Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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12-25-20 | Wisconsin v. Michigan State +2 | Top | 85-76 | Loss | -109 | 24 h 44 m | Show |
My 10* Big Ten Game of the Year is on Michigan St at 12:30 ET. Big Ten basketball has 'taken over' Christmas Day with a 'grand slam' of games, featuring FOUR ranked teams. The '4-pack' tips off at 12:30 ET with No. 9 Wisconsin (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) heading to East Lansing to take on No. 12 Michigan State (6-1 / 0-1 Big Ten). Wisconsin lone loss has come 67-65 at Marquette and owns a home blowout win 85-48 over then-No. 23 Louisville on Dec 19 (Cards only loss this season). Michigan St earned a 75-69 'marquee' win at then-No. 6 Duke back on Dec 1 but came into this contest off an embarrassing 79-65 at Northwestern this past Sunday. Wisconsin has a had a terrific basketball program for decades and Greg Gard enters his sixth season at Madison, having had FOUR 20-win season in his first five. The Badgers start FIVE seniors, guards Davison (11.3), and Trice (11.0) plus the 6-10 Potter (13.4 & 7.3), the 6-11 Reuvers (10.9 & 3.9) and the 6-8 Ford (9.1 & 4.0). 6-5 freshman Davis (7.9 & 5.1) and 6-9 sophomore (4.8 & 4.5) are both averaging about 21 MPG off the bench. Wisconsin plays stifling defense, holding opponents to 57.5 PPG on 36.2 percent shooting overall. You may just have heard of MSU head coach Tom Izzo, who was disgusted with his team's performance at Northwestern. The Spartans were dominated by the unheralded Wildcats, 79-65, trailing by double digits throughout the second half. "Obviously still disappointed, not by the loss but just by how we played," Izzo said. "And yet, I'm going to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘You know what, there's going to be some ups and downs and there's going to be some mind-boggling days when you just say, ‘What's going on?' " Michigan St lost its two best players from last season's team to the NBA Draft, as PG Winston (18.6 & 5.9 APG) was taken by the Wizards and the 6-8 Tillman (13.7 & 10.3) by the Grizzlies. 6-9 junior forward Joey Hauser, a transfer from Marquette, leads the team averaging 12.1 & 8.9. Joining him in the frontcourt are two returning players, the 6-7 Brown and the 6-6 Henry. Brown has averaged 10.6 PPG, while Henry has chipped in 12,0-5.4-4.9. Sophomore PG Watts (11.7 & 4.3 APG) steps in for Winston plus veteran guard Langford (8.2) joins him on the perimeter. Langford is FINALLY healthy and is back on the court this season, having last played in December of 2018. 6-7 sophomore Hall averages 6.7 & 6.0, so Michigan St matches up well with the Badgers. Best of all, what team would want a Christmas Day visit to Breslin Center to face an Izzo-coached team off an embarrassing loss. I know Wisconsin will put on a 'brave face' but this just in, the Badgers have dropped 12 straight in East Lansing, with their last victory there coming back to 2004. No margin to cover here and it's Michigan St by double digits! Good luck...Larry |
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12-25-20 | Pelicans v. Heat -3.5 | Top | 98-111 | Win | 103 | 3 h 23 m | Show |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on the Mia Heat at 12:05 ET. New Orleans head coach Stan Van Gundy will be back on familiar turf Friday when his Pelicans face the Miami Heat, the team that gave him his start coaching in the league in 1995. The Pelicans won their season opener on Wednesday, 113-109 at Toronto (Raptors are playing their 'home' games in Tampa). Ingram just missed a triple-double (24-9-11) with 'King' Zion adding 15 & 10. The game also marked the Pelicans debuts of Eric Bledsoe (18 points) and Steven Adams (eight points, a game-high four steals and two blocks). While the Pelicans were beating the Raptors, the defending East champs were losing 113-107 in Orlando. "We have to be more precise," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about his team's 22 turnovers against Orlando. "Our spacing has to be a lot better, and we have to be willing to work the offense." The turnovers came primarily from Bam Adebayo (seven), Jimmy Butler (six) and Tyler Herro (four). Then again, Adebayo had 25 & 11, Butler 17-7-7 and Herro, who blossomed into a start in last year's 'bubble,' started and had a line of 13-6-4. Goran Dragic had 20 points and seven assists, continuing his role as super sub. "I told 'Spo' that however he wants to use me, I'm here for the team," said Dragic, a 2018 All-Star back in his days as a starter. "I'm already feeling comfortable with this (backup) role." New Orleans shot 52.5% vs Toronto but DON'T expect a repeat performance here against an excellent defensive team like the Heat. The Heat actually made 50.6% from the floor in the loss at Orlando and I'm looking for them to bounce back in a big way here. The Heat opened last season's playoff run 7-0 SU & ATS and finished 14-7 SU and with a playoff-best 16-7 ATS record. Heat 'came together' last postseason and will be a tough team to beat all of this season, especially at home and off a loss no less! 'Cheap' price. A win over ex-head coach Van Gundy would be 'icing on the cake.' Good luck...Larry |
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12-23-20 | Jazz v. Blazers -1 | Top | 120-100 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 17 m | Show |
My 10* Division Game of the Month (Northwest) is on the Por Blazers at 10:05 ET. Utah Jazz are well aware that only a FEW plays separated the Jazz from a potential run to the 2020 Western Conference Finals and what turned into first-round loss to the Nuggets (Jazz led the series 3-1, then lost THREE in a row!). The Portland Trail Blazers made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals two seasons ago but last year needed a strong run 'in the bubble' to sneak into the postseason. Led by 'Bubble' MVP Lillard, the Blazers were a 'sexy' pick to upset the Lakers in the first round but after a 100-93 upset in Game 1, Portland lost FOUR in a row. Both teams should be solid contenders this season. Donovan Mitchell (24.0-4.4-4.3) and Rudy Gobert (15.1 & 13.5) both agreed to contract extensions before the new season and Jordan Clarkson (15.6) re-signed with Utah on a four-year deal after emerging as the team's sixth man last season. Bringing back Derrick Favors represented the biggest free agent addition for the Jazz. Favors spent 8 1/2 seasons in Utah before being traded to New Orleans a year ago. "We need to hold ourselves to a high standard," Mitchell told the Deseret News. "You know, we blew a 3-1 lead. We lost in the first round, and there's no time for that. There's no time for slow starts." Added Gobert after signing his new deal, "I'm here to stay, and I'm here to WIN a championship. I'm here to win with my brothers, I'm here to win with coach (Quin Snyder) and I'm here to win with you, Utah." Portland is led by its dynamic quard duo of Damian Lillard and CJ MCcollum, who averaged 30.0-4.3-87.0 and 22.2-4.2-4.4 last season, respectively. They also brought back Enes Kanter and Carmelo Anthony to give the Blazers some scoring punch off the bench when Lillard and McCollum aren't on the floor. Notably, Jusuf Nurkic and Rodney Hood are back after serious injuries kept one or the other off the floor for lengthy stretches last season. Hood re-signed with the Blazers as a free agent during the offseason. Portland acquired Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. to shore up defense. Frankly, I like BOTH teams this season but in this pre-Christmas opener, I MUCH prefer the home team which avoids traveling, ESPECIALLY at this price! Good luck...Larry |
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12-23-20 | Florida Atlantic +9 v. Memphis | Top | 10-25 | Loss | -107 | 4 h 5 m | Show |
My CFB 9* Late-Breaker (Montgomery Bowl) is on FAU at 7:00 ET. The Montgomery Bowl (7-3 Memphis vs 5-3 FAU) was created after the cancellation of the Fenway Bowl. Memphis was 12-1 when it made a New Year's Six bowl appearance in last year's Cotton Bowl. The Tigers 'hung around' but eventually lost 53-39 to Penn St. Memphis will set a school record by playing in a bowl game for the seventh straight year. This Montgomery Bowl appearance vs FAU may feel like a 'step down' for Memphis but as I will allude to a bit later, the Tigers are desperate for a bowl win. This is the third bowl game in four years for the Owls and fifth since 2007. It's their first bowl outside Florida since 2008. The Tigers are led by QB Brady White, who is capping a terrific career. He's thrown for 3,096 yards with 28 TDs and nine INTs in 2020, following seasons of 4,014 yards with 33 TDs and 11 INTs in 2019 and 3,296 yards with 26 TDs and nine INTs in 2018. His "go-to" guy is WR Austin (60 catches / 17.1 YPC / 10 TDs), although the running game is fairly mediocre, averaging 142.0 YPG (85th). The defense has been a liability all season, allowing 29.7 PPG (contributing to the team's 3-7 ATS record). FAU has a non-existent passing game (143.6 YPG ranks 117th) but a solid running game which averages 185.3 YPG (47th). However, the Owls own a solid defense, allowing 16.5 PPG (9th) on 326.4 YPG. Containing White will be a key for FAU and its pass D comes in allowing 175.6 YPG (12th in the nation). As noted above, Memphis NEEDS a bowl win, as the Tigers haven't gotten one since a double-overtime victory over BYU in the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl. That's not all, as a check of the record book reveals that Memphis is on a 1-7 SU and 0-8 ATS run in its last eight conference championship or bowl games. Meanwhile, FAU is 6-0 SU & ATS in similar contests. I'm taking the BIG points! Good luck...Larry |
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12-23-20 | Illinois -4 v. Penn State | Top | 98-81 | Win | 100 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on Illinois at 6:30 ET. Brad Underwood had a great three-year run at SF Austin (three straight NCAA bids) before making a one-year 'pit stop' in Stillwater, where he led Oklahoma St to an NCAA bid. Illinois "came calling in March of 2017 when it fired John Groce and Underwood's first two seasons were duds (14-18 and 12-21). However, behind outstanding guard Dosunmu and 7-0 freshman Cockburn, the Illini were 21-10 when last season was shut down. Illinois opened the current season No. 8 in the AP's preseason poll but so far, it has NOT been 'smooth sailing.' Penn St was also 21-10 last season but the Nittany Lions went through some turmoil right as practices started when head coach Pat Chambers resigned in late October following an investigation into inappropriate conduct. Penn State interim head coach Jim Ferry led the Nittany Lions to an impressive 75-55 road win over then-No. 15 Virginia Tech on Dec 8 but this past Sunday lost 62-58 at Michigan (Wolverines are 6-0 and ranked 25th). Dosunmu (22.6-8.0-5.30 is one of the top guards in the nation and Cockburn's sophomore season is going great, as he's averaging 16.8 & 9.8.Dosunmu is joined in the backcourt by freshman Miller (10.4) plus fellow guards Frazier (9.9), Curbelo (9.9-3.4-3.9), and Williams (6.9 & 5.8). The 6-9 Bezhanishvili (7.0 & 3.8) completes the main contributors. Penn St surely misses All-Big Ten forward Lamar Stevens (17.6 & 6.9) but the Nittany Lions have four players averaging in double figures; the 6-7 Seth Lundy (14.4) and 6-7 Izaiah Brockington (14.0 & 5.6) plus two guards that can play the point, Sam Sessoms (11.8 & 3.5 APG) and Myreon Jones (11.8 & 3.3 APG), when PG Wheeler (5.8-4.0-4.6) needs a break. The 6-9 Harrar (7.6 & 7.0) is the team's leading rebounder. Illinois completes a rollercoaster 22-day span (Dec 2-23) in which the Fighting Illini lost to No. 2 Baylor, won at then-No. 10 Duke, lost their Braggin' Rights game at now-No. 14 Missouri (5-0) and now plays a dangerous Penn St team in Happy Valley. It's time for Illinois to "step up" and prove it's a top-10 team (despite a 5-3 record, Illinois is still ranked 18th) or it will be a sad Christmas in Champaign-Urbana. I'm in. Good luck...Larry |
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12-23-20 | Georgia Southern v. Louisiana Tech +6.5 | Top | 38-3 | Loss | -110 | 48 h 19 m | Show |
My CFB 10* New Orleans Bowl play is on La Tech at 3:00 ET. 7-5 Georgia Southern of the SBC will take on 5-4 Louisiana Tech of C-USA in Wednesday's New Orleans Bowl at the Superdome. This will be Georgia Southern's FOURTH bowl since moving up from the Football Championship Subdivision in 2014. The Eagles won postseason games in 2015 and 2018 before falling last year 23-16 to Liberty in the Cure Bowl. As for La Tech, securing a winning record for 2020 plus keeping its bowl streak alive, are on the line for the Bulldogs. How many are aware that Louisiana Tech's SIX-game bowl winning streak is the longest active mark for ANY team in the country. Both teams come in with questions surrounding their QB situation. Shai Werts was the regular Georgia Southern QB for 10 games, but he missed the last two games with a shoulder injury. Justin Tomlin has started the last two but he departed the Dec 12 regular-season finale against Appalachian State with a second-quarter injury after rushing for 76 yards in the game. Miller Mosley, who's considered the team's third-string QB, threw for a touchdown and two interceptions after replacing Tomlin. Werts has accounted for 1,575 yards and 15 TDs from scrimmage and leads the Eagles in rushing with 649 yards, as Georgia Southern ranks 7th in the nation averaging 262.4 YPG. That shoulder injury has sidelined him for the team's last two games, but he has returned to practice and could play in the bowl game. Georgia Southern's defense is solid, allowing 22.3 PPG (31st) on 333.5 YPG (19th). La Tech reached 10 wins in 2019 for the first time since 1983 but KNEW it would miss QB J'Mar Smith, who threw for 2,977 yards (18/5 ratio) and ran for 4 TDs as a senior. He ended his career winning his final 10 starts. His replacement was expected to be either sophomore Aaron Allen or Abilene Christian transfer, Luke Anthony. Anthony started for most of the season but severely injured his lower right leg when he was tackled late in the fourth quarter last Saturday in a blowout loss to TCU. Allen will get the start here and "on paper," this figures to be a tough matchup for the Bulldogs. La Tech has a non-existent rushing attack (97.7 YPG on the ground ranks 119th) and Anthony is a superior QB than Allen. However, La Tech finds a way into the end zone, averaging 29.3 PPG on the season, despite its 10-point effort vs TCU. The defense is another story, allowing 34.3 PPG (95th). Here's the bottom line! Skip Holtz is finishing up his eighth season at La Tech. He went just 4-8 in his first season but 2020 marks the SEVENTH consecutive season in which he's led the Bulldogs to a bowl game. As noted above, the Bulldogs have won EACH of the previous six. In last season's Independence Bowl, La Tech beat Miami-Florida 14-0, becoming the first Group of 5 school to shut out a Power-5 school in a bowl game since the BCS/CFP era began in 1998. What's more, Louisiana Tech has not lost to a current Sun Belt Conference opponent since 1996, winning 18 in a row! You really want to give this team about a TD? Good luck...Larry |
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12-22-20 | Clippers +3.5 v. Lakers | Top | 116-109 | Win | 100 | 15 h 59 m | Show |
My NBA 10* 'Battle 4 LA' is on the LA Clippers at 10:05 ET. After the shortest offseason in league history, the Lakers will open defense of their NBA title by hosting the Clippers. Of course, both teams call Staples Center home. Conventional wisdom seems to be that the defending champs have improved during the offseason with the additions of reigning Sixth Man of the Year and former Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell, the Sixth Man runner-up in guard Dennis Schroder, veteran center Marc Gasol and guard Wesley Matthews. Hard to argue with the team's additions but the Lakers' success in the end will depend on the play of LBJ and A.D. James won his fourth NBA title Oct 11 when the Lakers beat the Miami Heat in six games, averaging 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and a league-high 10.2 assists per game during the 2019-20 regular season. Davis won his first title and averaged a team-high 26.1 points with 9.3 rebounds and finished third in the league in blocks at 2.3 per game. Davis just recently agreed to a five-year, $190 million maximum contract to stay with the defending champs. After the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals which prevented a much-anticipated showdown with the Lakers, they parted ways with Doc Rivers, replacing him with former assistant Tyronn Lue. BTW...What makes so many think Doc Rivers is a "great" coach? The Clippers' fortunes again will depend on Kawhi Leonard (27.1 & 7.1) and Paul George (21.5 & 5.7). Like Davis, George recently signed a HUGE contract to remain with the Clippers. However, unlike A.D, George was a flop in last season's playoffs. Lou Williams averaged 18.2 points and 5.6 assists during the regular season and will again be a big part of the team. Forward Marcus Morris, guard Patrick Beverley and center Ivica Zubac are again expected to be key contributors. So is forward Serge Ibaka, who the Clippers signed as a free agent to fill the void left by Harrell. Ibaka averaged 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season with the Toronto Raptors and was part of the Toronto team of two years ago that won the NBA title (as was Kwahi). Nicolas Batum has long been a solid NBA player and joins the Clippers along with Luke Kennard, who averaged 15.8 PPG on 40% shooting on threes in a 25-game injury-filled season last year with Detroit. Here's the bottom line. It's 'Ring Night' for the Lakers and that's often been distracting for home teams plus the Lakers cruised through an abbreviated preseason 4-0, which included TWO wins over the Clippers, who lost all three preseason contests. ALL the motivation is with the Clipps tonight and I'm taking the points. Good luck...Larry |
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12-22-20 | Purdue v. Iowa -6.5 | Top | 55-70 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on Iowa at 9:00 ET. The Iowa Hawkeyes won their first six games by an average of 32 points but were outclassed by top-ranked Gonzaga (99-88) this past Saturday at Sioux Falls, SD. Iowa's (6-1) first loss of the current season only dropped them one spot in the AP poll, from No. 3 to No. 4. Iowa welcomes Purdue (6-2) to Hawkeye-Carver Arena tonight well-aware that the Boilermakers may be unranked but they are dangerous. Purdue (6-2, 1-0 Big Ten) enters tonight's game with the momentum of three straight victories, including Wednesday's 67-60 home triumph over then-No. 20 Ohio State in its Big Ten opener and Saturday's 78-68 victory over Notre Dame on a neutral floor in Indianapolis. Head coach Matt Painter's lone loss of note from last season's team was the 7-3 Haarms (8.6 & 4.6), who went to BYU as a graduate transfer. The team's "Big Three" are all returning player in senior PG Hunter (14.3 & 3.8 APG) plus juniors like the 6-10 Williams (13.8 & 9.8) and SG Stefanovic (12.5).7-4 freshman Edey (11.3 & 4.3) has made all forget about Haarms plus freshman guard Newman (9.1) just barely misses double digits in scoring. Depth is provided by four players chipping in between 5.0 and 6.7 PPG. Iowa's 6-11 Luka Garza was named Preseason P-O-Y by many and hasn't disappointed. He's averaging 29.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 2.3 blocked shots while shooting 69.6 percent from the floor. He had 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting, 10 rebounds and three rejections against the Bulldogs. Garza has four 30-points efforts this season with a high of 41. Two senior guards join him in the starting lineup in Wieskamp (15.9 & 6.3) and Bohannon (6.6 & 4.9 APG). The 6-11 Nunge (10.6 & 6.8) comes off the bench plus FIVE more players contribute regularly, led by sophomore guard Fredrick (9.3). Purdue is a solid defensive team in allowing just 65.0 PPG but will attempt to slow down an Iowa attack scoring 98.7 PPG (1st in the nation) on 50.3% shooting. The Hawkeyes have topped 100 points three times already and their 88 against Gonzaga represents a season low. Purdue is a perfect 5-0 when its defense holds opponents to a field goal percentage of 41.3 percent or less and my thought here is, "good luck with that at Iowa." The Hawkeyes have turned the ball over on just 12.7 percent of their possessions, the fourth-lowest mark in all of Division I. Great bounce-back spot for Iowa here and don't think that the Hawkeyes are NOT aware that the Boilermakers are seeking their FIFTH consecutive victory over the Hawkeyes. Lay the points and expect an Iowa R-O-U-T! Good luck...Larry |
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12-22-20 | St. Mary's v. San Diego State -2.5 | Top | 49-74 | Win | 100 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* Non-Conference Game of the Year "Best of the Best" is on San Diego St at 9:00 ET. The St Mary's Gaels dropped their season opener, 73-56, to Memphis at Sioux Falls, SD back on Nov 25 but will take on San Diego Tuesday night on an EIGHT-game winning streak. The San Diego St Aztecs opened their season 5-0 and reached No. 18 in the AP poll but a 72-62 Friday night home loss to BYU saw SDSU fall from the new AP rankings, which were released yesterday. Randy Bennett has been head coach at St Mary's since the 2001-02 season and entered this season with a 440-1982 (.707) record. The Gaels posted their 13th season of 20-plus wins last year, as they were 26-8 when COVID shut things down. Would the Gaels have gotten an NCAA bid? Bennett and his various teams know all about NCAA snubs, as SIX times in the previous 12 seasons, his team had been denied an NCAA bid despite seasons of 28, 25, 23, 21, 29 and 30 wins. No Kidding! Gone from last year are guard Ford (21.9), forward Fitts (16.5 & 7.1) and guard Krebs (9.1). However, is "winning as usual" for 8-1 St Mary's, as senior Guard Kushe, who averaged just 5.9 PPG last season, is averaging 15.4-3.8-6.3 so far this season. Junior guard Johnson (1.4 PPG last season) is averaging 8.2 & 3.8, while returning players like the 6-10 Tass (10.2 & 4.3) and the 6-7 Fotu (7.9 & 4.9) are holding up their ends. Aussie guard Ducas averaged just 3.6 PPG last season but adds 10.9 & 5.3 so far this season. Brian Dutcher has more than 30 years of coaching experience, including 18 seasons as an assistant to Steve Fisher, first at Michigan and then at San Diego St. Dutcher joined then-interim coach Fisher in 1989 when Michigan won the national championship. Dutcher was named San Diego State's "head coach in waiting" in 2011. Following Fisher's decision to retire, Dutcher was formally named as his replacement on April 11, 2017. The Aztecs won 22 and 21 games in his first two seasons but last season, the team opened 26-0 with impressive road/neutral site wins over BYU, Creighton, Iowa, and Utah State. SD State finished 30-2 and ranked No. 6 when the season shut down. Dutcher brought in transfers Malachi Flynn, Yanni Wetzell, K.J. Feagin, and Trey Pulliam, to mesh with returnees Matt Mitchell, Jordan Shackel, Nathan Mensah, and Adam Sieko, as the Aztecs put together one of their best seasons in program history last year. However, the Aztecs lost MWC player-of-the-year Malachi Flynn (17.6-4.5-3.1) to the NBA while Yanni Wetzell (11.6 & 6.5) transferred to Vandy and Feagin (9.1) has finished up his time with the program. The good news for Dutcher is that Matt Mitchell (12.2 & 4.8) flirted with the NBA draft but returned and is averaging 16.3 & 3.8. Jordan Schakel is second with 13.2 PPG, as NINE players are averaging between 5.0 and Mitchell's team-leading 16.3 PPG. The 6-10 Mensah (8.8 & & 7.2) and the 6-6 Arop (5.6 & 4.4) have been the top frontcourt contributors. Mitchell did all he could for San Diego State in the defeat against BYU. The Aztecs trailed by as many as 17 points and were down by 14 with 5:20 remaining, but Mitchell scored a career-best 35, including a dunk with 1:57 to play to make the score 61-61. However, San Diego State scored just ONE more point the rest of the way. St Mary's is obviously no pushover but other than Memphis (lone loss) and Northern Iowa, the Gaels' early schedule has hardly been challenging. St Mary's is in the WRONG place at the WRONG time tonight, catching SDSU off its first loss. That game is being played on the Cal State San Luis Obispo campus (neutral site) but that won't help. Aztecs bounce-back in a "big way." Good luck...Larry |
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12-22-20 | Central Florida v. BYU -3.5 | Top | 23-49 | Win | 100 | 55 h 50 m | Show |
My 10* "Bowl Kickoff' is on BYU at 7:00 ET. Josh Heupel was named head coach of the UCF Knights on December 5, 2017, replacing the departing Scott Frost, who had led UCF to a perfect 13-0 season in 2017. Heupel continued the 'magic' in 2018, as UCF took a 12-0 record (AND a 25-game winning streak) into its Sugar Bowl game with LSU, where the Tigers snapped that win streak with a 40-32 victory (coming out party for Joe Burrow). UCF followed with a 10-3 season in 2019 but enters Tuesday's bowl game with amore modest record of 6-3. BYU head coach Kalani Sitake took over at Provo back in 2016. The Cougars went 9-4 in his first season, capping the year with a win in the Poinsettia Bowl. However, BYU followed with a 4-9 bowl-less 2017 campaign and in 2018, only the team's win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl allowed them to finish above .500 at 7-6. Sitake was feeling some 'heat' from the BYU "faithful" in 2019 after a 2-4 start but a five-game winning streak made BYU 7-4 bowl eligible and Sitake was rewarded with a contract extension through 2023. However, the Cougars lost their regular season final 13-3 at SD State and then lost the Hawaii Bowl to Hawaii 34-30, finishing at 7-6 again. Entering 2020, some of those BYU "faithful" who were questioning that extension. CF opened 2-0 but then lost back-to-back games to Tulsa and Memphis. UCF rebounded to win THREE in a row but lost 36-33 at home to Cincy before finishing with a 58-46 win at USF. QB Gabriel is completing 61.7% for 2,353 yards with 30 TDs and just four INTs, while RBs McCrae (681 yards on 5.2 YPC with 9 TDs) and Anderson (614 yards on 5.6 YPC and four TDs) lead a running game averaging 212.6 YPG (). WR Williams (71 catches / 8 TDs) and Robinson (61 catches / 5 TDs) are both dangerous receivers. The offense averages 44.3 PPG (5th) on 585.6 YPG (5th) but the defense allows 31.4 PPG (78th) on 473.7 YPG (117th). It didn't take long for Sitake to quiet the naysayers, as BYU rolled through a patchwork schedule but at 9-0 and ranked 8th in the AP poll, BYU found themselves just 14th in the first CFP rankings on Nov 24. The CFP selection committee made it clear in each of its first two rankings that BYU's weak schedule was keeping it outside the top-10, so BYU worked hard to schedule a "quality" opponent and got that chance on Dec 5 when it was able to replace Liberty as Coastal Carolina's opponent on Saturday, after COVID-19 issues prevented the Flames from playing in the game. However, the Cougars were held to season lows in points and yards (405) in a 22-17 loss. BYU ended its regular season on Dec 12 with a 28-14 home win over SD State to finish 10-1, ranked 13th (AP) and 16th (CFP). QB Zach Wilson has been TERRIFIC, completing 73.2% for 3,267 yards with 30 TDs and just three INTs (his QB rating of 194.8 ranks second to only Alabama's Mac Jones). RB Allgeier has 957 yards on 7.3 YPC with 12 TDs plus BYU has four players with 32 or more catches. WR Milne leads with 63 (8 TDs) and WR Romney has 38 and leads the team averaging 19.9 YPC. WR Pau'u has 40 catches and while TE Rex has a modest 32, he has a team-high 10 TD receptions. BYU's offense is basically as prolific as UCF's, averaging 43.0 PPG (6th) on 512.2 YPG (8th). However, its defense is leaps and bounds better, allowing 14.6 PPG (3rd) 309.0 YPG (9th). Doing the math BYU is allowing about 17 PPG and 170 YPG less than UCF. One can talk all it wants about BYU's 'soft' schedule but UCF has lost to the three-best teams it has played this season (Cincy, Tulsa and Memphis), with its "best win" coming over 6-5 Tulane. The other five wins have come over teams with a combined record of 11-31 (,262). Talk about a 'phoney' team! Lay the points! Good luck...Larry |
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12-20-20 | St. Louis v. Minnesota +3 | Top | 82-90 | Win | 100 | 15 h 50 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Minnesota at 8:30 ET. The Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-1, 0-1 Big Ten) will host the St Louis Billikens on Sunday in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers are looking to bounce back from losing their Big Ten opened 92-65 at No. 13 Illinois on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Billikens are coming off of an 80-69 victory over North Carolina State on Thursday, giving them a 6-0 start to the season. Travis Ford spent eight seasons at Oklahoma St and had five seasons of 20-plus wins (also five NCAA tourney appearances) but after the Cowboys went 12-20 (3-15 in the Big 12) in 2015-16, he and school mutually decided to part ways. He replaced Jim Crews at St Louis, which was coming off an 11-21 season. Not much changed in Year 1 (12-21) but after a 17-16 sophomore season, Ford's Billikens have gone 23-13 and 23-8 the last two seasons. All FIVE starters are back this season. Richard Pitino is in his eighth season at Minnesota. He led the Gophers to the NIT championship in his first season (2013-14) but over the last six seasons, Minnesota has made just two NCAA appearances (2017 and 2019), while going a combined 56-71 (.441) over the other four. However, Season No. 8 opened 6-0, before catching Illinois at the WRONG time Place (had just lost 81-78 to Missouri in its Braggin' Rights series). St Louis is led by a quartet of excellent guards. Perkins is averaging 19.5 PPG, Goodwin 15.7 PPG and despite being just 6-3, leads the team in rebounding with 11.0 per game (both are seniors). Sophomore guard Jimerson adds 13.2 PPG plus PG Collins runs the show, adding 7.5 PPG but 7.3 APG. 6-7 senior French did not play the first two games but is rounding back into form (averaged 12.4 & 10.4 last season), averaging 8.3 & 8.3. St Louis is shooting 'lights' out' at 52.7% (8th), while averaging 87.8 PPG (21st). Minnesota PG Carr (22.7-4.0-5.9) ranks with the best in the nation but while the Gophers won their first six games in getting big contributions from freshman Jamal Mashburn Jr. and transfers Both Gach, Liam Robbins and Brandon Johnson, that group shot a combined 6 of 32 shots (18.8%) from the floor vs Illinois. However, Illinois is a VERY good team, so let's give them a 'pass.' After all, the 6-6 Gach is averaging 13.3-5.7-3.6, the 7-0 Robbins 12.1 & 6.9 and the 6-8 Johnson 7.0 & 5.7. Don't dismiss junior guard Kalescheur, who's adding 9.3 PPG. St Louis is "hitting on all cylinders" but is on the road for the FIRST time this season and note that Minnesota is a perfect 6-0 at Williams Arena this season. The Billikens beat Indiana State at home 78-59 on Tuesday night, then hastily prepared to host North Carolina State on Thursday. That game was a last-minute addition to the schedule, replacing a COVID-19 cancellation. This trip to Minneapolis comes at the end of a BUSY week and with the Gophers looking to "make amends" for their shellacking at Illinois, it's the "perfect situation" to take Minnesota (a few points are just a bonus). Good luck...Larry |
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12-20-20 | Georgetown v. St. John's -4 | Top | 83-94 | Win | 100 | 13 h 54 m | Show |
My 10* Conference Game of the Year (Big East) is on St John's at 6:30 ET. Georgetown-St. John's has been a GREAT rivalry but the last time the two schools played on their respective campuses was in the 1980-81 season (when the teams moved on to big arenas). That was THEN and this is NOW! 40 years later in the era of COVID-19 and a limit on crowd size, the two longtime rivals have gone home. These two played a wild game a week ago at Georgetown's McDonough Arena and will conclude the season series Sunday night at Carnesecca Arena on the campus of St. John's in Jamaica, NY. St. John's held a seven-point lead with less than three minutes left in regulation on Dec 13, but needed to force overtime on a layup by Greg Williams. The Red Storm took a four-point lead in overtime before allowing a game-ending 8-1 run to lose 97-94. Patrick Ewing is in his fourth season as Georgetown's head coach (49-46 entering this season) and the Hoyas are off to an uneven start (3-3, 1-1 Big East). The 7-0 Yutseven (15.5 & 9.8) has moved on plus McClung (15.7) transferred to Texas Tech, where he's averaging 5.0 PPG. Ewing's 'Core 4' are playing between 27 and 37 MPG and doing almost all the work. Returning seniors Blair (18.7-4.3-3.20 and the 6-8 Pickett (13.3 & 9.0) lead in scoring and rebounding, respectively. 6-1 sophomore Wahab (12.2 & 7.8) has really improved from last season plus 6-5 graduate transfer (from Siena) Cary is averaging 9.8 & 5.2. Georgetown is averaging a modest 75.3 PPG but allows almost the same amount (73.0 PPG). St John's is coached by Mike Anderson, who is in his second season in Queens. He's had success wherever he's been, going 89-41 in four years at UAB, 111-57 in five years at Missouri and 169-102 in eight years at Arkansas. Anderson took over a recently struggling St John's program last season and went 17-15, giving him his 18th consecutive winning season as a head coach (zero losing seasons). Anderson lost LJ Figueroa (14.5 & 4.5) to Oregon but THREE newcomers have already made HUGE contributions. Vince Cole is a 6-5 two-time junior-college All-American and is averaging 11.1 PPG, freshman guard Posh Alexander averages 10.1 & 4.3 APG and 6-10 JC transfer Isaih Moore (but with a 7-6 wingspan) has chipped in with 10.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG. There's all sorts of depth in the backcourt with Williams (11.4) and freshman Addae-Wusu (5.7). However, the team's star is 6-8 wing Julian Champagnie (9.9 & 6.5 last season). He missed the first games but is averaging 20.3 & 7.3 over the last seven. St John's is averaging a healthy 81.3 PPPG but when a team is allowing 80.0 PPG (304th), its 5-4 start is NOT surprising. Anderson's teams are typically known for defense and allowed 71.6 PPG in the 2019-20 season. "We are still waiting to get the blue collar out of our basketball team," said Anderson. "Our guys last year, they took pride in their defense. Truth be told, we have got some of the same guys and we just need them to get all connected." It's time to 'connect' right here, after losing at Georgetown in a game St John's 'had in hand!' That loss and the team's 0-3 start in Big Eats should be a HUGE motivating factor. Expect St John's to roll! Good luck...Larry |
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12-20-20 | Patriots v. Dolphins -1 | Top | 12-22 | Win | 100 | 32 h 59 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Month is on the Mia Dolphins at 1:00 ET. The 6-7 New England Pats are staring at what likely is their first non-playoff season since 2008, the last time they didn't win the AFC East. The AFC East winner that season was the 11-5 Miami Dolphins. Miami entered this season having not made the playoffs in 16 of the last 18 seasons but at 8-5, have a chance to claim a wild card spot in 2020. The Bills own a two-game lead over Miami in the division but the Dolphins are currently the No. 7 seed, although only by virtue of owning the tiebreaker over the 8-5 Ravens. However, the Dolphins are just ONE game back of the 5th-seeded Browns and 6th-seeded Titans, who are both 9-4. Patriots QB Cam Newton, a former league MVP in 2015, is just 6-6 as a starter this season, throwing just five TD passes while getting intercepted 10 times (QB rating is a pathetic 78.9). He has run for 451 with 11 TDs and along with RB Harris (691 yards on 5.0 YPC) gives New England a very good running attack (147.5 YPG ranks 5th). However, Harris injured his back in the fourth quarter of Week 14's loss to the Los Angeles Rams and has been ruled out for Sunday. The receiving corps is one of the league's least impressive, with Edelman having not played since Oct 25. WRs Byrd and Mathis each have 42 catches but between the two, have just one TD catch!. New England's defense ranked first in scoring D (14.1 PPG) and total D (275.9 YPG) in 2019 but this year's unit is allowing 21,5 PPG (that's a full TD higher) on 342.9 YPG (about 70 YPG more per game). Miami began the season with a 21-11 loss in Week 1 at New England, as veteran Ryan Fitzgerald was the starting QB. However, in the return matchup, Tua Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft is under center. Despite a lack of healthy, front-line starters at RB, WR, TE or on the offensive line, Tagovailoa is 4-2 as a starter, throwing nine TDs against just one INT (95.2 QB rating). Miami's running game is mostly non-existent (95.2 YPG ranks 27th), so the fact Myles Gaskins 477 yards on 3.9 YPC) is out hardly matters much. TE Gesicki (44 catches / 8 TDs) is not expected to play (big loss) and WR Parker (56 catches / 8 TDs) is questionable. However, as noted above, Tua is making things happen despite missing key offensive players. Just ask KC, which saw him pass for 316 yards and two TDs in last Sunday's hard-fought 33-27 loss. While New England's defense is way off from last year, Miami's D ranks second in the league in allowing 18.8 PPG. Miami's 25 takeaways ties them for tops in the league with Pittsburgh, with the team's turnover margin of plus-10, being just ONE behind Pittsburgh's leading total of plus-11. Looking back at the Week 1 game, Fitzgerald threw THREE interceptions and still Miami trailed just 14-11 before a fourth quarter TD gave New England the 10-point win. The Pats are just 2-5 on the road, winning only at the 0-13 Jets (on a FG as time expired) and at the 5-9 Chargers. Meanwhile, the Dolphins own the NFL's best ATS record at 10-3, TWO games better than ANY team in the league. Even when the Pats were the division's dominant team the last three seasons, the Dolphins were able to beat them once each in 2019 (27-24 in New England), in 2018 34-33 in Miami) and 2017 (27-20 in Miami). This time around, the Dolphins are the better team and a win is NEEDED to hold the team's playoff position. Tua over Cam and Miami's defense over New England's. Good luck...Larry |
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12-20-20 | Bucs v. Falcons +7 | Top | 31-27 | Win | 100 | 8 h 22 m | Show |
My 9* play is on the Atl Falcons at 1:00 ET. Tampa Bay (8-5) currently sits in sixth place in the NFC, after a 26-14 victory last week at home against Minnesota. Tom Brady was nothing special (15 of 23 for 196 yards and two TDs) but he has 30 TD passes on the season, the EIGHTH time he's done that. The Bus visited Atlanta for a game with the 4-9 Falcons, who are hoping to play the spoiler's role in another lost season. The Falcons' 20-17 loss last week at the Los Angeles Chargers clinched a third straight sub.-500 campaign. Barring a season-ending three-game winning streak, Atlanta will fail to match its 7-9 record of the last two years. Atlanta fired head coach Dan Quinn after starting 0-5 but is 4-4 under interim coach Raheem Morris, with mostly competitive efforts. QB Matt Ryan has thrown for 3,660 yards (will top 4,000 for the 10th straight season!) with 19 TDs and 11 INTs. Todd Gurley (645 yards on just 3.6 YPF but 9 TDs) has NOT helped the running game, as Atlanta averages a woeful 08.3 YPG on 3.76 YPC. The defense allows 390.6 YPG (28th) but a more modest 24.8 PPG (16th). Brady's completing of 64.8% for 3,496 yards with 30 TDs and 11 INTS and RB Ronald Jones (900 yards on 5.0 YPC with 6 TDs) has given Tampa Bay a nice offensive balance. However, he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday. He was already considered questionable after undergoing surgery Tuesday to have pins placed in a fractured pinkie finger. Leonard Fournette (271 yards) will take over but note that 103 of his 271 rushing yards this season came back in a Week 2 win. Tampa Bay's season-long defensive rankings look solid, allowing 22.6 PPG (11th) on 330.3.9 YPG (7th) but in the team's 1-3 slide (before its win over Minnesota in Week 14), the "stop unit" had done little 'stopping,' allowing 28.8 PPG. The Vikings scored just 14 points but missed three FGs and an extra-point. This marks the first of two matchups between the Bucs and Falcons in the season's final three weeks (Falcons play at Tampa in Week 17). I realize that the Bucs are focused on breaking a 13-year playoff drought, the second-longest drought in the NFL, but the Falcons are 6-2 ATS their last eight as a division home dog. Also, current Atlanta head coach Morris was Tampa Bay's head coach from 2009-11 before being fired. How much would he 'love' to play spoiler here? Home dog 'barks' loudly. Good luck...Larry |
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12-19-20 | Alabama v. Florida +17.5 | Top | 52-46 | Win | 100 | 38 h 31 m | Show |
My 9* is on Florida at 8:00 ET. Did Florida's hopes at qualifying for the College Football Playoff 'die' with its shocking 37-34 upset at the hands of LSU in "The Swamp" last Saturday. Florida ran up 609 yards of total offense but offset that with three crucial turnovers, including a pick-six. As for Florida's defense, it gave up 418 yards to a team whose QB was making his first career start. Naturally, Marco Wilson's 'fateful toss' of opposing TE Kole Taylor's footwear 20 yards downfield to celebrate a third-down stop late last week drew ALL of the attention and while it was a "stupid play," there was plenty of blame to go around. While Florida was 'gagging' as a 24-point favorite, Alabama rolled to a 52-3 win at Arkansas, completing its season at 10-0. No. 1 Alabama (AP and CFP) is trying to secure a return to the College Football Playoff after missing out last season for the first time since the four-team postseason format began in 2014. The Crimson Tide may qualify even with a loss, since no other team in the SEC has fewer than two defeats. Florida likely squandered its chance to get into the playoff with a stunning setback to LSU last weekend, but the Gators are still in position to claim their first SEC title since 2008. This will be the 10th time the teams have met in the SEC championship game, with Alabama holding a 5-4 edge. However, the Crimson Tide have won the last SIX meetings against the Gators and Florida coach Dan Mullen is 0-9 in his career against Alabama's Nick Saban. Alabama is an offensive juggernaut, averaging 49.5 PPG (3rd) on 537 YPG (5th). QB Mac Jones may (should?) be the Heisman favorite, as he's completed 76.4% of his passes for 3,321 yards with 27 TDs and just three INTs (QB rating of 203.9 ranks No. 1). RB Harris has 1,084 yards and 22 TDs), while WR Smith (83 catches with 15 TDs) is arguably the best WR in the nation. The Alabama defense looked 'shaky' in the early part of the season but over its last six games, has allowed just 8.8 PPG ('Bama has covered its last SEVEN games!). Florida does not have RB to match Harris and while TE Pitts (11 TDs, despite missing significant time) and WR Toney (62 catches / 9 TDs) are both "big time' receivers, Florida's receiving corps can't quite match Alabama's group. However, QB Kyle Trask has had a season comparable to Jones, completing 70.2% for 3,717 yards with 40 TDs and just five INTs. He had THREE first-half TOs in the loss to LSU (including throwing that pick-six), so he's got MUCH to prove in this game. Florida's defense allows 26.3 PPG, which is fine when one's offense is averaging 41.2 PPG (8th), but can the Gators match the Tide score-for-score? Maybe I'm 'spitting into the wind' with this pick but I just believe the Gators will bring their "A-game" to this contest off of last week's embarrassment. Will it be good enough to beat Alabama? I doubt it but it should be good enough for Florida bettors to 'CA$H!' Good luck...Larry |
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12-19-20 | Cincinnati v. Georgia +2 | Top | 68-83 | Win | 100 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on Georgia at 8:00 ET. John Brannen led Northern Kentucky to a 72-30 record in his final three seasons, leading the Norse to the "Big Dance" in two of those three years. He was hired at Cincy on April 14, 2019 when Mick Cronin left for UCLA. The Bearcats went 20-10 in last year's pandemic-shortened season. Cincy is missing guards Jarron Cumberland (15.5) and Jaevin Cumberland (8.8) plus forward Tre Scott (11.4 & 10.5). The Bearcats were one of the last teams in Division I to start their season, not taking the floor until Dec 2. They head to Athens, Ga for a non-league game with 6-0 Georgia off the SEC. Tom Crean spent nine seasons at Marquette and nine more at Indiana, before landing in Georgia. The Bulldogs have gone 11-21 and 16-16 in his first two seasons, plus lost Edwards (19.1 & 5.2) and forward Hammonds (12.8 & 7.4) to the NBA off last year's team. Edwards was the NBA's overall No. 1 pick. The Bearcats have excellent balance but senior guard Williams (14.6) is the lone player in double digits. Fellow guards DeJulius (9.4-5.04.8), a Michigan transfer DeJulius, and Adams-Woods (8.2) join him in the backcourt. Returning 7-1 center Vogt (9.0 & 4.4) is joined up front by the 6-10 Ivanauskas (a Colgate transfer), who is averaging 7.6 & 5.2, plus 6-8 freshman Eason (6.4 & 5.8). Cincy is just NOT putting enough points on the board (68.2 PPG ranks 243rd) and that's why they've lost at home to Xavier plus on the road at Tennessee. What Crean has done at Georgia is recruit well and create interest in the program, as Georgia set a school record with 11 crowds of more than 190,000 fans last year (of course, that will be moot this season). Sophomore PG Wheeler (14.8-4.4-8.6) is off to an excellent start and is joined by FIVE more double digit scorers. 6-8 sophomore Camara has added 14.3 & 8.0 plus George Mason transfer Kier (11.8-5.0-5.8) joins Wheeler and junior guard Fagan (10.4 & 5.8) for a nice backcourt trio. Joining Camara up front are 6-6 Stony Brook transfer Garcia (11.4) and 6-6 Va Tech transfer Horne (10.0 & 3.8). It could be said that this is Georgia's first real test but is it? Cincinnati is coming off a 74-71 loss to South Florida in its AAC opener on Wednesday. "Our inability to be tough -- we're plugging one hole and another hole is opening," Cincinnati coach John Brannen told reporters after his team lost to the Bulls. "That's a sign of a mediocre team. If we're going to become a really good team, we have to foundationally get some things fixed first." Don't believe for a second that a 'fix' comes here in Athens. Just why aren't the Bulldogs a favorite in this one? Good luck...Larry |
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12-19-20 | Boise State -6 v. San Jose State | Top | 20-34 | Loss | -112 | 34 h 42 m | Show |
My 10* Championship Game of the Month is on Boise St at 4:15 ET. Boise St is 5-1 (5-0 in MWC) and is once again in the MWC championship game. The Broncos' FB dominance began back in 1999 (Big West), then moved to the WAC from 2002-2010 and has continued in the MWC since 2011. Boise entered the 2020 season with an all-time winning percentage of .731, the highest in all of collegiate football. Waiting for the Broncos in Las Vegas is San Jose St, which is just two years removed from a 1-11 campaign. However, it's the 6-0 Spartans who enter this game as the ranked team at No. 25 in the AP poll (last time in the AP's top-25 was 2012) and at No. 24 in the CFP standings, are ranked for the very first time. The Spartans are 6-0 for the first time since 1939, when that team went unbeaten in 13 contests. QB Hank Bachmeier had a solid freshman season in 2019 and despite missing TWO of the team's six games in 2020, enters completing 66.1% for 929 yards with six TDs and two INTs. Shakir is his top target (46 catches / 8 TDs) but Thomas is averaging 18.9 YPC on his 17 catches with two TDs. RB Van Buren leads with 356 yards rushing (8 TDs) and while the Broncos' ground game is averaging only 123.0 YPG (108th), Boise St has averaged 36.2 PPG (21st). That goes pretty good with a defense that's allowed 26.0 PPG (46th) on 352.7 YPG (33rd). San Jose St QB Nick Starkel (previously played at Texas A&M and Arkansas) is completing 66.3% for 1,453 yards with 13 TDs and four INTs. His main targets are WRs Gaither (36 catches / 17.4 YPC / 4 TDs) and Walker (31 catches / 3 TDs) plus TE Deese has just 17 catches but 4 TDs. Tyler Nevers (454 yards on 8.9 YPC (5 TDs) leads a running game averaging 159.8 YPG on 5.0 YPC. San Jose St averages 30.3 PPG (49th) and its defense has been excellent, allowing 17.5 PPG (13th) on 355.7 YPG (34th). Will San Jose St's 'Cinderella' season continue with a win here, as the Spartans play in their first-ever MWC title game? The program last had a winning record in 2012 and head coach Brian Brennan had an 8-29 mark with the Spartans before this season. In contrast, Boise State is trying to win its FOURTH Mountain West title game as the Broncos make their fourth-consecutive appearance in the game and fifth overall. You may have noticed that the ranked team (San Jose St) is about a TD underdog and could that be because Boise St takes a 14-game conference winning streak into Saturday's game? Then again, maybe it's because the Broncos have won each of the 14 all-time meetings between the two schools (SIX of the wins have come by at least 35 points!)? Series history and Boise St's FB dominance the two decades counts for something. Lay the points! Good luck...Larry |
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12-19-20 | UCLA v. Ohio State +2.5 | Top | 70-77 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Ohio St at 4:15 ET. The CBS Sports Classic men's basketball doubleheader is being held in Cleveland. 5-1 UCLA and No. 20 Ohio State (also 5-1) hook up in the nightcap, following a game between North Carolina and Kentucky in the earlier game. Just as a reminder as to where we are in college hoops this season, UCLA was supposed to be facing Kentucky on Saturday with Ohio State meeting North Carolina, but the schedule was adjusted this week since UCLA and Ohio State have COVID-19 protocols that better align. "You can't make this stuff up!" Mick Cronin made NINE consecutive NCAA Tourney appearances at Cincy, as his Bearcats posted a 235-78 (.751) record in that span. He moved to Westwood last season and his Bruins got better as the year progressed and were playing their best ball when the season was shut down. The Bruins were 19-12, including a 12-6 Pac-12 record, good enough to get the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. UCLA lost its opener at San Diego St but have won FIVE straight since. Chris Holtmann took over at Butler for Brad Stevens and went 70-31 win three seasons, each ending with an NCAA tourney berth. He took the Ohio St job beginning in 2017-18 and strung together three straight 20-win seasons but was denied a third straight NCAA bid when last season was shut down. Ohio St opened 5-0 and moved the 20th in the AP poll but is coming off a 67-60 road loss at Purdue on Wednesday. UCLA brought back almost its entire team from last year, only losing Prince Ali (6.8 PPG) as a graduating senior. 6-9 guard Chris Smith (13.2 & 7.0) has seen fellow guard Jaquez (14.8 & 6.0) take over the scoring lead, with both followed closely by PG Campbell (12.5 & 7.2 APG). The 6-10 Hill and 6-9 Riley are the team's two-best frontcourt players, with Riley averaging 9.8 & 5.0 and Hill joining the fray after missing the season's first two games to average 8.8 & 7.8. 6-6 Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang missed the first four games with a right foot injury but has averaged 9.5 PPG the last two games in just 23.0 MPG. Ohio State's best player is the 6-7 Liddell (15.5 & 7.5) but didn't play in the loss to Purdue (COVID-19 precautions). 6-8 Harvard graduate transfer Seth Towns (15.8 & 5.7 last season at Harvard) has been out so far with a knee injury but neither has been ruled out from returning for the UCLA game. The Buckeyes can match UCLA's depth, with guard Washington (14.5), the 6-7 Sueing (14.0 & 4.5), PG Walker (12.0 & 4.5 APG), 6-8 freshman Key (6.5 & 4/8), the 6-6 Aherns (6.0) and the 6-8 Young (5.5 & 6.5). As noted, UCLA has won FIVE in a row and has clamped down defensively by allowing 56.0 PPG over its last four wins. However, the Bruins are leaving the state of California for the first time and catch a VERY good Ohio St team off its first loss of the season, The game is NOT in Columbus but Cleveland is an easy trip for the Buckeyes, although these days, home court edges mean MUCH less with limited or even no crowds allowed. Ohio St gets the bounce-back win and we even get a couple of points. Good luck...Larry |
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12-19-20 | Air Force v. Army +3 | Top | 7-10 | Win | 100 | 20 h 6 m | Show |
My 9* Rivalry Game of the Week is on Army at 3:00 ET. The Air Force Falcons and Army Black Knights meet Saturday at Michie Stadium. Air Force trounced Navy 40-7 way back on Oct 3, while Army beat Navy 15-0 just this past Saturday. That means the winner will receive the coveted Commander-in-Chief's Trophy (established in 1972). Air Force has won the trophy 20 times, Navy 16 and Army just eight (four shared years, with Navy retaining the trophy three times and Air Force once). Air Force's Troy Calhoun is completing his 14th season in 2020 at Colorado Springs, after replacing Fisher DeBerry who retired after 23 years as the Falcons' head coach. He has led the Falcons to 10 bowl appearances in 13 years, including an 11-2 season in 2019, after back-to-back 5-7 seasons in 2017 and 2019. Jeff Monken took over the Army football program in 2014 and after 4-8 and 2-10 seasons, led the Blacks Knights to seasons of 8-5, 10-3 and 11-2 from 2016 through 2018. Each of the seasons were capped by a bowl win The 2017 team tied the school record for most wins in a season when it beat SD State in the Armed Forces Bowl and then the 2018 team broke the school record for wins when it CRUSHED Houston 70-14 in the same bowl the following year. Maybe more importantly, Army beat Navy THREE straight in that span, while capturing the school's first Commander-in-Chief's Trophy since 1996 in 2016, then following up by winning that trophy again in both 2017 and 2018. COVID has allowed Air Force to play just FIVE games in 2020 with the Falcons playing just TWICE since Oct 31. They won 28-0 at home over New Mexico on Nov 20 and 35-7 at Utah St on Dec 3 (New Mexico is a 2-5 team and Utah St a 1-5 one). Air Force is second in the nation with 336.0 YPG on the ground, averaging 5.9 YPC. Its defense has held opponents to 16.0 PPG (8th) on 307.4 YPG (8th). Army has rebounded off a poor 2019 (5-8) to go 8-2 and now plays its 11th game in this "Year of COVID," losing just ONE game of its 12-game schedule to the virus. Army rushes for 280.1 YPG (4th) on 4.8 YPC plus its defense has played even better than Air Force's, allowing 14.7 PPG (4th) on 272.1 YPG (3rd). Air Force has won SEVEN of the last 10 meetings against Army, but this season has had issues playing a consistent schedule and its three wins have come against teams with a combined 6-17 record. Army is 6-1 straight up since October and has held THREE of its last six opponents to single digit points, while pitching two 'shutouts' this season. What's more, since the beginning of 2017, Army is 23-2 SU in its 25 game at Michie Stadium. Note that BOTH losses came during 2019's 5-8 campaign. Army is 7-0 SU at home in 2020. I'll take ANY point available. Go Army! Beat Air Force! Good luck...Larry |
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12-18-20 | Oregon v. USC -3 | Top | 31-24 | Loss | -107 | 38 h 58 m | Show |
My 9* Pac-12 Championship Game play is on USC at 8:00 ET. When the pandemic-delayed Pac-12 Conference football season started, Oregon (AP preseason No. 9) and USC (AP preseason No. 17) were the favorites to reach the title game. Both schools were only able to play five games but while USC went 5-0 (with THREE "close calls''), Oregon finished 3-2, second in the Pac-12's North Division behind Washington (3-1). The Ducks were scheduled to play Washing at home on Dec 12 but a COVID-19 spike in the Huskies' program caused Washington to cancel that game. That left Oregon 'out in the cold,' with the Huskies set to play the Trojans on Friday night. However, the COVID situation in Seattle did NOT improve, so lo and behold, the Ducks will replace the Huskies in the championship game. What a year it's been. This is Mario Cristobal's third season at Oregon, having led the Ducks to back-to-back bowls while going 9-4 and 12-2. Despite losing QB Herbert to the NFL, the Ducks' current QB Tyler Shough has been more than an adequate replacement, passing for 1,389 yards (277.8 YPG) with 11 TDs and four INTs plus running for 256 yards on 4.9 YPC with five TDs. RB Dye has a team-high 336 yards on 7.5 YPC plus his five receptions have averaged 40.8 YPC with three TDs. A trio of WRs have combined for 47 TDs. Oregon has a nice balance on offense, passing for 277.8 YPG and running for 189.2 YPG, while averaging 34.2 PPG. Defensively, the Ducks are allowing 28.0 PPG. USC was once known by the nickname of "Tailback U" but no longer. This year's team is averaging a pathetic 109.2 YPG on the ground (3.5 YPC, which ranks 115th in the nation. QB Kedon Slovis has been the team-MVP, completing 70.3% while averaging 320.2. YPG through the air (1,601 yards in five games) with 15 TDs and just four INTs. He leads an offense averaging 35.2 PPG (23rd) and the defense has been sound, allowing 25.0 PPG (41st) on 395.0 YPG (56th). The Trojans had to rally and were lucky to beat the two Arizona schools to open the season, then beat Utah 33-17 and Washington St, 38-13. However, the "comeback kids" needed to work their 'magic' again last Saturday vs UCLA, rallying from an 18-point deficit to win 43-38. The Ducks opened the season 3-0 (ranked No. 15) but then dropped their last two games on the road; 41-38 to Oregon State and 21-17 to previously winless California. Oregon was No. 23 in the College Football Playoff rankings before its latest loss. Here's the bottom line. One could argue that Oregon's been given a "second chance" and will make the most of it but I'm siding with the position that USC's Slovis has time and again, "come through in the clutch." How about five TD passes (four in the second half after USC fell behind 28-10) in the UCLA comeback? USC is 7-1 at home since the start of the 2019 season, losing only to Oregon last season (56-24!). Methinks the Trojans will remember that result and the price on this game on their home field gives them a GREAT chance to win and cover the modest impost. "Fight On!" Good luck...Larry |
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12-18-20 | UAB v. Marshall -5 | Top | 22-13 | Loss | -110 | 54 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* "signature" LEGEND Play is on Marshall at 7:00 ET. UAB is back in the C-USA championship game for the THIRD straight year, becoming the first C-USA program to accomplish such a feat. The Blazers won 27-25 at MTSU in 2018 and then lost last year at FAU, 49-6. UAB will again be the road team in 2020, as it travels to Huntington, West Va to take on Marshall's Thundering Herd. The Blazers are 5-3 on the season, with their 3-1 conference record being good enough to win the West. UAB lost 37-34 (2 OTs) at La Tech on Oct 31 but didn't play again until its 21-16 win at Rice on Dec 12, clinching the school's third straight division title. Marshall knows MORE than a little about Rice, as the Thundering Herd (which also saw games canceled due to COVID issues) was 7-0 when it hosted Rice on Dec 5 and shockingly lost 20-0 as a 24 1/2-point favorite. Marshall won the East with a 4-1 conference mark. Marshall has played in two previous C-USA title games, losing to Rice (there's that team again!) in 2013 but winning the following season against La Tech. Tyler Johnson began the season as UAB's starting QB but after two games, suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder that kept him out indefinitely. He was replaced by Lucerno who was not very effective, completing just 54.1 percent with seven TDs and eight INTs. Johnson played in UAB's Oct 31 loss to La Tech and then started in the 21-16 win at Rice, completing 9 of 18 for two TDs and zero INTs plus ran for 41 yards. He was UAB's leading rusher in that game, because RB Spencer Brown (740 yards on 4.7 YPC with 10 TDs) did not play. His status is questionable for this one. UAB averages 29.3 PPG but its defense has led the way all season, allowing 22.5 PPG (33rd) on 318.9 YPG (145). However, when one speaks of defense, Marshall is right on the tip of everyone's tongue. The Marshall defense has been special, as it has yet to allow more than 20 points in a game. The stunning 20-0 loss to Rice a few weeks ago was the first time all season the defense allowed more than 17 points. The team's "stop unit" does just that, ranking second in the nation against the run (73.0 YPG), second in total defense (253.9 YPG) and No. 1 in scoring D (11.4 PPG). RB Brenden Knox ran for 1,397 yards and 11 TDs in 2019 (13 games) and in eight games so far in 2020, has 820 yards on 4.9 YPC with 9 TDs. Freshman QB Grant Wells is the franchise guy to build around. He entered the game with Rice averaging 279 YPG passing with 16 TDs and just four INTs in 192 attempts. However, he 'blew up' against the Owls, getting intercepted FIVE times while throwing for just 165 yards. Oftentimes when teams get off to long winning streaks to open a season and finally lose, they DON'T bounce back like many expect them to. However, this is different, as Marshall has had two weeks to 'stew' over its loss plus is at HOME with an opportunity to win its first C-USA title since 2014 and head to its bowl with a chance to finish this pandemic-riddled season at 9-1. That would be quite an accomplishment. Marshall was 11-1 SU at home heading to the Rice game since the start of 2019 and while UAB has been a great home to since 2018 in going 21-1 SU, the Blazers are just 9-13 SU on the road in that same span. The point spread is more than fair (and manageable) for the homestanding Herd, who 'Thunder' to a double digit win. Good luck...Larry |
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12-17-20 | Seton Hall +4 v. Marquette | Top | 70-63 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on Seton Hall at 9:00 ET. Seton Hall believed it could have made a run to the Final Four behind All-American guard Myles Powell (21.0 & 4.3) last season, before COVID-19 shut things down. The Pirates were 21-9 and ranked 15th in the country after finishing tied for first in the Big East with a 13-5 record. Powell is now in the NBA but OUTSTANDING head coach Kevin Willard has plenty to work with as this season. Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski knows all about losing a key player, as Marquette opened the season without Markus Howard, who led the nation in scoring last season at 27.8 PPG. Also gone was fellow senior Scar Anim, who added 13.1 PPG. However, Wojo welcomed an impressive freshman to his roster, the 6-11 Dawson Garcia (31.9 & 9.7 last year in high school) plus has been able to surround him with a deep supporting cast. Seton Hall stumbled to a 1-3 start but enters this contest having won THREE in a row. 6-11 senior Sandro Mamukelashvili (20.4 & 7.4) scored a career-high 32 points as the Pirates defeated St. John's in their Big East opener last Friday but Tuesday's scheduled game against Xavier was postponed due to COVID-19 considerations within the Musketeers' program Mamukelashvili leads the team in scoring and rebounding, while wing Jared Rhoden adds 14.1 & 7.4 Fellow wing Myles Cale (9.9) and guard Takal Molson (9.1 & 4.) are just shy of double digits. PG Reynolds (0.0 & 5.6 APG) and the 7-2 Obiagu (6.7 & 4.4) round out the main contributors The Golden Eagles' 89-84 victory at No. 9 Creighton this past Monday was Marquette's second against a top-10 foe this month, after downing then-No. 4 Wisconsin at home on Dec 4. Garcia is averaging 12.9 & 6.1 but senior guard McEwen leads in scoring at 145.7 PPG. Carton, an Ohio St transfer, led five Golden Eagles in double figures with 20 points against Creighton and has scored 38 points in his last two games (11.7-3.6-3.7 on the season). Marquette has depth with 6-7 senior Cain (9.1 & 6.3), 6-7 freshman Lewis (9.1 & 6.9) and 6-9 senior John (6.9 & 7.9). I like both of these teams but Seton Hall plus the points is the play in this one Good luck...Larry |
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12-17-20 | Chargers v. Raiders -3 | Top | 30-27 | Loss | -130 | 38 h 16 m | Show |
My NFL 10* Thursday Game of the Year is on the LV Raiders at 8:20 ET. The Raiders have allowed 200-plus rushing yards in their last two games but were able to split the two games, escaping with a 'miracle' win at the Jets in Week 13 but getting 'run over' 44-27 by the Colts last Sunday at home. The Raiders are now 7-6 and currently or on the outside looking in as the ninth seed in a crowded seven-team AFC playoff race. A loss here in Thursday night's home game with the 4-9 Los Angeles Chargers is as the saying goes, "NOT an option!" The Chargers have found a franchise QB in Justin Herbert (66.3% for 3,467 yards with 25 TDs and 10 INTs in his rookie season) but the team has found a myriad of ways to blow big leads. Despite Herbert and WR Allen's (99 catches / 8 TDs) excellent seasons, the offense is averaging a modest 22.8 PPG (22nd), while the defense allows 27.8 PPG (26th). QB Derek Carr is "on pace" for the best season of his career (68.2% for 3,343 yards with 24 TDs and 7 INTs / QB rating of 102.1), supported by RB Jacobs (831 yards and 9 TDs) plus TE Waller (84 catches / 7 TDs). Las Vegas' offense is scoring a bit more than LA's at 26.9 PPG but its defense has struggled most of the season (30.1 PPG ranks 30th!). These teams met back in LA on Nov 8 (Week 9) and in that one, it looked like the Chargers had won on a 4-yard TD pass on the final play of the game. However, the score was eventually overturned when a replay review showed the ball hit the ground as the receiver came down on the sideline chalk before establishing full control (Las Vegas won, 31-26). That Week 9 win gave the Raiders THREE straight victories over the Chargers. The Chargers are coming off a 20-17 victory over Atlanta on Sunday, hitting a 43-yard field goal as time expired for the winning points. Herbert produced the first game-winning, fourth-quarter drive of his career. However, considering that the Chargers haven't won back-to-back games all season, I want NO part of them here. As noted above, the Raiders are in a "must-win" situation, as their game next week with the Dolphins won't mean much if they lose here. Las Vegas was a one-point favorite in LA, meaning the Raiders should be a much bigger favorite than they are here at home. Here's some stats to 'chew on!' The Raiders are 8-2 ATS since the start of last season vs AFC West foes, while the Chargers are 1-7-1 ATS over the same time frame vs division opponents. That's a pretty sweet 'daily double' in favor of the Raiders! Good luck...Larry |
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12-17-20 | NC State v. St. Louis -3 | Top | 69-80 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on St Louis at 8:00 ET. 3-0 North Carolina State visits Saint Louis in a hastily scheduled non-conference game against the 5-0 Billikens. The Wolfpack had their scheduled ACC opener against No. 23 Louisville on Wednesday night postponed, creating an opening that allowed them to travel to Saint Louis, which had its Dec 12 game vs Evansville canceled. Welcome to CBB in the "Year of COVID." The matchup, which came together Tuesday, pits an NC State team that hasn't played since Dec 3 against a St Louis team that is coming off a 78-59 home win over Indiana State on Tuesday, Its 10th straight win dating back to last season. The teams have met just once in their history, with St Louis winning 83-80 in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Head coach Kevin Keatts took over at NC State for Mark Gottfried beginning in the 2017-18 season, after leading UNC-Wilmington to 25-8 and 29-6 records in his final two season (both teams earned NCAA tourney bids). He's won 21, 24 and 20 games his first three seasons in Raleigh and while he lost leading scorer Bryce (13.3 & 6.3) plus PG Johnson (12.8-4.4-6.8) from last season's team, the Wolfpack have plenty of talent and depth this season. Guard Daniels (18.0 & 5.7), 6-7 wing Hellems (14.0) and freshman PG Hayes (11.3 & 5.3 APG) are all averaging in double digits, while FIVE more players check in at between 6.7 and 8.3 PPG. Leading that group is the 6-10 Funderburk, who is coming off averaging 12.8 & 6.1 last season. Travis Ford spent eight seasons at Oklahoma St and had five seasons of 20-plus wins (also five NCAA tourney appearances) but after the Cowboys went 12-20 (3-15 in the Big 12) in 2015-16, he and school mutually decided to part ways. He replaced Jim Crews at St Louis, which was coming off an 11-21 season. Not much changed in Year 1 (12-21) but after a 17-16 sophomore season, Ford's Billikens have gone 23-13 and 23-8 the last two seasons. All FIVE starters are back with a trio of guards leading the way. Perkins is averaging 19.4 PPG, Goodwin 15.0 PPG and despite being just 6-3, leads the team in rebounding with 10.2 per game (both are seniors). Sophomore guard Jimerson adds 13.4 PPG plus PG Collins runs the show, adding just 5.6 PPG but 7.8 APG. 6-7 senior French did not play the first two games but is rounding back into form (averaged 12.4 & 10.4 last season), averaging 9.7 & 6.7. The Wolfpack sure hope to take the court tonight, looking to end a streak of FOUR straight games having been canceled. "We'll be rusty," coach Kevin Keatts said. "For me to think that we're going to just go back and be clicking the same way we were ... I don't think that's going to happen." I agree and as I noted above, St Louis comes in a 10-game winning streak. What's more, the Billikens take the court tonight having won 35 of their last 40 games at Chaifetz Arena (the last two-plus seasons)! The 'Price' is sure 'RIGHT!' Good luck...Larry |
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12-16-20 | Duke -3.5 v. Notre Dame | Top | 75-65 | Win | 100 | 13 h 20 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Month is on Duke at 9:00 ET. Duke travels to Notre Dame just 2-2 and without a notable win. In contrast, the Blue Devils' two losses both came at home, against Michigan St and then Illinois. Duke had won EIGHT of its previous nine vs Michigan St and the loss was just Duke's THIRD non-conference home loss since 2000. Then came the loss to Illinois as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in which Duke had been the dominant school, going 19-2, while going 9-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke opened No. 9 in the AP's preseason poll and now sits at No. 21. Notre Dame bounced back from a 14-win season two seasons ago to go 20-12 last year but lost PF Mooney, who averaged 16.2 & 12.7. Mike Brey is now in his 21st season at South Bend and the Fighting Irish were 1-2 (lost to Michigan St and Ohio St) before Saturday's first-ever victory at Kentucky. Notre Dame built a 22-point halftime lead on Kentucky before hanging on for a 64-63 win, needing a defensive stop at the end. Coach K lost his top-two players to the NBA, the 6-10 Carey (17.8 & 8.8) will play this season for the Hornets and PG Jones (16.2-4.7-6.4) was taken by the Spurs. Coach K has seamlessly transitioned into the One-and-Done era and freshman guard Stewart has opened averaging 11.8-4.0-3.3, while 6-9 freshman Johnson is averaging 11.5 & 8.3. The 6-9 Hurt (9.7 & 3.8 last season) leads the team this season with 19.0 PPG and 8.3 RPG. Guards Goldwire and Roach plus SF Moore are combining for 18.0 PPG, plus 6-8 freshman Brakefield is averaging 7.3 & 4.0 in just 13 minutes! Brey likes his junior class, which includes PG Hubb (21.3-4.0-4.3), SG Goodwin (13.0 & 6.0) and the 6-10 Laszewski (16.5 & 9.5). Laszewski posted a season-high 21 points at Kentucky. Joining those three are guard Ryan (11.5-4.3 4.3) and the 6-11 Durham (6.8 & 6.8). Ryan is a Stanford transfer and Durham a UConn transfer. So far, that group has been an 'iron-5,' with little help from the bench. Duke announced last week that it would play only ACC games for the remainder of the regular season. It had three non league games called off because of coronavirus-related issues with scheduled opponents. One of those games had been rescheduled, but the Gardner-Webb game reset for Dec 19 was then wiped off the schedule by Duke's decision. "We're only going to play conference games the rest of the way and hopefully play all of them," Krzyzewski said. Duke won't play again until after Christmas, making this a game the team BADLY needs to win. This will be Duke's first road game but arrives in South Bend having won its past SIX meetings with Notre Dame. As for Notre Dame, facing a ranked team has not turned out well for the Irish for quite some time now. With losses to ranked teams Michigan St and Ohio St (see above), Mike Brey's team has now lost 23 straight games against top-25 opponents since beating Wichita St back in 2017. Make that 24 in a row with this loss coming "by a margin" that will give Duke the ATS win, as well. Good luck...Larry |
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12-15-20 | Minnesota v. Illinois -7.5 | Top | 65-92 | Win | 100 | 12 h 55 m | Show |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on Illinois at 7:00 ET. Illinois is 4-2 but ranked 13th in the latest AP poll and will host the Minnesota Golden Gophers (who are 6-0 but unranked), in the Big Ten opener for both teams. The matchup will feature two of the nation's most productive PGs, Minnesota junior Marcus Carr, a preseason all-league pick, who is averaging 23.7-3.7-6.2 and Illinois junior Ayo Dosunmu, a preseason All-American, averaging 24.8-7.7-5.2. Richard Pitino is in his eighth season at Minnesota. He led the Gophers to the NIT championship in his first season (2013-14) but over the last six seasons, Minnesota has made just two NCAA appearances (2017 and 2019), while going a combined 56-71 (.441) over the other four. Season No. 8 is off to an excellent start with Minnesota at 6-0 and outscoring opponents 84.2-to-69.0 PPG. The 6-6 Both Gach (a Utah transfer), is averaging 15.3-6.2-3.8 plus 7-0 junior Robbins (12.5 & 7.7) junior guard Kalescheur adds 9.3 PPG. Illinois is coming off a rollercoaster 11-day span (Dec 2-12) in which the Fighting Illini lost to No. 2 Baylor, won at then-No. 10 Duke and then lost their Braggin' Rights game at Missouri. Dosunmu is joined in the backcourt by freshman Miller (11.5) plus 7-0 center Cockburn had a terrific freshman season (13.3 & 8.1) and checks in at 14.0 & 8.8 through five games. Guards Curbelo (11.8), Frazier (8.3) and Williams (6.8 & 6.0) plus the 6-9 Bezhanishvili (6.8 & 3.5) complete the main contributors. This will be Minnesota's first real test, as the team hasn't left Williams Arena up until now. The 7-0 Liam Robbins took the lead against Kansas City in Minnesota's most recent game, scoring 27 points with nine rebounds and five blocks. It was his finest effort since transferring from Drake shortly after last season ended but Robbins' first Big Ten test figures to be one of his toughest of the year going up against 7-footer Kofi Cockburn. "We've been tested," head coach Brad Underwood recently said, with Ayo Dosunmu adding "We've been smacked," after the Penn St debacle. Lay the points with Illinois. Good luck...Larry |
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12-15-20 | Clemson v. Virginia Tech -1 | Top | 60-66 | Win | 100 | 10 h 33 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Va Tech at 7:00 ET. Brad Brownell is in his 11th season at Clemson and returned four starters from last year's team. Clemson is off to a 5-0 start (also 5-0 ATS) and entered the AP poll for the first time this season on Monday at No. 24. The Tigers will travel to Blacksburg tonight for their ACC opener, where the 4-1 Va Tech Hokies await. Va Tech won its first four games, including an overtime upset in the Mohegan Sun bubble of then-No. 3 Villanova, showing it was worthy of being the No. 15 team in the AP poll. However, the Hokies then got BLASTED 75-55 on Dec 8 by Penn State at home in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, dropping out the top-25 in Monday's poll. Clemson is led by 6-8 senior forward Aamir Simms (11.6 & 4.0) and he's the team's lone double digit scorer. Fordham transfer Nick Honor averages 9.8 PPG and is joined in the backcourt by returning guards Dawes (9.4), Newman (5.4) and Trapp (5.0 & 5.00, while the 6-8 Tyson (6.6 & 4.6) plays up front with Simms. The Tigers are averaging a modest 68.0 PPG (240th) but have excellent balance plus their defense is OUTSTANDING, allowing only 51.4 points per game (4th) on just 34.9 percent shooting, while forcing 19 turnovers per game. Purdue is the only opponent to score more than 56 points. Va Tech head coach Mike Young is in his second season with the school, after a record-setting 17-year tenure as the head coach at Wofford. The Terriers posted a 30-5 overall record in 2018-19, including a perfect 18-0 mark in Southern Conference play, and registered a convincing 84-68 win over Seton Hall in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Young built the Terriers into one of the Southern Conference's preeminent programs and a perennial NCAA Tournament participant. He guided Wofford to five NCAA Tournament berths over his last 10 seasons and five Southern Conference championships. However, the Hokies were just 16-16 overall in Young's first season at Blacksburg, losing almost two-thirds of their ACC games (7-13). Landers Nolley was selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team in leading the Hokies in scoring (15.5 PPG) last season but after the season he announced he was transferring to Memphis. More bad news came when the 6-6 Horne (7.6 & 4.2) also transferred. Sophomore guard Tyrece Radford (10.2 & 6.2) is both the team's leading returning scorer AND rebounder! However, Young thinks this team will improve because of some experienced graduate transfers. Guard Cartier Diarra averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists at Kansas State last season, and helped them to the Elite Eight in 2018. He will play both guard spots, sometimes alongside Wabissa Bede, who returns after averaging 5.2 PPG and 5.5 APG. Radford is averaging 11.0 & 6.0, Diarra 7.5 and Bede 7.0. Two 6-7 transfers start up front, Keve Aluma (15.8 & 7.8), who followed Young from Wofford, plus Delaware transfer Justyn Mutts (5.4 & 6.2). Yes, Clemson looks very good (I've played them twice, winning each time) but the team's 67-51 home rout of Maryland doesn't look all that impressive after Penn St won 74-60 at Maryland last night. It shouldn't go unnoticed that Va Tech swept the season series a year ago. This is the only meeting of the teams this season and expect a huge bounce-back from Va Tech off that Penn St embarrassment. Good luck...Larry |
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12-14-20 | Ravens -3 v. Browns | Top | 47-42 | Win | 100 | 12 h 7 m | Show |
My 10* AFC North Game of the Year (MNF Magic) is on the Bal Ravens at 8:15 ET. The Cleveland Browns are looking to end a 17-season playoff drought after taking a big step in the right direction with last Sunday's 41-35 win at the Tennessee Titans, a team that played in last season's AFC title game. The 9-3 Browns welcome the hated-Baltimore Ravens to Cleveland on Monday night, a team that got a much-needed 34-17 win last Tuesday at home over the Cowboys. Baltimore opened the season 5-1 but had lost FOUR of its last five prior to the win over Dallas, dealing with inconsistent play and severe COVID-19 issues. Cleveland currently owns the No. 5 seed in the AFC, while Baltimore is 7-5 and out of the playoffs at the moment. However, a Baltimore win moves them into a tie with 8-5 Miami for the No. 7 seed (final playoff spot) plus would put them just ONE game back of the 9-4 Browns and Titans. QB Lamar Jackson was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list a day before the game with Dallas and looked fresh, despite passing for just 107 yards. He rushed for 94 yards as the Ravens dominated the trenches by racking up 294 on the ground. Jackson won't come close to last season's MVP numbers (3,127 passing yards with 36 TDs and 6 INTs / 1,206 rushing yards with 7 TDs) but he does have a solid 17-7 TD/INT ratio and leads Baltimore in rushing with 669 yards 5.8 YPC (4 TDs). Baltimore averaged an NFL-record 206.0 YPG (5.5 YPC) last season and again leads with 169.0 YPC on 5.2 YPC. Mark Ingram joined Jackson with more than 1,000 yards rushing last year but has just 260 yards in 2020. However, Edwards has 487 yards (4.8 YPC / 7 TDs) and rookie Dobbins 451 yards (5.4 YPC / 4 TDs). Baltimore's D allowed 17.6 PPG (2nd) on 300.6 YPG (4th) and this t0year's unit is not far off those numbers, allowing 19.3 PPG (4th) on 337.7 YPG (10th). Cleveland QB Baker Mayfield passed for four TDs and a season-high 334 yards against the Titans last week, with all of his TDs coming in the first half. Mayfield also threw four of his five TDs in the second half of a win against Cincinnati back on Oct 25. No other QB has matched that in the NFL in 2020. However, note that Mayfield had thrown just two TD passes over his previous four games. His season high prior to last Sunday was just 297 yards. He's barely averaging over 200 YPG passing in 2020, although he's greatly improved his TD/INT ratio to 21-7, after last year's 22-21 mark (his QB rating is 97.9, up from 73.8 in 2019). Cleveland's two-RB attack is just behind Baltimore, ranking second in the NFL by averaging 157.8 YPG on the ground (4.9 YPC). Chubb has 799 yards (6.0 YPC / 7 TDs) and Hunt has 739 yards (4.3 YPC / 4 TDs). However, Cleveland's defense is allowing a worrisome 26.8 PPG (24th). Cleveland's win over Tennessee was just its SECOND over a team with a current winning record (also beat the 9-4 Colts 32-23 back in Week 7). The Browns' other seven wins have come over Ciny (twice), Washington, Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville and Philadelphia. Just for the record, those seven own a combined record of 21-55-2 (.282). There is NO doubt that Cleveland's first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski has established a different culture but I still don't trust them vs Baltimore, which CRUSHED them in Week 1 by the score of 38-6! That's not exactly news, as since John Harbaugh was named Baltimore's head coach prior to the 2008 season, the Ravens had won 20 of the 24 meetings from through 2019, including a 10-2 mark in Cleveland. Having made it 21 wins in the last 25 games with that Week 1 win, the Ravens now go for a NINTH season-sweep of the series. BTW, Lamar Jackson passed for 275 yards and three TDs and added 45 yards on the ground in that Week 1. Deja vu? Good luck...Larry |
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12-14-20 | Rutgers v. Maryland -2.5 | Top | 74-60 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
My 10* Big Ten Game of the Month is on Maryland at 6:00 ET. 4-0 Rutgers is ranked 21st in the AP poll (new poll released later today) and will take to the road for the first time this season when the Scarlet Knights visit College Park to take on the 4-1 Maryland Terrapins. Rutgers had an impressive 79-69 home win over former Big East rival Syracuse last Wednesday in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, while Maryland got 'spanked' in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (that same night) in a 67-51 loss at Clemson. Steve Pikiell spent 11 years at Stony Brook, winning 20-plus games in his final five seasons. He led the Seawolves to an NCAA berth in 2015-16 and a 26-7 record. His first three seasons at Rutgers saw the Scarlet Knights go just 15-18, 15-19 and 14-17, before going 20-11 last season before the year was shut down. This year's team looks REALLY good, led by senior guards Harper (22.3 & 7.5) and Young (16.0-3.3-6.8). Junior guard Mathis adds 16.3 & 4.8 plus two 6-11 centers, Johnson (8.3 & 7.3) and Omoruyi (6.5 & 7.0) give Rutgers a strong inside presence. Mark Turgeon coached Wichita St for seven years, before leading Texas A&M to four straight NCAA tournaments in four years going 97-40. He joined Maryland when it was still in the ACC but its move to the Big Ten has been good for the basketball program, as over the last six seasons the Terps have won 20-plus games in five seasons (exception was a 19-win season), making four NCAA tourneys (would have been five, as Maryland was 24-7 when the season was shut down last year). PG Cowan (16.3 & 4.7 APG) and big man Jalen Smith (15.5 & 10.5) are gone but the Terps have a deep backcourt, Ayala (13.4) and Hart (12.2) lead the way, supported by Wiggins (9.8 & 3.4 APG) and Morsell (8.2 & 4.6). Up front, it's the 6-7 Scott (11.6 & 7.) and 6-8 BC transfer Hamilton (8.6 & 4.2). Rutgers and Maryland both turned in history-making seasons last year. The Terrapins claimed a share of the Big Ten regular-season title with a 14-6 conference mark while going 24-7 overall. The Scarlet Knights posted their first winning record in 14 years and won their most conference games in 17 years, going 20-11 overall and 11-9 in the Big Ten. Rutgers was ranked in the preseason (No. 24) for the first time since 1978 and could move up in today's poll. However, all four games have been at home, where the Scarlet Knights have outscored opponents 82.8-to-65.8 at the RAC (Rutgers is 22-2 SU since the start of last season at home). However, since both programs joined the conference for the 2014-15 season, Maryland has won EIGHT of the nine meetings. Maryland is allowing just 60.8 PPG and is shooting 52.9% as a team from the floor to rank 15th in the nation. That's a sweet 'daily double' and I expect the Terps to win "with room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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12-13-20 | Steelers v. Bills -2 | Top | 15-26 | Win | 100 | 14 h 15 m | Show |
My 9* SNF Magic play is on the Buf Bills at 8:20 ET. The Pittsburgh Steelers visit Buffalo for a SNF game with the Bills and for the FIRST time in 2020, the Steelers are coming off a loss. Pittsburgh was upset 23-17 by Washington last Monday and will head to Buffalo 11-1 and hoping to keep pace with (or move ahead of) the 11-1 Chiefs by beating Buffalo. That will be no easy chore, as the Bills are 9-3 after also playing last Monday but coming away with a 34-24 win over San Francisco in a game played in Glendale, Az (home of the Cardinals. "Big Ben" has bounced back from missing all of last season with a strong season (66.9% for 3,105 yards with 27 TDs and 7 INTs). He's got an excellent trio of WRs in Smith-Schuster (73 catches / 6 TDs), Johnson (65 / 5 TDs) and rookie Claypool (47 / 8 TDs) plus TE Ebron has 49 catches with four TDs. However, Pittsburgh RBs have fought injuries all season and Pittsburgh enters the game averaging only 92.6 YPG on the ground (29th), averaging 3.7 YPC. The defense has been the 'star' of the 2020 season, allowing 17.6 PPG (1st) on 300.5 YPG (3rd). That defense will be tested by Buffalo QB Josh Allen who is having a breakout year! I say that even though he began the current season as just the fourth QB in NFL history with at least 20 passing TDs (30) and 12 rushing TDs (17) in his first two seasons. However, his 2020 season has been "pretty darn good!" THREE times this season he has thrown for at least 375 yards and three TDs, with a passer rating of at least 130. That includes Monday night, when he threw for 375 yards and four TDs with a 139.1 QB rating. He is the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the THIRD time. His Y-T-D numbers have him completing 69.9% for 3,403 yards with 26 TDs and eight INTs (QB rating of 105.9). Buffalo's running game is much better than Pittsburgh's (107.4 YPG on 4.0 YPC) but the addition of WR Diggs has been HUGE. He leads the team with 90 catches (four TDs)., while fellow WR Beasley, who has averaged 59 catches per season the last five, has 66 through 12 games (on pace for 88). After a long winning streak ends, many assume a "bounce-back" but just as often, that team suffers a let down. Pittsburgh's offense has averaged just 18.0 PPG its last two games an as noted above, I believe the Pittsburgh D will have its hands full with Josh Allen. Buffalo's trying to win the AFC East for the first time since 1995 and this contest is its LONE home game in a four-week span. NO "bounce-back" here for the Steelers! Good luck...Larry |
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12-13-20 | Washington Football Team v. 49ers -2.5 | Top | 23-15 | Loss | -120 | 23 h 5 m | Show |
My 10* Non Division Game of the Year is on the SF 49ers at 4:25 ET. Washington and San Francisco are both 5-7 but while Washington is tied for first in the NFC East, the NFC defending champion 49ers are mired in last-place in the NFC West. Washington began the season 1-5 but its shocking 23-17 win Monday against the previously unbeaten Steelers kept them in a tie with the Giants, who had pulled off quite an upset of their own last Sunday in winning 17-12 at Seattle as an 11-point underdog. Meanwhile, the 49ers made an uphill climb a good bit steeper with a 34-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills last Monday night in Glendale, Az. San Francisco will again 'host' Washington in Glendale on Sunday. Washington's recent surge has coincided with QB Alex Smith's return from a near career-ending injury (actually, life-threatening). Smith's comeback is truly remarkable but he has just four TD passes and five INTs with a VERY poor QB rating of 83.8. In fact, Washington's defensive play has been the key, as Washington ranks eighth in points allowed (21.7 per) and 4th in total yards (310.9 YPG). That's because in the team's 3-0 SU and ATS run, Washington's D has allowed just 14.0 PPG on 281.7 YPG. San Francisco has been riddled by injuries all season but ironically, the 49ers were healthier than they've been in a while for Monday's game with Buffalo. However, the San Francisco defense couldn't handle Buffalo QB Josh Allen who threw for 375 yards with four TDs (no INTs). Nick Mullens (still in for Jimmy G) threw for 316 yards and three TDs (but had two INTs). San Francisco's defense has not quite played up to the standards of last year's edition but the 49ers have allowed 24.0 PPG (13th) on 326.3 YPG (6th). Kudos to Washington's recent play but the 49ers have WON five of their last six meetings with Washington and a closer look at Monday's loss to Buffalo reveals that San Francisco turned the ball over on downs at the Buffalo one-yard line plus Nick Mullens threw two interceptions, including one in the end zone. The 49ers are almost sure to miss the postseason but expect them to get the better of Washington in this one, "with room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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12-13-20 | Penn State v. Michigan -6 | Top | 58-62 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
My 9* Daytime Dominator is on Michigan at 2:00 ET. It's a Big Ten contest Sunday afternoon between 3-1 Penn St and 5-0 Michigan from Ann Arbor. Penn St won 26 games and the NIT in the 2017-18 season but then fell to just 14 wins the following season. The Nittany Lions bounce back with 21 wins in last year's pandemic-shortened season. They entered the current season without leading scorer Stevens (17.6 & 6.9) plus leading rebounder Watkins (9.7 & 7.6). Michigan's Juwan Howards's first season as head coach saw his team open 7-0, then go 6-9 over its next 15 games. A six-game win streak followed but Michigan lost three of four before the shutdown. (19-11 finish). Gone from last year are PG Simpson (12.9-4.5-7.9) and the 7-1 Teske (11.6 & 6.7). The Nittany Lions went through some turmoil right as practices started when head coach Pat Chambers resigned in late October following an investigation into inappropriate conduct. However, the Nittany Lions are averaging 81.3 PPG and have four players averaging in double figures; the 6-7 Seth Lundy (16.8 & 3.5) and Izaiah Brockington (14.0 & 5.5) plus two guards that can play the point, Sam Sessoms (12.3 & 3.5 APG) and Myreon Jones (12.3 & 3.3 APG). The 6-9 Harrar (7.3 & 7.8) is the team's leading rebounder. 6-7 senior Livers led Michigan in scoring last season and does so again, averaging 16.8 PPG. 7-1 freshman Dickinson (14.8 & 7.4) has made an immediate impact plus four guards give Michigan a strong perimeter group. That group includes Brown (12.0), Wagner (10.2 & 7.0), Brooks (9.2 & 4.0 APG) and Smith (7.8 & 5.2 APG). Penn State interim head coach Jim Ferry led the Nittany Lions to an impressive 75-55 road win over No. 15 Virginia Tech on Tuesday but following that up with a win here at Crisler Arena may be a 'bridge too far.' Michigan has yet to leave "the friendly confines,' opening 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS at home, outscoring opponents 86.4-to-69.4! Oddly enough, Michigan opened No. 25 in the AP's preseason poll but hasn't been 'seen' since, despite its perfect start. A win here and come Monday's poll, the Wolverines will 'join the party.' Lay the points. Good luck...Larry |
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12-13-20 | Cardinals -2 v. Giants | Top | 26-7 | Win | 100 | 20 h 50 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the Arz Cardinals at 1:00 ET. Arizona, the LA Rams and Seattle were all 6-3 and tied atop the NFC West entering Week 11. However as Sunday Dec 13 dawns, the Rams are 9-4, Seattle 8-4 (and poised to join them at 9-4 with a home game against the Jets on tap) but the Cards have fallen off the pace at 6-6. Arizona has lost FOUR of five (lone exception was its 'miracle' Hail Mary win against the Bills). However, in this "season like no other," Arizona's 6-6 record would have them in first place in the 2020 NFC East, ONE game up on New York. The slumping Cards are at MetLife Field on Sunday to take on the surging Giants, who have won FOUR in a row, after a shocking 17-12 win in Seattle (as an 11-point underdog) last Sunday. Arizona Kyler Murray has been contained better recently but the second-year player is having an impressive season. He's thrown for 2,997 yards with 22 TDs and 10 INTs plus he's run for 665 yards on 56.5 YPC with 10 rush TDs. Drake (768 yards on 4.3 YPC with 5 TDs) has become a reliable RB and his ankle is said to be fine. The problem for Arizona has been its defense. The Cards were allowing just 18.7 PPG over their first six games entering their Week 7 game with Seattle and although the Cards won (37-34), the defense has allowed 30.7 PPG its last six. The Giants' 2020 season seemed "all but dead" after eight games, when they fell to 1-7 with a 25-23 MNF Week 8 loss to the Bucs. However, the Giants had been competitive in four straight games, a one-point win and three losses by a combined SIX points. The Giants enter this contest on a FOUR-game winning streak (3-1 ATS) and are now tied with Washington for first in the NFC East (Eagles are only 3-8-1) but do own the tiebreaker. QB Jones missed last week's win at Seattle, despite Colt McCoy going just 13 of 22 for 105 yards with one TD and one INT (67.4 QB rating). However, RB Gallman ran for 135 yards and the New York defense held Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense to just one TD. The victory marked New York's first win this season over a winning team but while the Cards are just 6-6, Arizona is still 'alive' in the NFC wild card chase. Jones is expected to be back but is that really good news. He has more INTs (9) than TD passes (8) on the season with one of the NFL's worst QB ratings (78.7) among regular starters. The Cards are the better team and are overdue for a breakout performance. The "numbers" tell us that the Cards are 8-3 ATS in non-division road games AND that the Giants are just 3-12 ATS their last 15 as a home dog since the start of the 2018 season (an 80% go-against). Good luck...Larry |
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12-13-20 | Vikings +7.5 v. Bucs | Top | 14-26 | Loss | -117 | 7 h 56 m | Show |
My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the Min Vikings at 1:00 ET. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked as good as any team in the NFC when they were sitting at 6-2 but a 1-3 run has seen them fall back to 7-5 and all of a sudden, the Bucs are fighting for a wild card spot. As for the Vikings, they were 10-6 last season and upset the 13-3 Saints in the playoffs but opened the 2020 season 1-5. However, in contrast to the Bucs, the Vikings come into this contest having won FIVE and six and at 6-6, are tied with the Cards just ONE game back of the Bucs plus Minnesota currently own the tiebreaker over Arizona. Both teams can bolster their NFC playoff chances with a win on Sunday. Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins rarely gets respect but he's completing 67.8% for 3,073 yards with 26 TDs and 12 INTs for a 103.9 QB rating in 2020. That comes on the heels of him completing 70.1 and 69.1% in his first two seasons with the Vikings, passing for 4,298 and 3,603 yards with 56 YTDs and 16 INTs with QB ratings of 90.7 and 107.4. He misses WR Diggs (at Buffalo) but rookie Jefferson has 61 catches on 17.0 YPC with seven TDs, while veteran Thielen has 57 catches with 12 TDs. RB Dalvin Cook is the No. 2 rusher in the league (1,250 yards on 5.0 YPC) and the leader in rushing TDs with 13. He had 38 touches (32 rushes, 6 catches) in Minnesota's 27-24 overtime win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Of course, the defense has struggled for most of the season (27.4 PPG allowed ranks 26th) but let's not ignore those FIVE wins in six games (loss came by THREE points). Tampa Bay limped into its bye last week with three losses in its last four games, two by three points each to the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. A Week 13 bye was likely good news, as the team has been plagued by slow starts (Bucs have been outscored 52-7 in the first quarter of their last four games). Brady's passed for 3,3000 yards with 28 TDs and 11 INTs (on pace for about 4,400 yards with 37 TDs) and RB Ronald Jones is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards with 820 (5.1 YPC and five TDs). WRs Goodwin (49 catches and three TDs ) and Evans (48 catches and 11 TDs) are also getting contributions from TE Gronk (37 catches and four TDs). The season-long defensive rankings look solid, allowing 23.3 PPG (11th) on 329.9 YPG (7th) but in the team's 1-3 slide, the "stop unit" has done little 'stopping,' allowing 28.8 PPG. Brady has surely made the Bus better but the Bucs continue to struggle as a home favorite (long-time 'ugly' numbers), going 1-3 ATS in that role in 2020. Minnesota's balanced offense should give Tampa Bay's defense fits and I will NOT ignore Minnesota's 5-1 SU run with the LONE loss coming by just THREE points. Take the big points! Good luck...Larry |
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12-12-20 | Virginia v. Virginia Tech -2.5 | Top | 15-33 | Win | 100 | 37 h 31 m | Show |
My 9* play is on Va Tech at 8:00 ET. The Virginia Cavaliers (5-4 / 4-4 ACC) are riding a four-game winning streak and haven't lost since Oct. 24 entering Saturday night's Commonwealth Cup battle in Blacksburg, Va. In contrast, the Va Tech Hokies (4-6 / 4-5 ACC) enter on a four-game losing streak and haven't won since Oct. 31. This will be the 102nd meeting of a series dating back to 1895 and was originally scheduled for Sep 19 but COVID-19 issues in the Hokies' program forced the postponement to this date. Bronco Mendenhall spent 11 years as BYU head coach, leading the Cougars to 11 bowls during his tenure. He took the Virginia job in 2016 and flopped,' going 2-10 his first season. However, he righted the ship quickly, by following with THREE straight bowl berths. The 2019 season was special, as he led the Cavs to their first victory over Virginia Tech after fifteen consecutive losses in their rivalry, capping a 9–3 regular season and that secured the program's first Coastal Division title and a berth in the 2019 ACC Championship Game and 2019 Orange Bowl. Justin Fuente used back-to-back seasons of 10-3 and 9-3 (2014 and 2015) at Memphis to land the Va Tech job on November 29, 2015 He replaced the retiring Frank Beamer and in his first season in Blacksburg, Fuente led the Hokies to a 9-3 regular season record and a trip to the ACC Championship, representing the Coastal division, The Hokies defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 35-24 in the 2016 Belk Bowl, overturning a 24-0 deficit at halftime and winning three consecutive bowl games for the first time in the program's history. Virginia Tech finished the season ranked #16 in both the AP and Coaches Poll. However, while Fuente's led the Hokies to bowl games in each of the last three seasons, Va Tech has lost each one. Brennan Armstrong has taken over at QB for Virginia and has thrown 16 TDs and nine INTs, while also leading the team in rushing with 529 yards (5 TDs). He's led the Cavs to four straight wins, completing 65.3% with nine TDs and three INTs. He's off back-to-back games with more than 400 yards of total offense, passing for a career-high 383 yards and four TDs vs Abilene Christian on Nov 21 and then rushed for a career-high 130 yards and a TD in last Saturday's 43-32 win over Boston College. RB Kemp is the team's top receiver (58 catches) and TE Poljan has 33 catches and five TDs. WR Davis has played in just six games but averages 25.9 YPC on his 17 receptions with five TDs. The defense. The offense is averaging 32.4 PPG but the defense is allowing 29.2. Va Tech QB Hendon Hooker exited last Saturday's 45-10 loss at Clemson, experiencing muscle spasms due to temperatures in the low 30s. However, by Monday he was feeling MUCH better and is expected to be just fine. He's completing 65.3% for 1,339 yards with nine TDS and five INTs, plus adds 620 rushing yards on 5.2 YPC with nine TDs. He's joined by RB Herbert, who has 1,020 yards on 7.6 YPC with seven TDs. Va Tech averages 30.9 PPG but allows 33.8. At first blush, UVa coming in on a four-game winning streak while averaging 43.3 PPG would seem like the obvious choice against a Va Tech team on a four-game slide. UVa is looking for its first five-game winning streak since 2007 but the Hokies own a HUGE revenge motive. The Cavaliers snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Hokies with a 39-30 win last season in Charlottesville when it scored nine points in the final 1:23 with a 48-yard FG and a recovery of a Virginia Tech fumble in the end zone. Va Tech head coach Justin Fuente is on the hot seat with a 37-26 record since taking over in 2016 and with Va Tech's loss dropping them to 46, the Hokies are guaranteed to end the 2020 season with a losing record for only the second time since 1992! This will truly be Va Tech's 'bowl game." I'm on the Hokies. Good luck...Larry |
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12-12-20 | USC -2.5 v. UCLA | Top | 43-38 | Win | 100 | 35 h 41 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Game of the Month is on USC at 7:30 ET. USC is 4-0 and ranked 15th (CFP) and 16th (AP) as it tries to secure a spot in the Pac-12 Conference championship game when the Trojans take on crosstown rival UCLA (3-2) in the Rose Bowl. Colorado hosts Utah at 12 noon ET (7 1/2 hours before this game kicks) and if the Buffs win, USC will NEED to beat UCLA to win the Pac 12 South. USC put itself in position to play for the conference championship by beating visiting Washington State 38-13 last Sunday night. That game was pushed back two days following a small COVID-19 outbreak on the USC team, a situation that initially forced the Trojans to cancel their game against No. 21 Colorado on Nov. 28. The schedule adjustment shrank USC's window to prepare for UCLA. As for the Bruins, they are coming off a 25-18 win at Arizona State last Saturday night, their first win in the month of December since the 2013 Sun Bowl (think about that, for more than a minute or two!). The victory also lifted UCLA's record above .500 for the first time since a win on Oct. 21, 2017, had them at 4-3 (yet another thought to ponder!). USC was once known by the nickname of "Tailback U" but no longer. This year's team is averaging a pathetic 111.5 YPG on the ground (3.6 YPC). QB Kedon Slovis leads this year's team, completing 72.1% while averaging 314.3 YPG through the air (1,257 yards in four games) with 10 TDs and just two INTS in 165 attempts. He leads an offense averaging 33.3 PPG (30th) and the defense has been sound, allowing 21.8 PPG (26th) on 356.5 YPG (34th). UCLA benefited last weekend with the return of QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (57.8% completions for 691 yards with 8 TDs and 2 INTs) who was among nine Bruins to miss two games because of COVID-19 concerns. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 192 yards and a TD against Arizona State. He also rushed for 49 yards and a score (218 rush yards on 5.0 YPC and 3 TDs on the season). It seems as if USC's running game has moved to Westwood, as the Bruins are averaging 2267.6 YPG on the ground (16th) on 5.6 YPC. A quick look at the team's defense shows UCLA allowing 24.8 PPG but one must CLOSER! Let me do just that. First off, UCLA's losses are to now-No. 21 Colorado, when the Bruins allowed 48 points and to then-No. 11 Oregon, allowing 38 points. UCLA's three wins have come over the two Arizona schools (a combined 0-6 entering Friday's Territorial Cup meeting) and 1-3 Cal. The Bruins allowed just 12.7 PPG against that trio, which have a combined 1-9 record. Then there is UCLA head coach Chip Kelly who had a four-year record of 46-7 (.868) at Oregon but since moving on to the NFL and now UCLA, seems to have left his "Genius" moniker in Eugene. Kelly's teams are a combined 38-54 (.413) post-Oregon, including 10-19 (.345) at UCLA. Anyone really trust "Sir Chip" in a big game like this? As for USC, it needed two TDs in the final three minutes to escape in its season opener 28-27 against ASU and then scored with 25 seconds left to edge Arizona 34-30. However, the Trojans have won 33-17 over Utah and 38-13 over Washington St, since. A win will give the Trojans a 5-0 record for the first time since 2006, when they started 6-0, plus propel into the Pac 12 title game against Washington, a team which just had to cancel its game with Oregon on Saturday due to COVID issues. A win there and USC will play in the Rose Bowl at 6-0. USC has won 16 of the last 21 meetings against UCLA, so expect the Trojans to 'ring' the Victory Bell at the end of Saturday's game! Good luck...Larry |
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12-12-20 | North Carolina v. Miami-FL -3 | Top | 62-26 | Loss | -105 | 26 h 43 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on Miami-Fl at 3:30 ET. It's a battle of ranked ACC teams from Miami, Fl on Saturday, as No. North Carolina (7-3, 6-3 in the ACC) visits No. 10 Miami-Fl (8-1, 7-1 in the ACC). The Tar Heels are off a 49-9 home win last Saturday over Western Carolina, while Miami routed Duke 45-0 last Saturday, despite having 15 players out due to injuries, coronavirus and other issues. The Tar Heels lost 31-17 at home to No. 2 Notre Dame back Nov 27 but get a chance at another top-10 here against the Hurricanes, who they beat last year 28-25 at Chapel Hill with a late TD. North Carolina opened 3-0 and rose to No. 5 in the AP poll but were then shocked 31-28 at Florida St, a team whose only other win this season has come over Jacksonville St. QB Sam Howell beat Miami as a freshman last year and is having an excellent sophomore season, completing 68.8% for 3,129 yards with 26 TDs and just six INTs. Two RBs share the ball-carrying duties and BOTH should top 1,000 yards on the season. Carter has 937 yards for 937 yards (7.1 YPC) with seven TDs and Williams has 904 yards (6.7 YPC) with 16 TDs plus has three receiving TDs among his 23 catches. WRs Brown (51 catches on 18.3 YPC with 8 TDs) and Newsome (46 catches / 13.1 YPC / 5 TDs) are Howell's main targets. North Carolina averaged 41.1 PPG but allows 28.6 YPG. Houston transfer D'Eriq King ranks third in the ACC -- behind only Howell and Clemson's Trevor Lawrence -- in total offense (311.2 yards per game), passing for 2,334 yards with 20 TDs and only four INTs, while rushing for 467 yards and four more TDs. He has fulfilled his reputation as a dual threat. RB Harris leads with 567 yards on 5.2 YPC with eight TDs. King has a bevy of targets with a trio of WRs combining for 102 catches and 10 TDs, while both TEs have four TD catches each, combining for 40 receptions. Miami can't quite match North Carolina's offensive punch (averages 34.9 PPG) but is the much better defensive team, allowing 22.0 PPG on 366.2 YPG. Speaking of the Miami D, despite missing five key defensive players against Duke, Miami forced FIVE turnovers. A win here and a win next weekend vs Ga Tech and Miami will cap off a 10-1 regular season, which will earn a MAJOR bowl bid. The home team has dominated this series by going 7-1 ATS and with MUCH to play for, expect Miami to avenge last season's three-point loss. Good luck...Larry |
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12-12-20 | Utah v. Colorado -1.5 | Top | 38-21 | Loss | -110 | 50 h 46 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Colorado at 12:00 ET. Note: The game was originally scheduled for Friday night. It was moved to take the place of the Michigan-Ohio State game, which was canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the Wolverines' program. The Utah-Colorado game will start at 12:05 p.m. ET, which is 10 a.m. local time. No COVID issue regarding these teams. The Utah Utes and the Colorado Buffaloes conclude their respective abbreviated Pac 12 seasons with this game in Boulder. Utah's Kyle Whittingham was working under Urban Meyer at Utah back in 2004, a season in which the Utes went 12-0. Meyer left for the University of Florida and Whittingham was offered the head coaching job at Utah and also the head coaching job at his alma mater, BYU. He chose Utah and this is his 16th season as the school' head coach. He took Utah to six straight bowl games beginning in 2005, then came back-to-back 5-7 records. However, in 2014, he began another stretch of six straight bowl appearances, including last year's 11-3 record. Only the 2008 team, which went 13-0, had a better one-year record. The Utes come to Boulder having played just THREE games in this "Season of COVID," winning for the first time last Saturday by holding on to beat Oregon St 30-24. Colorado wasn't expected to do much this year after head coach Mel Tucker was hired away by Michigan State and his replacement, Karl Dorrell, had no spring practice to work in a new QB. Dorrell was head coach at UCLA from 2003 to 2007 and led the Bruins to FIVE bowl appearances in five seasons, although he did not coach in the fifth after he was fired in December 2007. Truth is, his overall record at UCLA was only 35–27. Dorrell was named the 27th full time head coach at Colorado when Mel Tucker bolted after one season for Michigan St. Tucker had taken over from Mike MacIntyre, so Dorrell is Colorado's THIRD head coach in as many seasons. With ZERO expectations, the Buffs have gone 4-0 and have a chance to win the South Division and earn a spot in the Pac-12 title game with a win here and a USC loss at UCLA on Saturday. If both Colorado and USC win (or lose), USC would win a tiebreaker with one more Pac 12 win than the Buffs. Utah QB Bentley is averaging only 163 YPG through the air with three TDs and four INTs. Freshman RB Ty Jordan ran for 167 yards and a TD in the Utes' 30-24 win over Oregon State last Saturday, a week after a costly fumble in a loss at Washington (more later). Utah has just one player with more than seven receptions through three games and that's TE Kuithe, who has 16 but averages 7.6 YPC and had not caught a TD pass. Utah's defense allowed just 15.0 PPG on 269 YPG last season but with just TWO returning starters, has allowed 25.0 PPG on 346.3 YPG. Colorado fell behind Arizona 13-0 by the early second quarter last Saturday but shut out the Wildcats the rest of the way for a 24-13 win. RB Jarek Broussard. Broussard has rushed for 733 yards (6.4 YPC) in four games, with 301 coming in last week's win at Arizona. He was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. Broussard (183.3 YPG) is ahead of Rashaan Salaam's four-game total when the late Colorado tailback won the 1994 Heisman Trophy. QB Nagy did throw two INTs vs Arizona but has been steady through four games with 742 yards passing and 179 yards rushing (five rushing TDs). The Buffaloes moved into this week's AP poll at No. 21 this past Sunday for the first time since 2018 and Tuesday night was also ranked No. 21 in the latest CFP standings. The Utes have lost 33-17 to USC and then 24-21 to Washington, after taking a 21-0 lead at the half. The team's 30-24 win against Oregon St is hardly a 'buy' sign. Meanwhile. Colorado's beaten UCLA at home, Stanford on the road and San Diego St at home, before its comeback win over Arizona. The Buffs can't control what happens in the Rose Bowl with USC and UCLA but can and I believe WILL win this one, giving the Trojans plenty to think about before taking the field on Saturday. A win here, a USC loss to UCLA and a win in the Pac 12 championship game would mean a first-ever Rose Bowl appearance for the Buffs. That's a lot to take in. I'll be happy just to see them win Friday night. Good luck...Larry |
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12-12-20 | Notre Dame v. Kentucky -6.5 | Top | 64-63 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 45 m | Show |
My 10* Eye-Opener is on Kentucky at 12:00 ET. 1-3 Kentucky was ranked No. 10 in the AP preseason poll but has fallen out of the top-25 after THREE straight losses, to Richmond, Kansas and most recently Georgia Tech this past Sunday. Kentucky suffered a 76-64 home loss to an unranked Richmond team on Nov 29, before falling by three to No. 7 Kansas in Indianapolis at the Champions Classic on Dec 1. Georgia Tech had opened its season with losses to Georgia State and Mercer before Sunday's victory. The last time Georgia Tech had won a game against a ranked non conference opponent was Nov 21, 2006. Kentucky welcomes Notre Dame to Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon having opened 1-3 for the first time since the 2000-01 season. The 1-2 Fighting Irish have dropped games to then-13 Michigan State and then-No. 22 Ohio State, while barely holding off Detroit Mercy 78-70 on Dec 6 for their lone win. Notre Dame bounced back from a 14-win season two seasons ago to go 201-2 last year but lost PF Mooney, who averaged 16.2 & 12.7. Mike Brey is now in his 21st season at South Bend and likes his junior class, which includes PG Hubb (22.3-5.0-5.3), SG Goodwin (14.3 & 7.0) and the 6-10 Laszewski (15.0 & 9.7), Joining those three are guard Ryan (13.3 & 4.3 APG) and the 6-11 Durham (7.7 & 7.7). Ryan is a Stanford transfer and Durham a UConn transfer. So far, that group has been an 'iron-5,' with little help. As is typical with Calipari teams these days, Kentucky started four freshmen in its most recent game. That's not unusual, considering the recruiting classes Calipari has brought in over the past several years. However, the Wildcats did lose EIGHT of their nine leading scorers from the 2019-20 team. Only two Wildcats are averaging double digits thus far, freshmen Brandon Boston (14.5 & 6.8) and Terrence Clarke (13.8 & 4.0). Joining that duo in the starting lineup are 6-10 freshman Jackson (7.8 & 10.5) and freshman guard Askew (6.0). The fifth starter is 7-0 Wake Forest transfer Sarr (9.8 & 5.8), while Creighton transfer Mintz adds 7.3 & 2.8 APG off the bench. "There's a lot of stuff we're working on, and losing games makes it harder," John Calipari said. "I mean, everybody is knocking us around right now." What isn't going wrong for Kentucky so far? The team is making just 25.4 percent from beyond the arc, while turnovers are plaguing Kentucky. The Wildcats are averaging 18.3 per game, compared to just 11.8 turnovers from their opponents. However, does anyone really think Calipari WON'T get things straightened out? Here's a tidbit to chew on. With losses to ranked teams Michigan St and Ohio St (see above), Mike Brey's team has now lost 23 straight games against top-25 opponents since beating Wichita St back in 2017. YES, Kentucky is not currently ranked but it did start at No. 10 in the preseason poll and I'd like to bet right now, the Wildcats finish in the top-25 by season's end. Something to bet RIGHT NOW is, Kentucky minus the points!' Good luck...Larry |
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12-11-20 | Marquette v. UCLA -4 | Top | 60-69 | Win | 100 | 8 h 46 m | Show |
My 10* Late-Breaker is on UCLA at 9:30 ET. Marquette opened the season without Markus Howard, who led the nation in scoring last season at 27.8 PPG. Also gone was fellow senior Scar Anim, who added 13.1 PPG. However, head coach Steve Wojciechowski welcomed an impressive freshman to his roster, the 6-11 Dawson Garcia (31.9 & 9.7 last year in high school) plus has been able to surround him with deep supporting cast (more later). Marquette has opened 4-1 and already has an impressive victory on its resume, defeating then-No. 4 Wisconsin 67-65 last Friday. Mick Cronin made NINE consecutive NCAA Tourney appearances at Cincy, as his Bearcats posted a 235-78 (.751) record in that span. He moved to Westwood last season and his Bruins got better as the year progressed and were playing their best ball when the season was shut down. The Bruins were 19-12, including a 12-6 Pac-12 record, good enough to get the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. UCLA lost its opener at San Diego St (Aztecs are currently 5-0 and ranked 24th and climbing to the latest AP poll) but have won four straight since. Dawson Garcia (12.8 & 5.8 has has looked good but guard McEwan (16.6 & 4.2) is the team's leading scorer and is paired with Ohio St transfer Carton (8.8-3.0-3.4) in the backcourt. Returning frontcourt players like the 6-6 Cain (10.6 & 6.8) and the 6-9 Johnson (8.2 & 8.6) have meshed well with Garcia and 6-7 freshman Lewis (9.2 & 7.0). UCLA brought back almost its entire team from last year, only losing Prince Ali (6.8 PPG) as a graduating senior. 6-9 guard Chris Smith (15.0 & 7.0) leads in scoring and rebounding and is joined by another big guard in Campbell (14.2-3.4-6.8). Jaquez (14.2 & 6.0) is also off to a strong start plus 6-6 Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang played for the first time after missing the first four games with a right foot injury, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 20 minutes off the bench. The 6-10 Hill and 6-9 Riley are the team's two-best frontcourt players, with Riley averaging 10.0 & 6.0 and Hill joining the fray after missing the season's first two games. He's averaged 9.3 & 9.0, as the Bruins have won their last three by margins of 26, 20 and 27 points. The last time UCLA and Marquette met on the basketball court, the coaches were future Hall of Famers John Wooden and Al McGuire. The schools square off for the first time in 56 years when the Golden Eagles visit the Bruins on Friday night at Pauley Pavilion. Wooden's Bruins posted a 61-52 victory over McGuire's Marquette club in the meeting back on Dec 18, 1964, a contest played in Milwaukee. UCLA 'fell flat on its face' at SD St (Aztecs can do that to a team) and could surely use a "W" over Marquette, which owns that marquee win over Wisconsin. Bruins "get it done tonight" with a solid win (AND cover!). Good luck...Larry |
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12-10-20 | San Diego State v. Arizona State -2.5 | Top | 80-68 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 55 m | Show |
My 10* play is on Arizona St at 10:00 ET. No. 23 Arizona St (3-1) will host No. 24 San Diego St (4-0) Thursday night in Tempe. The Aztecs visit Desert Financial Arena having entered the AP poll for the first time this season on Monday, after opening unranked despite the fact that last season's team opened 26-0 and was 30-2 when the season was shut down for the virus. ASU was ranked 18th in the preseason poll. Brian Dutcher spent 18 seasons as an assistant to Steve Fisher (first at Michigan and then at San Diego St) and won 22 and 21 games in his first two seasons as SDSU's head coach, before last year's 30-win one. However, while he likely couldn't be "picked out of a lineup," that's NOT the case for ASU head coach Bobby Hurley, who starred for a Duke team which won back-to-back national championships (1991 and 1992) and is part of the Hurley legacy of coaches. This is Hurley's sixth season at ASU and he's led the team to an overall 93-69 (.574) record in his first five with two NCAA appearances which have produced ZERO tourney win Dutcher brought in transfers Malachi Flynn, Yanni Wetzell, K.J. Feagin, and Trey Pulliam, to mesh with returnees Matt Mitchell, Jordan Shackel, Nathan Mensah, and Adam Sieko, as the Aztecs put together one of their best seasons in program history last year. However, the Aztecs lost MWC player-of-the-year Malachi Flynn (17.6-4.5-3.1) to the NBA while Yanni Wetzell (11.6 & 6.5) transferred to Vandy and Feagin (9.1) has finished up his time with the program. The good news for Dutcher is that Matt Mitchell (12.2 & 4.8) flirted with the NBA draft but returned and is averaging 12.3 & 3.8. Jordan Schakel leads the team with 12.8 PPG, as NINE players are averaging between 6.0 and 12.8 PPG. The 6-6 Arop (7.3 & 5.0) and the 6-10 Mensah (7.0 & & 6.3) have been the top frontcourt contributors. Arizona State freshman Josh Christopher is averaging 17.5 & 4.3 has scored in double figures in all four games. Senior guard Martin is not far behind, averaging 17.3-3.0-4.0. Fellow senior Verge, who averaged 14.6 PPG last season, has missed two straight games because of COVID but returned to practice last Saturday and is expected to return to action against San Diego State. He averaged 15.0 & 5.5 in his first two games. Then there is 6-6 freshman Bagley, who has averaged 13.0 & 5.8 but suffered a lower-left leg injury in the Sun Devils' 70-62 victory at California last Thursday. "I'm very happy with where Marcus is and we've been very blessed and fortunate to get the medical (information) back that we did get back," Hurley said. "His Achilles (injury) is completely clean. It's intact. There were no strains or sprains or tears or anything to that area and that was my first initial thought when I saw him go down." This is the Aztecs' first road game and in their last outing, trailed Pepperdine by 16 points with 16:16 remaining, before eking out a 65-60. I don't expect them to be that lucky here at ASU. "The Price is Right" on the Sun Devils. Good luck...Larry |
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12-10-20 | Patriots v. Rams -5 | Top | 3-24 | Win | 100 | 28 h 52 m | Show |
My 10* Ls Vegas Insider Game of the Year is on the LA Rams at 8:20 ET. The New England Patriots have won FOUR of their last five, including a 45-0 'spanking' over the Chargers last Sunday. That game was played SoFi Stadium and New England head coach Bill Belichick and his team celebrated that triumph by staying in Los Angeles and working out at UCLA as opposed to making a pair of cross-country flights, as the Pats are right back in SoFi Stadium on Thursday night to face the Los Angeles Rams. Arizona, the LA Rams and Seattle were all 6-3 and tied atop the NFC West entering Week 11 but as Week 14 dawns, the Rams and Seahawks are tied at 8-4 (Rams currently own the tiebreaker), while the Cards have fallen off the pace at 6-6. That Pats won 45-0 last Sunday in a game in which they gained just 291 of total offense. QB Cam Newton passed for only 69 yards but did have 48 rushing yards with two TDs. The Pats became the seventh team in league history to have a punt returned for a TD (70 yards) and a blocked field goal returned for a TD (44 yards) in the same game. New England did run for 165 yards and for the season have averaged 150.9 YPG on the ground (3rd in the NFL). However, Newton has been just AWFUL as a passer with just five TDs and nine INTs and a QB rating of 80.3 (among the worst of all QBs). The team's top-two pass catchers (Byrd and Meyers) have a combined 75 receptions and just one TD! New England's defense ranked first in the NFL in points allowed (14.1 PPG) and total defense (275.0 YPG) last season but even after last week's shutout, is allowing 21.3 PPG (NINE points per game more than LY) on 344.6 YPG (about 70 YPG more). Jared Goff led the Rams to a Super Bowl berth in the 2018 season by throwing for 4,688 yards with 32 TDs and just 12 INTs (191.1 QB rating) and while he threw for 4,638 last season, his TD/INT ratio was just 22-16 and his QB rating fell to 86.5 (Rams went from 13-3 to 9-7). He's on pace to throw for around 4,500 yards in 2020 and his TD/INT ratio is 17-10 (QB rating of 93.7). The Rams said good-bye to RB Gurley and the running game has gone from averaging only 93.7 YPG (3.7 YPC) in 2019 to 124.2 YPG (ranks 9th) this season. Henderson, Brown and recently Akers have shared the ball carrying duties. Cam Akers ran 21 times for 72 yards and a TD in LA;s 38-28 win over the Cards but he has an ailing shoulder. Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown will fill in just fine if he's not 100 percent. While New England's top-two receivers have combined for just 75 catches, LA's Kupp has 74 catches and Woods 71. The TE duo of Higbee and Everett have a combined 66 catches with five TDs. As for defense, led by two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, Los Angeles ranks fifth in scoring defense (20.3 PPG) and second in total defense (295.3 YPG). An important matchup will be New England's running game (150.9 YPG ranks 3rd) against LA's rush D, which allows 93.1 YPG (3rd-best). The Pats were just 1-4 SU on the road before last Sunday's 45-0 blowout, with their LONE win coming against the still-winless Jets, game game the Pats trailed 27-17 in the fourth quarter before winning 30-27 on a 51-yard FG with 0:00 on the clock. A quick turnaround here vs a VERY good Rams team is NOT a good spot for the Pats. The Rams own impressive wins over Seattle and at Tampa Bay plus last week's 10-point win at Arizona over their last four games (loss came on a FG by the Niners on the final play of the game). Rams are the play! Good luck...Larry |
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12-09-20 | Indiana v. Florida State -3 | Top | 67-69 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 17 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the week is on Florida St at 7:15 ET. The No. 20 Seminoles have played just one game but get tested tonight when 3-1 Indiana comes to Tallahassee as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday night for their first big test of the season. The Seminoles only game so far was an 86-58 home win over North Florida, which has opened 0-6. As for the Hoosiers, they are 3-1 but that loss was 'ugly,' falling 66-44 to current-No. 13 Texas. Archie Miller spent six years at Dayton, winning 20-plus games in five seasons. Over his final four at the school, the Flyers averaged 25.5 wins per season and went to four straight NCAA tourneys. He got the Indiana job beginning with the 2017-18 season and was just 16-15 and 19-16. However, last year's team was 2012 before the season was "called off!" Devontae Green (13.5 & 8.4) graduated and the 6-7 Justin Smith (10.4 & 5.2) transferred to Arkansas. This year's team is led by the 6-9 Jackson-Davis (21.5 & 7.0), senior guard Durham (12.0-4.7-3.0) and the 6-8 Thompson (11.5 & 7.5). Indiana is looking to build off its third-place finish in the Maui event at Asheville, N.C, which included wins over Providence and Stanford plus a loss to then-No. 17 Texas. The Hoosiers have been solid defensively so far this season, holding opponents to 61.5 PPG (50th) on 31.8 percent shooting (60th). Leonard is now in his 19th season with FSU and he's been greatly underappreciated (more later). Florida State was 26-5 and poised to make a Final Four run before the postseason was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but entered this season losing three key players from a team.PG Forrest (11.6-4.4-4.0), SG Vassell (12.7 & 5.1) and 6-7 swingman Williams (9.7 & 4.0) were all chosen in the NBA draft. MJ Walker is back (opened with 17 points) and is surrounded by a talented group. Frontcourt veterans like the 7-1 Koprivica had 13 & 5, the 6-8 Gray (8 & 5), the 6-9 Osborne (6 & 3) all 'warmed up' against North Florida plus returning guard Polite (7 points) and 6-9 freshman Braun (8 & 6) will be solid contributors. Here's the bottom line. Hamilton has built a championship-caliber program at Florida St, one that has produced the THIRD most victories among ACC schools behind Duke and Virginia since 2016. How many knew that? Indiana shot a putrid 23.9% against Texas (2 of 10 on threes) in its biggest test so far and if there is ONE thing Hamilton does get credit for it's his team DEFENSE! The Seminoles may just also remember losing last year's battle when the Hoosiers won 80-64 in Indiana behind a career-high 30 points from Devonte Green. No Green here and FSU wins "with room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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12-09-20 | Furman v. Cincinnati -3 | Top | 73-78 | Win | 100 | 9 h 11 m | Show |
My 9* "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Play is on Cincinnati at 5:00 ET. The Cincinnati Bearcats welcome the Furman Paladins to Fifth Third Arena for a 5:00 ET tipoff. The Bearcats lost the 88th meeting of what's known as the "Crosstown Shootout" on Sunday 77-69 to Xavier, giving them a 1-1 start to the current season. Meanwhile, Furman has opened 4-0 and the Bearcats are well aware that the Paladins are MUCH more than an early season non-conference foe. Bob Richey's team is favored by many to win the Southern Conference and have opened with victories by 33, 28, 40 and 24 points. He won 23 games in his first two seasons at Furman and then 25 in each of the last two, as his 73-26 record represents the best three-year run in school history. Last season's leading scorer was Jordan Lyons (16.4) and while he graduated, the other four starters returned. Starting for the Paladins this season are guards Bothwell (21.8-5.-4.0) and Hunter (11.0-3.5-3.3) plus the frontcourt features the 6-7 Mounce (12.8 & 5.5), the 6-9 Slawson (11.8-6.5-5.0) and the 6-8 Gurley (11.5 & 4.8). Add in two freshmen, the 6-9 Hien (8.0 & 4.3) and guard Foster (4.8 & 5.5) coming off the bench and Richey has another quality team. John Brannen led Northern Kentucky to a 72-30 record in his final three seasons, leading the Norse to the "Big Dance" in two of those three years. He was hired at Cincy on April 14, 2019 when Mick Cronin left for UCLA. The Bearcats went 20-10 in last year's pandemic-shortened season. Cincy is missing guards Jarron Cumberland (15.5) and Jaevin Cumberland (8.8) plus forward Tre Scott (11.4 & 10.5). The Bearcats were one of the last teams in Division I to start their season, not taking the floor until last Wednesday, beating Lipscomb 67-55. Guard Keith Williams (12.5-3.0-2.5) is Cincy's top scorer after two games but shaky shooting and two crucial missed free throws down the stretch prompted him to shoulder the blame for the 77-69 loss to crosstown rival Xavier on Sunday. "I came back to lead this team, so everything is on me," said Williams, who explored NBA draft possibilities after last season. "Defensively, offensively. I'll take this loss. I'll take this on the chin as a veteran." The Bearcats have great balance with five players in double digits. After Williams there is Michigan transfer DeJulius (12.0-5.5-5.0), 6-10 Ivanauskas (a Colgate transfer) averaging 10.5 & 6.0, returning guard Adams-Woods (10.5) and the 7-1 Vogt (10. & 4.0). John Brannen didn't 'pull punches' after the Xavier loss saying, "We gotta get better. Just as a whole, we gotta get better!" He emphasized his hopes for more steady leadership from Williams, as well as Chris Vogt. Vogt struggled to capitalize on his size advantage against the Musketeers, contributing six of his eight points in the first half while snagging just one rebound in 32 minutes. "I mean, Chris is 7-1, 260 pounds," Brannen said. "For him to have one rebound, that can't happen." Furman's a quality team but Cincy is a 'tough out' at home and I expect then to bounce back after that loss to Xavier! Good luck...Larry |
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12-08-20 | Syracuse v. Rutgers -3.5 | Top | 69-79 | Win | 100 | 14 h 40 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Rutgers at 9:30 ET. Rutgers and Syracuse play Tuesday night in the first meeting in almost seven years between the two schools. Both enter with identical 3-0 records, after Rutgers led wire-to-wire in a 70-56 non-conference win over visiting Hofstra, while Syracuse tied a school record by making 15 three-pointers in a 87-52 win over Rider. The difference in this meeting, from that one in 2013, is that Rutgers is the ranked team (at No. 21), not Syracuse. At least three Syracuse team members - two players and head coach Jim Boeheim - have tested positive for the coronavirus this season. Buddy Boeheim (Jim's son) averaged 15.3 PPG and scored 21 points in the team's season-opening win over Bryant but he hasn't played since and will NOT be eligible to return for this one. Throw in the fact that the 6-10 Bourama Sidibe continues to recover from meniscus surgery and Syracuse will be without two of its original starting five. SF Griffin (16.7-7.0-4.0), the 6-7 Guerrier (16.3 & 11.0) and the 6-10 Dolezag (10.3 & 6.7) will lead the Orange into this game with the Scarlet Knights. Steve Pikiell spent 11 years at Stony Brook, winning 20-plus games in his final five seasons. He led the Seawolves to an NCAA berth in 2015-16 and a 26-7 record. His first three seasons at Rutgers saw the Scarlet Knights go just 15-18, 15-19 and 14-17, before going 20-11 last season before the year was shut down. This year's team looks REALLY good, led by senior guards Harper (21.0 & 7.7) and Young (15.3 & 5.7 APG). Junior guard Mathis adds 15.3 & 4.0 plus two 6-11 centers, Omoruyi (8.7 & 7.3) and Johnson (7.3 & 5.7) give Rutgers a strong inside presence. Rutgers was ranked in the preseason (No. 24) for the first time since 1978 and has opened with three wins by double digits. Syracuse will be a tougher test but as noted, come to town less than 100%. This would be a confidence-building win for the Scarlet Knights and the team's record at the RAC (Rutgers Athletic Center) is a 'sweet' 21-2 SU since the start of last season. Lay the reasonable price! Good luck...Larry |
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12-08-20 | Illinois v. Duke -3.5 | Top | 83-68 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on Duke at 9:30 ET. In yet another ACC/Big Ten Challenge game on Tuesday, No. 5 Illinois will play at Cameron Indoor Stadium against No. 10 Duke. Both schools lost last week, as the Fighting Illinois fell 82-69 to No. 2 Baylor in Indianapolis, while Duke lost at home 75-69 to now-No. 4 Michigan State. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood made a big 'splash' at S.F. Austin and then made a one year 'pit stop' at Oklahoma St, before landing in Champaign-Urbana. The Fighting Illini were just 14-18 and 12-21 in his first two seasons but had a breakout year in going 21-10 before last season was shut down. I'd list Coach K's accomplishments but we'd be here all day. 6-5 junior Dosunmu is the Fighting Illini's best player, averaging 23.8-7.3-6.3 and is joined in the backcourt by freshman Miller (14.5). 7-0 center Cockburn had a terrific freshman season (13.3 & 8.1) and checks in at 13.8 & 9.8 through four games. Guards Curbelo (10.0), Frazier (9.0) and Williams (7.0 & 7.8) plus the 6-9 Bezhanishvili (7.5) complete the main contributors. Coach K lost his top-two players to the NBA, the 6-10 Carey (17.8 & 8.8) will play this season for the Hornets and PG Jones (16.2-4.7-6.4) was taken by the Spurs. Coach K has seamlessly transitioned into the One-and-Done era and freshman guard Stewart has opened averaging 11.3-4.7-3.3, while 6-9 freshman Johnson is averaging 13.0 & 8.7. The 6-9 Hurt (9.7 & 3.8 last season) leads the team this season with 19.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG. Guards Goldwire and Roach plus SF Moore are combining for 18.0 PPG, plus 6-8 freshman Brakefield is averaging 8.0 & 3.7 in just 12 minutes! Here's the rub. Duke has been the dominant school in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, going 19-2. The Blue Devils have won EIGHT straight games as part of the series, while going 9-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Speaking of Duke's record at Cameron, note that the Blue Devils' home loss to Michigan St on Dec 1 was just Duke's THIRD non-conference home loss since 2000. The pointspread is more than reasonable and I expect Coach K to win this one fairly comfortably. Good luck...Larry |
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12-08-20 | Creighton v. Kansas -3.5 | Top | 72-73 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 29 m | Show |
My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on Kansas at 5:00 ET. Creighton was ranked No. 11 in the AP's preseason poll (the highest in school history) and after a 3-0 start is up to No. 8 as the Bluejays visit No. 7 Kansas, which is 4-1. Greg McDermott is now in his 11th season at Creighton and after tying for the Big East title last season and finishing 24-7, Creighton was picked to finish second behind Villanova in a preseason poll of league coaches. The Bluejays have used an eight-man rotation in the early going led by two juniors, the 6-7 Bishop (15.0 & 5.3) and 6-2 PG Zegarowski (12.3-3.0-7.0). SIX others chip in between 6.0 and 10.7 PPG. Note that 7-0 freshman Ryan Kalkbrenner (10.7 & 4.0) and 6-6 sophomore Antwann Jones (10.7-6.0-3.3) have both made big contributions off the bench. Key losses for Kansas entering this season were PG Devon Dotson (18.1-4.9-4.0) and the seven-foot Udoka Azubuike (13.7 & 10.5). However, two 6-5 guards are back, junior Ochai Agbaji (16.2) and senior Marcus Garrett (9.2 & 4.6), who is one of the nation's top defenders. 6-10 junior David McCormack has opened averaging 9.4 & 4.4 and 6-8 Justin Wilson, who has bounced back after suffering a broken ankle as a freshman last season, has been excellent (15.0 & 8.8). Kansas couldn't quite handle No. 1 Gonzaga (lost) but did beat then-No. 20 Kentucky, although with the Wildcats losing THREE in a row, that win doesn't seem like all that much. Bill Self is grateful for 6-7 JC transfer Tyon Grant-Foster, who had seen limited action until adding eight points and eight rebounds as Kansas avoided an embarrassing homecourt upset by North Dakota State on Saturday, winning just 65-61. To say the least, this visit to Allen Fieldhouse will be a competitive upgrade for the Bluejays after being favored by between 21 and 32 1/2-points over North Dakota State, Omaha and Kennesaw State. The Jayhawks got a real 'scare' by North Dakota St (Creighton was not all that much better in beating the Bison just 69-58) and should be primed for a matchup with the highly-ranked Bluejays. Top-10 matchups are nothing new for Kansas and I expect a win with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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12-07-20 | Bills +1 v. 49ers | Top | 34-24 | Win | 100 | 15 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* MNF Game of the Month is on the Buf Bills at 8:15 ET. The 8-3 Buffalo Bills and 5-6 San Francisco 49ers meet MNF at the home of the Arizona Cardinals, State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Az. The 49ers' home field is Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca and due to new COVID-related restrictions in Santa Clara County San Francisco's "home" games in Week 13 (Buffalo) and Week 14 (Washington) have been relocated to the Cardinals' home stadium. The Bills sit atop the AFC East but Miami's win on Sunday means that Buffalo needs to win here to stay one game up on the Dolphins. As for San Francisco, the defending NFC champs are currently in last place in the NFC West, although a win here would move them to 6-6 and into a tie with Arizona and Minnesota, just ONE game behind 7-5 Tampa Bay, which currently holds the NFC's final wild card spot. Buffalo enters the contest having won FOUR of five, with the lone loss having come at Arizona in Week 10 with what was an almost UNBELIEVABLE ending! The Bills got a much-needed bye in Week 11 Bills and returned in Week 12 with a 27-17 home win over Los Angeles Chargers behind a running and a passing TD from QB Josh Allen and a trick-play score on a 20-yard pass from Cole Beasley to fellow WR Gabriel Davis. Josh Allen is in his third season. He made great strides in his second season (2019) and began the current season as just the fourth QB in NFL history with at least 20 passing TDs (30) and 12 rushing TDs (17) in his first two seasons. He's come into his own in 2020, completing 68.8% for 3,028 yards with 22 TDs and eight INTs, while rushing for 311 yards with six TDs. His QB rating was 67.9 in his rookie season, 85.3 in 2019 and it's up to 102.3 in 2020. More importantly, he has the Bills at 8-3, putting them in position to capture their first division title since 1995. Allen doesn't get much support from his running game either, as the Bills are averaging just 10.4 YPG on the ground (21st). However, the addition of WR Diggs has been HUGE, as he leads the team with 80 catches (four TDs). Fellow WR Beasley, who has averaged 59 catches per season the last five, has 57 through 11 games (on pace for 83). Buffalo's defense allowed just 16.2 PPG last season (2nd to only New England) on 298.3 YPG (3rd) but this season is allowing 25.6 PPG (about 10 points higher), on 373.1 YPG (about 75 yards more per game). The 49ers have struggled all season with significant injuries and Nick Mullens (67.5% for 1,642 yards with six TDs and seven INTs) will again get the start at QB with Jimmy G still sidelined. RB Mostert (772 yards on 5.6 YPC with eight TDs) has played just five games (346 yards), leaving McKinnon as the "best of the rest" with 315 yards on 3.9 YPC but does have five TDs and 27 catches. San Francisco upset the Rams 23-20 last Sunday and the good news was Mostert returned and WR Samuel returned to catch 11 passes for 133 yards but TE Kittle (37 catches leads the team despite him playing just six games) remains sidelined. The 49ers are averaging only 112.0 YPG on the ground (averaged 141.0 LY) and with Mullens and injuries to their receiving corps, are averaging only 23.7 PPG, down from 29.9 PPG last season. The Bills have steadily improved under head coach Sean McDermott and want to make sure they DON'T repeat last season 2-3 finish, when they were also 8-3 through 11 games. Buffalo controls its own destiny in the AFC East and after this game, has only one "sure win" in its four remaining games (Denver). The other three are against Pittsburgh (11-0), New England (has won FIVE of six) and Miami. "Big game" for the Bills and a win would be "just desserts" coming in the same stadium they lost that heartbreaker to the Cardinals! Good luck...Larry |
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12-06-20 | Patriots v. Chargers -1.5 | Top | 45-0 | Loss | -105 | 25 h 30 m | Show |
My 10* AFC Game of the Year is on the LA Chargers at 4:25 ET. The 5-6 New England Patriots have won the AFC East 11 straight years (17 of the last 19) and last had a losing season back in 2000, going 5-11 in Bill Belichick's first season as the Pats' head coach. The Patriots visit LA on Sunday for a game with the 3-8 LA Chargers, having won THREE of their last four to get them to within one game of .500. The contest marks the first of a three-game road trip beginning with Chargers, then staying in LA for a Thursday night game with Rams in Week 14 and finishing up with a game at Miami in Week 15. "We are not where we need to be or want to be," said Belichick. "[A fast start] will be important this week. It's important every week." The Chargers will take the field having lost FOUR of their last five to fall to 3-8 in what was expected to be a rebuilding year. In fact, the matchup will be the first between the Patriots and Chargers NOT to feature either Tom Brady or Philip Rivers at QB since 1997. Brady famously left New England after 20 years and Rivers left the Chargers after 16 year to sign with the Colts. New England was counting on former MVP Cam Newton to lead the offense but has just FOUR touchdown passes in 266 attempts with nine INTs. He does have 387 rushing yards (9 TDs) for a running game that ranks fifth by averaging 149.6 YPG on the ground. However, the team's receiving corps is a pathetic group. Edleman is out with an injury (had just 21 catches after six games), while WRs Byrd and Meyers have 71 combined catches and just one TD reception. New England's defense ranked first in the NFL in points allowed (14.1 PPG) and total defense (275.0 YPG) but this season the Pats are allowing 23.2 PPG (that's NINE more per game) on 352.5 YPG. The Chargers lost Rivers but have found a "franchise" QB in Justin Herbert. He's completing 66.9% for 3,015 yards with 23 TDs and seven TDs (110.9 QB rating). WR Allen is having another brilliant season with 85 catches and seven TDs plus TE Henry has 48 catches with three TDs. The running game is no better than average (117.2 YPG ranks 11th) but the return of Austin Ekeler last week is GREAT news. He ran for 557 yards (3 TDs) and caught 92 passes (8 TDs) last season and last Sunday at Buffalo ran for 44 yards and caught 11 passes for 85 yards. The Chargers are allowing 27.3 PPG (25th) but a more modest 342.9 YPG (12th). The Chargers have blown double digit leads on a regular basis but I like them here vs the Pats. Yes, the Pats have won three of four but in five road games in 2020, they are 1-4 SU with their LONE win coming against 0-11 Jets, game game the Pats trailed 27-17 in the fourth quarter before winning 30-27 on a 51-yard FG with 0:00 on the clock. Methinks the Pats have a VERY good chance of a losing season! Good luck...Larry |
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12-06-20 | Eagles +9.5 v. Packers | Top | 16-30 | Loss | -119 | 19 h 9 m | Show |
My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the Phi Eagles at 4:25 ET. The Green Bay Packers are 8-3 and chasing the 9-2 Saints for the NFC's No. 1 seed. In stark contrast the Philadelphia Eagles are 3-7-1 but in the NFC 'Least,' they are just a half-game back of first place, as New York (Giants) and Washington are both just 4-7. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers is having an impressive season (in a HOF career), throwing for 3,100 passing yards with 33 TDs and just four INTs (his QB rating of 117.5 is an NFL-best). As for Philly QB Carson Wentz is struggling. He entered this season having thrown EXACTLY seven INTs in each of the previous three years, while passing for 81 TDs. However, he's completing just 58.1% in 2020 with almost as many INTs (15) as TD passes (16). Philly got some good news this week, as the Eagles activated Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz, who has missed the past five games with an ankle injury. Ertz has caught 431 passes the last five seasons, an average of 86 per. He joins fellow TEs Rodgers (24 catches / 2 TDs) and Goedert (30 catches (3 TDs). He has just one touchdown catch this season after being the team's leading receiver for the past four seasons. RB Sanders has missed some time but he's run for 600 yards on 5.6 YPC with three TDs. The defense has been mediocre, allowing 25.2 PPG (16th) on 338.9 YPG (9th). Rodgers leads an offense scoring 31.7 PPG (1st) and gets plenty of help for WR Adams (74 catches and 11 TDs in nine games), TE Tonyan (37 catches / 7 TDs) and RB Jones, who has 634 yards rushing (4.8 YPC / 6 TDs) plus 33 catches for three TDs. The problem has been a defense allowing 25.7 PPG (19th). The Eagles will have their work cut out for themselves in trying to win at Lambeau but a win could find them back in first place. New York is at 8-3 Seattle (10 1/2-point dogs) and Washington is at 11-0 Pittsburgh (7-point underdogs). I will NOT be surprised to see Wentz have a good game and getting this many points has me taking the Eagles. Good luck...Larry |
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12-06-20 | Rams -2.5 v. Cardinals | Top | 38-28 | Win | 100 | 23 h 55 m | Show |
My 9* Division Game of the Month (NFC West) is on the LA Rams at 4:05 ET. Arizona, the LA Rams and Seattle were all 6-3 and tied atop the NFC West entering Week 11. Seattle is currently 8-3 but the Rams (7-4) and the Cards (6-5) have fallen off the pace, as they square off in a critical game at Glendale, Az on Sunday. The Rams fell out of a first-place tie with the Seahawks on Sunday after a last-second 23-20 home defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, while the Cardinals fell two games off the pace after they lost 20-17 at the New England Patriots, also on a last-second FG. Catching Seattle will be tough (Seahawks have a very easy schedule ahead) but the loser of this game will really hurt its wild card chances. Jared Goff led the Rams to a Super Bowl berth in the 2018 season by throwing for 4,688 yards with 32 TDs and just 12 INTs (191.1 QB rating) and while he threw for 4,638 last season, his TD/INT ratio was just 22-16 and his QB rating fell to 86.5 (Rams went from 13-3 to 9-7). He's on pace to throw for around 4,400 yards in 2020 and his TD/INT ratio is 16-10 (QB rating of 92.7). The Rams said good-bye to RB Gurley and the running game has gone from averaging only 93.7 YPG (3.7 YPC) in 2019 to 124.6 YPG (ranks 9th) this season. Henderson (510 yards on 4.3 YPC with four TDs) and Brown (371 yards on 4.3 YPC and five TDs) have shared the workload. WRs Kupp (66 catches) and Woods (61) plus the TE duo of Higbee and Everett have combined for 56 catches and four TDs. Led by two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, Los Angeles ranks fourth in scoring defense (19.5 PPG) and second in total defense (296.7 YPG). Kyler Murray has thrown for 2,814 yards with 19 TDs and nine INTs. He's also run for 650 yards (6.7 YPC) with 10 TDs. RB Kenyan Drake is turning into a solid player, rushing for 719 yards (4.3 YPC) and seven TDs. Future HOF Fitzgerald may have 43 catches but he's averaging only 7.8 YPC without a TD. Hopkins is now the team's "go-to" WR with 77 catches, with Kirk catching 34 passes with six TDs. However, here's the rub. The Cardinals have lost three of their last four games and are a successful Hail Mary pass from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins away from being on a four-game losing streak. Opponents have started to contain Murray's passing ability with blitzes and have stifled his running ability by focusing on him rather than the backs on handoff zone-reads. The Rams defense is surely capable of doing the same. Speaking of defense, when the Cards beat the 49ers back on Oct 25, they entered that game with their defense allowing just 18.7 PPG. However, including that 34-31 win in OT, the Arizona defense has allowed 29.2 PPG over its last five games. Jared Goff lost a fumble in Sunday's defeat to the 49ers and threw TWO interceptions, one which was returned for a TD. After the game, head coach Sean McVay said his quarterback has to take better care of the football. As for Goff, he responded, "I'm a big boy," he said. "I can handle it." Goff shouldn't lack for confidence, as this series has clearly been one-sided over the last three years with the Rams going a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS. Why not a 'Lucky 7' in a row? Good luck...Larry |
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12-06-20 | Xavier +1.5 v. Cincinnati | Top | 77-69 | Win | 100 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Game of the Month is on Xavier at 3:00 ET. The Xavier Musketeers will visit Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena to take on the Bearcats in the 88th meeting of what's known as the "Crosstown Shootout," the tow schools are just THREE miles apart and the rivalry features as much animosity as ANY in college hoops (Google the 2011 game!). Travis Steele was hired by Sean Miller at Xavier for the 2008-09 season and retained by Chris Mack after Miller accepted the Arizona head coaching position. Steele was promoted to head coach on March 31, 2018 when Mack left for Louisville. He has been a part of a program that has been to eight NCAA tournaments, including an Elite Eight run in 2017, as well as being part of two Atlantic 10 regular season titles, and one Big East regular season title. John Brannen led Northern Kentucky to a 72-30 record in his final three season, leading the Norse to the "Big Dance" in two of those three years. He was hired at Cincy on April 14, 2019 when Mick Cronin left for UCLA. The Bearcats went 20-10 in last year's pandemic-shortened season. Xavier's leading scorer Marshall (16.8) is gone, as is big man Jones (14.0 & 11.1) but Steele has plenty of talent on this season's squad. The Musketeers have been one of the busiest teams in the country so far, fitting their first five games into eight days and have gone 5-0!. The 6-9 Freemantle (17.4 & 8.4) is off to a strong start and is joined up front by 6-11 graduate transfer Johnson (11.8 & 4.4) plus 6-9 returning senior Carter (8.2 & 10.6) Senior guard Scruggs checks in with 12.4 PPG and 7.4 APG, while sophomore guard Tandy is averaging 14.8 PPG. Xavier averaged just 70.7 PPG last season but is scoring 81.2 PPG through five games, plus after shooting only 43.6% from the floor last year, the Musketeers are making 49.7% (44th) this season. Cincy is missing guards Jarron Cumberland (15.5) and Jaevin Cumberland (8.8) plus forward Tre Scott (11.4 & 10.5). It's hard to judge Cincy's team this season as unlike the busy Musketeers, the Bearcats were one of the last teams in Division I to start their season. They did so Wednesday night at home with a 67-55 defeat of Lipscomb. Mika Adams-Woods tallied a career-high 16 points (he averaged just 5.0 PPG last season in 21 minutes) and the 7-1 Chris Vogt added 12 & 8. The 6-10 Ivanauskas is a Colgate transfer and chipped in 11 & 6, plus Michigan transfer DeJulius had 8-6-4 while playing the point. Having a FIVE games to one advantage this early is a HUGE advantage for Xavier plus the record book shows the Musketeers have won FIVE of the last seven and NINE of the last 13 meetings. Xavier gets the win and let's hope for NO fights! Good luck...Larry |
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12-06-20 | Colts -3 v. Texans | Top | 26-20 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Ind Colts at 1:00 ET. The Indianapolis Colts won a huge game 34-17 in Tennessee against the Titans back in Week 10 and followed in Week 11 with a 34-31 OT win at home over the Packers (trailed 28-14 at the half) but 'ran out of gas' last Sunday at home, when the Titans (behind Henry's 178 rushing yards and three TDs) crushed the Colt 45-26. The 7-4 Colts now trail the 8-3 Titans in the AFC South as they visit Houston to take on the Texans. The Texans entered the season having won FOUR of the previous five AFC titles but not much has gone right for Houston this season. The Texans crushed the sad-sack Lions 41-25 on Thanksgiving but Houston is just 4-7 on the season and the playoffs are hardly a serious likelihood. The Colts signed QB Philip Rivers in the offseason as a FA and he's been solid. Rivers took over as the Chargers' starting QB in 2006 and over the next 14 seasons, started EVERY game, topping 3,000 passing yards in every one, including passing for over 4,000 yards 11 times (he's topped 4,000 in his last SEVEN seasons). He's on pace for another 4,000-yard season in 2020, as through 11 games he's got 2,978 yards. His completion rate of 67.3% is slightly above his career mark (64.8) and his QB rating of 93.9 is just below his career mark (95.0). Rookie RB Taylor (518 rushing yards / 3.8 YPC) has been a disappointment but fellow RB Hines leads the team with 44 catches. WRs Hilton (33 catches) and Pascal (32) are hardly special but the Indy defense, despite some recent issues, has been strong. The Colts are allowing 23.0 PPG (9th) and 311.8 YPG (5th). Houston signed QB Deshaun Watson to a huge contract before the season and it's hard to blame the team's poor season on him. He's completing 68.9% for 3,2101 yards with 24 TDs and just five INTs. He enters this game without an interception in SIX straight games but the Texans are just 3-3 in those contests. No one really expected that Houston could play its way into the playoff picture but with WR Will Fuller V and cornerback Bradley Roby earning season-ending suspensions based on violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, the Texan's slim hopes have 'left town!' Fuller was having the most productive season of his five-year career with 53 receptions, 879 yards and eight touchdowns. Replacing him will be all but impossible on the heels of the Texans losing WR Randall Cobb (38 catches / 3 TDs) to injury. The team's prospects are not helped by a defense allowing 27.0 PPG (23rd) on 409.5 YPG (30th). These teams will meet again in Week 15 but I'm taking the Colts here, as they've covered SIX of their last seven matchups with the Texans, who have very little left to play for in 2020. Good luck...Larry |
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12-05-20 | UNLV v. Kansas State -2 | Top | 68-58 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Kansas St at 8:00 ET. UNLV has opened 0-4 (lost three games in three days at the Maui Invitational, which was held in Asheville, NC) and will travel to Manhattan, Ks to take on 1-2 Kansas State. UNLV returns just three players who played significant minutes from last season's 17-15 team and Bruce Weber's Wildcats lost their top-three scorers from a team that went just 11-21 last season, after winning 25 games in the previous two campaigns. UNLV head coach T.J. Otzelberger is in his second season in Las Vegas has watched his team lose 91-78 to Montana State at home and then lose three straight in Asheville. That said, he claims to be "encouraged" heading into this contest. I'm NOT sure why? Junior guard Hamilton (21.5-5.8-3.5) is a quality player who is joined in the backcourt by Grill (14.0 & 4.) and graduate transfer Jenkins (10.3). |
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12-05-20 | Colorado State v. San Diego State -7 | Top | 17-29 | Win | 100 | 26 h 53 m | Show |
My 9* play is on San Diego St at 7:00 ET. Colorado St went to FIVE consecutive bowl games from 2013 through 2017 but back-to-back 39 and 4-8 seasons followed in 2018 and 2019. Calls for head coach Mike Bobo's firing gained steam throughout last season. Just over 12,000 people attended the final home game against Boise State, one of the Rams' worst home crowds since before Sonny Lubick's arrival with Bobo and CSU mutually agreeing to part ways just days later. Steve Addazio got the job, after being fired at BC. He did lead BC to SIX bowl appearances in his seven-year tenure but his teams never won more than seven games in a season and his career mark at the school ended at 44-44. The Rams have seen their last two games canceled and have played just THREE games to-date. Colorado St won 34-24 at home vs Wyoming but in two road games, has lost 38-17 at Fresno St and 52-21 at Boise St. Brady Hoke is back coaching the Aztecs after Rocky Long retired after the 2019 season. He took over a program that had won 10-plus games in FOUR of the previous five years and has been to 10 consecutive bowl games! The Aztecs opened 3-1 but then lost 26-21 at Nevada on Nov 21. The team's game with Fresno St on Nov 27 was canceled early in the week and SDSU hastily arranged a game in Boulder against Colorado. The Buffs are a good team and the Aztecs lost 20-10. The defense was great last season, allowing 12.7 PPG on only 288.0 YPG and it hasn't been too far off those numbers in 2020 (16.2 PPG ranks 9th and 270.3 YPG ranks 3rd). This marks SDSU's final home game of the season, as the Aztecs finish next Saturday at BYU (good luck in that one!). Lay the points here with the Aztecs. Good luck...Larry |
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12-05-20 | Florida Atlantic v. Georgia Southern -2 | Top | 3-20 | Win | 100 | 14 h 21 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Georgia Southern at 6:00 ET. |
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12-05-20 | BYU v. Coastal Carolina +10.5 | Top | 17-22 | Win | 100 | 30 h 56 m | Show |
My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on Coastal Carolina at 5:30 ET. |
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12-05-20 | Georgia Tech v. NC State -6.5 | Top | 13-23 | Win | 100 | 47 h 36 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on NC State at 4:00 ET. 7-3 North Carolina State (6-3 ACC) plays its final game of the season on Saturday against 3-5 Georgia Tech (3-4 ACC). NC State is still smarting from last year's 28-26 defeat to the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, when an injury-depleted Wolfpack team fell behind 21-3 and saw their comeback fall short when a final two-point conversion failed. Surprisingly, NC State has not beaten Ga Tech in Raleigh since 2000! Georgia Tech took the field last Saturday having not played since Oct 31 and ended a three-game losing streak with a 56-33 win over Duke. QB Sims set career highs for rushing yard (108) and TD passes (three) becoming the first freshman in the country to run for at least 100 yards and pass for at least three TDs in a game this season. That outstanding effort still leaves Sims with a modest 58.8% completion rate, just 1,492 passing yards and with as many INTs (11) as TD passes (11) on the season. He's added 385 rushing yards with four TDs. The Yellow Jackets average 193.6 YPG on the ground (39th) but the team's leading rusher (Gibbs) has just 460 yards. He also leads the team with 24 catches (12.6 YPC / 3 TDs). WR Camp has 22 catches for 14.5 YPC with three TDs and fellow wide-out Carter has 17 catches (14.4 YPC / 3 TDs). The Ga Tech defense is allowing 38.9 PPG which remains an issue. Last year's starting QB Leary has been replaced by Bailey Hochman, who has thrown for 1,511 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games. He passed for a career-high 313 yards and four TDs in the Wolfpack's most recent win, 36-29 at Syracuse. NC State has not run the ball as well as Ga Tech but does have two solid RBs in Knight (698 yards / 5.6 YPC / 8 TDs) and Person (576 yards / 4.6 YPC / 3 TDs). WRs Emezie and Thomas each have 36 catches, combining for 11 TDs. TE Angeline has 25 catches for 15.5 YPC with six TD catches. Like Ga Tech, the NC State defense is a negative, allowing 31.4 PPG. NC State sits at 7-3, with ALL of its losses coming against ranked opponents. NC State has played FIVE ranked opponents in all, winning two of those games. NC State enters on a three-game winning streak with Hockman settling in at QB with seven TDs and three INTs during the streak. As for Ga Tech, let's note that all five of the team's losses have come by 17 or more points and here's a stat head coach Geoff Collins doesn't want you to hear. He was just 3-9 in his first season (2019) and has followed by going 3-5 in 2020. That's just SIX wins and following his first five wins (his sixth was last week vs Duke), Ga Tech has not just lost all FIVE but has also gone 0-5 ATS with an average margin of defeat of 30.4 PPG. Good enough for me! Good luck...Larry |
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12-05-20 | Boston College v. Virginia -4 | Top | 32-43 | Win | 100 | 28 h 15 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Game of the Year is on Virginia at 3:30 ET. Steve Addazio coached Boston College to SIX bowl appearances in his seven seasons but never won more than SEVEN games in any season. On December 1, 2019 following the conclusion of a 6-6 regular season, Boston College fired him (career record at BC was 44-44). Jeff Hafley was hired to be the co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State and quickly established himself as one of the best recruiters in the country and was hired to be the head coach at Boston College after the firing of Addazio. Boston College is 6-4 (5-4 in the ACC) in Hafley's first season and The Eagles will play their final regular season game of the year Saturday at Virginia. Bronco Mendenhall spent 11 years as BYU head coach, leading the Cougars to 11 bowls during his tenure. He took the Virginia job in 2016 and flopped,' going 2-10 his first season. However, he righted the ship quickly, by following with THREE straight bowl berths. The 2019 season was special, as he led the Cavs to their first victory over Virginia Tech after fifteen consecutive losses in their rivalry, capping a 9–3 regular season and that secured the program's first Coastal Division title and a berth in the 2019 ACC Championship Game and 2019 Orange Bowl. It was the program's first Orange Bowl bid since turning down an invite 68 years earlier (for the 1952 Orange Bowl) and only the third New Year's Six appearance of any Coastal Division member. It was also the Cavaliers' most prestigious bowl appearance since George Welsh led the 1990 team to the Sugar Bowl. Boston College is off a 34-27 victory at home over Louisville last Saturday, despite starting QB Phil Jurkovec (left knee) and No. 1 RB David Bailey (upper body) to injuries. Backup QB Dennis Grosel came on and threw two fourth-quarter TDs in the win. Jurkovec is a Notre Dame transfer and has completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,558 yards with 17 TDs and five INTs. As for Grosel, who started seven games in 2019, he said "It's kind of like riding a bike. I did it last year, so I hopped right on and held on for the ride." Bailey leads BC's running game with a modest 503 yards and the Eagles only average 112.6 YPG on the ground (113th), averaging a pathetic 3.3 YPC. WR Flowers has 48 catches with seven TDs and TE Long 49 catches with four TDs. The BC defense allows 26.9 PPG, just under what the team's offense scores (27.4. Armstrong has taken over at QB for Virginia and has thrown 15 TDs and eight INTs, while also leading the team in rushing with 399 yards (4 TDs). The Cavs' running game is not bad, averaging 163.8 YPG (50 YPG more than BC) plus RB Kemp is the team's top receiver (52 catches). TE Poljan has 30 catches and five TDs plus WR Davis, who has played in just five games, averages 26.7 YPC on his 14 receptions with five TDs. The Cavaliers are 0-6 all-time against the Eagles heading into Saturday's home finale in Charlottesville, including an 0-2 record at home and an 0-4 mark since Boston College joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2005. So why should UVa win here? Boston College has alternated wins and losses over its last nine games and is coming off a win last Saturday (see above). The status QB Jurkovec and RB Bailey is not clear but I'm 'ON' Virginia, regardless. Armstrong has led UVa to three straight wins, throwing eight TD passes and just two INTs (also added three rushing TDs plus 178 yards), as the Cavs have averaged 43.3 PPG. Virginia is 16-2 SU at Scott Stadium dating back to the start of the 2018 season. Revenge works well in this one! Good luck...Larry |
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12-04-20 | Oregon -3 v. Seton Hall | Top | 83-70 | Win | 100 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Oregon at 9:00 ET. No. 21 Oregon (opened No. 20 in the preseason poll) has played just once so far, an 83-75 loss to Missouri on Wednesday. The Ducks will look to rebound Friday night in Omaha against Seton Hall, which has opened 1-2. Tonight's contest is a rematch of Oregon's 71-69 win last November in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. Both schools lost their best player from last season, Payton Pritchard (20.5-4.3-5.5) of Oregon and Myles Powell (21.0 & 4.3) of Seton Hall. Dana Altman spent 16 seasons at Creighton and took the school to seven NCAA tourneys in his last 12 years at the school. He came to Oregon for the 2010-11 season and won the CBI championship in his first season. He begins his 11th season in Eugene having won 20-plus games in each of his first 10, averaging 25.9 wins per year. Oregon has played in SIX of the last eight NCAA tourneys and it would have been seven if last season's year was not cut short (Ducks were 24-7). Seton Hall believed it could have made a run to the Final Four behind All-American guard Myles Powell last season, before COVID-19 shut things down. The Pirates were 21-9 and ranked 15th in the country after finishing tied for first in the Big East with a 13-5 record. Head coach Kevin Willard began his stint at Seton Hall in 2010-11 and struggled in his first five but he entered this season off FIVE straight 20-win or more seasons, each ending in an NCAA berth, not including last year in which the Pirates would have received a bid. Along with Pritchard, Altman lost SG Mathis (8.5) and 6-7 SF Juiston (7.9 & 6.3). However, to the rescue come two transfers. The 6-6 Eugene Omoruyi, who sat out last year as a transfer from Rutgers and the 6-6 Eric Williams who transferred from Duquesne. Omoruyi wasted no time making his presence felt, scoring 31 points (the most ever scored by a Duck in his debut for the school) and grabbing 11 rebounds. Williams added 13 & 9 plus returning 6-6 senior Duarte had 22-4-3. Oregon's problem was the Ducks got a total of just FOUR points off the bench. Willard will miss Powell but likes his team. Seton Hall PG Shavar Reynolds averaged just 4.2 PPG playing limited minutes last season behind Powell but Willard is counting on Reynolds to "run the show," First-team All-Big East selection Sandro Mamukelashvili is back as are wings Jared Rhoden and Myles Cale, plus 7-foot-2 center Ike Obiagu. Mamukelashvili has averaged 21.7 & 9.0 and Rhoden joins him in double digits at 15.7 & 7.3. Reynolds (7.0 & 4.7 APG) is off to a decent start, with Cale averaging 9.7 & 3.7. Molson 7.0 & 4.3 and Obiagu 3.7 & 6.3. Seton Hall lost by just ONE at Louisville in its season opener, then won 86-64 over Iona but fell 76-63 to Rhode Island. I'm a HUGE fan of Altman and I expect the Ducks to bounce back from that unexpected loss to Missouri with Omoruyi leading the way. With ANY support off the bench, Oregon should win comfortably. Good luck...Larry |
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12-04-20 | UL-Lafayette v. Appalachian State -2 | Top | 24-21 | Loss | -110 | 55 h 36 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on Appalachian St at 7:00 ET. No. 20 ULL (8-1 / 6-1 SBC) visits Appalachian St (7-2, 5-1) on Friday night. Louisiana has already secured a spot in the conference championship game as the SBC-East champs, while Appalachian St's loss to Coastal Carolina (9-0 / 7-0) means it will not have a chance to defend its back-to-back SBC title game wins over ULL in 2018 and 2019. Billy Napier accepted the head coaching job of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns back on Dec 15, 2017, giving him his first job as a head coach of a college football team. His first season resulted with the Rajin' Cajuns winning the SBC-West and making a Cure Bowl appearance (lost to Tulane to finish 7-7). ULL won the West again last season and gave Appalachian St all it wanted in the SBC championship game (lost 45-38),before capping its season with a 27-17 bowl win over Miami-Ohio to finish 11-3. ULL opened the 2020 season by winning 31-14 at Iowa St as a two-TD underdog. That victory is arguably the biggest win in school history, as ULL beat a top-25 opponent on the road for the first time, having gone 0-26 against ranked foes away from home. ULL's only other win over a top-25 team was in 1996 at home against Texas A&M. ULL is fresh off last Saturday's 70-20 pounding of UL-Monroe, improving to 5-0 in road games. Appalachian State will be forever-linked to its upset of Michigan back in 2007. There was no official pointspread on the game but App St's 34-32 win has been called the greatest upset in college football history. Appalachian State moved up to the FBS level in 2014 and has made quite an impression. Beginning in 2015, the Mountaineers have gone 54-12 (.818) and been to five straight bowls, winning all five. Scott Satterfield led App St through 2018 but then left for Louisville. Eliah Drinkwitz led the Mountaineers to a 12-1 record in 2019 and a second straight SBC championship but bolted to Missouri before the school's 31-17 win over UAB in the New Orleans Bowl. Shawn Clark coached App St in the bowl win and became the school's THIRD head coach in three seasons. ULL has outstanding balance on offense, passing for 227.0 YPG and rushing for 217.3. QB Levi Lewis has thrown for 2,027 yards with 16 TDs and seven INTs, even though no player has more than 23 receptions. The running game is shared by Mitchell (656 yards / 6.0 YPC / 7 TDs) and Ragas (617 yards / 5.9 YPC / 7 TDs). The defense is solid, allowing 21.9 PPG (23rd) on 354.2 YPG (32nd). QB Zach Thomas is completing 66.7% for App St, throwing for 1,775 yards with 17 TDs and eight INTs, down from last year's numbers (2,718 yards with 28 TDs and six INTs). The Mountaineers are averaging 256.6 YPG on the ground (7th) on 5.6 YPC. Five players have more than 250 yards, led by Peoples (639 yards / 6.0 YPC / 6 TDs) and Harrington (595 yards / 5.6 YPC / 7 TDs). Like ULL, the team's receiving corps is very mediocre. However, the defense is VERY good, allowing just 18.0 PPG (15th) on 320.0 YPG (13th). Here's the rub. ULL has had the better season but has already clinched a spot in the SBC championship game and will get a shot at Coastal Carolina, which is currently unbeaten. What's more, the Ragin' Cajuns are trying to avoid the distraction of Billy Napier's name surfacing as a potential candidate for higher-profile head coaching jobs. It's also impossible to ignore that as SBC foes, Appalachian St is 8-0 SU vs ULL. This marks Appalachian State's final home game of the season (has avoided COVID postponements) and would surely love to continue its domination of ULL. How about this? With ULL coming in as the AP's 20th-ranked team (No. 25 in the CFP), this marks the first time in school history that a top-25 team will come to Boone, North Carolina's Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers are the small favorite and win "with room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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12-03-20 | Connecticut v. USC +1.5 | Top | 61-58 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
My 10* "signature" 37-Club Play is on USC at 7:00 ET. UConn moved to the AAC for the 2013-14 season and made an improbable run to the Final Four and won a national championship. However, it has spent the last six seasons going just 110-90, with just two seasons of 20-plus wins and one NCAA tourney appearance. The Huskies have fallen out of the national 'picture' but hope a return to the Big East this season, along with the hiring of Dan Hurley as its head coach, will change that. Hurley spent six seasons at Rhode Island, winning 25 and 26 games in his final two years, ending with NCAA bids. However, he went 14 -19 and 16-17 in his first two seasons with UConn, before going 19-12 in last season's pandemic-shortened one. Andy Enfield led Florida Gulf Coast to a 26-11 season in his second at the school, making a Sweet 16 appearance. That gave him the chance to "move on up" to USC but his first two seasons were HUGE disappointments (11-21 and 12-20). However, the Trojans have won 21-plus games in FOUR of the last five seasons, including a 22-9 mark last season before the shut down. The Huskies have opened 2-0 and the Trojans 3-0 ahead of tonight's in the Mohegan Sun "Bubbleville." Vital (16.4 & 6.3) was UConn's best player but he graduated and Gilbert (8.5 & 3.5 APG) transferred to Wichita St. However, hopes are high for Connecticut this year, as the Huskies return to their natural habitat in the Big East after seven years in the American Athletic Conference. The 6-5 Bouknight is averaging 19.0 & 6.5 and is surrounded by fellow guards Cole (13.5 & 3.5 APG), Gaffney (10.5) and Martin, a Rhode Island transfer who made a nice impression in his Huskies debut against Hartford with six points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. Up front, it's three 6-9 players, Whaley (11.0 & 8.5), freshman Sanogo (8.0 & 4.5) and a now healthy Polley (played just 15 games LY), who has contributed 7.0 & 4.5. USC saw its top-five scorers leave after the 2020 season. Onyeka Okongwu left for the NBA, Elijah Weaver transferred to University of Dayton plus seniors Jonah Mathews, Nick Rakocevic, and Daniel Utomi all graduated. However, Enfield recruited a "super frosh" in 7-0 freshman Evan Mobley plus brought in SIX transfers. Evan Mobley has wasted little time in showing his value, averaging 16.3 & 9.0. He joins his brother Isaiah (a 6-10 sophomore), who has added 10.3 & 11.3. Peterson is a 6-8 swingman from Rice and leads a perimeter group with 14.7 & 4.7. Fellow guards are Eaddy (Santa Clara) and White, a grad transfer from Utah Valley St. Eaddy is averaging 12.7 PPG and White 8.3. The 6-9 Goodwin, a grad transfer from Wofford adds 6.7 & 5.3. UConn has yet to play a quality opponent (Central Connecticut State and Hartford) and hardly looked "ready for primetime" in blowing a 19-point lead and sending Hartford to the line 27 times. Meanwhile, USC held a normally potent BYU attack to 27.5 percent from the floor in a 79-53 rout. Note that Cougars are off to a 4-1 start, averaging 87.5 PPG in those four wins. At "pick-em," USC is a STRONG play! Good luck...Larry |
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12-02-20 | Illinois v. Baylor -5 | Top | 69-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on Baylor at 10:00 ET. No. 5 Illinois and No. 2 Baylor meet in the nightcap of the Jimmy V Classic at Indianapolis giving college basketball fans the first top-5 matchup of the young season. Baylor opened No. 2 (to Gonzaga) in the AP's preseason poll, while Illinois began at No. 8 Illinois. head coach Brad Underwood made a big 'splash' at S.F. Austin and then made a one year 'pit stop' at Oklahoma St, before landing in Champaign-Urbana. The Fighting Illini were just 14-18 and 12-21 in his first two seasons but had a breakout year in going 21-10 before last season was shut down. As for Baylor's Scott Drew, he took over a devastated Baylor program in the 2003-4 season and since 2007-08, has turned the Bears into one of the better programs in the country. Baylor won the NIT in 2013 and has made eight NCAA tourney appearances (26-4 last season would have made nine). The Illini routed North Carolina A&T and Chicago State by a combined 121 points but nearly lost to Ohio U last Friday. However, junior guard Ayo Dosunmu sank the tying and go-ahead free throws with two seconds left to save Illinois, 77-75. Dosunmu is averaging 25.7-7.7-6.7 and is joined in the backcourt by freshman Miller (18.0). 7-0 center Cockburn had a terrific freshman season (13.3 & 8.1) and checks in at 15.0 & 11.7 through three games. Guard Feliz (11.0 & 5.0) and SF Griffin (8.9 & 4.5) are gone but a trio of guards (Curbelo, Frazier and Williams) are combining for 26-plus PPG! Baylor lost 6-9 center Gillespie (9.6 & 9.0) but Tchatchoua is a 6-8 transfer from UNLV and he's averaged 9.0 & 8.0. The 6-5 Vital plays like a power forward, averaging 6.5 & 8.5 and is considered one of the best defensive players in the nation. The strength of Baylor's team is centered around its four guards, all scoring in double digits. Butler's (18.5-3.0-4.5) the best of the group but don't look past Teague (18.0 & 6.5), Flagler (14.5-3.0-4.0) or Mitchell (12.0-4.0-6.5) Illinois entered the top-5 for the first time since losing to North Carolina in the 2005 NCAA championship game but the team's stay may not last long. Baylor is expected to regain the services of head coach Scott Drew, who missed Baylor's impressive wins over Louisiana and Washington over the weekend in Las Vegas while completing his quarantine after contracting COVID-19. He used Zoom to participate in the Bears' scout sessions and pregame locker room discussions, but mostly volunteered to stand aside and let associate head coach Jerome Tang run the show. Baylor wins by double digits! Good luck...Larry |
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12-02-20 | Texas v. North Carolina +1 | Top | 69-67 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 17 m | Show |
My 9* play is on North Carolina at 4:00 ET. No. 14 North Carolina and No. 17 Texas will meet late Wednesday afternoon (4:00 ET tip) in the championship game of the Maui Invitational. However, in the "Year of COVID," the tournament has been relocated to snowy Asheville, a western North Carolina mountain city instead of its normal location in 'paradise' (or Hawaii, if you will). Shaka Smart was a 'genius' at VCU, winning the CBI championship in his first season and then taking the Rams to the Final Four in his second season. He took the Texas job after six seasons at VCU where he was 163-56, an average of 27.2 wins per season. However, in his first five seasons in Austin, he's had one 'nightmare' season (11-22 in his second year) and four more in which the Longhorns have won a total of just 79 games (just under 20 per) with just two NCAA appearances (lost first game each time). North Carolina's legendary head coach Roy Williams is coming off a 14-19 season in which North Carolina players lost 99 games to injury. However, the Tar Heels opened No. 16 in the AP's preseason poll (Texas opened at No. 19). Texas returned all FIVE starters plus added the 6-9 Brown, an impressive freshman. The Longhorns have opened 3-0, with their trio of veteran guards leading the way. Ramey is averaging 15.7-3.3-3.7, Coleman 14.3 & 5.7 APG and Andrew Jones 12.5 PPG. Up front, the 6-11 Kai Jones adds 10.7 & 5.0, the 6-10 Sims 8.0 & 7.7 and SF Cunningham 4.7 & 6.7. Freshman Brown is chipping in 8.0 & 7.3. Last year's super frosh Anthony lost time to injury last season (played 22 games) but averaged 18.5-5.7-4.0 and as expected was a "One and Done!" Also gone is senior guard Robinson and his 11.8 PPG. Freshman guard Caleb Lowe (13.0) leads the team in scoring early on, paired with sophomore Davis (12.7 & 4.7). A pair of 6-10 big men are back, with Bacot averaging 11.3 & 6.3 (9.6 & 8.3 LY) and Brooks 10.0 & 9.0 (16.8 & 8.5 LY) plus 6-8 swingman Black averages 6.3 & 6.3. Texas has more depth and is looking for its first Maui Invitational title in five all-time appearances in the event. Meanwhile, North Carolina has trailed in the second half in two of its three games this season. "I feel like we're battle-tested going through the things we went through last year," Leaky Black said. "We feel like we've got some guys willing to learn and to fight when the going gets tough" Consider this. North Carolina is going for its FIFTH Maui Invitational title with its seventh appearance in the tournament final. What's more, it sure DOESN'T hurt that instead of playing in Maui, the Tar Heels are playing in North Carolina, although it's Asheville, not Chapel Hill. Tar Heels get that FIFTH title with a win here! Good luck...Larry |
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12-01-20 | Michigan State v. Duke -3.5 | Top | 75-69 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 35 m | Show |
My 9* Top-10 Showdown is on Duke at 7:30 ET. The Champions Classic has been played as a doubleheader at a neutral site in the past. However, COVID-19 has changed all that, as the game between No. 8 Michigan State and No. 6 Duke game was switched to Duke's campus, with the Blue Devils agreeing to visit Michigan State next year, while No. 7 Kansas and No. 20 Kentucky will meet in Indianapolis. Michigan State comes in 2-0, as the Spartans followed an 83-67 opening victory against Eastern Michigan by defeating Notre Dame 80-70 on Saturday night. Duke had its first game called off because of Gardner-Webb's coronavirus situation and enters this contest off an unimpressive 81-71 victory Saturday against visiting Coppin State. Michigan St lost its two best players from last season's team to the NBA Draft, as PG Winston (18.6 & 5.9 APG) was taken by the Wizards and the 6-8 Tillman (13.7 & 10.3) by the Grizzlies. 6-9 junior forward Joey Hauser, a transfer from Marquette, secured his first career double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds against Notre Dame and is averaging 12.5 & 12.5. Joining him in the frontcourt are two returning players, the 6-7 Brown and the 6-6 Henry. Brown has averaged 10.5 PPG, while Henry has chipped in 10.0 & 6.0. Sophomore PG Watts (7.5 & 4.5 APG) steps in for Winston plus veteran guards Loyer (11.5) and Langford (9.0) join him on the perimeter. Langford is FINALLY healthy and is back on the court this season, having last played in December of 2018. Like Michigan St's Izzo, Duke's Coach K lost his top-two players to the NBA as well. The 6-10 Carey (17.8 & 8.8) will play this season for the Hornets and PG Jones (16.2-4.7-6.4) was taken by the Spurs. Coach K has seamlessly transitioned into the One-and-Done era and freshman guard Stewart scored 24 points and pulled down nine rebounds in hi debut vs Coppin St, while the 6-9 Johnson scored 19 points and added 19 rebounds in what Krzyzewski called "a heck of a first-time performance." SF Moore (7.4 & 4.2 last season) added 13 & 4 plus the 6-9 Hurt (9.7 & 3.8 last season) chipped in 12 & 7. These two schools are meeting for the FIFTH consecutive season that these teams meet and Duke has won EIGHT of the last nine, with the exception being the 2019 NCAA Tournament's East Region final. Nothing changes here. Lay the modest price! Good luck...Larry |
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12-01-20 | Oklahoma State v. Marquette -3.5 | Top | 70-62 | Loss | -107 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on Marquette at 7:00 ET. Mike Boynton was named the 20th head coach of the Oklahoma State University men's basketball team following the departure of Brad Underwood back in March of 2017. His first team (2017-18 season) went 21-15 and reached the NIT quarterfinals but the Cowboys have gone 12-20 and 18-14 the last two seasons. His "best move" may have been hiring Cannen Cunningham as an assistant coach in 22019, as his younger brother, the 6-8 Cade Cunningham (Naismith HS Player of the Year), subsequently signed with Oklahoma State. The Blue Ribbon Yearbook named Cunningham as its Newcomer of the Year. Cunningham joins 6-5 guard Issac Likekele, who may have been OSU's best player last season (10.9-5.6-4.5), despite missing about a month with mono. Marquette's Coach Wojo knows all about losing a "big-time" player, as Markus Howard led the nation in scoring last season at 27.8 PPG. Also gone is fellow senior Scar Anim, who added 13.1 PPG. However, Wojo also knows about welcoming an impressive freshman to his roster. The 6-11 Dawson Garcia (31.9 & 9.7 last year in high school) earned Big East Conference Freshman of the Week honors by averaging 17.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in Marquette's 2-0 start, shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 84.6 percent at the foul line. Oklahoma St has also opened 2-0 with Cunningham living up to expectations by averaging 20.5-7.0-3.5. SIX other players are chipping in between 7.0 and 9.5 PPG, led by senior guard Flowers (9.5) and freshman guard Walker (9.5). The 6-5 Likekele owns an impressive line of 8.5-9.9-5.5. I think the Cowboys will be improved but 'hanging over the season' is the postseason ban handed down by the NCAA due to transgressions by former program assistant Lamont Evans unveiled in the 2017 FBI investigation. NO postseason for OSU in 2021. Sure, Marquette will miss Howard but Wojo has a "star in the making" with Garcia plus a really 'deep' team behind him. Guard McEwan (9.5 & 5.) plus frontcourt players like the 6-9 Johnson (5.1 & 5.7) and the 6-6 Cain (5.2 & 4.2) are back. Carton (10.4 as a freshman at Ohio St) is a transfer and eligible right away at the guard position plus 6-7 freshman Lewis is ready right now to contribute. Checking in on that group we find McEwan averaging 13.0 PPG, Johnson 11.0 & 10.5, Cain 11.0 & 6.5), Lewis 10.0 & 6.0, Carton 8.0-4.5-3.0 plus Torrence, who averaged less than two points and two assists last season, producing 6.0-5.0-4.5 to open this season. Oklahoma St has yet to be tested, as the Cowboys have only beaten UT-Arlington (14-8 last season) and Texas Southern (16-160. Winning on Marquette's Fiserv Forum floor is a "horse of a different color." Expect a double-digit win by the Golden Eagles! Good luck...Larry |
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11-30-20 | Stanford v. Alabama -2 | Top | 82-64 | Loss | -112 | 18 h 21 m | Show |
My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on Alabama at 9:30 ET. Stanford opens its season tonight against 1-0 Alabama in the Maui Invitational. However, in the "Year of COVID-19," it's being played in Asheville, NC (CAN'T make that up!). Stanford's contest vs Utah Valley on Wednesday was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test, and subsequent contact tracing, within the Wolverines' program. However, expectations are high for the Cardinal, who return FIVE of their top six scorers from last season and boast an impressive freshman class. Head coach Jerod Haase may be feeling some pressure, as he replaced Johnny Dawkins at Stanford, who earned the title "King of the NIT,' leading the Cardinal to NIT titles in 2012 and 2015. However, no school gets much credit these days for an NIT championship. Haase is just 69-61 in his first four years without an NCAA bid and his lone NIT appearance ended in the second round. |
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11-30-20 | St. John's v. Boston College | Top | 97-93 | Win | 100 | 15 h 49 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Rout of the Month is on St John's at 6:00 ET. The St. John's Red Storm of the Big East will take on the ACC's Boston College Eagles in a non-conference, neutral-court game in Uncasville, Conn. The Red Storm are off to a 2-0 start (beat Saint Peter's and LaSalle), while the Eagles are 1-1, losing to No. 3 Villanova 76-67 before rebounding to defeat Rhode Island, 69-64.(2-0).St John's is coached by Mike Anderson, who is in his second season in Queens. He's had success wherever he's been, going 89-41 in four years at UAB, 111-57 in five years at Missouri and 169-102 in eight years at Arkansas. Anderson took over a recently struggling St John's program last season and went 17-15, giving him his 18th consecutive winning season as a head coach (zero losing seasons). Jim Christian had an excellent six-year run at Kent St, winning 20-plus games each year and averaging 22.8 wins per season. He took on the challenge at TCU and failed miserably, going 56-73 in four seasons. He returned to the MAC with Ohio U but 24-10 and 25-12 seasons brought only NIT and CIT postseason appearances. It was then on to BC and in six seasons, he's had just ONE winning campaign, going 75-119 overall. Anderson lost LJ Figueroa (14.5 & 4.5) to Oregon but THREE newcomers have already made HUGE contributions in the team's 2-0 start. Vince Cole is a 6-5 two-time junior-college All-American and was named the MVP of the Lapchick Tournament, as he averaged 20.0 points on 46.2 percent shooting on three-pointers. Freshman guard Posh Alexander averaged 12.0-5.0-3.0 in the two wins and 6-10 JC transfer Isaih Moore (but with a 7-6 wingspan) chipped in 10.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG. There's all sorts of depth in the backcourt with Williams (9.5) and freshman Addae-Wusu (8.0 & 3.5). The 6-6 Earlington has opened adding 9.0 & 4.5 plus Anderson is waiting for 6-8 wing Julian Champagnie (9.9 & 6.5 last season) to return (missed two straight games due to a sprained ankle and PG Rasheem Dunn (5 points / 5 assists in the opener) to recover from a concussion. Speaking of hoping to get a key player back on the court, Christian waits to see how bad the foot injury that forced guard Jay Heath to miss BC's second game is. Heath had 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting s Villanova and was BC's leading scorer last season (13.1 PPG). Guard Thornton (12.7 & 3.4 APG) plus a trio of frontcourt players will also be missed (trio combined to average 27.8 & 13.0). Two key returning players are Wynston Tabbs, a third-year guard who missed half his freshman year and all of last season due to left-knee surgery. However, Tabbs (13.5 & 5.5) produced the first double-double of his career, getting 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against Rhode Island (he averaged 13.9 PPG as a freshman). Up front it's the 6-8 Steffon Mitchell, who has made 84 starts and is averaging 9.0 points and 9.5 rebounds this season plus the 6-7 Felder (8.0 & 4.0). BC has played the better competition so far but I really like the group Anderson has at St John's, especially when Champagnie gets healthy. This was a healthy rivalry back in the old days, when both teams were members of the Big East in its glory years. However, the Big East is now a basketball-only conference and BC has moved to the ACC, where competing is VERY difficult (see Christian's record at the school above). St John's wins this one comfortably in an 'old school' rivalry! Good luck...Larry |
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11-29-20 | Rhode Island v. San Francisco | Top | 84-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
My CBB 10* Oddsmaker's Error Game of the Month is on Rhode Island at 5:30 ET. San Francisco went 22-12 last season in head coach Todd Golden's first season and the Dons have opened 2-1 playing at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Ct. The 1-2 Rhode Island Rams (21-9 last season) will be their opponents, as both teams will be playing a FOURTH since Wednesday (five-day stretch). San Francisco lost its opener 76-68 to UMass-Lowell but then won back-to-back games. The first win came 79-68 over Towson but then came a shocking 61-60 win over No. 4 Virginia as a 15-point underdog. Rhode Island opened its season with losses to No. 18 Arizona St (94-88) and Boston College (69-64) but picked up its first "W" on Saturday, beating USF 84-69. The Dons lost two key players from last season in leading scorer Mineland (14.4 & 4.7) and huge center Lull (11.9 & 7.6). This year's team revolves around senior PG Bouyea (18.0 & 5.6 APG), junior SG Shabazz (16.7) and 6-9 junior Ryuny (10.3 & 5.0). The Rams lost guard Dowtin (13.9-3.5-3.2) and forward Langevine (10.1 & 10.3) to graduation plus guard Martin (12.8 & 7.1) transferred to UConn. However, PG Fatts Russell (18.8 PPG and 4.6 APG last season) returns along with SG Shepard (17.1). Russell (16.7-3.7-4.0) is off to a solid start, as is Sheppard (13.1). A pair of 6-7 forwards have started well too, as Walker starts (10.3 & 5.7) and Johnson (8.3 & 4.3) comes off the bench. The Mitchell twins share time at center with Makhi averaging 5.7 & 5.3 and Makhel averaging 5.0 & 2.7. Shooting guard Carey is a Syracuse transfer and he's averaging 9.3 PPG. I believe Rhode Island is the better team by a fairly wide margin and is catching San Francisco off it HUGE upset of Virginia, when the Cavs shot 3 of 12 from behind the arc and San Francisco countered by going 13 of 28. NO repeat effort here by the Dons and the Rams win by double digits! Good luck...Larry |
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11-29-20 | 49ers v. Rams -6.5 | Top | 23-20 | Loss | -102 | 15 h 43 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM Game of the Month is on the LA Rams at 4:05 ET. Entering Week 11, the Cards, Rams and Seahawks all were 6-3, tied atop the NFC West. Meanwhile, the defending NFC West champion 49ers (not to mention the defending NFC champs), were just 4-6 and 'enjoying' their bye week. Seattle won 28-21 at home over Arizona on Thursday, moving to 7-3 and dropping the Cards to 6-4. The Rams were in Tampa for MNF against the Bucs and needed a win to stay tied with Seattle and did just that with a 27-24 win. The 49ers travel to LA's SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Ca on Sunday, with the Rams hoping to avenge a 24-16 loss at San Francisco back in Week 6. The 49ers have struggled all season with significant injuries and Nick Mullens (67.3% for 1,390 yards with six TDs and six INTs) will again get the start at QB with Jimmy G still sidelined. Garoppolo threw three TD passes in that Week 6 win, all to receivers who are currently injured (tight end George Kittle), trying to return from an injury (wide receiver Deebo Samuel), or attempting to get reinstated from the COVID-19 list (wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk). Garoppolo is currently on injured reserve himself, with a high-ankle sprain. RB Mostert (772 yards on 5.6 YPC with eight TDs) has played just four games (303 yards), leaving McKinnon as the "best of the rest" with 294 yards on 3.8 YPC but does have five TDs, The 49ers are averaging only 11.,0 YPG on the ground (averaged 141.0 LY) and I already noted the receiving woes. After averaging 29.9 PPG last season, the 49ers are averaging just 23.8 PPG (20th) in 2020. Jared Goff led the Rams to a Super Bowl berth in the 2018 season by throwing for 4,688 yards with 32 TDs and just 12 INTs (191.1 QB rating) and while he threw for 4,638 last season, his TD/INT ratio was just 22-16 and his QB rating fell to 86.5 (Rams went from 13-3 to 9-7). He's on pace to throw for just over 4,500 yards in 2020 and his TD/INT ratio is 16-8 (QB rating of 95.5). The Rams said good-bye to RB Gurley and the running game has gone from averaging only 93.7 YPG (3.7 YPC) in 2019 to 124.5 YPG (4.2 YPC) this season. Henderson (491 yards on 4.5 YPC with four TDs) and Brown (367 yards on 4.4 YPC and five TDs) have shared the workload. Kupp had 11 catches vs Tampa (64 on the season) and Woods had 12 catches (54 on the season) plus the TE duo of Higbee and Everett have combined for 53 catches and four TDs. Led by two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, Los Angeles ranks second in scoring defense (19.2 PPG) and 1st in total defense (291.9 YPG). Goff came up HUGE in outplaying Brady on MNF (376 passing yards with three TDs) and enters this contest with THREE consecutive 300-yard games. As for the Rams D, it recorded six sacks and two interceptions against Seattle's Russell Wilson, before limiting Tampa Bay's Tom Brady to just 216 passing yards with two interceptions. Hard to see them NOT containing Nick Mullens. The Rams should be primed to break a three-game losing streak to the 49ers and why shouldn't they win here at SoFi Stadium, where they are 4-0 (3-1 ATS), while holding opponents to just 13.0 PPG. Good luck...Larry |
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11-29-20 | Panthers v. Vikings -3 | Top | 27-28 | Loss | -120 | 67 h 1 m | Show |
My 10* Signature LEGEND Play is on the Min Vikings at 1:00 ET. The Carolina Panthers ended a five-game slide with a 20-0 win last Sunday against the Lions (win doesn't mean much after Detroit's Thanksgiving effort), while the Minnesota Vikings saw their three-game winning streak end with a last-minute 31-28 loss to the Cowboys (looks even worse off Dallas' Thanksgiving effort). The 4-7 Panthers travel to the 4-6 Vikings for a Sunday game between two teams not expecting to be playing postseason football in 2020. However, there is a good storyline to this contest, as Carolina QB Teddy Bridgewater has been cleared to play (he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday). This will mark his first start against his former team since he suffered a horrific left knee injury during the Vikings' 2016 training camp. The bad news for Carolina is that although RB Christian McCaffrey returned to practice Wednesday after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury, head coach Matt Rhule doesn't expect his star RB to play against the Vikings. Bridgewater missed Carolina's 20-0 win last Sunday but despite the team's poor season, he's completed 72.1% for 2,552 yards with 13 TDs and seven INTs. However, with McCaffrey playing only three games, Carolina's running game has NOT given Bridgewater much help, averaging only 106.4 YPG (21st). RB Davis has a modest 449 rushing yards but does help the passing game, as he's tied for second on the team with 49 catches, matching WR Samuel. Samuel averages just 9.1 YPC but WRs Anderson (team-leading 71 catches) and Moore (46 catches / 18.8 YPC / 4 TDs) have had good seasons. Carolina's shutout last week was its first in FIVE years but the D has been middle-of-the-pack all season, allowing 24.7 PPG to rank 15th (more later). Mike Zimmer began as Minnesota's head coach back in 2015 and led the Vikings to an 11-5 season (wild card berth). He's taken Minnesota to the playoffs in both 2017 (13-3 / division champs) and again last season at 10-6 (another wild card). However, in the even numbered years, 2016 and '18, his teams have fallen short of the postseason, going 8-8 and 8-7-1, respectively. 2020 is destined to follow the same script. Minnesota had won three straight games plus covered SIX of seven before its loss to the sad-sack Cowboys. RB Dalvin Cook ran for 115 yards, the FIFTH time he had done so in his last seven contests. Cook now leads the NFL with 1,069 rushing yards on 5.3 YPC with 13 TDs. In his last seven games, he's averaged 136.6 YPG on the ground while scoring 10 of his 13 rushing TDs on the season. QB Kirk Cousins is oft-criticized but he completed 70.1% for 4,298 yards with 30 TDs and 10 INTs in his first season with the Vikings and then completed 69.1% for 3,603 yards with 26 TDs and 6 INTs last year, finishing with a career-high QB rating of 107.4. He has NOT been that good this year but is still completing 66.9% for 2,461 yards with 20 TDs and 11 INTs (102.7 QB rating). It was NOT good news that WR Thielen (49 catches with 11 TDs) was placed on the COVID-19 list on Monday but he has yet to be ruled out for Sunday. He's been a mentor to rookie WR Jefferson, who has 45 catches with a team high 18.8 YPC average and four TDs. Both TEs contribute, as Rudolph and Smith (combined 36 catches) but Smith may miss a second straight game. The problem all season has been a Minnesota defense which is allowing 27.8 PPG. Zimmer's a defensive coach and after he saw his young defense help lead the team to three straight wins by allowing 18.3 PPG, the 'stop unit' reverted to its previous form against the Cowboys. "I thought we were getting better defensively after the last three weeks but that didn't show against Dallas," coach Mike Zimmer said. However, speaking of defenses, I don't put too much credence in the Panthers' shutout of the Lions. Why? It's pretty simple. It was an amazing turnaround for a Panthers defense which had allowed 32.7 PPG over the team's previous four contests in which Carolina had forced just TWO punts! Thielen or no Thielen, the Vikings have a balanced offense that has scored 28 or more points in SIX of its 10 games in 2020. The Vikings enter this contest on a 23-11-3 ATS run as a home favorite and Bridgewater's "return to Minnesota" ends badly for him and the Panthers. Good luck...Larry |
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11-28-20 | Virginia Tech v. Villanova -8.5 | Top | 81-73 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
My 10* Weekend Wipeout Game of the Month is on Villanova at 8:00 ET. No. 3 Villanova will look for its third consecutive victory to open the season when it takes on Virginia Tech in a newly rescheduled game at Uncasville, Conn on Saturday night. The 2-0 Wildcats captured the 2K Empire Classic with an 83-74 win over No. 18 Arizona State on Thursday, after opening its season with a 76-67 win over BC. The 1-0 Hokies won their season opener with a 77-62 home victory over Radford. Va Tech head coach Mike Young is in his second season with the school, after a record-setting 17-year tenure as the head coach at Wofford. The Terriers posted a 30-5 overall record in 2018-19, including a perfect 18-0 mark in Southern Conference play, and registered a convincing 84-68 win over Seton Hall in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Young built the Terriers into one of the Southern Conference's preeminent programs and a perennial NCAA Tournament participant. He guided Wofford to five NCAA Tournament berths over his last 10 seasons and five Southern Conference championships. However, the Hokies were just 16-16 overall in Young's first season at Blacksburg, losing almost two-thirds of their ACC games (7-13). Landers Nolley was selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team in leading the Hokies in scoring (15.5 PPG) last season but after the season he announced he was transferring to Memphis. More bad news came when the 6-6 Horne (7.6 & 4.2) also transferred. Sophomore guard Tyrece Radford (10.2 & 6.2) is both the team's leading returning scorer AND rebounder! However, Young thinks this team will improve because of some experienced graduate transfers. Guard Cartier Diarra averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists at Kansas State last season, and helped them to the Elite Eight in 2018. He will play both guard spots, sometimes alongside Wabissa Bede, who returns after averaging 5.2 PPG and 5.5 APG. Diarra had eight points and Bede nine vs Radford. 6-9 Iowa graduate transfer Cordell Pemsl, 6-7 Delaware transfer Justyn Mutts and 6-7 Keve Aluma, who followed Young from Wofford, add depth and size. Pemsl and Mutts contributed nothing in the win over Radford but Aluma led the team with 19 points. Jay Wright lost Saddiq Bey (16.1 & 4.7) to the NBA (was a first-round NBA draft pick). However, four double digit scorers from last year's team returned. The 6-9 Robinson-Earl (10.5 & 9.4) was one of those four and he's been dominant in the first two games, averaging 23.0 & 9.0. He was joined by a trio of double-digit scorers last season and they are all back. SG Moore is averaging 15.0 & 6.0, PG Gillespie 13.0-3.5-5.5 and the 6-7 Samuels checks in at 7.0 & 7.0. Caleb Daniels transferred in from Tulane and is now eligible. He averaged 16.9 PPG in his last season at Tulane and has averaged 14.0 & 4.0 the first two games. Villanova's preseason ranking of No. 3 was its highest since the 1995-96 season but the Wildcats have yet to "put it all together" in their first two wins. My bet says the THIRD time (game) will be the charm," as Mike Young still has plenty of "work to do" with this Va Tech team. "Blowout Alert!" Good luck...Larry |
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11-28-20 | Kansas State +6.5 v. Baylor | Top | 31-32 | Win | 100 | 12 h 27 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Kansas St at 7:00 ET. Chris Klieman was working for Craig Bohl at North Dakota St and when Bohl left to take the Wyoming head coaching job, Klieman took over and won back-to-back FCS national championships in 2014 and '15, lost in the semis in 2016, and then won back-to-back again in 2017 and 2018. He left to take over at Kansas St in 2019, having gone 69-6 in a five-year span with FOUR national championships. He's the 35th head coach in Kansas St history and replaced the legendary Bill Snyder. The Wildcats went 8-5 in 2019, including a 48-41 win at Oklahoma, as a 23 1/2-point underdog. The Wildcats lost their season opener of 2020 at home to Arkansas St (35-31 as more than a two-TD favorite) but then beat the Sooners 38-35 as 28-point dogs, winning in Manhattan against Oklahoma for the first time since 1960. The win over the Sooners jump started a four-game winning streak but the Wildcats enter this game having lost THREE in a row, including last Saturday's 45-0 embarrassment at Iowa St. The Baylor Bears saw games with La Tech (9/12) and with Houston (9/12) postponed (due to COVID-19 issues) but finally got on the field Sep 26 with a 47-14 home win over Dave Aranda, who was assistant head coach and DC at LSU from 2016-19, was hired at Baylor on January 16, 2020, replacing Matt Rhule who left to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. QB Charlie Brewer threw for 142 yards with a TD and versatile senior Trestan Ebner scored rushing and receiving TDs plus returned two kicks for scores (100 and 83 yards) in that win over Kansas. However, Baylor has lost FIVE straight games! Both teams 'limp' into this contest in Waco. K-State hasn't won since a 55-14 defeat of Kansas helped the Wildcats reach No. 16 in the AP poll but their third straight loss, that 45-0 whitewashing at Iowa State (worst loss in five seasons) has them just 4-4. "Hopefully they're a little ticked off," head coach Chris Klieman said Monday when asked about his players' attitudes. "In the same respect, our leaders are tremendous leaders. We had a good week of practice last week after a tough loss to Oklahoma State. I can promise you that we'll have a good week of practice this week after a tough loss to Iowa State. The Wildcats have had little consistency on offense, with true freshmen, QB Will Howard and RB Deuce Vaughn, showing promise at times but they've also been very unimpressive in other games. Howard was pulled last week after going 3 of 9 for 32 yards with one INT and is completing just 52.8% on the season with more INTs (six) than TD passes (five). Vaughn is the team's leading rusher (just 415 yards) for a team averaging only 124.6 YPG on the ground. Baylor's QB Brewer led the Bears into the Big 12 championship game last season (lost 30-23 in OT to Oklahoma) and to a Sugar Bowl berth (lost 26-14 to Georgia. However, the Bears were 11-3 on the season and Brewer entered 2020 having thrown for over 3,000 yards the previous two seasons, with 40 TD passes and 16 INTs. He's completing 62.0% this season but for just 1,278 yards with a modest 11 TDs and six INTs. Baylor doesn't have a RB with even 200 yards rushing, as the Bears are averaging 107.8 YPG on the ground. Baylor has been in every game, beginning with a double-overtime loss at West Virginia and most recently in a one-point loss at Texas Tech on Nov. 14. FOUR of its five losses have been on the road, so some home cookin' just might help. That said, how can't Kansas St bounce-back after that 'ugly' 45-0 loss at Iowa St? Chris Klieman is a winner (see above) and the Wildcats are 15-6, 71% ATS as a road dog the last four-plus seasons. Also, don't forget that Baylor's LONE win in 2020 is over Kansas, which is 0-7 SU and ATS in 2020 and 6-89 SU in Big 12 play since 2010! Take the points! Good luck...Larry |
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11-28-20 | San Diego State v. Colorado -3 | Top | 10-20 | Win | 100 | 13 h 6 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM Game of the Year is on Colorado at 5:00 ET. The Pac 12 quickly followed the Big Ten by deciding to postpone fall football but just like the Big Ten, the Pac 12 reversed field. While the Big Ten resumed in late October, the Pac 12 didn't get started until early November, leaving even less room if COVID-19 interfered. COVID-19 HAS interfered and this game between Colorado and San Diego St is one of the few instances in which a team has been able to reschedule another game on short notice. Colorado will play at home in Boulder against San Diego State in a non-conference football matchup on Saturday, taking the place of the previously scheduled Colorado at USC football game that was declared a no contest earlier in the week. Brady Hoke was SDSU's head coach back in 2009 and 2010, going 9-4 with a bowl win in 2010 that got him the job at Michigan. Year One went well, as the Wolverines went 11-2 including a Sugar Bowl win. However, Michigan slipped to 8-5 and 7-6 the next two seasons, ending each with a bowl loss. After a 5-7 record in his fourth season, he was fired. He's back as SDSU's head coach this season (made a two-game stop as interim head coach for the Vols when Butch Jones was fired at Tennessee, and he was named head coach in January of 2020 after Rocky Long announced his retirement from coaching. Hoke took over a team that had won 10-plus games in FOUR of the previous five seasons but this year's Aztecs are just 3-2. SDSU owns a strong running game (246.0 YPG on 5.3 YPC) but QB Baker (57.9% for 591 yards with three TDs and three INTs) is mediocre at best (I'm being kind). As DC at SD State, Hoke helped build an excellent defense and this year's unit is allowing just 15.4 PPG (8th) on 270.0 YPG (3rd). However, I have more to say about that, in my 'closing argument!' Karl Dorrell is Colorado's head coach and in his first year at the school. He was head coach at UCLA from 2003 to 2007 and led the Bruins to FIVE bowl appearances in five seasons, although he did not coach in the fifth after he was fired in December 2007. Truth is, his overall record at UCLA was only 35–27. Dorrell was named the 27th full time head coach at Colorado when Mel Tuckers bolted after one season for Michigan St. Tucker took over from Mike MacIntyre, so Dorrell is Colorado's THIRD head coach in as many seasons. The Buffs have played just TWO games but have beaten UCLA 48-42 as a home dog and Stanford 35-32 as a road dog. QB Noyer is completing 63.6% for 512 yards with three TDs and one INT plus has run for 100 yards with three TDs. RB Broussard has 308 yards on 5.3 YPC with three TDs, as the Buffs run for 220.5 YPG with eight TDs. The defense has allowed 37.0 PPG but the SD St offense leaves MUCH to be desired! Let's look closer at SD State, which has lost 28-17 at home to San Jose St (now 4-0) as a 10-point favorite and 26-21 at Nevada (now 5-0) as a 1 1/2-point favorite. The Aztecs' wins have come over 0-4 UNLV, 1-4 Utah St (won its first game on Thanksgiving) and 2-3 Hawaii. This game was put together quickly and both teams will have VERY little prep time but San Diego St is playing on the road for the FOURTH time in five weeks, Colorado takes the field for the first time since Nov 14. It's a PERFECT STORM for the Buffs! Good luck...Larry |
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11-28-20 | Louisville v. Boston College -1 | Top | 27-34 | Win | 100 | 12 h 33 m | Show |
My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on Boston College at 4:00 ET. Louisville had to replace Heisman-winner Lamar Jackson after the 2018 season (he won the Heisman in 2017) and the Cardinals went from 8-5 to 2-10. However, Scott Satterfield came to the rescue for the start of the 2019 season. He had led Appalachian St to four straight bowl bids from 2015-18, going 40-11 (.784), overall. Satterfield restored some glory to the program in 2019, as Louisville had a six-game improvement by going 8-5 (best turnaround by a Power-5 school), including a 38-28 bowl win over Miss St. The Cardinals were unranked in the AP's preseason poll but were solid in their season-opening 35-21 win. That win saw Louisville rise to No. 18 in the AP poll but Louisville then lost FOUR in a row. The Cardinals are 2-2 in their last four games but the wins have come over 2-6 Florida St and 1-8 Syracuse Steve Addazio coached Boston College to SIX bowl appearances in his seven seasons but never won more than SEVEN games in any season. On December 1, 2019 following the conclusion of a 6-6 regular season, Boston College fired him (career record at BC was 44-44). Jeff Hafley was hired to be the co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State and quickly established himself as one of the best recruiters in the country. He was hired to be the head coach at Boston College after the firing of Addazio. Boston College is 5-4 (4-4 in the ACC) in Hafley's first season and takes the field at home vs Louisville for the first time since a 45-31 loss to No. 2 Notre Dame on Nov 14. Louisville QB Cunningham has completed 63.7% for 2,126 yards with 16 TDs and 11 INTS plus has run for 438 yards with six TDs. RB Hawkins has had a solid season (822 yards on 6.2 YPC with seven TDs) but WR Atwal, after catching 70 balls for 18.2 YPC with 12 TDs last season, has only 41 catches for 13.3 YPC with six TDs. BC's Joe Jurkovec has done a nice job at QB, throwing for 2,355 yards with 17 TDs and five INTs. He's done that despite the BC running game averaging only 104.2 YPG on 3.8 YPC. I believe with Boston College that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Eagles did a good job 'hanging around' vs Notre Dame (lost by 14 getting 13 1/2-points) and of course, led then No. 1 Clemson in "Death Valley" 26-13 at the half before losing 34-28. Boston College opened 2-0 but has since alternated wins and losses. With a off week between the team's loss to ND and this one, Boston College is DUE to win here and at this "bargain of a price," a "W" means a cover. Satterfield's second season at Louisville has been a HUGE disappointment and NOTHING changes here! Good luck...Larry |
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11-27-20 | Stanford +1 v. California | Top | 24-23 | Win | 100 | 28 h 17 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on Stanford at 4:30 ET. It's simply called the "Big Game." Cal and Stanford first met in 1892 and Stanford leads the all-time series 59-44-10. However, this year's version of the "Big Game" will be played on a Friday for the first time in its history. In another first, both schools enter winless, although that's clearly due to the fact that each school has played just TWO games. David Shaw was named Stanford's head coach in January of 2011, being promoted after Jim Harbaugh left to become head coach of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. From 2011 through 2018, Shaw led the Cardinal to EIGHT consecutive bowl games, winning 10-plus games in FIVE of those seasons. However, Stanford fell to 4-8 in 2019. Justin Wilcox was named Cal's head coach in January of 2017 and the Bears finished just 5-7 in his first season. However, the Bears went 7–6 during Wilcox's second year in 2018, upsetting No. 15 Washington and defeating USC 15–14 at the Coliseum in Los Angeles to snap a 14-year losing streak to the Trojans. The Bears lost 10–7 in overtime to TCU in the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl. The Bears improved to 8–5 record in 2019, achieving their highest ranking since 2009 when they were ranked No. 15 after a 4–0 start to the season.. Maybe the biggest win of Wilcox's short tenure came when Cal beat Stanford 24-20 in the Big Game last November, for the first time since 2009! Both teams have dealt with cancellations because of the coronavirus, the Cardinal losing out on playing last week's scheduled home game with Washington State while the Golden Bears had their home opener against Washington canceled on Nov 7. Stanford QB Davis Mills had to sit out the opener at Oregon because of a testing mistake but returned to complete 31 of 56 for 327 yards with one TD and not a single INT in his 56 attempts in a 35-32 home loss to Colorado on Nov 14. RBs Peat (114 yards on 10.4 YPC) and Jones (109 yards on 3.8 YPC but with three TDs) give the Stanford offense some balance, with the Cardinal averaging 405.YPG after two contests. However, the defense is a concern, allowing 35. points in each of the team's two games, so far. Cal QB Garbers played well last season (1,712 yards with 14 TDs and just three INTs) but has thrown for a modest 433 yards in two games with as many INTs (three) as TDs (three). Cal's offense has NO balance, averaging a woeful 89.0 YPG on the ground on 2.7 YPC. Cal's averaging just 18.5 PPG on 303.5 YPG plus the Golden Bears D has been no better than Stanford's, allowing 32.5 PPG. Cal took home the coveted "Axe" trophy last season for the first time in a decade but the Cardinal are 8-1 in the Big Game under 10th-year head coach David Shaw. Stanford senior offensive lineman Foster Sarell still feels the sting of last year's defeat. "The standard that's been set here, we just beat Cal," he said. "So losing to them it hurt me pretty good. ... We've got to reverse this deal." Both teams are vulnerable of the defensive side of the ball but Stanford is a MUCH better offensive team plus has not thrown a single interception in 82 pass attempts, while allowing just ONE sack plus has also lost just ONE fumble. "Revenge" from last season works perfectly in this one! Good luck...Larry |
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11-27-20 | Seton Hall +6 v. Louisville | Top | 70-71 | Win | 100 | 7 h 12 m | Show |
My 10* Ultimate Underdog is on Seton Hall at 4:00 ET. Louisville is hosting what will likely be the biggest university-run non-conference event during the 2020-21 college basketball season. It's called the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic and joining the Cardinals are Seton Hall, Western Kentucky, UNC Greensboro, Winthrop, Arkansas-Little Rock, Duquesne, Evansville and Prairie View A&M. The nine teams will play 18 games over a 10-day stretch from Nov 25 to Dec 4. Louisville opened with an easy 79-44 win over Evansville on Wednesday, which replaced Southern Illinois in the field (Salukis drops out due to COVID issues). Carlik Jones had a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds in his first game with Louisville. He's a graduate transfer from Radford and was last season's Big South Conference player of the year (20.0-5.1-5.5). 6-7 swingman Samuelson added 17-6-5, 6-8 freshman Traynor 11 & 5 and 6-8 sophomore Slazinski 10 & 4. This will be Seton Hall's first game and the Pirates enter the current season with high hopes. Seton Hall believed it could have made a run to the Final Four behind All-American guard Myles Powell (21,0 & 4.3) last season, before COVID-19 shut things down. The Pirates were 21-9 and ranked 15th in the country after finishing tied for first in the Big East with a 13-5 record. Powell is now in the NBA but OUTSTANDING head coach Kevin Willard has plenty to work with as the new season opens. PG Shavar Reynolds averaged just 4.2 PPG playing limited minutes last season behind Powell but Willard is counting on Reynolds to set up backcourt mates Bryce Aiken and Takal Molson, first-team All-Big East selection Sandro Mamukelashvili, wings Jared Rhoden and Myles Cale, plus 7-foot-2 center Ike Obiagu. Aiken had an outstanding run at Harvard but announced that he would transfer to Seton Hall for his senior season, choosing the Pirates over Maryland, Michigan and Iowa State. Aiken played just seven games during the 2019–20 season before being sidelined with a season-ending injury but averaged 16.7 PPG in those seven games. The 6-11 Mamukelashvili averaged 11.9 & 6.0 last season and is primed for a big season plus expects MUCH more help from the 7-2 Obiagu.
Here's the rub. Louisville is the host team but attendance for Wednesday's game was just 2,956 at the 22,090-seat KFC Yum! Center with COVID-19 measures in place. As for Seton Hall, the Pirates KNOW all about playing quality opposition. They played 10 ranked teams last season, winning OUTRIGHT over four, top-10 opponents, while losing by just three points to then-No. 3 Michigan St and by two points to then-No. 11 Oregon. Chris Mack was terrific at Xavier and is now coaching Louisville but Willard matches up well. Take the points but an OUTRIGHT win by Seton Hall will be NO surprise. Good luck...Larry |
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11-27-20 | Notre Dame v. North Carolina +6 | Top | 31-17 | Loss | -110 | 51 h 3 m | Show |
My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on North Carolina at 3:30 ET. 8-0 Notre Dame owns the nation's longest winning streak at 14 in a row and comes off a bye week ranked No. 2 in both the current AP poll and the 1st CFP standings of the 2020 season. The Fighting Irish control their own destiny but as head coach Chip Kelly said, "There's a lot of work left for this football team." With three games remaining, Notre Dame (7-0 in the ACC) still has work to do to qualify for the ACC championship game. Clemson and Miami, both with one loss, are in the mix, while No. 25 North Carolina (6-2 all in the ACC) can stay in contention by defeating the Irish. Notre Dame QB Ian Book has silenced any critics this season by completing 62.0% for 1,818 yards with 11 TDs and just one INT. He's added 364 yards on the ground (4.9 YPC) and six TDs. He'll take the field at Chapel Hill with a 28-3 record as Notre Dame's starting QB. RB Williams has 777 yards rushing on 5.7 YPC for a running game that averages 233.5 YPG. Notre Dame is averaging 462.1 YPG and 37.6 PPG (12th), which works well with a defense allowing just 16.6 PPG (11th). However, Notre Dame's 462.1 YPG is about 100 YPG less than North Carolina's average of 563.4 YPG. The Tar Heels are averaging 43.1 PPG (10th) led by QB Howell, who completes 67.7% for 2,631 yards with 23 TDs and just six INTs. North Carolina averages 233.5 YPG on the ground (exact match of ND), led by the terrific RB duo of Williams (868 yards on 7.2 YPC with 15 TDs) and Carter (807 yards on 7.0 YPC with four TDs). The problem all season for Mack Brown's team is a defense allowing 30.8 PPG, two TDs more than Notre Dame's 'stop unit!' Both teams last played on Nov 14, with Notre Dame following its 47-40 (2-OT) win over then-No. 1 Clemson by winning 45-31 at Boston College. That same day, North Carolina wiped out a 21-point second-half deficit to overcome visiting Wake Forest 59-53, as Howell passed for a school-record 550 yards. However, North Carolina's D allowed 606 yards in yielding those 53 points. However, I believe North Carolina can and WILL trade points with Notre Dame, as we saw Clemson backup Uiagalelei do just that by throwing for 439 yards without an INT in 44 attempts, AT South Bend no less! This marks North Carolina's final ACC regular season home game and I believe Notre Dame's perfect season ends right here! Take the points but expect an OUTRIGHT win, just like I called last weekend with Northwestern over Wisconsin. Home dog barks loudly once again! Good luck...Larry |
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11-27-20 | Iowa State v. Texas +1.5 | Top | 23-20 | Loss | -115 | 48 h 31 m | Show |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on Texas at 12:00 ET. No. 15 Iowa State is 6-2 overall, including 6-1 in Big 12 play to sit atop the conference (Cyclones are 6-1 for the first time in program history). Iowa St heads to Austin on the heels of its impressive 45-0 win at home over Kansas State, while No. 20 Texas is 5-2 (4-2 in Big 12 play) is riding a three-game winning streak but hasn't played since Nov 7, as the Longhorns' Nov 21 game at Kansas was postponed to Dec 12 because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Jayhawks' program. I win by Iowa St all but assures the Cyclones a spot in the Big 12 championship game but note that if Texas wins its final three games against Iowa State, Dec 5 at Kansas State and the rescheduled game at Kansas, the Longhorns WILL clinch a berth in the Big 12 title game. Fair to say there is a lot on the line in this "high noon" showdown! Iowa St's Brock Purdy threw for 3,982 yards with 27 TDs and nine INTs last season but hasn't come close to matching those numbers in 2020 (1,713 yards with 13 TDs and six INTs). However, Iowa State boasts the NCAA's leading rusher in Breece Hall (1,169 / 6.5 YPC / 15 TDs), who has rushed for more than 100 yards in ALL eight games, a stat that's also No. 1 nationally. The Cyclones are averaging 34.4 PPG (31st() and allowing 23.4 PPG (30th) a pretty sweet 'daily double.' Texas QB Sam Ehlinger has completed 147-of-250 passes (58.8 percent) for 1,834 yards and 22 TDs with just five INTs. He is also the team leader with 323 rushing yards and seven TDs. His 178 points responsible for are the second-most in the nation this season. Three RBs have combined for 765 yards, as Texas averages a respectable 167.3 YPG on the ground, averaging 4.5 YPC. The Texas offense is producing 40.4 PPG (15th) but its defense allows 29.7 PPG (67th). Here's the bottom line. Iowa State hasn't won in Austin since 2010 and has beaten Texas just THREE times in 17 all-time games. Iowa State hasn't won a conference title since 1912 (does the Missouri Valley championship really count?) and has NEVER played in a conference championship game. Playing Iowa St when it has to WIN to cover here in Austin, makes NO sense. "The Eyes of Texas are upon me!" Good luck...Larry |
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11-26-20 | Washington Football Team v. Cowboys -3 | Top | 41-16 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
My 10* NFC 'Least' Battle 4 First is on the Dal Cowboys at 4:30 ET. Dallas plays its annual Thanksgiving Day game in 2020 against Washington and while both teams come in a poor 3-7 on the season, the winner will own first place in the cynically-named "NFC Least!" That is until Monday, when the 3-6-1 Eagles will have a chance to regain the division lead if they can upset the Seahawks. Both Teams will take the field with their Opening Day starter at QB on the sidelines. Washington opened the season with Dwayne Haskins at QB, before he lost his job to Kyle Allen. Then Allen was replaced in a Week 9 game against the Giants by Alex Smith, who was the team's former starter before a brutal leg injury almost ended his career and even his life! Smith is without a doubt one of NFL 2020's great "feel-good" stories. Smith passed for 325 yards in relief of Allen in that 23-20 loss vs the Giants but threw THREE interceptions. He then passed for 390 yards in a 30-27 loss to the Lions the following week but just FOUR days after the second anniversary of an injury that threatened his life (this past Sunday), Smith led Washington to a 20-9 win over Cincinnati. Smith threw for just 166 yards vs the Bengals (zero TDs and zero INTs) but the "W" had to feel VERY good! Washington is averaging just 99.1 YPG on the ground but rookie Antonio Gibson ran for 94 yards last week (note: he had season-high 128 in the team's 25-3 over Dallas in Week 7) and now has 530 yards on the season with eight TDs (he also has 27 catches). WR Terry McLaurin is on pace for close to 100 catches (62 catches / 14.0 YPC / 3 TDs), TE Thomas has 30 catches (3 TDs) and RB McKissic has added 44 receptions. The Washington defense is allowing 315.8 YPG (6th-best) and a modest 22.7 PPG. Dallas has a 'feel good" story of its own last Sunday, as Andy Dalton had three TD passes, including the game-winner with 1:37 left in the game, as the Cowboys snapped a four-game losing streak with a 31-28 win at Minnesota (Vikings entered on a three-game winning streak plus a 6-1 ATS run). It was Dalton's first game since Oct 25, when Washington linebacker Jon Bostic knocked him out of a 25-3 loss in the third quarter with a late hit to the helmet as Dalton slid to end a scramble. A battle with COVID-19 kept Dalton on the sidelines as Dallas continued to cycle through third and fourth-string quarterbacks with little success. The Cowboys offense that shriveled up and died when Dak Prescott ended his season with a frightening leg injury in Week 5. Prescott had averaged over 400 YPG passing through four weeks, with nine TDs and three INTs. However, Dallas finally displayed a balanced offense, as Elliott (675 yards on 3.9 YPC with 5 TDs) ran for more than 100 yards (103) for the first time all season with Dallas running for 180 yards, while passing for 196. More importantly, the team's four TDs touchdowns were TWICE as many as the Cowboys had produced during their four-game skid. Dalton has plenty of targets, with WRs like Cooper (65 catches / 2 TDs), Rookie Lamb (48 catches / 4 TDs) and Gallup (31 catches / team-high 16.0 YPC) plus TE Schultz (39 catches / 3 TDs). Dallas MUST play better defense, as the Cowboys are allowing an NFL-high 31.8 PPG but Washington enters on a six-game road losing streak (0-4 in 2020) and is just 2-10 on the road since the start of 2019. Let me add that Washington has won just ONE of its last eight Thanksgiving games with Dallas and for all its recent woes, the Cowboys are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 NFC East contests. Dallas gets some revenge from that Week 7 loss in Washington and moves to 4-7, before serving as Seattle 'cheerleaders' Monday night in Philly. Good luck...Larry |
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11-26-20 | Gonzaga -3.5 v. Kansas | Top | 102-90 | Win | 100 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
My 10* No. 1 vs No. 1 play is on Gonzaga at 1:30 ET. Kansas was ranked No. 1 in the final poll of the unfinished 2019-20 CBB season and will open this season on Thanksgiving Day at the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida against Gonzaga, which finished No. 2 to Kansa last season but opens No. 1 in the AP's preseason poll this year (Kansas is No. 6). respectively, in the polls. Key losses for Kansas are PG Devon Dotson (18.1-4.9-4.0) and the seven-foot Udoka Azubuike (13.7 & 10.5). Two 6-5 guards are back, junior Ochai Agbaji (10.0 & 4.2) and senior Marcus Garrett (9.2-4.5-4.6), one of the nation's top defenders. Joining the backcourt are newcomers Tyon Grant-Foster (a JC transfer) and blue-chip prospect Bryce Thompson. Up front, 6-10 junior David McCormack (6.9 & 4.1) and the 6-8 Justin Wilson (who has bounced back after suffering a broken ankle as a freshman last season). will be tasked with filling Azubuike's shoes. "I don't think we're an unbelievably athletic team," head coach Bill Self said. "I thought initially we could get out and pressure, but I think we can play to our length from a depth standpoint. Could we press some? Zone some? Yeah, I think we could do that, but I have not really thought about how to take advantage of our depth, other than to play hard and force others to defend." "It's a great honor to be selected No. 1," Bulldogs head coach Mark Few said. "We understand that it is more a reflection of what our program has accomplished over the years and hope to play up to that standard as we start our season." The Bulldogs hated to see Filip Petrusev (17.5 & 7.9), last season's West Coast Conference Player of the Year, decide to forgo his final two years of eligibility to pursue a professional career overseas but SF small Corey Kispert (13.9 & 4.0), a preseason All-American, and guard Joel Ayayi (10.6-6.3-3.2) both return. Few has recruited a talented freshman class, one which includes guard Jalen Suggs, a top-10 prospect who is the program's highest-ranked recruit ever. Suggs led his Saint Paul, Mn high school to three straight state titles before COVID-19 ended last season prematurely. Mark Few has done everything but win a national championship since taking over the Gonzaga program for the 1999-2000 season. He has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in every season during his tenure as head coach and holds the record for the most consecutive tournament appearances since starting as head coach at 21! His career record at Gonzaga is 599-124 (.828), which is an average of 28.5 wins per season. Is this Gonzaga's year to "win it all?" That's getting way ahead of ourselves but a "W" here gives him a nice round number of 600 career wins. That's my bet and the Zags also get the ATS win. Good luck...Larry |
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11-25-20 | UCLA -2.5 v. San Diego State | Top | 58-73 | Loss | -120 | 15 h 23 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Month is on UCLA at 10:30 ET. The UCLA Bruins and the San Diego State Aztecs open their respective 2020-21 seasons Wednesday night at Viejas Arena in San Diego. It's a meeting of two excellent head coaches as Mick Cronin of UCLA and Brain Dutcher of SD State will go mano-a-mano. Cronin began his coaching career at Murray St, leading the Racers to two Big Dance appearances in three years. He got the Cincinnati job to begin the 2006-07 season but after four years, had just a 61-68 record. However, NINE consecutive NCAA Tourney appearances, as his Bearcats posted a 235-78 (.751) record. He moved to Westwood last season and his Bruins got better as the year progressed and was playing their best ball when the season was shut down. Brian Dutcher has more than 30 years of coaching experience, including 18 seasons as an assistant to Steve Fisher, first at Michigan and then at San Diego St. Dutcher joined then-interim coach Fisher in 1989 when Michigan won the national championship. He is credited for having a central role in recruiting the Fab Five to Michigan and for bringing Kawhi Leonard to San Diego St. Dutcher was named San Diego State's "head coach in waiting" in 2011.[Following Fisher's decision to retire, Dutcher was formally named as his replacement on April 11, 2017. The Aztecs won 22 and 21 games in his first two seasons but last season, the team opened 26-0 with impressive road/neutral site wins over BYU, Creighton, Iowa, and Utah State. SD State finished 30-2 and ranked No. 6 when the season shut down. Mick Cronin’s first year as UCLA's head coach ended 19-12, including a 12-6 Pac-12 record, good enough to get the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. UCLA wouldn’t get their chance to win the tournament though as the Pac-12 tournament and subsequently the NCAA tournament were cancelled on the same day back in March. The good news for the 2020-21 season for UCLA is that it brings back almost its entire team from last year, only losing Prince Ali (6.8 PPG) as a graduating senior. UCLA is led by senior SG Chris Smith, who was named the Pac-12 Conference's Most Improved Player of the Year last season after averaging a team-high 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. "Somebody I expect to have a monster season," UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. "It's imperative for us that Chris competes for Pac-12 Player of the Year and All-American status, and he's consistent every night." The 6-10 Hill (9.0 & 6.9) and 6-9 Riley (8.8 & 4.5) are the team's two-best frontcourt players, while big guards Jaquez (8.9 & 4.8) and Campbell (8.3) join Smith on the perimeter. Dutcher brought in transfers Malachi Flynn, Yanni Wetzell, K.J. Feagin, and Trey Pulliam, to mesh returnees Matt Mitchell, Jordan Shackel, Nathan Mensah, and Adam Sieko, as the Aztecs put together one of their best season's in program history last year. However, the Aztecs lost MWC player-of-the-year Malachi Flynn (17.6-4.5-3.1) to the NBA while Yanni Wetzell (11.6 & 6.5) transferred to Vandy and Feagin (9.1) has finished up his time with the program. The good news for Brian Dutcher is that Matt Mitchell (12.2 & 4.8) flirted with the NBA draft but returned, G]guard Jordan Schakel (10.0 & 3.4) is back plus the 6-10 Nathan Mensah is healthy after playing just 13 games last season when he averaged 6.9 & 6.8 in about 20 minutes. Help also figures to come from Terrell Gomez, a transfer from CSU-Northridge after leading the Matadors with 19.8 PPG. Here's the rub. UCLA is ranked 22nd in the preseason AP poll, while SD St (30-2 last season and ranked 6th in the final poll) was NOT included in the preseason top-25. I have often pointed out that poll rankings can be misleading but it's not often that linemakers are fooled and they made UCLA a small road favorite, despite playing at one of the toughest road venues in college hoops. I have little doubt that Dutcher will produce another strong season but UCLA was on a 5-0-1 ATS run when last season was shut down, plus ended the season on a 4-0 ATS run on the road. I'm taking the Bruins here! Good luck...Larry |
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11-25-20 | Clemson -4 v. Mississippi State | Top | 53-42 | Win | 100 | 13 h 51 m | Show |
My 9* Tourney Takedown is on Clemson at 8:30 ET.
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11-23-20 | Rams v. Bucs -4 | Top | 27-24 | Loss | -115 | 27 h 46 m | Show |
My 10* MNF Game of the Month is on the TB Bucs at 8:15 ET. The 6-3 Los Angeles Rams need a win to keep pace with the 7-3 Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West and the 7-3 Tampa Bay Bucs need a win to stay just a half-game back of the 8-2 Saints in the NFC South. Tampa Bay has a lot of prime-time exposure with the addition of TB-12 but tonight's game "main attraction" could be two of the NFL's best defenses. Led by two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald (nine sacks), Los Angeles ranks second in both scoring defense (18.7 PPG) and total defense (296.4 YPG), while also ranking third in passing defense (199.7 YPG) and fifth in rushing defense (96.8 YPG). Tampa Bay's "stop unit" ain't bad themselves, ranking first in rushing defense (76.6 YPG) and third in total defense (300.3 YPG). Tampa Bay is eighth in scoring defense (22.6 PPG) and ninth in passing defense (223.7 YPG). Jared Goff led the Rams to a Super Bowl berth in the 2018 season by throwing fir 4,688 yards with 32 TDs and just 12 INTs (191.1 QB rating) and while he threw for 4,638 last season, his TD/INT ratio was just 22-16 and his QB rating fell to 86.5 (Rams went from 13-3 to 9-7). He's on pace to throw for just over 4,300 yards in 2020 and his TD/INT ratio is 13-6 (QB rating of 94.9). The Rams said good-bye to RB Gurley and the running game has gone from averaging only 93.7 YPG (3.7 YPC) in 2019 to 134.2 YPG (4.3 YPC) this season. Henderson (486 yards on 4.8 YPC with four TDs) and Brown (347 yards on 4.3 YPC and five TDs) have shared the workload. Kupp (53 catches / 2 TDs) and Woods (42 catches / 4 TDs) are quality WRs and the TE duo of Higbee and Everett have combined for 45 catches and four TDs. Brady has completed 66.0% for 2,739 yards with 23 TDs and seven INTs and RB Jones has 730 rushing yards on 5.1 YPC on 5.1 YPC with five TDs, after running for a career-high 192 yards last Sunday. Brady has plenty of targets, in WRs Evans (40 catches / 8 TDs) and Miller (27 catches / 2 TDs) and TE Gronk (29 catches / 4 TDs), who has 17 catches and all four TDs in his last five games. Then there has been the addition of the controversial Antonio Brown (10 catches in two games), who when "not in trouble," caught 100-plus passes for six consecutive seasons for Pittsburgh (2013-18) with 67 TD receptions! Both teams are hoping to win their respective divisions but the winner of this game also takes a step toward a wild card spot. The Bucs entered the week trailing the Saints by a half game in the NFC South but realistically it’s a game and a half because New Orleans owns the first head-to-head tiebreaker (2-0 this season vs Tampa). Speaking of those two games with the Saints, Brady has thrown FIVE of his seven INTs on the season in them, while his TD/INT ratio in Tampa Bay's other eight games is 21-2, with the Bucs going 7-1. Yes, the Bucs were embarrassed by the Saints at home but they are 3-0 in their other three home games, averaging 35.7 PPG. The Bucs already have matched their win total from 2019, but that was never the goal. You don’t sign a 43-year-old Brady, trade for tight end Rob Gronkowski and add receiver Antonio Brown, and running backs Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy as free agents unless it’s Super Bowl or bust. Lay the points with Tampa Bay. Good luck...Larry |
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11-22-20 | Chiefs -6.5 v. Raiders | Top | 35-31 | Loss | -100 | 100 h 7 m | Show |
My 9* NFL Rivalry Rout is on the KC Chiefs at 8:20 ET. SNF features a classic AFL rivalry, the Chiefs and Raiders. The defending champs are 8-1 and are coming off a bye to visit Las Vegas, where they will take on the 6-3 Raiders. The Raiders shocked the Chiefs 40-32 at Kansas City back in Week 5, as 11-point underdogs. The Raiders got crushed 45-20 at home by the Bucs in their next game but enter this contest on a 3-0 SU & ATS run. Mahomes is completing 66.9% for 2,687 yards with 25 TDs and just one INT (115.9 QB rating) but Carr is not far behind, completing 69.3% for 2,56 yards with 16 TDs and just two INTs (107.4 QB rating). However, hanging over the game is COVID-19 issues. This paragraph is copied directly from a game preview to give the info its proper respect. The Raiders had their Oct 25 prime time game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shifted to the afternoon when offensive tackle Trent Brown came down with the virus and the entire starting offensive line was forced into quarantine until the morning of the game because of their high-risk contact with Brown. Tampa Bay cruised to a 45-20 victory. Following a positive test by starting defensive end Clelin Ferrell on Tuesday, seven more Raiders defensive players were put on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday - safety Johnathan Abram, defensive tackles Maliek Collins, Johnathan Hankins and Kendal Vickers, defensive back Isaiah Johnson, defensive end Arden Key and practice squad defensive end David Irving. They join safety Lamarcus Joyner, previously identified as a close contact of Ferrell, Brown and linebacker Cory Littleton, who was placed on the list last week. Ferrell is likely out for Sunday night's game as is Brown, who isn't expected back until next week. But the other players will be eligible to play Sunday, as long as they continue to test negative. Kansas City has its own COVID-19 issues with both starting offensive tackles, Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, as well as backup Martinas Rankin going on the COVID list earlier this week after being in close contact with someone who tested positive. All could play Sunday, barring a positive test result. As noted above, Mahomes is having a superb season. Rookie RB Edwards-Helaire 'exploded' on the scene in Week 1 with 138 yards but he's had just one 100-yard game since. He has 586 yards on 4.7 YPC with two TDs on the season. The KC offense revolves around Mahomes and his spectacular group of receivers. Kelce is the best TE in the game and leads with 58 catches and six TDs. WR Hill is a game-changer/game-breaker with 44 catches and nine TDs (one rushing TD, as well). The WR trio of Hardeman, Watkins and Robinson have combined for 67 catches and five TDs. On the defensive side of the ball, KC's improvement helped them win the Super Bowl last season and make them one of the favorites to possibly win again in 2020. KC allowed 405.5 YPG (second-worst in the NFL) in 2018, while allowing 26.3 PPG. However, KC allowed just 19.3 PPG in 2019 and here in 2020, is allowing 20.3 PPG. Carr's having a career-season and second-year RB Josh Jacobs has proven his rookie season was no fluke (1,150 yards on 4.8 YPC with 7 TDs in 13 games). Jacobs may be averaging a modest 3.8 YPC but he's run for 700 yards with eight TDs plus has 23 catches (just 20 all of last season). TE Waller may not be Kelce (just yet, anyway) but he has 53 catches and four TDs. WR Renfrow has 29 catches but the team's "big play" receiver is Agholor who has made his 18 catches count, averaging 19.7 YPC with five TDs. Here's the rub. Gruden's defense has allowed 26.8 PPG on the season. Ferrell is likely out for Sunday night's game as is Brown, who isn't expected back until next week. The other players will be eligible to play Sunday, as long as they continue to test negative. However, those players will be limited to virtual practices and meetings until then and won't be allowed on the practice field together. Not exactly the best way to get your defense prepared for reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and Co. KC has a HUGE "revenge motive" from the Raiders' 40-32 in their first meeting on back on Oct 11, the team's LONE loss in its last 18 games (including the postseason) in 18 games (17-1) plus then there is ONE more important stat. KC head coach Andy Reid is 18-3 SU in regular-season games after a bye during his 22 seasons as a head coach! Also, despite the Raiders' win at KC earlier this season, they've won just TWO of their last 11 against the Chiefs since 2015. One closing thought. Yes, KC has a 'number' to cover but the well-rested Chiefs check in on a 23-8 ATS run as an away favorite. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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11-22-20 | Packers +2.5 v. Colts | Top | 31-34 | Loss | -107 | 58 h 44 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner of the Month is on the Green Bay Packers at 4:25 ET. The Packers opened the season 4-0 SU & ATS and while it hasn't been a smooth ride, Green Bay 7-2 is tied with New Orleans for the NFC' best record (note: San Francisco, Green Bay and New Orleans were all 13-3 last season, with the 49ers and Packers getting the No. 1 and No, 2 seeds, respectively due to tiebreakers). QB Aaron Rodgers has helped steer the Packers, despite various injuries to some of the team's most reliable playmakers. The Colts made a big 'splash' in the offseason by singing Philip Rivers as a free agent but the key to Indy's 6-3 record (tied with Tennessee atop the AFC South) has been a defense that ranks first in total yards (290.4 per game) and 4th in scoring (19.7 PPG). These two first place clubs square off Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Rodgers is again at "the top of his game," completing 67.8% for 2,578 yards for 2,578 yards with 26 TDs and just three INTs (116.4 QB rating). RB Jones has dealt with injuries (he's missed two games) but he has 493 rushing yards on 4.8 YPC with five TDs, while catching 28 passes with two more TDs. WR Davante Adams missed practice Wednesday after tweaking a previously balky ankle in a Week 10 home win against Jacksonville, but indications are he will play against the Colts. In his seven games he's caught 61 balls with nine TDs on the season, after 38 catches with seven TDs in his last four games. Fellow WR Valdez-Scantling has a modest 22 catches (he hasn't missed a game) but he's averaging 21.0 YPC with four TDs. TE Tonyan has 27 catches and five TDs. Green Bay is averaging 30.8 PPG, with only Seattle and KC (each at 31.8 PPG) scoring more. The defense has been middle-of-the-pack, allowing 24.9 PPG. Rivers has provided a steady hand at QB but while he's completing 68.7% for 2,395 yards but his TD/INT ratio is a modest 11-7. Big things were expected from Wisconsin rookie Jonathan Taylor but he's got a modest 428 rushing yards on 3.8 YPC with four TDs. The Indy running game is averaging only 105.8 YPG on 3.8 YPC. Fellow RB Hines has just 177 yards on the ground but leads the team with 33 catches and with four TD receptions. WR Hilton has been banged up on-and-off this season and checks in with just 26 catches and not a single TD catch. WR Pascal has 28 catches (2 TDs) and TE Alie-Cox adds 20 catches and two TDs. As noted above, the Colts are where they are because of their D (see above for a reminder). The Colts have beaten Green Bay's fellow NFC North 'partners' (Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota) but Green Bay is a 'horse of a different color!' The Packers are off an uninspiring 24-20 over hapless Jacksonville but that so-so effort should have them VERY focused on this game. Green Bay can 'sniff' the NFC's No. 1 seed, as after the Colts, Green Bay faces just ONE team with a current winning record (Titans in Week 16) over its final six games. As for the Colts, they come off a HUGE win at Tennessee in Week 10, moving them into a tie atop the AFC South with the Titans. Indy's defense gets a real test against Rodgers and Co plus just could be peeking ahead to next week's home game with the Titans. I view this as the perfect situation for a Green By win. That's my bet! Good luck...Larry |
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11-22-20 | Titans v. Ravens -6 | Top | 30-24 | Loss | -110 | 124 h 17 m | Show |
My 10* AFC North Game of the Year is on the Bal Ravens at 1:00 ET. Baltimore was just 2-2 through the first four games of the 2019 season but the Ravens would win their final 12 games, covering NINE of their last 10. QB Lamar Jackson was league MVP, posting a 113.3 QB rating (36-6 ratio) while rushing for 1,206 yards (6.9 YPC / 7 TDs), which set a single-record for QBs. Baltimore set a single season record for team rushing yards and became the first team since at least 1950 to average 200-plus pass YPG (201.6) and 200-plus rush YPG (206) in the same season. The D was not quite in the class of the Ray Lewis era units but the Ravens ranked 3rd in points allowed (17.6 PPG) and 4th in yards allowed (300.6 YPG). However, the Ravens were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs last season, losing 28-12 at home to the Titans as 10-point favorites. Ryan Tannehill took over at QB for Mariota midway through the 2019 season and was a steady hand during the Titans' strong regular season finish and their playoff run. That playoff run saw them win at New England and Baltimore before losing at KC in the AFC championship game. However, most thought of Tannehill as little more than a "game-manager," with the Tennessee offense relying on RB Derrick Henry. That's changed in 2020, as Tannehill has completed 64.8% for 2,128 yards with 20 TDs and three INTs (106.9 QB rating). Henry is having another strong season, running for 946 yards on 4.7 YPC with eight TDs. That's all well and fine but after opening 5-0, the Titans have lost THREE of their last four. While Tannehill's numbers on the season remain very good, he's barely completed 50% of his passes (25 of 48) for an average of just 152.5 YPG in the team's last two games. He had completed 67.4% of his passes in his first seven games, averaging 244.0 YPG through the air. The Tennessee defense is also allowing almost SIX points per game more than last season, 26.1-to-20.7. The Ravens opened the season 5-1, with their lone loss coming to the defending champion Chiefs. However, Baltimore has has lost TWO of its last three, falling at home to Pittsburgh 28-24 in Week 8 and 23-17 at New England in Week 10. Jackson is playing well, completing 64.0% for 1,762 yards with 14 TDs and five INTs, while again leading the team in rushing with 524 yards on 5.8 YPC with three TDs. The running game is averaging a healthy 164.0 YPG but that's down from the team's NFL record 206.0 YPG last season, RB Ingram joined Jackson as a 1,000-yard rusher in 2019 but he has just 230 yards so far this season, as Edwards (370 yards) and Dobbins (310 yards) join him as a rotating three-back attack. WR Brown has 32 catches, while the trio of Snead, Boykin and Duvernoy have combined for 53 catches. TE Andrews has a team-highs in catches (33) and TD receptions (six). The Baltimore D is allowing 18.3 PPG (17.6 LY) on 323.0 YPG (330.6 LY). The Ravens HAVE to win this one and the extra bonus of "playoff revenge" makes me like the play even more. Let me review that playoff game from last year. Baltimore outgained Tennessee 530-to-300 in yards and 29-15 in FDs. Jackson passed for 365 yards and ran for 143 but coughed up THREE turnovers and was 0 of 4 on fourth down attempts. If the Ravens can't win here, their season is effectively over. Good luck...Larry |
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11-21-20 | Liberty v. NC State -3 | Top | 14-15 | Loss | -114 | 49 h 55 m | Show |
My 10* Weekend Wipeout Game of the Month is on NC State at 7:30 ET.
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11-21-20 | Wisconsin v. Northwestern +7.5 | Top | 7-17 | Win | 100 | 44 h 14 m | Show |
My CFB 9* Ultimate Underdog is on Northwestern at 7:30 ET. Paul Chyrst was hired at Wisconsin in 2015, after leading Pitt to three straight bowls from 2012-14 but note his overall record was only 19-19. He led the Badgers to FIVE straight bowl games, winning the first four, before losing 28-27 to Oregon in last season's Rose Bowl. His overall record with Wisconsin is 52-16 (.765) entering 2020. Pat Fitzgerald played at Northwestern and was an assistant coach from 2001-05 until his promotion to head coach after the unexpected death of Randy Walker in June 2006. He was just 10-14 in his first two seasons but then led the Wildcats to NINE bowl in the next 12 years, winning 10 games in 2012, 2015 and 2018. Northwestern fell to just 3-9 last season but the Wildcats are off to a 40-0 stat in the Big Ten in 2020, for the first time since 1996. Wisconsin expected that RB Jonathan Taylor (2,003 rushing yards in 2019) would leave a year early for the NFL but Paul Chryst couldn't have planned for the loss of QB Jack Coan (69.6% / 2,727 yards / 18 TDs and just five INTs in 2019) to a foot injury on Oct 10. However, redshirt freshman Graham Mertz got the start on Oct 23 vs Illinois and completed 20 of 21 passes for 248 yards with five TDs and no INTs in the Badgers 45-7 rout. Then came a COVID-19 outbreak that included both Mertz and head coach Chryst. Wisconsin's next two games were canceled but the Badgers returned to play last Saturday at Michigan and routed the Wolverines 49-11. Mertz was pretty average vs Michigan (12 of 22 for only 127 yards with two TDs and zero INTs) but Wisconsin ran all over Michigan (341 rushing yards on 6.7 YPC) and after two early INTs by the defense set up two quicks TDs, the game was never in doubt. Northwestern QB Ramsey has been OK but hardly special (65.8% for 723 yards with six TDs and four INTs). The running game averages 174.0 PPG, almost 100 yards less than Wisconsin's 261.5 YPG on 5.0 YPC. In the first five seasons of the "Chryst era" at Wisconsin, his 'stop units' have allowed 13.7, 15.6, 13.9, 22.6 and 16.9 PPG. It's been just two games in 2020 but Wisconsin is No. 1 in scoring D (9.0 PPG) and No. 1 in total D (218.5 YPG). That said, don't dismiss the Northwestern D, which is allowing 14.0 PPG (7th) on 301.8 YPG (4th). I'm still not quite sure how good Wisconsin really is because Illinois is an awful team and Harbaugh's Michigan team is a joke! How good is Mertz, really? Northwestern's graduate transfer Peyton Ramsey had his best game for the Wildcats, throwing for three TDs and 212 yards at Purdue and history tells us that the Wildcats have been especially successful against the Badgers at home, winning FIVE of the past six matchups at Ryan Field. This game has earned the title of a de facto Big Ten championship semifinal, with the Wildcats (4-0) and Badgers (2-0) tied for first place in the division and the winner controlling its own destiny to play next month for the conference title at Indianapolis. Can the Wildcats pull the upset? I thinks so but will be SURE to take the points! Good luck...Larry |
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11-21-20 | Cincinnati v. Central Florida +6 | Top | 36-33 | Win | 100 | 20 h 6 m | Show |
My 9* Revenge Rout is on UCF at 3:30 ET. Luke Fickel was an assistant at Ohio St from 2002-16 but on December 10, 2016, was named as the 39th head coach of the University of Cincinnati, taking the place of the resigning Tommy Tuberville. Fickell's Bearcats went just 4-8 in his first season but 2018 would be a historic turnaround for the program, as Cincy finished with an 11-2 record and a 35-31 victory in the Military Bowl over Va Tech. Fickell was named AAC Coach of the Year for the 2018 season, which was only the third 11-win season in UC history. He led the team to another 11-win season in 2019. The Bearcats reeled off NINE straight wins after falling to Ohio State in the second game of the year but fell two straight weeks to Memphis, in the final regular season game and in the conference championship game. However, for the second straight year, Cincinnati won its bowl game over an ACC team, crushing Boston College 38-6 in the Birmingham Bowl. The Bearcats opened the 2020 season ranked 9th in the AP's preseason poll and at 7-0 are up to No. 7 as Cincinnati begins a three-game road stretch that will determine the Bearcats' conference, bowl and even potential playoff fate. It starts with Saturday's game in Orlando against unranked but dangerous 5-2 UCF. Josh Heupel was named head coach of the UCF Knights on December 5, 2017, replacing the departing Scott Frost, who had led UCF to a perfect 13-0 season in 2017. Heupel continued the 'magic' in 2018, as UCF took a 12-0 record (AND a 25-game winning streak) into its Sugar Bowl game with LSU, where the Tigers snapped that win streak with a 40-32 victory (coming out party for Joe Burrow). UF followed with a 10-3 season in 2019 but sits a more modest 5-2 entering this game. Cincy routed Austin Peay 55-20 to open the season and then had comfortable but routine wins over Army (24-10) and South Florida (28-7) in the second and third games of the season. However, the Bearcats have stepped up the pace by averaging a scoring margin of 46.0-12.5 PPG in wins over SMU, Memphis, Houston and East Carolina. QB Desmond Ridder has posted two triple-digit rushing games in running for 398 yards and nine TDs in that four-game span and completed 71.4 percent of his 105 pass attempts for 886 yards and eight TDs against only two INTs. He's completing 66.7% on the season for 1,483 yards with 14 TDs and six INTs, while ranking second on the team with 469 rushing yards (8.8 YPC and nine TDs). RB has 563 yards on 5.2 YPC with seven TDs, as Cincy averages 247.1 YPG on the ground on 6.5 YPC with 24 TDs. In allowing 12.4 PPG, Cincy ranks third in the nation for fewest points allowed. UCF opened 2-0 but then lost back-to-back games to Tulsa and Memphis. UCF led Tulsa 16-0 but lost 34-26 (Tulsa's won FOUR times this season when trailing by 14-plus points!) and let a 49-37 lead in the mid-fourth quarter slip away in a 50-49 loss to Memphis. UCF has rebounded to win THREE in a row, averaging 44.3 PPG. QB Gabriel is completing 63.3% for 2,774 yards with 23 TDs and just two INTs, while RBs Anderson (563 yards on 5.8 YPC and four TDs) and McCrae (532 yards on 5.4 YPC with seven TDs) lead a running game averaging 222.3 YPG. Williams (53 catches / 15.0 YPC / 8 TDs) and Robinson (41 catches / 20.0 YPC / 4 TDs) are both dangerous receivers. However, in allowing 28.7 PPG, the UCF defense is allowing more than TWICE as many PPG than Cincy's D. "It's going to be huge," Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell said. "We're going to find out what we're really made of. ... That is going to be quite a stretch with the bullseye on our back and a lot of things that we want to be able to do. You know we've got to kind of focus in and be hungry and be humble in what we're doing and find a way to continue to grow." This will SURE be a test for the Bearcats, as UCF takes the field with an offense averaging 44.0 PPG on 619.1 YPG (No. 1 in the nation) plus has won 23 of its last 24 home games! What's more, UCF has a score to settle from last season's 27-24 loss at Cincinnati, when the Bearcats broke UCF's 19-game AAC winning streak. Now it's UCF's turn to pull the upset. Book it! Good luck...Larry |
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11-21-20 | Georgia Southern v. Army -3.5 | Top | 27-28 | Loss | -110 | 34 h 35 m | Show |
My 9* Eye Opener is on Army at 12:00 ET. Chad Lunsford served as interim coach at Georgia Southern for the second half of the 2017 season following the firing and departure of Tyson Summers. The team finished that season 2-4 but he was awarded the head coaching gig on November 27, 2017. 10-3 and 7-6 seasons followed (including two bowl berths) and here in 2020 his Eagles are 6-2, including 4-2 in the SBC (third in the East behind 5-0 Coastal Carolina and 4-0 Appalachian St). Georgia Southern steps out of conference play on Saturday to visit West Point for a game with Army. Jeff Monken took over the Army football program in 2014 and after 4-8 and 2-10 seasons, led the Blacks Knights to seasons of 8-5, 10-3 and 11-2 from 2016 through 2018. Each of the seasons were capped by a bowl win The 2017 team tied the school record for most wins in a season when it beat SD State in the Armed Forces Bowl and then the 2018 team broke the school record for wins when it CRUSHED Houston 70-14 in the same bowl the following year. Maybe more importantly, Army beat Navy THREE straight in that span, while capturing the school's first Commander-in-Chief's Trophy since 1996 in 2016, then following up by winning that trophy again in both 2017 and 2018. However, 2019 was a HUGE disappointment for the Cadets of West Point. Army opened last season with a 'shaky' 14-7 win over Rice (as 23.5 favorites), extending its winning streak to 10 in a row. That streak was snapped the next week at Michigan but a 24-21 loss in OT at The "Big House" was hardly cause for concern. Army would win its next two games over UTSA (31-21) and Morgan St (52-21) but then the 'wheels came off.' Army would lose SEVEN of its final nine games, beating only sad-sack UMass (1-11 in 2019) and VMI, an FCS school. A crushing 31-7 to Navy was a fitting end to a dismal season. The 2020seaason has been a nice bounce-back, as Army enters this contest 6-2. Georgia Southern comes into this contest on a THREE-game winning streak after a 40-38 home win over Texas State last Saturday. QB Shai Werts leads an offense that depends on its running game, which ranks 5th in the nation in averaging 275.8 YPG on the ground while averaging 5.5 YPC. Werts completes a modest 58.9% for 789 yards with five TDs and six INTs. However, he's second on the team with 605 rushing yards on 5.4 YPC with six TDs. Four RBs have 300-plus rushing yards, led by JD King's 625 yards (5.4 YPC) and five TDs. The defense has been strong all season, as despite allowing 38 points to a 1-9 Texas St team in its last game, Georgia Southern is holding its opponents to a modest 21.8 PPG. Army has SEVEN players with 200-plus rushing yards, led by RB Robinson's 347 yards on 8.1 YPC. RBs Buchanan and Adkins plus QB Anderson all have four rushing TDs, as Army ranks second in the nation with 303.4 YPG on the ground (on 5.3 YPC) with 27 rushing TDs. Army QBs have attempted just 40 passes in EIGHT games. Speaking of defense, Army is allowing its opponents just 15.0 PPG. Army is coming off a bad loss at Tulane (38-12) but in fairness, the Black Knights hadn't played in THREE weeks prior to that contest. Speaking of recent games, how does one explain away Georgia Southern's two-point win at home over a 1-9 Texas St team? Georgia Southern's lone road win this year came 35-30 at UL-Monroe, which is just 2-8 on the season. By the way, Army routed UL-Monroe at home back on Sep 12, 37-7 (outgained the Warhawks 468-200 in total yards). It's true that Ga Southern QB Werts give the Eagles a more-balanced attack but in the end, this game will be decided by the competing option attacks. The Eagles top runner (JD King) has been lost to an ACL injury and note that the ONLY two times Army has passed more than 10 times in a game, it has lost! One of those losses came at now-No. 7 Cincinnati which is 7-0. The Cadets trailed just 17-10 in that game on the road midway through the fourth quarter and eventually lost just 24-10. Army's schedule in 2020 can be questioned by the Blacks Knights are 5-0 SU at home this season, extending their record at home to 21-2 SU since the start of the 2017 season. Stealing a chant from the Army/Navy rivalry, "Go Army! Beat Georgia Southern!" Good luck...Larry |
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11-20-20 | Purdue v. Minnesota +3 | Top | 31-34 | Win | 100 | 49 h 59 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider Game of the Month is on Minnesota at 7:30 ET. PJ Fleck 'rowed the boat' at Western Michigan back in 2016, leading the Broncos to a 13-1 season. He used that as a 'launching pad' to get the Minnesota job and in his third season at the school, led the Gophers to an 11-win season (1st since 1904), including that impressive win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. However, so far in 2020, Fleck's long-time motto has 'run aground!' The Gophers opened 0-2 in losing 49-24 to Michigan and Maryland 45-44 on a missed extra-point in OT but rebounded with a 41-14 home win over Illinois. However, the not-so Golden Gophers followed up their first win of the year with a real clunker in a 35-7 home loss to Iowa last Saturday. Minnesota desperately needs a win here at home on Friday, when 2-1 Purdue visits Minneapolis. Jeff Brohm had a strong three-year run as Western Kentucky's head coach (2014-16), going 30-10 overall, before accepting the Purdue job. He led the Boilermakers to bowl berths in his first two seasons (2017 and 2018) but Purdue was just 13-13 in those two years. A 4-8 season followed in 2019 and after opening 2-0 in 2020, the Boilermakers lost their showdown with Northwestern last Saturday (both schools entered unbeaten), 27-20 at home. The Boilermakers are still hoping that standout WR Rondale Moore will return to provide Purdue's offense with a spark. Moore was sensational as a freshman in 2018 (114 catches for 1,258 yards with 21 TDs) and was off to another great start in 2019, when he was lost for the season in Purdue's fourth game. He's missed the first three games due to a lower-body injury. QB Aidan O'Connell (64.7% for 916 yards with 7 TDs and 2 INTs) threw for 263 yards and two TDs against Northwestern, while RB Zander Horvath caught nine passes for 100 yards. However, Horvath (252 rushing yards on 4.8 YPC) was held to just 21 yards, after topping 100 yards in wins over Iowa and Illinois. Purdue's ground game managed just TWO yards on 17 attempts! Without Moore, Bell (86 catches with 7 TDs in 2019) leads with 31 catches and four TDs grabs. Minnesota's leading rusher Smith (1,163 yards / 5.1 YPC / 8 TDs) and record-setting WR Tyler Johnson (86 catches / 1,318 yards / 13 TDs) both moved on but QB Tanner Morgan returned, after throwing 30 TD passes last season (against only seven INTs). However, Morgan is off to a VERY slow start (57.5% / 769 yards / 4 TDs and 4 INTs). There is good news on offense for Minnesota, RB Mohammad Ibrahim has returned to his freshman form (1,160 yards on 5.7 YPC with nine TDs), after being injured for part of last season (he still ran for 604 yards on 5.3 YPC and seven TDs). Ibrahim has run for 140-plus yards in all four games, topping 200 yards, twice. He has 715 yards on the season, averaging 5.5 YPC with 10 TDs. WR Bateman is no Johnson but he does have 32 catches. Minnesota's D returned just four starters and has allowed 43.0 PPG in its three losses. It's a 180-degree turnaround from last year for Minnesota in 2020, after the Golden Gophers won 11 games in 2019, winning close games because the team frequently made big plays and didn't make mistakes. That same attention to detail has been missing in 2020. Minnesota plays ranked schools Wisconsin (10) and Northwestern (19) the next two weeks, then ends the season at Nebraska, needing to win THREE of four to finish at .500. Is that a 'bridge too far?' Probably, but beating Purdue here at home is NOT! Minnesota has won SIX of its last seven meetings with Purdue and the last time the Golden Gophers hosted the Boilermakers (2018), they won 41-10, the largest margin of victory in this series since 1985. Home dog 'barks VERY LOUDLY in this one! Good luck...Larry |
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11-19-20 | Cardinals v. Seahawks -3 | Top | 21-28 | Win | 100 | 31 h 23 m | Show |
My NFL 10* Thursday Game of the Month is on the Sea Seahawks at 8:20 ET. The NFC West has a three-way tie at the top between the Cards, Rams and Seahawks (all are 6-3).The Cards and Seahawks square off in Seattle and barring a tie, one will move to 7-3. The Rams play Monday night in Tampa against the Bucs, making their path to 7-3 a real test. The Cardinals overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit back in Week 7 in a SNF matchup at home, to edge the Seahawks 37-34 on a Zane Gonzalez 48-yard FG with 15 seconds remaining in OT (note: Gonzalez had previously kicked a 44-yarder as time expired in regulation). The loss was Seattle's first of the season (after opening 5-0) and the Seahawks have gone to drop two of their next three games, as well. Arizona's win over Seattle was the team's THIRD in a row and after a bye in Week 8, the Cards have lost a close one (34-31 to Miami) and won a close one (32-30 over Buffalo), all at home. I'm sure ALL are aware that Arizona's win over Buffalo belongs in the 'miracle' category and the Cards head to Seattle off THREE straight games (2-1) decided by three, three and two points. QB Kyler Murray is having a superb 'sophomore' season, completing 68.2% for 2,375 yards with 17 TDs and eight INTs. He's also the Cards' leading rusher with 604 yards on 6.9 YPC with 10 rushing TDs! Kenyon Drake (612 yards on 4.5 YPC with four TDs) has developed into a dependable RB and the Cards have now edged ahead of the Ravens to own the NFL's top rushing offense at 168.9 YPG (5.3 YPC). Fitzgerald is heading to the HOF but while he has 35 catches, he's averaging only 7.8 YPC and has yet to snare a TD pass. Hopkins caught the game-winner against the Bills and leads the team with 67 receptions (four TDs). Fellow WR Kirk has a modest 27 catches but leads the team with six TD grabs. Arizona's defense allowed just 18.7 PPG through its first six games but enters this contest having allowed 30-plus points in each of its last three (32.7 per). Defense has been a season-long problem for Seattle, as it is allowing a league-high 448.3 YPG and almost 30 PPG (29.6). However, led by Russell Wilson's MVP-caliber play (19 TD passes and just three INTs), Seattle got off to a 5-0 start. However, in Seattle's recent 1-3 slide, Wilson had four TDs and zero INTs in Seattle lone win in that span, while passing for only five TDs against seven INTs in the three losses. He didn't throw a TD pass in last week's loss at the Rams (had two INTs), just the second time since the start of the 2019 season in which he went without a TD pass in a game (the other time was also against the Rams, in a 28-12 road loss last season). However, he is completing 69.8% for 2,789 yards with 28 TDs and 10 INTs on the season (110.5 QB rating). Wilson is also the team's leading rusher (325 yards on 7.2 YPC) but the Seahawks have been without their top two RBs, Chris Carson (mid-foot sprain) and Carlos Hyde (hamstring), for the past three games. Carson remains out but Hyde has returned to practice on a limited basis. Wilson has a 'dynamic duo' in WRs Lockett (58 catches with six TDs) and Metcalf (45 catches on 18.1 YPC with eight TDs). The Cards are on the road for the first time since Week 6 (three home games and a bye week), while this marks Seattle's ONLY home game in a four-week span. What's more, after leading the division since Week 1, Seattle would fall from atop it for the first time this season with a loss. I realize Seattle has RB issues (it has all season) but I'm not sure why Seattle is favored here at home, by pretty much the same as it was in Arizona! A win keeps Seattle atop the NFC West (all by itself if Tampa Bay can beat the Rams) plus Seattle's next four opponents (Philadelphia, the NYG, the NYJ and Washington) have a combined 8-28-1 record in 2020. CenturyLink Stadium doesn't offer the same kind of home field edge it did in 'normal' times but Seattle is still a perfect 4-0 at home in 2020, averaging 34.3 PPG. That's almost the exact point total the Cards' defense has allowed (see above) in its last three games. Don't be fooled by Arizona's 3-1 road record in 2020, as its opponents have been San Francisco, Carolina, the NY Jets and Dallas, teams with a combined record of 9-29! Lay the 'cheap' price! Good luck...Larry |
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11-19-20 | Tulane +7 v. Tulsa | Top | 24-30 | Win | 100 | 59 h 56 m | Show |
My 10* AAC Game of the Year is on Tulane at 7:30 ET. Willie Fritz arrived in New Orleans to take over at Tulane for the 2016 season. The Green Wave would go 4-8 and 5-7 in his first two seasons but they would then go 6-6 and 6-6 in 2018 and 2019's regular season, capping each one off with a bowl win. It marked the first time Tulane had posted back-to-back winning seasons in 20 years. Tulane opened by eking out a 27-24 win at South Alabama but then took a 24-0 lead over Navy at the half, only to lose 27-24. The Green Wave rebounded with a 66-24 rout of Southern Miss but then lost THREE in a row (Houston, SMU and UCF), while allowing 45.7 PPG. With season 'heading south,' Tulane has rebounded with THREE straight wins, scoring exactly 38 points in each contest. Tulane now heads to Tulsa on Thursday night to face a 4-1 Tulsa team (4-0 in AAC), which just entered the AP poll this past Sunday at No. 25. Philip Montgomery got his first head coaching gig at Tulsa in 2015. He led the Golden Hurricane to bowls those first two seasons, including to a 1-3 season in 2016. However, THREE straight losing seasons followed (9-27 overall). Tulsa opened the current season with a competitive 16-7 loss at then-No. 11 Oklahoma St. Tulsa has ripped off FOUR straight wins since. Kudos to the Golden Hurricane who fell behind the then-No. 19 Mustangs 21-0 last Saturday, before outscoring them 28-3 the rest of the way. So what else is new? Tulsa trailed 16-2 at UCF on Oct 3 but came back to win 31-26 and on Oct 30 at home, trailed East Carolina 17-3 before winning 34-30. Nothing to it! The Green Wave's surge has coincided with the maturation of freshman QB Michael Pratt, who has 14 TDs and just four INTs in seven starts (he also has five rushing TDs). He has brought balance to an offense that features an outstanding running game, averaging 224.1 YPG on 5.3 YPC with a whopping 26 TDs. Four RBs contribute, led by Huderson (548 yards on 6.6 YPC) and Carroll (542 yards on 5.6 YPC with 10 TDs). Tulsa's "comeback kids" are led by QB Zach Smith (61.5% with 10 TDs and 6 INTs) and a running game averaging 161.8 YPG on 4.1 YPC with eight TDs. Tulsa's defense has been VERY good, allowing just 21.8 PPG. This is a tough spot for Tulsa, its win over SMU came after a stretch in which the Golden Hurricane had played just two games in 41 days, as Tulsa has had three weekends in which a game was postponed due to COVID-19 issues. This week, the Golden Hurricane return to action just FIVE days after the SMU win and will be playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2010. Tulane comes in on a roll and has beaten Tulsa each of the last three meetings. Take the points but expect an OUTRIGHT win by Tulane. Good luck...Larry |
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11-18-20 | Western Michigan v. Central Michigan | Top | 52-44 | Loss | -110 | 29 h 13 m | Show |
My 10* MAC Attack-Part 3 is on Central Michigan at 7:00 ET. Western Michigan's Tim Lester has had BIG shoes to fill, taking over in 2017, after PJ Fleck led the Broncos to a 13-1 season (and a Cotton Bowl bid vs Wisconsin) in 2016. His first team went 6-6 (no bowl) but the Broncos have gone to a bowl each of the last two seasons, although they've lost both, finishing 7-6 each season. Jim McElwain made a name for himself at Colorado St, which got him the head coaching gig at Florida in 2015. The Gators went 10-4 and 9-4 in his first two seasons but he had problems with "powers that be" and was let go after a 3-4 start in 2017. He resurfaced at Central Michigan in 2019, taking over a team that went 1-11 in 2018. Things couldn't have gone much better in his first season, as the Chippewas won the MAC West (6-2) and finished the season 8-6 overall, although they lost the MAC title game 26-21 to Miami-Ohio and their bowl game 48-11 to SD State. Western Michigan and Central Michigan have both opened 2-0 and meet Wednesday in Mount Pleasant. The winner puts itself in PRIME position to win the MAC West. The MAC is only playing SIX league games, meaning the team which comes out of the game at 3-0 will effectively own a TWO-game lead, considering it will also have the tiebreaker. Kaleb Eleby (redshirted last season) but has played well at QB for WMU, completing 71.1% for 546 yards with six TDs and zero INTs. The running game averages 185.5 YPG on 5.5 YPC, led by Sean Tyler's 168 yards on 8.0 YPC with a TD. He also has 10 catches, which ties WR D’Wayne Eskridge for the team lead. Eskridge is averaging 24.5 YPC with TDs, while fellow WRs Moore ( six catches / 19.7 YPC / one TD) and Hall (three catches / 29.7 YPC / two TDs) have made "big plays." The offense has scored 99 points in its first two games and somehow scored two TDs in the final 45 seconds of WMU's 41-38 win over Toledo last Wednesday (had to see it to believe it!). CMU quarterback David Moore's status remains uncertain as a result of an NCAA suspension but Daniel Richardson has started the first two games and has been more than adequate (60% for 439 yards / 3 TDs / 1 INT). However, there's potential for even more big plays thanks to a strong receiving corps. Dallas Dixon averages 18.8 YPC over six catches, while Kalil Pimpleton (nine), JaCorey Sullivan (five) and Tyrone Scott (four) rounding out the top contributors. The running game is averaging 210.5 YPC on 4.7 YPC, led by Lewis (171 yards / 3.9 YPC / 3 TDs) and Nichols (122 yards / 5.8 YPC / one TD). The defense is the best in the MAC, holding opponents to 18.5 PPG on 294.5 YPG. Central Michigan was 6-0 SU & ATS at home last season and its win and cover at home over Ohio U in the team's season opener gives them a 7-0 SU & ATS run at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Meanwhile, WMU was 1-6 SU away from home in 2019 (counts bowl loss) and a 58-13 win at Akron on Nov 4 hardly counts (Zips are on a 19-game slide, going 4-15 ATS)! A good defense usually beats a good offense plus remember, CMU is averaging 35.5 PPG, themselves. The fact that the Broncos are 4-17 ATS in their last 21 games following a ATS win has me saying, why NOT play the Chippewas? Good luck...Larry |
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11-16-20 | Vikings v. Bears +3.5 | Top | 19-13 | Loss | -114 | 21 h 33 m | Show |
My 10* MNF Magic play (NFC North Game of the Month) is on the Chi Bears at 8:15 ET. Mike Zimmer began as Minnesota's head coach back in 2015 and led the Vikings to an 11-5 season (wild card berth). He's taken Minnesota to the playoffs in both 2017 (13-3 / division champs) and again last season at 10-6 (another wild card). However, in the even numbered years, 2016 and '18, his teams have fallen short of the postseason, going 8-8 and 8-7-1, respectively. A non-postseason year in 2020 will NOT be acceptable but the Vikings will be hard-pressed to avoid that from happening. The Chicago Bears hired John Fox as head coach in 2015 and he had three straight losing seasons, going 3-13 in 2016 and 5-11 in 2017. That was enough and the Bears hired Mike Nagy on January 7, 2018, Nagy was one of six candidates for the Bears' job and sure seemed like the 'right choice,' as Chicago went 12-4 in his first season. The Bears fell to 8-8 last season but surprised by opening 3-0 and 5-1. However, they enter this contest off THREE straight losses. The Vikings were manhandled by the Packers in Week 1 and after a 40-23 loss Week 6 to Atlanta, stood 1-5. However, the team's Week 7 bye seems to have rejuvenated the team, as Minnesota won 28-22 at Green Bay in Week 8 and then beat Detroit 34-20 at home in Week 9. QB Kirk Cousins connected on 13 of his 20 pass attempts for 220 yards and 3 TDs in the win over the Lions, while RB Dalvin Cook ran for 206 yards on just 22 carries with two TDs. Kirk Cousins is oft-criticized but he completed 70.1% for 4,298 yards with 30 TDs and 10 INTs in his first season with the Vikings and then completed 69.1% for 3,603 yards with 26 TDs and 6 INTs last year, finishing with a career-high QB rating of 107.4. He's has NOT been that good this year, completing 65.6 percent for 1.855 yards. He has 15 TDs but 10 INTs, FOUR more than he had all last season. Dalvin Cook (858 yards on 6.0 YPC with 12 TDs), when healthy, is as good as any RB in the NFL. Cook has run for 369 yards (7.1 YC) for five TDs (plus one TD catch) in Minnesota's back-to-back wins. More on Cousins, Cook and Minnesota's defense in my 'closing argument.' The Bears have used two QBs this season but with Trubisky sidelined with a shoulder injury, Foles is the current 'man.' He blows hot-and-cold but with RB Montgomery (472 yards) out with a concussion, he's thrown 93 passes the last two games (64 completions / 68.9%) for 607 yards with four TDs and just one INT. Chicago's best receiver, Allen Robinson (57 catches with three TDs) is listed as questionable but is expected to play. Fellow WRs Mooney and Miller have combined for 63 catches and four TDs, while TE Jimmy Graham looks 'young' again, with 35 catches and five TDs (had just 38 catches with Green Bay all of last season). In closing, let's look defense, first. The Vikings are allowing 29.2 PPG on 417.9 YPG, while Chicago allows 21.1 PPG on 335.1 YPG. Chicago head coach Mike Nagy is a perfect 4-0 SU vs Minnesota in his first two seasons (1st of two meetings this season, tonight) and Kirk Cousins is 0-3 in three meetings with the Bears as a Viking (sat out meaningless Week 17 game in 2019), with Minnesota averaging a WOEFUL 12.0 PPG in those contests. There is no denying how good Cook can be but in Cousins' three losses vs the Bears, Cook has averaged a miniscule 28.7 YPG on the ground. Two last factoids. Cousins is 0-9 in his career on Monday nights, which is the worst record of any QB in NFL history! If that's not enough, how about the fact that Minnesota is a dismal 3-14 ATS in its last 17 games at Soldier Field? Not sure why there has been so much 'play' on Minnesota but I'm taking the home dog. Good luck...Larry |
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11-15-20 | Seahawks v. Rams -1 | Top | 16-23 | Win | 100 | 95 h 43 m | Show |
My 10* NFC West Game of the Year is on the LA Rams at 4:25 ET. The NFC West owns a collective 20-13 (.606) record, second to only the AFC North's mark of 21-10-1, plus it has the best point differential of any division at plus-144 (all four teams are in the plus category). The Los Angeles Rams spent last week on a bye and actually gained ground, as Seattle, Arizona, and San Francisco all lost. "It was a pretty solid bye week," Rams WR Cooper Kupp said. "They did us some favors there." The 5-3 Rams are within a game of the first-place Seahawks (6-2) as the teams get set to meet Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Seattle opened the season 5-0 but has lost TWO of its last three, with Russell Wilson showing a 'human' side. He's completing 71.0% on the season for 2,541 yards for 2,818 yards with 28 TDs and 8 INTs (117.1 QB rating) but FIVE of his eight INTs on the season have come in the team's two losses. Seattle's run game (without Russell's 265 yards on 7.2 YPC) is very mediocre and what's more, the Seahawks have been without RBs Chris Carson (mid-foot sprain) and Carlos Hyde (hamstring) each of the past two weeks and it's uncertain if they'll return for this one. Then there is Seattle's defense, which has been a HUGE concern all season. Seattle ranks dead-last in allowing 455.8 YPG and is 30th of 32 teams in points allowed at 30.4 per game. LA's Jared Goff is not having a great season but still completes 65.5% for 2,145 yards with 13 TDs and six INTs. He's got an excellent WR duo in Kupp (48 catches) and Woods (37 catches) plus a pair of TEs who have each caught 20 passes and combined for four TD grabs. The departure of RB Todd Gurley has not hurt a bit as in fact, the Rams averaged just 93.7 YPG rushing on 3.7 YPC last season, while this year's "RB by Committee" concept has produced 137.8 YPG on 4.4 YPC. Then there is the LA defense, which is allowing just 291.9 YPG (2nd-best) and more importantly, only 19.0 PPG (also 2nd-best)! Seattle returns from a performance at Buffalo (allowed John Allen to throw for 415 yards and three TDs) and finds themselves on the road again here. This well-rested Rams team is on a 9-3-1 ATS run after a bye and is 3-0 at home in 2020, allowing just 12.0 PPG. Rams move into a first-place tie with the Seahawks after with win (will the Cards make it a three-way tie?). Good luck...Larry |
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11-15-20 | Broncos v. Raiders -3.5 | Top | 12-37 | Win | 100 | 10 h 3 m | Show |
My 9* Rivalry Game of the Month is on the LV Raiders at 4:05 ET The Raiders relocated to Las Vegas for the 2020 season, as Jon Gruden's second stint with the team entered its third season. The Raiders went 4-12 in Year One and then 7-9 last season. Will the third time be the charm? The now Las Vegas Raiders begin the second half of their season Sunday afternoon against the visiting Denver Broncos off back-to-back victories and at 5-3, are in the thick of the AFC wild card play 'picture' (catching 8-1 KC in the AFC West is a bit of a stretch). Denver opened the current season off THREE consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1972 and Drew Lock got the start in Week 1, giving Denver's its 7th starting QB since Peyton Manning led the Broncos to their Super Bowl 50 win. He has missed some time earlier but he has been 'at the controls' the last four games. Denver comes in off Denver a 34-27 loss at Atlanta, after the Broncos had beaten the Chargers the previous week 34-30, scoring the winning TD with 0:00 on the clock. The week before that, the Broncos lost 43-16 to the Chiefs. Doing some quick math, the Denver D has allowed 35.7 PPG over its last three games. While Lock has had his moments, he's completing a poor 56.5% on the season for 1,240 yards with six TDs and six INTs (QB rating of 73.6). The Broncos expected much more from FA Melvin Gordon but he's got just 393 rushing yards (4.1 YPC) with four TDS. Denver is averaging a modest 116.3 YPG on the ground and its passing game is inconsistent, at best. TE Fant leads with 32 catches, while WRs Jeudy (30 catches / 16.1 YPC / 2 TDs) and Patrick (27 catches / 14.2 YPC / 3 TDs) are not exactly a dynamic duo. Jeudy (shoulder) didn't practice much this week and is questionable. More bad news came to a defense already struggling in that DE Shelby Harris, who sat out the loss to the Falcons while in self-quarantine following close contact with someone who had contracted COVID-19, tested positive for the disease on Wednesday morning and will not play Sunday. The struggling Denver defense will have to find a way to slow down Las Vegas QB Derek Carr, who is having a "career season." He's completing 69.8% for 2,002 yards with 16 TDs and just two INTs (110.0 QB rating). His favorite targets are TE Waller (50 catches / 4 TDs) and WR Renfro (27 catches / 2 TDs). WR Agholor may have just 17 catches but he's averaging 20.4 YPC and has a team-high five TD receptions. The Raiders OL has been devastated by injuries but Carr just keeps getting the job done plus 2nd-year RB Jacobs has followed an excellent rookie season (1,150 yards and 7 TDs), by rushing for 588 yards with six TDs plus had added 26 catches (had only 20 all last season). The recent play of the Denver defense (see above) makes me believe Carr and Co. should be in complete control. The fact that the Raiders have lost EACH of their last two home games makes me like them even more. Note that those two losses came against the 7-2 Buffalo Bills and the 6-3 Tampa Bay 'Bradys.' Denver is nowhere near in the class of those two teams. Want more? The home team is on a perfect 8-0 SU run (6-2 ATS) in this series plus the Broncos are on an 8-19-1 ATS run vs division opponents. C'mon, the sad-sack Falcons (just 2-6 at the time) closed as 4 1/2-point home favorites over the Broncos last Sunday. This price is 'CHEAP!' Lay it. Good luck...Larry |
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11-15-20 | Eagles v. Giants +4 | Top | 17-27 | Win | 100 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the NY Giants at 1:00 ET. It's Week 10 and the 2-7 Giants can actually say with a straight face, if we win on Sunday, we are "right in the hunt" for the division title. It's true, thanks to the NFC East being arguably the worst in NFL history here in 2020. The 3-4-1 Eagles are in first place, followed by 2-6 Washington and then the 2-7 Cowboys and Cowboys. These teams met back on Oct 22 in Philadelphia (Week 7), with New York controlling most of the first 3 1/2 quarters, leading 21-10 with less than five minutes left. However, Carson Wentz threw 3- and 18-yard TD passes to 'escape' with a 22-21 win. Philly QB Wentz entered this season having thrown EXACTLY seven INTs in each of the last THREE seasons, while passing for 81 TD passes. However, Wentz has really struggled in 2020, completing only 58.4% for 1,883 yards with as many INTs (12) as TDs (12), His 12 INTs are an NFL-high and he's also lost FOUR fumbles. His QB rating is just 73.2, after posting ratings of 101.9, 102.2 and 93.1 the last three years. Philly's many injuries haven't helped. TE Ertz and WR Jackson remain on IR but after a bye week, RB Miles Sanders and WR Alshon Jeffery are expected back. Miles led all rookies in scrimmage yards last season with 1,327 (818 rushing / 509 receiving) and has run for 434 yards (6.1 YPC) with three TDs in five games this season. Philly's defense is no better than average, allowing 340.1 PPG (10th) but 25.6 PPG (17th). Speaking of QBs that make mistakes, let me submit the name of Daniel Jones. He's completing 62.4% for 1,878 yards with eight TDs and nine INTs. I will add that he's also New York's leading rusher, adding 320 yards on 8.0 YPC. He WAS turnover free in New York's win last Sunday (more later) but even with that mistake-free game, the second-year QB has committed a whopping 36 turnovers in 21 career starts. The only NFL quarterback with a worse ratio to start his career was Ryan Leaf (OUCH!). With Barkley done for the season, the New York running game is non-existent. Subtract Jones' totals and New York's RBs are averaging 70.4 YPG on 3.7 YPC. TE Engram leads with 36 catches, followed by WR Slayton (33 catches / 14.9 YPC / 3 TDs). It's possible we'll see more of Golden Tate in this game. Tate signed a four-year, $37 million deal last year (he had 90-plus catches with Seattle for four straight seasons from 2014-17) in an attempt to fill the void created by the trade of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. However, he's been in 'the dog house' in 2020, playing just over 50% of the offensive snaps the past few weeks prior to his benching. Tate has 22 catches on 29 targets for 226 yards with two TDs this season in a reduced role. He apologized earlier this week so maybe...The New York defense is similar to that of Philadelphia's, allowing 24.3 PPG on 360.0 YPG. Philly's Week 7 22-21 win over the Giants gave the Eagles SEVEN straight victories over their NFC East rivals but note that the Giants have covered in FIVE of those contests. The Giants lost that Thursday night game at Philly by allowing two TDs in the final 4:38. The Giants led 20-3 at Washington last Sunday but needed TWO fourth-quarter interceptions to hold on for a 23-20 win. That said, the Giants enter this contest having covered FIVE of their last six, while averaging 24.2 PPG in their last five. I want the points but I'm calling for the OUTRIGHT win! Good luck...Larry |
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11-14-20 | Wisconsin v. Michigan +4.5 | Top | 49-11 | Loss | -110 | 85 h 38 m | Show |
My 10* "signature" LEGEND Play is on Michigan at 7:30 ET. The Big Ten returned to play on Friday, Oct 23 as then-No. 14 hosted Illinois in the nation's oldest conference's first game of CFB 2020. Wisconsin expected RB Jonathan Taylor (2,003 rushing yards in 2019) to leave a year early for the NFL but head Paul Chryst couldn't have planned for the loss of QB Jack Coan (69.6% / 2,727 yards / 18 TDs and just five INTs in 2019) to a foot injury on Oct 10. That meant redshirt freshman Graham Mertz got the start. Not to worry, as Metz completed 20 of 21 passes for 248 yards with five TDs, as the Badgers rolled 45-7. Wisconsin heads to "The Big House" in Ann Arbor to play Michigan ranked 13th in the latest AP poll but because of a fairly significant COVID-19 outbreak (which included QB Mertz and head coach Chryst), Wisconsin will be playing just its second game of the season. As for Michigan, Jim Harbaugh's team is once again underachieving. The Wolverines ran all over Minnesota 49-24 in its season opener on Oct 24 (256 rushing yards on 8.3 YPC) but have since lost 27-24 at home to Michigan St (as a three-TD favorite) and then steamrolled 38-21 at Indiana last Saturday, losing to the Hoosiers for the FIRST time in 33 years! Let's start with Wisconsin. It was never a given that the Badgers would be able to play this game but it's on. However, the status of redshirt freshman QB Graham Mertz, who tested positive on Oct 24, is unclear. Head coach Paul Chryst, who tested positive on the same day, said the Badgers will measure the progress of Mertz all week. "Graham, the way that he is timing out (is) starting that process of coming back, his tests are all done. So I think he'll be able to have some practice. We'll see if it's enough practice time," Chryst said. "You don't know. Each guy's a little bit different how they handle all of it. We'll kind of see on him and a couple of other guys that were kind of in that early group of (positive tests)." Michigan broke in a new QB to start this season as well and Joe Milton shined in the team's season-opening win. He completed 15 of 22 for 225 yards with one TD and zero INTs, while adding 52 yards rushing and another TD. Yes, Michigan's dropped its last two games but DON'T blame Milton. He threw for 300 yards and ran for 59 more in the loss to MSU and while he did throw his first two INTs of the season at Indiana, he also passed for 344 yards and three TDs. Michigan's running game disappeared vs Indiana 13 yards on 18 attempts and its defense allowed Indiana to roll up 460 yards. Why Michigan here? First let me start with Wisconsin. No one knows for certain which players are ready and how much that they will be able to impact the contest. What's more, so what that Wisconsin rolled over Illinois 45-7? The Illini are 0-3, having allowed 39.0 PPG on 475.7 YPG. In fact, Illinois 'held' Wisconsin to 430 yards, which is the team's best defensive effort of the season. I'm on record as not liking or being very impressed with Harbaugh but the fact remains that the home team is 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings of this series and Wisconsin has NOT won in Ann Arbor since 2010! Michigan is out of the AP top-25 for the first time since the end of the 2017 season and a HUGE understatement would be that the Wolverines (particularly Harbaugh) is DESPERATE for a win in this one. Getting points is a bonus. Go Big Blue! Good luck...Larry |
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Larry Ness ALL Sports Top Sides Picks
Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12-25-20 | Wisconsin v. Michigan State +2 | Top | 85-76 | Loss | -109 | 24 h 44 m | Show |
12-25-20 | Pelicans v. Heat -3.5 | Top | 98-111 | Win | 103 | 3 h 23 m | Show |
12-23-20 | Jazz v. Blazers -1 | Top | 120-100 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 17 m | Show |
12-23-20 | Florida Atlantic +9 v. Memphis | Top | 10-25 | Loss | -107 | 4 h 5 m | Show |
12-23-20 | Illinois -4 v. Penn State | Top | 98-81 | Win | 100 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
12-23-20 | Georgia Southern v. Louisiana Tech +6.5 | Top | 38-3 | Loss | -110 | 48 h 19 m | Show |
12-22-20 | Clippers +3.5 v. Lakers | Top | 116-109 | Win | 100 | 15 h 59 m | Show |
12-22-20 | Purdue v. Iowa -6.5 | Top | 55-70 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
12-22-20 | St. Mary's v. San Diego State -2.5 | Top | 49-74 | Win | 100 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
12-22-20 | Central Florida v. BYU -3.5 | Top | 23-49 | Win | 100 | 55 h 50 m | Show |
12-20-20 | St. Louis v. Minnesota +3 | Top | 82-90 | Win | 100 | 15 h 50 m | Show |
12-20-20 | Georgetown v. St. John's -4 | Top | 83-94 | Win | 100 | 13 h 54 m | Show |
12-20-20 | Patriots v. Dolphins -1 | Top | 12-22 | Win | 100 | 32 h 59 m | Show |
12-20-20 | Bucs v. Falcons +7 | Top | 31-27 | Win | 100 | 8 h 22 m | Show |
12-19-20 | Alabama v. Florida +17.5 | Top | 52-46 | Win | 100 | 38 h 31 m | Show |
12-19-20 | Cincinnati v. Georgia +2 | Top | 68-83 | Win | 100 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
12-19-20 | Boise State -6 v. San Jose State | Top | 20-34 | Loss | -112 | 34 h 42 m | Show |
12-19-20 | UCLA v. Ohio State +2.5 | Top | 70-77 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
12-19-20 | Air Force v. Army +3 | Top | 7-10 | Win | 100 | 20 h 6 m | Show |
12-18-20 | Oregon v. USC -3 | Top | 31-24 | Loss | -107 | 38 h 58 m | Show |
12-18-20 | UAB v. Marshall -5 | Top | 22-13 | Loss | -110 | 54 h 16 m | Show |
12-17-20 | Seton Hall +4 v. Marquette | Top | 70-63 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
12-17-20 | Chargers v. Raiders -3 | Top | 30-27 | Loss | -130 | 38 h 16 m | Show |
12-17-20 | NC State v. St. Louis -3 | Top | 69-80 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
12-16-20 | Duke -3.5 v. Notre Dame | Top | 75-65 | Win | 100 | 13 h 20 m | Show |
12-15-20 | Minnesota v. Illinois -7.5 | Top | 65-92 | Win | 100 | 12 h 55 m | Show |
12-15-20 | Clemson v. Virginia Tech -1 | Top | 60-66 | Win | 100 | 10 h 33 m | Show |
12-14-20 | Ravens -3 v. Browns | Top | 47-42 | Win | 100 | 12 h 7 m | Show |
12-14-20 | Rutgers v. Maryland -2.5 | Top | 74-60 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
12-13-20 | Steelers v. Bills -2 | Top | 15-26 | Win | 100 | 14 h 15 m | Show |
12-13-20 | Washington Football Team v. 49ers -2.5 | Top | 23-15 | Loss | -120 | 23 h 5 m | Show |
12-13-20 | Penn State v. Michigan -6 | Top | 58-62 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
12-13-20 | Cardinals -2 v. Giants | Top | 26-7 | Win | 100 | 20 h 50 m | Show |
12-13-20 | Vikings +7.5 v. Bucs | Top | 14-26 | Loss | -117 | 7 h 56 m | Show |
12-12-20 | Virginia v. Virginia Tech -2.5 | Top | 15-33 | Win | 100 | 37 h 31 m | Show |
12-12-20 | USC -2.5 v. UCLA | Top | 43-38 | Win | 100 | 35 h 41 m | Show |
12-12-20 | North Carolina v. Miami-FL -3 | Top | 62-26 | Loss | -105 | 26 h 43 m | Show |
12-12-20 | Utah v. Colorado -1.5 | Top | 38-21 | Loss | -110 | 50 h 46 m | Show |
12-12-20 | Notre Dame v. Kentucky -6.5 | Top | 64-63 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 45 m | Show |
12-11-20 | Marquette v. UCLA -4 | Top | 60-69 | Win | 100 | 8 h 46 m | Show |
12-10-20 | San Diego State v. Arizona State -2.5 | Top | 80-68 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 55 m | Show |
12-10-20 | Patriots v. Rams -5 | Top | 3-24 | Win | 100 | 28 h 52 m | Show |
12-09-20 | Indiana v. Florida State -3 | Top | 67-69 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 17 m | Show |
12-09-20 | Furman v. Cincinnati -3 | Top | 73-78 | Win | 100 | 9 h 11 m | Show |
12-08-20 | Syracuse v. Rutgers -3.5 | Top | 69-79 | Win | 100 | 14 h 40 m | Show |
12-08-20 | Illinois v. Duke -3.5 | Top | 83-68 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
12-08-20 | Creighton v. Kansas -3.5 | Top | 72-73 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 29 m | Show |
12-07-20 | Bills +1 v. 49ers | Top | 34-24 | Win | 100 | 15 h 35 m | Show |
12-06-20 | Patriots v. Chargers -1.5 | Top | 45-0 | Loss | -105 | 25 h 30 m | Show |
12-06-20 | Eagles +9.5 v. Packers | Top | 16-30 | Loss | -119 | 19 h 9 m | Show |
12-06-20 | Rams -2.5 v. Cardinals | Top | 38-28 | Win | 100 | 23 h 55 m | Show |
12-06-20 | Xavier +1.5 v. Cincinnati | Top | 77-69 | Win | 100 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
12-06-20 | Colts -3 v. Texans | Top | 26-20 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
12-05-20 | UNLV v. Kansas State -2 | Top | 68-58 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
12-05-20 | Colorado State v. San Diego State -7 | Top | 17-29 | Win | 100 | 26 h 53 m | Show |
12-05-20 | Florida Atlantic v. Georgia Southern -2 | Top | 3-20 | Win | 100 | 14 h 21 m | Show |
12-05-20 | BYU v. Coastal Carolina +10.5 | Top | 17-22 | Win | 100 | 30 h 56 m | Show |
12-05-20 | Georgia Tech v. NC State -6.5 | Top | 13-23 | Win | 100 | 47 h 36 m | Show |
12-05-20 | Boston College v. Virginia -4 | Top | 32-43 | Win | 100 | 28 h 15 m | Show |
12-04-20 | Oregon -3 v. Seton Hall | Top | 83-70 | Win | 100 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
12-04-20 | UL-Lafayette v. Appalachian State -2 | Top | 24-21 | Loss | -110 | 55 h 36 m | Show |
12-03-20 | Connecticut v. USC +1.5 | Top | 61-58 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
12-02-20 | Illinois v. Baylor -5 | Top | 69-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
12-02-20 | Texas v. North Carolina +1 | Top | 69-67 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 17 m | Show |
12-01-20 | Michigan State v. Duke -3.5 | Top | 75-69 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 35 m | Show |
12-01-20 | Oklahoma State v. Marquette -3.5 | Top | 70-62 | Loss | -107 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
11-30-20 | Stanford v. Alabama -2 | Top | 82-64 | Loss | -112 | 18 h 21 m | Show |
11-30-20 | St. John's v. Boston College | Top | 97-93 | Win | 100 | 15 h 49 m | Show |
11-29-20 | Rhode Island v. San Francisco | Top | 84-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
11-29-20 | 49ers v. Rams -6.5 | Top | 23-20 | Loss | -102 | 15 h 43 m | Show |
11-29-20 | Panthers v. Vikings -3 | Top | 27-28 | Loss | -120 | 67 h 1 m | Show |
11-28-20 | Virginia Tech v. Villanova -8.5 | Top | 81-73 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
11-28-20 | Kansas State +6.5 v. Baylor | Top | 31-32 | Win | 100 | 12 h 27 m | Show |
11-28-20 | San Diego State v. Colorado -3 | Top | 10-20 | Win | 100 | 13 h 6 m | Show |
11-28-20 | Louisville v. Boston College -1 | Top | 27-34 | Win | 100 | 12 h 33 m | Show |
11-27-20 | Stanford +1 v. California | Top | 24-23 | Win | 100 | 28 h 17 m | Show |
11-27-20 | Seton Hall +6 v. Louisville | Top | 70-71 | Win | 100 | 7 h 12 m | Show |
11-27-20 | Notre Dame v. North Carolina +6 | Top | 31-17 | Loss | -110 | 51 h 3 m | Show |
11-27-20 | Iowa State v. Texas +1.5 | Top | 23-20 | Loss | -115 | 48 h 31 m | Show |
11-26-20 | Washington Football Team v. Cowboys -3 | Top | 41-16 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
11-26-20 | Gonzaga -3.5 v. Kansas | Top | 102-90 | Win | 100 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
11-25-20 | UCLA -2.5 v. San Diego State | Top | 58-73 | Loss | -120 | 15 h 23 m | Show |
11-25-20 | Clemson -4 v. Mississippi State | Top | 53-42 | Win | 100 | 13 h 51 m | Show |
11-23-20 | Rams v. Bucs -4 | Top | 27-24 | Loss | -115 | 27 h 46 m | Show |
11-22-20 | Chiefs -6.5 v. Raiders | Top | 35-31 | Loss | -100 | 100 h 7 m | Show |
11-22-20 | Packers +2.5 v. Colts | Top | 31-34 | Loss | -107 | 58 h 44 m | Show |
11-22-20 | Titans v. Ravens -6 | Top | 30-24 | Loss | -110 | 124 h 17 m | Show |
11-21-20 | Liberty v. NC State -3 | Top | 14-15 | Loss | -114 | 49 h 55 m | Show |
11-21-20 | Wisconsin v. Northwestern +7.5 | Top | 7-17 | Win | 100 | 44 h 14 m | Show |
11-21-20 | Cincinnati v. Central Florida +6 | Top | 36-33 | Win | 100 | 20 h 6 m | Show |
11-21-20 | Georgia Southern v. Army -3.5 | Top | 27-28 | Loss | -110 | 34 h 35 m | Show |
11-20-20 | Purdue v. Minnesota +3 | Top | 31-34 | Win | 100 | 49 h 59 m | Show |
11-19-20 | Cardinals v. Seahawks -3 | Top | 21-28 | Win | 100 | 31 h 23 m | Show |
11-19-20 | Tulane +7 v. Tulsa | Top | 24-30 | Win | 100 | 59 h 56 m | Show |
11-18-20 | Western Michigan v. Central Michigan | Top | 52-44 | Loss | -110 | 29 h 13 m | Show |
11-16-20 | Vikings v. Bears +3.5 | Top | 19-13 | Loss | -114 | 21 h 33 m | Show |
11-15-20 | Seahawks v. Rams -1 | Top | 16-23 | Win | 100 | 95 h 43 m | Show |
11-15-20 | Broncos v. Raiders -3.5 | Top | 12-37 | Win | 100 | 10 h 3 m | Show |
11-15-20 | Eagles v. Giants +4 | Top | 17-27 | Win | 100 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
11-14-20 | Wisconsin v. Michigan +4.5 | Top | 49-11 | Loss | -110 | 85 h 38 m | Show |