My selection is on the 'over' between Florida International and Toledo at 12:30 pm et on Friday.

We saw a couple of situations where Toledo came out completely flat and was held down offensively this season but for the most part, the Rockets were explosive to say the least and I fully expect to see them get up for this Bowl tilt with Florida International on Friday. The Panthers saw a similar story unfold over the course of the regular season as they put up some gawdy offensive numbers on several occasions but were also held down in a couple of flat spots. This is not such a flat spot as the Panthers will be up for an opportunity to secure a Bowl win against a MAC opponent. There's little reason to anticipate either team holding much back in the Bahamas on Friday - I believe we're dealing with a reasonable total. Take the over (10*).

CFB Bowl Game of the Week. My selection is on Marshall minus the points over South Florida at 8 pm et on Thursday.

Outside of an early season win over Georgia Tech I have a tough time finding many quality wins on South Florida's resume and I believe the Bulls will be in tough against the Thundering Herd on Thursday night. These teams are mirror images of one another as far as ATS success goes, with both struggling against the number down the stretch. Marshall is without question the healthier squad heading into this game and I like the advantages the Thundering Herd have in the trenches, where they allowed less than three yards per rush this season in contrast to the Bulls 5.0 yards per rush allowed. Take Marshall (10*).

My selection is on the 'over' between Marshall and South Florida at 8 pm et on Thursday.

I believe this game has shootout potential, noting that Marshall posted an 8-4 o/u mark during the regular season while South Florida certainly was involved in its share of high-scoring affairs as well. The Bulls limped down the stretch but I don't believe they'll shy away from a shootout on Thursday night. Given they've had no success slowing down opposing running games, they'll be hard-pressed to avoid having to let it rip on offense in order to keep up. If nothing else, Marshall has been consistent putting points on the board this season, putting up at least 20 points in each and every game. The Thundering Herd scored 30+ on five different occasions. I expect a similar story to unfold here. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Northern Illinois plus the points over UAB at 7 pm et on Tuesday.

I'll back the underdog Huskies on Tuesday night as they take on upstart UAB in the Boca Raton Bowl. We won with Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship Game against Buffalo and I see this as another fine spot to support the Huskies in an underdog role. The Blazers seemed to peak early this season as they come into this one having lost three of their last four games ATS with their lone victory coming in a two-point win over Middle Tennessee in the C-USA Championship Game. Note that UAB has been outgained in three straight games. Northern Illinois has been stout against the run this season, allowing just 2.7 yards per rush. Take Northern Illinois (10*).

My selection is on Carolina plus the points over New Orleans at 8:15 pm et on Monday.

After getting off to a sluggish start, we saw the Saints ultimately pull away for a two touchdown victory over the Bucs on the road last week. Meanwhile, the Panthers have lost five games in a row and look like they've all but quit on the season. I do think we'll see Carolina show up in this game, however. Keep in mind, five of the last seven meetings in this series have been decided by five points or less. I'm not entirely convinced that the Saints didn't peak too early this season. This will be the first of two meetings between these two NFC South rivals in the final three weeks of the season and I'm confident we'll see the Panthers hang tough. Take Carolina (10*).

My selection is on Pittsburgh plus the points over New England at 4:25 pm et on Sunday.

I'll back the Steelers to avoid a fourth straight loss as they host the Patriots on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh fell just short in Oakland last Sunday and now finds itself in danger of coughing up the AFC North division lead. New England is in bounce-back mode off an insane last-second loss in Miami last week. The Pats are limping along right now, having gone just 2-2 SU and ATS over their last four games. The Steelers are generally at their best in these Sunday late afternoon home games and I'm confident their offense will come up big in this matchup. Take Pittsburgh (10*).

NFL Non-Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on Buffalo minus the points over Detroit at 1 pm et on Sunday.

The Lions travel across the country after beating the Cardinals in Arizona last Sunday. Detroit is still a bottom-feeder as far as I'm concerned, and while the Bills haven't been any better, they do have some upside here at home in December, coming off a narrow loss to the Jets last week. Look for the Buffalo defense to come up big in this one against a punchless Lions offense. We're being asked to lay a short number with the team in the much better spot. Take Buffalo (10*).

My selection is on Minnesota minus the points over Miami at 1 pm et on Sunday.

This is a big bounce-back spot for the Vikings who quite simply haven't looked good in recent weeks but still remain in playoff position in the NFC. The Dolphins are in a big-time letdown spot here after that thrilling wing and a prayer win over the Patriots last Sunday. Miami hasn't traveled particularly well and will run into a highly-motivated opponent here. I still feel the Dolphins are pretenders, even after hanging with, and ultimately beating a true Super Bowl contender last week. If the Vikes don't show up this week they might as well fold up the tent. I'm confident they do come to play. Take Minnesota (10*).

My selection is on Middle Tennessee State plus the points over Appalachian State at 9 pm et on Saturday.

This is a game the Blue Raiders have to feel confident they can not only keep competitive, but win outright. Middle Tennessee State closed out the season on a 5-1 ATS run, with its lone setback coming in a quick revenge match against UAB after defeating the Blazers by a 27-3 score the first time around. It was really a tale of two halves as far as the regular season went for the Blue Raiders. Perhaps the same could be said of Appalachian State, which ran out of gas a little bit down the stretch, going 3-4 over its final six games after opening the season with five straight ATS victories. There's not a lot separating these two teams. I like the Blue Raiders experience at quarterback and believe they can at the very least take this one down to the wire. Take Middle Tennessee State (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Houston and New York at 4:30 pm et on Saturday.

I'll back the 'under' in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon. The Texans have generally been good for around 20 points or less on the road this season, outside of a shootout victory over the Colts in Indianapolis, but that came back in late September. The Jets are coming off an unexpectedly high-scoring affair in Buffalo last Sunday, winning by a 27-23 score. That was their highest scoring output since putting up 42 points against the aforementioned Colts back in mid-October. New York has been outgained by over 120 total yards in four consecutive games. The last meeting between these two teams came back in 2015 and it resulted in only 41 total points. I don't expect to see much different of a story to unfold here. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on North Texas plus the points over Utah State at 2 pm et on Saturday.

Utah State got off to a 9-1 ATS start this season but has dropped its last two games ATS entering this Bowl matchup with North Texas. It really seemed as if the Aggies offense ran out of gas near the end of the season and I can't imagine losing their entire coaching staff will help matters entering this contest. North Texas quietly went 9-3 SU this season but just 4-8 ATS. I believe the latter mark is leaving the Mean Green Eagles undervalued in this matchup. Note that they outgained each and every opponent this season in terms of total yardage and have one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country in Mason Fine. Take North Texas (10*).

AFC West Game of the Year. My selection is on Kansas City minus the points over Los Angeles at 8:20 pm et on Thursday.

I'll lay the points with the Chiefs on Thursday night as they host the surging Chargers with an AFC West division title potentially hanging in the balance. Kansas City is dealing with some key injuries, including one to star WR Tyreek Hill. It sounds like Hill will play on Thursday night although it remains to be seen how effective he can be on a short week. Regardless, I still expect to see the Chiefs offense roll against a banged up Chargers defense. This is actually a fine spot for the Chiefs ground game, even if they are undermanned in that department. Los Angeles has won three games in a row but didn't make things easy on itself in last week's home game against the lowly Bengals. The fact that the Chargers have allowed 51 points in their last two contests is alarming to be sure as they prepare to face one of the league's best offenses in a hostile environment at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs have won nine straight games in this series straight-up and four in a row ATS. Despite sputtering a little bit lately, Kansas City has still outgained each of its last five opponents in terms of total yardage and comes in battle-tested off last week's overtime win over Baltimore. Take Kansas City (10*).

NFL Monday Night Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between Minnesota and Seattle at 8:15 pm et on Monday.

I believe we're dealing with a very reasonable total in this matchup, largely due to how inept the Vikings offense looked in last week's ugly 10-point effort in New England. I do expect a strong bounce-back performance here as the Seahawks have certainly been beatable on defense this season, regardless whether they've been at home or on the road. Key here may be the fact that Seattle is giving up nearly six yards per rush in recent weeks, and goes up against a highly-motivated RB in Dalvin Cook. The Vikings are beat up defensively and will go up against a Seahawks offense that seems to be gaining confidence with each passing week. Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett is poised for a big performance against a struggling Vikings defense in the slot. Meanwhile, RB Chris Carson has given Seattle some real consistency in the backfield. Minnesota has been tough against the run but I think the Seahawks will be creative enough with Carson and Rashaad Penny running the football to make some headway. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Los Angeles minus the points over Cincinnati at 4:05 pm et on Sunday.

I’ll lay the points with the Chargers on Sunday afternoon as they host the lowly Bengals. Los Angeles is coming off a thrilling, come-from-behind win in Pittsburgh last Sunday night but I don’t anticipate any sort of letdown here. The Chargers need to keep it rolling here as they close the season with tough matchups against the Chiefs and Broncos on the road, sandwiched around a home date with the Ravens. The Chiefs are in sight atop the AFC West, but Los Angeles needs to take care of business here. The big key in this one should be the Chargers defense. They didn’t perform well in the first half against the Steelers but I liked the way they adjusted at halftime and essentially shut down an explosive Pittsburgh offense in the second half. This is a group that has been bolstered by the return of Joey Bosa and they catch a favorable matchup here against a Bengals offense that is missing QB Andy Dalton and likely WR A.J. Green as well. While Bengals RB Joe Mixon does draw a fine matchup here, if Cincinnati falls behind early, as I expect it will, he simply won’t get enough opportunities. We’re being asked to lay a steep number here, but it’s warranted in my opinion. Take Los Angeles (10*).

NFL AFC East Game of the Year. My selection is on Buffalo minus the points over New York at 1 pm et on Sunday.

It’s hard to believe we’re laying points with the Bills at this stage of the season but this is a fine matchup for Buffalo, at home against a listless Jets squad that has a lame duck head coach in Todd Bowles and a makeshift roster due to a number of key injuries. The Jets have lost six games in a row, scoring more than 17 points only once over that stretch, and that came against the Titans last week. It’s worth noting that New York didn’t score an offensive touchdown in that game and was outscored 20-6 in the second half. Expect to see some carry-over from that performance here. The Bills suffered a 21-17 loss at Miami but easily could have won were it not for a Charles Clay drop in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. There were definitely some positives to take away from that game as QB Josh Allen threw for over 200 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for an incredible 135 yards. There are no concerns at all around the Bills defense as they’ve given up just 52 points over their last three games, going 2-1 in the process. We’re being asked to lay a reasonable number here given Buffalo has already defeated New York 41-10, on the road no less, back on November 11th. Take Buffalo (10*).

NFL NFC Game of the Month. My selection is on Green Bay minus the points over Atlanta at 1 pm et on Sunday.

The Packers mercifully ended the Mike McCarthy era after last week’s demoralizing home loss to the lowly Cardinals. Now I look for them to play with an edge with QB Aaron Rodgers essentially the play-caller on offense. This is Rodgers’ team for the rest of the season anyway and I expect him to perform well against a very beatable Falcons defense. Atlanta is in free-fall mode right now, having dropped four straight games, scoring fewer than 20 points in all four contests. The Falcons haven’t traveled well this season, going 1-4 SU and ATS on the road, with a number of blowout losses in the mix. Their lone road win came against the Redskins. The Packers may no longer have much to play for, but I’m confident we’ll see them show up for their home faithful at Lambeau on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps last week’s no-show had something to do with suffering back-to-back tight, emotional losses to the Seahawks and Vikings, both on the road, over the previous two weeks. Expect a bounce-back here. Take Green Bay (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Navy and Army at 3 pm et on Saturday.

The 'under' cashes each and every year in this matchup and while we're dealing with a very low total this time around, I still believe the number will prove to be too high. Army has its best defense in years and comes into this game on an incredible run, having allowed 22 points or less in regulation time in 10 straight games. Only in the Black Knights season-opener against Duke did they give up more than that number. While Navy did score a combined 65 points over its final two regular season games, those performances came against Tulsa and Tulane. They'll be facing a much tougher challenge here. There's no question its been a down year for Navy football as the Midshipmen check in with just three wins to their credit. The familiar matchup should help to keep them competitive, however, and I believe that lends itself to another relatively low-scoring affair between these two teams. Take the under (10*).

NFL AFC South Game of the Year. My selection is on Tennessee minus the points over Jacksonville at 8:20 pm et on Thursday.

Both of these teams are coming off wins last Sunday, albeit in much different fashions. The Jaguars completely stymied the Colts in a 6-0 victory while the Titans rallied from a big deficit to get past the Jets 26-22. The Titans have now suffered three straight ATS losses. They haven't lost more than three games in a row ATS since back in 2015-16. Note that they went 3-13 straight-up that season. While this Tennessee squad has had its issues, it's not nearly as bad as that 2015 edition. Prior to last week's win over the Colts, the Jags had gone 0-7 SU and 0-5-2 ATS over their last seven games. QB Cody Kessler made his first start of the season against Indianapolis and completed 18-of-24 passes but for only 150 yards and not a single touchdown. He benefited from playing from ahead in that game. I'm not sure he'll be so fortunate this time around and should the Jags fall behind, I expect to see some mistakes from Kessler against a strong Titans defense. That really should be the difference in this game - the Titans defense. They've been getting torched by the run in recent weeks and the Jags will get RB Leonard Fournette back on Thursday. With that being said, I believe the Titans will benefit from facing a one-dimensional Jags offense. Tennessee's offense has sputtered for much of the campaign and while I'm not sure it will get much going on the ground against an elite Jags run defense, I do believe QB Marcus Mariota can find some success through the air against what I consider to be an overrated Jags pass defense. The Titans have taken three straight meetings ATS in this series. They have the better SU and ATS record this season and they certainly have more to play for on Thursday night. I'll lay the points. Take Tennessee (10*).

NFL NFC East Game of the Year. My selection is on Philadelphia minus the points over Washington at 8:15 pm et on Monday.

It wasn't pretty, but the Eagles got just what they needed last week, rallying to defeat the Giants at home to stay alive in the NFC East race. Now they get another slam dunk divisional matchup at home against the undermanned Redskins and I look for them to take full advantage. I really liked what I saw from Philadephia in the second half of last week's game as RB Josh Adams took over and showed everyone that the Eagles can still run the football. That means a lot as QB Carson Wentz simply hasn't lived up to expectations after a tremendous, albeit injury-shortened 2017 season. Wentz has all sorts of weapons at his disposal, and here on Monday night, I believe those weapons will be on display against a middle of the road Redskins defense. Washington's pass defense has gotten worse as the season has gone on and I don't see a big resurgence here. Offensively, the 'Skins are in tough with QB Colt McCoy at the helm. He made a couple of big plays but also made some big mistakes against the Cowboys last week. Even an extended week of practice isn't going to make much of a difference for McCoy, playing behind a shaky, beat up offensive line. This would be a matchup for the 'Skins passing game to take full advantage of with the Eagles secondary missing a number of key cogs, but I'm not sure McCoy will have any time or room to make those big plays. Take Philadelphia (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Washington and Philadelphia at 8:15 pm et on Monday.

I'll back the 'under' at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night. This should be a matchup for the Redskins offense to take advantage of with the Eagles defense completely injury-ravaged in the secondary. However, Washington's offensive line is also severely short-handed due to injuries and I'm not convinced that QB Colt McCoy will have enough room or time to find his targets downfield and expose the Eagles weakness in the secondary. On the flip side, we should see Philadelphia show a renewed commitment to their ground game with RB Josh Adams coming off a tremendous second half performance against the Giants last week. This has been a high-scoring series in recent years with the 'over' cashing in four of the last five meetings. That only serves to give us a relatively high total to work with in this key December divisional matchup. Take the under (10*).

NFL Blowout Game of the Week. My selection is on Seattle minus the points over San Francisco at 8:20 pm et on Sunday.

Seattle has worked its way back into playoff contention but needs to take full advantage of this slam dunk matchup on Sunday at home against San Francisco. The 49ers are coming off arguably their worst performance of the season, dropping a 27-9 decision at Tampa Bay. Things certainly won't get any easier here as they travel back across the country to face a highly-motivated Seahawks squad. Seattle's offense has really turned things around after looking punchless earlier in the season. RB Chris Carson has given them a lot of versatility while QB Russell Wilson appears to be healthy again, showing a lot more mobility than we saw in the early stages of the season. WR Tyler Lockett is playing some of the best football of his young career while Doug Baldwin continues to work his way back to full health as well. As long as the Seahawks don't completely overlook the Niners they should roll by two touchdowns plus in this one. Take Seattle (10*).

NFL AFC Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Denver and Cincinnati at 1 pm et on Sunday.

The Broncos are coming off a lower scoring game than most expected last week at home against Pittsburgh but it’s not as if the Steelers didn’t move the football all afternoon long. The common line of thinking here is that the Denver defense will be able to manhandle the Jeff Driskel-led Bengals offense but I’m not so easily convinced. Driskel has actually had quite a bit of experience running the Cincinnati offense in the preseason and attempted 29 passes in relief of Andy Dalton last Sunday against Cleveland. I like the fact that Driskel got his feet wet with a touchdown pass to WR Tyler Boyd last week and expect him to build off of that 17-29, 155 pass yards performance against a beatable Broncos secondary. Driskel is expected to have WR A.J. Green at his disposal for this one as well. The Denver offense has been hit-or-miss for the most part this season but lately we have at least seen some consistency as the Broncos have scored 20, 45, 23, 17, 23 and 24 points over their last six games with the outlier coming in a pre-bye week game against the Texans. Here, the Broncos will go up against an awful Bengals defense that simply isn’t stopping anyone right now. Look for RB Philip Lindsay and WR Emmanuel Sanders to go off in this game. We’re dealing with a relatively low total here, largely due to the unappealing matchup between two 5-6 teams. I believe we will see more offensive fireworks than most anticipate. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Atlanta over Baltimore at 1 pm et on Sunday.

The Ravens have seemingly turned things around with Lamar Jackson at the helm, delivering back-to-back victories, but both of those came at home against the reeling Bengals and Raiders. Last week marked Baltimore's first ATS win in its last five games and that only came thanks to a late fourth quarter defensive score. The Falcons have lost three games in a row following three consecutive victories. They're not in contention but continue to battle, coming off a hard-fought but ultimately fruitless 31-17 loss at New Orleans on Thanksgiving Night. They've had extra time to prepare for this game and should be comfortable facing a mobile quarterback like Lamar Jackson given they face Cam Newton twice a season. Take Atlanta (10*).

My selection is on Clemson minus the points over Pittsburgh at 8 pm et on Saturday.

This is every bit the mismatch that the oddsmakers are making it out to be. Pittsburgh ended the regular season with a thud last week, falling by a 24-3 score on the road against Miami. Prior to that, the Panthers were on a roll, having won four games in a row, scoring a ton of points in the process. However, they’re taking a big step up in class here. Clemson has gone largely untested since a tight game against Syracuse on September 29th. Since then, the Tigers winning margins have been 60, 34, 49, 61, 20, 29 and 21 points. The fact that they allowed 35 points against South Carolina last week should certainly add to their motivation level here, particularly on defense. Clemson uncharacteristically allowed two touchdowns of 60+ yards in that victory over the Gamecocks. Look for the Tigers to do a better job of limiting Pitt’s big play opportunities on Saturday. The strength of the Panthers offense lies in their ground attack but they actually haven’t made much headway in that regard over the last couple of games. Note that Pitt QB Kenny Pickett has thrown touchdown passes in only three of his last six games. He’s done a nice job taking care of the football, having not tossed an interception since October 6th against Syracuse, but that has more to do with the fact that he hasn’t been attempting many passes than anything else. Pickett has thrown for 200+ yards only once this season, and that came against a terrible Wake Forest defense. Take Clemson (10*).

My selection is on Memphis plus the points over Central Florida at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

While UCF enters this game with a flawless 11-0 record the Knights have to feel that the rug was pulled out from under them last week when they lost QB McKenzie Milton for the season with a knee injury. While the Knights are still a good team without Milton, I believe they’ll be hard-pressed to get past what will be a hungry Memphis squad on Saturday. Note that Milton’s replacement is redshirt freshman Darriel Mack Jr. who represents more of a running threat. When these two teams met earlier this season it was Milton that engineered a 16-point come-from-behind victory for the Knights. That was clearly the ‘one that got away’ for the Tigers and no doubt they’ll be highly motivated to make amends here. The effects of that loss to UCF lingered for Memphis as it went on the road and gave up 65 points in a blowout loss to Missouri the next week. Since then, the Tigers have gone a perfect 4-0, scoring 59, 47, 28 and 52 points in the process. Take Memphis (10*).

My selection is on Texas plus the points over Oklahoma at 12 noon et on Saturday.

The Longhorns have already upset the Sooners once this season, why not do it again in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday afternoon? While I’m not going to call for the outright upset here, I do believe the Longhorns can stay competitive for four quarters and fully expect this game to go right down to the wire. Texas has suffered just two losses since opening the season with a stunning loss against Maryland (we won with the Terps in that game), those two losses came by a combined four points. It almost felt like last week’s game against West Virginia was the peak of the Sooners season as they pulled out a wild 59-56 victory in Morgantown. Could a bit of a letdown be in store here? The Sooners defensive ineptitude is alarming to say the least. They gave up at least 40 points in all four of their November games, winning by more than five points in just one of those four contests. Yes, Oklahoma’s offense is electric but it will face some resistance in this matchup. Note that Texas held Oklahoma to just three touchdowns through the first three quarters in the previous meeting back in early October. Take Texas (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Northern Illinois and Buffalo at 8 pm et on Friday.

We haven't seen all that great quarterback play from either of these teams down the stretch. Northern Illinois QB Marcus Childers has thrown just three touchdowns compared to four interceptions over his last six games. Meanwhile, Bulls QB Tyree Jackson has thrown multiple touchdown passes in just two of his last eight games. Northern Illinois was once a shoo-in for this game, but not in recent years. Meanwhile, the Bulls will be going Bowling for the first time in a long time, but they want more than that in the form of a MAC Championship. I'm anticipating a tightly-contested affair on Friday night at Ford Field and that lends itself to a relatively low-scoring game. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on Northern Illinois plus the points over Buffalo at 8 pm et on Friday.

Northern Illinois is certainly used to being in this game, as a program at least. However, not so much in recent years. The Huskies won't just be 'happy to be here' though - far from it, in fact. Last year, Northern Illinois played in a Boxing Day Bowl game and got throttled by Duke. They'll be looking to make a splash here in Detroit and head into this year's Bowl opportunity on a positive note. Of course, the same goes for upstart Buffalo, which enjoyed a tremendous regular season. I will point to the fact that Bulls QB Tyree Jackson threw for multiple touchdown passes in just two of his last eight games. He's known for his mobility but ran for less than 200 yards this season. I don't believe there is any sort of intimidation factor at play here. In fact, both teams come in feeling like underdogs. Take Northern Illinois (10*).

My selection is on New Orleans minus the points over Dallas at 8:20 pm et on Thursday.

It was just a few weeks ago that most had completely written off the Cowboys and were calling for head coach Jason Garrett to be fired. Since then, Dallas has reeled off three straight wins to get back above the .500 mark and into the thick of the NFC East race. With that being said, the Cowboys are by no means in the same class as the Saints, and I'm confident we'll see New Orleans impose its will on Thursday night. Last week, Dallas benefited from a leaky Redskins pass defense, with Amari Cooper scoring touchdowns from 40 and 90 yards out. Don't count on a repeat performance here as the Saints defense has been seriously underrated this season. Of course, New Orleans' defensive strength is against the run, which should serve it well as it faces Ezekiel Elliott on Thursday night. Dallas' defense is no pushover either but I do think Drew Brees can pick the Cowboys apart over the middle with Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. Keep in mind, Dallas is still missing LB Sean Lee who is a big-time difference maker on this defense. Just two weeks back, the Cowboys weren't able to find the end zone until the fourth quarter in an eventual 22-19 win in Atlanta. I simply feel their offense has been too inconsistent to keep up with Drew Brees and the Saints on Thursday. Take New Orleans (10*).

NFL AFC South Game of the Month. My selection is on Tennessee plus the points over Houston at 8:15 pm et on Thursday.

I'll grab the generous helping of points with the Titans here in a division game that I believe will be tightly-contested all the way. Tennessee was in a really tough hangover spot last week, going on the road to face a red hot Colts squad fresh off a stunning blowout victory over the Patriots at home the previous week. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Titans came out flat and ultimately got blown out. Now they face a critical matchup with the Texans, sitting two games back of Houston in the AFC South standings. I'm confident we'll see Mike Vrabel's squad come to play in this one. The Texans are red hot, fresh off seven straight victories. However, they've certainly shown a tendency to get involved in close games, with four of those seven wins coming by a field goal or less. The only two truly lopsided victories over that stretch came against two weak opponents in the Jaguars and Dolphins. In those seven wins, the Texans outgained only one opponent by more than 57 total yards (the Cowboys back on October 7th - a game they won by a field goal in overtime). Keep in mind, the Titans were just a one-point underdog in Indianapolis last week. I'm not convinced they should be catching more than a field goal here. Take Tennessee (10*).

NFL AFC Game of the Month. My selection is on Baltimore minus the points over Oakland at 1 pm et on Sunday.

We missed the mark going against the Raiders last Sunday in Arizona but I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here, this time backing the Ravens in Baltimore. Oakland is not a good football team. This is not a good matchup. The Raiders defense is slow, plain and simple. Now they have to travel for an early start on the east coast, and face arguably the fastest starting quarterback in the NFL in Lamar Jackson. We saw clear evidence of what the Ravens want to do with Jackson under center, and that’s run the football. At this point of the season, it’s pretty clear that the offense isn’t really that well-suited to the injured Joe Flacco. I do feel that Jackson can continue to give them a bit of a boost. Defensively, the Ravens should be fine against a Raiders offense that showed some signs of life last Sunday but still isn’t very good. Note that in that victory over Arizona, QB Derek Carr threw for less than 200 yards and the Raiders top rusher was Jalen Richard with only 61 yards on the ground. Their top receiver had 50 yards. I could go on but the fact is, the Raiders are a bottom-feeder, and they’re a big underdog for a reason on Sunday in Baltimore. Take Baltimore (10*).

NFL Total of the Week. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Seattle and Carolina at 1 pm et on Sunday.

We won with the ‘over’ in Seattle’s win over Green Bay last Thursday night and I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson looks as healthy as he has been all season and has now thrown for over 400 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in his last two games. Add in the fact that RB Chris Carson has been productive in four of his last six games and this is an offense with a lot of upside right now. The Panthers benefited from facing a predictable Lions offense last week but still fell by a 20-19 score. There should be a sense of urgency as they return home this week off of back-to-back road losses. I’m still high on the Carolina offense, which has certainly had its share of big games this season. We can count on a big bounce-back effort here against a beatable Seahawks defense that just isn’t what it once was, particularly in the secondary. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on New England minus the points over New York at 1 pm et on Sunday.

The Patriots have been sitting back during their bye week, listening to everyone sign the praises of the seemingly unquestioned three best teams in the league, the Saints, Rams and Chiefs. Coming off an ugly road loss to the Titans, the Pats have all but fallen out of that conversation and that should be motivation enough to get them on track with a big performance in New Jersey on Sunday. The Jets are mired in another lost season and now likely going without QB Sam Darnold for the second straight game. They have a lame duck head coach in Todd Bowles, who surprisingly wasn’t let go during the bye week but more than likely will be at the end of the season. I’m not convinced the players are ready to ‘leave it all on the field’ in an effort to save his job either. New York is simply undermanned and overmatched by a rested and motivated Patriots squad that should face little resistance in laying the hammer down in this one. Take New England (10*).

NCAAF MWC Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Utah State and Boise State at 10:15 pm et on Saturday.

Unlike Boise State’s most recent big MWC test against Fresno State (we won with the Broncos in that game) which turned into a bit of a slugfest, we can expect plenty of offensive fireworks as the Broncos welcome the Aggies to the blue turf on Saturday night. Utah State faced a bit of a challenge last Saturday as it struggled to get its usually-potent offense going on the road against Colorado State on senior night. I certainly anticipate seeing the Aggies offense bounce back in a big way here, however. Boise State’s defense does come in playing well but I’m not sure it’s sustainable against a top-level opponent. Note that the Broncos have allowed 44 points against Oklahoma State, 27 points against Nevada, 28 points against Colorado State and 38 points against Air Force this season. In other words, the Broncos defense is beatable. On the other side, Boise State’s offense is rolling right now, with QB Brett Rypien having thrown for 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions over his last five games. RB Alexander Mattison has racked up a whopping 299 rushing yards on 50 carries over his last two games and has found the end zone seven times in his last five. Utah State is 10-1 on the strength of its offense, not its defense and that should be evident against Boise State on Saturday night. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between BYU and Utah at 10 pm et on Saturday.

While we’re dealing with a low total in this matchup, it’s pretty much par for the course in this rivalry and I believe it’s warranted again this season. BYU comes in having scored a whopping 80 points over its last two games, but those came against lowly UMass and New Mexico State. Prior to those two victories, the Cougars had scored just 22 points combined in back-to-back losses at home against Northern Illinois and at Boise State. Utah has been feasting on offense lately as well, but again, it has had a lot to do with its schedule. The Utes Pac-12 slate was top-heavy to say the least as they opened their conference slate with back-to-back losses against Washington and Washington State, scoring just 31 points in the process. I don’t believe they’re the offensive juggernaut they look like on paper, and they’ll certainly face a tough test against rival BYU on Saturday. Last year’s meeting totaled just 32 points as Utah prevailed by a 19-13 score. Expect to see a defensive tone set once again. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Wake Forest and Duke at 12:30 pm et on Saturday.

While I'm not expecting a defensive slugfest in this game, I do feel that the total has simply been set too high. Wake Forest has really cooled off on offense here in November, scoring 24, 27 and 13 points in winning just once in three games. On a positive note, the Demon Deacons defense has done a better job lately, most recently holding Pitt to just one touchdown until over midway through the third quarter. Two weeks ago they gave up just one touchdown through three quarters of football against N.C. State. Duke suffered an expected 35-6 loss at Clemson last week but should bounce back here. I don't consider the Blue Devils to be an elite offensive team, however, noting that they've scored fewer than 30 points in six of 11 games so far this season. They've had a few scoring outbursts here and there, but in this particular spot, I feel they'll simply be looking for a bounce-back win following last week's ugly performance. Style points don't mean a whole lot in this one. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the ‘over’ between Purdue and Indiana at 12 noon et on Saturday.

I’m comfortable playing the ‘over’, even at a rather lofty number on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington. Purdue has now dropped back-to-back games, with the latest coming in heartbreaking fashion at home against Wisconsin last Saturday. The Boilermakers offense did keep rolling along in that game, with QB David Blough throwing for just shy of 400 yards and four touchdowns. Now he faces a sieve-like Indiana defense that has come apart at the seams down the stretch this season. On the flip side, the thinking is that the Hoosiers won’t shy away from another shootout, with Bowl eligibility hanging in the balance. Their offense stalled last week, but that was against mighty Michigan in The Big House. They’ll be taking a big step down in class here against a weak Boilermakers defense. Prior to last week’s poor showing, Hoosiers QB Peyton Ramsey had thrown for over 230 yards in seven straight games. I’m confident Indiana RB Stevie Scott will also have a field day against the Boilers’. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Louisiana Tech minus the points over Western Kentucky at 12 noon et on Saturday.

As far as I’m concerned, Western Kentucky has been one of the nation’s weakest FBS teams this season and I really think this is a smash spot for Louisiana Tech at home. The Hilltoppers have just two wins to their credit, with one of those coming in blowout fashion at home against a lifeless foe in UTEP. That lopsided result actually helps to keep this number in check. Louisiana Tech is coming off a tough one-point loss on the road against Southern Miss last Saturday but should bounce back nicely here, noting that the Bulldogs have gone 3-1 at home this season with their lone loss coming against upstart UAB. The last time we saw Louisiana Tech here in Ruston, it cruised to a 28-13 victory over Rice, allowing just one touchdown on a long passing play in that contest. Note that prior to scoring 40 points last week, the Hilltoppers had produced only 42 points in their previous three games combined. Take Louisiana Tech (10*).

NCAAF SEC Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Arkansas and Missouri at 2:30 pm et on Friday.

There is high potential for a shootout when the Razorbacks and Tigers do battle in Columbia on Friday afternoon. Keep in mind, this matchup produced a whopping 93 points a year ago. While we may not get quite that level of shootout this time around, I still feel we’re dealing with a very reasonable total. Arkansas is rounding out a dismal campaign, having posted just two victories to date. We haven’t seen many signs of life from the Hogs offense over the last couple of games, but those have been in tough matchups at home against LSU and at Mississippi State. They’re certainly capable of busting out given the fact they’ve put up 31 points against Alabama, 33 against Ole Miss and 31 against Vandy this season. Here, they get a Missouri defense that has held up well lately, but has certainly been vulnerable at times this season. The Tigers offense continues to hum along, having scored 111 points during their current three-game winning streak. They should be able to keep on rolling against an Arkansas defense that has given up at least 37 points in four of its last five losses. Take the over (10*).

NCAAF Big Ten Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Nebraska and Iowa at 12 noon et on Friday.

I really like the way this one sets up as a high-scoring affair in Iowa City on Friday afternoon. Nebraska is coming off an exceptionally low-scoring result against Michigan State last week, prevailing by a 9-6 score. Keep in mind, just two weeks ago, the Huskers were involved in a wild 54-35 home win over Illinois. The week previous to that they fell just short in a shootout at Ohio State, losing by a 36-31 score. Those type of shootouts have been the norm for Nebraska this season so I look at last week’s result as nothing more than a late season anomaly. Iowa absolutely shredded Illinois last Saturday, rolling to a 63-0 victory. QB Nate Stanley’s streak of three straight games throwing for over 200 yards came to an end, only because of game flow. While the Hawkeyes are known for their defense, they’ve also been involved in their share of shootouts this season, winning 48-31 at Minnesota and losing 30-24 at Penn State and 38-36 at Purdue. Last November, Iowa posted a 56-14 rout of Nebraska. I’m anticipating a more competitive game this time around, and I believe that sets up well for the ‘over’. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Texas minus the points over Kansas at 12 noon et on Friday.

While Kansas has certainly been more competitive than we’ve seen in recent years, I don’t expect the Jayhawks to be able to hang with the Longhorns for four quarters on Friday afternoon. Texas has passed most of its road tests lately, notching wins in Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech while dropping a tough three-point game at Oklahoma State. Despite losing QB Sam Ehlinger to a shoulder injury (he is expected to play on Friday), the Longhorns still delivered a two-touchdown victory over Iowa State on the strength of their defense last Saturday. I certainly don’t expect them to overlook the 3-8 Jayhawks on Friday – not with a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game hanging in the balance. Kansas left it all on the field in a 55-40 road loss against Oklahoma last week. Keep in mind, prior to that contest, the Jayhawks had scored just 20 points combined in their previous two games. There is blowout potential here, noting that Kansas has dropped 20-point and 24-point decisions at home against Oklahoma State and Iowa State, respectively this season. Take Texas (10*).

NFL NFC South Game of the Month. My selection is on Atlanta plus the points over New Orleans at 8:20 pm et on Thursday.

Much was made of the Saints 'running up the score' against the defending champion Eagles last Sunday afternoon. I don't believe they'll have the opportunity to do so against the division-rival Falcons on Thursday night, however. Atlanta isn't a player in the NFC South race but is still focused on a possible run to the playoffs. Coming off two of its worst efforts of the season, it won't be hard to get up for this matchup on Thursday night. Keep in mind, going back to the start of the 2014 season, the largest margin of victory in this series was 16 points. That came in a Falcons win as a six-point underdog here in New Orleans four years ago. The next biggest margin of victory was 13 points - another Falcons win here in New Orleans back in September of 2016. Atlanta has actually gone 5-4 SU in the last nine meetings in the series. The underdog has gone 8-2 ATS in the last 10 matchups between the Falcons and Saints. Atlanta has at the very least gotten healthier on defense in recent weeks. I'm confident we'll see the Falcons do a better job of keeping the seemingly unstoppable Saints offense in check than the Eagles did last Sunday. Take Atlanta (10*).

NFL NFC North Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'under' between Chicago and Detroit at 12:30 pm et on Thursday.

If we lose this play, so be it. I'm just not sure where the offense is going to come from with the Bears missing their emerging young quarterback and the Lions without their top rusher and one of their top two wide receivers, not to mention their starting right guard. Chicago is playing on an extremely short week after outlasting the Vikings on Sunday night. It has barely practiced in advance of this game and I can't imagine QB Chase Daniel will have the full offensive playbook at his disposal. Of course, the Bears defense is one of the few dominant defenses left in the NFL today. They'll have a major advantage against an undermanned Lions offense that is missing RB Kerryon Johnson, who is coming off one of the best efforts of his young career, and played a major part in the first meeting between these two teams this season. On the other side, we've seen the Lions defense improve, particularly against the run, since adding Snacks Harrison. While their secondary is missing some key cogs, I'm not sure the Bears will be able to take full advantage without Trubisky. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Kansas City and Los Angeles at 8:15 pm et on Monday.

I'm going to take the contrarian route and back the 'under' in this showdown between the Chiefs and Rams on Monday night. The move from Mexico City to Los Angeles didn't have any effect on this total, despite the fact it would have set up even better for the 'over' in the high altitude of Mexico, where the defenses would have likely worn down in a hurry. The Chiefs defense in particular has actually performed well lately, allowing just 10, 23, 21 and 14 points during their current four-game winning streak. They'll obviously be taking a big step up in class here but I do feel they can hold up well. The Rams defense hasn't come close to living up to expectations but do benefit from catching the Chiefs at home at least. We certainly don't need a defensive slugfest to cash this ticket. A shootout and an 'under' result could actually correlate with the exceptionally high total. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Minnesota and Chicago at 8:20 pm et on Sunday.

I'll back the 'under' at Soldier Field on Sunday night. The Bears have been hanging crooked numbers on the scoreboard lately, putting up 75 points in their last two games combined. That's come largely on the strength of their defense, which has routinely been forcing turnovers. They've forced six of them over their last two games. I do think we'll see the Vikings take much better care of the football on Sunday night, limiting the Bears short fields on offense. Chicago's lack of a consistent rushing attack has actually been masked during its current three-game winning streak. Bears QB Mitchell Trubiski has been lighting it up lately, but that's been largely due to a weak schedule. He'll be tested by a now-healthy Vikings defense coming off their bye week. Minnesota has had major issues on the offensive line this season and while they do check back in healthier after the bye week, I do believe some of those issues protecting QB Kirk Cousins will remain, especially against an aggressive Bears defense that is firing on all cylinders right now. The sky is the limit for this Vikings offense with supreme talent at wide receiver and in the backfield, but only if Cousins is given time to operate and the running backs are given room to run. I'm not convinced either will happen on Sunday night. Take the under (10*).

NFL NFC Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between Philadelphia and New Orleans at 4:25 pm et on Sunday.

This has all the makings of a shootout on Sunday afternoon at the Superdome. The Eagles looked sluggish on offense in Sunday night's loss to the Cowboys. That's become a bit of a theme for this Eagles offense this season as they haven't come close to living up to expectations. With that being said, I do see this as a favorable spot for QB Carson Wentz and his myriad of weapons to go off against a beatable Saints defense that has been getting a bit of hype, especially following a dismantling of the Bengals last Sunday in Cincinnati. This is still a below average defense as far as I'm concerned, and I'm confident we'll see Wentz and the Eagles bomb away all afternoon long with no real semblance of a running game to speak of. Meanwhile, the Eagles defense, particularly the secondary, has been ravaged by injuries. That leaves the unit vulnerable against an explosive Saints passing attack. Saints QB Drew Brees is absolutely at the top of his game right now and should have little trouble picking apart a makeshift Eagles secondary on Sunday afternoon. Even in a game where they were able to get ahead big early and lay up, we saw the Saints hang 50+ points on the board last Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati. New Orleans won't shy away from another shootout in ideal conditions at the Superdome on Sunday. Take the over (10*).

NFL Blowout Game of the Month. My selection is on Arizona minus the points over Oakland at 4:05 pm et on Sunday.

This matchup isn't going to draw much attention on Sunday afternoon but that's just fine with us. The lack of attention has helped to keep the line in check in a game the Cardinals should win going away. To say that the Raiders are struggling would be a massive understatement. Were it not for a late penalty call against Cleveland back in Week 4 we might be talking about a team on a collision course with an 0-16 season. The case can certainly be made that the Raiders are 'tanking' at this point. They've scored a grand total of nine points in their last two games and have been held to 10 points or less in four of their last five contests. Things don't figure to get any better for the Oakland offense this week as it hits the road to face a highly-motivated Cardinals defense that is coming off a tough matchup in Kansas City. Even more than the Cards defense, I'm encouraged by the Arizona offense, which has shown some signs of life under new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Leftwich has made a point to get RB David Johnson more involved in the offense. Last Sunday in Kansas City Johnson ran for 98 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and also caught seven passes for 85 yards and a score. QB Josh Rosen didn't have a banner day but did throw for over 200 yards, marking the first time he has done so in consecutive games this season. While the Raiders defense has been on the field an awful lot over the last couple of weeks, the Cardinals will be playing for just the second time in three weeks thanks to a bye week prior to last week's game. A return home should serve them well as they've had this matchup circled as a rare winnable game in an otherwise lost season. Take Arizona (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Pittsburgh and Jacksonville at 1 pm et on Sunday.

I'll back the 'under' in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon. The Jaguars will be playing their first true home game since way back in Week 7. They do draw the red hot Steelers in a favorable spot here, with Pittsburgh playing on the road in an early start game, where QB Ben Roethlisberger has typically struggled. I do see this as a solid bounce-back matchup for the Jaguars defense, which hasn't come close to living up to expectations this season. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's defense has quietly turned things around following a disastrous start to the season. The Steelers have to be licking their chops at the prospect of facing the Jags undermanned and overmatched offensive line. While RB Leonard Fournette did provide the Jags a spark in his return last week, I'm not sure he'll be able to do enough to make up for QB Blake Bortles shortcomings on Sunday afternoon. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on Washington State minus the points over Arizona at 10:30 pm et on Saturday.

We won with Washington State in its blowout win at Colorado last week and I'll go right back to the well with the same play as the Cougars return home to host Arizona on Saturday night. Washington State hasn't lost a game since falling by a field goal at USC in a Friday night game way back on September 21st. Since then, we've seen the Cougars win in all sorts of different ways including last week's complete domination of the Buffaloes. I don't believe Arizona will have any answers for the Washington State offense in this one. The Wildcats have seemingly salvaged their season with back-to-back wins over Oregon and Colorado, scoring a whopping 86 points in the process. Keep in mind, prior to that, the Wildcats had won just once in three road games, with that victory coming over lowly Oregon State, a team Washington State railroaded by a 56-37 score in Corvallis earlier this season. Look for the Cougars to be playing from ahead for most of this game on Saturday night, and for them to force Arizona QB Khalil Tate to beat them through the air, something I just don't see happening as Washington State ultimately pulls away. Take Washington State (10*).

NCAAF Big Ten Game of the Year. My selection is on Purdue minus the points over Wisconsin at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

I'll lay the points with the Boilermakers as they aim to gain Bowl eligibility on Saturday afternoon against Wisconsin. The Boilers are coming off a beatdown at Minnesota last Saturday, which came on the heels of an emotional home win over Iowa the week previous. Note that since starting the season with back-to-back home losses, Purdue has posted three straight home wins, scoring a whopping 117 points in the process. Wisconsin has been wildly inconsistent this season and enters this game having dropped two of its last three contests, with its lone win over that stretch coming against lowly Rutgers. The Badgers haven't won a game on the road since outlasting Iowa 28-17 back on September 22nd. They've already gained Bowl eligibility and will have a good shot at improving their standing with a home game against Minnesota to wrap up the regular season next Saturday. Here, I expect the Boilers offense to be too much as the Badgers are no longer the immovable object defensively that they once were. Take Purdue (10*).

My selection is on Nevada minus the points over San Jose State at 5 pm et on Saturday.

This one has blowout written all over it as a rolling Nevada squad travels to San Jose to face one of the nation's weakest teams. The Wolfpack have quietly gone on a run to gain Bowl eligibility, winning three straight games, scoring 117 points in the process. They have an excellent opportunity in front of them to run the table as they wrap things up at UNLV next Saturday. San Jose State actually managed to score 24 points against Utah State last week, which was an accomplishment by its standards this season. However, it's worth noting that seven of those points came on a punt return touchdown and it wasn't until the Spartans had fallen behind by 35 points that their offense finally came to life against a disinterested Aggies defense. Keep in mind, Nevada rolled to a 59-14 rout over San Jose State in last year's meeting. There's little reason to expect anything to change here. We're being asked to lay a very reasonable number with the Wolfpack in my opinion. Take Nevada (10*).

NCAAF C-USA Game of the Month. My selection is on Florida International minus the points over Charlotte at 2 pm et on Saturday.

I'll lay the points with the Panthers on Saturday afternoon as they look for their sixth win in their last seven games. Florida International has been one of the most underrated teams in the country this season as far as I'm concerned. I really liked the way the Panthers responded following a blowout loss at home against Florida Atlantic, rolling to a 45-7 victory at Texas-San Antonio last Saturday. After a low-key start to the season, QB James Morgan has really settled in, throwing for over 200 yards and at least two touchdowns in five of FIU's last six games. He has posted an incredible 16:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his last six games. Even when Morgan hasn't been moving the ball through the air, the Panthers ground attack has been dynamic, with a number of options at its disposal. Charlotte has four wins to its credit this season, but none here in November. The 49ers have scored a grand total of just 49 points over their last four games. The Panthers could potentially reach that point total in this game alone. Take Florida International (10*).

My selection is on Baylor minus the points over TCU at 12 noon et on Saturday.

The motivation is certainly there for TCU as it tries to salvage what has been a truly disappointing season with victories in its final two games to gain Bowl eligibility. However, the same motivation is there for Baylor, which needs just one win over its final two games to reach Bowl eligibility. Note that the Bears will travel to face Texas Tech next week so it's imperative they pick up the 'W' here to ensure they're playing in December. We cashed a ticket fading TCU last week at West Virginia and I won't hesitate to go back to the well in this spot. The Horned Frogs offense continues to struggle while their defense hasn't come close to living up to expectations. Losing QB Shawn Robinson certainly hurt but there's no real excuse for scoring only 124 points over a seven-game stretch, especially playing in the high-scoring Big 12. Baylor got crushed at Iowa State which makes it three losses in its last four games. The lone win was an impressive on, however, as the Bears defeated Oklahoma State at home on November 3rd. Their lone home loss this season came against an underrated Duke squad back on September 15th. Take Baylor (10*).

NCAAF Friday Night Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between Memphis and SMU at 9 pm et on Friday.

This is one of the highest totals on the board this week and the lofty number is warranted in my opinion. When these two teams met last season they combined to score 111 total points. Memphis has of course been involved in shootout after shootout this season. The 'over' has cashed in each of the Tigers last three games. We've seen at least one team score 50+ points in six of Memphis' 10 games overall this season. There's little reason to expect anything different on Friday as the Tigers face an SMU squad that is fresh off a wild 62-50 win over Connecticut last Saturday. After getting bogged down offensively in games against UCF, Tulane and Cincinnati, they've scored a combined 107 points in their last two contests. At least one team has scored 40+ points in seven of the Mustangs 10 games this season. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on the 'over' between Green Bay and Seattle at 8:20 pm et on Thursday.

I'll back the 'over' in Seattle on Thursday night as the Seahawks host the Packers in an intriguing NFC matchup. The Seahawks are coming off a wild, high-scoring affair in Los Angeles last Sunday, ultimately falling by a 36-31 score against the Rams. Seattle's defense is undermanned, missing LB K.J. Wright once again. The Seahawks have been getting torched on the ground lately and this one sets up as another unfavorable matchup against an improving Packers running game. Green Bay RB Aaron Jones is gaining close to seven yards per carry and should have little trouble carving up the Seahawks vulnerable run defense here. That opens things up for QB Aaron Rodgers to perhaps finally turn in the big performance many have been waiting for. I have full confidence in the Seahawks offense going up against a banged-up Packers defense. Green Bay is already missing a number of key cogs and LB Blake Martinez is questionable as well playing on a short week on a bad ankle. The matchup sets up well for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. I'm confident we'll see him take a lot of shots downfield with WRs Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett in this one. It's also worth noting that like the Seahawks, the Packers are vulnerable against the run, giving up just shy of five yards per rush over their last four contests. Take the over (10*).

NCAAF MAC Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'under' between Miami-Ohio and Northern Illinois at 8 pm et on Wednesday.

We won with the 'under' in Miami-Ohio's big home win over Ohio last week and I won't hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here as the Redhawks face another must-win situation on the road against Northern Illinois. Miami-Ohio has dealt with some key injuries on the defensive side of the football this season and as a result we've seen it get involved in its share of shootouts. However, it's also worth noting that the Redhawks have held six of 10 opponents to 26 points or less in regulation time. They jumped all over a weak Ohio defense last week, scoring 28 first half points, although QB Gus Ragland didn't throw for 200 yards nor did they have a 100-yard rusher in that victory. Now they go on the road and face a tough Northern Illinois defense that has given up 21 points or less in five of its last six contests. We saw the Huskies explode for 38 points last week against Toledo, although I will point out that their offense didn't find the end zone until the final 30 seconds of the first quarter and not again until nearly halfway into the third quarter. Two games back they scored 24 first half points but then their offense didn't reach the end zone again over the rest of the game. Take the under (10*).

NFL Monday Night Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'over' between New York and San Francisco at 8:15 pm et on Monday.

We saw the 49ers post an 'under' result in primetime last week, rolling to a blowout victory over the hapless Raiders. Meanwhile, everyone is down on the Giants offense with struggling QB Eli Manning at the helm. With that being said, I believe we're in for a rather entertaining affair on Monday night as the Niners host the Giants in Santa Clara. As long as the G-Men have the likes of RB Saquon Barkley, WRs Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepherd and TE Even Engram, they have a shot. The 49ers defense is banged up and hasn't been good against the pass at the best of times this season so I'm confident we'll see New York find some offensive success. Meanwhile, the San Francisco offense looked rejuvenated with QB Nick Mullens at the helm and I expect to see some carry-over from last week's performance. Like the Giants, the 49ers do still have talent at the skill positions on offense with RB Matt Breida, WR Marquise Goodwin and TE George Kittle. The Giants defense is undermanned, particularly in the secondary which opens the door for another solid performance from Mullens. Take the over (10*).

NFL NFC Game of the Month. My selection is on Philadelphia minus the points over Dallas at 8:20 pm et on Sunday.

I really like the way this spot sets up for the Eagles. Note that the straight-up winner has gone 7-1 ATS in the Eagles eight games to date this season. That means the SU winner is now an incredible 84-8 ATS in their last 92 contests by my count. Once again here, I don’t believe the spread will come into play. The Eagles motivational level should be high coming off their bye week as a win would put them a full two games ahead of the Cowboys in the NFC East standings while a loss would pull the two teams even. Dallas is a mess right now, playing on a short week and fresh off a two-touchdown loss at home against the Titans on Monday night, with a lame duck head coach in Jason Garrett to boot. This is a spot where we should see the Eagles offense take flight (no pun intended) with the Cowboys once again forced to go without LB Sean Lee. We’ve seen glimpses of brilliance from the Philadelphia offense this season but nothing sustained. However, here they’ll have another weapon at their disposal in WR Golden Tate and a fully healthy QB Carson Wentz off the bye week. Even without any semblance of a running game, the Eagles aerial attack should be able to do plenty of damage against a downtrodden Cowboys defense that has quite simply been asked to do too much on a regular basis this season. On the flip side, the Eagles defense has been terrific against the run which leaves Dallas in an awfully tough spot. Even with the addition of WR Amari Cooper, the Cowboys offense is still very one-dimensional and I’m confident we’ll see the Eagles force QB Dak Prescott into at least a couple of key mistakes on Sunday night. Take Philadelphia (10*).

NFL Non-Conference Game of the Year. My selection is on Green Bay minus the points over Miami at 4:25 pm et on Sunday.

Credit the Packers for hanging around for a while against the Patriots in Foxborough last Sunday night but in the end they simply didn’t have the horses to keep up with Tom Brady and company. We should see a completely different story unfold this week, however, as the Pack welcome the Dolphins to Lambeau Field. While the Packers did suffer a number of key injuries on the defensive side of the football last Sunday night, there’s little reason to expect those losses to have much of an impact here as the Dolphins offense is bottom of the barrel. Miami QB Brock Osweiler seems to be getting worse with each passing week which should surprise no one.  I prefer to focus on the Packers offense in this one, as they should enjoy a tremendous bounce-back performance. Miami doesn’t generate any sort of pass rush and given a clean pocket, I’m confident we’ll see QB Aaron Rodgers pick apart the Dolphins secondary all afternoon long. While Green Bay has dealt with some key injuries at the wide receiver position this season, it has also seen its young players step up in a big way. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been the biggest benefactor of increased playing time and should benefit from WR DaVante Adams drawing away ‘Fins CB Xavien Howard’s coverage on Sunday afternoon. Tight ends have been blazing the ‘Fins defense and the Packers have one of the best in the business in Jimmy Graham. While his production has certainly dropped off in recent years, he is still capable of coming up with a big game and I believe we’ll see that here. We’re being asked to lay a fairly steep price with the Packers, but it’s warranted in my opinion. The Dolphins winning record is a mirage as far as I’m concerned. Take Green Bay (10*).

My selection is on the ‘over’ between Arizona and Kansas City at 1 pm et on Sunday.

This isn’t one of the highest totals on the board this week but it absolutely should be as I believe it has shootout potential. The Cardinals are coming off their bye week but prior to that we saw new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich take over play-calling duties and show some glimmers of hope for this struggling group. Rookie QB Josh Rosen certainly has potential and that potential can be reached an awful lot sooner by better incorporating RB David Johnson and WR Larry Fitzgerald in the offense. Even though Arizona scored only 15 points in a loss to the 49ers last time out, Rosen actually threw for over 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns with Fitzgerald hauling in eight catches for over 100 yards and a score. The Cards offense obviously draws a favorable matchup here as the Chiefs have struggled on defense for much of the season, even if they have shown positive signs of late. To be honest, I’m not sure we’ll need all that much from the Arizona offense to get ‘over’ this reasonable total but we may get it anyway. No opponent has truly been able to slow down the vaunted Chiefs offense and I don’t expect anything to change on Sunday afternoon. RB Kareem Hunt should have an absolute field day against Arizona’s dreadful run defense while QB Patrick Mahomes will have little trouble carving up a secondary that faces considerable drop-off after Patrick Peterson. Even if WR Sammy Watkins can’t go in this one, forcing even more attention than usual WR Tyreek Hill’s way, the Chiefs simply have too many offensive weapons for the Cardinals defense to contend with. Take the over (10*).

NCAAF TV Total of the Week. My selection is on the 'under' between Miami and Georgia Tech at 7 pm et on Saturday.

I'll back the 'under' in Atlanta on Saturday night. Miami is coming off yet another low-scoring game last week, falling by a 20-12 score against Duke. Note that both teams have eclipsed the 20-point mark in only two of nine games involving Miami this season. The Hurricanes last three contests have totaled just 32, 41 and 29 points. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech has been involved in a number of high-scoring affairs this season and with that in mind, we're dealing with a reasonably high total in this matchup. We've seen the Yellow Jackets explode for 87 points in their last two games but those came against two weaker defensive opponents than we'll see them face here in Virginia Tech and North Carolina. The last time we saw the Jackets go up against an opponent of Miami's defensive caliber they were held to just 14 points in a double-digit loss at home against Duke. We've also seen them held down by Pittsburgh and Clemson earlier in the season. While I'm not sure we'll see a defensive slugfest here, I do believe the total will prove too high. Take the under (10*).

NCAAF Pac-12 Game of the Month. My selection is on Washington State minus the points over Colorado at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

Washington State just keeps rolling along, winning in a number of different ways in recent weeks. I like the Cougars minus the points in this spot as they travel to face a struggling Colorado squad. Washington State escaped with a tougher-than-expected 19-13 home win over California last Saturday night but should find the going a little easier this week. Colorado is injury-riddled right now and hasn't won a game since back on October 6th, when it posted a 28-21 home win over Arizona State. The Buffaloes defense has now allowed 40+ points in back-to-back games and now faces a Cougars offense that is in excellent bounce-back position after getting slowed down by a strong Cal defense last Saturday. While Washington State is known for its offense, and that offense has been dominant at times, it is its defense that has come up with the big plays down the stretch in a number of victories. Note that the Cougars held the Buffaloes completely off the scoreboard in last year's meeting, cruising to a 28-0 victory. Take Washington State (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between North Carolina and Duke at 12:20 pm et on Saturday.

I'll back the 'under' as the rival Tar Heels and Blue Devils do battle on Saturday afternoon in Durham. The North Carolina offense continues to struggle. While the Tar Heels did have a strong showing on paper last week, scoring 28 points in a loss to Georgia Tech, keep in mind seven of those points came from a defensive fumble return for a touchdown. The Tar Heels offense actually didn't find the end zone until over midway through the third quarter. During their current five-game losing streak they have failed to score more than 28 points in regulation time in each and every game. Save for a wild shootout on the road against Pitt two weeks ago, Duke has been involved in a number of relatively low-scoring affairs lately. That includes last week when the Blue Devils went into Miami and came away with a 20-12 victory. I'm confident the Duke defense can once again control proceedings here and I'm not sure its offense will need to do a whole lot to secure a much-needed victory here. Note that last year's meeting totaled just 44 points in a Blue Devils victory. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on West Virginia minus the points over TCU at 12 noon et on Saturday.

TCU hasn't come close to living up to expectations this season. It's not a stretch to call it a 'lost season' even though the Horned Frogs still have a shot at Bowl eligibility with four wins so far and three games remaining on the schedule. Last week we saw them snap a three-game losing streak with a 14-13 win over Kansas State. TCU was actually outgained in terms of total yardage in that contest. Just two weeks ago the Horned Frogs got north of 350 passing yards from backup quarterback Michael Collins (starter Shawn Robinson is done for the season) but still lost against a bad Kansas squad by a 27-26 score. Here, TCU takes a big step up in class against a surging West Virginia team that is coming off a thrilling come-from-behind 42-41 win at Texas. The Mountaineers got caught flat-footed in a 30-14 loss at Iowa State back on October 13th but since then they've gone 2-0, scoring a whopping 100 points in the process. I simply don't believe the Horned Frogs will be able to keep within arm's reach for four quarters on Saturday. Take West Virginia (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Navy and Central Florida at 12 noon et on Saturday.

We missed the mark with the 'under' in UCF's wild 52-40 win over Temple last week but I won't hesitate to go back to the well with the same play on Saturday as the Knights remain at home to host the reeling Midshipmen. This was not a shootout a year ago as UCF fought its way to a 31-21 victory. Of course, Navy is a weaker team this season, having won just twice in nine games. Having scored just 22 points in its last two games and fresh off a 42-0 beatdown in Cincinnati last week, there's little reason to expect a sudden surge from the Navy offense. The Knights faced the Midshipmen's option-based offense last year and handled it relatively well and I expect a similar story to unfold here. Navy checks in having allowed at least 42 points in each of its last three games. We have seen the Midshipmen defense show up on a couple of occasions this season, however, previously holding Temple to just a single touchdown until over midway through the third quarter back on October 13th and also limiting a good Memphis offense to only 21 points in a victory back on September 8th. I simply feel this is a spot where Navy does show up to some extent, while UCF probably isn't interested in another wild, back-and-forth shootout after last week's relatively close victory over Temple. Take the under (10*).

NCAAF MWC Game of the Year. My selection is on Boise State plus the points over Fresno State at 10:20 pm et on Friday.

I'll grab the points on a rare occasion where the Broncos are the underdog on the blue turf in Boise. Fresno State comes in as the ranked team but I'm not sure it will leave the game in the same position (not literally of course). The Bulldogs are off to an impressive 8-1 start but who have they really beaten? Their victories have come against Idaho, UCLA, Toledo, Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, Hawaii and UNLV. While I fully understand that you can only play the teams in front of you, I believe Fresno will be in for its toughest test of the season on Friday night. Boise State has suffered a pair of losses but those came against two quality opponents in Oklahoma State and San Diego State. I like the fact that the Broncos are battle-tested having been involved in back-to-back relatively close games entering this one, outlasting Air Force and BYU by a combined 15-point margin in its last two contests. Much has been and will be made of the quarterback matchup in this one. I give the Broncos the edge with experienced starter Brett Rypien. While his supporting cast isn't quite as strong as previous years, it's still solid. This is a game where I look for the Boise State defense to step up against a Fresno offense that has taken advantage of some super-soft defensive opponents. Take Boise State (10*).

NFL TNF Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'over' between Carolina and Pittsburgh at 8:20 pm et on Thursday.

I really like the way this total sets up on Thursday night. I expected to see a considerably higher number but perhaps the Steelers relatively low-scoring result last Sunday in Baltimore has helped keep it in check. We won with the 'under' in Pittsburgh's victory over the Ravens and also leaned hard to the 'over' in the Panthers rout of the Bucs. This is a favorable spot for both offenses on Thursday night and I believe both teams will come in with the mentality that they'll need to finish drives with touchdowns not field goals in order to secure a victory. This has the makings of a shootout. The Panthers offense was good, but perhaps not great against a weak Bucs defense last Sunday afternoon. RB Christian McCaffrey has taken his game to another level this season, which has had a lot to do with the outstanding run blocking by the Panthers offensive line. QB Cam Newton didn't have a banner game against the Bucs, but still put up solid numbers, and left some points on the field. He should be able to run wild against a Steelers defense that has had a tough time containing mobile quarterbacks this season. I also expect Newton and WR Devin Funchess, not to mention TE Greg Olsen to have a field day against this beatable Steelers secondary. On the flip side, the Panthers defense is not all that imposing and faces a Pittsburgh offense that has been gaining steam lately, and really did a nice job of getting WR Antonio Brown going last Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger has enjoyed plenty of time in the pocket this season with the Steelers o-line doing a tremendous job protecting him, particularly of late. Big Ben should have all the time in the world to pick apart an average Panthers pass defense on Thursday night. The last time these two teams met they got into the 50's - that was back when the Panthers didn't have the explosive ground game they do now. Expect another shootout on Thursday night. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Ohio and Miami-Ohio at 7 pm et on Wednesday.

We missed the mark with the 'under' in Miami-Ohio's shootout with Buffalo last week but I won't hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here. The Redhawks will return home and know that they'll need to play far better defensively in order to secure a critical fourth victory on the season. With only three games left on the schedule, the Redhawks will need to run the table in order to become Bowl eligible. They face a tall task here as Ohio checks in off three straight wins, scoring an incredible 160 points in the process. Note that Ohio has taken five straight meetings in this series, with the 'under' going 3-2 in those five contests. I like the way the Bobcats have been playing defensively holding three straight opponents to exactly 14 points. I certainly don't expect to see them repeat their 59-point explosion from last week, noting that they had scored 31 points or less in each of their first four road games this season including just 27 and 21 points in two previous MAC road tilts. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'over' between Los Angeles and New Orleans at 4:25 pm et on Sunday.

This is the highest total on the board this week but it's warranted in my opinion. The Saints expected shootout with the Vikings fizzled last Sunday night as New Orleans jumped out in front and was able to control the game from there. Here, I'm anticipating more of a true back-and-forth shootout as both offenses are capable of scoring at will, and both will come in with the mentality that they'll need to finish drives with 7's on the board in order to secure a victory. The fact that we get this matchup in ideal conditions at the Superdome only adds to my confidence in the 'over'. The Rams will likely have WR Cooper Kupp back on the field and he should make an immediate impact against a beatable Saints pass defense. With all of the tools at his disposal, I'm confident Rams head coach Sean McVay will draw up a gameplan to scorch this up-and-down Saints defense. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles defense hasn't exactly lived up to expectations this season and the New Orleans offense continues to round into form, leading to a mismatch here. Saints WR Michael Thomas should have a field day, as should RB Alvin Kamara. I'm just not convinced either defense will have any answers on Sunday afternoon in New Orleans. Take the over (10*).

NFL AFC North Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Pittsburgh and Baltimore at 1 pm et on Sunday.

I’ll back the ‘under’ in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon as the Ravens and Steelers do battle for the second time this season. We missed the mark with the ‘over’ in the first matchup and I won’t hesitate to switch gears and back the ‘under’ in this spot. The Steelers just aren’t the same offensive team on the road, particularly in these early start games. The Ravens defense didn’t perform well last week in Carolina but should bounce back against a familiar opponent here at home. This is still one of the best defenses in the league and they’ll certainly be up for this matchup against an explosive Steelers offense. Meanwhile, we’ve seen Pittsburgh’s defense play better lately, essentially dating back to that last meeting with the Ravens on September 30th. Since then, Pittsburgh has allowed 17, 21 and 18 points during its three-game winning streak. The Ravens offense has been good, but certainly not great on a consistent basis, having been held to 27 points or less in seven straight games since exploding for 47 points in their opener against the Bills. Take the under (10*).

NFL NFC Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Atlanta and Washington at 1 pm et on Sunday.

We’re dealing with a fairly high total here considering both of these defenses come in playing relatively well. The Falcons are loaded with weapons on offense but they will face a tough test here as the Redskins are arguably playing their best defensive football of the season right now. That has had something to do with the schedule they’ve faced, although their current three-game winning streak did begin with a stellar defensive performance in a 23-17 win over the Panthers. Since getting torched by the Saints in New Orleans on Drew Brees’ record-setting night back on October 8th, they’ve really tightened things up. Getting the Falcons outdoors, away from the ideal conditions inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is a key for Washington. On the other side of the football, the Falcons defense has played better the last couple of games and now comes off the bye week. Atlanta welcomed Grady Jarrett back last time out, and his presence will be key against the Redskins run-first offensive attack. With RB Chris Thompson banged-up, the ‘Skins aren’t able to fully employ their preferred short passing game, which would ordinarily be a massive advantage against a Falcons defense that is willing to concede passes to running backs. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on Georgia minus the points over Kentucky at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

Both of these teams check in with identical 7-1 records and little separates them in the national rankings. With that being said, I believe Georgia is the clearly superior squad and will be able to put some distance between itself and Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in Lexington. The Bulldogs bounced back nicely from an ugly loss at LSU, delivering a 36-17 rout of Florida last week in Jacksonville. Remember, prior to that loss at LSU, the Dawgs had taken care of business on the road, winning by 24 points at South Carolina and 14 points at Missouri. Kentucky has been getting by on the strength of its defense, especially over the last couple of weeks as it has posted 14-7 and 15-14 wins over Vandy and Missouri, respectively. Save for a 27-16 win at Florida back on September 8th, I haven’t been all that impressed by the Wildcats body of work this season. They check in undefeated at home, but consider the level of competition they’ve faced, having hosted Central Michigan, Murray State, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Even if they lose this game, they still have the potential to run the table from here with games against Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State and Louisville. Take Georgia (10*).

NCAAF ACC Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Georgia Tech and North Carolina at 12:15 pm et on Saturday.

Georgia Tech has certainly been involved in its share of wild, high-scoring affairs this season but I don’t believe this one sets up as another shootout between these two familiar opponents. Note that last year’s meeting went 33-7 in favor of the Yellow Jackets. Last week things got carried away early against Virginia Tech but we did see the Jackets settle down and play some good defensive football from the second quarter on. After giving up two early first quarter touchdowns, Georgia Tech held the Hokies to just one touchdown from five minutes remaining in the first quarter until less than four minutes left in the fourth. We missed the mark with the ‘under’ in North Carolina’s 31-21 loss at Virginia last Saturday, but only by a couple of points. I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here as the Tar Heels return home. Note that their last home game resulted in a 22-19 loss to Virginia Tech back on October 13th. On the heels of four straight losses they know they’ll need to tighten things up against the Jackets explosive ground attack. Keep in mind, just two games back, Georgia Tech was held to only 14 points at home against Duke. Take the under (10*).

NCAAF SEC Game of the Year. My selection is on Auburn minus the points over Texas A&M at 12 noon et on Saturday.

I think a lot of bettors got spooked in early October as Auburn dropped back-to-back games at Mississippi State and at home against Tennessee. We did see the Tigers bounce back last time out, going on the road to defeat Ole Miss 31-16, which took them into their bye week. This is actually a fairly critical spot for Auburn as it will travel to face Georgia and Alabama in two of its final three regular season games – winning either of those would be a tall task to be sure. While there is a home game against Liberty to gain Bowl eligibility even if the Tigers drop this one to the Aggies, that’s not really a path they want to take. On the flip side, 20th-ranked Texas A&M gets a couple of winnable games at home against Ole Miss and UAB next. In fact, the Aggies won’t play another true road game this season, wrapping things up at home against LSU on November 24th. The Aggies will be trying to avoid suffering consecutive losses for the first time this season on Saturday but this is a difficult spot in enemy territory. Note that last week we didn’t see the Aggies score a touchdown until the final minute of the first half against Mississippi State. Two games back it wasn’t until four minutes left in the first half until they reached the end zone at South Carolina. I simply feel the Aggies are going to have a difficult time breaking through against the Tigers and expect Auburn to make enough plays down the stretch to secure a win and cover. Take Auburn (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Louisville and Clemson at 12 noon et on Saturday.

We’ve seen Clemson really run up the score on the road this season but it’s been a bit of a different story here at home, where the Tigers have done an excellent job of ‘managing’ games, still winning by margin, but perhaps not going full throttle on offense for four quarters. Their home scores to date are as follows: 48-7, 38-7, 27-23 and 41-7. Meanwhile, in four road games they’ve put up 28, 49, 63 and 59 points. Louisville has reason to show up here after getting flat out embarrassed in a 56-35 home loss to Wake Forest last time out. The Cardinals followed that up with their bye week. Note that they were similarly embarrassed in a 66-31 home loss to Georgia Tech on October 5th and followed that up with a more respectable showing in a 38-20 road loss at Boston College. I don’t believe this will be a competitive football game, and that lends itself to an ‘under’ result with the total sitting in the high-60s. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the ‘over’ between Pittsburgh and Virginia at 7:30 pm et on Friday.

We missed the mark with the ‘under’ (barely) in Virginia’s 31-21 win over North Carolina last Saturday but I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here as the Cavaliers stay home to host Pittsburgh. Virginia has been involved in a string of relatively low-scoring games lately and that goes hand-in-hand with its current three-game winning streak. Opponents simply haven’t been able to stay focused on running the football against the Cavaliers lately, largely due to game flow, ie falling behind on the scoreboard early. Here, I do believe we’ll see Pitt’s ground game find some success against the Cavaliers defense. The Panthers have sandwiched two wild, high-scoring games against Syracuse and Duke around a defensive slugfest against Notre Dame. We actually won with the ‘over’ in the game against Syracuse and the ‘under’ against Notre Dame. Save for that strong defensive showing against the Irish, the Panthers defense hasn’t held up well at all this season. This certainly isn’t a favorable spot, traveling on a short week after spending a lot of time on the field against Duke last Saturday. The Cavaliers have essentially been as good as they’ve needed to be on offense lately, and here I believe they’re going to have to generate their share of touchdown drives in order to outlast the Panthers. Note that QB Bryce Perkins has thrown multiple touchdown passes in six of eight games this season and tossed three on only 27 pass attempts in last week’s win over North Carolina. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Oakland plus the points over San Francisco at 8:20 pm et on Thursday.

I'll grab the points with the Raiders in a game they should win outright. There aren't a lot of redeeming qualities when it comes to either of these teams. This truly is an ugly Thursday night matchup. With that being said, I do feel that the Raiders offer some considerable value in this spot. Most have written off Jon Gruden's Raiders as a laughingstock at this point, and perhaps rightfully so. But Oakland does have some upside this week. With RB Marshawn Lynch sidelined due to injury and WR Amari Cooper having been dealt to Dallas, we saw the Raiders turn in one of their best offensive performances of the season last Sunday against Indianapolis, albeit in a losing effort. Lynch's absence makes way for veteran RB Doug Martin, who gained over five yards per rush last Sunday, while WRs Brandon LaFell and Seth Roberts both reached the end zone. That was not a favorable matchup against the Colts, but this is, as the 49ers check in dealing with a number of key injuries, particularly on the defensive side of the football. I am confident we'll see 49ers QB C.J. Beathard start this game but he's not close to 100% healthy and it seems now that opponents have some film on him, they've had little trouble keeping him in check. Over the last two games, the Niners have scored a grand total of just 25 points. RB Matt Breida played last week but didn't look healthy dealing with a high ankle sprain and averaged just 2.6 yards per rush against the Cardinals. Ordinarily this would be a smash spot for the 49ers offense as the Raiders defense leaves a lot to be desired, but right now, I don't believe San Francisco is healthy enough to take full advantage. Take Oakland (10*).

NCAAF AAC Total of the Month. My selection is on the ‘under’ between Temple and UCF at 7:30 pm et on Thursday.

I really like the way this one sets up in Orlando on Thursday night. We’ve already cashed a couple of ‘under’ tickets in games involving Temple this season and I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play in this spot. Temple is coming off three straight victories and a bye week. In those three wins, the Owls allowed a grand total of just 40 points. Prior to that we had seen positive glimpses from their defense in dominating wins over Maryland and Tulsa, but there was also an ugly 45-35 loss at Boston College in the mix, not to mention a 36-29 setback at home against Buffalo in their second game of the season. The Knights will arguably offer the toughest challenge the Temple defense has faced so far this year. UCF has scored over 30 points in all seven games this season. With that being said, the only opponents the Knights have gotten into the 40’s or higher against were Florida Atlantic, Pitt and SMU. I would certainly rate the Temple defense higher than all three of those squads. Last time out, we saw UCF get held out of the end zone until nearly midway through the second quarter, and after adding another touchdown four minutes later, the Knights didn’t reach the end zone on offense again until six minutes were left in the fourth quarter. That was against East Carolina. Defensively, the Knights have been dominant for the most part, save for a couple of shootouts against Florida Atlantic and Memphis. It’s worth noting that UCF actually shut out Memphis from two minutes left in the first half on in a wild 31-30 come-from-behind victory, on the road no less, back on October 13th. To put it simply, the Knights can handle the Owls offense. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Miami-Ohio and Buffalo at 8 pm et on Tuesday.

Playing the 'under' in these early week college matchups used to be almost automatic but that hasn't really been the case in recent years. With that being said, I do like the way the spot sets up for a relatively low-scoring affair between Miami-Ohio and Buffalo on Tuesday night. For the Redhawks, it's getting late awfully early as they have just three wins to their credit with only four games remaining. In other words, they need to win at least three out of four in order to gain Bowl eligibility. They can ill afford to get involved in a shootout with the Bulls here, as their own defense simply hasn't proven it can slow opposing passing games this season. Meanwhile, Buffalo entered the campaign with high hopes and has lived up to expectations, going 7-1 SU. The Bulls have given up at least 28 points on three different occasions this season, but all three of those games were back in September. During their current three-game winning streak, the Bulls have allowed a grand total of just 47 points. Buffalo will face a stiffer challenge from the Redhawks offense than it did a year ago as Miami-Ohio has senior QB Gus Ragland under center. With a lot on the line for both teams, I tend to think we'll see a tightly-contested, relatively low-scoring affair. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between New England and Buffalo at 8:15 pm et on Monday.

I'll back the 'under' in Orchard Park on Monday night. The Patriots have been involved in back-to-back wild, high-scoring affairs but I don't believe they'll need nearly as much offense to secure a fifth straight win on Monday. It's certainly worth noting that the Pats have scored at least 38 points in four straight games heading into this one. While the Bills aren't thought of as much, the fact is they do possess a pretty solid defense, despite being on the field an awful lot this season. Their weakness is against the run but I'm not sure the Patriots have the ground game to take full advantage - especially with RB Sony Michel likely sidelined for this one. While New England is known for its offense, the Pats defense has come up big when called upon as well. You have to think the Bills will take a conservative approach with veteran Derek Anderson under center. That actually plays into the hands of a Pats defense that is hungry after giving up a ton of points in the last two weeks, albeit against two good offensive teams in the Chiefs and Bears. The 'over' has cashed in each of the Pats last three games. We haven't seen four straight 'over' results involving New England since the first four games last season. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on Green Bay plus the points over Los Angeles at 4:25 pm et on Sunday.

I really like the way this one sets up for the Packers. Green Bay is coming off its bye week and the week off should only serve to further improve the health of QB Aaron Rodgers, who has certainly looked good in his last two games. The Rams caught the 49ers in a flat spot last Sunday afternoon but won't be so fortunate against a Green Bay squad that continues to try to make up ground following a relatively poor start to the season. Los Angeles' defense simply hasn't been as good as advertised this season and while the Packers continue to deal with some injuries at the wide receiver position, their young depth has really stepped up lately and should continue to do so here. This is a particularly favorable matchup for WR Davante Adams and TE Jimmy Graham. Both should come up big and help keep the Packers in this game from start to finish. Take Green Bay (10*).

My selection is on the 'over' between Indianapolis and Oakland at 4:05 pm et on Sunday.

It seems that most are quick to downgrade the Raiders offense after dealing away WR Amari Cooper. The fact is, Coopers has underachieved in a big way this season and I actually feel his departure may serve to give this offense a bit of a jumpstart. This is certainly a 'get right' matchup against a weak and undermanned Colts defense. On the flip side, the Colts continue to bomb away with no running game to speak of. I certainly anticipate Andrew Luck having a field day against a very weak Raiders pass defense and non-existent pass rush. We're dealing with a high total for a reason in this one, yet most bettors aren't expecting much from either offense. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Chicago minus the points over New York at 1 pm et on Sunday.

This is an excellent ‘get right’ matchup for the Bears following last week’s sloppy performance at home against the Patriots. It’s one thing to struggle to keep up in a shootout with the Patriots but another matter entirely to stumble against the Jets. I don’t envision the Bears falling into that trap here. New York is hitting the road for the first time since dropping a 31-12 loss at Jacksonville back on September 30th. Since then, the Jets have won two of their last three games but that had more to do with favorable matchups than anything else. Not surprisingly, we saw New York get crushed 37-17 in a tough matchup at home against the Vikings last week. The Jets are currently dealing with a cluster of injuries in their secondary and now face a Bears offense that while inconsistent, can certainly bomb away when a favorable matchup presents itself. Perhaps ‘bomb away’ is the wrong term as QB Mitchell Trubisky seems to fare better in the short passing game. With that being said, Chicago has a wealth of offensive weapons and they should be on full display on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. I don’t believe the Jets will be able to keep within arm’s reach for four quarters. Take Chicago (10*).

NFL AFC Game of the Month. My selection is on Pittsburgh minus the points over Cleveland at 1 pm et on Sunday.

This game has blowout written all over it as far as I’m concerned. While the Steelers cruise into this home date off their bye week, the Browns are fresh off an overtime loss at Tampa Bay last Sunday. There were concerns all over the place for Cleveland last week. Its offense couldn’t sustain many drives against a hapless Bucs defense while the defense simply couldn’t come up with big plays when it needed to. Now the Browns stay on the road and face what will be a highly-motivated Steelers squad after Pittsburgh dominated most of the way but ultimately had to settle for a tie in Cleveland back in Week 1. We’ve seen glimpses of the Steelers offensive potential this season but I look for it all to come together in this matchup. This is a prime matchup for RB James Conner in particular, who continues to prove his worth starting in place of holdout Le’Veon Bell. There’s really no need to over-analyze this one – it’s a true statement spot for the Steelers. Take Pittsburgh (10*).

NFL Total of the Week. My selection is on the 'over' between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati at 1 pm et on Sunday.

This is one of the highest totals on this week's NFL board but it's warranted in my opinion. Both teams are dealing with cluster injuries on the defensive side of the football. The Bucs were already without Gerald McCoy and Vinny Curry and will now have to go on without Kwon Alexander as well. Meanwhile, the Bucs are missing a number of key cogs, with Vontaze Burfict the latest to go down. Both offenses are poised to take full advantage on Sunday afternoon. We saw 'under' results from both teams last Sunday but that's of little consequence here. The Bucs were able to march the football up and down the field against a better Cleveland defense than the one they'll face here. The Bengals couldn't get out of an early hole against the Chiefs, which completely changed their offensive gameplan. They should be more comfortable back at home against arguably the league's worst defense in the Bucs. This one has all the makings of a shootout. Take the over (10*).

NFL Non-Conference Game of the Month. My selection is on Philadelphia minus the points over Jacksonville at 9:30 am et on Sunday.

These two teams enter this London matchup with identical 3-4 records but I feel that the Eagles are in a far better place right now and in good position to win this one going away. The Jaguars are reeling. There are questions whether QB Blake Bortles is really the right guy to lead the offense while the defense hasn’t come close to living up to expectations in recent weeks. Was last season a fluke? I’m not ready to make that judgement just yet, but I do feel the Jags find themselves in a really difficult spot traveling across the pond to face the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday. The Eagles are coming off a truly disappointing fall-from-ahead loss against the Panthers, at home no less. With that being said, QB Carson Wentz is coming off a spectacular performance and we should see some carry-over from that effort here. Since getting WR Alshon Jeffery back the Eagles offense has had a more dynamic look and I believe they’ll give Jacksonville plenty of problems on Sunday. Defensively, the Eagles are down a couple of key cogs but depth is not something they’re lacking on that side of the football. They employ a ‘next man up’ philosophy, much like the Patriots, and draw a favorable matchup in a struggling Jags offense here. Take Philadelphia (10*).

My selection is on Stanford minus the points over Washington State at 7 pm et on Saturday.

I’ve been high on Washington State this season but I don’t see this as an ideal spot for the Cougars, heading out on the road following one of the biggest games in program history (one that resulted in a victory no less) against Oregon last week. Stanford bounced back from consecutive losses with a hard-fought road win at Arizona State last week and should be able to build on that performance here. Note that the last time the Cardinal played here at ‘The Farm’ they were blasted 40-21 by Utah. They’ll certainly be looking to make amends for that poor showing here. Washington State is rolling along right now, having posted three straight wins. It is worth noting, however, that the Cougars haven’t really been tested on the road outside of a 39-36 loss at USC back on September 21st. Their other two road games were against Wyoming and Oregon State, two teams that own a combined SU record of 3-12. This line has moved in Washington State’s favor at the time of posting, as folks are quickly jumping on the Cougar bandwagon. I’m not sure the move is warranted. Take Stanford (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between North Carolina and Virginia at 12:20 pm et on Saturday.

This was a low-scoring affair last year as Virginia won by a 20-14 score. I’m anticipating another relatively low-scoring game on Saturday. North Carolina woke from its offensive slumber to get involved in a wild, 40-37 double-overtime loss at Syracuse last week. Keep in mind, that game totaled just 54 points in regulation time. It was also played in ideal conditions inside the Carrier Dome. Prior to that, the Tar Heels had been held to 29 points combined over their last two games. Now they go up against a tough defense in Virginia, as the Cavaliers have allowed only 27 points over their last two games, with those coming in tough matchups against Miami and Duke. Virginia certainly hasn’t gotten off to a 5-2 start on the strength of its offense. Last Saturday against Duke, the Cavaliers scored a couple of touchdowns in the game’s first 16 minutes but then didn’t find the end zone again until the final four minutes of the fourth quarter. Last week we saw North Carolina hold a potent Syracuse offense out of the end zone until the final two minutes of the first half. The week previous the Tar Heels allowed a touchdown in the game’s first two minutes against Virginia Tech but then not another until over midway through the third quarter. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Army and Eastern Michigan at 12 noon et on Saturday.

We missed the mark with the ‘under’ in Army’s overtime win at Miami-Ohio last week, but it’s certainly worth noting that the game did stay under the total in regulation time. Army has now put up a whopping 125 points over its last three contests but that’s had more to do with that overtime result, as well as the level of opposition the Black Knights have faced than anything else. Prior to last week’s game, Army had gone up against Buffalo and San Jose State in its previous two games, not exactly two defensive juggernauts. Here, it will face a tough challenge against one of the nation’s most underrated and overlooked defensive teams, on the road no less. Eastern Michigan has held five straight opponents to 27 points or less, despite facing some tough competition over that stretch. We saw a bit of an offensive explosion from the Eagles last week as they put up 42 points in a rout of Ball State. That’s been the exception rather than the rule, however. Prior to that outburst, Eastern Michigan had scored 28 points or less in six consecutive games. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on Eastern Michigan over Army at 12 noon et on Saturday.

This game should mean a little more to Eastern Michigan as it continues to push its way toward Bowl eligibility. The Eagles check in at 4-4 on the season and fresh off back-to-back wins. They’ve faced a pretty tough schedule this season so there’s no reason to knock them over the .500 record. Army checks in with five wins already to its credit, including three in a row heading into this contest. I don’t see this as a favorable spot for the Black Knights as they hit the road following last week’s double-overtime thriller against Miami-Ohio. I consider Eastern Michigan to be one of the nation’s most underrated and overlooked teams. The Eagles have already gone on the road and defeated Purdue this season and their four losses have come at Buffalo, San Diego State and Western Michigan and at home against Northern Illinois. There was really no shame in any of those setbacks. Take Eastern Michigan (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Wake Forest and Louisville at 12 noon et on Saturday.

I’ll back the ‘under’ at Cardinal Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This lofty total has a lot to do with the fact that Wake Forest has been involved in a number of wild, high-scoring affairs this season while Louisville has gotten into a couple of high-scoring games of its own in recent weeks. I simply feel this total will prove too high. Wake Forest has given up a whopping 101 points in dropping each of its last two games. With that being said, the Demon Deacons draw a favorable matchup here as Louisville has been held to 24 points or less in each of its last four games. Defensively, we saw the Cardinals give up a couple of touchdowns in the first six minutes of the game against Boston College last week but then stiffened up from there, not allowing another touchdown until the third quarter. It was at the very least improvement over their previous game as they were throttled by Georgia Tech, 66-31. On the flip side, we’ve seen Wake Forest’s offense sputter lately, scoring just 20 points combined in its last two games. I’m just not convinced we’re in for a shootout on Saturday afternoon. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Louisiana Tech and Florida Atlantic at 6:30 pm et on Friday.

I'll back the 'under' in Boca Raton on Friday night. This was a high-scoring matchup last year with FAU prevailing by a 48-23 score on the strength of a big game from RB Devin Singletary. We've seen Singletary continue to rack up touchdowns this season but hasn't been nearly as dominant on the ground, averaging just 4.5 yards per rush after gaining 6.4 ypr last season. Opponents simply aren't respecting the Owls passing game the way they have in recent years, instead stacking the box against FAU's dynamic rusher. Note that Louisiana Tech checks in allowing just 3.8 yards per rush this season. The Owls have allowed a whopping 64 points over their last two games but do find themselves in a favorable bounce-back spot against a Bulldogs squad that has topped out at 31 points against FBS opponents this season. Louisiana Tech has actually put up 31 points in each of its last two games, but those two contests came against UTSA and UTEP, two weaker opponents than the one they'll face on Friday. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Miami and Houston at 8:20 pm et on Thursday.

The Dolphins have surprisingly been involved in back-to-back high-scoring 'over' results, which comes on the heels of consecutive 'under' outcomes. I'm not anticipating a lot of offense in Thursday night's game as Miami will need to lean heavily on its defense to stay competitive with cluster injuries at the wide receiver position on offense. The Texans have done an excellent job of taking away opposing running games this season and should be able to do the same against Miami, forcing QB Brock Osweiler to beat them through the air, something I'm not sure he's capable of with both Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills ruled out due to injuries. The Miami defense is certainly beatable but the Texans haven't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard, having put up 20 points or less in three straight games. They've scored 22 points or less in six of seven games this season. Texans QB DeShaun Watson has been serviceable this season but lacks the mobility we've been accustomed to seeing from him due to a myriad of injuries. Take the under (10*).

NCAAF MAC Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'under' between Toledo and Western Michigan at 7 pm et on Thursday.

These two teams have been involved in their share of shootouts this season but I don't necessarily see one developing on Thursday night. Since exploding for 52 points against a hapless Bowling Green defense, Toledo has been held to just 43 points combined in its last two games - both losses. The Rockets managed only two first half touchdowns in last Saturday's loss to Buffalo, and those came on 70 and 80-yard plays - the type of plays I don't expect to see out of them against an improving Western Michigan defense. The Broncos were involved in an unsurprising track meet against Bowling Green two weeks ago but followed that up with a defensive gem against Central Michigan last Saturday, winning that game by a 35-10 score. Western Michigan scored three first half touchdowns in that game before going scoreless until the final minute of the third quarter. Even in their 42-point outburst against Bowling Green, the Broncos didn't find the end zone until over midway through the second quarter. Toledo rolled past Western Michigan by a 37-10 score in last year's meeting. I don't believe the Rockets will come close to approaching that level of output this time around. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Baylor and West Virginia at 7 pm et on Thursday.

As is the case with many of these projected Thursday night shootouts, I get the sense this one may fizzle out in Morgantown. Baylor has seen the 'over' cash in five of its seven games so far this season but is coming off a low-scoring affair against Texas, resulting in a 23-17 loss. In fact, two of the Bears last four games have totaled 40 points or less so track meets have by no means been the norm for this squad this season. Save for a blowout loss at Oklahoma on September 29th, the Bears have actually held their own defensively of late. Even in a game where they allowed 34 points (in a winning effort) against Kansas State, they gave up just two touchdowns through the first three quarters. Like Baylor, West Virginia is coming off its bye week, which came on the heels of an ugly 30-14 loss at Iowa State. After a red hot start to the season we've seen the Mountaineers offense cool somewhat, relatively speaking in the wild, often high-scoring Big 12. Even against a hapless Kansas defense two games back, the Mountaineers scored three first half touchdowns but then didn't find the end zone again until the final play of the third quarter. We have seen stretches where the West Virginia offense has gone stagnant this season. Last year's matchup between these two teams produced 74 points, managing to eclipse the total. With that said, we haven't seen back-to-back 'over' results in this series since 2012 and 2013. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'over' between Cincinnati and Kansas City at 8:20 pm et on Sunday.

These lofty totals have become much more commonplace in NFL action this season after a number of years where we would see totals top out at 54 points or so. In this case, I believe the high posted total is warranted as this matchup sets up as a shootout. The Chiefs are of course rolling on offense right now and unlikely to be slowed down by a Bengals defense that hasn't done much to stop opposing running or passing games this season. Even with the return of LB Vontaze Burfict, the Bengals are still giving up just shy of five yards per rush. Meanwhile, they've been getting shredded on a weekly basis by opposing passing games. The Bengals offense remains somewhat underrated with QB Andy Dalton enjoying a renaissance year under center. RB Joe Mixon returned to the field last week and should contribute after being a virtual non-factor against the Steelers last week. We won with the 'under' in last week's game against the Steelers, as we anticipated more of a physical, defensive tone between two defensive rivals. I expect a much different story to unfold here. Take the over (10*).

NFL NFC West Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Los Angeles and San Francisco at 4:25 pm et on Sunday.

I’ll back the ‘over’ in Santa Clara on Sunday afternoon. We missed the mark with the ‘over’ in the Rams last game – a relatively low-scoring win in Denver last week. I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play here, however. Los Angeles will certainly be taking a step down in class against a 49ers defense that did nothing to slow down Aaron Rodgers and the somewhat limited Packers offense on Monday night. In fact, the Niners have had a tough time slowing down anyone this season. The good news is, the San Francisco offense continues to evolve with C.J. Beathard under center. He certainly looked comfortable running the offense in Green Bay on Monday night and while he faces a slightly tougher test here, the fact is the Rams defense has been below average, and will be playing on the road for the third straight game. With RB Matt Breida, TE George Kittle and WR Marquise Goodwin, the Niners have more than their share of offensive weapons. Meanwhile, the Rams will be without WR Cooper Kupp but shouldn’t miss a beat offensively. QB Jared Goff is coming off a subpar performance last Sunday but should bounce back in a big way here. And of course RB Todd Gurley should run wild as he’s done virtually every week this season. This is a high posted total but it’s warranted in my opinion. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on the ‘over’ between New England and Chicago at 1 pm et on Sunday.

I believe there’s strong potential for a back-and-forth shootout in this game as both teams come in off high-scoring affairs last Sunday. The Patriots offense continues to round into form. They’re fresh off a 43-point effort against the hapless Chiefs defense last Sunday night so they’ll definitely be facing a tougher challenge here. With that being said, I believe they’re in good position to keep building against a Bears defense that got completely worn down in the Miami heat last Sunday afternoon. It’s worth noting that Khalil Mack is questionable for the Bears as he deals with an ankle injury. I really like the emergence of RB Sony Michel in the Patriots offense, not to mention the way WR Julian Edelman has worked his way back into the fold. We should only see the Pats offense continue to improve from here. Meanwhile, the Bears offense has also been evolving nicely with QB Mitchell Trubisky settling in and doing an excellent job of spreading the football around to his multitude of weapons. Over his last two games, Trubisky has thrown for well over 600 yards and nine touchdowns (mind you much of that success came against the lowly Bucs defense two games back). In this particular matchup, Chicago should find success with their short passing game. Note that the Patriots have given up at least 24 points in four of six games this season. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on the ‘over’ between Minnesota and New York at 1 pm et on Sunday.

I’ll back the ‘over’ at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon as the Vikings find themselves in a terrific spot to explode offensively. The Jets haven’t been able to generate a pass rush, nor have they don’t a consistently good job defending the pass. That leaves them in a very difficult position trying to slow down a Vikings offense that save for its pass protection has been truly electric this season. The question is whether the Jets can do enough offensively to help this total along. The good news is they do come in with plenty of confidence following back-to-back big offensive showings against the Broncos and Colts. They’ll face a tougher test here, but should be able to turn some drives into points, noting that the Vikings did lose one of their most underrated defenders in cornerback Mike Hughes to a torn ACL last week. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on the ‘over’ between Cleveland and Tampa Bay at 1 pm et on Sunday.

There’s little reason to expect anything other than a shootout in this Sunday afternoon matchup in Tampa. The Browns offense has the potential to go off, just as virtually every opponent of the dreadful Bucs defense has this season. Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith was fired earlier this week but it’s tough to envision much changing here. It’s worth noting that the Tampa Bay defense is without two of its best defenders in DT Gerald McCoy and DE Vinny Curry. Browns QB Baker Mayfield should have plenty of time and room to operate and has just enough talent at the WR and TE position to hang a crooked number on the scoreboard here. We saw the Bucs offense thrive, as expected, in Atlanta last Sunday  (we won with the ‘over’) and while it certainly draws a tougher matchup here, I’m still anticipating plenty of scoring drives, noting that the Browns defense suffered a big drop-off in performance in their last road game, a wild 45-42 loss in Oakland. This is one of the highest totals on the board this week for a reason. Take the over (10*).