6* Lakers/Rockets Western Conference *CA$H COW* on Houston +3

The Key: The Houston Rockets finally have all their players back from COVID complications.  They showed their potential with a 132-90 win over the Magic on Friday.  And now they will upset the Lakers today at home.  The Lakers just seem to be going through the motions in the regular season.  In their last 3 games they beat Memphis by 2 as 9.5-point favorites, lost outright to the Spurs are 8.5-point favorites, and beat the Bulls by 2 as 9-point favorites.  This is now a big step up in class for the Lakers, who are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games off a win.  The Rockets are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 home games off 2 or more consecutive unders.  Take Houston.

6* Bears/Saints NFC *CA$H COW* on Chicago +10.5

The Key: The Bears go from being 4.5-point dogs to the Packers last week to 10.5-point dogs to the Saints.  The Packers just have their number, but they were competitive in their other 14 games this season.  And they will be competitive against the Saints as they continue playing their best football of the season down the stretch.  The Bears have scored 30.2 PPG and averaged 382.2 YPG in their last 6 games, all of which have come with Trubisky as their starter.  They still have a great defense that allows 344.1 YPG.  The Saints are getting too much respect from their 33-7 win over the Panthers in Week 17 in which the Panthers turned the ball over 5 times, including a couple INT in the end zone.  The Bears only lost 23-26 (OT) as 5-point dogs in their first matchup with the Saints this year and now are getting 10.5 points in the rematch.  The Saints are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 playoff home games.  Teams in the wild card round with a .500 record or worse are 7-0 ATS since 2004 while winning 6 of those games outright.  Take Chicago.

6* Bradley/Northern Iowa MVC *CA$H COW* on Bradley +2

The Key: Northern Iowa continues to get too much respect from the books as 2-point favorites here against a Bradley team that has won the MVC Tournament each of the last 2 years and is great again this season.  The Panthers are just 2-7 SU & 1-7 ATS this year with their 2 wins coming against St. Ambrose and Missouri State.  They already have 5 upset losses as favorites this year.  This team just isn't any good without the best player in the MVC in AJ Green, who has missed the last 6 games and is out for the season.  Bradley is 6-3 this year with its only losses coming at Xavier by 1, to South Dakota State by 4 and at Missouri by 1.  Those are 3 great teams as they were 10-point dogs to Xavier, 11-point dogs to Missouri and a pick' em against SDSU.  The Panthers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games overall.  Take Bradley.

6* Oregon/Utah Pac-12 *BAILOUT* on Oregon -2

The Key: The Oregon Ducks had won 8 straight before losing at Colorado last time out.  They always lost at Colorado, and the home team owns that series.  But they have had not problem beating Utah home or away in recent years.  The Ducks are 14-1 SU in the last 15 matchups.  And this is a Utah team that has lost 2 in a row and is coming off an 18-point loss to USC.  The Ducks are 28-12 ATS in thier last 40 games against a team with a winning record.  The Utes are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games as home underdogs.  Take Oregon.

6* Saturday NBA *Total* Annihilator on Spurs/Timberwolves OVER 232.5

The Key: The Spurs and Timberwolves both like to run and gun and chuck up 3's with defense seeming to be optional.  The Timberwolves yield 121.9 PPG and 50.6% shooting while the Spurs yeild 114.1 PPG and 48.1% shooting this year.  The OVER is 4-0 in Timberwolves last 4 games with combined scores of 233 or more in all 4.  The OVER is 6-1 in the last 7 matchups.  Take the OVER.

6* USC/Arizona State Pac-12 *CA$H COW* on USC -1.5

The Key: USC is a legit Pac-12 title contender.  They have proven that with an 18-point home win over Utah and a 14-point road win at Arizona in their last 2 games.  And now they take on the struggling Arizona State Sun Devils who are 1-3 SU in their last 4 games overall with their only win coming just before the buzzer, 71-70 at Grand Canyon as an 8-point favorite.  They were upset 68-80 by San Diego State, upset 63-76 by UTEP as a 13-point home favorite and lost 75-81 to UCLA in their other 3 games.  The Trojans are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games.  The Sun Devils are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 home games.  Take USC.

6* Sun Belt *CA$H COW* on Arkansas-Little Rock -1.5

The Key: Arkansas-Little Rock will be looking to avenge a 64-66 loss at Louisiana-Lafayette Friday night.  The Trojans will get their payback and win the rematch here Saturday night.  Take Arkansas-Little Rock.

6* Rams/Seahawks NFC *CA$H COW* on Los Angeles +3.5

The Key: The Rams were 3-point favorites in their first matchup with the Seahawks in which they won 23-16 at home.  And they were only 1.5-point dogs in their second matchup in which they lost 9-20 in Seattle.  Now they are 3.5-point dogs in the playoffs.  That's a 6.5-point adjustment from that first matchup and a 2-point adjustment from the 2nd.  The price is right to back the Rams here.  They have a Super Bowl defense and should get Jared Goff back.  Even if they somehow don't, John Wolford proved he could lead the offense with a huge win in a must-win Week 17 game.  The Rams beat the Cardinals 18-7 and outgained them by 119 yards while holding them to just 214 yards.  They also outgained the Seahawks by 56 yards in their first matchup and by 42 yards in their 2nd matchup this year.  The Rams are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 against NFC opponents.  Los Angeles is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 against a team with a winning record.  The Seahawks are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games off a win.  Take Los Angeles.

7* Big 12 Game of the Month on Kansas -6.5

The Key: Kansas had its wake up call with a 25-point home loss to Texas two games back, its worst home loss in program history.  The Jayhawks bounced back with a 93-64 win at TCU as a 6-point favorite.  And now they are short 6.5-point home favorites against Oklahoma.  The Jayhawks have won 9 of their last 10 games overall, so that performance against Texas was an aberration.  Oklahoma just lost by 15 at Baylor and hasn't fared well at Kansas.  The Jayhawks are 16-0 SU in their last 16 home matchups with Oklahoma dating back to 1997.  Oklahoma is 4-15 ATS in its last 19 road games off a loss by 10 points or more.  The Sooners are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games against good offensive teams that score 77 PPG or more.  Take Kansas.

6* Mountain West *CA$H COW* on UNLV +7.5

The Key: UNLV will be looking to avenge a 71-74 loss at Colorado State on Thursday night.  The Revels blew a 13-point lead with under 10 minutes to go in that game, and a 7-point lead with under 3 minutes.  They will come back hungry here for a win and should cover this 7.5-point spread.  The Rebels are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.  Take UNLV.

7* Clippers/Warriors ESPN *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles -6.5

The Key: The Clippers have won 4 straight matchups with the Warriors all by 7 points or more and by an average of 15 PPG.  They beat the Warriors 108-101 on Wednesday in what was a bad spot for them playing the 2nd of a back-to-back while the Warriors had the previous day off.  Now this is a much better situation for the Clippers as they are fully healthy, while the Warriors could be without Stephon Curry.  Either way, I like Patrick Beverly's chances of shutting him down again even if he does play.  Beverly held him to 13 points and only 5 made field goals in the first matchup.  Curry was seen limping off the floor afterward and it would be wise of the Warriors to sit him.  The Clippers are 39-17 ATS in their last 56 games as road favorites.  The Clippers are 17-5 ATS in their last 22 road games against division opponents.  The Clippers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 trips to Golden State.  The Warriors are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 home games.  Take Los Angeles.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Air Force +18.5

The Key: You're paying a tax on Boise State because they are on an 8-game winning streak right now.  The Broncos just had a situation like this home-and-home one they are facing with Air Force.  They beat San Jose State by 52 then came back 2 days later and only beat SJSU by one point.  And after beating Air Force 78-59 by 19 points 2 days ago, they won't beat the Falcons by 19-plus again here.  I love the price we are getting on the Falcons in this situation.  Boise State is 1-12 ATS in its last 13 games following 4 straight games where they scored 75 points or more.  Take Air Force.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on New York Knicks -2.5

The Key: The New York Knicks are one of the most underrated teams in the NBA.  They are 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall with upset road wins over the Pacers, Hawks and Cavs and upset home wins over the Bucks and Jazz.  And here they are are only 2.5-point favorites when they are taking a step down in class against the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Thunder have one of the least-talented rosters in the NBA.  They are 3-4 this season but 2 of their wins came by a combined 3 points.  They are getting outscored by 8.7 PPG on the season.  The Knicks are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games as favorites.  Take New York.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Portland +17.5

The Key: San Francisco just played Gonzaga and lost 62-85.  I can't see the Dons being nearly as hungry to take on Portland tonight as they were Gonzaga.  That lack of intensity will make it difficult for the Dons to cover this massive 17.5-point spread.  Point spread wins have been hard to come by for the Dons in general since their early upset of Virginia that has had them overrated.  San Francisco is now 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games overall.  Portland is 6-3 this season with its only loss by more than this spread coming on the road against Oregon.  They upset Oregon State 87-86 as 16.5-point road dogs.  Portland is 3-0 ATS in its last 3 matchups with San Francisco with a 16-point loss, a 5-point loss in OT and an 11-point outright win as a 10.5-point dog.  The Dons are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games as a home favorite.  San Francisco is 0-6 ATS in its last 6 home games after allowing 80 points or more last game.  Take Portland.

6* Mountain West *CA$H COW* on UNLV +9.5

The Key: The UNLV Rebels played a tough early schedule which is a big reason for their 1-4 start.  They have losses to UNC, Alabama and Davidson as well as an upset win over Kansas State.  They are now battle tested and ready to enter Mountain West play.  They come in 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games overall and getting no respect here as 9.5-point dogs to Colorado State.  The Rams are getting too much respect after upsetting San Diego State.  They came back and lost by 13 in the rematch to SDSU.  They also lost by 20 to St. Mary's earlier this year.  UNLV is 4-1 SU in its last 5 matchups with Colorado State, including an 80-56 win in their final matchup last year.  The Rebels are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.  Take UNLV.

7* 76ers/Nets TNT *HEAVY HITTER* on Brooklyn ML +112

The Key: The situation really favors the Brooklyn Nets tonight.  They are rested after having yesterday off following their blowout win over the Jazz by 34 points on Tuesday that saw them get to rest their starters in the 4th quarter as well.  The 76ers were in a dog fight with the Wizards last night and prevailed 141-136 despite 60 points from Bradley Beal.  That effort will have taken a lot out of the 76ers, and now they won't have much fight left tonight for the Nets.  It will also be the 8th game in 13 days for the 76ers, a brutal schedule to start the season.  Bets against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after being the spread by 30 or more points total in their last 5 games against a team that went under the total by 24 points or more in their last 3 games combined are 24-5 ATS over the last 5 years.  Take Brooklyn on the Money Line.

6* Clippers/Warriors ESPN *BAILOUT* on Golden State +1.5

The Key: The Golden State Warriors are now 4-1 SU in their last 5 games overall and have scored 137 points in 2 straight blowout victories over Portland by 15 and Sacramento by 31.  They had yesterday off and will be playing their 4th straight home games, so they are rested.  The same cannot be said for the Clippers.  After losing 113-116 to San Antonio last night, the Clippers will now be playing for a 2nd consecutive day and their 6th game in 9 days.  They are likely to rest some starters tonight, including Paul George and possibly Kawhi Leonard.  Marcus Morris is also doubtful for this one.  The Clippers are 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games when their starting 5 players combine for more than 160 minutes the previous day.  Take Golden State.

7* ACC Game of the Week on Louisville -4

The Key: Virginia Tech is overrated due to its 8-1 record this season.  This will actually be the Hokies' first true road game this season, and it comes against one of the best teams in the ACC in Louisville.  The Cardinals are 7-1 this season with their only loss coming on the road at Wisconsin.  They will make easy work of the Hokies, which has been a yearly tradition for them.  Louisville has won 16 straight matchups with Virginia Tech, most recently a 68-52 home win in March of 2020.  Virginia Tech hasn't beaten Louisville since 1991.  The Hokies are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.  The Hokies are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games as underdogs.  Take Louisville.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Chicago Bulls +9.5

The Key: The Chicago Bulls have quietly gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.  They are playing better than they are getting credit for and will not lose by double-digits to the Portland Trail Blazers tonight.  The Blazers are 3-3 SU & 2-4 ATS with only one win by more than 8 points this season.  The Blazers will be playing their first home game following a 4-game road trip through California.  I always like fading teams in their first game back home following a long road trip.  The Bills are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games on one days' rest.  The Blazers are 0-7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games against a team with a road winning percentage of greater than 60%.  Portland is 6-14-1 ATS in its last 21 games against a a team with a losing record.  Take Chicago.

7* Kansas/TCU Big 12 *BAILOUT* on Kansas -5.5

The Key: The Kansas Jayhawks are coming off their worst home loss in program history to Texas.  Their only other loss this season came to top-ranked Gonzaga.  They will be fired up to bounce back here against an overrated TCU team that has won 5 straight against suspect competition coming in.  The Jayhawks have won 16 of their last 17 matchups with the Horned Frogs.  The Jayhawks are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 road games against a team with a winning record.  Kansas is 9-0 ATS in its last 9 games off a loss by 20 points or more.  Take Kansas.

7* Maryland/Indiana Big Ten *HEAVY HITTER* on Maryland +5

The Key: The Indiana Hoosiers are playing well enough since they opened Big Ten play to warrant being 5-point favorites over Maryland in this matchup.  The Hoosiers are 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in their last 3 games overall with their lone win coming in overtime over Penn State 87-85 as 6.5-point favorites.  They were upset at home by Northwestern 67-74 as 9-point favorites and also failed to cover as 6.5-point underdogs at Illinois.  Maryland is 2-1 ATS in its last 3 games.  The Terrapins only lost by 3 as 6-point dogs at Purdue, upset Wisconsin 70-64 as 10-point dogs and lost to undefeated Michigan 73-84.  Maryland is 3-0 SU & 2-1 ATS in its last 3 matchups with Indiana.  Take Maryland.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Toronto Raptors -3.5

The Key: The Toronto Raptors are hungry for a victory after opening the season 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS.  They have lost to 4 good teams in the Pelicans twice and the Spurs and 76ers with 3 of those losses coming on the road.  They did beat the Knicks by 17 at home for their lone victory.  And now the situation is a good one for them and a terrible one for the Celtics.  While the Raptors had yesterday off, the Celtics played a 122-120 barn burner against Detroit yesterday.  And now they'll be playing for a 2nd consecutive day and their 5th game in 7 days.  They will be without Kemba Walker and likely without Jeff Teague, their top 2 point guards.  The Raptors also want to exact some revenge after losing to the Celtics in Game 7 of the playoffs last year.  Bets on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite against a team that won their last game but didn't cover as a favorite are 32-10 ATS over the last 5 years.  The Celtics are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games off a SU win.  The Raptors are 20-9-1 ATS in their last 30 games off an ATS loss.  Take Toronto.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Monmouth +3

The Key: The situation is a good one for Monmouth.  The Hawks want to avenge their 77-78 loss at Siena as 2.5-point dogs yesterday.  I expect them to win this game outright.  Siena didn't get to play a single game all season until yesterday.  I can't imagine their cardio will be very good playing for a 2nd straight day now.  The Hawks are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.  The Hawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games off a SU loss.  The road team is 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 matchups.  Take Monmouth.

6* Washington/Philadelphia NFC East *CA$H COW* on Washington -3.5

The Key: Washington is expected to have its top 3 weapons on offense back this week in QB Alex Smith, WR Terry McClaurin and RB Antonio Gibson.  That is going to make all the difference in this game as Washington is 10-5 with Smith as a starter since he came to Washington and 6-26 without him.  The Eagles are missing several guys in the secondary, plus Fletcher Cox, Derek Barnett and Shaun Bradley up front.  They are also without DeSean Jackson, Miles Sanders and Dallas Goedert on offense.  Washington will be able to move the ball and score points on a soft Philadelphia defense that has yielded over 500 yards in 2 consecutive games.  And this elite Washington defense that has yielded 20 points or fewer in 6 straight games will make life hell on Jalen Hurts.  Washington is on a mission to win the NFC East, while Philadelphia has officially been eliminated from playoff contention after a bad 17-37 loss at Dallas last week.  The Eagles are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games off a road loss as a favorite.  Take Washington.

6* Northwestern/Michigan Big Ten *CA$H COW* on Northwestern +9

The Key: This is the ultimate time to sell high on the Michigan Wolverines.  They are 8-0 this season and with that perfect record comes expectations that are hard to live up to.  They are also 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.  And they are coming off an 84-73 win at Maryland.  But Northwestern is no pushover and will give them a run for their money.  The Wildcats are 6-2 SU & 5-2 ATS in their 8 games this year with their only losses to Pitt by 1 and Iowa by 15.  They are coming off that lost to a Top 10 Iowa team.  So there's some line value here with them off that defeat.  They also upset Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State prior to that Iowa game so it was asking a lot of them to give their best effort.  They will have a bounce back performance here and look for the Wolverines to relax a little.  Take Northwestern.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Washington Wizards +8

The Key: The Brooklyn Nets haven't been playing very well since Spencer Dinwiddie went down with a season-ending injury.  He is one of the most underrated players in the NBA.  The Nets are 1-3 SU & 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall while failing to cover the spread by a combined 42.5 points.  The Wizards are underrated now after a 1-5 start in which they haven't lost any game by more than 10 points, so they have been competitive in all 6 games.  And they will be competitive here against the Nets.  Brooklyn is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 home games.  Take Washington.

6* Cardinals/Rams NFC West *CA$H COW* on Los Angeles +3

The Key: The Rams went from being 4-point favorites to 3-point underdogs with the news that Jared Goff would miss this game with a thumb injury.  He is not worth 7 points to this team.  In fact, Goff is the player that is holding them back from reaching their full potential.  Of course he is better than backup John Wolford, but Sean McVey is a genius and will have the right game plan to put the former Wake Forest product in a good position to be successful.  And McVey owns the Cardinals as the Rams are 7-0 SU & 6-0-1 ATS in the last 7 matchups.  Los Angeles has won those 7 games by an average of 21.3 PPG.  That includes their 38-28 win earlier this season that was a bigger blowout than the final score showed.  The Rams outgained the Cardinals 463 to 232 in that contest.  And Kyler Murray will be playing through a leg injury he suffered in a bad 12-20 loss to the 49ers last week.  The Cardinals were outgained by 2.8 YPP in that game as they averaged just 4.4 YPP on offense and gave up 7.2 YPP on defense.  And that was against a terrible, banged up 49ers team that was playing with a 3rd-string QB in CJ Beathard.  The 49ers had lost 6 of their previous 7 games coming in.  The Cardinals are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games as favorites.  The Rams are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games off an ATS loss, and 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games off a SU loss.  Take Los Angeles.

7* AFC East Game of the Year on New York Jets +3

The Key: The Jets have been one of the most profitable teams in the NFL to back down the stretch.  They are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.  They have pulled off 2 straight upsets over the Rams as 17.5-point dogs and Browns as 6.5-point dogs.  And now they would love to get revenge from a 27-30 loss to the Patriots in their first matchup this season.  The Patriots are 0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS in their last 3 games overall, getting outscored a combined 24-84 in the process.  They haven't even been competitive.  If they were going to show something it would have been against the Bills on Monday Night Football last week.  Instead they rolled over and lost 9-38.  Their offense is broken as they have been held to either 12 points or fewer or 291 yards or fewer in 5 straight games coming in.  They are missing several key contributors on both sides of the football.  The wrong team is favored in this matchup.  The Patriots are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as favorites.  Take New York.

7* UNC/Texas A&M NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Texas A&M -7

The Key: Texas A&M just completed a dominant 8-1 season in which they proved they were one of the best teams in college football.  Their lone loss came to Alabama, which could be the best team in college football history.  And now the Aggies want to punctuate their season.  They don't have anyone really opting out for this one, and it's a senior-led team.  And they'll be up against a UNC team from a weak ACC conference that has almost all of their best players opting out and getting ready for the NFL draft.  Their top NFL prospect on defense and leading tackler Surratt is out.  They are without 2-time 1,000-yard receiver Brown, plus two 1,000-yard rushers in Carter and Williams.  QB Sam Howell might as well opt out as well with all the weapons he is missing.  It will go about as well for him as it did for Kyle Trask and Florida when they got blasted by Oklahoma earlier this week.  The Aggies are 20-9-1 ATS in their last 30 games as favorites.  Texas A&M is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 non-conference games.  Take Texas A&M.

6* San Francisco/Gonzaga WCC *CA$H COW* on San Francisco +19

The Key: San Francisco has already proven it can play with the big boys with upset wins over Virginia and Nevada, as well as competitive efforts against 2 Pac-12 opponents in California and Oregon.  And now they face a Gonzaga team that they gave fits last year.  San Francisco faced Gonzaga 3 times last year and played them tough in all 3 matchups.  They lost by 4, 4 and 17 points in the 3 matchups.  And even in that 17-point loss they led by 9 at halftime before getting blown out after intermission.  I love the price we are getting on the Dons today.  The Bulldogs are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games off an ATS win.  Take San Francisco.

6* Marshall/LA Tech C-USA *CA$H COW* on Marshall -1

The Key: Marshall will avenge its 68-75 loss at Louisiana Tech yesterday.  The Thundering Herd are the deeper team here as they returned 9 of their top 10 scorers from last year.  So they are better equipped than most teams to handle these back-to-back situations that COVID-19 has brought us this college hoops season.  They go deep into their bench and push the tempo for 40 minutes, so this is going to be a harder opponent to face than most for other teams in these situations.  The Thundering Herd are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games off an ATS loss.  The Bulldogs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as home dogs.  The Thundering Herd are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after 2 straight games with 9 or fewer offensive rebounds.  Take Marshall.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Sacramento Kings +5

The Key: The situation is a great one for the Sacramento Kings today.  The Kings are 4-1 ATS this season in their 5 games and have pulled off 3 outright upsets along with a 3-point loss to Houston as 5.5-point dogs.  Now they get to face Houston again just 2 days after losing to them 119-122.  The Kings will want to avenge that defeat and have a great chance to pull the upset here.  Sacramento is 19-9 ATS in its last 28 games as a road underdog.  Take Sacramento.

6* Oregon/Iowa State NCAAF *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 58.5

The Key: The Iowa State Cyclones are one of the best defensive teams in the country, and certainly one of the best defensive teams in the Big 12.  They have held their last 4 opponents to an average of just 13.3 PPG which is extremely impressive when you consider 2 of those teams were Oklahoma and Texas.  Now they will shut down an Oregon offense that was just held to 243 total yards by a bad USC defense.  They were also held to 17 points by Cal the week before.  I think Oregon's defense is good enough to limit Iowa State here as well.  The Ducks have held 3 of their 6 opponents this season to 24 points or fewer.  The UNDER is 9-0-1 in Iowa State's last 10 neutral site games, including 7-0-1 in their last 8 bowl games.  The UNDER is 36-14-2 in Cyclones last 52 games as a favorite.  The UNDER is 20-5-1 in Cyclones last 26 vs. a team with a winning record.  Take the UNDER.

6* WVU/Oklahoma Big 12 *CA$H COW* on Oklahoma -1.5

The Key: The Oklahoma Sooners proved they could play with the best in the Big 12 when they only lost 67-69 to Texas Tech.  Now they should beat a West Virginia team that lost to Kansas by 14 and only beat Iowa State by 5 as a 15-point favorite.  And it's a West Virginia team that just lost one of its best players in Ocar Tshiebwe (11.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG), who is sitting out the rest of the season for personal reasons.  The Sooners won both matchups with the Mountaineers last year 69-59 at home and 73-62 on the road.  West Virginia is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 road games after playing a home game.  The Mountaineers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games.  Take Oklahoma.

6* Kentucky/NC State NCAAF *CA$H COW* on Kentucky -2.5

The Key: We'll side with the SEC over the ACC in this bowl game.  It has been a bad look for the ACC so far with Miami losing to Oklahoma State and Wake Forest losing to Wisconsin.  And we know that Kentucky played a much tougher schedule in the SEC than NC State did in the ACC.  The Wildcats only went 4-6, but the 6 losses came to teams that were .500 or better with the exception of Ole Miss, who was 4-5 and gave Alabama all they could handle.  And 3 losses were to 3 of the best teams in the SEC in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.  NC State is a team the Wildcats can handle.  NC State is a fraudulent 8-3.  They only beat one Power 5 team with a winning record, which was 6-5 Pittsburgh.  They struggled winning their final 3 games over the season over Liberty, Syracuse and Georgia Tech as all 3 games were decided by 10 points or fewer.  Kentucky's strength of schedule was 21st while NC State's was 65th.  The Wildcats are 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last 3 bowl games under Mark Stoops with 2 upset victories over Penn State and VA Tech as well as a 1-point loss to Northwestern as a 7-point dog.  This is a senior-led team that will want to post their 3rd straight bowl win and go out as one of the most accomplished classes in program history.  The Wildcats are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games against teams that average 60 or more penalty yards per game.  NC State is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 against good rushing teams that average 4.75 YPC or more.  The Wildcats will have the edge at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball with a big talent advantage in the trenches.  The Wolfpack are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games off a conference home win.  Take Kentucky.

6* Marshall/LA Tech Conference USA *CA$H COW* on Marshall +2

The Key: Marshall returned almost everyone from last year, including 9 of their top 10 scorers.  Their experience and chemistry has shown early as they have opened 6-1 SU & 4-2-1 ATS.  And now they will take down LA Tech, which has feasted on an easy schedule and was blown out by 31 points by LSU in their one game against a pretty good team.  Marshall has won its last 2 matchups with LA Tech outright as dogs, and it will be a 3rd straight here as the Thundering Herd are dogs again in their first matchup for 2020-21.  The Thundering Herd are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 road games off a non-conference game.  The Bulldogs are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games against good offensive teams that score 77 PPG or more.  Take Marshall.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Charlotte Hornets -4

The Key: The Charlotte Hornets are one of the most underrated teams in the NBA in the early going.  After narrow losses to the Cavs and Thunder, they have bounced back with an upset win over the Nets are 11.5-point dogs and over the Mavs by 21 as 8-point dogs.  Now they face a depleted Memphis Grizzlies team that is missing Morant, Jackson, Winslow, Porter, Tillie, Tillman, Melton and Allen.  Their first game without Morant did not go well as they were blasted by Boston 107-126.  And it won't go well for them here either against a Hornets team that is healthy and playing well.  The Grizzlies are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games after trailing their previous game by 20 points or more at halftime.  Memphis is 0-6 ATS in its last 6 games as a road underdog. The Hornets are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games.  Take Charlotte. 

7* Notre Dame/Alabama NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Alabama -19.5

The Key: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish keep coming up short in big games.  It happened against in the ACC Championship when they lost 10-34 to Clemson.  And that game was every bit the blowout it seemed as Clemson outgained Notre Dame 541 to 263.  And it will be more of the same here against Alabama.  This may be the best Alabama team we've ever seen as they are outscoring opponents by 30.2 PPG this season.  They definitely have their best offense of the Saban era at 49.7 PPG.  And the Crimson Tide have outscored their opponents 131-47 in their last 4 playoff semifinal games.  They beat Notre Dame 42-14 in their last playoff matchup.  Ian Book isn't good enough to keep up with Mac Jones and company.  The Fighting Irish have allowed over 200 rushing yards in 2 straight games coming in, so the Crimson Tide should be able to run the ball when they need to late to keep margin.  Alabama is 7-0 ATS in its last 7 games off an ATS loss.  The Crimson Tide are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.  Take Alabama.

6* Utah/UCLA Pac-12 *CA$H COW* on UCLA -7.5

The Key: The UCLA Bruins brought back all 5 starters this year and are a clear contender in the Pac-12.  Their 2 losses came to Ohio State and San Diego State both on the road.  They are 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS at home this year and winning by 20.5 PPG.  Now they host a Utah team that is 0-1 on the road with a 64-82 loss at BYU.  Their 4 home wins all came against weak competition.  This will be their toughest game yet and a big step up in class.  UCLA beat Utah 73-57 at home and 69-58 on the road in their 2 matchups last year.  The Utes are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games.  The Bruins are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 home games.  The home team is 11-3 ATS in the last 14 matchups.  Take UCLA.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Washington Wizards -5.5

The Key: The Washington Wizards are hungry for their first win after opening 0-4 against a tough schedule.  They were competitive in all 4 games with all 4 losses coming by 10 points or fewer.  It was going to take some time for Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook to form some chemistry.  But now with a handful of games under their belts they will start to improve rapidly.  The Wizards want to avenge their 107-115 home loss to the Bulls on Tuesday.  Now they get their rematch just 2 days later and will be the hungrier team, while the Bulls will relax.  And the Wizards should get Rui Hachimura back from an eye injury tonight after he missed the first 4 games.  The Bulls are 17-37 ATS in their last 54 games off a SU win.  Chicago is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games after scoring 110 points or more in 2 straight games.  Take Washington.

7* Ball State/San Jose State NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Ball State +10

The Key: The San Jose State Spartans were undervalued all season.  They went 7-0 SU & 6-0-1 ATS this year en route to winning the Mountain West title.  They beat Boise State in the Championship Game.  This team was an underdog in 4 of their 7 games this season and won them all outright.  But now the Spartans are getting respect heading into this bowl game due to those perfect records both SU and ATS.  And asking them to win by 10-plus points to cover this number against Ball State is asking too much.  I don't see the Spartans being too excited to face a MAC opponent in their bowl game as I think they feel they deserved a better bowl game.  They will be content with their season no matter what happens here.  Ball State has been a different team since losing a fluky game to Miami Ohio in the opener.  The Cardinals have gone 6-0 SU & 4-2 ATS since while beating the best teams the MAC had to offer in Toledo, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Buffalo.  Their outright 38-28 win over Buffalo as a 12-point dog showed what they are capable of.  And now the Cardinals will feel disrespected again as big dogs in their bowl game and will be playing with a chip on their shoulder.  No question the Cardinals have the better quarterback here, which is why they will never be out of this game.  Drew Plitt is one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the country.  He completed 65.8% of his passes for 1,947 yards with 16 TD and only 6 INT this season.  And this Ball State defense got better down the stretch, holding each of its final five opponents to 28 points or fewer.  This is a senior-laden Cardinals team that wants a bowl win desperately.  They haven't been to a bowl since 2013 and the program is 0-7 all-time in bowls.  They have a chance to make history here and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they win this game outright.  Take Ball State.

6* Lakers/Spurs NBA *CA$H COW* on San Antonio +5.5

The Key: The Los Angeles Lakers have the unenviable task of getting the opposing teams' best shot night in and night out after winning the title last year.  And there's going to be value in fading the Lakers early in the season.  They are off to a 2-2 start this year with their only wins coming against the Mavericks and Timberwolves, who were both missing key players.  They were upset by both the Clippers and Blazers.  And the Spurs are live underdogs tonight.  San Antonio has a 12-point road win at Memphis and an upset win over Toronto en route to a 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS start.  Their only loss came by 3 points as 4.5-point dogs at New Orleans.  The Lakers are 4-11-1 ATS in their last 16 games off an ATS loss.  The Spurs are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as underdogs.  Take San Antonio.

6* Penn State/Indiana Big Ten *CA$H COW* on Penn State +5.5

The Key: We'll get a hungry PennState squad today off 2 straight losses to open conference season against 2 of the best teams in the Big Ten in Michigan and Illinois.  They have been competitive in every game this season outside of that loss to the Fighting Illini.  And now this is a step down in competition for them against an Indiana team that is just 5-4 this season.  The Hoosiers were upset at home by Indiana and failed to cover in a loss at Illinois in their last 2 games as well, so they aren't playing very good basketball.  They also have a 22-point loss to Texas and a loss at Florida State this season.  This line should be closer to a pick 'em.  The Nittany Lions are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games after scoring 80 points or more last game.  Indiana is 0-7 ATS in its last 7 home games after failing to cover 2 of its last 3 ATS coming in.  The Nittany Lions are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games as road underdogs.  Take Penn State.

7* Florida/Oklahoma NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Oklahoma -6.5

The Key: The Oklahoma Sooners have gone 7-0 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall en route to yet another Big 12 title.  And while the Sooners will be almost at full strength for this one, the Florida Gators will not be.  The writing is pretty much on the wall that the Gators don't care about this game after losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship.  They will be without each of their top 4 receivers with 3 opt outs and one due to COVID.  And they will be missing several other key players as well as they prepare for the NFL Draft.  The Sooners should make easy work of the Gators in this game even if Kyle Trask decides to play.  He won't have anyone to throw the ball to.  This Florida defense has allowed an average of 511.5 YPG and 44.5 PPG in back to back losses to LSU and Alabama.  The Sooners should be able to name their score.  Take Oklahoma.

6* Pelicans/Suns TNT *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 223

The Key: Stan Van Gundy has turned the Pelicans into a defensive juggernaut this season.  The UNDER is 3-0 in their first 3 games this season as they are allowing just 101.7 PPG and 45.1% shooting.  They are also scoring just 103.0 PPG on 43.3% shooting.  Van Gundy has been known for coaching defense throughout the years, and this team needed him.  The Suns have also been great defensively, allowing 102.7 PPG on 44.9% shooting this year.  The UNDER is 3-0 in Suns games as well.  With Chris Paul at PG, they are taking their time to set up the offense, and they have some great defenders down low like Ayton who is an eraser.  This total has been set too high tonight at 223 points given what we've seen so far.  The UNDER is 6-1 in Pelicans last 7 games.  The UNDER is 8-1 in Pelicans last 9 games playing on one days' rest.  The UNDER is 9-3 in Suns last 12 games as home favorites.  Take the UNDER.

7* Oklahoma State/Miami NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Miami +1

The Key: The wrong team is favored in this matchup.  Miami is getting docked too much from a 62-26 loss to UNC in the season finale that put a bad taste in their mouths heading into the bowl season.  The Hurricanes still finished 8-2 with their other loss to Clemson.  Oklahoma State is getting too much respect for its 42-3 win over Baylor in the season finale.  That was a Baylor team coming off a tough loss to Oklahoma and they just failed to show up.  Remember the Cowboys went 2-3 SU & 0-5 ATS in their previous 5 games and had been very overrated.  They only beat Kansas State by 2 and Texas Tech by 6 for their 2 wins during that stretch and lost by 28 to Oklahoma.  The news that D'Eriq King announced he is coming back next year at QB for Miami has energized this team.  And they want to make amends for an upset loss to LA Tech in their bowl game last year.  They will be hungry for a win and we should see the best version of Miami because of it, which should be good enough to beat Oklahoma State.  The Hurricanes are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.  Take Miami.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Central Arkansas +34

The Key: Central Arkansas' 1-6 record has them undervalued heading into this game with Baylor.  But they have played a tougher schedule than Baylor has, and they have actually been very competitive.  They didn't lose once by more than 25 points in road losses to Memphis (68-85), Arkansas-Little Rock (83-86), Saint Louis (65-88), Arkansas (75-100), Ole Miss (54-68) and Mississippi State (65-81).  And they won't lose by 34-plus points here against a fat and happy Baylor squad that is 6-0 and ranked #2 in the country.  The Bears have a game against Alcorn State on deck tomorrow, so they won't be looking to play their starters big minutes.  That should help keep Central Arkansas within the number today.  Central Arkansas is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games off a home game.  Baylor is 10-22 ATS in its last 32 games off a cover as a double-digit favorites.  Bets against home favorites of 10 or more points who have made at least 47% of their shots in 3 straight games while also allowing a shooting percentage of 33% or less in their last game are 26-5 ATS over the last 5 years.  Take Central Arkansas.

6* Colorado/Arizona Pac-12 *BAILOUT* on Colorado +3

The Key: The Colorado Buffaloes are a contender to win the Pac-12 this year.  They are 6-1 this season with their only loss coming on the road to Tennessee, a Top 5 team.  They are 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in all other games with 6 wins by double-digits.  They are outscoring the opposition by 20.5 PPG on the year.  Arizona is also 6-1 SU, but just 2-5 ATS as the Wildcats have struggled to put away teams.  They had to break in 5 new starters this year and are a work in progress.  They won by 19 as a 30-point favorite over Grambling, by 3 as a 13-point favorite over Eastern Washington, by 8 as a 15.5-point favorite over UTEP and by 6 as a 15-point favorite over Montana.  They are barely squeaking by, and they lost to the best opponent they played in Stanford.  Now the wrong team is favored in this matchup.  Arizona is 0-7 ATS in its last 7 games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest.  Take Colorado.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Denver Nuggets -6.5

The Key: The Denver Nuggets are hungry for a victory after opening this season 0-2 with losses to the Kings and Clippers.  They will rebound in a big way tonight against the depleted Houston Rockets, who will be without Eric Gordon, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Ben McLemore and a few others due to quarantine rules.  The Rockets are basically down to James Harden to try and do everything on his own.  It's not going to work against a deep, hungry team like the Nuggets.  The Rockets are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games.  The Nuggets are 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 games as home favorites.  Take Denver.  

7* Bills/Patriots MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Buffalo -7

The Key: The Bills have a lot to play for.  They can be the first team to sweep the season series with the Patriots in 19 years.  And they can grab a stranglehold on the 2nd seed in the AFC with a win here over the Patriots.  They want to keep their momentum going, too.  The Bills have won 7 of their last 8 games with their only loss coming on that hail mary against Arizona.  They are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as well with 5 wins by 10 points or more.  They are scoring 34.8 PPG in their last 6 games and giving up just 18.8 PPG in their last 4 contests.  The Patriots are averaging just 248 YPG in their last 4 games as their offense has held them back all season.  Their best defensive player in CB Stephon Gilmore just went out with a season-ending injury against the Dolphins last week in their 22-12 loss.  They won't have him to match up with Stefon Diggs now, who is having a monster season in his first year in Buffalo.  There's just nothing to like about the Patriots right now, and there's everything to like about the Bills, who may be the best team in the AFC.  Take Buffalo.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Phoenix Suns -2.5

The Key: I love the situation for the Phoenix Suns today.  They are playing the Kings for a 2nd consecutive day after losing 103-106 in Sacramento on Saturday.  Now they go from being a 3.5-point favorite yesterday to only a 2.5-point favorite today.  The Suns will be the hungrier team to avenge that defeat, and the Kings will relax a little.  The Suns are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  Take Phoenix.

6* Rams/Seahawks NFC West *CA$H COW* on Seattle -1

The Key: The Seahawks have a chance to clinch the NFC West with a win Sunday over the Los Angeles Rams.  And it just comes down to me trusting Russell Wilson in this spot a lot more than Jared Goff.  Plus the Seahawks want revenge from a 16-23 road loss to the Rams in their first matchup.  But that was a great spot for the Rams off their bye week.  Now the playing field is leveled in the rematch, and plus the Seahawks are at home now.  While the Rams' defense gets all the headlines, it's the Seahawks defense that is improving as much as any unit in the NFL down the stretch.  It started at halftime of that first meeting with the Rams.  Seattle held Los Angeles to 6 points and 114 yards in the second half.  Since that game, the Seahawks have held 3 of their past 5 opponents to under 300 yards, and Arizona's 21 points in Week 11 are the most allowed by Seattle during this stretch.  The Rams will be without RB Cam Akers, who was really coming on strong for them in being their workhorse before the injury.  He has averaged 102 RYPG in his last 3 games and will be missed.  Pete Carroll is 9-2 ATS in home games when revenging a same-season loss as the coach of the Seahawks.  The Seahawks are 14-6-2 ATS in their last 22 games off an ATS loss.  The Seahawks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 home matchups with the Rams.   Take Seattle.

7* AFC Total of the Year on Broncos/Chargers OVER 47

The Key: This game between Denver and Los Angeles has shootout written all over it.  Neither team has anything to play for.  And both are missing key players on defense.  The Broncos are missing as many as 5 defensive backs plus their best defensive player in LB Bradley Chubb.  We saw what the Bills did to them last week in scoring 48 points and with 352 passing yards and 182 rushing yards.  The Chargers will light up this scoreboard as well.  The Chargers are without their 2 best pass rushers in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.  They give up 27.8 PPG this year, while the Broncos allow 28.2 PPG.  These teams played in a 31-30 shootout in their first matchup in favor of the Broncos with their big comeback victory.  And it should be more of the same here in the rematch given the defensive injuries to both teams.  The Broncos are 16-4 OVER in their last 20 games after allowing 40 points or more last game.  The OVER is 4-0 in Broncos last 4 against a team with a losing record.  The OVER is 8-3 in Chargers last 11 games overall.  Take the OVER.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Detroit -2.5

The Key: I love the situation for Detroit today.  They are coming off a 75-77 (OT) home loss as 3.5-point favorites over Oakland yesterday.  Now they get to play the Golden Grizzlies in the 2nd of a back-to-back and will be hungry to avenge that defeat.  Plus the line is better today with Detroit only a 2.5-point favorite.  This is a 1-9 Oakland team who got their first victory of the season yesterday.  They will exhale and probably won't even show up today.  I'll gladly back the hungrier team here in the Titans.  This is a Detroit team that only lost by 7 to Michigan State as a 27.5-point dog and by 8 to Notre Dame as a 12-point dog earlier this season to show what they are capable of.  I think we get the best version of the Titans Sunday.  Take Detroit.

6* NFL Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Atlanta Falcons +11

The Key: The Chiefs are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.  They have won all 6 games but all 6 wins came by 6 points or fewer.  Expect more of the same here against the Falcons.  Atlanta has been very competitive under Raheem Morris.  They have only lost once in their last 7 games by more than 5 points.  The Falcons will be hungry to try and take down the defending Super Bowl champs.  That's a big reason the Chiefs can't cover right now is because they always get the opposing teams' best shot.  And the Chiefs seem to just be going through the motions here late in the season with the top seed in the AFC all but locked up.  Take Atlanta.

6* Saturday NBA *Total* Annihilator on Pacers/Bulls OVER 221.5

The Key: Indiana has made an emphasis on shooting more 3-pointers and pushing the tempo under new head coach Nate Bjorkgren.  They showed that throughout the preseason and again in their opener against the Knicks, a 121-107 victory in which they attempted 34 3-pointers but only made 8 of them at a 23.5% clip.  That's impressive they still scored 121 points.  And now they will shoot much better here against the Bulls.  Chicago lost 104-124 to Atlanta in their opener and gave up 53.7% to the Hawks.  And the Hawks only scored 13 points in the 4th after calling off the dogs in a blowout.  This game should be a little more competitive and it will lead to both teams maximizing their scoring opportunities for 4 quarters.  The Bulls attempted 35 3-pointers against the Hawks and made just 8 of them for a 22.9% clip.  You have to expect both teams to shoot better from 3-point range than they did in their openers, which will help get this OVER the total.  Take the OVER.

6* 49ers/Cardinals NFC West *CA$H COW* on Arizona -5

The Key: The 49ers have gone 1-6 SU & 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games with all 6 wins coming by 8 points or more.  It will be more of the same here against a hungry Cardinals team that is currently in the last spot in the NFC playoffs.  The Cardinals are playing with a sense of urgency right now and have played some of their best football here down the stretch.  They dominated the Giants 26-7 and outgained them by 231 yards 2 weeks ago.  Last week they won and covered in a 33-26 win over the Eagles and outgained them by 104 yards.  Their offense is thriving right now with 458 YPG in those 2 wins.  This offense is back to being dynamic with Murray running the ball again with 21 rush attempts in his last 2 games.  CJ Beathard will get the start for the injury-plagued 49ers.  Beathard is 0-3 as a starter against the Cardinals and 1-9 lifetime as a starter in the NFL.  He's simply not very good.  The Cardinals are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 matchups with the 49ers.  Take Arizona.

7* NCAAF Bowl Game of the Year on Georgia State -3.5

The Key: Conference USA is 0-3 in bowl games this year through Wednesday and has been outscored by a combined 78 points in those 3 defeats.  Now it's Western Kentucky's turn to get blasted.  The Hilltoppers went 5-6 this year with their 5 wins coming against either FCS opponents or teams that won 3 games or fewer.  The 4 C-USA teams they beat have a combined 8-22 record this year.  WKU had the worst offense in all of C-USA this season at 18.8 PPG.  Appalachian State beat North Texas 56-28 and Georgia Southern beat LA Tech 38-3 in a pair of Sun Belt vs. C-USA matchups already this bowl season.  Georgia State only lost to App State 17-13 and beat Georgia Southern 30-24.  The Panthers average 32.7 PPG this year and will have a huge edge on offense in this matchup.  This should be another Sun Belt over C-USA blowout Saturday.  Take Georgia State.

6* Mavs/Lakers NBA *CA$H COW* on Dallas +6.5

The Key: The Los Angeles Lakers aren't concerned with how they play early in the regular season.  That was evident when they lost to the Clippers 109-116 in their opener.  There is a tax betting on the Lakers after winning the NBA title.  And there's going to be some value fading them early in the season.  I like the price we are getting with the Mavericks here as 6.5-point dogs.  This line is higher than it should be because the Mavericks lost 102-106 to an underrated Suns team in their opener.  They will want to bounce back here and will be excited to play the defending champs.  The Mavericks are 29-13 ATS in their last 42 games off a road loss.  The Lakers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as favorites.  Take Dallas.

6* Vikings/Saints NFC *CA$H COW* on Minnesota +7

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the Vikings today now that they have failed to cover the spread in 5 straight games.  But the Vikings haven't been playing badly at all like that betting record would suggest.  They have just been favored so many times.  Now they are back in their preferred role of underdog where they have thrived with an upset win over the Packers and a 1-point loss to the Seahawks when they were near touchdown dogs in both of those games.  The Vikings have now won the yardage battle in 7 straight games, meaning they could easily be 7-0 in their last 7 games.  The Saints were just outgained by 126 yards by the Chiefs last week and 55 yards by the Eagles 2 weeks ago, both SU losses.  Drew Brees looked terrible in his first start back against the Chiefs.  That final score was much closer than it should have been as the Chiefs had 34 first downs compared to 15 for the Saints.  I don't know how anyone can expect the Saints to get margin here being without 3 of their best receivers in Thomas, Smith and Harris.  The Vikings won't go away because this is an offense that is averaging 407 YPG in their last 7 games.  The Vikings are 38-14 ATS in their last 52 games following a loss and 14-3 ATS under Zimmer off 2 or more consecutive losses.  Take Minnesota.

7* Marshall/Buffalo NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Buffalo -5

The Key: The Buffalo Bulls went undefeated in the regular season before falling to Ball State in the MAC Championship.  Their numbers have been dominant all year as they average 47.8 PPG and give up just 23.8 PPG.  And now they take on a team from Conference USA in Marshall.  Conference USA is 0-3 in bowl games this year and has been outscored by a combined 78 points in those 3 defeats.  That's bad news for a Marshall team that has averaged just 6.5 PPG in losing its last 2 games to Rice (20-0) and UAB (13-22).  Marshall went 7 straight quarters without scoring a single point over those 2 games before getting 13 points in garbage time in the 4th quarter against UAB.  Marshall QB Wells has completed just 45% of his passes over the last 2 games with 2 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.  Marshall will be without leading rusher RB Knox, leading tackler LB Beckett and top offensive lineman G Ball as they all try and get ready for the NFL.  Buffalo is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games.  Marshall is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games off a loss.  Take Buffalo.

6* Maryland/Purdue Big Ten *CA$H COW* on Maryland +6

The Key: The Maryland Terrapins opened the season with 4 straight wins by 18 points or more.  Then they ran into a couple of juggernauts and lost to both Clemson and Rutgers before rebounding with a win over La Salle.  Now they want to taste their first Big Ten victory and I like the price we are getting with them here as 6-point dogs against Purdue.  This clearly is a down Purdue team that already has 3 losses on the season to Clemson, Miami and Iowa with two of those by double-digits.  They faced an injury-plagued Miami team and still lost.  They took advantage of an injured Ohio State team and won.  And they beat a bad Notre Dame team.  They really haven't proven anything yet and were just put in their place with a 15-point loss to Iowa last time out.  And they should not be this big of a favorite here.  Purdue has beaten Maryland by more than 5 points just once in the last 9 matchups.  That's an 8-1 angle backing the Terrapins today.  The Terrapins are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after losing 4 of their last 5 ATS coming in.  Take Maryland.

7* Hawaii/Houston NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Hawaii +9.5

The Key: The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors finished 4-4 this season with 4 losses against quality opponents, including an 8-point loss to Boise State.  They also upset Nevada, which just beat AAC member Tulane 38-27 in their bowl game.  And now they take on an AAC team in Houston that is just 3-4 on the season.  The Cougars didn't have any impressive wins this year as their 3 victories came against the bottom of the AAC with Navy, South Florida and Tulane.  And they lost 3 times by 17 points or more as well.  This feels like it will be a one-score game either way.  I like Hawaii QB Cordeiro who has totaled 18 touchdowns passing and rushing in 8 games this year.  He will make enough plays with his arm and feet to keep the Rainbow Warriors in this game for 4 quarters with a possible upset.  Take Hawaii.

7* Bucks/Celtics TNT *HEAVY HITTER* on Milwaukee -4

The Key: The Milwaukee Bucks are a regular season team.  They went 56-17 last year during the regular season.  They added former All-Star PG Jrue Holiday, who will be a big upgrade over Eric Bledsoe to go along with starts Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.  They also added veterans Bobby Portis, Bryn Forbes, Torrey Craig and D.J. Augustin.  They have the makings of the best team in the NBA.  The Celtics lost Gordon Hayward and will be without Kemba Walker to open the season.  The Bucks are 6-1 SU & 5-2 ATS in their last 7 matchups with Boston with all 6 wins coming by 5 points or more.  Take Milwaukee.

6* Rutgers/Ohio State Big Ten *CA$H COW* on Ohio State -2.5

The Key: Ohio State suffered its first loss of the season against Purdue, but they were without E.J. Liddell for that game.  He returned against UCLA and helped lead them to a 77-70 win.  And now the Buckeyes are hungry to taste their first Big Ten win today and end Rutgers' perfect 6-0 start to the season.  The Scarlet Knights will be without Clifford Omoruyi after he suffered an injury against Illinois last time out.  The Buckeyes have won 8 of their last 10 matchups with Rutgers and are 5-0 in 5 home matchups during this span.  The Buckeyes are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 home games, including 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as home favorites.  Take Ohio State.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Idaho State +9.5

The Key: I love the situation for Idaho State today.  They are coming off a 64-69 loss to Northern Colorado as 10-point dogs yesterday.  And now they get to face them again today in this back-to-back situation.  And they are 9.5-point dogs in the rematch, so oddsmakers have barely adjusted for the revenge factor and the fact that Idaho State only lost by 5 yesterday.  This is a great price on them.  Idaho State is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 road games with a total of 130 to 139.5.  The Bears are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as home favorites.  Take Idaho State.

7* UFC/BYU Boca Raton Bowl *HEAVY HITTER* on BYU -6

The Key: The BYU Cougars (10-1) are the better team in this matchup with the UCF Knights (6-3).  They will be the more hungry team here too with UCF used to playing in much bigger bowls than the Boca Raton Bowl.  And BYU will pretty much have its full compliment of players for this game while UCF has some guys opting out, including leading receiver Marlon Williams who had 71 receptions for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. Both teams have explosive offenses with UCF averaging 44.3 PPG and 6.8 YPP while BYU averages 43.0 PPG and 7.7 YPP.  But the difference in this game is defensively.  BYU only gives up 14.6 PPG, 308.9 YPG and 4.8 YPP.  UCF allows 31.4 PPG, 473.7 YPG and 5.9 YPP.   UCF is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games with a total of 70 or higher.  The Knights are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall.  UCF has losses to Cincinnati, Tulsa and Memphis this season.  BYU's only loss came to Coastal Carolina on only a few days' notice.  And that's an 11-0 Coastal Carolina team.  Take BYU.

6* Warriors/Nets NBA *Total* Annihilator on OVER 232

The Key: This game has shootout written all over it tonight.  The Warriors will have to go small as they will likely be without Draymond Green, their best defender who is doubtful with a foot injury.  The Nets like to play small anyway and are going to be an offensive juggernaut with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the way.  Expect a fast-paced game with a barrage of 3-pointers from both side.  Stephon Curry being back for the Warriors makes them way better offensively but worse defensively.  Take the OVER.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Bradley +11

The Key: The price is right to back the Bradley Braves today as double-digit underdogs to the Missouri Tigers.  Bradley won the MVC in two consecutive seasons and is loaded again this season.  They have opened 6-2 with their only losses coming to 2 very good teams in Xavier (50-51) and South Dakota State (84-88) by a combined 5 points.  They should not be catching 11 points from Missouri.  The Tigers are getting too much respect from oddsmakers after a 5-0 start.  They are coming off a huge 81-78 win over rival Illinois in a game they play every year.  They won't be nearly as hungry to face Bradley as they were Illinois.  Plus this is a sandwich spot with a game against Top 10 Tennessee on deck in their SEC opener.  The Braves are 15-6-1 ATS in their last 22 games off an ATS loss.  Take Bradley.

7* Steelers/Bengals MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Cincinnati +14.5

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the Bengals tonight after losing 5 straight and failing to cover 4 of their last 5.  They are getting docked a lot more for their recent struggles than the Steelers are.  Keep in mind the Steelers have lost 2 in a row to Washington and Buffalo.  Their injuries on defense and their lack of a running game on offense have held them back in recent weeks.  Plus they have been a tired team with the schedule difficulty as they will now be playing their 4th game in 20 days.  Their offense has been held to 19 points or fewer in 3 straight.  Cincinnati's defense has given up 20 points or fewer in 3 of its last 4.  And the only exception was the 30 points they gave up to Dallas which was aided by 3 fumbles early in the game.  The Cowboys only managed 272 yards against them.  This is only the 2nd time all season that the Steelers have bene a double-digit favorite.  They nearly lost outright to the Cowboys in their largest favorite role of -14.  This is only the 2nd time all season that the Bengals have been a double-digit underdog.  Oddsmakers know that the public wants nothing to do with the Bengals right now so they are forced to set this number higher than it should be.  The Steelers are now 0-6 ATS in their last 6 December games.  Take Cincinnati.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Arkansas-Little Rock +1

The Key: Arkansas State brought back all 5 starters this year and has opened 4-2 with its only losses coming to Greensboro and Winthrop.  They also upset Duquesne.  They have played a tough schedule and are now battle-tested heading into this game with Missouri State.  The Bears didn't get to play their first game of the season until December 16th and they struggled with a 73-64 win over William Jewell.  Then they beat Northwestern State 94-67 on Saturday.  Now they will be playing their 3rd game in 6 days here and just don't have much chemistry due to their lack of playing time.  Arkansas-Little Rock is rested playing just its 2nd game in 15 days here.  And they will be the fresher, sharper team tonight.  Little Rock pulled the 67-66 upset as 12.5-point dogs over Missouri State last year.  And while this will be considered an upset again, I don't agree as Little Rock should be the favorite given having all 5 starters back and the favorable schedule spot.  The Trojans are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing 60 points or less.  Take Arkansas-Little Rock.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on St. John's -4

The Key: I love the situation for the St. John's Red Storm tonight.  They just played Georgetown on December 13th exactly one week ago today.  They blew a 7-point lead in the final 3 minutes of regulation and lost 94-97 in overtime.  It's revenge time now for the Red Storm.  The price is right to back them off 3 straight losses against a brutal schedule of Seton Hall, Georgetown and Creighton.  They are desperate for their first Big East win here and we'll get a big effort from them because of it.  The Red Storm are 40-23 ATS in their last 63 games off 3 or more consecutive ATS losses.  The Hoyas are 1-7 ATS in their lsat 8 games off a win.  The Hoyas are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 road games.  Take St. John's.

7* 49ers/Cowboys NFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Dallas +3.5

The Key: The Cowboys have covered 3 of their last 5 coming in after a 30-7 win at Cincinnati last week.  This is a great price on the Cowboys at home against a 49ers team that doesn't have anything to play for and has been hurt by injuries worse than any other team in the NFL.  That's a big reason why the 49ers are 1-5 SU & 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games coming in.  The Cowboys are still very much alive in the NFC East race and should be the hungrier team.  Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games as a home underdog.  Take Dallas.

6* Seahawks/Washington NFC *CA$H COW* on Seattle -6.5

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the Seahawks as less than a TD favorite against the Washington Football Team Sunday.  This isn't the same Washington team that pulled 3 straight upsets over the Cowboys, Steelers and 49ers.  They are now without starting QB Alex Smith, and it's a huge downgrade to third-stringer Dwayne Haskins as we saw early in the season when he got the starting nod.  They are also without their best player on offense in RB Antonio Gibson.  While Washington does have a good defense and can limit Seattle, it's too much of a burden on them here.  Washington isn't going to be able to move the ball and score consistently against an improving Seattle defense that has allowed 23 or fewer points in 5 straight games, including 17 or less in 3 straight.  This simply has blowout written all over it with the injuries to Washington on offense.  The road team is 4-0-1 ATS in the last 5 matchups.  Take Seattle.

6* Jaguars/Ravens AFC *CA$H COW* on Jacksonville +13

The Key: Gardner Minshew is Jacksonville's best quarterback and will be returning to start for them this week.  The Jaguars have still gone 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games and have been very competitive.  Now Minshew should give them a spark at the QB position.  The Ravens have to be tired playing their 4th game in 19 days here.  And they are coming off a 47-42 shootout victory over the Browns on Monday Night Football.  It's a letdown spot and they are fatigued.  Their defense gave up 493 yards to the Browns, so the back door is going to be open for the Jaguars if we need it against this Ravens defense.  The Jaguars have topped 350 total yards in 3 consecutive games coming in and can move the ball and score points.  Bets on road dogs or PK who are on an 8-plus game losing streak against an opponent that's off 2 or more consecutive wins are 21-3 ATS since 1983.  Take Jacksonville.

6* Panthers/Packers NFC *Total* Annihilator on OVER 51.5

The Key: The conditions are going to be favorable for scoring in Green Bay tonight, which is rare for December.  Almost zero winds and temps in the 30s.  And both of these teams are built for OVERS.  The Packers average 31.5 PPG this year as Aaron Rodgers is having an MVP season, leading the NFL with 39 TD passes and only 4 INT.  But the Packers do give up 24.8 PPG.  Joe Brady has turned this Carolina offense into a really good unit this season.  And Teddy Bridgewater gets back his favorite target in D.J. Moore after he missed last game.  Moore has 50 receptions and 924 receiving yards this season.  The Panthers average 23.6 PPG and are capable of hanging a big number on the Packers.  But they give up 25.5 PPG and 69.2% completions to opposing QB's.  Bridgewater is going to have to try and keep up with the Packers in a shootout here because this Carolina defense is going to struggle to stop the Packers.  The OVER is 42-20-2 in Panthers last 64 against a team with a winning record.  The OVER is 25-11 in Panthers last 36 games as road dogs.  The OVER is 7-1 in the last 8 matchups.  Take the OVER.

7* Pac-12 Game of the Year on Stanford +7

The Key: The Stanford Cardinal have won 3 straight and have all the momentum right now going into this final game of the season.  That includes their upset win over Washington as a double-digit underdog.  And now they are catching 7 points against a UCLA team that is 3-3 and coming off a 3rd heartbreaking loss this season.  This one was a 38-43 loss to USC in which they allowed a TD with 16 seconds left.  They were in control of the game the whole way, too.  I don't expect this young UCLA team to be able to handle that loss very well, and they likely won't even show up this week against Stanford.  The Cardinal are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 matchups with UCLA, including 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 matchups at UCLA.  Take Stanford.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on St. Peter's +1

The Key: I love the situation for St. Peter's today.  They are coming off a 76-78 loss to Monmouth yesterday in a game that was lined at a pick 'em.  Now they are 1-point dogs to Monmouth in the rematch.  St. Peter's will be the hungrier team here today and will avenge that defeat with an outright win.  And I don't even think it will be close.  St. Peter's could easily be 6-1 this year as their 2 losses have come to St. John's and Monmouth by a combined 3 points.  St. Peter's is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games when revenging a road loss.  The Peacocks are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games as road underdogs.  The underdog is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 matchups.  Take St. Peter's.

6* Ole Miss/LSU SEC *CA$H COW* on Ole Miss -2.5

The Key: LSU is coming off a shocking 37-34 win over Florida as more than 3-touchdown underdog.  The Gators were clearly looking ahead to their SEC Championship Game against Alabama this week.  And that win has LSU getting too much respect from the books this week.  Ole Miss is in the better situation.  The Rebels haven't played in 3 weeks and will be fresh.  They have won 3 in a row coming in and also gave Alabama their stiffest test of the season to flash their potential.  LSU just beat Florida and won't care nearly as much about beating Ole Miss this week because of it.  The situation favors the Rebels.  The Tigers are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games off an upset win as a road dog.  Take Ole Miss.

6* Oklahoma/Iowa State Big 12 *CA$H COW* on Iowa State +6

The Key: The Iowa State Cyclones have saved their best football for last.  They are 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall while outscoring their last 5 opponents by a total of 121 points and by an average of 24.2 PPG.  That's why they are getting so much hype in the college football playoff rankings, and deservedly so.  But now they are getting disrespected once again as 6-point dogs to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game.  They upset Oklahoma as 7.5-point home dogs, 37-30 in their first matchup this year.  The Cyclones are now 5-0 ATS in their last 5 matchups with Oklahoma with an average cover of 16 PPG.  They haven't lost any of the last 5 matchups by more than 10 points, so Matt Campbell clearly has this Oklahoma team figured out.  And it's a Sooners team coming off one of their worst performances of the season.  They managed just 269 total yards in a 27-14 win over Baylor as a 23-point favorite.  They were actually outgained by the awful Bears in that contest.  Iowa State is 20-8-1 ATS in its last 29 games as an underdog.  The Cyclones are 11-1 ATS under Campbell against good passing teams that average 8.5 or more yards per attempt.  The Sooners are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games as favorites.  Take Iowa State.

7* NCAAF Friday Night Lights on Rutgers +7

The Key: Nebraska is just 2-5 and should not be favored this heavily over Rutgers in the season finale for both teams.  The Huskers are coming off an upset loss to Minnesota as 8-point favorites.  Rutgers has the momentum, coming off an upset win over Maryland last time out.  They also upset Purdue two games ago as a double-digit dog.  They have been competitive in most their games this year, too.  The Scarlet Knights now have a chance to win four Big Ten games for the first time since joining the conference in 2014.  "This Nebraska game is everything," head coach Greg Schiano said. "We're shooting for something that has not been done at Rutgers.  ANd, to do it in a situation where you play nine straight.  And, to do it in a situation where you didn't have a non-conference to work out any of the kings.  I think everybody in our program has a chance to do something special."  It's clear that the Scarlet Knights want this game more than Nebraska does.  Bets against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points who have lost 3 of their last 4 games, in conference games are 70-38 ATS over the last 5 years.  The Huskers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as favorites.  The Scarlet Knights are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as dogs.  Take Rutgers.

6* Friday NCAAB *BLOWOUT* on St. Peter's -1

The Key: St. Peter's is a good team.  They are 4-2 this year with one of their losses coming by a single point to St. John's as an 11-point dog.  Their only blowout loss came to a very good Maryland team on the road.  They have 3 wins by double-digits.  The key here is that they are sharp right now having played 6 games.  The same cannot be said for Monmouth, which finally got to play its first game of the season on Tuesday, December 15th.  They lost that game 88-96 to Hofstra as a 1.5-point dog.  I'll gladly side with the sharper St. Peter's team, which went 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS against Monmouth last year, outscoring them by a total of 15 points in their 2 wins.  The Peacocks are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game.  St. Peter's is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 road games.  Take St. Peter's.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on North Dakota +7.5

The Key: I like the situation for North Dakota tonight.  This is a crazy college basketball season, and as a result there are a lot of back-to-backs.  North Dakota just lost to Southern Illinois last night.  Now they will be the more hungry team here than the Salukis.  And they are exactly the same 7.5-point dogs that they were last night.  North Dakota has 3 losses by single-digits this year, including a 9-point loss at Minnesota.  They have been competitive in every game outside of that game against Southern Illinois last night, and they will look to make amends here.  The Fighting Hawks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games off an ATS loss.  North Dakota is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games after playing 4 consecutive games as a dog.  Take North Dakota.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Wyoming -10.5

The Key: Jeff Linder won 21-plus games in his final 3 seasons at Northern Colorado before getting hired by Wyoming in the offseason.  Now he's already doing big things for the Cowboys, leading them to a 5-1 start this year with their only loss coming by 2 points.  That includes an upset win at Oregon State as a 9-point dog.  And 3 of their 5 wins have come by double-digits.  Now they should crush a Nebraska-Omaha team in a terrible spot.  Omaha just had to play at Colorado last night and lost 49-91.  Now they will have to make the bus trip to Wyoming and play the 2nd of a back-to-back.  Omaha is 2-6 this season with its 2 wins coming by a combined 3 points over Middle Tennessee (60-59) and SIU-Edwardsville (65-63).  5 of their 6 losses have come by 12 points or more.  Omaha is getting outscored by 18.8 PPG on the season.  Wyoming is outscoring opponents by 12.5 PPG on the year, so this is the perfect storm given the awful situation for Omaha.  The Mavericks are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall.  The Mavericks are 3-16 ATS in their last 19 against a team with a winning record.  The Cowboys are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games overall.  Take Wyoming.

7* Chargers/Raiders AFC West *HEAVY HITTER* on Los Angeles +3.5

The Key: The Los Angeles Chargers are the better team than the Las Vegas Raiders despite what their records say.  The Chargers are 4-9 this season but outgaining their opponents by nearly 50 YPG, while the Raiders are 7-6 despite getting outgained by nearly 15 YPG.  The Raiders have a soft defense that allows 30.1 PPG on the season and 37.5 PPG over their last 4 contests.  And that defense isn't getting any better with all of their injuries right now, most notably to DE Ferrell and S Abram, who are among at least 4 starters that are out for this game.  The Chargers want to end the Raiders' playoff hopes here.  That would be sweet revenge for a 26-31 loss to the Raiders in their 1st matchup this year in which the Chargers had their game-winning TD overturned on replay on the final play of the game.  The Chargers outgained the Raiders by 120 yards in that contest and had a 26-16 edge in first downs.  Bets against favorites like the Raiders after a game with a turnover margin of -3 or worse are 52-19 ATS over the last 5 years.  The Raiders committed 3 turnovers in their 27-44 loss to the Colts on Sunday and now have 10 turnovers in their last 3 games.  Take Los Angeles.

7* Northeastern/Syracuse NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Syracuse -17.5

The Key: Syracuse is 4-1 this year with 3 wins by 30 or more points.  Their only loss came to Rutgers, which just beat Maryland by 14 on the road and is one of the better teams in the country.  They rebounded with one of the best performances of any team this season with a 101-63 win over Boston College.  And now they should make easy work of Northeastern.  The Huskies brought back just 2 players who averaged more than 3.5 PPG last season.  They are inexperienced and have just 2 games under their belts, a home-and-home with UMass.  Syracuse is 7-0 all-time against Northeastern, including 3-0 ATS in the last 3 matchups with a 72-49 win in their most recent showdown in 2018.  The Huskies are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games off a win.  The Huskies are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games off an ATS win.  Take Syracuse.

7* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Furman +6.5

The Key: Furman is 5-1 this year and outscoring opponents by 24.1 PPG.  They have picked up right where they left off.  They won 23 games in Bob Richey’s first season, then proceeded to tie a school record with 25 wins each fo the last 2 seasons.  They returned 4 starters and 3 double-digit scorers from last year’s team that went 25-7.  And their only loss this season came on the road to a solid Cincinnati team by a final of 73-78.  Alabama is just 3-2 with an 18-point loss to Stanford and an 8-point loss to Stanford.  I think the Crimson Tide are getting too much respect from the books here against a Furman team that is very capable of winning this one outright.  Plus the Crimson Tide are coming off that huge rivalry game against Clemson and have an even bigger game on deck this weekend against No. 6 Houston.  This is a sandwich spot for the Crimson Tide.  Alabama is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 home games.  Furman is 21-10 ATS in its last 31 road games.  The Paladins are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games off a home win where they scored 85 or more points.  Take Furman.

7* Ravens/Browns MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Cleveland +3

The Key: The Cleveland Browns are out to prove that they can beat the Baltimore Ravens.  They want revenge from that 6-38 loss in Week 1 in which things spiraled out of control after a botched fake punt early and 3 turnovers.  The Browns have been a completely different team since.  They have gone 9-2 in their last 11 games overall and now find themselves just one game out of 1st place in the AFC North.  They are the much fresher, healthier team right now than the Ravens as well.  Baltimore will be playing its 3rd game in 12 days due to COVID complications.  They had just 5 days to get ready for the Browns after playing the Cowboys on Tuesday.  Cleveland has had 7 days to get ready for Baltimore.  The Browns are 5-1 SU at home this year.  Baker Mayfield is playing his best football and hasn't thrown an interception since October 25, a span of almost 6 games.  He has 11 TD and zero interceptions since his last pick.  And with Nick Chubb back healthy, the Browns have been monsters on the ground.  They have rushed for 100-plus yards in 5 straight games and an average of 173.3 RYPG in their last 4.  The Ravens have given up 111 or more rushing yards in 4 of their last 5.  The Browns have been good against the run all season, yielding only 104 RYPG.  Take Cleveland.

6* St. John's/Georgetown Big East *CA$H COW* on St. John's ML +100

The Key: St. John's has 4 starters back for head coach Mike Anderson this year.  The Red Storm are 5-2 this year with their only losses both coming on the road to BYU and Seton Hall by single-digits.  This is a very sneaky team in the Big East.  Georgetown is one of the worst teams in the conference.  They are 2-3 this year and only brought back one starter and lost all of their best players from last year.  Their 2 wins have come against Maryland-Baltimore County and Coppin State.  They lost to Navy, WVU and Villanova.  And they are coming off a loss to 13-point loss to Villanova on Friday in which they blew a double-digit lead and were outscored 43-17 in the 2nd half.   I doubt they'll be mentally recovered 2 days later here.  And the Hoyas are a thin team so playing 2 games in 3 days is a tough situation for them.  The depth of St. John's is a huge advantage, and they will run Georgetown to death tonight.  The Red Storm average 80.3 PPG on 46.7% shooting as they have been one of the best offensive teams in the country.  The Hoyas are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games off 2 straight games with 9 or fewer offensive rebounds.  Take St. John's.

7* NFC Game of the Year on Washington +3

The Key: Washington has won 3 straight including upset road wins over the Cowboys and 49ers to get into a tie with the Giants for 1st place in the NFC East.  But they lost both matchups with the Giants so they are essentially a game behind.  They need wins like blood here down the stretch.  The 49ers just lost to the Bills last week to essentially eliminate them from the playoffs.  They are now 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.  I don't like their mindset right now, and there's no way they should be favored over Washington this week.  Washington has one of the best defenses in the NFL in yielding only 310.9 YPG.  And Alex Smith has provided some stability to their offense.  He led them back from a 14-0 deficit against the Steelers last week to pull the 23-17 upset.  Washington hasn't lost any of its last 7 games by more than 3 points, making for a 7-0 angle back them here.   The 49ers are 9-22-1 ATS in their last 32 games as favorites.  Take Washington.

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Marshall -3

The Key: The Marshall Thundering Herd had 10 players average at least 10 minutes per game last season.  They had zero seniors on the roster last year.  Nine of those are back as are 5 returning starters, so this team should be one of the most improved in the nation.  The guard guy of Taeyion Kinsey and Jarrod West combined for 30.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 8.3 APG and 3.1 SPG last year.  Marshall went 7-2 ATS in its final 9 games last year while scoring at least 80 points in each of its final four games in head coach Dan D’Antoni’s up-tempo system.  They are off to a good start this year at 3-0 with a 14-point win over Arkansas State as a 14-point favorite, a 16-point win at Wright State as a 1-point favorite and a 12-point win at Charleston as a 7-point favorite.  Ohio is 4-1 and off to a good start as well, but lost to the only good team they faced in Illinois.  Their 4 wins came against Chicago State. North Carolina A&T, Cleveland State and Purdue NW.  Ohio is 3-19 ATS in its last 22 road games off 3 straight games where they made 47% of their shots or better.  Marshall is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games off a win by 10 points or more.  The situation favors the Thundering Herd as they will be playing just their 2nd game in 10 days.  Ohio will be playing its 3rd game in 8 days.  The Thundering Herd are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games when playing only their 2nd game in 8 days.  Take Marshall.

6* Broncos/Panthers Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Carolina -3.5

The Key: The situation favors the Carolina Panthers today.  They return from their bye week to face a banged up Broncos team that will be playing for a 9th consecutive week after having an early bye in Week 5.  The Broncos are coming off a tough 16-22 loss to the Chiefs in a game that the Chiefs were flat.  They were more dominant than the score showed as they had 447 total yards against the Broncos.  The Panthers are getting healthier coming off their bye and will have several players available that were in COVID protocol.  The Broncos are getting outscored by 7.9 PPG on the season.  Take Carolina.

6* Chiefs/Dolphins AFC *CA$H COW* on Miami +7

The Key: The Miami Dolphins have gone 7-1 SU & 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.  Their defense is one of the best in the league and has what it takes to slow down Patrick Mahomes.  They face a Chiefs team that is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall with 4 straight wins by 6 points or fewer.  The Chiefs shouldn't be laying 7 points on the road here to Miami.  The Dolphins are 5-1 ATS at home this year.  The Chiefs are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games after gaining an average of 450 YPG or more in their last 3 games coming in.  Take Miami.

6* Virginia/VA Tech ACC *CA$H COW* on Virginia +3.5

The Key: The Virginia Cavaliers are clearly trying to make the most of this season.  They have won 4 straight and are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.  A win here Saturday over rival Virginia Tech would assure that they finish the season with a winning record.  They have wins over UNC, Louisville and Boston College during this stretch and only a 5-point loss at Miami.  Virginia Tech sits at 4-6 and is going the other direction.  The Hokies are 0-4 SU & 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.  They are coming off two straight blowout losses to Pitt by 33 and Clemson by 35.  They haven’t shown much fight in either game and I don’t see them showing up today, either.  The Hokies are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 home games against at team that wins 51% to 60% of their games.  The Cavaliers are 11-1-2 ATS int heir last 14 games after scoring more than 40 points in their last game.  Take Virginia.

7* USC/UCLA Pac-12 *HEAVY HITTER* on UCLA +3.5

The Key: The UCLA Bruins are very close to being 5-0 this year.  They lost by 6 to Colorado and by 3 to Oregon, both on the road.  And they have wins over Cal by 24, Arizona by 17 and Arizona State by 7.  They are battle tested and ready to beat a team like USC.  The Trojans are 4-0 but could easily be 2-2.  They only beat Arizona State by 1 and Arizona by 4, the same two teams that UCLA beat by a combined 24 points.  The Bruins actually have the better stats too as they are outgaining teams by 0.8 yards per play while USC is outgaining teams by 0.5 yards per play.  The Trojans have also benefitted from being +6 in turnovers and forcing a whopping 12 of them in four games.  The Trojans are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games as road favorites.  USC is 16-35-2 ATS in its last 53 road games overall.  The Bruins are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall . The home team is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 matchups.  Take UCLA.

6* Houston/Memphis AAC *CA$H COW* on Memphis +5.5

The Key: The Houston Cougars have not played a game in a month and will be rusty here.  They should not be 5.5-point road favorites over the Memphis Tigers.  It has been a down season for Memphis, but they are still 6-3 this year and want to finish the season strong.  Houston is 3-3 with losses to the three best teams they’ve faced all by 17 points or more.  Their 3 wins have come against USF, Navy and Tulane.  Memphis is 4-0 SU in its last 4 matchups with Houston and hasn’t lost to the Cougars by more than 4 points in any of the last 6 matchups.  The Tigers are 23-9 ATS in their last 32 home games against good offensive teams that score 31 PPG or more.  Dana Holgorsen is 6-18 ATS as a head coach coming off a bye week.  The Cougars are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games off a win by more than 20 points.  The Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as home dogs.  Take Memphis.

6* Dayton/Mississippi State NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Mississippi State +4

The Key: The Mississippi State Bulldogs have bounced back from losses to Clemson and Liberty to open the season by going 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games overall with wins by 17, 6 and 23 points.  The Bulldogs are now 4-point dogs to a rebuilding Dayton team that is 2-1 SU but 0-3 ATS.  The Flyers lost Obi Toppin to the NBA and have not been impressive at all.  They were upset by SMU and only beat Eastern Illinois by 3 as 14-point favorites and Northern Kentucky by 6 as 11.5-point favorites.  The Bulldogs are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games off 2 consecutive home wins.  Mississippi State is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games against good free throw shooting teams that make 72% or better.  Take Mississippi State.

6* Cincinnati/Tennessee NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Tennessee -6.5

The Key: The Tennessee Vols are one of the best teams in the country this year with 4 starters back and ranked 12th.  They just haven’t had a chance to show it, and I think they are being undervalued because of only playing one game.  That one game was impressive with a 56-47 win over a very good Colorado team.  And now they take on Cincinnati, which only beat Lipscomb by 12, Furman by 5 and lost to Xavier by 8.  I think we can expect a 7-plus point victory from the Vols today in this matchup.  The Bearcats are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 non-conference road games.  This will be their first road game this year.  The Bearcats are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games as road dogs.  Cincinnati is 6-23 ATS in its last 29 games off a win.  Take Tennessee.

7* Nevada/SJSU NCAAF Friday Night Lights on Nevada +1.5

The Key: Nevada has been the best team in the Mountain West this year in my opinion.  I’ve cashed on them several times already, and I’ll take them again tonight as they should not be dogs to San Jose State.  The Wolf Pack are outgaining their opponents by 81.0 YPG this year while San Jose State is outgaining opponents by 72.0 YPG.  And I like the situation for Nevada better here.  The Wolf Pack get to stay in Nevada as this game will be played at Sam Boyd Stadium.  The Spartans had to fly back from Hawaii over the weekend and now have to travel to Nevada too on this short week.  The Wolf Pack will be the fresher, more prepared team for this one.  Nevada is 10-1 SU in the last 11 matchups.  The Wolf Pack are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as underdogs.  Take Nevada.

6* Iowa State/Iowa NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Iowa -12.5

The Key: The Iowa Hawkeyes brought back all 5 starters this year and have arguably the best player in the country in Luka Garza, who is averaging 29.5 PPG and 10.8 RPG this year.  He is surrounded by shooters in Wieskamp (13.8 PPG, 57.9% 3-pointers), Fredrick (11.0 PPG, 58.8%) and Bohannon (8.8 PPG, 33.3%) to make Iowa one of the most dangerous teams in the country offensively.  That was on display in their 93-80 win over UNC in which they made 17 3-pointers.  Garza even had an off game with 6-of-20 from the floor and they still dominated.  Now they face an Iowa State team that is rebuilding after losing Tyrese Haliburton to the NBA.  The Cyclones struggled against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and actually trailed them at halftime.  Then they got upset by South Dakota State.  They won’t be able to hang with the Hawkeyes in this rivalry game.  And Iowa has beaten Iowa State by exactly 14 points each of the last 2 years.  The Hawkeyes are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games off 2 consecutive non-conference games.  The Hawkeyes are 7-0 ATS off 2 straight games committing 11 or fewer turnovers over the last 2 years.  The Cyclones are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games as underdogs.  Take Iowa.