up to +9.5 now after opening around +7.  I would consider my loss on Iowa +3.5 last week a bad beat, and the Nittany Lions are getting too much respect for that win. 

The Hawkeyes outgained the Nittany Lions by 62 yards.  But they missed a field goal and came up short on a 2-point conversion to lose by 5.  They also fumbled a handoff inside their own 20 to gift wrap Penn State a touchdown.  And Iowa also failed to score a touchdown from first and goal from the 3-yard line.  Iowa was the right side in that game. 

Penn State is 6-0, but they have been outgained in three of their six games.  Not only were they outgained by Iowa, but they were also outgained at home by both Buffalo and Pitt.  I really think this is one of the most overrated teams in the country.  You’re going to hear a lot about Penn State playing at night and in a white out this week.  And it seems like everyone is on the Nittany Lions because of it.  I just think this is a great time to go contrarian. 

Michigan can still achieve all of its goals if it wins out.  I think we’re getting extra value on the Wolverines after their 42-25 win over Illinois last week.  The Wolverines were up 28-0 before taking their foot off the gas.  It’s like they were just ready to get to the Penn State game at halftime and forgot to play the second half. 

Penn State’s offense just doesn’t have the firepower to put Michigan away by double-digits.  Pitt held them to 17 points and Iowa held them to 17 points this season.  And Michigan has as good or better defense than both of those teams.  The Wolverines only allow 17.5 points, 283 yards per game this season and 4.2 yards per play this season.  I expect this to be an ugly, low-scoring Big Ten game.  So getting 9.5 points is a tremendous value. 

Michigan beat Penn State 42-7 last year and held them to just 186 total yards.  They outgained the Nittany Lions by 217 yards in the win.  The Wolverines are now 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.  Penn State may ultimately win this game, but they have to beat us by double-digits to get the cover, and I just don’t think they can. 

Plays against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points (Penn State) - after scoring and allowing 17 points or less in their last game are 29-6 (82.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Jim Harbaugh is 9-1 ATS vs. good rush defenses that allow 2.75 or fewer yards per carry in all games he has coached.  The Nittany Lions are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win.  Roll with Michigan Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Kansas +21.5 

The Texas Longhorns are in a hangover spot here from their 27-34 loss to rival Oklahoma last week.  Their dreams of playing in the four-team playoff have been crushed now with losses to Oklahoma and LSU, and it’s tough to get back up off the mat after such a crushing defeat.  I look for them to go through the motions this week and fail to cover this massive 21.5-point spread against Kansas. 

I’ve been saying Texas is overrated since before the season, and it has proven to be true.  The Longhorns were fortunate to only lose 27-34 to Oklahoma.  They were outgained by 201 yards by the Sooners and outgained by 3.5 yards per play in that game.  Oklahoma averaged 7.7 yards per play while Texas only averaged 4.2 yards per play and was sacked nine times.  But Oklahoma had two turnovers deep in Texas territory which kept the game closer than the final score. 

Now Kansas and Texas have a common opponent in Oklahoma.  Kansas only lost 20-45 at home to Oklahoma and was only outgained by 191 yards in that game, covering the 32-point spread.  And now the Jayhawks have had two weeks to get ready for Texas after having their bye last week.  I think we get a big effort out of the Jayhawks because of it. 

Kansas has been a big thorn in Texas’ side in recent years.  The Jayhawks are 3-0 ATS in the last three meetings, pulling the 24-21 upset as 23.5-point dogs in 2016, only losing 27-42 as 32-point road favorites in 2017, and only losing 17-24 as 15.5-point home dogs last year.  The Jayhawks just seem to get up for Texas, while the Longhorns consistently overlook them. 

Texas is 0-6 ATS in home games with a total of 56.5 to 63 over the last three seasons.  Kansas is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games following a loss.  The Jayhawks are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games vs. a team with a winning record.  Roll with Kansas Saturday. 

25* Big 12 GAME OF THE YEAR on Oklahoma State -3 

Of all the Power 5 teams that are still undefeated, both Baylor and Minnesota are clearly the two most overrated.  They are overrated because both have feasted on easy schedules, and both are very fortunate to be 6-0.  The Bears should have lost to both Iowa State and Texas Tech, winning those two games by a combined 5 points.  And their other four wins have come against Stephen F. Austin, Rice, UTSA and Kansas State. 

Baylor has played the 96th-toughest schedule this season according to the Sagarin ratings.  Oklahoma State has played the 36th-toughest schedule.  That’s a 60-spot difference in strength of schedule.  He actually has Oklahoma State rated higher than Baylor despite being 4-2, and I agree with him.  I think we are getting the Cowboys at a massive discount as only 3-point home favorites over the Bears here. 

Oklahoma State’s two losses have both come on the road to Texas (30-36) and Texas Tech (35-45).  That was not a bad loss to Texas, and the loss at Texas Tech was very fluky considering the Cowboys lost the turnover battle 5-0.  And I loved how QB Spencer Sanders took all the blame in the loss, saying he was solely responsible for the five turnovers and has to be better.  Keep in mind Baylor needed overtime to beat Texas Tech at home. 

Now, the Cowboys are in a great spot here coming off their bye week and returning home.  They have only played two home games compared to four road games this year, while Baylor has played four home games compared to only two road games.  And the Cowboys will be highly motivated to stay in Big 12 title contention in this must-win situation for them. 

There’s on injury for Baylor that is flying under the radar and not getting priced into the line.  LB Clay Johnson suffered a season-ending knee injury against Texas Tech last week.  Johnson leads the team with 58 tackles, and second place on the team has 30 tackles.  He is the heart and soul of the defense.  Now the Bears have to try and stop a Oklahoma State rushing attack that averages 279 rushing yards per game and 5.6 per carry without Johnson.  Expect Chuba Hubbard (1,094 yards, 13 TD, 6.8/carry) to have a massive day on the ground against this Baylor defense Saturday. 

Over the last 10 years, when Oklahoma State has been unranked and favored at home against a ranked team, they have gone a perfect 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS with all three wins coming by double-digits.  The Cowboys are favored for good reason despite being unranked, but they aren’t favored by as much as they should be.  Baylor is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 trips to Oklahoma State. 

The Cowboys are 9-0 ATS in their last nine home games after a game where they committed five or more turnovers.  The Cowboys are 7-0 ATS in their last seven vs. a team with a winning record.  The Cowboys are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games.  These three trends combine for a perfect 21-0 system backing the Cowboys.  Bet Oklahoma State Saturday. 

20* ACC GAME OF THE MONTH on Virginia -3 

I really like the spot for Virginia here.  They are coming off back-to-back road losses to Notre Dame and Miami in games they felt like they should have won.  I had Virginia in both of those games and felt like I deserved to win them both as well.  Now the Cavaliers are back home here and still believe they can win the Coastal, but they certainly need to beat Duke if they are going to accomplish that goal. 

The Cavaliers were getting +10.5 at Notre Dame and lost by 15.  They were winning outright at halftime, and they were only outgained by 5 yards in that game, but they lost by 15 because they committed five turnovers. Then last week they were getting +3 at Miami.  They outgained the Hurricanes by 61 yards and shut down the Miami offense.  But Virginia left a ton of points in the board.  The Cavaliers had six trips inside the Miami 25-yards line and managed just 9 points in a 9-17 loss.  They failed to score a single touchdown. 

Now, it’s a great time to buy low on the Cavaliers after those two losses where they probably deserved to win both and should be 6-0.  And it’s time to sell high on Duke, which is coming off a misleading 41-23 home win over Georgia Tech, which is the worst team in the ACC.  The Blue Devils won by 18 and covered the 17.5-point spread despite getting outgained by the Yellow Jackets. 

This will easily be Duke’s toughest test since their 42-3 loss to Alabama in the opener.  Their last five games since have come against NC A&T, Middle Tennessee, VA Tech, Pitt and Georgia Tech.  And it’s worth noting that Duke lost at home to Pitt 30-33, while Virginia won 30-14 at Pitt to give these teams a common opponent. 

Virginia owns Duke, going 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings while winning all four games by 7 points or more.  And those were some pretty poor Virginia teams, while this 2019 version is the best team they have had in years.  Duke is a team that likes to run the ball, averaging 183 yards per game on the ground.  They’ll get plenty of resistance from a Virginia defense that gives up just 90 rushing yards per game and 2.7 per carry.  That makes this a great matchup for the Cavaliers.  Take Virginia Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Early ANNIHILATOR on Georgia Tech +18.5 

The betting public wants nothing to do with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets right now.  They are 1-5 SU & 0-6 ATS this season, failing to cover a spread yet.  It was easy to see this was going to be a rebuilding year for the Yellow Jackets this season as they made the transition from Paul Johnson’s triple-option to Geoff Collins’ pro-style offense. 

After a slow start, I have seen some real signs of progress by the Yellow Jackets, and I think it’s time to ‘buy low’ on them now.  Two of their last three losses have been very misleading.  They lost 2-24 at Temple but were only outgained by 18 yards.  And last week they lost 23-41 at Duke, but actually outgained the Blue Devils by 6 yards.  If they can finish equal in stats against those two teams, they certainly can hang with Miami this week. 

I think it’s a great time to ’sell high’ on Miami off its misleading 17-9 home win over Virginia last week.  The Hurricanes deserved to lose that game as they were outgained by 62 yards by Virginia.  The Cavaliers had six trips inside the Miami 25-yard line, but only managed 9 points and didn’t score a single touchdown.  I think the Hurricanes are now in a big letdown spot off that primetime win on National TV. 

And there were some real concerns about Miami coming into that Virginia game.  They had lost 35-42 at home to a Virginia Tech team that looked like they quit the previous week.  And before that, they only beat Central Michigan 17-12 at home as 30.5-point favorites.  This still isn’t a very good Miami team, and certainly not the type of team that should be laying a huge number to Georgia Tech here. 

Georgia Tech hasn’t lost by more than 17 points to Miami in any of the last eight meetings in this series, making for a perfect 8-0 system backing the Yellow Jackets pertaining to this 18.5-point spread.  The Hurricanes are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game. 

Plays on any team (Georgia Tech) - after five or more consecutive losses against the spread against an opponent that is off one or more consecutive ATS wins are 41-13 (75.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  This system just shows how profitable it is to back a team on a long ATS losing streak against a team on a winning ATS streak.  Take Georgia Tech Saturday. 

20* UNLV/Fresno State MWC Late-Night BAILOUT on UNLV +16 

The Fresno State Bulldogs are one of the most overrated teams in the country this season.  That’s because they covered a combined 20 spread over the previous two seasons.  But that was a veteran team, and the Bulldogs are a young, inexperienced team now that returned only nine starters this year.  This is clearly a rebuilding season, but they keep getting priced like they are one of the best teams in the Mountain West. 

The Bulldogs are 2-3 SU & 1-3-1 ATS this season.  Their only two wins both came against worse teams than UNLV and both by 14 points or less.  They beat Sacramento State 34-20 as 24.5-point home favorites and New Mexico State 30-17 as 21-point road favorites.  This game will be decided by 14 points or less as well. 

UNLV has really impressed me in its last two games.  The Rebels hung tough with Boise State for four quarters.  They were only down 18 with two minutes left but missed an extra point.  Then Boise State returned the onside kick inside the 10 and punched it in for a TD late to win by 25 and cover the 24.5-point spread. 

Last week, UNLV’s 34-10 win at Vanderbilt as 16-point underdogs was no fluke.  The Rebels outgained the Commodores 388 to 306 and were only +1 in turnovers.  That victory certainly gives this team a lot of confidence heading into this showdown with Fresno State. 

UNLV is a good rushing team that averages 180 rushing yards per game.  The Rebels ran for 206 yards on Vanderbilt last week, and they should find plenty of success on the ground against a Fresno State defense that is allowing 156 rushing yards per game.  They gave up 175 rushing yards to USC, 146 to Minnesota and 340 to Air Force last week in their 24-43 loss to the Falcons. 

In their last trip to Fresno State, UNLV won outright 26-16 as 21.5-point underdogs in 2017.  Plays on road underdogs of 10.5 to 21 points (UNLV) - off one or more consecutive unders, an average offensive team (21 to 28 PPG) against a good offensive team (28 to 34 PPG) are 26-5 (83.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Tony Sanchez is 16-7 ATS as a road underdog as the coach of UNLV.  The Rebels are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 road games.  Bet UNLV Friday. 

15* Ohio State/Northwestern Big Ten Total DOMINATOR on UNDER 49.5 

The Northwestern Wildcats grow the grass on their home field in Evanston as long as possible.  They do this to slow down the opposition, and it will come into play here against Ohio State.  The Buckeyes won’t be as fast as they usually are on this grass field.  It will give the Wildcats a chance to hang with them as their defense holds the Buckeyes to their lowest point total of the season Friday. 

The Wildcats have one of the worst offenses in the country.  They are scoring just 14.4 points per game, averaging 293 yards per game and their 3.9 yards per play ranks dead last in the entire country.  I would be surprised if they score more than 10 points in this game, which would mean that Ohio State would need more than 38 points to beat us, and I don’t think they will get there. 

Northwestern has always been a great defensive team under Pat Fitzgerald.  That has been the case against this year as the Wildcats are only giving up 19.8 points per game, 319 yards per game and 4.8 yards per play. They are holding opponents to 7.8 points per game and 67 yards per game less than their season averages.  In their last two games, they held Nebraska to 13 points and held Wisconsin’s offense to only 10 points.  The Badgers got two defensive touchdowns in their 24-15 victory over the Wildcats. 

Ohio State’s defense has been lights out this season, which is why I can’t see Northwestern scoring more than 10 points.  The Buckeyes only give up 8.8 points per game, 234 yards per game and 3.7 yards per play.  This is the best defense the Wildcats have faced this season, and they could easily get shut out.  Both teams love to run the football as the Buckeyes average 46 rush attempts per game while the Wildcats average 42, which should keep the clock moving. 

Ohio State is 7-0 UNDER after gaining 475 or more total yards in three straight games over the last two seasons.  Northwestern is 10-1 UNDER after playing a road game over the last three seasons.  The UNDER is 6-1 in Buckeyes last seven games on grass.  The UNDER is 42-14-1 in Wildcats last 57 home games.  Take the UNDER in this game Friday. 

15* Astros/Yankees ALCS ANNIHILATOR on New York +140 

We are getting the Yankees at a great value as home underdogs to the Houston Astros in Game 5 tonight.  I just can’t see the Astros sweeping the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, and thus I’ll back New York here as a big dog to stave off elimination for one more day. 

Few starters have been as good against the Astros as James Paxton has.  He is 8-4 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.265 WHIP in 15 career starts against them.  Paxton is 7-3 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.173 WHIP in 16 home starts this season. 

Justin Verlander has been vulnerable in his last two starts and may be wearing down.  He is 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in his last two starts while allowing 6 earned runs, 3 homers and 17 base runners in 10 1/3 innings.  Verlander’s problem has been giving up homers as he has allowed 39 on the season. 

The Yankees are 18-1 after batting .225 or worse over a 5-game span this season.  New York is 22-5 in home games off a loss this year.  The Yankees are 54-19 in their last 73 home games.  New York is 6-0 in Paxton’s last six home starts.  Roll with the Yankees Friday. 

20* Pac-12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Stanford -6.5 

The Stanford Cardinal have turned their season around.  After opening 1-3 against a brutal schedule with losses at USC, at UCF and at home to Oregon, they have bounced back nicely in their last two games.  They won 31-28 at Oregon State followed by a 23-13 home win over Washington as 12.5-point underdogs.  Now they’ve had two weeks off to get ready for UCLA tonight. 

I realize Stanford is down to its third-string quarterback, but that is factored into the line.  And these injuries have brought the team closer together.  I think the Cardinal are way undervalued as a result of these QB injuries and some other injuries along the offensive line.  The quotes coming from the players and coaches right now make me want to get behind them. 

A sophomore from Alabama, QB Jack West took all the reps in practice Monday after playing the final 10 minutes against Washington after backup Davis Mills went out.  West took a lot of reps as the primary backup in spring ball than he normally would because of the situation with starter KJ Costello.  He has continued to get additional reps the past few weeks, too. 

“I had a great conversation with Jack at the end of training camp,” head coach David Shaw said. “I said I have no issues with him playing.  If he plays, I know we can run anything in the playbook.  It was a compliment to how hard he has worked.  If he goes out to play, we’ll be able to run the whole playbook.” 

Stanford also has some injuries on the offensive line as they finished the game playing three true freshmen.  The 11-day break could mean that some of those injuries heal, but in a strange way, the injuries have brought Stanford’s players closer together. 

“It hasn’t helped up but it has rallied us,” running back Cameron Scarlett said.  “Seeing a guy go down, you want to do all you can to make sure you make a play for him.  It’s definitely rallied us.  We knew adversity was going to strike at some point this season.  Didn’t think it would strike this hard, this fast, but we just have to respond and keep it moving.” 

Scarlett has been a big reason why the Cardinal have overcome some of the injury issues.  He rushed for 97 yards in the loss to Oregon, 92 yards in the win over Oregon State, and then piled up a career-best 157 yards on 33 carries against a good Washington defense. 

UCLA is quickly making a case to be the worst team in the Pac-12.  They came into the season overrated, and they have really disappointed by going 1-5 SU & 1-4-1 ATS.  Their only win came when they trailed by 32 points at Washington State, so they easily could be 0-6.  Their 31-48 home loss to Oregon State last time out really showed that this team is pretty much quitting on head coach Chip Kelly. 

Stanford owns UCLA, going 11-0 SU & 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings with 10 of those wins coming by 7 points or more.  The Cardinal are 18-6-2 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a team with a losing record.  Bet Stanford Thursday.

Note: Stanford is down to -3 as of 2:00 EST Thursday afternoon.  It's still a 20* play at that number.

15* Chiefs/Broncos AFC West ANNIHILATOR on Denver +3.5 

The Kansas City Chiefs are broken defensively.  It doesn’t matter how good their offense is, they simply cannot overcome their defensive woes.  And they have so many injuries right now on both sides of the ball that they just can’t get anything fixed.  Plus, they are on a short week here and traveling to play in altitude, making matters worse for them. 

The Chiefs are 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in their last three games overall.  They were fortunate to win 34-30 over the Lions three weeks ago on the road, but failed to cover as 7-point favorites.  Then they lost 13-19 as 10.5-point home favorites to the Colts.  And last week they lost 24-31 as 3.5-point home favorites to the Texans.  You know this team is not right when they are losing back-to-back home games. 

The Denver Broncos opened 0-4 and mostly everyone but the guys in the locker room gave up on this team.  They have rebounded with two impressive victories, winning 20-13 on the road over the Chargers as 4.5-point dogs and topping the Titans 16-0 at home as 1-point favorites.  Now, the Broncos know that with a win Thursday they can pull within one game of the Chiefs for the division lead.  That’s why I think they will be the more motivated team here. 

When you look at the numbers, it’s easy to see the Broncos are better than their 2-4 record would indicate.  They have outgained four of their six opponents this season.  They are outgaining foes by 28 yards per game and 0.4 yards per play this year.  They are a lot more healthy than the Chiefs and are expected to get WR Emanuel Sanders back from injury this week.  But look for them to run the football as much as possible and try to control the time of possession, taking a blueprint from the Colts and Texans the last two weeks.   

The Texans rushed 41 times for 192 yards on the Chiefs, while the Colts rushed 45 times for 180 yards.  Teams have gashed the Chiefs on the ground all season.  The Chiefs rank 30th in the NFL against the run, giving up 161.8 rushing yards per game.  They are also tied for 30th in giving up 5.2 yards per carry. 

The Chiefs are having a hard time possessing the ball for long, which is putting their defense in some terrible predicaments.  That’s the knock on Andy Reid is that he gets too pass-happy.  The Chiefs only ran the ball 14 times for 36 yards against the Colts.  They ran even less against the Texans with 11 rushes for 53 yards.  And Reid is stubborn and won’t change his strategy now. 

Patrick Mahomes is battling an ankle injury that has really limited his mobility, and he’s just not the same player right now because of it.  Not to mention, he’s missing some key pieced on offense, including Sammy Watkins and a pair of offensive linemen.  Defensively, the Chiefs are in even worse shape.  They are without their best defensive player in DT Chris Jones.  They are also without DT Xavier Williams.  They could be without CB Kendall Fuller and LB Anthony Hitchens. 

The Broncos played the Chiefs tough in both meetings last year, and they weren’t very good while the Chiefs were one of the best teams in the NFL.  They only lost 23-27 at home as 3.5-point dogs, and they only lost 23-30 on the road as 8.5-point dogs.  They actually outgained the Chiefs 796 to 786 in those two meetings as well and arguably should have won both. 

Plays against any team (Kansas City) - off two or more consecutive upset losses as a favorite, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a team with a losing record are 35-11 (76.1%) ATS since 1983.  The Chiefs are 2-14 ATS in their last 16 games after gaining 6 or more yards per play in four consecutive games.  Kansas City is 0-4 ATS in its last four road games vs. a team with a. Losing record.  The Broncos are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 Thursday games.  Roll with the Broncos Thursday. 

20* Astros/Yankees ALCS No-Brainer on New York -126

This is a must-win game for the New York Yankees tonight.  I expect them to get the job done here with Masahiro Tanaka over Zack Greinke.  I believe he is the better starter in this matchup, and the Yankees will respond with a Game 4 victory after losing the last two games in this series. 

Tanaka is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his last three starts, giving up just 2 earned runs in 18 innings.  Tanaka has also had success against the Astros recently, giving up 3 earned runs or fewer in six straight starts against them while allowing just 8 earned runs in 37 innings for a 1.95 ERA.  He beat them in Game 1, pitching six shutout innings while allowing only two base runners in a 7-0 victory. 

Zack Greinke is no doubt a great starter, but he just doesn’t seem like he is built for the postseason.  He seems to shy away from the big moment.  After allowing 6 runs in 3 2/3 innings in a 3-10 loss to the Rays in Game 3 of that series, he gave up 3 runs in 6 innings against the Yankees in Game 1 opposite Tanaka.  Greinke is now 0-4 with a 6.84 ERA in his last five postseason starts, giving up 19 earned runs and 8 homers in 25 innings. 

The Yankees are 54-18 in their last 72 home games.  New York is 20-6 in its last 26 games after scoring two runs or less in its previous game.  The Astros are 3-8 in their last 11 meetings in New York.  Take the Yankees Thursday. 

20* South Alabama/Troy ESPN 2 Total DOMINATOR on UNDER 57.5 

In-state rivals Troy and South Alabama meet tonight in Sun Belt action.  I expect this to be a low-scoring affair and stay UNDER the posted total of 57.5.  Both teams come in on extra rest and preparation time, which favors the defenses.  South Alabama hasn’t played in 13 days, while Troy hasn’t played in 11 days. 

The UNDER is 3-1-1in five meetings over the last five seasons.  But all five meetings have seen 55 or fewer combined points, so the OVER would be 5-0 on this 57.5-point total.  They have averaged just 42.2 combined points per game in those five meetings, which is roughly 15 points less than this posted total.  The last two meetings in Troy have seen 27 and 42 combined points. 

South Alabama is a bad offensive football team.  The Jaguars average just 16.8 points and 319 yards per game this season.  I just don’t see them scoring too many points here to contribute to the over.  They are 0-3 on the road and scoring 13.7 points per game and averaging 294 yards per game.  However, they do have an improved defense this year, giving up 29.3 points and 400 yards per game. 

Troy’s numbers are skewed to the over due to two games against good offensive teams in Southern Miss and Arkansas State.  They combined for 89 points with Southern Miss and 93 points with Arkansas State.  However, their other three games have all seen 57 or fewer combined points.  They combined for 57 with Campbell, 42 with Akron and 52 with Missouri.  And this South Alabama offense is one of the worst they’ve been up against this season, comparable to Akron and Campbell. 

The UNDER is 5-1 in South Alabama’s six games this season with combined scores of 56 or fewer in all six games.  South Alabama is 10-2 UNDER in its last 12 games after scoring 7 points or less in two straight games. The UNDER is 4-1 in Jaguars last five road games.  The UNDER is 9-2 in Trojans last 11 games after gaining less than 100 rushing yards in their previous game.  Bet the UNDER in this game Wednesday. 

20* Cardinals/Nationals NLCS No-Brainer on Washington -159 

The Washington Nationals feel invincible right now.  They have won five straight and their pitching has been dynamite, giving up only 6 runs in those five games for an average of 1.2 runs per game.  Now they want to clinch their spot in the World Series in front of their hungry home fans tonight and cap off the sweep of the Cardinals. 

The Nationals have the edge on the mound tonight with Pat Corbin.  He is 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.187 WHIP in 34 starts this season, including 8-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 0.990 WHIP in 16 home starts.  Corbin has allowed 2 runs or fewer in four of his last five starts against the Cardinals as well. 

Dakota Hudson is fortunate to have a 3.32 ERA despite a 1.410 WHIP in 33 starts this season.  It’s not like he has great stuff as he has just 138 K’s in 178 2/3 innings.  He has been one of the luckiest starters in baseball this year.  Hudson is 7-5 with a 4.16 ERA and 1.612 WHIP in 15 road starts.  His luck comes to an end tonight as the Cardinals already feel defeated.  St. Louis has scored just 2 runs in the last 33 innings. 

The Cardinals are 0-6 in their last six NLCS games.  The Nationals are 11-1 in their last 12 home games vs. a team with a winning record.  Washington is 13-3 in Corbin’s last 16 home starts.  The Nationals are 9-0 in Corbin’s last nine starts when heir opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.  Bet the Nationals Tuesday. 

20* Lions/Packers ESPN Monday No-Brainer on UNDER 46 

This total seems a little high for two teams with suspect offenses up against two improved defenses.  Plus it’s a division rivalry, so these teams are very familiar with one another.  I expect a low-scoring, defensive battle in this one that stays UNDER the combined total of 46 points.  It also helps that it’s going to be cold out with temperates expected to be 34 degrees Monday night. 

You would be hard-pressed to find a defense that is as improved as much as the Packers are this season.  They are only giving up 18.6 points per game.  They have made some great additions in the secondary throughout the draft, and also acquired some impressive free agents up front.  They have been great against the pass but poor against the run this season. 

The good news for the Packers is that the Lions aren’t a team that runs the football very well as they averaging just 3.9 yards per carry this year.  I expect the Lions to try and utilize their ground game more in this one, which will keep the clock moving.  They do average 31 rush attempts per game, which is way up from normal for them as they try and get their renewed run game going with consistency.  It just hasn’t worked out very well for them. 

The Lions are scoring 24.2 points per game this year, but they have played basically all soft defenses in the Cardinals, Chargers, Eagles and Chiefs.  This will easily be the best defense they have faced yet.  The Packers have struggled offensively, averaging 23.8 points per game but only 337 yards per game. 

Life gets much more difficult for the Packers this week as they have a ton of injury concerns on offense.  They will be without star WR Devante Adams, who is quickly thrusting himself in among the Top 5 receivers in the game.  They could also be without RB Jamaal Williams and C Corey Linsley in this game.  I believe the Lions can slow them down, especially without having to deal with Adams. 

Detroit is 32-16 UNDER in its last 48 road games after allowing 30 points or more last game.  The UNDER is 5-0 in Packers last five vs. NFC North opponents.  The UNDER is 5-1 in Lions last six games following a bye week.  The UNDER is 5-1 in Lions last six games following a loss. 

Plays on the UNDER on any team against the total (Green Bay) - after going over the total by 28 or more points in their last three games, a good team winning 75% or more of their games on the season are 34-11 (75.6%) over the last five seasons.  Bet the UNDER in this game Monday. 

15* Cardinals/Nationals NLCS Total DOMINATOR on UNDER 7 

The pitcher’s duel between the Cardinals and Nationals in this series should continue tonight in another low-scoring affair in Game 3.  They combined for 2 runs in Game 1 and 4 runs in Game 2, and now arguably the two best starters on both teams go tonight in Game 3. 

Stephen Strasburg is 19-6 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.027 WHIP in 35 starts this season.  He is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA and 0.778 WHIP in his last three starts.  Strasburg is also 3-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.093 WHIP in eight career starts against the Cardinals. 

Jack Flaherty is undoubtedly the ace of the Cardinals.  He is 12-9 with a 2.75 ERA and 0.974 WHIP in 35 starts this season.  No starter has been better than Flaherty in the second half this season.  He has posted a 1.13 ERA in his last 18 starts while allowing just 15 earned runs in 119 1/3 innings. 

The UNDER is 13-4-2 in Flaherty’s last 19 starts.  The UNDER is 8-2-2 in Flaherty’s last 12 road starts.  The UNDER is 6-2 in Nationals last eight games overall.  The UNDER is 7-0-1 in the last eight meetings in this series.  The UNDER is 4-1 in Strasburg’s last five home starts vs. the Cardinals.  Take the UNDER in this game Monday. 

15* Steelers/Chargers NBC Sunday Night BAILOUT on Pittsburgh +7 

The Los Angeles Chargers just can’t be this heavily favored at home.  They are 1-2 at home this season with their only win coming over the Colts in overtime.  They were also upset by the Texans and the Broncos at home this year.  They simply have no home-field advantage with a tiny stadium and fair-weather fans. 

The Steelers travel well, and I won’t be surprised if this feels like a home game for them based on what I’ve seen out of the Chargers in the past.  They should not be catching 7 points here, not even with a third-string quarterback after Mason Rudolph was knocked out with a concussion last week. 

I love the story of Steelers’ QB Devlin Hodges.  He was lightly recruited out of high school and chose to stay closer to home and attend Samford.  All he did was go on to becoming the FCS record holder in career passing yards with 14,584, breaking the previous record held by Steve McNair.  Despite that, he wound up going undrafted. 

Hodges kept his poise, and he earned a practice squad spot on the Steelers.  He kept making plays and great throws in practice, and eventually made the 53-man roster to be the backup QB last week.  And he held his own when replacing Rudolph, completing 7-of-9 passes for 68 yards in the OT loss to the Ravens.  It certainly wasn’t his fault they lost that game.  Hodges is a guy that plays with a chip on his shoulder, and now he has a full week of practice to prepare to be the starter. 

No team has been hit harder by injuries than the Chargers, which is why they shouldn’t be this heavily favored.  They are without S Derwin James, T Russell Okung, S Adrian Phillips, WR Dontrell Inman, K Michael Badgley and C Mike Pouncey.  They could also be without TE Hunter Henry and DE Melvin Ingram, who are both questionable after missing last week.  These injuries are a big reason why the Chargers are just 2-3 this season.  Their only blowout win by more than 6 points came against the Miami Dolphins, the worst team in the NFL. 

Conversely, the Steelers have only been blown out once, and that was the opener at New England.  Their other three losses all came by 4 points or less, so I think they are undervalued right now because of their 1-4 record when they could easily be 3-2.  The Steelers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games following an ATS win.  The Chargers are 11-28-1 ATS in their last 40 home games.  Roll with the Steelers Sunday. 

20* NFL Non-Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on Jacksonville Jaguars -1 

I’ve been so impressed with rookie QB Gardner Minshew of the Jaguars.  He has single-handedly injected life into this Jaguars team following their Week 1 loss to the Chiefs.  They have gone 3-1 ATS since Minshew took over.  And in three of his four games, he has led a late drive in the 4th quarter to give his team a chance to win.  All three of those games were on the road, too. 

The Jaguars only lost by 1 at Houston after falling inches short on a 2-point conversion.  They got a late score to beat the Broncos 26-24 outright as underdogs in Denver.  And last week Minshew was chucking it into the end zone in the final seconds of a 27-34 loss at Carolina.  They also beat Tennessee 20-7 in his lone home start in a game that was never in doubt. 

Minshew is completing 67% of his passes for 1,279 yards with a 9-to-1 TD/INT ratio this season.  This is a Jaguars offense that just put up 507 total yards on a good Panthers defense last week.  They had 455 yards on the Broncos last week.  I think the last time we’ve seen a Jacksonville offense this explosive was back in the Mark Brunell days.  The threat of Minshew has opened up running lanes for Leonard Fournette as well as the Jaguars have rushed for an average of 209 yards per game the last two weeks. 

It’s time to ’sell high’ on the Saints.  They are off to a 4-1 start this season despite losing Drew Brees in Week 2.  They have played four straight games against NFC teams, and they are coming off a division win last week over the Bucs.  Now they step out of conference and won’t be nearly as motivated here against the Jaguars. 

The Saints have not put up very good numbers at all in their two road games this year.  They have been outgained by an average of 193 yards per game in their road games against the Rams and Seahawks.  The Jaguars simply need this win more as they sit at 2-3 on the season.  I expect them to get it Sunday done Sunday at home with the help of a Saints team that won’t be as interested. 

Jacksonville is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 home games after gaining six or more yards per play in two consecutive games.  Fans will be excited to see Minshew in action because he hasn’t played at home in nearly a month with their last home game on September 19th.  They’ll have a bigger home-field advantage than normal as a result.  And there’s a good chance Jacksonville gets back CB Jalen Ramsey from injury this week.  Bet the Jaguars Sunday. 

15* NFL Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Minnesota Vikings -3 

The Minnesota Vikings showed some resiliency following their lackluster road loss to the Bears in Week 4.  They bounced back with a 28-10 road win over the New York Giants in a game that wasn’t even that close.  The Vikings outgained the Giants 490 to 211 and really should have won by even more. 

Now, the Vikings return home where they have one of the best home-field advantages in the entire NFL.  No stadium gets louder than Minnesota, and they have dominated in both of their home games this season.  They are 2-0 and outscoring their opponents by 18.0 PPG.  They beat the Falcons 28-12 before crushing the Raiders 34-14. 

Mike Zimmer is 31-12 ATS in all home games as the coach of the Vikings.  He has been even better as a home favorite when he has stepped outside the division.  In fact, the Zimmer is 20-2 SU & 18-2-2 ATS as a home favorite against non-division opponents as the coach of Minnesota. 

The Eagles are getting a little too much love for their 31-6 home win over the hapless New York Jets last week.  Keep in mind this is a team that has lost to the Lions and Falcons this year, and they barely beat the Redskins.  And the injury situation is not a good one for the Eagles.  They are without DT Malik Jackson, DT Timmy Jernigan, WR DeSean Jackson, CB Ronald Darby, CB Avonte Maddox and RB Darren Sproles. 

I think those two losses at defensive tackle in Jackson and Jernigan hurt the Eagles more than anything in this matchup with the Vikings.  Minnesota has a renewed focus on running the football on offense this year.  The Vikings are executing it to perfection as they are rushing for 166 yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry this season.  This is easily the best rushing attack that the Eagles have faced yet as they have almost exclusively gone up against pass-heavy teams.  Only one team has tried to run the ball more than 20 times on the Eagles this year. 

The Vikings are 7-0 ATS in home games when the total is 42.5 to 49 over the last 2 seasons.  The Vikings are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 home games vs. a team with a winning record.  Minnesota is 38-16-1 ATS in its last 55 home games overall.  Carson Wentz will be up against the best defense he has faced this year, and I expect him to struggle.  Take the Vikings Sunday. 

15* Yankees/Astros ALCS ANNIHILATOR on New York +147 

The New York Yankees are rested and ready to go after sweeping the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS.  The three other series all went the distance.  I think the Yankees are at an advantage here now, especially in Game 1 of this series.  They don’t have to face Verlander or Cole, instead they get someone they can get to in Zack Greinke. 

Plus, the Yankees are set up well now in their rotation.  Their ace Masahiro Tanaka gets to take the ball in Game 1.  Tanaka is 12-8 with a 4.40 ERA and 1.223 WHIP in 32 starts this season.  He is coming off two great starts, going 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA while allowing just two earned runs in 12 innings.  Tanaka has also had success against Houston recently, giving up 3 earned runs or fewer in five straight starts against them while allowing just 8 earned runs in 31 innings for a 2.32 ERA. 

Zack Greinke is no doubt a great starter, but he just doesn’t seem like he is built for the postseason.  The guy doesn’t talk and seems to shy away from the moment.  Greinke was rocked for 6 runs in 3 2/3 innings with three homers in a 3-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3.  He is now 1-2 with an 8.55 ERA in four postseason starts, giving up 19 earned runs and 9 homers in 20 innings. 

The Yankees are 10-1 in Tanaka’s last 11 Saturday starts.  New York is 15-4 in Tanaka’s last 19 starts overall.  The Astros are 0-4 in their last four ALCS games.  Houston is 1-5 in its last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Tanaka over Greinke here plus the extra rest is too good of value to pass up at this +147 price.  Bet the Yankees in Game 1 Saturday.