Two Bowl teams from the 2021 season meet here tonight. And, both teams have very high aspirations for this season. Penn State started last year 5-0, but struggled down the stretch finishing at 7-6 overall. Purdue won more games last year then they had since 2003 with their 9-4 record. They beat Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, 48-45. Both teams lost some players to the NFL and it's not an easy site to play at Ross-Ade Stadium. I look for a close game, but in this one I'll be taking the UNDER.

The LA Rams dominated the Arizona Cardinals in the Wildcard round, winning easily, 34-11 as a 3-point favorite. The Rams defense completely dominated Arizona, especially in the 1st half and caused Kyler Murray to make many mistakes including a pick-six. The Rams held Arizona to just 61 yards rushing and 122 yards passing for just 183 total yards. Now they will take on the ageless wonder in Tom Brady. Brady and the Bucs also won easily in the WildCard round over the Philadelphia Eagles, 31-15 as a 7-point favorite. Problem though is that the Bucs offensive line is a total mess and they will be missing key cogs this week. That will allow the Rams to do what they did last week and pressure Brady into mistakes. One knock against Brady is that he doesn't like to take a hit and will make mistakes when pressured. With his OL hurting and WR's Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin both gone, like will be tough on Brady this week. I'm taking the field goal with the Rams.

Two NFC West teams that are well acquainted meet here on Wild Card Monday as the Rams host the Cardinals at So-Fi Stadium. The Rams won the NFC West, despite their loss in their last game to the San Francisco 49ers, 24-27. That loss snapped a five game win streak by the Rams and a 4-1 spread win streak. That opened the door for Arizona to win the division but they also lost their last game to Seattle, 30-38. The Cardinals slumped badly down the stretch, going 1-4 S/U and ATS in their last five games. I'm looking at this game under tonight. The Cards don't play all that well on field turf, going 3-13 O/U in their last 16 games. They are also 3-14 O/U in their last 17 road games. The Rams have gone under in four of their last five home games and 5-17 O/U in their last 22 as a home favorite. I am sticking with the UNDER here on Monday Night.

Lets face it, you can make a argument for either side here in this Championship game. Both teams demolished their opening round opponents with Alabama crushing Cincinnati and Georgia easily handling Michigan. Both sides are loaded with great players and both teams have potent offenses and great defenses. Alabama leads this all-time series with Georgia and has won the last seven times against the Bulldogs. Yet, here we are the Tide are a small dog tonight. These teams met for the National Championship back in 2017 with Alabama winning 26-23 in a come from behind victory. Alabama won last year's championship by easily defeating Ohio State, 52-24. Alabama HC Nick Sabin has won seven national championships while Georgia hasn't won since 1980. This one is all about the Georgia defense vs the Alabama offense. I'm sticking with the team that has history on its side. Take Alabama.

Next to last Bowl game of the season here on Tuesday in the Texas Bowl as LSU takes on Kansas State. In some of these games you can throw away numbers and look for motivation as your deciding factor. LSU became bowl eligible by winning it's last two games of the season over Texas A&M and UL Monroe. LSU has a myriad of issues as their coach Ed Orgeron was fired, they have transfer issues, injury issues and this team right now has only 40 scholarship players. This was a LSU defense that struggled at full strength at the beginning of the season let alone all the issues they have now. Kansas State returns QB Skylar Thompson who last played on Nov 20 and suffered an ankle injury. I don't see this LSU roster of straglers doing much here today and really looks only for the Bowl payday and lets go home. Take Kansas State.

Ohio State has had some time now to stew about their big loss to Michigan on Nov 27th, 27-42. The Buckeyes finished the season at 10-2 S/ and 7-5 ATS. Meanwhile, Utah brings a six game win streak into today's Rose Bowl at Pasadena. The Utes also won the PAC-12 Championship with a decisive win over Oregon. Have to believe the Buckeyes might not have their heads in this game. If they had beaten Michigan they would have likely played in the National Championship final four. Instead, they play Utah in the Rose Bowl. This game means a lot more to this Utah team. They can beat a big time football powerhouse in this storied event. For Utah, this is their game to show they belong and their own National Championship. Throw out any numbers in this one, I'm looking for motivation and for me it all falls to Utah.

Peach Bowl from Atlanta Georgia has Pittsburgh taking on Michigan State. The Pitt Panthers come into today's contest with a 11-2 overall record and 10-3 ATS spread mark. The Panthers bring a five game win streak into the game and have covered four of their last five games. The Panthers will be without their starting QB in Kenny Pickett who is out with personal issues. QB Nick Patti looks to start here today with just 14 attempts on the season. This will be a big blow to the Panthers team that afveraged over 350 yards through the air this year. Michigan State finished 2nd in the Big 10 East with a 10-2 S/U and 9-3 ATS record. I'm going to take Michigan State here today as I don't see Pitt doing a lot with their backup QB at the helm. Play Michigan State

Texas Tech just did become Bowl eligible at 6-6 S/U and they were 6-5-1 vs the spread. The Red Raiders were outscored on the season 30-32.1 and finished 6th in the Big 12. The Raiders limped into the postseason, losing two straight games and f0our of their last five games. Their only win coming against Iowa State, 41-38. They were 2-3 S/U and 3-2 ATS on the road, outscored by a 28.8 to 36.5 ppg average. The Mississippi State Bulldogs are 7-5 S/U and ATS on the season. They outscored opponents by a 30.9 to 25.2 margin this year. The Dogs did lose their final game of the regular season to Ole Miss, 21-31 as a 2-point favorite. However, they did cover five of their last six overall. Miss State the better team here and has been playing better football down the stretch. Play Mississippi Sate.

The Miami Dolphins have been hot, winning six straight games and covering five of those. They have also gone under in five of their last seven games, thanks in big part to a stingy defense that has allowed more than 17 points just one time in their last six games. The Miami defense has also climbed to 18th overall in the NFL after being near bottom back in November. The New Orleans Saints defense has been solid, ranked 13th overall and 5th vs the run. The Saints have won two straight games including their big shutout win at Tampa Bay last time out, 9-0. They held the high powered Bucs offense to just 302 totals yards and frustrated Tom Brady the entire game. The problem with the Saints is at QB. They will not have Trevor Siemian today and Tayson Hill is doubtful with Covid protocols. That leaves starting duties to Ian Book. Book is the only QB left on the Saints roster and will make his first every NFL start tonight. That with the wild card on the line for the Saints. Book was a fourth-round 2021 draft choice out of Notre Dame. With Book starting and the Miami defense playing great, I'll take this game UNDER tonight.

 Quick Lane Bowl here today from Detoit, MI has Western Michigan takin on Nevada. Have to believe Nevada has no interest in playing in this game. Their three best players, including QB Carson Strong, have opted out to get ready for the NFL draft. Plus at least 15 players have entered the transfer portal to follow their coach Jay Norvell to his new job at Colorado State. That's all bad news for the Nevada team that will be very short handed. Add to that the Wolves make the long trip from West to East and W.Michigan playing in their own backyard and this looks to be a Western Michigan blowout today. Play Western Michigan.

 The LA Raiders kept their playoff chances alive with a win at the Cleveland Browns last week, 16-14. That snapped a two game losing streak for the Raiders. They also got some good news today as two of their inured secondary will return today. The other good news is they face a Denver team they have handled quite easily in recent times. They are 7-1 ATS vs the Broncos their last eight meetings and 5-0 ATS on their home turf vs the Broncos. The Broncos will be without QB Teddy Bridewater who was carted off the field with a concussion. That leaves the signal calling duties to Drew Lock. Denver also still have a wild card shot as they sit a 7-7. For me, without Bridgwater this Broncos team is not nearly as good. The Raiders have some confidence after last week and know they can and will handle these Broncos today. Play Las Vegas.

The San Francisco 49ers are in one of the toughest division in football, the NFC West. Even though they have a 8-6 record, they trail the Rams and Cardinals by 2-games. However, they do have the best Wild Card record at this point, so they need to keep winning. The 49ers have won two straight games over Cincinnati, 26-23 and then last week over Atlanta, 31-13. Now they have the short week turnaround as they travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans. The Titans are coming off a loss at Pittsburgh, 13-19 as a 1-point dog. That makes them 1-3 S/U and ATS over their last four games. The 49ers are ranked 12th overall in offense, 7th in rushing. The Titans have dropped to 17th since the loss of Derek Henry. The 49ers are 7-3-1 O/U in their last 11 games as a road favorite. The Titans are 6-2 O/U in their last eight home games. These teams have gone over in their last four meetings and that's what I look for again here today. Play OVER.

Armed forces bowl has Missouri taking on Army. Missouri just did get bowl eligible at 6-6 S/U on the season. They were just 3-9 ATS overall this year. They are coming off a loss at Arkansas, 17-34 as a 14.5-point dog. The Tigers were outscored overall on the season 29.7 ppg to 34.7 ppg. Now they face an Army team that averaged 302 yards per game on the ground this year. Why is that significant? Missouri has the 110th ranked defense and they allowed 229 yards per game on the ground. Looks to be a long day here for the Tigers who will be fed a steady streak of Army rushing. Play Army.

The NY Jets have lost two straight games as they head South to take on the Miami Dolphins today. The jets are coming off a pair of lopsided losses, both at home. They lost to Philly two weeks ago, 18-33 and then last week to the Saints, 9-30. The offense garnered only 256 yards vs the Saints and 281 against the Eagles. Won't get much easier against a much improved Dolphins team today. The Dolphins have won and covered five straight games. They are coming off a win over the Giants, 20-9. Their defense has really stepped it up, holding each of the last five opponents to 17 or fewer points. Four of those games were 10 or fewer points. I'll take the Dolphins here today as the Jets likely won't hit double digits on the score board. Play Miami.

The Toledo Rockets enter today's Bahamas Bowl with a 7-5 S/U and ATS record. The Rockets averaged a nice 34.2 ppg this year while allowing just 21.0 ppg. They come in with a 3-game win streak both S/U and ATS. Their last game coming on Nov 27 at home against Akron in a big win, 49-14, as a 28.5 point favorite. The Rockets have scored at least 34 points in each of their last five games. Mid Tennessee State Blue Raiders just did get to bowl eligible with a 6-6 S/U and ATS records. The Raiders averaged 29.7 ppg while allowing 25.8 ppg. The finished third overall in the Conference USA standings. The Raiders won their last game at Florida Atlantic, 27-17 as a 3.5 point dog. They have split their last four games both S/U and ATS. I like the Rockets in this game as they have a much better offense. Play Toledo.

Kansas City and the LA Chargers play a key divisional game here on Thursday. The 9-4 Chiefs lead the 8-5 Chargers by just one game. A win tonight by the Chargers and they pull into a divisional tie. A loss and they can let the Broncos tie them with a win on Sunday. The Chiefs have the league's third best overall offense, 17th in rushing and 6th in passing. The Chargers are right behind them ranked 5th overall. Defensively, the Chargers rank a bit better at 15th compared to the Chiefs 23rd. The Chiefs have won five straight and covered four in row after last week's easy win over the Raiders, 48-9. The Chargers have won and covered two in a row after their win last week over the Giants, 37-21. Short turnaround here tonight. The Chargers also get back Keenan Allen who missed last week under Covid protocols. I like the home dog here tonight. Play the Chargers.

The NY Giants are in last in the NFC East with a 4-7 S/U record. The Giants are 6-5 ATS and 3-7-1 O/U on the year. Won't be any better here today at Miami as the Giants will be starting QB Daniel Jones who has a neck injury. Mike Glennon looks to be the starter on Sunday. The Dolphins did have the worst defense in the NFL, but after last week have moved up to 24th in defense. The Giants beat the Eagles last week, 13-7 and had just 264 total yards of offense. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have won four straight games and their defense has allowed 17 points or fewer in each of those games. Don't look for the Giants to get much today against an improving Dolphins defense and with a backup QB. Play Miami.

Two of the top four teams in the nation meet today in the SEC Championship as Georgia takes on Alabama. One of these teams could see itself drop out of the top four with a loss here today. Alabama could be without RB Brian Robinson Jr here today who is questionable with a hamstring injury. Alabama is 11-1 S/U and 6-6 ATS on the season. The Tide got lucky last week in a come-from behind win at Auburn, 24-22 to keep it's place in the top four. They have covered just one of their last three games however. Alabama still has the 7th ranked offense and the 7th ranked defense. They will however face the nation's top ranked defense today in Georgia. The Bulldogs have held opponents to just 230 yards per game and a very good 39% defensive red zone efficiency. They have allowed only six red zone TD's all season, best in the nation. The Dogs are 12-0 S/U and 8-4 and have scored an average of 40.7 ppg while holding opponents to a nations' best 6.9 ppg. Can't say enough about this Georgia defense and I look for them to give Alabama's offense all it can handle today. Take Georgia.

Conference USA East Champion Western Kentucky brings a 8-4 S/U and 9-3 ATS record into today's conference championship game. The Hilltoppers have been a passing team first, averageing 421.6 yards per game through the air this year and just 103.5 on the ground. They have also average 43.2 ppg and allowed 27 ppg this year. Western Kentucky snuck into the 2nd overall ranking position in the country in offense. The Hilltopers have covered five straight games. Their contest against UTSA resulted in a 46-52 loss and one of their few failures to cover this year. UTSA Roadrunners average 433.5 yards per game and 36.9 ppg while allowing 22.2 ppg. The Roadrunners coming off a loss at North Texas, 23-45 and have failed to cover their last three games. I see a repeat of the first meeting here tonight with lots of points being scored. Play OVER.

The Dallas Cowboys look to get back on the winning track tonight as they play under the dome in New Orleans. The Cowboys have lost two straight games, including last week's OT home loss to the Raiders, 33-36. Despite the losing streak, Dallas still has the NFL's top overall offense, ranked 7th in rushing and 3rd in passing. They will face a New Orleans team that has had lots of issues on offense since QB Jameis Winston went down with an injury. The Saints are now 28th overall on offense. The good news is that they have a solid defense, that ranks 12th overall and 3rd against the rush. The Saints have lost four straight games, including last week at home to the Bills, 6-31. The offense had just 190 total yards in the loss. Four of the last five in this series at New Orleans has gone UNDER and I don't expect a lot of points out of the Saints tonight. They have very few big offensive weapons and little help with the few they do have. Take UNDER.

Lots of side action in this key AFC clash. Both teams are in first place in their respective AFC divisions. The Pats are tied with the Bills for first place while Tennessee has a 2-game lead over the Colts. This will also pit mentor against mentee as Bill Belichick takes on his one time assistant in Mike Vrabel. Not sure what happened to the Titans last week as they lost ugly at home to lowly Houston, 13-22. That loss snapped a six game win streak. The Patriots have been red hot, winning five straight games as QB Mac Jones looks better and better with each game. The defense has been amazing, allowing just 10 points per game during their five-game win streak. The Titans have looked bad offensively without Derick Henry. QB Ryan Tannehill has thrown five interceptions in the last three games. I look for the Titans to struggle again on offense against one of the best defensive teams. With Jones playing well for the Pats I look for another New England win and cover today.

 Two teams that combined have just two wins will meet here today. The Florida Intl Golden Panthers are 0-10 and in serious jeopardy of finishing the season without a win. They have also been bad to bettors, going 2-8 ATS. The defense is ranked 128th in the country and the team has been outscored by an average 17.9 to 42.9 ppg. They have also been outscored in their last three games, 41-146. Southern Miss Golden Eagles might look like a team that FIU could get a win against. The Eagles are just 2-9 S/U and 3-8 ATS on the season. The Eagles put together their best game of the season last week at La Tech, winning 35-19 as a 15-point dog. The Southern Miss defense is actually pretty good, ranked 46th overall in the country. That defense is what will get them the win and cover here today. Play Southern Miss.

Utah State finishes the regular season here at New Mexico. The Aggies are 7-4 S/U and ATS on the season as they forward to a bowl game. The Aggies would like to go into the bowl season with some momentum after losing last week at home to Wyoming, 17-44. Utah State has an excellent offense, ranked 16th overall in the country. The defense is ranked 91st overall. Meanwhile, New Mexico is 3-8 S/U and 1-10 ATS on the season. Their only cover came at Wyoming back on October 23, 14-3. The defense isn't bad, ranked 47th overall in the nation. The offense, well that's another store. They are ranked 130th in the nation and average just 239 yards per game. They have a horrible red zone efficiency of just 48.2%. This looks to be a blowout win today for Utah State.

Who would have expected the Indianapolis Colts to return to HC Frank Reich's old stomping grounds and put a hurting on the 1st place Hills? But they did. The Colts behind FIVE Jonathon Taylor TD's manhandled the Bills, 41-15. The Colts have four takeaways and no turnovers in the win. Now the Bills have to hit the road for a game at the Saints. Two of their last three games have not been good, beginning three weeks again in Jacksonville where they lost 6-9. Sure they rebounded an blew out the NY Jets, 45-17, but that's the Jets we are talking about. The Saints also got blown out last week, despite a mad fourth quarter rally against Philadelphia, 29-40. The Saints have the 10th ranked defense in the league, 3rd against the rush and 21st vs the pass. The Bills still have the leagues top defense, despite the blowout last week. The Bills are 8th vs the rush and 2nd vs the pass. I look for this game to go under today with weather not playing any issue as it did last week in Buffalo. Play UNDER

The Giants had last week off to prepare for tonight's game at Tampa Bay. The Giants are coming off a win at Las Vegas, 23-16 as a 3-point dog. The defense has played much better of late, allowing 20 points or fewer in each of their last three games, though the defense still ranks just 24th. The offense is ranked 21st overall. The Tampa Bay Bucs are coming off a road loss to Washington, 19-29 as a 9.5-point favorite. It was the worst offensive output of the season for the Bucs with just 273 total yards and Brady being intercepted twice. The Giants have been very good on the road, evidenced by their 21-6 ATS mark over their last 27 away games. The road team is 6-1-1 ATS the last eight in this series and the Giants are 5-0-1 ATS the last six trips to Tampa Bay. I'll take the points here tonight with the Giants.

 PAC-12 Action here on Saturday has two of the conferences best teams facing off as Utah hosts Oregon. Oregon is 9-1 S/U on the season, but only 5-5 vs the number. Both teams average right at 35 ppg and both teams allow similar points with Oregon allowing 22.6 and Utah allowing 23.8 ppg. Oregon is coming off a win over Washington State, 38-24 as a 13-point favorite. They have covered two of their last four games. Utah is coming off a road win at Arizona, 38-29 as a 23.5-point favorite. The Utes have yet to lose at home in four games, but only covered two of those four. Utah a very good home team and laying a small number here today. I'll take the host. Play Utah.

Northern Illinois coming off a last second field goal to beat Ball State last week, 30-29. The game was back and forth and with the Huskies trailing 27-29 with just seconds left they hit the winning field goal. That make the Huskies 7-3 S/U and 6-4 ATS on the season. NIU has a one-game lead in their MAC Western division over Central Michigan. This is a huge game tonight for the Huskies as a win puts them in the MAC Championship game on Dec 4th. Buffalo, 4-6 overall, needs to win out if they hope to make a bowl game. The Bulls are coming two straight losses, including last week at Miami Ohio, 18-45. NIU is 19-9-1 ATS in their last 29 as a road favorite. NIU has also won 12 of the last 14 meetings with Buffalo. I look for NIU to be highly motivated tonight to secure their spot in the MAC Championship. Play Northern Illinois.

The Arizona Cardinals had to play without QB Kyler Murray last week at San Francisco. However, that didn't bother them as backup Colt McCoy came in and and passed for 274 yards and the rushing game got another 163 yards in a win, 31-17. It was the team's 7th win against the spread in nine games this year. The Panthers played another lackluster effort last week, losing at home to the Patriots, 6-24. The Panthers have scored just 28 total points over their last three games. They have also covered the spread just one time in their six games. RB Christian McCaffrey is back, but QB Sam Darnold will miss today's contest. QB PJ Walker looks to get the start today. Walker will have to face a Cardinals team ranked 4th overall in the NFL on defense. More bad news for the Panthers, Murray will be back at QB for the Cardinals today. Panthers are a team going South and fast while the Cardinals continue to fly high. Play Arizona.

Boston College has had an up and down season. They started nicely enough, winning their first four games and covering three. Since then, they are just 1-4 S/U and 2-3 ATS. They are coming off a win over Virginia Tech last week, 17-3 as a 3-point dog. Georgia Tech has lost two straight games, including last week at Miami Florida, 30-33. They are 3-6 S/U and 5-4 ATS on the season. Boston College has the 99th ranked offense and the 28th ranked defense. BC getting a point or two here on Saturday. I look for them to win outright so won't need the points. Take Boston College.

Akron has just two wins on the season as they head to Western Michigan tonight. The Zips have lost three straight after losing to Ball State last Tuesday, 25-31. The team's only wins have come against FBC Bryant and Bowling Green. Western opened the year with impressive wins over Buffalo and Pittsburgh en route to a 4-1 start. However, the Broncos have dropped three of the last four games. They did win big over Kent State, 64-31. The team's offense is good, ranked 42nd overall with a 432.8 yards per game average. Akron has gone to a freshman QB which has helped a lot of late and made this team better. Add to that fact that Western has covered the spread just one time in their last eight MAC games and I'll take a shot plus the points here tonight.