Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11-28-18 | Suns v. Clippers OVER 227.5 | Top | 99-115 | Loss | -110 | 21 h 28 m | Show |
It may surprise you to know that the Clippers are the fourth-highest scoring team in the NBA. LA doesn't have a superstar. What the Clippers do have are a number of underrated offensive players. This lists includes Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, who is showing signs of having a breakout season averaging 20.9 points in his past seven games. The Clippers are a below average defensive team. Good offense plus bad defense often spells Over. That's what the Clippers are doing going above the total in eight of their past nine games. The Clippers should have another major scoring game on Wednesday facing the Suns, who entered this week ranked 29th in giving up points per 100 possessions and also were second-to-last in defensive field goal percentage. Phoenix permitted the Bulls, who were without Larui Markkanen and Kris Dunn, to shoot nearly 60 percent from the floor while scoring 124 points one week ago. But here's the kicker: The Suns commit the most fouls per game in the league. The Clippers are fourth in free throw percentage and were leading the league in free-throw makes. | |||||||
11-27-18 | Southern Illinois -1.5 v. Colorado State | Top | 82-67 | Win | 100 | 21 h 39 m | Show |
Colorado State went 11-21 last season. The Rams are 4-2 this season, but have played a weak schedule. Southern Illinois is far more battled tested having taken on Kentucky, UMass, Buffalo and Tulsa, who the Salukis beat by 10 points at neutral site Las Vegas during their last game. Southern Illinois is the deeper team, has played the tougher schedule, is more experienced and is better defensively. The Salukis give up eight fewer points per game than the Rams. These advantages are displayed in the latest Kenpom ratings, which has Southern Illinois ranked 114th and Colorado State rated 200th. | |||||||
11-27-18 | Sharks -120 v. Sabres | 2-3 | Loss | -120 | 10 h 7 m | Show | |
The Sabres are on an amazing nine-game win streak. Kudos to Buffalo on a great season so far. It must be noted, though, that eight of Buffalo's nine wins during its streak have been by one goal with six of those victories occurring either in overtime or in a shootout. I believe the Sabres' luck runs out today against the superior Sharks. San Jose is in a foul mood after its last game, a 6-0 road loss to the Golden Knights on Saturday. There is zero chance the Sharks take Buffalo lightly. The Sharks expect to have No. 1 netminder Martin Jones in goal. Jones is well rested having not played in the last two games. He is 4-1-1 lifetime versus Buffalo with a 1.98 GAA and .925 save percentage. Buffalo has lost the past four times to San Jose. | |||||||
11-26-18 | Magic v. Warriors -8 | Top | 110-116 | Loss | -102 | 21 h 43 m | Show |
It's an added bonus if the Warriors get back Draymond Green back for this game. But if not, the Warriors have the firepower with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, along with a good situational spot, to roll past Orlando. The Magic are coming off a highly satisfying and intense upset of the Lakers beating them 108-104 on Sunday. In their previous road game, the Magic lost to Denver by 25 points. The Warriors should be focused. Not only did they see what happened to the Lakers, but they go on a five-game road trip starting Thursday following this game. The Magic are playing for third time in four days and second in two days. Golden State has dominated the series winning the past 10 meetings against the Magic with eight of the victories occurring by eight or more points. | |||||||
11-25-18 | Packers v. Vikings -3 | Top | 17-24 | Win | 100 | 33 h 36 m | Show |
The Packers didn't make the playoffs last season. They aren't going to make the postseason either this season. The reasons are many: A talent shortage. Stale coaching by Mike McCarthy. Key injuries. Lack of a pass rush. Vulnerable secondary. Aaron Rodgers performing at a good rather than great level. The Vikings aren't at the elite level of the Rams and Saints. But they are coming on and clearly are a tier higher than the Packers. Green Bay is 0-5 on the road this season. The Lions, Seahawks and Redskins all whipped the Packers when they hosted them. The Packers lost to those teams by an average of 8.3 points a game. None of those three teams are as good as Minnesota. The Packers are 1-6-2 ATS the past nine times they have been underdogs. Their history under McCarthy is very bad as underdogs. They don't win games they are not expected to win. This is the third year the Vikings are playing their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium. It is a very strong home field. The Packers are 0-2 there having lost 23-10 last season and 17-14 in 2016 when Sam Bradford was Minnesota's quarterback. The Vikings were missing their two best offensive linemen, Pat Elfein and Brian O'Neill, when they met the Packers in Green Bay in Week 2. The game finished in a 29-29 tie. Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson missed three field goals, including two in overtime. Elfein and O'Neill are back for the Vikings. Carlson has been replaced by steady Dan Bailey, who has made 14 of 17 field goals for Minnesota with one of those misses caused by a bad snap. The Vikings have come on since that early season game. Their defense was elite last season and it has yielded just 263.6 yards during the past five games. That would rank No. 1 in the NFL by 37 yards if computed during the entire season. Just two games ago, the Vikings amassed 10 sacks in a 24-9 win against the Lions. Maybe because his knee still isn't 100 percent. Maybe it's because of his barely concealed ill feelings toward McCarthy. Whatever it is, Rodgers isn't having is typical season. There has been tremendous quarterback play from a number of quarterbacks - Patrick Mahomes, Philip Rivers, Andrew Luck, Dree Brees, Matt Ryan and Jared Goff. Rodgers hasn't performed at that level. Rodgers is going to face tremendous inside pressure from the Vikings' defensive line and he doesn't have quality guards to protect him. He's also down several of his receivers, including Randall Cobb, Geronimo Allison and possibly Jimmy Graham, who has a broken thumb. The Packers are thin defensively especially at safety. Green Bay also is without its best defensive player, tackle Mike Daniels. Kirk Cousins has the weapons to take advantage with Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Look for Dalvin Cook to have a big game, too, now that he's healthy. Green Bay's run defense really goes downhill minus Daniels. | |||||||
11-25-18 | Jazz -135 v. Kings | 133-112 | Win | 100 | 8 h 33 m | Show | |
I'm taking the Jazz here knowing full well that their leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell, won't play because of a bruised rib. The Jazz have been one of the more disappointing teams this season. I realize that, too. But this is short revenge and the Kings are off a hard-played 117-116 road loss to Golden State last night. Utah has won during its past seven visits to Sacramento. The Jazz actually have been settled down in Sacramento before the Kings since they were idle on Saturday. The Kings shot way above their heads making 52.8 percent of their field goals in beating the Jazz, 119-110, this past Wednesday in Salt Lake City. The Kings have made 47.6 percent of their shots from the floor on the season. That is above average. However, they rank last in free throw percentage and are 27th defensively. The Jazz ranked eighth defensively. There is no chance of them taking the Kings lightly. | |||||||
11-25-18 | Steelers -3 v. Broncos | 17-24 | Loss | -105 | 125 h 55 m | Show | |
I'm not so sure this a flat spot that some envision here for the Steelers. Pittsburgh was flat for nearly the entire game last week on the road against the Jaguars, yet still pulled out a victory. That might be a wake-up call for the Steelers because talent-wise there is no comparison between these two teams. So I'm going to ride the Steelers at a line I'm surprised opened so low. There is no comparison in the offenses. The Steelers are one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. The Broncos are below average with a below average quarterback and an injury ravaged offensive line. Pittsburgh's defense has come on holding its past seven foes to an average of fewer than 16 points a game while leading the NFL in sacks with 37. The Steelers should dominate the Broncos' beat-up offensive line. | |||||||
11-25-18 | Jaguars -3 v. Bills | 21-24 | Loss | -110 | 122 h 43 m | Show | |
As toxic and unappealing as the Jaguars are, they still are a field goal better than the Bills. Buffalo likely gets Josh Allen back, but he's no savior but just a turnover-prone rookie. The Bills have one of the worst offenses of all-time. Buffalo put up 41 points on the Jets in its last game and still ranks LAST in scoring at 13.7 points a game and second-to-last in yards. The Jaguars defense isn't lacking in talent. They have elite players and should be able to come up with takeaways against the punchless Bills, who rank last in passing yards. Buffalo has failed to break the 13-point barrier in seven of its 10 games. Blake Bortles remains a quarterback without a passing touch, but he does have the splendid Leonard Fournette to take the load off him and set up play-action. | |||||||
11-25-18 | Seahawks v. Panthers -3 | 30-27 | Loss | -125 | 121 h 14 m | Show | |
I want the Panthers going for me when they are at home especially with a low line against a mediocre opponent. The Panthers have won their last 10 home games, including all five this season. They are 8-2 ATS in those 10 games. Carolina averages 35.5 points at home, which is 15.5 points more per game than they average on the road. Cam Newton has better weapons this season and is playing well. Seattle's defense is way down from past seasons and its offense is below average at nearly every position except quarterback. The Seahawks have gone back to being run-oriented. Carolina, though, ranks eighth in run defense and has tremendously athletic linebackers to stop Wilson's short passes. | |||||||
11-25-18 | Giants v. Eagles OVER 47 | 22-25 | Push | 0 | 25 h 29 m | Show | |
Look for a shootout in this matchup. The Eagles' secondary is decimated. How decimated? They are down their top FIVE cornerbacks. The Saints took advantage to pile up 48 points and 546 yards last week against Philadelphia. Yes that was the Saints. Still, 545 yards is 545 yards. Eli Manning is playing better thanks to a revamped offensive line and skill position superstars Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley, who had 229 rushing/receiving yards in the first meeting between the two teams when the Eagles were far healthier on defense. Carson Wentz was rounding into top shape. The Eagles just got steamrolled by the Saints, who are playing better than any team in the NFL right now. Wentz should be in line for a big performance against a gutted Giants defense that weakened its run defense by trading Damon Harrison. Wentz has very good receiving weapons that were upgraded with Golden Tate coming to Philadelphia. Josh Adams has upgraded the Eagles' ground attack. | |||||||
11-24-18 | Utah State v. Boise State -145 | Top | 24-33 | Win | 100 | 27 h 53 m | Show |
Utah State has been a monster surprise this season. The Utes deserve plenty of kudos. But I don't see them beating Boise State on the road. The Broncos are far more experienced in big games like this and have dominated this series defeating the Aggies nine of the past 10 times. Boise State has won its last six games, including defeating Colorado State by 28 points. Utah State was fortunate to just nip the Rams, 29-24, last Saturday. Colorado State appeared to have won the game on a 34-yard touchdown pass with no time left, but the score was negated by a penalty. The combination of veteran QB Brett Rypien and a strong defensive front are the winning keys for the Broncos. Just two weeks ago, the Broncos were short home 'dogs to Fresno State and they beat the Bulldogs by seven points. I don't see Utah State faring any better than Fresno State at this venue. | |||||||
11-24-18 | Rockets -10 v. Cavs | 108-117 | Loss | -107 | 10 h 44 m | Show | |
No brilliant insight here. I just want the Rockets off a loss and the Cavaliers off a victory after both teams played last night. The Rockets lost 116-111 in overtime to the Pistons while the Cavaliers stunned the 76ers, 121-112, on the road. Aside from underrated center, Clint Capela, the Rockets didn't play well, while Cleveland played perhaps its finest game of the season. I'm projecting the Rockets to play much better and the Cavaliers to get back to playing at their level, which is being one of the worst teams in the NBA. After a slow start, the Rockets have gotten back on track. They are 8-3 in their last 11 games. They followed up their previous loss - a 96-89 defeat to the Spurs - by blowing out the Pacers 115-103 in the following game The Rockets have won by 10 or more points during three of their last four victories. Cleveland's previous victory came four games ago when it upset Charlotte, 113-89. The Cavaliers had to play the very next day and were blown out by the Wizards, 119-95. The Rockets have dominated this series even when the Cavaliers had Lebron James winning 10 of the last 12 meetings. | |||||||
11-24-18 | Troy +10.5 v. Appalachian State | 10-21 | Loss | -109 | 45 h 19 m | Show | |
Troy can hang in with defense. The Trojans have covered in 19 of their last 26 road games and are 8-1-1 ATS in their past 10 Sun Belt Conference games. This a showdown matchup to decide the East half of the Sun Belt. Troy hasn't lost in Sun Belt play this season winning all seven games. The Trojans give up only 21.2 points a game. The teams last met two seasons ago and none of the games were decided by more than four points. | |||||||
11-24-18 | Texas Tech v. Baylor OVER 63 | 24-35 | Loss | -110 | 46 h 53 m | Show | |
Both teams are off bad performances. Now they each step down in class against lower-caliber defenses. So I envision a loose, fast-tempo matchup where offense, not defense, rules. Texas Tech has firepower no matter who is behind center. The Red Raiders rank 17th in the nation in scoring at 38.5 points a game. Baylor has already been torched for 58 and 66 points during their last seven games. The Bears have come up with just one takeaway during their past four games. Look for the Bears to put up their share of points, too. Baylor has faced Iowa State and TCU in its last two games. Now they step down as Texas Tech ranks 107th in yards allowed. Charlie Brewer is in line for a big passing game as the Red Raiders have the 127th rated pass defense. | |||||||
11-23-18 | Canucks v. Sharks OVER 6 | 0-4 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 32 m | Show | |
Vancouver's defense has really slipped. The Canucks are giving up an average of 35 shots per game during their last seven games. The Canucks have surrendered at least three goals in nine of their past 10 games. The Sharks should be able to take advantage. They have scored three or more goals in eight of their last nine games. The Over has cashed in 10 of San Jose's past 14 games. Note, too. Vancouver is going to start backup goalie Anders Nilsson. | |||||||
11-23-18 | Washington v. Washington State OVER 48.5 | 28-15 | Loss | -102 | 26 h 39 m | Show | |
Given the quality of these quarterbacks, it's not hard to imagine each team scoring at least 24 points. Washington senior Jake Browning has 94 career TD throws. He has one of the top senior RB's in the country in Myles Gaskin. They've helped the Huskies scored 27 or more points in seven of their last eight games. Gaskin rushed for 192 yards and scored four touchdowns against the Cougars last season in the Huskies' 41-14 victory. Washington State senior Gardner Minshew II is putting up Heisman Trophy-worthy numbers, including throwing a nation-leading 36 TD passes. The Cougars are coming a 69-28 romp against Arizona where Minshew fired a school-record seven touchdown passes. | |||||||
11-23-18 | Arkansas State v. NC-Wilmington OVER 155.5 | 64-78 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 29 m | Show | |
Arkansas State has gone Over the total in 11 of its last 13 games. This includes both lined games this season. The Red Wolves are a terrible defensive team, but like to push pace. The same with UNC Wilmington. Fast pace plus bad defense means lot of points. Wilmington has gone Over the total in 12 of its last 16 non conference games. | |||||||
11-23-18 | Wolves -125 v. Nets | 112-102 | Win | 100 | 12 h 1 m | Show | |
If the Timberwolves are serious about making the playoffs again they can't lose to teams such as the Nets. Minnesota defeated Brooklyn, 120-113, at home 11 days ago. The Timberwolves should be able to beat the Nets again with newcomers Robert Covington and Dario Saric more settled. Minnesota's chemistry should be better, too, with the Jimmy Butler cloud disappeared following his trade to the 76ers. The Nets can't match the Timberwolves' talent level and haven't been a good home club failing to cover in 14 of their last 19 games at Barclays Centers. | |||||||
11-23-18 | Buffalo v. Bowling Green OVER 60 | Top | 44-14 | Loss | -115 | 35 h 3 m | Show |
Buffalo ranks 28th in scoring averaging 34.5 points. The Bulls have scored 31 or more points in five of their seven MAC games and have gone Over in eight of their last 10 games. Bowling Green isn't going to be able to slow down the Bulls. The Falcons are terrible defensively surrendering 39.6 points a game to rank 122nd while rating 107th in yards allowed. The Over has cashed in six of the Falcons' last eight home games. It's a red flag for Buffalo that its defense surrendered 52 points and 646 yards to Ohio in its last game. | |||||||
11-22-18 | Michigan State v. UCLA UNDER 158 | 87-67 | Win | 100 | 10 h 28 m | Show | |
Look for defense to prevail in this marquee matchup. Both teams have been involved in high scoring games while playing inferior competition. Now each team faces a serious defense. Michigan State piled up 106 points versus Florida Gulf Coast and 101 points to Tennessee Tech. UCLA is 4-0 with victories against Purdue Fort Wayne, Long Beach State, St. Francis and Presbyterian. All of those victories came at home. Now the Bruins are meeting Michigan State at a neutral site, the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. | |||||||
11-22-18 | Falcons +13 v. Saints | Top | 17-31 | Loss | -105 | 56 h 20 m | Show |
At 4-6, the Falcons are on life support. They are in must-win mode while the Saints are on cruise control. Normally the home team has a huge edge on Thursday games. But the Falcons are familiar with their division rival and this isn't a long trip. The Saints nipped the Falcons, 43-37, in overtime back in Week 3. I see the same back-and-forth type offensive fireworks in the rematch. Drew Brees is having another brilliant season, but so is Matt Ryan, who threw for five touchdowns in the first meeting. As geat as the Saints have been this season, they are 0-4 ATS the past two yers when laying nine or more points. | |||||||
11-21-18 | Avalanche -115 v. Kings | Top | 7-3 | Win | 100 | 28 h 11 m | Show |
LA has the worst record in the NHL at 7-12. The Kings have dropped 10 of their last 14 home games going back to last season. Colorado is the superior team and in a better situational spot. The Avalanche last played on Sunday in Anaheim. They have been in Southern California ever since awaiting this matchup. They should be fresh, prepared and rested. Colorado has won three of its last four games. The Avalance are the third-highest scoring team in the league at 3.6 goals. The Kings are coming off a road underdog victory Monday night against the Blues. This marks their fourth game in six days and first home game in nearly a week coming a day before Thanksgiving after three road games in a row. So focus could be an issue for the Kings. LA ranks 31st in scoring and allows more goals per game than Colorado. The Kings also are down their first two goalies with Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell injured. LA is 3-13 following a victory. The Kings also have lost 12 of the past 15 times versus Western Conference opponents. | |||||||
11-21-18 | Suns v. Bulls -125 | 116-124 | Win | 100 | 21 h 40 m | Show | |
Phoenix is 0-7 on the road this season. So it's not too much to ask of the Bulls to just win this game. Chicago should produce a strong effort having been idle the past three days. The Bulls have covered 10 of the last 14 times when playing on three or more days rest. The Suns have some young talent, but they don't produce victories. They are 3-13 on the season and have dropped six of their last seven games. Zach LaVine is Chicago's best player. He's expected to return to the lineup after missing the Bulls' last game due to illness. LaVine should be able to take advantage of a Phoenix defense that ranks 29th in field goal percentage. | |||||||
11-20-18 | Nets v. Heat -3 | Top | 104-92 | Loss | -109 | 19 h 45 m | Show |
I don't understand this line. Miami should have opened a much higher home favorite. True the Heat aren't playing well. They are a disappointing 6-10 and have lost five of their last six. But the Nets are 7-10 and have lost four of their last five. Brooklyn just recently lost its best player, Caris LeVert. The teams met just six days ago in Brooklyn. The Heat were a two-point road favorite. Now they open only a three-point home favorite. The Heat won that game,. 120-107. Miami is a frustrated team capable of much better. The Heat have the two best players on the court, Josh Richardson and Hassan Whiteside. The Nets aren't capable of better. They are not a playoff caliber team. They aren't playing defense either giving up 120 or more points in three of their last four games. | |||||||
11-19-18 | Celtics -125 v. Hornets | Top | 112-117 | Loss | -125 | 19 h 31 m | Show |
When they set their mind to it, the Celtics can beat any team in the Eastern Conference. They proved that defeating the Raptors, 123-116, this past Friday. But the Celtics were caught flat on Saturday losing 98-86 to the Jazz at home. Brad Stevens wasn't happy with the effort questioning his team's grit. Now, having been idle on Sunday, I see the Celtics getting up to play the Hornets. The Hornets are just an average Eastern Conference team, one that has fallen short of making the playoffs. Boston has far more depth. The question is motivation. The Celtics should have it. They certainly own the talent edge. Boston has dominated the Hornets, too, beating them the past seven times while going 6-0-1 ATS. The Celtics swept three games from the Hornets last season holding them to an average of 94.7 points. | |||||||
11-19-18 | Stars v. Rangers -104 | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show | |
This is a tough spot for Dallas. The Stars are playing for the third time in four days. They are coming off a 6-2 Sunday road victory against the Islanders. The Stars have lost 14 of their last 20 road games. They are 6-13 the past 19 times following a victory. Dallas is 0-2 this season when playing without rest losing each of those games by three goals each. The Rangers have won five in a row at Madison Square Garden. They are 7-2 in their last nine games overall. | |||||||
11-18-18 | Vikings +3 v. Bears | Top | 20-25 | Loss | -125 | 131 h 40 m | Show |
Coming off their bye, the Vikings have gotten healthier on defense and their defense is coming on ranking in the top-five during their past four games. Minnesota is close to full strength now and has Dalvin Cook back to provide a home run threat on offense, which it was lacking before. Cook's dangerous presence can mitigate the Bears' pass rush because of his value as a receiving back. Kirk Cousins rates a strong edge on Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears also are unstable at kicker with Cody Parkey missing four kicks last Sunday, including two extra points. The Vikings took care of their kicking issues by signing highly accurate and reliable Dan Bailey. | |||||||
11-18-18 | Pennsylvania v. Kansas State UNDER 146.5 | 48-64 | Win | 100 | 9 h 35 m | Show | |
This total opened too high based on perception. Kansas State scored 95 points on Eastern Kentucky in its last game two days ago. But Penn is an entirely opposite opponent. The Quakers do not push tempo. The Wildcats are a more deliberate type team, too. | |||||||
11-18-18 | Blazers -117 v. Wizards | 119-109 | Win | 100 | 6 h 14 m | Show | |
The Trail Blazers have revenge for 125-124 overtime home loss to the Wizards last month. Portland is the superior team and will be up for this matchup not just for the revenge angle but also having lost two in a row. Portland has reached triple digits in all but one of their first 15 games. The Trail Blazers have the backcourt scoring to take advantage of the Wizards' 29th-ranked defense. Damian Lillard trumps John Wall. Aside from their upset win of the Trail Blazers, the Wizards haven't defeated any foe of distinction. Their victories have been against the Knicks, Heat, Magic and Cavaliers. | |||||||
11-18-18 | Eagles +9.5 v. Saints | 7-48 | Loss | -120 | 87 h 57 m | Show | |
The Eagles can hang with the Saints. Philadelphia's losses this season have come by an average of 4.4 points. Only once in their last 31 games have the Eagles lost by more than seven points. This is a pivotal game for the Eagles, trailing the Redskins by two games in the NFC East Division. The Saints, on the other hand, are fat and happy sitting at 8-1. Drew Brees is having another outstanding season, but Carson Wentz can hang with him. Wentz is back healthy. He's thrown two or more touchdowns in his last six games. The Eagles' offense is improved with the addition of Golden Tate and their defense is better than New Orleans. The Saints rank 24th defensively in points allowed and yards given up. New Orleans also suffered a key injury last week losing offensive let tackle Terron Armstead to a shoulder injury. | |||||||
11-18-18 | Broncos v. Chargers -7 | 23-22 | Loss | -105 | 126 h 27 m | Show | |
The Chargers have been playing extremely well. They are a bit below the radar considering they are 16-5 SU, 13-8 ATS in their last 21 games. They are 7-1 in their last eight games at their temporary home at StubHub Center. Philip Rivers quietly has put together an MVP-caliber season with the third-highest passer rating in the league at 115.4 and a 21-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. One of the trademarks of the Broncos under Vance Joseph is their horrendous road record. Denver is 2-9 SU, 3-8 ATS under Joseph in away games. Case Keenum has had problems on the road. He has been sacked 14 times and turned the ball over eight times in Denver's four away matchups this season. | |||||||
11-18-18 | Raiders v. Cardinals -4.5 | 23-21 | Loss | -114 | 29 h 27 m | Show | |
The Raiders are introducing a new thing to the NFL, something bottom feeders in the NBA have been doing for a long time: Tanking. Oakland can get away with this because its coach, Jon Gruden, is armed with a 10-year contract and enormous power. It's actually in the best interest of the Raiders to do their best to secure the No. 1 overall draft pick and set themselves up for down the road when they move to Las Vegas to start over because they sure aren't doing anything this season. The Raiders are historically bad. How bad? They have lost five straight games by two touchdowns or more. If they lose by a two-touchdown margin to the Cardinals they will tie the longest streak for those type of losses since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The flip side of this is the Cardinals are a play-on team against this opponent. The Cardinals' offense has improved since Byron Leftwich became the offensive coordinator a couple of weeks ago. Josh Rosen is flashing now and David Johnson looks like the stud back of two years ago with the Cardinals doing a better job of getting him in space and making sure he gets a lot of touches. The Raiders rank 30th in run defense and give up the third-most points per game in the NFL at 30.2. The Raiders can't protect Derek Carr, who has become nothing more than a dink-and-dunk passer lacking playmakers. The Cardinals rank sixth in sacks. They should dominate a porous Oakland offensive line. Chandler Jones is a premier pass rusher. The Cardinals can be counted on for a good effort. They want to deliver their home fans a strong showing. The Raiders can't even be relied upon to try these days espcially in a non-conference matchup. | |||||||
11-18-18 | Texans -142 v. Redskins | 23-21 | Win | 100 | 123 h 21 m | Show | |
The Texans come in off their bye to face a Redskins team that lacks dynamic skill position players and is down three starting offensive linemen, including both of their guards and star left tackle Trent Williams. Houston should easily win the line of scrimmage with J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney potentially dominating. Washington was extremely fortunate to get past the self-destructing Buccaneers last week. The Redskins were outgained by 215 yards. The Texans have won their last three road games. DeShaun Watson and Lamar Miller are playing better. DeAndre Hopkins is in the argument for best wide receiver in football and now he's joined by Demaryious Thomas, who has shown renewed life since joining Houston. I just don't believe the Redskins are any good. This is a spot to fade them with the superior team. | |||||||
11-17-18 | Jazz v. Celtics UNDER 208.5 | 98-86 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show | |
The Celtics got past Toronto, 123-116 in overtime, last night. The Celtics should not be in a letdown mode facing the Jazz, who beat them 123-115 eight days ago in Salt Lake City. Boston will look to clamp down defensively. The Jazz shot an unsustaniable 55.8 percent from the field in that victory. The Celtics did not defend well in that game. Boston also won't be looking to play up-tempo in the second of back-to-back games. The Jazz only scored 68 points in a road game two games ago against the Mavericks. Utah's offense needs Donovan Mitchell to have big performances. Mitchell, though, is in a slump shooting just 33.3 percent in his last four games while committing 12 turnovers. The Celtics rank No. 1 in 3-point defense and third overall in points given up. Look for a complete reversal from the heavy scoring that was done in the first matchup as the Jazz have to rely on their top-10 defense to hang in. | |||||||
11-17-18 | Panthers v. Rangers +122 | 2-4 | Win | 122 | 17 h 55 m | Show | |
Both the Panthers and Rangers had winning streaks snapped in their last games. Florida had won five in a row. But the Panthers were outscored, 7-1, during the final two periods by the Blue Jackets on Thursday. I don't see the Panthers snapping back so fast against the Rangers, who are 6-2 in their last eight games. New York is 4-0 in its last four home games. The Panthers have lost during nine of their last 13 away games to the Rangers. Florida also carries a high fatigue rating as this marks its fifth game in eight days. So I'll go ahead and take a plus price with the Rangers. | |||||||
11-17-18 | Connecticut v. East Carolina OVER 69 | 21-55 | Win | 100 | 30 h 33 m | Show | |
This might seem like a very high total until your realize Connecticut lost 62-50 to SMU last week. The Huskies could have the worst defense in the nation ranking last or near the bottom in yards and points given up. East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers has looked very good the past three games proving to be an effective dual threat. The Huskies will put up their share of points against an East Carolina defense that gives up nearly 35 points a game and ranks 107th in scoring defense. The Pirates have surrendered 35 or more points in five of their last six games. | |||||||
11-17-18 | Texas Tech v. Kansas State +7 | Top | 6-21 | Win | 100 | 25 h 24 m | Show |
Kansas State is a must-win mode if it wants to make it nine straight years of going to a bowl game. The Wildcats have a strong history of covering as a 'dog under Bill Snyder and they surely won't lack motivation here with speculation this could be Snyder's final home game. He could be retiring after 27 years of coaching. So this is going to be an emotional setting at Bill Snyder Family Memorial Stadium. Kansas State has lost three games by a combined nine points. The Wildcats have the superior rushing attack - led by Alex Barnes one the best running backs in the country - and better defense. Texas Tech has been regressing. The Red Raiders have lost three in a row. They are likely not to have injured quarterback Alan Bowman available. He's recovering from a lung injury. Kansas State has won the last three in the series, including winning 42-35 at Texas Tech last season. | |||||||
11-17-18 | Wisconsin +4 v. Purdue | 47-44 | Win | 100 | 24 h 29 m | Show | |
This has been a disappointing season for Wisconsin. But the Badgers shouldn't be a road 'dog against Purdue. Wisconsin has beaten Purdue 12 straight times, including the past seven at Purdue. The Badgers have lost to strong competition. They might not have their starting quarterback, Alex Hornibrook, back either. He's questionable with a concussion. But Wisconsin wins behind star running back Jonathan Taylor and one of the top offensive lines in the country. Taylor leads the nation in rushing with 1,548 yards. The Boilermakers peaked when they upset Ohio State. They have lost two of their past three games losing by 10 to Michigan State and by 31 to Minnesota. Their lone win during the past three games came by two points at home against Iowa. The Boilermakers may be distracted by frequent coaching rumors surrounding Jeff Brohm their head coach. Wisconsin has covered 12 of its last 16 road games. | |||||||
11-17-18 | Virginia +5 v. Georgia Tech | 27-30 | Win | 100 | 24 h 33 m | Show | |
Even though this is a division game it's kind of a sandwich spot for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a huge win against Miami and are at hated in-state rival Georgia next week. Virginia is playing well winning four of its last five games. The Cavaliers had a much easier game than Georgia Tech last week dispatching Liberty, 45-24. Unlike Georgia Tech, Virginia has a balanced attack. Cavaliers QB Bryce Perkins is No. 1 in the ACC in points accounting for 26 TD's. The Yellow Jackets have a below average defense giving up 27.5 points per game. The Cavaliers know how to defend Georgia Tech's unique option offense thanks to head coach Bronco Mendenhall. His teams are 9-2 SU and ATS when facing triple-option opponents. | |||||||
11-17-18 | UL-Monroe v. Arkansas State OVER 66 | 17-31 | Loss | -109 | 111 h 8 m | Show | |
Defense? What defense. Not when these two teams meet. The Over has cashed five of the past six times they have met. Arkansas State beat UL-Monroe 67-50 last season. Both offenses are gliding along. Monroe has scored 38 or more in three of its last four games. Arkansas State is averaging 44 points in its last four games and going against the Warhawks' 96th ranked defense both in points allowed and yards allowed. | |||||||
11-16-18 | Bulls +14.5 v. Bucks | 104-123 | Loss | -102 | 10 h 8 m | Show | |
You might be interested to know that the highest-scoring player on the court in this game belongs to the Bulls in Zach LaVine. But that's not why I like the Bulls to cover this game. This is a rare nationally televised appearance for the Bulls. They are coming off an embarrassing 111-82 road loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Chicago gets up for this division rivalry moreso than the Bucks do. So I envision a focused and big effort coming from the Bulls. The Bulls have covered in four of their last five visits to Milwaukee, including the past three. Before the Boston massacre, the Bulls were playing solid defense holding four of their past five foes to 103 points or fewer. | |||||||
11-16-18 | Memphis v. SMU +8.5 | Top | 28-18 | Loss | -102 | 33 h 57 m | Show |
SMU has come on be tied for first in the AAC West Conference. Mustangs QB Ben Hicks is having a nice season with 1,919 yards and 16 TD passes of which 10 have come during the past four games. The Mustangs have a deep crop of running backs, too. Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last five road games and lacks the defense to cover this big of a road number. The Tigers' record has been fattened up by the weak foes they have played such as Mercer, Georgia State, South Alabama, UConn, East Carolina and Tulsa. | |||||||
11-16-18 | Capitals +130 v. Avalanche | 3-2 | Win | 130 | 9 h 16 m | Show | |
The Capitals are dealing with some injuries, but I like the defending Stanley Cup champions at this nice 'dog price in a rebound position following a 3-1 road loss to the Jets on Wednesday. There is no disputing Washington's talent and the Capitals showed their mental toughness in winning the Cup last season. Colorado is a bit fat and happy having won two in a row, including posting an impressive 6-3 victory against the Bruins at home this past Wednesday. Washington has defeated Colorado in seven of the past eight meetings. The Capitals also catch a break as the Avalanche have announced backup Phillpp Grubauer will be in net today. The Capitals know their former goalie well. Grubauer is not one of the better backups with a 3.55 GAA and .892 save percentage. | |||||||
11-16-18 | Kennesaw State v. Missouri UNDER 133 | 52-55 | Win | 100 | 6 h 60 m | Show | |
Note this game is at a neutral site in the Virgin Islands in a gym unfamilar to both teams, which is a plus for the Under. Kennesaw State hasn't shown anything offensively scoring a combined 101 points versus Kansas State and Samford. The Under has cashed in seven of its last nine games. | |||||||
11-15-18 | Spurs +5.5 v. Clippers | 111-116 | Win | 100 | 22 h 2 m | Show | |
Perhaps it's a leap of faith, but I see the Spurs showing up in a big way. San Antonio is in full circle the wagons mode having lost four of its last five games. The Spurs were just embarrassed on the road Wednesday getting blown out by the Suns, 116-96. Good teams beat the Suns by 20 points not the other way around. I don't see Gregg Popovich letting his team get humiliated a second straight night especially with this game being televised nationally on TNT. There is no valid excuse for any team losing by 20 points to the Suns - and that includes the Washington Generals. But the Spurs did rest Rudy Gay and Pau Gasol was out. It's a plus if Gasol is able to play. I will take LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan and Gay against the Clippers' top three players. The Clippers are fat and happy by contrast compared to the Spurs. LA is off overtime victories against the Bucks and Warriors. The Clippers have played their past four games without their two best defenders, Avery Bradley and Luc Mbah a Moute. During this span, the Clippers rank 22nd in points given up per 100 possessions. Before those two injuries, the Clippers were fifth in that important defensive category. There's a due factor waiting to kick in against the Clippers - and I say it comes here. | |||||||
11-15-18 | Packers v. Seahawks -133 | Top | 24-27 | Win | 100 | 75 h 57 m | Show |
The Packers aren't very good - 7-13 in their last 20 games - are shorthanded in the secondary and traveling on a short week. Green Bay has yet to win a road game losing to the Patriots, Rams, Lions and Redskins. Seattle has become a strong rushing team averaging 5.3 yards rushing per carry during its last five games. Russell Wilson is even more dangerous when backed by a strong running attack. Aaron Rodgers doesn't have his past receiving weapons and isn't 100 percent. His mobility is impacted by a knee brace. He no longer can carry a sub-par team by himself. | |||||||
11-15-18 | Devils v. Flyers -128 | 3-0 | Loss | -128 | 16 h 24 m | Show | |
The Flyers had won three in a row until losing at home to the Panthers, 2-1, on Tuesday. Look for the Flyers to bounce back hosting the Devils, who are 1-7 on the road this season. Going back to last season, New Jersey is 3-13 in its past 16 away contests. Philadelphia had scored 3 or more goals in six straight games before losing to the Panthers. The Devils rank 29th defensively. The spot and matchup both favor the Flyers enough to lay this juice. | |||||||
11-14-18 | Heat -124 v. Nets | Top | 120-107 | Win | 100 | 17 h 60 m | Show |
It should not be too much to ask of Miami to beat Brooklyn especially with the Nets now without Caris LeVert, who is their scoring and steals leader. The Nets have to be in a shocked and down mood after LeVert suffered a gruesome foot injury in the Nets' last game two days ago. The Heat have the three best players on the court in Hassan Whiteside, Josh Richardson and Goran Dragic. Miami isn't going to lack motivation taking to the road after suffering their third consecutive loss - all at home. The Nets have failed to cover in 12 of their last 17 home games. They also are 4-10-1 ATS in their past 15 matchups against the Heat. | |||||||
11-13-18 | Maple Leafs -125 v. Kings | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 20 h 12 m | Show | |
I'm not reluctant to lay this road price with the Maple Leafs. Toronto is 11-6 and proven on the road going 6-1 in its away matchups. The Maple Leafs just lost their first road game, 5-1, to the Bruins this past Saturday. I like their chances of rebounding against the Kings. The Maple Leafs rank sixth in scoring and also have the sixth-best power play. The Kings are 5-10-1. They are scoring a league-worst 2.06 goals per game. So the Kings must play effective defense. Unfortunately their first two goalies are hurt leaving either third-stringer Peter Budaj or just recalled Cal Petersen from the American Hockey League to be in net. Petersen's AHL numbers were a 4.29 goals against average and .881 save percentage. So not only will the Maple Leafs have a huge offensive edge, but also a strong goalie advantage, too, with Frederik Andersen in net. | |||||||
11-13-18 | Hornets v. Cavs +8.5 | 89-113 | Win | 100 | 7 h 19 m | Show | |
It seems almost unfair given how bad they are without LeBron James. But the Cavaliers have been one of the hardest hit team by injuries so far this NBA season. Still, I expect the Cavaliers to give an all-out effort here and keep this game close. Cleveland was embarrassed by Charlotte, 126-94, just 10 days ago. That was at Charlotte. Now the Cavaliers get quick revenge. They have beaten the Hornets the past seven times at home although that was with James. Still, it could be a mental barrier against the Hornets. Charlotte is in action for the third time in five days. The Hornets lost in overtime to the 76ers and then beat the Pistons, 113-103, as 2 1/2-point road chalk. I see this as a flat spot for the Hornets, who while certainly a level higher than Cleveland, are not the type of dominant team that can cover huge spreads on the road. The Cavaliers have veterans. They are not happy with only one win this season. Cleveland has played better of late. Since getting blown out by Charlotte, Cleveland lost by two points on the road to Orlando and by one point on the road to the Bulls in their last game this past Saturday. | |||||||
11-13-18 | Western Michigan -7.5 v. Ball State | Top | 41-42 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 45 m | Show |
Back in Week 2, Ball State hung in against Notre Dame losing, 24-16. Since then, though, things have gone way downhill for the Cardinals. They are 2-6 since that close loss and out of conference and bowl contention. Their starting quarterback, Riley Neal, is out with a knee injury and their top running back, James Gilbert, has been demoted to second team after missing last week's game with a back injury. Ball State has gotten blasted in its last two games losing, 52-14 to Ohio and 45-13 to Toledo. The Cardinals have two games left and their coaching staff has made it known they are going to be looking at younger players. There are inexperienced players in the secondary and in the offensive line. Western Michigan needs this game to keep its MAC West Division title hopes alive and also secure a bowl bid. The Broncos buried the Cardinals, 55-3, last season. The Broncos are treating this as their most important game of the season. | |||||||
11-12-18 | Warriors -130 v. Clippers | 116-121 | Loss | -130 | 12 h 52 m | Show | |
No Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. So we have a very short line here. No worries. The Warriors still have a star-studded lineup with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson being the two best players on the court and a very strong bench. Quinn Cook has done a fine job filling-in for Curry. Sparked by Cook, the Warrors buried the Nets, 116-100, on Saturday. Golden State has defeated the Clippers 13 of the last 14 times. The Warriors are even more focused minus Curry and Green. I'll back them at this small number. | |||||||
11-12-18 | Giants +3.5 v. 49ers | 27-23 | Win | 100 | 10 h 53 m | Show | |
Now that there is film on Nick Mullens, I don't see him performing like he did last Thursday when he sparked the 49ers to an easy win against the Raiders. He is a limited player with flaws. That nationally televised game has caused this line to be inflated. The Giants are better than the Raiders and aren't tanking. This nationally televised game is a chance to give them some redemption. I expect an all out effort from the Giants. Eli Manning actually can have a good game facing such a beat-up and vulnerable secondary. The Giants have by far the two best skilled position players in Saquan Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. | |||||||
11-12-18 | Jazz -3 v. Grizzlies | Top | 96-88 | Win | 100 | 10 h 6 m | Show |
The Jazz already have double revenge against the Grizzlies. They are 0-2 versus Memphis this season with both losses occurring in Salt Lake City. Utah was missing Donovan Mitchell in one those losses. Mitchell is healthy now and the Jazz are playing better. The Grizzlies are improved this season. But they are not in Utah's class. The Grizzlies have fed on a bunch of bad teams at home beating the Hawks, Suns and Wizards. Memphis is coming off a 112-106 home overtime victory against the 76ers. The Grizzlies caught the 76ers in the second of back-to-back games following Philadelphia's home overtime win against the Hornets. The 76ers ran out of gas in that game. | |||||||
11-11-18 | Bucks v. Nuggets -3 | 121-114 | Loss | -106 | 16 h 17 m | Show | |
The Bucks and Nuggets have been two of the hottest teams in the NBA each opening 9-3. The timing and spot, though, favor the Nuggets here. Denver catches Milwaukee at the conclusion of a four-game, six-day road swing. Making this fatigue rating higher for the Bucks is they lost 128-126 in overtime to the Clippers on Saturday falling on a Lou Williams basket with 0.3 seconds left. The Bucks exerted a lot of energy both physical and emotional into that game coming from 15 points down. The Nuggets should be fired-up and ready after they were upset by the lowly Nets, 112-110, at home on Friday. Denver was 6-0 at Pepsi Center until that shocking loss. Denver has defeated Milwaukee eight consecutive times at home. The Bucks are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games going back to last season. | |||||||
11-11-18 | Dolphins v. Packers OVER 47 | Top | 12-31 | Loss | -110 | 38 h 5 m | Show |
I have no doubt the Packers are going to get their points here. Until beating the punchless Jets last week, the Dolphins had surrendered an average of 33.4 points and 175.6 yards rushing during their past five games. Aaron Rodgers can beat the Dolphins passing and Aaron Jones, who averages an NFL-best 6.0 yards per carry, can hurt a Miami run defense that ranks 28th. Just two games ago, DeShaun Watson threw five touchdown passes for the Texans in a 42-23 victory against the Dolphins. Houston has not broken 20 points during their four other games in this five-week span. The key question is how many points can the Dolphins score knowing Brock Osweiler is their quarterback another week? I hate Osweiler. But Green Bay's defense isn't very good and Osweiler has several playmakers. If you discount the Bills and their all-time bad offense, the Packers have given up in their last six games 29, 31, 31, 30, 29 and 31 points. That's being consistent as in consistently bad. | |||||||
11-11-18 | Wild v. Blues -108 | 3-2 | Loss | -108 | 4 h 49 m | Show | |
The Blues are in short revenge mode after the Wild beat them in St. Louis, 5-1, eight days ago. Minnesota is playing well. But so are the Blues and the spot sets up well for St. Louis. This marks the Wild's seventh road game in a row. Minnesota is in action for the third time in four days and fourth in six days. If it weren't for that loss to the Wild, the Blues would be riding a five-game win streak. | |||||||
11-11-18 | Redskins v. Bucs -150 | 16-3 | Loss | -150 | 35 h 43 m | Show | |
I can't see the Redskins keeping up with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has a dynamic passing attack leading the NFL in passing yards and ranking No. 2 in total yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick has a deep receiving group of Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Chris Godwin, Adam Humphries, O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate to put up outstanding numbers, which he has done this season. Few teams can match the quality of Tampa Bay's receiving group. The Redskins are just the opposite on offense. They are an outdated ground-and-pound team with a dink-and-dunk quarterback and second-stringers dotting nearly their entire offensive line. The Redskins are down both of their starting guards and left tackle Trent Williams, their best offensive lineman. They may also be without their starting right tackle. Also out is Chris Thompson, who is their best pass-catching running back and lone dynamic skill position player. The Redskins have failed to break the 20-point barrier in four of their last five games. They are averaging 19.2 points during this span - and that's before losing Williams along with starting guards Brandon Scherff and Shawn Lauvao. Wide receiver Paul Richardson also is out and Adrian Peterson is battling a shoulder injury. Alex Smith needs multiple weapons to succeed. He doesn't have them. Tampa Bay's defense is better with its star lineman Gerald McCoy healthy. This is that rare matchup when a last-place 3-5 team does deserve to be favored against a 5-3 first-place team. | |||||||
11-11-18 | Saints v. Bengals +6 | 51-14 | Loss | -105 | 35 h 42 m | Show | |
The Saints are a very good team. That's evident by them winning their last seven games. But they are not some dominant powerhouse and they are facing a very difficult situation in this matchup. Cincinnati is home and rested having just had their bye. The Saints are coming off their most impressive victory of the season, a home win against the previously unbeaten Rams. Up next for the Saints is a home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. This is a huge flat spot for them against a nonconference opponent on what is an off-surface for them being outdoors. The Bengals have a good history in these instances being 9-2 ATS at home versus above .500 road foes. If you recall their two games before the Rams, the Saints were lucky to win both. They got past the Ravens when Baltimore missed an extra point that would have forced overtime and took advantage of two crucial turnovers to beat the Vikings despite being outgained by 150 yards. The Saints also were fortunte to nip the Browns on a late field goal, 21-18. The Browns could have forced overtime by making a 52-yard field goal at the end of regulation. Oh, yes, the Saints' lone loss came to Tampa Bay. The Browns and Buccaneers are a combined 5-11. Cincinnati won't have its star wideout, A.J. Green. But the Bengals have other weapons, including breakout star wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Andy Dalton is on pace for a career-high in TD passes and the Bengals entered their bye week ranked first in red zone percentage touchdowns. | |||||||
11-11-18 | Cardinals v. Chiefs OVER 49.5 | 14-26 | Loss | -105 | 35 h 41 m | Show | |
Nobody has stopped the Chiefs offense yet. Arizona isn't going to be the first. Kansas City leads the NFL in points per game at 36.3. The Chiefs have scored 30 or more points in eight of their nine games. Patrick Mahomes is the first-half MVP and he's going to get plenty of help from running back Kareem Hunt, who goes against the Cardinals' 31st-ranked run defense. The Cardinals offense showed life with the switch to Byron Leftwich as their new offensive coordinator. The Cardinals scored 15 points in the fourth quarter of their last game in an 18-15 victory against the 49ers. Rookie Josh Rosen set a career high in completions with 23 and in passing yards with 252 while throwing for two touchdowns. Arizona was idle last week giving Leftwich even more time to tweak and make changes to the Cardinals' offense while allowing Larry Fitzgerald to get fully healthy. Look for Leftwich to provide max protection for Rosen in an effort to improve the Cardinals' passing game while also getting David Johnson more involved in space through screen passes and outside runs, something the Cardinals were not doing enough earlier in the season. | |||||||
11-11-18 | Lions +7.5 v. Bears | 22-34 | Loss | -135 | 35 h 39 m | Show | |
Sitting two games behind the Bears and Vikings in the NFC North Division, the Lions desperately need to win this game. They should play with a strong sense of urgency. So the effort should be there. I like getting this many points in this division rivalry. The Lions have owned the Bears beating them nine of the last 10 times, including the past three. Chicago is much improved this season. But the Lions have the superior quarterback. That's huge. The Bears rely first on their ground attack. Detroit's ranks 30th in run defense. The Lions, however, have improved their rush defense after trading for defensive lineman Damon Harrison. If you discount a 70-yard run by Dalvin Cook, the Lions would have held the Vikings to 58 yards rushing on 22 carries for a 2.6 yard average last Sunday. This line is inflated because Matthew Stafford was sacked 10 times in the Lions' 24-9 road loss to the Vikings. That sack figure is an outlier, though, as in their previous seven games the Lions allowed just 13 sacks, an average of fewer than two per game. Line value, quarterback, history and sense of urgency are all on the Lions' side here. | |||||||
11-10-18 | Nets v. Warriors -7 | Top | 100-116 | Win | 100 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
Even without injured Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Golden State is strong enough to dispatch the Nets by double-digits at home especially given the circumstances. The Warriors are far the superior team and probably have the best bench in the league. The Warriors are in bounce back mode after their eight-game win streak was snapped by the Bucks on Thursday in an embarrassing 23-point home loss. The Nets are off a dramatic 112-110 road win against the Nuggets last night, winning when Caris LeVert hit a shot with 0.3 seconds left. The Nets can be a pesky 'dog on the road - but not when a vastly better foe takes them serious. That will be the case here. | |||||||
11-10-18 | 76ers v. Grizzlies -127 | 106-112 | Win | 100 | 9 h 6 m | Show | |
The Grizzlies are much better this season with Marc Gasol and Mike Conley healthy plus having a stronger bench. The Grizzlies are 4-0 SU and ATS at home. They've been idle the past couple of days after knocking off the red-hot Nuggets at home. The spot sets up well for the Grizzlies as they catch the 76ers off a draining overtime home victory against the Hornets last night and playing for the third time in four days. JJ Redick logged more than 36 minutes while Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric all played more than 39 minutes. The 76ers have failed to cover in eight of their last nine road contests going back to last season while the Grizzlies are on a streak of seven straight home covers. | |||||||
11-10-18 | Miami-FL +3.5 v. Georgia Tech | Top | 21-27 | Loss | -115 | 43 h 10 m | Show |
Stop Georgia Tech on the ground and you beat the Yellow Jackets. Miami has done that in each of the last three seasons beating Georgia Tech three times in a row. The Hurricanes have a tremendous trio of three-year starting linebackers in Zach McCloud, Michael Pinckney and Shaq Quarterman. They've helped the Hurricanes rank No. 1 in the nation in tackles for losses, being No. 2 in total defense and 19th in scoring defense giving up 19.3 points per game. The last time Georgia Tech faced a defense this good was in Week 4 when it lost 49-21 to Clemson. No, Miami isn't nearly as good as Clemson. But the Hurricanes are good where it counts against this opponent, who they have owned the last three seasons. Georgia Tech has no choice but to run the ball. They are a one-dimensional option offense. Hurricanes coach Mark Richt knows Georgia Tech's offense well from his days coaching at Georgia. The key for Miami is getting good enough quarterback play. That should happen with the decision to go with N'Kosi Perry as the starter this week. He's more talented than Malik Rosier. | |||||||
11-10-18 | Senators v. Lightning OVER 6 | 6-4 | Win | 100 | 5 h 47 m | Show | |
Tampa Bay is the No. 1 scoring team in the NHL. The Lightning have scored four or more goals in each of their last four games. Ottawa gives up the most goals in the league. The Senators, though, are sixth in the NHL in scoring. They have produced 13 goals in their last three games. The Over has cashed in the Senators' last seven road games. The Over also has cashed the past five times these teams have met. | |||||||
11-10-18 | Michigan v. Rutgers +39.5 | 42-7 | Win | 100 | 40 h 30 m | Show | |
Michigan just got through beating Penn State, Michigan State and Wisconsin, all of whom were ranked teams at the time they played Michigan. The Wolverine are going to be hard-pressed to take Rutgers seriously. I envision a flat effort by the Wolverines - and I couldn't blame them. The Wolverines are 0-7 ATS the past seven times they've been on the road playing a foe with a losing home mark. Bottom line: Too many points for Michigan to lay. | |||||||
11-10-18 | Washington State -6 v. Colorado | 31-7 | Win | 100 | 38 h 29 m | Show | |
Washington State has won five in a row and has the best spread mark in the country at 8-1 ATS. Colorado is going in the opposite direction with four straight losses. The Buffaloes have lost by 11, 14, 7 and 8 points in their last four games. Their defense is wearing down giving up 83 points and 1,025 yards in the last two games. Colorado has skill position injuries. The Buffs aren't going to be able to keep up with Washington State's high-powered attack. Cougars QB Gardner Minshaw leads the nation in passing yards per game and completions. He has three outsanding wide receiving targets and a versatile running back in James Williams. Colorado can't match that. | |||||||
11-10-18 | Troy v. Georgia Southern UNDER 45 | 35-21 | Loss | -102 | 36 h 33 m | Show | |
Defense should carry the day especially with a wind factor. Both teams rank in the top 40 in fewest points allowed per game. Troy hasn't permitted more than 21 points during its past five games. It's a red flag that Georgia Southern could manage only one touchdown on offense and 216 yards against UL-Monroe last week. Georgia Southern has held three of its last five opponents to 14 points or fewer. The clock should keep moving with Georgia Southern running on 79 percent of its plays using a triple-option offense. Troy ranks 26th in run defense. | |||||||
11-10-18 | Ohio State -3.5 v. Michigan State | 26-6 | Win | 100 | 46 h 28 m | Show | |
I certainly respect Michigan State's defense. But it is going to wear down against Ohio State's offense. There's a monster gap between Ohio State's skill position players - quarterback Dwayne Haskins, running back J.K. Dobbins and wide receivers Parris Campbell and K.J. Hill - and Michigan State's backfield personnel especially with the Spartans having ineffective Brian Lewerke at quarterback. The Buckeyes won't lack motivation either still in the national title picture. They stomped the Spartans, 48-3, last season. | |||||||
11-09-18 | Fresno State v. Boise State +3 | Top | 17-24 | Win | 100 | 25 h 16 m | Show |
Fresno State has the best defense in the Mountain West Conference. That's helped make the Bulldogs a road favorite here. But that should come with a disclaimer: The Bulldogs haven't faced a decent quarterback or offense. Now they draw the Broncos and Brett Rypien, who is on the verge of becoming the Mountain West's all-time passing yardage leader. Boise State ranks 21st in points per game and 22nd in yards per game. Fresno State hasn't won during its last nine tries at Boise State. The teams last met at Boise State in last season's Mountain West title game. The Broncos were 10-point home favorites - a swing of nearly two touchdowns from the line on this game - and defeated the Bulldogs, 17-14. Fresno State is good. But so is Boise State. The Broncos are just 5-15 ATS at home. But they haven't been a home 'dog before. And they shouldn't be here. | |||||||
11-09-18 | Hornets v. 76ers -5.5 | 132-133 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 31 m | Show | |
The 76ers are 6-0 SU, 4-2 ATS at home. This is their lone home game during a six-game span. So Philadelphia should not lack motivation. They draw Charlotte in a fat and happy mood. The Hornets just posted home victories - against the lowly Cavaliers and Hawks. This is the Hornets' first road game since Oct. 27, when they lost 105-103 to the 76ers. Philadelphia nipped the Hornets. This return matchup should not be as close. The 76ers shot just 38.5 percent from the field in that victory. Dario Saric, a key and underrated player for the 76ers, has elevated his game since then after a slow start. The Hornets may be minus their best defensive player, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. He's questionable with a finger injury. The 76ers have played a tough early schedule. Their won/lost record is skewed by road losses to the three best teams in the Eastern Conference right now - Raptors, Bucks and Celtics. The 76ers are coming off a confidence-building 100-94 road win against the Pacers in which Saric had his best performance of the season. Philadelphia has defeated Charlotte seven times in a row, including the past four at home. | |||||||
11-08-18 | Panthers v. Steelers -3.5 | Top | 21-52 | Win | 100 | 80 h 57 m | Show |
The Steelers are playing their finest ball winning and covering their last four games. Carolina is at a severe disadvantage being the visitor for this Thursday game. The Panthers have a below average passing statistics. They are vulnerable to Ben Roethlisberger, who has a strong history of playing much better at home. James Connor has more than filled in well for holdout Le'Veon Bell providing the Steelers with a balanced attack. The Panthers lack the Steelers' strong downfield passing game. Pittsburgh ranks tied for third in the AFC in sacks. Cam Newton is not an accurate passer and will be under a heavy pass rush. | |||||||
11-08-18 | Oilers +118 v. Panthers | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 18 h 16 m | Show | |
The wrong team opened as the favorite here. Yes, Florida is the home team. But the Panthers are 3-8 in their last 11 games. They are 0-3 at BB&T Center where they play their home games. The Oilers have dominated the Panthers in Florida winning in their last nine visits! Edmonton is off losses in its last two games. But those defeats came to the Capitals and Lightning. Now they are stepping down in class. It's a weird spot, too, for the Panthers. They were in Finland last week as part of the NHL Global Series. Their last game was on Friday. So there could be a jet lag and rust factor. | |||||||
11-07-18 | Predators v. Avalanche +104 | 4-1 | Loss | -100 | 22 h 50 m | Show | |
Call it a due factor. But Nashville is due to lose a road game after winning its first six away matchups. The Predators won half of those games by one goal with a fourth road win coming by two goals due to an empty net score with less than a minute left. The Avalanche have been pointing to this matchup ever since the Predators eliminated them in six games during the playoffs last season. Colorado has had plenty of time to focus and prepare having been idle the last four days. Colorado ranks No. 2 behind Washington in goals per game. The Avalanche have won 22 of their past 31 home games. The Predators are likely to still be without their third-leading scorer, Viktor Arvidsson. He's missed the past two games with a lower body injury. Nashville hasn't been a team to go against this season, but this is the spot to do it. | |||||||
11-07-18 | Nuggets v. Grizzlies +4 | Top | 87-89 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
The last time the Nuggets blasted out of the blocks this well was 1976. They are 9-1. But this is a spot to step in against them. Memphis is 3-0 SU and ATS at home. All of its home victories are by 12 or more points. The Grizzlies have covered in their last six home games going back to last season. FedEx Forum is a strong home-court for Memphis. The Grizzlies are in stop-the-pain mode after losing the final two games of their road trip with the last occurring to the Warriors two days ago. Memphis is much improved from last season with Marc Gasol and Mike Conley healthy and having a deeper bench. Denver is in a letdown spot after a huge home victory against the Celtics on Monday. The Nuggets are not that strong away from Pepsi Center going 1-2 ATS during their past three away matchups. Denver also has bad recent track record versus Southwest Division foes going 0-6 ATS against them. | |||||||
11-06-18 | Nets v. Suns +1 | Top | 104-82 | Loss | -106 | 21 h 53 m | Show |
Can the Suns win two in a row? Yes. Phoenix is a different team when Devin Booker is healthy like he is now. The Suns upset the Grizzlies at home this past Sunday. It was Booker's second game back after he missed three games with a hamstring injury. That win halted a seven-game Phoenix losing streak and has given the Suns confidence. Booker was the key. He is one of the best players in the league although he doesn't get a lot of publicity. Phoenix will have the two best players on the court in Booker and rookie Deandre Ayton when they host Brooklyn Tuesday. The Nets are 1-4 on the road. Their lone away win was against the Cavaliers, who have the worst record in the NBA at 1-9. The Nets last were on the road eight days ago when they were blasted by the Knicks, 115-96. | |||||||
11-06-18 | Canadiens v. Rangers -110 | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 7 h 44 m | Show | |
The home team has won the past four times. I see that pattern continuing here. The Rangers have won three in a row, including knocking off a hot Sabres team, 3-1, at home this past Sunday. New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist is in excellent form going 4-0 with a 0.94 GAA and .967 save percentage during his past four games. This isn't just a play on the Rangers, but a fade on Montreal. The Canadiens just nipped the Islanders, 4-3, in a shootout on the road last night. Montreal came back from a 3-1 deficit to pull out the win. The Canadiens are 5-16 following a victory. This marks their third game in four days. They are 1-6 the past seven times under those circumstances. | |||||||
11-05-18 | Titans v. Cowboys OVER 39.5 | Top | 28-14 | Win | 100 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
In today's NFL where all the rules are skewed toward offense a total like this is just too low unless you are the Jets, Bills or Dolphins quarterbacked by Brock Osweiler. The Titans and Cowboys are none of the above teams. Dallas' offense actually is respectable now that it has a lead wide receiver in Amari Cooper. The Cowboys average 28.6 points at home. Dallas put up 40 points on Jacksonville during its last home game. The Jaguars have a better defense than Tenneseee. Ezekiel Elliott is a top-five running back. Dak Prescott is a highly mobile quarterback. The Titans have a below average run defense ranking 19th. Both teams are rested and have had ample time to add wrinkles to their offense having been idle last week. The Titans' offense has been disappointing. That should start to change as Marcus Mariota has gotten healthy discarding a glove he had been wearing on his throwing hand due to numbness. The Cowboys are down one of their key pass rushers with David Irving sideined with an ankle injury. Mariota is not a good downfield thrower, but he like Prescott is extremely mobile and he has a dangerous dump-off back to throw to in Dion Lewis. Titans first-year head coach Mike Vrabel has already established himself as a gambler, a foolish one so far. But a gambler nevertheless, which is another plus for the Over. | |||||||
11-05-18 | Canadiens +105 v. Islanders | 4-3 | Win | 105 | 9 h 6 m | Show | |
Montreal is improved this season and has shown an ability to win on the road going 2-3 with impressive victories against the Penguins and Bruins. All three of Montreal's road defeats were by one goal, with two occurring in overtime. The Canadiens won't lack motivation coming off a disappointing 1-2 homestand. They played tough competition, though, beating the Capitals and losing to the Stars and Lightning. The Islanders are fat and happy winning five in a row, including a rivalry winner against New Jersey this past Saturday. The Islanders head off to Florida for a pair of games following this matchup. So their focus might not be all there. The Canadiens have dominated the Islanders on the road winning seven of the last eight times. | |||||||
11-04-18 | Packers v. Patriots OVER 56 | Top | 17-31 | Loss | -109 | 34 h 17 m | Show |
Neither defense can stop the other team's offense. The Packers played perhaps their finest defensive game of the season last week against the Rams yet still surrendered 29 points, which could been 36 points if Todd Gurley didn't fall down right before the goal line at the end of the game. Now the Packers go from West to East to face another high-powered offense and a better quarterback, Tom Brady. Look for Rob Gronkowski and Sony Michel to play giving Brady his full arsenal of weapons. Until beating the Bills 25-6 on the road this past Monday, the Patriots were averaging 39.2 points in their last four games. Green Bay lacks the pass rushers, coverage linebackers and secondary to get stops against Brady. The Packers traded away safety Ha Ha Clinton Dixon this week for a draft choice. Dixon wasn't an All-Pro, but he was a steady force on Green Bay's defense having played all but three snaps during his five seasons. His departure leaves Kentrell Brice, who is below average, as the only experienced safety. Brady is sure to exploit this. So, too, with Gronkowski. Aaron Rodgers can hurt a Patriots defense that is only good when cripple shooting bad quarterbacks in their weak AFC East Division. New England gave up an average of 30.2 points to the Jaguars, Colts. Lions and Chiefs. | |||||||
11-04-18 | Grizzlies v. Suns +4 | 100-102 | Win | 100 | 8 h 27 m | Show | |
Phoenix has lost seven in a row since beating Dallas by 21 points in its opener. So I understand a reluctance to back the Suns. But Memphis is vulnerable here and the Suns are dangerous at home with Devin Booker back for his second game after being out three games with a hamstring injury. The Suns were competitive with Booker's return to the lineup in a 107-98 home loss to the Raptors Friday. The Raptors are far superior to the Grizzlies. Memphis is 0-2 on the road in games not against the Jazz. The Grizzlies lost by five points to the Kings in Sacramento and were buried by 28 points to the Pacers in Indiana. Memphis averages 94.2 points in four road matchups. The Grizzlies are coming off a highly-satisfying 110-100 away victory against the Jazz on Friday. Memphis has a road game against the Warriors on deck Monday. The Grizzlies are likely to look past the Suns, who they destroyed, 117-96, at home on Oct. 27. The Grizzlies shot 55.7 percent from the floor in that win. Booker did not play in that game. Memphis ranks 20th in field goal percentage at 44.5 percent. They are not likely to repeat that earlier shooting performance against the Suns. The Suns are a far better team with a healthy Booker. He is their key being their leading scorer at 25.8 points and ball distributor. Phoenix has a much improved roster. No. 1 overall draft choice Deandre Ayton is living up to expectations and Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson are reliable veterans who help balance the Suns' promising youth. This is early season revenge for the Suns and a stop-the-pain game for them. They will be the more motivated team and they are better than their record now that Booker is healthy. | |||||||
11-04-18 | Steelers +3 v. Ravens | 23-16 | Win | 100 | 27 h 58 m | Show | |
These teams are heading in different directions. Pittsburgh is coming on winning its past three games, all by seven or more points. The Steelers are averaging 34 points in their last three games. James Conner has made everyone not miss Le'Veon Bell. Pittsburgh's defense has improved, too, holding foes to 18.3 points in the last three games. Baltimore, by contrast, has dropped three of its last four. Joe Flacco has regressed to where he was last season - terrible. The Ravens also have a cluster injury problem in their offensive line with both of their starting tackles out. Losing left tackle Ronnie Stanley is a huge below-the-radar injury. It means Jermaine Eluemunor will be making his first NFL start. The Steelers' pass rush has come on to rank seventh in sack ratio and second in quarterback hits. Flacco, more than most quarterbacks, gets rattled under pressure. The Steelers have a monster skill posiiton edge with Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Conner. This is one of the most fierce rivalries in the NFL. The Steelers have short revenge for a home loss to the Ravens five weeks ago. The Steelers are the fresher team having had their bye just two weeks ago. Baltimore doesn't get its bye until after this game. | |||||||
11-04-18 | Falcons +2.5 v. Redskins | 38-14 | Win | 100 | 27 h 56 m | Show | |
I've been looking to fade the Redskins - and this is the spot to do it. Washington has won three in a row. The Redskins don't have a good history, though, under Jay Gruden of following a win with a good performance being 4-10 ATS after winning in their previous game. The Redskins are an average team at best with a below average quarterback in Alex Smith. Washington's style is run the ball with Adrian Peterson and play stout run defense. The Falcons are not a good opponent for that style to work. Matt Ryan is having a strong season. He's riding a 13-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his last five games. He has thrown for more than 350 yards in four of those five games. Ryan rates a huge edge on Smith, who rarely completes downfield passes. Ryan challenges secondaries. Smith doesn't. The Falcons are off a bye. They've had ample weeks to patch up their battered defense. The Redskins lack the dynamic offense to take advantage. Washington also will be without its best offensive lineman with left tackle Trent Williams out following surgery on his thumb. | |||||||
11-04-18 | Chiefs v. Browns UNDER 52.5 | 37-21 | Loss | -110 | 27 h 55 m | Show | |
The Browns' offense was a mess with Hue Jackson and Todd Haley in charge of it. It remains a mess now that both Jackson and Haley are gone.They have no experienced play-caller with Jackson and Haley both sacked. This makes it rough on rookie Baker Mayfield. Kansas City's defense has looked better the past couple of weeks. Cleveland has a respectable defense that plays better at home. The Browns have held three of their four home opponents to 21 points or fewer. The Chiefs are coming off their lowest offensive output of the season picking up 340 yards against Denver last week. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was elevated to interim coach replacing Jackson. He's a defensive guy who will do anything not to get embarrassed by the Chiefs' high-powered offense in his Browns head coaching debut. Under Williams, the Browns are leading the NFL with 22 takeaways, including 12 interceptions. Cleveland has come up with two or more takeaways in seven of its eight games. The Chiefs defense has stepped up to average two takeaways during their last five games. There also is a weather element to this matchup. The forecast is for clear skies and temperatures in the low 50s, but with wind blowing in the 13-15 mph range. | |||||||
11-03-18 | Louisiana Tech +23.5 v. Mississippi State | 3-45 | Loss | -105 | 30 h 8 m | Show | |
This is your classic sandwich spot for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are coming off a huge home win against Texas A&M and have Alabama on deck next week. So the Bulldogs aren't going to be taking this non-conference matchup too serious. Mississippi State also isn't a good team to lay big points on. The Bulldogs rank 107th in passing yards. Nick Fitzgerald is more dangerous as a runner than thrower. Louisiana Tech's top defensive strength is its pass defense. So Mississippi State is going to have to grind away on the ground, which eats a lot of clock. The Bulldogs' best runner is Kylin Hill, who is questionable after missing last week's game with a leg injury. It wouldn't be surprising if Hill sat out so he would fresh for Alabama. Louisiana Tech is well-coached under Skip Holtz. Under Holtz, Louisiana has covered seven of its last nine road games as an underdog against the power-five conference teams. Tech is 8-2 ATS versus SEC foes. The latest example occurred in Week 3 when Tech hung in and covered a 19-point road spread against LSU, a team that beat Mississippi State, 19-3, just two weeks ago. | |||||||
11-03-18 | Houston -14 v. SMU | Top | 31-45 | Loss | -113 | 30 h 22 m | Show |
Houston wins because of its high-scoring offense. The Cougars have scored 40-plu points in eight straight games. They rank first in the country in total yards and No. 2 in scoring. Houston quarterback D'eriq King has had at least two passing touchdowns and one rushing TD in every game this year. The Cougars have an excellent track record on the road going 23-10-1 (70%) in their past 34 away matchups. SMU needs to play ball-control and have a balanced offense to hang with the Cougars. But the Mustangs don't have that. They are averaging 98.6 yards on the ground, which ranks 123rd. SMU is averaging fewer than 50 yards rushing in its last three games. The Mustangs are poorly-coached - 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games - and have given up eight-non defensvie touchdowns, including four pick-six interceptions off Ben Hicks. | |||||||
11-03-18 | Lightning -118 v. Canadiens | 4-1 | Win | 100 | 18 h 11 m | Show | |
Montreal is much improved this season. Because of that this becomes a big early game that Tampa Bay is sure to be up for especially after losing 4-1 at home to Nashville on Thursday. The Lightning outshot the Predators, 43-24, in that frustrating loss. Tampa Bay leads Montreal by just one point for the top spot in the East. The Lightning still are superior to the Canadiens even if Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Victor Hedman has to miss another game due to an upper body injury. The Lightning have won eight of their last 11 road games. The Canadiens are coming off a huge 6-4 home victory against the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals on Thursday. Montreal is 2-9 the past 11 times following a victory and aren't likely to turn in another "A" game type of performance so soon. | |||||||
11-03-18 | South Carolina v. Ole Miss OVER 65 | Top | 48-44 | Win | 100 | 113 h 40 m | Show |
Look for Mississippi's high-flying offense to take off again following a 31-16 home loss to Auburn two weeks ago. The Rebels were idle last week. The Rebels had scored a combined 107 points in their previous two games before losing to Auburn. Mississippi has three outstanding skill position players in quarterback Jordan Ta'amu, running back Scottie Phillips and A.J. Brown, who could be the first wide receiver picked in next spring's NFL draft. Only four teams have gained more yards on the season per game than the Rebels. South Carolina has enough offense to stay up there in points with Ole Miss, which ranks 124th in yards given up per game. The Over has cashed in 10 of Mississippi's past 14 SEC games. | |||||||
11-03-18 | Syracuse v. Wake Forest OVER 75.5 | 41-24 | Loss | -122 | 25 h 54 m | Show | |
Syracuse has only failed to score at least 30 points once all season. The Orangemen are averaging more than 43 points a game. Wake Forest's defense has fallen apart giving up 45.3 points per game during its past three matchups. Wake Forest ranks 13th in rushing. This matches up to Syracuse's weak rush defense, which ranks 72nd. The Demon Deacons have hit 56 points twice in their last four games, including 56 at Louisville in their last game. There were 107 points scored in last year's game won by Wake Forest, 64-43. Expect a simila score this time around, too. | |||||||
11-03-18 | Air Force v. Army OVER 42 | 14-17 | Loss | -105 | 25 h 38 m | Show | |
Yes there is going to be a lot of running in this game. But this is a low total and the caliber of these team's rush attacks is very strong. Army ranks No. 2 in the rushing while Air Force rates No. 8. This game is on turf not grass, too. The Over has cashed eight of the last 11 times Army has been on turf. Air Force has gone above the total in seven of its last nine games. | |||||||
11-02-18 | Knicks v. Mavs -6 | 118-106 | Loss | -105 | 19 h 15 m | Show | |
The record won't show it because of a five-game losing streak, but Dallas is a much improved team. The Mavericks added a premier defensive center, DeAndre Jordan, and a star rookie point guard, Luka Doncic, to a veteran lineup that also has reliable Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews to go along with promising second-year guard Dennis Smith Jr. The Mavericks have played strong competition during their losing skid with four of the defeats coming to the Raptors, Jazz, Spurs and Lakers. Dallas lost to the Spurs in overtime and Lakers by one point during its last two games, both on the road. Now Dallas is home for only the fourth time this season. The Mavericks are not only home, but get to step way down in class, too, drawing the Knicks. The Knicks are 1-6 in their last seven games. They are 0-3 on the road losing their past two away games by a combined 34 points to the Bucks and Heat. | |||||||
11-02-18 | Western Kentucky v. Middle Tennessee State -13.5 | Top | 10-29 | Win | 100 | 19 h 7 m | Show |
Western Kentucky has frustrated Middle Tennessee State for three straight years, including defeating the Blue Raiders, 41-38, last season in triple overtime. Now the table is set for the Blue Raiders to get their revenge in a big way. The Hilltoppers are a dead team done in by the disastrous coaching of Mike Sanford. They have lost nine of their last 10 games. The Hilltoppers are not bowl eligible for the first time in eight years. Middle Tennessee State senior quarterback Brent Stockstill has led the Blue Raiders to a 16-7 record since 2016 in games he has been healthy in. Yet he's 0-3 career-wise versus Western Kentucky. Stockstill is one of the better quarterbacks in Conference USA. The Blue Raiders trail Florida International by just one game in the East Division of that conference. Their offense has a good balance to it with the emergence of running back Terelle West. Western Kentucky can't keep up averaging fewer than 20 points a game. The Hilltoppers give up nearly 30 points on defense. They've allowed 40, 37 and 38 points in their last three games. They can't match the Blue Raiders on either side of the ball. Middle Tennessee State has a good history in these type situations covering six of the last seven times at home versus foes with a losing road mark. | |||||||
11-02-18 | Rockets -3 v. Nets | 119-111 | Win | 100 | 18 h 15 m | Show | |
The 1-5 Rockets are on the road for the first time since Oct. 21. Good. They need to get away from Houston. The Rockets are the most disappointing team in the NBA during the first couple of weeks. This is the start of a season-high five-game road trip for the Rockets. I don't see them sinking any lower by losing to the bottom-feeding Nets especially since the Nets are off a satisfying 120-119 overtime victory against the Pistons this past Wednesday night. The Nets are a good effort team. I especially like them as a road 'dog. But they can't match the Rockets' talent even if James Harden remains out. Chris Paul, Eric Gordon and Carmelo Anthony still are better than anybody on Brooklyn. The Rockets aren't nearly as good as their franchise-record 65-win team of a season ago. But they are far better than their 1-5 record shows. Houston ranks 29th in field goal percentage and 23rd in 3-point shooting. They are due to greatly improve in those key statistical areas. Keep in mind, too, the Rockets have faced nothing but Western Conference teams - all of whom are playoff contenders. This is their first game versus an Eastern Conference opponent and a lottery one at that. | |||||||
11-01-18 | Raiders +3 v. 49ers | Top | 3-34 | Loss | -103 | 49 h 54 m | Show |
Jon Gruden is desperate for a victory and he has a chance to achieve that in this nationally televised Thursday night matchup. As bad as the Raiders have been, the 49ers have even a worse record. The 49ers also are one of the most banged-up teams in the NFL. The Raiders have a huge quarterback edge with Derek Carr. This edge would be even greater if C.J. Beathard is a scratch because of a wrist injury. That would make second-year undrafted free agent Nick Mullens the 49ers' starting quarterback. Carr is coming off a four touchdown performance against the Cowboys and has regained his confidence. Usually it's a huge disadvantage to be the road team in the Thursday matchup. But it's different here because Oakland and San Francisco are just a little more than 12 miles apart. So travel isn't an issue for the visiting Raiders. It's the 49ers who are hurt the most by the short week because of their long injury list. | |||||||
11-01-18 | Bucks v. Celtics -3 | 113-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 40 m | Show | |
Milwaukee is the only remaining unbeaten team in the NBA. It's not a fluke. The Bucks have had below-the-radar talent the past couple of seasons and now they finally have the right coach in Mike Budenholzer to maximize that talent. But Boston trumps Milwaukee in terms of overall talent and bench strength. The Celtics also have the best coach in the league, Brad Stevens. The spot sets up well for Boston, too. The Bucks are coming off a huge home win against the Raptors. This marks their fourth game in six days. It is just Milwaukee's third road game of the season. The Celtics are the best team the Bucks have faced. The Celtics guard their home court well covering 17 of their last 22 home games. They have covered against the Bucks in eight of the last 10 meetings. It's an added bonus for the Celtics if superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has to miss a second consecutive game because of a concussion. | |||||||
11-01-18 | Jets v. Panthers UNDER 6 | 4-2 | Push | 0 | 12 h 21 m | Show | |
Both the Jets and Panthers will be playing for the first time in five days. The reason is this game is being played in Helsinki, Finland as part of the 2018 NHL Global Series. Strange place, strange start time of 2 p.m. Florida time. All of this is a plus for the Under. So is the Jets failing to score more than two goals in each of their past three games. The Panthers haven't broken the three-goal barrier in any of their last four games. | |||||||
10-31-18 | Pacers -5.5 v. Knicks | Top | 107-101 | Win | 100 | 9 h 43 m | Show |
I see the Pacers bouncing back from a disappointing home loss to the Trail Blazers this past Monday. The Trail Blazers are off to a fast start and they played well against Indiana. The Pacers are a much better team than the rebuilding Knicks, who are 2-5 with their victories coming against the lowly Hawks and Nets. The Pacers entered their matchup against the Trail Blazers having posted road victories against the Spurs and Cavaliers. Victor Oladipo, though, had an off-shooting night against the Trail Blazers after connecting on 17 of 27 shots from the floor against the Spurs and Cavaliers. Indiana has a strong record in bounce back situations like this going 16-5 ATS following a loss. New York is fat and happy after halting a five-game losing streak with a resounding revenge win against the Nets on Monday, 115-96. | |||||||
10-30-18 | Senators v. Coyotes OVER 5.5 | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show | |
Arizona is averaging five goals per game during its last last three games. The Coyotes get to face the league's worst defense as Ottawa ranks in the bottom-two in many of the major defensive categories. Ottawa also is shorthanded on the blue line with Mark Borowiecki suspended. The Senators, though, rank sixth in goals scored per game. They have gone Over in each of their last five road games. | |||||||
10-30-18 | Clippers v. Thunder -145 | 110-128 | Win | 100 | 17 h 41 m | Show | |
The Thunder have had this game circled after losing to the Clippers, 108-92, at home 11 days ago. Oklahoma City was without Russell Westbrook in that game. Westbrook has played in three games now. The rust is off and the Thunder are ready to make a move. They looked good in dispatching the Suns, 117-110, at home this past Sunday. That was the Thunder's first win after opening the season with four consecutive losses. Oklahoma City beat the Clippers in both meetings last season, winning by an average of 8.5 points. Now that Westbrook is back and in sync with Paul George and newcomer Dennis Schroder, the Thunder should start playing better. | |||||||
10-30-18 | Blazers v. Rockets -3 | Top | 104-85 | Loss | -111 | 17 h 40 m | Show |
The Rockets are off to a horrendous 1-4 start after winning an NBA-best 65 games last season. I understand the Rockets have yet to resemble anything they looked like last season and will be without injured James Harden. Still, I believe the Rockets are primed for a monster effort. They have been idle since Friday. Portland, on the other hand, played on Monday night and upset the Pacers in Indiana. This marks Portland's third game in four days. The Trail Blazers do not have great depth and are 1-6 ATS the past seven times following a victory. Houston has owned Portland in the past winning seven of the last eight meetings, including all four last season. |
Service | Profit |
---|---|
William Burns | $1,325 |
Dan Kaiser | $1,247 |
Jesse Schule | $666 |
Mike Lundin | $633 |
Ricky Tran | $555 |
Jim Feist | $402 |
Marc Lawrence | $400 |
Big Al McMordie | $325 |
AAA Sports | $316 |
Tom Macrina | $290 |