Vermont will almost certainly go on to win the American East this season given how much veteran talent returns for this roster. Vermont has been a pesky opponent so far this year standing 6-2 overall with their only losses coming in competitive fashion on the road against Kentucky and Bucknell. The main concern we have with Vermont is they’re heading into their 4th straight true road game and that can have a wearing effect on a team.

Marquette has been testing themselves during the nonconference standing 5-3 overall with some tough defeats coming against teams like Purdue, Wichita State, and Georgia. Marquette has shown explosiveness at times on the offensive end putting up 81.5 points per game on average and it’ll be interesting to see if the Golden Eagles can take advantage of what should be a somewhat fatigued defensive opponent. Marquette has been led by Rowsey and Howard who’re each averaging over 20 points per contest. I think behind their strong home court advantage I like Marquette to take take of business and get the win and cover here and dominate in the paint and on the boards.

10* 

Florida State isn’t expected to reach near the heights they showed last season given the amount of talent that moved on and the Seminoles could even struggle getting into the Big Dance given how tough consistent wins will be to get in the ACC. 

We love what we’ve been seeing out of the Gators so far this season as Florida stands 5-1 overall with their only loss coming against the top team in the nation on a neutral site in a game that could have gone either way against Duke. Florida has been testing themselves with some of their better wins thus far coming against Stanford and Gonzaga. The Gators are one of the most entertaining teams to watch given how they push the ball in transition. Right now Florida ranks first in the nation in scoring putting up nearly 100 points per contest on average. Jalen Hudson has led the squad averaging 21.7 points per contest.

This is always a fun rivalry matchup during the nonconference when Florida and Florida State go head to head. Florida is clearly the team with a higher ceiling this season just like FSU was last year when the Noles beat the Gators in Tallahassee. We like Florida to come through behind their own home crowd today as they go on to win big!

5*

This marks the 24th meeting between Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin and Cincinnati Marvin Lewis, two of the most entrenched coaches in the league. The Bengal defense has also been very good this year as they have allowed only 19.5 points per game and have not allowed a 300 yard passer all season. There are several factors here working in the Bengals favor as they are a Monday night home dog and an inter divisional home dog and also they are trying to hold on to slim playoff hopes. This is a playoff game for the Bengals as they need to win to get to 6-6. If they lose and goto 5-7 the playoff hunt is pretty much over. Look for a FG type of game with sloppy weather and I'll take the home underdog with Cincy here on MNF.

5* 

In their first meeting in week 7 the Rams won 33-0 and it was ugly. The defense gave up 425 yards and 28 first downs in that game.  The Cards also struggled on converting 3rd downs and it was the first time they were shutout since 2012.   Head coach Bruce Arians said his team will be ready this time and things will be different.

With a win here at home the Cardinals would be 6-6 and still in the playoff hunt.

Blaine Gabbert continues to be undervalued based on his performance in previous seasons. It's also a nice revenge spot for the Cardinals, who were embarrassed earlier this season. Arizona's offensive line is healthy and that is a plus. Despite Arizona's injuries at running back,Adrian Peterson is expected to play today.  I'll  take the Cardinals +7 to keep this one close at home.

10*

Kansas State hasn’t had the toughest slate to open the season with their only high level matchup coming in their one defeat against Arizona State. K-State lost some key pieces from last year’s tournament teams, but the Wildcats still have enough talent to be a factor in the Big 12 and perhaps make another run at the Big Dance this season. 

The Vanderbilt Commodores might stand just 3-4 overall, but this group has been testing themselves in the nonconference with defeats coming against solid opposition in Seton Hall, Virginia, USC, and on the road against Belmont. Vandy hasn’t been picking up resume wins, but they’ll get their chance today behind their home court advantage. 

Vanderbilt is better than their overall record would indicate and we believe the only reason the Commodores aren't favored by more at home today is because of the records both of these squads currently have and not purely based on the talent of each roster. We like Vandy behind their unique home court edge as they go on to get the Sunday win.

5*

The Buffalo Bills seem to have recovered well from their disastrous QB experiment as Tyrod Taylor came back and played great to lead his team to a win on the road over the KC Chiefs. The Bills defense played great allowing only 10 points and grabbing an INT in addition to sacking Alex Smith twice. The Bills running game looked solid with McCoy, Cadet, and Taylor all chipping in to total 104 rushing yards. Take the Bills and the points in this one as they look to be back on track and now playing at home. I like Buffalo to be a very strong team this week and could beat New England but getting 9 pts the Bills hang tight here on Sunday.

5* 

The Georgia Bulldogs were the best looking team in the country through the first couple months of the regular season, but Georgia has faded a bit in the minds of the committee ever since their blowout loss on the road against Auburn.

Three weeks ago Georgia was a 2.5-point favorite at Auburn but Auburn won impressively doubling total yards and first downs in the game and then went on to beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Auburn played all of their tough games at home and they are a different team on the road.

My feeling is that these two teams are very equal and Auburn is coming off a tough game with Alabama and have injuries on the O and D-Lines. Both defenses are great at stopping the run and pass. Georgia will be a vastly different team this time around and I like the game in the dome which helps with their team speed and I think they open up the playbook a bit more and use more of a passing attack. Also an edge to the Georgia Special Teams on punts and kickoffs.

Auburn is coming off its Super Bowl beating Bama last weekend.  I'm grabbing the GEORGIA BULLDOGS playing with major revenge behind Kirby Smart  here on Saturday afternoon.

10* Game of the Week

Memphis had 4 turnovers and gave up over 600 total yards of offense the first time these 2 teams met.

UCF also might have some distractions with Nebraska and other schools going after Scott Frost.

Why not take one of the hottest teams in the nation who is looking to avenge one of the ugliest defeats in school history and this coaching staff's history against UCF. 

Since Patrick Taylor Jr. and Darrell Henderson started putting up the massive rushing yards like they have the Tigers have beaten teams beyond handily. Memphis has won 7 out of their last 8 games, there is a reason for that. 

I don't think Adrian Killins Jr is quite enough to carry this UCF team on his shoulders here. He hasn't been able to show that steadiness like they wanted him to so far. 

Knights are 2-5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record

 I believe Memphis can and they have a great shot at winning this one outright after the brutal beat-down they took earlier in the season.

Take MEMPHIS plus the points in this early kickoff on Saturday to knock off the undefeated Central Florida squad.

5*

The Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils will engage in some cross conference play in this match-up. The Devils just made a big trade, sending Henrique to the Ducks for defenseman Vatanen. The Devils needed a top quality defenseman and it became evident quickly. Will Butcher, the rookie was their best defenseman but Vatanen should quickly capture that role. 

Semyon Varlamov should be in goal for the Colorado Avalanche. Over 13 appearances, he has delivered a 3.13 GAA and 0.906 SV% this season. In his latest game, he was superb, allowing 2 goals. He has been poor recently, with a 0.888 save percentage in his last 3 appearances. 

Cory Schneider should be in goal for the New Jersey Devils. Over 18 appearances, he has delivered a 2.78 GAA and 0.918 SV% this season. In his latest game, he was great, allowing 3 goals. 

The New Jersey Devils have been above average when playing on the road with a 8-2-2 record. The Colorado Avalanche have gone 2-2 when playing Eastern-Metropolitan opponents this season. The New Jersey Devils have gone 1-1 when playing Western-Central opponents this season. When facing a team above .500, the Colorado Avalanche have gone 2-6. 

Look for the NJ Devils to get a win on the road here Friday night!

5*

This Stanford team has been playing great lately with home-field advantage in a rematch with USC for the Pac-12 title. 

They are a great team at converting 3rd downs and also at rushing the ball.  Now late in the season with a strong offensive line and revenge from a 42-24 loss to USC early in the season and allowing USC to get 623 total yards.

Now Stanford has won eight of nine with the lone defeat coming by three points. They have impressive home upsets of Washington and Notre Dame in the past three weeks. Stanford has been helped by a steadily improving defense and the emergence of K.J. Costello at QB to boost the offense.  USC is very inconsistent and just a few plays away from having 5 losses.

Look for Stanford to come out strong and play more physical in this game and get the win.

5*

Pitt is not a very good team as we played against them facing Penn St a few weeks ago but Duquesne is a very bad team. The Dukes are 2-2 but they played the #350 toughest schedule (only Georgetown played a weaker) and in their 4 games the BEST they shot was 40.7% (shooting 37.9% on the season). Duquesne has a first year head coach and he clearly has year 2 circled as he brought in 5 transfers that have to sit out but are using up scholarships. Pitt’s offense has topped 50% shooting in each of its last 3 games and that includes a solid Oklahoma St team. LY’s loss in the rival “City Game” was the first in 16 seasons for the Panthers and they get their revenge tonight!

5* 

La Salle has been going against a brutally tough schedule so far this season standing 4-3 overall with their defeats coming against opponents like Northwestern, Boston College, and Miami. In their last outing La Salle picked up a great win getting past rival Temple by a final of 87-83 in a game where the Explorers stepped up in a big way on the offensive end. It was nice seeing La Salle put up a strong offensive performance in their last outing coming off a tough 46 point showing against Miami in their prior outing and we see that positive momentum carrying over.

This has the ingredients to be a defensive battle as Towson loves to grind it out and La Salle has generally played to the tempo of their opposition so far this season. Given the tougher slate La Salle has challenged themselves against I like them to win here on Friday afternoon.

5*

Things aren't going very well for the Cowboys during their three-game skid with RB Ezekiel Elliott and LB Sean Lee out, but they have a decent opportunity to score against the Redskins' defense just because most offenses do.

The focus for both teams all week were defense and don't allow big plays.

                 The Skins’ injury report runs 14 players long. Three did practice fully Monday; the others were out or limited. The Cowboys listed eight ailing players, half of whom sat out the latest practice. The Cowboys have struggled without Sean Lee.

 The Cowboys are going to have to play ground control with long time consuming drives.

 In the first meeting they scored 16 pts in the final 5 minutes including a pick-6 so the final score was misleading.

Look for plenty of FG's and this game to stay UNDER THE TOTAL on Thursday night.

5*

New Mexico is trying to get their program back on track as they bring in a new head coach this season and it’d be a surprise to see this program down for long given how tremendous the fan support is for the Lobos program. New Mexico has gone against a tough slate to open the year and the Lobos have had some mixed results standing 2-4 overall. New Mexico was impressive in their 67-69 loss against TCU, but the Lobos have also had some less than great showings in their losses against Tennessee Tech and NMSU. The key for New Mexico to get back on track is coming back to their home court where they can rally around the support from their elite home court advantage. NM has a Big home court advantage here at The Pit and they should get a big win and cover tonight.

5* 

There is no rest for the weary Xavier Musketeers, who had three days to recover from a loss to Arizona State before hosting No. 16 Baylor on Tuesday night at Cintas Center. Three days wouldn't seem like ample time to fix the defensive issues that led to No. 21 Xavier's 102-86 loss to the Sun Devils at the Las Vegas Classic. But, it's all part of the development process for head coach Chris Mack. Xavier returns home and is coming off its first loss of the season as the defense was to blame. It led by as many as 15 points in the first half but allowed 73 points over the final 23 minutes of the game. Xavier will be out for immediate redemption and there will be added motivation as well. Xavier has won 33 straight non-conference home games and I expect them to bounce back here at home. This is the first true road game of the season for Baylor and it comes against a pissed off Xavier teams. I like Xavier by 9 or more.

10* Game of the Week 

If it wasn't for Joe Flacco's 11 interceptions, the Ravens would easily have the best turnover margin team in the NFL. As it sits right now, Baltimore is +8, three behind Jacksonville's +11 coming into this week. The Ravens' defense has been tough the entire season and the reason they're in the running for a wild card. 

Baltimore got a big win last week vs. the Packers and I like them at home on MNF.

Between an effective pass rush and an aggressive secondary, they've forced an NFL-leading 23 turnovers, which includes an NFL-best 16 interceptions. Those lead to short field situations and easy scores. I look for Baltimore's defense to force Savage to commit turnovers here on the road. Look for the Ravens to get the win and cover and yet another NFL favorite to grab the cash.

5*

This tournament a bit different as the team played Thursday/Friday and had Saturday off. Harvard lost to St Mary’s and then pulled the upset over St Joe’s. Fullerton was assured at least one win because after losing to Georgia that faced Sacramento St winning by 5 as a 9.5 pt HF. Now Harvard plays the easiest game in their stretch as they are well equipped with 6 players averaging 20 minutes/game and nine players averaging over 12.7 minutes/game. Look for Harvard to get the win and cover here on Sunday night.

5*

New Orleans’ defense held GB, CHI, TB and BUF to 12 PPG before allowing Washington 31 points LW but the two road games (Bills and Packers) came against offenses that are ranked #26 and #23. Washington’s offense is #12 and now New Orleans has to face the Rams #5 offense. Rams coming off loss at Minnesota and I expect a HUGE bounce back. Jared Goff and the Rams offense has been very good this year.

10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK 

The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks will engage in some cross conference play in this match-up. In their latest game, the Vancouver Canucks lost 2-3 to the New Jersey Devils. Daniel Sedin scored in the second period. Daniel Sedin is in the top five in points for his team this year. 

Henrik Lundqvist will try to be a brick wall in net for the New York Rangers. We've seen a great 0.918% save percentage from Henrik Lundqvist this year. In Lundqvist's latest appearance, he faced 41 shots and allowed 1 goals. Henrik Lundqvist has a 2.12 GAA in his last 10 games. 

The New York Rangers are 9-4-2 when playing at home this season. The Vancouver Canucks have gone 3-4 when playing Eastern-Metropolitan opponents this season.

We like the home team's chances in this game. 

4*

This should be an interesting matchup, but it’s a shame we’ll get the exact same matchup for the MWC title game which cheapen the experience for today’s contest. Fresno State will want to keep a few tricks up their sleeves given they know Boise State is the better overall squad and as a result we like the Broncos to go on to win and cover the spread. Fresno has already said they will keep it basic and not show anything today.

 If Fresno HC Jeff Tedford has trick  plays up his sleeve you won’t see them here. Boise has been a machine down the stretch going 6-1 ATS with the ATS loss a 10 point win against Wyoming w/ QB Allen healthy laying 14 while Fresno is 1-2-1 ATS their last 4 with the ATS win hosting an Allen-less Wyoming and winning by 6. In both teams last 4 games Fresno is +31 YOG against UNLV, BYU, Hawaii & Wyoming while Boise is +159 YPG against Utah St, Nevada, Colorado St and Air Force. Broncos have covered all 5 road games this season and are 9-1 ATS as a MountainWest favorite of 3 or more.

I like BOISE St here.

5*

Niagara comes into this game 1-4 with 3 straight losses. They pulled an upset in their opener and while they lost the next 3 they played all 4 on the road, with an average line of +12 PPG and they have faced the #18 toughest schedule. Alabama A&M was 2-27 LY and they return only one starter this season. They are 0-4 and this is their 5th straight road game.

I expect Niagara to win and win big here on Friday afternoon.

5*

Toledo is 6-1 in conference play and playing some of their best ball of the season right now. Toledo was routed by Western Michigan last year by a score of 55-35, and they will remember that as they face them this week and they had this game circled on their calendars. Toledo has revenge, sits at an impressive 9-2, has the 7th best offense in America and a respectable top 45 passing defense. Toledo just dropped 66 points on Bowling Green and is the same team that put up 30 points against Miami earlier this year. Look for Toledo to do well with revenge in mind, a shot at the league championship and even a significantly better bowl game as they get to the 10-win mark.

5* 

The short week by having to play on Thursday is a huge advantage for the home teams. It's all about the Cowboys run game. Running back Alfred Morris ran for 91 yards on 17 carries to lead the Cowboys against Philadelphia. On the season, the Chargers rank 22nd in defense. Yeah, they put pressure on QB's but they struggle to stop the run. They’ve struggled against the run all season, allowing 138.9 yards per game (32nd). They averaged 341.3 yards per game and 94.4 yards per game on the ground (25th). It's hard to put the Cowboys on a MUST WIN alert but at 5-5, they are. Look for a gallant effort by Dallas to get the WIN and avoid their 3rd straight loss.

5* 

We cashed with Virginia last week as they won and cover at VCU shooting 51% and holding the Rams to 67 points. We also cashed playing against Vanderbilt in their only game away from home this season as they went to Belmont as a favorite and shot 35%. Now Vandy away from home faces the best defense in the country. Significant edge to Virginia which played here twice LY in the ACC Conference Tournament.

5*

 I like the value here with Detroit catching a field goal at home against the Vikings on Thanksgiving Day. Minnesota was only a 3-point favorite at home earlier this season, which they lost 7-14. Detroit is averaging 27.6 ppg and just over 350 ypg at home this season. At the same time the Vikings are giving up 22.2 ppg on the road, well above their season average of 17.2 ppg. Lions have gone 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games and are an impressive 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games played in November. I'm backing the home dog with Detroit in this early kickoff on Thanksgiving.

5* 

I have Wichita St as the best team in the country and despite being down one of their 5 returning starters they are a very deep experienced team. Wichita for more tested having plated California and Marquette and they dispatched them by allowing 38% and 42% shooting. Notre Dame played Chaminade and LSU and shot 54% and 52% against them which is something they will not do against the Shockers top 10 defense. I like Wichita St here late on Wednesday night!

5* 

We roll with Idaho here because we are fans of Don Verlin and his coaching style as he led this team to 19 and 21 wins after a 13 win season 3 years ago. He is led by Sanders and Blake who have plenty of big game experience and that have been with this program for some time and given that this team faces a Santa Clara team led by Herb Sandek, who mind you has one of the worst offensive efficiencies in the country, this sets up for a nice opportunity for Idaho and the consistency they have had under Verlin's system to shine through here. 

This is a great spot for Idaho to get up for this game and they are the better talented team and with the better coach.

5*

The bad blood continues in this one as the Dallas Stars face the Colorado Avalanche. The Dallas Stars are coming off a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday as he had them. Devin Shore scored in the second period. Jason Spezza scored in the second period. The Dallas Stars are going to rely on all four lines tonight with this being a back-to-back. 

Jonathan Bernier should start in net for this game for Colorado. He has been bad this season with a 3-4-0 record and 3.59 GAA. He last played on Sunday and put together a 0.875 save percentage. 

The Colorado Avalanche have gone 2-4 when playing Western-Central opponents this season. 

All of the value in this line is on the road club. Take the Dallas Stars to prevail in this game. 

4*

Doc Rivers is coaching for his job tonight and I think his players will respond.  They had a team meeting yesterday and I look for a big effort tonight at Atlanta.

The Clippers lost by 20 to the Knicks on Monday and shot just 37%, got outrebounded by 17 dropping their 9th straight game.  Patrick Beverly is back at full strength and I think LA will dominate in the paint here on Wednesday night and get a win.

5*

I already have Fresno 10 points better and the situation is greatly in our favor. Prefer to back the Bulldogs were tested and are coming off a loss at Arkansas losing by 8 as a 13 point dog. Evansville has been home for all 4 games and has been a favorite in every game with 2 against non-lined opponents. They struggled to beat small school Binghamton. The other factor I like is that Fresno has 4 players averaging between 13 and 17 points meaning they withstand a cold shooter. Evansville’s Ryan Taylor is averaging 24 PPG thanks to shooting 49% (16-33) from 3-pt something tougher to do away from home especially in Mexico. I like FRESNO in this one BIG TIME!

10* 

5* NHL GAME OF THE WEEK:

Dallas is well coached and very good at home. Montreal Goalie Lindgren has allowed five goals in each of his last two starts and will face a Dallas Stars offense that is averaging 3.56 gpg at home. Montreal has lost three straight games to finish 2-3-1 on its homestand and now it hits the road for the first time since November 5th. The Canadians are 4-10 in their last 14 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while the Stars are 7-1 in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. Dallas Stars our TOP PLAY on ICE tonight! 

Penn State looked downright dominant vs. Pitt on Monday, but have you seen Pitt? They are awful this year! Texas A&M only laying 5 pts here is a nice play. They've got the three best players on the floor (Robert Williams, D.J. Hogg, Tyler Davis) and should be able to romp the Nittany Lions on the boards. Only a matter of time before Texas A&M starts getting more respect nationally as I have them as a TOP 10 team this year.

5* 

Northern ended last season as a better team between these two and started this season better as well. The Huskies were only playing their second game of the season, and first away from home, yesterday and an experience Penn squad jumped on them early and they could fight back. NI has played better competition and are shooting 49.6% compared to FAU’s 39.4 while allowing 40.6%. Tough for both teams to be playing a 1:30 games but Huskies game started at 5 PM yesterday while FAU tipped off almost at 8 PM.

5* 

We really liked Penn State to take the next step in their progression this season and thus far the Nittany Lions have found success against a manageable slate standing 4-0 with all their wins coming at home. Penn State barely came through against the spread in their last outing for us taking down Columbia by a final of 79-65, but by and large the Nittany Lions have been taking care of business against their mid-major opposition. Tony Carr has been impressive out of the gate leading Penn State averaging 20 points per contest. The Pitt Panthers are picked to finish in the basement of the ACC this season and that’s not a surprise considering the rebuilding job that’s going on with this program. Pitt hasn’t looked great so far this season standing 1-2 overall with their losses coming against the likes of Navy and Montana. Penn State has looked like the clear better team out of the gate and we like the Nittany Lions to come through today on the neutral site as they go on to cover the spread.

5* 

The Seahawks are known for a tough defense and a great home field advantage. In the winning streak the Seahawk defense has played very well outside of one game where they were unable to stop Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans. If you remove that game from the total the Seahawks have only allowed 16 points per game. This is huge game for both of these teams and both teams have defenses that have been playing very well lately. As I said earlier I would expect the Seahawks to score 20 points and they only allow 16. Many pundits will overreact to what the Falcons did against the Cowboys. But Seattle, even without Richard Sherman, poses a serious threat to the Falcons' offense. Russell Wilson is still a wizard out there and he'll keep the Falcons' defense guessing all game long. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS a 5* MNF play.

5* 

Not sure when odds makers are going to start adjusting for how bad the Clippers are, but in no way do I want any part of them. They are going to be without their best shooting guard - Gallinari and best perimeter defender -Beverly again. The Knicks have been an overachieving team even though they are just one game above .500 Most people thought they would be a lot worse. They defend their home court very well with a 7-3 record and shouldn't have a problem here coming off two days of rest. Take the NYK at home tonight!

5* 

We feel this Boise State squad has a great chance to compete right at the top of the Mountain West this year given the Broncos have arguably the best player in their conference with Chandler Hutchison leading the way. Veteran combo player Hutchison has already gotten off to a strong start averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, and Hutchison does a little bit of everything for the Broncos. Boise State stands 4-0 with great wins thus far coming in the invite against Illinois State and UTEP.

Iowa State knew they were coming into a serious rebuilding season, but I’m not sure the Cyclones foresaw these kind of struggles out of the gate. Iowa State stands 2-2 overall opening the year with back to back double digits losses against Missouri on the road and Milwaukee at home, followed by competitive wins over App State and Tulsa in this invite. 

Boise State has looked like the better team so far this season and given their veteran experience they’re going to be a tough out today for the Cyclones. We like Boise State to get us the cash here on Sunday.

5*

Baltimore is very good after their BYE week and I think Harbaugh will have them ready. This is a big game for the Ravens to win and get to 5-5 on the season. Baltimore was expected to have one of the best defenses in the NFL coming into the season with their combination of talent and depth. They are sixth in the league in yards allowed, and eighth in points (19 points per game).

Joe Flacco should be able to move the ball vs. the Packers defense and the strength of the Ravens defense is their ability to stop the run and I cant trust Brett Hundley.

 We’ve seen the Packers offense for three games without Aaron Rodgers now, and Green Bay hasn’t been able to move the football effectively in any of them. 

 Harbaugh’s squad is getting healthier which is excellent news for a team that was riddled with injuries right from the start of training camp. 

 With Jeremy Maclin and Danny Woodhead both expected back on the field this week and an extra week to prepare I expect the Baltimore offense to move the ball and get the win and cover on Sunday afternoon.

  10* NFL GAME OF THE MONTH

Cleveland is great running the ball, ranking sixth in rush yards and piling up 201 rushing yards against the Lions last week. The Jags are terrible against the run ranked 30th in rush defense. On the flip side, Cleveland is excellent defending the run, ranking second in rush defense and the Jaguars offense is also ravaged by injuries. We also have a warm weather team traveling north to play in chilly Cleveland. The Jags' defense has played outstanding all season long. Browns QB Kizer has been improving nicely and I'll back the home underdog in this one with Cleveland.

5* 

Mizzu is a great team at home and not so good on the road. And then their are teams like Missouri that were 1-5 and then had a four game run against Idaho, UConn along with home victories against struggling Florida and Tennessee teams mixed in. So now the public sees four consecutive wins, a win over Tennessee costing Volunteers HC Butch Jones his job and outscoring their opponents 215-66 along the way. I believe this line is way to high. Vandy QB, Jake Shurmur is a good SEC quarterback that has thrown for 2200 yards and 21 touchdowns. He alone can keep the Commodores in this game with this generous pointspread.

5* 

Ole Miss has won two consecutive games and will become bowl eligible with a victory today. Last week, Ole Miss scored on their first five drives and put the game away. Look for QB Jordan Ta’amu to lead the Rebels to a third straight win as they continue a late season surge. It seems strange that heading into week 12, Texas A&M is still unsure of their starting quarterback. They switched again last week which worked at home against New Mexico. Now turn it around and enter Ole Miss at Oxford. Thats a night and day difference. Texas A&M Aggies are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games in November. Either they lose focus from mediocre play or the players depth chart has been compromised by poor recruiting. Look for an Ole Miss team to win and win big as I don't think A&M will be able to stop them much.

10* 

The La Salle Explorers are hoping to be more of a factor this year in the A-10 returning a lot of experience to a squad that went 15-15 overall a season ago. La Salle has opened the year 3-0 against a adequate slate getting past teams like Saint Peter’s, Penn, and South Alabama. La Salle hasn’t been overly impressive in their wins.

Northwestern is a talented and experience group, but the Wildcats haven’t gotten off to the kind of start they were hoping for. Northwestern opened with two less than dominant single digit wins against Loyola Maryland and Saint Peter’s, followed by a 4 point loss against a dangerous Creighton squad. Many are selling Northwestern given their slow start, but the Wildcats started looked better, especially offensively in the second half of their loss to Creighton, and that’s the kind of positive momentum this group needed to get back on track.

Northwestern has gotten off to a poor start, but that’s given us some better odds today and at home.

NW gets the call and should win by 11 or more.

5*

We were going with FRESNO ST as our College Football Game of the Year! This is a 7-3 team who faces another 7-3 team in Wyoming with a banged up QB Allen who hasn't practiced all week. Fresno State rolls in coached by Jeff Tedford who is mad at the world after his last firing and has turned this program around. Tedford has a top 12 defense in Fresno State, 15th in points allowed, a team who routed San Diego State 27-3 on the road as a 6.5 point underdog and a team who is not afraid at all at the big moments given the competition they have faced. They are rolling into Wyoming and are not afraid by any means after having played at Alabama and Washington. Wyoming for as good as they are defensively as a top 30 defense, they are 129th in total offense and 126th in rushing. Rushing will be KEY because there are expected high winds for this game and running the ball will be important. Fresno State has a decent balance and a better defense and a team that has faced tougher competition all year. Lastly, FRESNO ST is a PERFECT 7-0 ATS its last 7 games when facing a team with a winning record.

10* GAME OF THE YEAR 

The #5 ranked Wisconsin Badgers are very good and not getting a lot of respect. They are very good especially at home as they lead the NCAA in 3rd down conversions at 52%. I think Wisconsin stays unbeaten this week. Playing in Madison is no treat for the visitor and Wisconsin is doing all their normal Badger things at a very high level. Wisky forces turnovers and they don't turn the ball over. I think they win by double-digits here on Saturday afternoon.

5* 

After their strong 2016 season it's been disappointing seeing New Mexico take such a large step back this year, especially within conference. The Lobos might be lacking motivation coming into their final couple of regular season games given they don't have bowl eligibility on the line. The UNLV Rebels will look for their third win in their last four games when they hit the road to take on the New Mexico Lobos at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM on Friday night. The Rebels have posted a perfect 4-0 ATS record in their last four games following an ATS loss and they have gone an excellent 5-2 ATS in their last seven head to head meetings with New Mexico. Two more wins and UNLV will become bowl eligible. NM is in a brutal five-game losing streak. During that span, New Mexico has scored just 51 points -- just over 10 points a game -- while giving up 186. The Rebels are led by RB Lexington Thomas, who has racked up 15 touchdowns and 1,146 yards. UNLV is a perfect 5-0 against the spread in its last five road games while New Mexico is 1-4 against the spread in its last five overall. Take the points with UNLV here on Friday night.

5* 

Pacers HC Nate McMillan said a goal of the team is to play faster and knock down 3's. I believe they'll do that at home after shooting poorly at Detroit last week. I expect the long ball to be falling tonight as they'll give a balanced attack in Indiana. I like this team at home and they have a log of depth. The Pacers have 8 players who score and average over 7 ppg which is tough to defend. I'm backing INDIANA here on Friday night.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK 

We really liked the pieces Penn State was developing last year and we feel that maturation will pay off this year as the Nittany Lions should be able to make a run to the NCAA tournament, or the NIT at the very least. Penn State has been steady thus far opening 3-0 against a fairly manageable slate with their best wins thus far coming against Campbell and Montana. Penn State has a deep rotation and this group has been led by Tony Carr who’s averaging 20 points per game. Veteran guard Shep Garner is the glue guy who’ll likely step up his game come tougher matchup. Penn State has been handling their business at home thus far and there’s no reason to assume that’ll end here today against a mid-level IVY League squad. Take Penn State to continue to dominate here at home and get an easy win tonight!

5* 

The St. Louis Blues will take on the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Thursday. Cam Talbot is expected to get the call here for EDM in the net. We've seen a average 0.912% save percentage from Cam Talbot this year. His team gave him a small workload in his last game, allowing 2 goals on 24 shots. In 7 prior appearances against the St. Louis Blues, he has been great with a 4-2-0 record and 0.918 SV% The Edmonton Oilers have gone 2-1 when playing Western-Central opponents this season. Getting the home team at this price is solid value. We are on the Edmonton Oilers in this game at home for Thursday night.

5* NHL GAME OF THE WEEK 

Wisconsin has also looked strong to open the year against a manageable schedule standing 2-0 with convincing victories coming against South Carolina State and Yale. In their last outing Wisconsin came in has rather sizeable favorites against a decent Yale squad, and the Badgers still went on to blow the spread out of the water winning by a final of 89-61. Wisconsin shares the ball well with 4 players averaging in double figures and big man Ethan Happ has led the way averaging an double-double. They are also a very solid defensive and rebounding team and very tough at home.

Wisconsin has one of the best home court advantages in college basketball and that’ll certainly be a factor here with the Badgers bringing in a top 25 opponent. Wisky get the win and cover here tonight!

5*

I don’t think the Titans are getting enough credit for some of the defensive adjustments they’ve made since Week 3. They’re playing much better up front and the offense is getting healthier.

The Steelers have scored 20 or fewer in two-thirds of their games. The Titans have not lost straight-up since Oct. 8th. Those factors suggest the spread belongs a few points south of a touchdown. Pittsburgh might have the marquee cast on offense with Big Ben, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Bryant,  but I’ll settle for Marcus Mariota and the best RB tandem in the league, DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. Pittsburgh has fallen 3 consecutive times on Thursdays, and the Titans have covered in five of seven in the series. I'll take the Titans with the pts here on Thursday night.

5*

Missouri is a completely different team this year given they bring in respected head coach Cuonzo Martin along with some players to interject some life by into this program. Missouri has looked strong out of the gate standing 2-0 with home wins coming against Iowa State and Wagner, and now the Tigers get a great test today going into one of the tougher road settings in college basketball. Missouri has 3 players averaging at least 14 points per game and none of them or Michael Porter Jr. who's one of the most talented players in college basketball. Utah has gone against a very manageable schedule thus far handling their business getting past Prairie View and MVSU in convincing fashion. Missouri has a higher ceiling than Utah this year and the Tigers have shown some good signs early on under head coach Martin. They'll get a win on the road here Thursday night.

5* 

The Butler Bulldogs are picked to finish in the mid-tier of the Big East this season, but they’ll probably be taking a step back given some of the important players that moved on this past offseason and with the head coaching change. Butler has opened the year 2-0 with their victories coming at home against the likes of Kennesaw State and Princeton. 

Maryland has also opened the year 2-0 winning against manageable opposition taking down Stony Brook and UMES at home. Maryland blew the doors off of Maryland Eastern Shore in their last outing picking up the win by a final of 96-43. Maryland might be without Melo Trimble, but that doesn’t mean the Terps will take a step back this season. Maryland developed a highly impressive freshman class last season that should only continue to get better heading into their second years. Maryland has been spread the ball around and it’s been Anthony Cowan who’s led the way thus far averaging 15.5 points per game.

Maryland has a strong home court advantage which should be a factor today given a program like Butler is coming into town to play. We like the Terps to take care of business here on Wednesday night.

5* MARYLAND

BYU has played third fiddle in the WCC it seems ever since they’ve moved into the league and that looks to be the case again this year with both Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s having the makeup of top 25 squads. 

Princeton is expected to take a slight step back this season given some of the veteran talent that’s moved on, but the Tigers are still expected to be a serious factor in the IVY League again this year. Princeton was competitive in their opener on the road against Butler falling in the end by a final of 75-85. 

BYU will look to push the pace of play today while Princeton wouldn’t mind playing more in the half court. We like the advantages that BYU brings in on the offensive side of the ball and as a result we feel the Cougars have a decent shot to pick up the upset, even with Nick Emery out, as they go on to cover the spread.

5*

This game is being played on a neutral court at the United Center in Chicago. I'm excited to see how Devonte' Graham has grown in the off-season. Look for a big early season win for Kansas. Kentucky played in the mud a bit with Utah Valley, then got taken to the wire by Vermont. Kansas outclasses UK in the backcourt, is more experienced in my opinion and should get a 7-14 pt win.

5* 

The Spartans have far much more experience, and arguably a better frontcourt. Michigan State's going to provide much tougher resistance in the paint with scoring and rebounding. Plus, MSU fans should show up in droves at the United Center. When we talk about Tom Izzo, we talk about defense and rebounding plus Final Four appearances. Izzo has his most talented team ever with Miles Bridges, Joshua Langford, Nick Ward, Cassius Winston and freshman Jaren Jackson, who was a McDonald's All-American. Duke has six freshmen among its top nine players and very young besides Grayson Allen. I'll take the more experienced team that works on rebounding and defense with the Michigan St Spartans.

5* 

The Dolphins are one of the worst 4-4 teams the NFL has seen recently. They rank last in yards per play, and they got shut out the last time they ventured on the road. Carolina's elite defense will control this one, with Cam Newton and the offense should have no problem covering this number on Monday night. Take the Panthers here!

5* 

I'm taking the points with North Texas on Monday night. Nebraska basketball coach Tim Miles may not be in as much hot water as his football counterpart Mike Riley, but his seat is getting warm. Nebraska's major issues under Miles of late has been an inability to make 3-pointers and an inability to defend the 3-point line. New season, same results against EIU, making just 31% of their treys, while allowing the Panthers to make nearly 40% of their shots. The Huskers are laying too many in our opinion and we'll grab the points with North Texas here on Monday night.

5* 

I understand that Zeke Elliott is an impact running back but they have 2 quality replacements who will be fresh and ready to go behind that great offensive line. Dak Prescott is on fire, leading the team to 28+ points in each of their last six ballgames and making good decisions with the football week after week – he’s thrown only 2 INT’s during that entire six week span. The Falcons are 0-5 ATS over their last 5, and are 1-4 in their last 5 overall. Atlanta is 1-4 when allowing 100+ rushing yards on the year, and will face a Cowboys offense averaging 183.4 Rush YPG over their last 5. The Cowboys defense has traveled well this season. In 3 road games, they’ve allowed just 15.3 PPG and 302.3 YPG. I'm backing the DALLAS COWBOYS as our 10* GAME OF THE WEEK! 

The Jets have been a nice story, but they’re bad on the road. They have 7 turnovers and are allowing 398.5 yards per game to opponents in their four road games, this year. Jameis Winston is out, but back up Ryan Fitzpatrick has a 95.7 passer rating, and is completing 62.5% of his passes in limited action. He also faces his old team with some revenge on his mind. I'm taking TB at home here on Sunday. 

5*

I like the Vikings here and their dominant defense, coming off their BYE week. The Vikings are 4-2 ATS over their last 6 facing a Washington team that’s just 1-4 ATS in their last 5, and 1-5 ATS over their last 6 at home. Washington hasn’t exceeded 300 yards of total offense in each of the last 2 weeks and likely won’t start this week against a Minnesota D that hasn’t allowed 300 yards to an opponent since Week 3. During their 4-game win streak, the Vikings are averaging 32.5 rushing attempts, 132.0 yards per game, and have a rushing touchdown in each game. They should be able to manufacture enough points against a Redskin defense that’s allowing 24.3 PPG.

5* 

I like ND in this one on Saturday night. I think they are very solid on both sides of the ball. The major advantage in this game will be Notre Dame's improved secondary. The lack of running on the Miami side and the great D-line of Notre Dame will force them into unmanageable 3rd and long situations. I see several ADVANTAGES going ND's way here on Saturday night. Miami has been getting breaks with 12 takeaways in their last 3 games. Notre Dame does not turn the ball over with just 2 turnovers in their last 6 games and they run the ball extremely well.

10* College Game of the Month 

TCU has the athletes and the scheme to disrupt the flow of the Sooners' offensive attack. We’ve seen the Horned Frogs do it this season against WVU, Oklahoma State, SMU and soon-to-be Oklahoma. OKL just put up 58 pts last week but the TCU defense will pressure them and force turnovers. Just look at what happened against Iowa State. TCU will bring pressure from everywhere, force Baker Mayfield into mistakes and the flaws of the Sooner defense will let TCU score here. I'm on TCU plus the points.

5* 

The Tide have only played in 2 true road games so far this season and their last road game was a competitive 27-19 win against a weak Texas A&M squad. Mississippi State has been having themselves a strong season outside of their 2 game road stretch early in conference against Georgia and Auburn. Mississippi State was probably looking ahead on the schedule to this matchup against Alabama given the Bulldogs had a tough time putting away an improving UMass squad last week, picking up the victory by a final of 34-23. Mississippi State plays a similar brand of ball in comparison with Alabama ranking 11th in the nation in rushing, 31st in scoring, and 14th in total defense. QB Nick Fitzgerald has been special throwing for 1500 yards and 13 TDs while also leading the team with 800 yards and 12 TDs on the ground. This is the recipe for beating this Alabama team. We like Mississippi State to keep things competitive enough in this defensive battle as they go on to cover the large spread.

10* Underdog Slammer

The Huskies are hands down the superior team here who have also allowed just 91.1 rypg this season. They want to win big to move up in the rankings on the Friday night primetime game. The Cardinal depend too much on running the ball and this Huskies defense does not allow opponents to do that The Cardinal simply do not have an offense that can keep up with the Huskies who have averaged 38.6 ppg this season. The Huskies are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 conference games and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. Play the Washington Huskies on Friday night.

5* 

I like W Virginia with their athletes and pressure to get the win here in Germany.  As long they hit their FT's they should be fine.

The Aggies are really going to miss future NBA lottery pick Robert Williams who is suspended for the first three games of the season. Look for Daxter Miles and Jevon Carter to lead West Virginia to a comfortable win.

5*

Arizona has alternated wins and losses this season with the losses coming by double digits each time. Arizona is coming off a 10 pt win over the 49ers on Sunday in game where Adrian Peterson carried the ball 37 times.  Its going to be tough for him to carry the load on a short week.

Seattle was sloppy on Sunday as they were flagged for 16 violations that resulted in a number of drive-killing plays... all for a total of nearly 140 penalty yards. 

Pete Carroll teams excel in the second half of the season. The running game was better against Washington rushing for 148 yards. Wilson ran for 77 yards on 10 carries, and Thomas Rawls ran for 39 yards on nine carries. Eddie Lacy left the game early with a groin injury, so his status is somewhat up in the air given the short turnaround. 

Seattle is the  better overall team with the better QB here on the short week and we'll back the Seahawks.

5*

We believe the Wild will be one of the better teams in the NHL this year. The Leafs got out to a quick start the season but it seems that other teams are now catching up to Toronto’s fast offensive style of play. Minnesota plays in the Western Conference and the Leafs have two huge conference games coming up with the hated Boston Bruins on back-to-back nights. We can’t help thinking that the Leafs might be looking ahead to this weekends games. Lastly, the Wild are 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between the clubs and the fact that the Maple Leafs are 2-5 in their last 7 overall.

Nice underdog value with the Minn Wild tonight.

4*

Toledo has allowed just 80 points in its five conference games and getting great play from their QB Logan Woodside.  He has thrown 19 TD's and just 2 INT's.

Toledo is strong just about everywhere. The difference between Toledo and everyone else is Woodside

and the Rockets great receivers. Take the Toledo Rockets tonight.

5*

Utah is off an embarrassing loss allowing Houston 137 points and 59% shooting.  They also allowed 23 three-pt buckets in that game.

The Jazz return home where they are 5-1 ATS and playing off a previous home loss to Toronto yet.

 Philly is on a 4 game win streak and Joel Embid played in all 4 games averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds.  Joel Embiid and Jerryd Bayless both sitting out against the Jazz tonight will be the difference maker. Look for the UTAH JAZZ to bounce back with a BIG WIN at home on Tuesday night.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK

Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb love playing at MSG.  I don't think the NY Knicks have the defensive guards to keep these guys in check. They were luck to win on Sunday as they were down double digits almost the entire game.

We also have KP coming off a career high 40 point game on Sunday.

Look for the Hornets to end their losing streak and get a big win in NY tonight.

5*

The Nets are well rested and haven't played since Friday. They played these Suns last week and lost at home. In that game they missed several FT's and got rebounded by 20. Look for the Nets to be prepared this time and force some turnovers as the Suns played late last night and just returned home from a long 5 game road trip. I like Brooklyn here on Monday night as they get their revenge from last week.

5* 

I realize Brett Hundley can't possibly be as bad as he's been after the GB BYE week with coach McCarthy instilling some confidence and doing some play calling that is more suited for his style, but the Packers struggle when star QB Rodgers is out. Its a QB driven league and I'll take Stafford here in a must win game for the Lions to even up their record at 4-4. Detroit is the play with the better QB and offense here on MNF.

5* 

5* GAME OF THE WEEK:

This is a good spot for Calgary to blowout New Jersey. Yes, the juice is high and we get that but  Calgary is a fantastic defensive team as they are the 6th best defense in the league. 

Combine that with New Jersey ready to go home after this road trip where they have accomplished most of what they want to do, Calgary probably has a huge edge in motivation to do well in this game as they contineu their long home-stand. 

Calgary employs red-hot net minder Mike Smith, who held two of the top offensive teams to one goal each the past two games. He beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 last Sunday and then did the same to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 2-1 overtime win on Thursday.

Play the Calgary Flames here on Sunday night

The Pacers had won three straight until losing at Philly, and I like them to get back on track Sunday at MSG. They have a good bench and give a good team effort. Indy has responded to each loss this season with a cover, and has covered eight of its last 10 road games dating to last season.

5* 

This is a divisional game and I for it to be a close one. Jameis Winston practiced in full Friday, and I expect the Bucs' offense to bounce back in a big way after last week's debacle vs the Panthers. I healthy Winston will be the difference maker and they have enough weaons on offense to stay with New Orleans. The Saints are a big-play defense, not a shutdown unit. None of the last six meetings has been decided by more than 7 points.

5* 

Tennessee is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 at home and in the Titans’ 4 wins, they’re averaging 155.5 rushing yards per game with 6 rush TD’s. The Ravens have 30th ranked rushing defense (132.8 YPG) should have a hard time stopping them on the ground. They are also the healthiest team in the NFL right now with no players listed on the injury report. QB Marcus Mariota is much healthier after injuring his hamstring, and he should start using his legs as well as his arm going forward. The Ravens are coming off a 40-0 blowout over Miami last Thursday at home, and you can expect the Ravens to come back down to earth in a hurry on Sunday on the road here. The venue favors Tennessee, which is on a 6-1 ATS home streak while Baltimore has dropped eight of 11 ATS away.

10* GAME OF THE WEEK 

Miami is undefeated this season but getting no respect. Virginia Tech has played mostly poor offenses. In their only two games against Top-75 offenses, the Hokies allowed 27.5 points per game. Miami scores more at home and allows more points at home than it does on the road. This is a huge game for both teams, and Miami will be rocking on Saturday night and they're expect a sold out game. After Miami wins here they'll move up higher in the rankings and then they play ND. The Hurricane defense is very good and I think that will be the difference tonight.

10* 

It has been a terrible season for Florida State. They started as the No. 2 team in the country but they have lost five of their seven games, including back-to-back losses to Louisville and Boston College. They really only had 1 bad game and that was last week at BC in the cold. They were blown out last week but I think that was as low as they will go and with an extra day to prep and playing at home I think we'll see a solid effort. Syracuse lost by eight points at Miami their last time out and they have not won a road game all season. Their last road win was over a year ago at Boston College. The home team is 5-1 ATS in this series and the favorite is 4-1 ATS. Florida State is due for a big effort and I think they will get a blowout win here at home on Saturday afternoon.

5* 

Auburn is mad at the world and they just destroyed Arkansas and now they will roll into Texas A&M and probably destroy them too. In regards to defense, Auburn has been playing extremely well on the defensive side of the football yielding just 300 yards per game as a borderline top 10 unit. Considering the Aggies struggles on offense, I just do not see many ways they can keep this game close unless they come up with turnovers. Auburn will go for the jugular here and the blowout as this team is not out of the hunt by any stretch of the means yet with Georgia and Alabama on deck, they have a point to prove and by blowing a SEC team it helps them as well in all tie-breaking scenarios down the road.

10* College Game of the Week 

Edmonton is 31st shockingly in offense in the league and 1st in the number of shots as well. We do think this has a chance to turn around as they face a New Jersey team that held an opponent scoreless in their last game and shutting them out and historically they have a let down after that. New Jersey also has revenge from a 3-2 loss in overtime last year. I expect a lot of goals in this one and for it to go OVER THE TOTAL of 5.5 goals.

5*

 The Mavericks are 1-8, their worst record since 1993-94. This proud franchise is in need of rebuild. 

 All of the Mavericks' losses except one have been by five or more points. New Orleans is a serious playoff contender. No team can match the Pelicans' superstar Twin Towers of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Both rank among the top-five in scoring and rebounding. The Pelicans are going to hurt the Mavericks inside a lot. Dallas is also a bad rebounding teams in the league. 

New Orleans has a good history of taking care of business against bad teams when on the road and are rested and hungry for this game on Friday night!

5*

In their 1st meeting McCoy ran for 110 yards and a TD.

 Josh McCown and the Jets' will try short-passing attacks will move the ball against the Bills' zone-based defense. The Jets have played a pretty easy schedule so far and I like the Bills defense to keep the Jets in check tonight on Thursday night.

Buffalo is #1 in turnover margin.  They are +14 and rarely turn the ball over and they force turnovers.  This team could easily be undefeated.

McCoy is coming off a big game vs. the Raiders running 27 times for 151 yards only four days ago.  The Jets swept the Bills last year winning both games and I look for the Bills to get the sweep of the season this year.

The Bills added more offensive help with WR Calvin Benjamin coming over to the team this week. In the 1st meeting the Buffalo had almost 200 more total yards and 12 more first downs.  I expect more of the same tonight and Buffalo to get the WIN and COVER with the short week.  

5*

LA is coming off a rough game losing by 28 to the Warriors and they allowed them to shoot 58% in the game and had 18 turnovers. This is a get-well spot for the Clippers, who lost focus in their home loss to Detroit on Saturday night, then got blown out by the Warriors. LA is still a rock-solid team and will show it against the 1-7 Mavs. Look for the Clippers to bounce back with a big win on Wednesday night.

5* 

We had a great run in the MLB Playoffs and Darvish has some revenge from a horrendous start in Texas which is a hitters ballpark. He also gets to make amends from the racist gesture made by Gurriel. I also like the cooler temps tonight in LA and that favors the Dodgers and the UNDER for the ball not flying out. The LA Dodgers went 57-24 at home during the regular season, and is 6-1 at Dodger Stadium in the playoffs. Dodgers win game 7 and the World Series.

5* 

The Pelicans are coming off a sloppy game where they shot poorly and had 20 turnovers.  They only made 25% of their 3-pt shots.

Cousins is averaging 30 ppg this season and coming off a sub-par 12 pt game.

I like playing on a team that comes out publicly and says they flat out stunk in their last game especially when the loss is at home and their next game is also at home. 

That’s what the Pelicans did after a 16 point loss to Orlando on Monday. New Orleans won their last game on a 3-game road trip at Sacramento and then upset the Cavs at home before the loss so I can understand it. Minnesota is playing their second straight road game after an OT win at Miami on Monday and prior to that they are off an upset of OKC at home.  The Pelicans are already 3-0 ATS off a SU loss this season and I believe they take care of business tonight. Lastly the New Orleans Pelicans are 10-2 their last 12 vs. the T-Wolves.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK

These 2 teams are headed in opposite directions in terms of health. The Chippewas have been bolstered with the return on their John Mackey and TE Tyler Conklin and in his 3 games back he has had 16 receptions for 229 yards and WR Corey Willis who missed 4 games and had 5 catches for 98 yards last game. 

Central has lost 3 straight in this rivalry, but right now they are the better team here and catching 4 pts.

Western Michigan true frosh Reece Goodard will be making his first start at QB as Jon Wassinik was injured last game. That means more sack chances for DE Joe Ostman who leads the FBS with 10 sacks and with that pass rush the Chip’s are #9 in the country with 10 interceptions and #5 in turnovers gained with 18.

Everything to me points to Central Michigan in this battle on Wednesday night on National TV and I'll back them +4.

5*

The Dodgers did hit 2 homeruns off Verlander last time and remember, Verlander is also 34 years old and now has to face the Dodgers again who will get another really good look at him today and they have seen quite a few pitches of his now. The Astros also lose their DH here in the NL ballpark. Both bullpens are completely gassed heading into game 6, where the Dodgers face a must win game on their home field. Rich Hill was awesome in four innings in game two and I'm projecting a similar performance when the Dodgers ask him to toss 4-5 more innings in game six. We simply think the Dodgers will rise to the occasion with a quality pitcher and one who are able to hit fastballs well which is Verlander's strength and LA has the better bullpen. After 25 runs scored on Sunday, I expect a lower scoring game and the LA Dodgers to even up the series and force a game 7.

10* GAME OF THE YEAR 

OKC comes in off a 32 pt win over the Bulls on Saturday.

 The Bucks come in on top form as well, they’ve won three of their last four, most recently a 117-106 victory at Atlanta on Sunday. 

 So far OKC is ranked 11th in scoring with an average of 106 PPG, while  Carmelo doesn't like to play defense and I think the Bucks will push the tempo here tonight.

 The Bucks are ranked 14th in scoring with 105.5 PPG, while ranked 15th in scoring defense in conceding 103.7. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists to lead the team in its most recent win. 

 Antetokounmpo - the Greek Freak - has dominated through Milwaukee's first six games this season, averaging a league-leading 34.7 points with 10.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. 

 Look for a shootout tonight, with the MVP candidates leading the charge.

Take the OVER here in this game on Tuesday night.

5* 

Hassan Whiteside (knee) is unlikely to play in Monday's matchup with the Timberwolves, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports.

He is a force on defense and averages 20  ppg and 12 rebounds.  Without him the T-Wolves should be able to control and own the paint. 

Minnesota comes in well rested.  Look for Taj Gibson, Wiggins and Towns to have big games and the W-Tolves to get a comfortable win on the road here on Monday night.

5*

Sunday gives us a chance to take the over in this game as this is a great opportunity for the Astros to figure out Kershaw finally after getting mowed down by him in their last game. 

Plus, the Astros understand very simply that if they fail to win this game, life will become very difficult in Los Angeles as if they are going to win this series, winning tonight is paramount as they have the crowd behind them when they face Kershaw.  

Both these teams get another crack at these pitchers from Game 1 and we think these offenses will simply make the adjustments versus Lastly, the Over is 4-1 for the Dodgers in Interleague play when they face a left handed pitcher and the Over is 8-3-2 for Kuechel in his last 13 starts following a quality start in his previous effort.

Take the OVER 7 runs..

5*

The Cowboys are road warriors, having gone 19-8 straight-up dating to the 2013 season. They convert at a high rate in the red zone and figure to capitalize on Washington’s defensive soft spot inside the 20. 

The primary reason for Dallas’ success near the goal line is RB Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys offensive line.

The Dallas defense is also healthy again with Shaun Lee back in action.

Dallas is 12-5 in their last 17 overall against the Redskins, including winning their last 4 games in Washington.

 Kirk Cousins is 0-3 at home against Dallas, and just 3-6 in his career, at home against NFC East opponents.

The Cowboy offense ranks 2nd in rushing (147.5 ypg), 5th in 3rd Down Conversion Percentage (45.3%), and is averaging a league high 449.7 Total Yards Per Game since Week 4. 

The Dallas Cowboys are my NFL GAME OF THE WEEK.

This is too many points here in this one.

 Houston is 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards per game (137.7), and Deshaun Watson has a Passer Rating of 118.3 with 12 TD and 2 interceptions since wideout Will Fuller returned to the lineup in Week 4. They’ve also scored touchdowns on 7 of their last 8 red zone drives.

Russell Wilson has been better on the road the road than at home. He only has 3 touchdowns against 2 interceptions at Qwest Field, compared to 8 touchdowns and only 1 pick away from home.

Take Houston plus the points to keep it close throughout.

5*

Both defenses are in trouble in this one. Carolina allowed 24 or more points in each of four games before last week's debacle at Chicago. Tampa Bay allowed 23 or more points in four of its last five. The Bucs' lack of a decent pass rush should give Cam Newton plenty of time to make plays, and Jameis Winston should also find the getting good with so many dangerous targets on the field. Remember, Tampa Bay played an excellent Buffalo defense and still did pretty well and this offense likely busts out in a big way at home as the defense is what is the issue in Tampa Bay and not the offense. Plenty of offense in this contest as this game goes OVER THE TOTAL. 

5*

This is a senior-led New Mexico State team and I absolutely believe everyone associated with the program is looking at this game as The Game. A win over Arkansas State would get the Aggies to 4-4 and give them a very good chance at becoming bowl eligible. I think NM St will score its share of points here as their offense is good. Larry Rose III is a dynamic offensive player, Jason Huntley has been a legit weapon any time he touches the ball and QB Tyler Rogers is pretty good as long as he’s not forcing the ball into traffic. I'm on the small home underdog who is rested with 2 weeks to prep and playing with revenge. 

5*

I'll grab the points with the Wolfpack as they head to South Bend to challenge the Irish on Saturday afternoon. N.C. State is off to a terrific 6-1 start this season, an identical record to that of Notre Dame. The Wolfpack are in a good spot here, coming off their bye week and they are a very athletic team. Remember, just last year, N.C. State prevailed in a low-scoring 10-3 affair against Notre Dame. The N.C. State defense has certainly held its own this season, particularly against the run, allowing just three yards per rush. That's a key in this matchup as they keep the Irish offense in check for much of Saturday's game and I'll gladly take the +7 with NC St.

5* 

Ohio St is also rested and ready for some revenge here on Saturday afternoon. There is a reason why Ohio State is favored by nearly a touchdown here and the line is barely moving considering that nearly 70% are on Penn State but the line is holding steady. Ohio State did not start the year strong against Oklahoma and now look at them, a typical Urban Meyer team that is clicking in all cylinders. Ohio State has revenge, is at home and will be wanting to blow Penn State out of the water here and coming off of a BYE Week. Coach Meyers always comes out STRONG with extra time to prep.

The home team has covered the past four meetings and the Buckeyes have revenge on their minds. The Buckeyes haven't played anyone since losing to Oklahoma, but they've practiced well against them all and J.T. Barrett has 18 TDs and no picks in the five games since the OU loss. Penn State has not looked sharp this year on the road and we think they will be rattled and Ohio State will not let up on the gas this year. Ohio St wins and wins big on Saturday afternoon.

10* GAME OF THE MONTH! 

The biggest narrative that the media will plug all week is the story of the two offenses taking the field in Morgantown. We can expect a shootout here and I think the home underdog will keep it close here. This game features two exciting QBs. The focus immediately turns to which defense can you trust to get stops. I really like what West Virginia has on the back seven. Athletically, the Mountaineers are very similar to TCU. That defense gave Oklahoma State fits, and the Cowboys will have another struggle in Morgantown. Not only can WVU cover, they can win outright if Will Grier comes up big.

10*