Memphis looked good on last Friday with a dominant win over Cincinnati. The defense did its job, holding Cincy to one fourth quarter score. QB Riley Ferguson left the game after appearing to take a hit to the head and is questionable for this game. In his absence, Jason Stewart did well on 13-for-15 passing with two TD throws. They got two touchdowns on the ground by leading rusher Doroland Dorceus. Through the air, Phil Mayhue and Anthony Miller were both productive. With 38.7 points a game, this is an offense that can do damage. Memphis also had a very good defense. It was impressive how well the Memphis defense played against Cincinnati last week, holding the Bearcats to just a garbage touchdown late in the game. They are a defense that might not be all that robust on a consistent basis, but they can make things happen, as they have forced 25 turnovers this season and I'll back them at home as a nice dog this afternoon.   5*

Detroit has trailed in the fourth quarter every game and has pulled out six wins The problem is they don't run the ball anymore (14 yards last wk vs Jax) and the Vikings defense will beat this one-dimension offenses.

The Vikings stopped their free fall last week with a 30-24 win over the Cardinals despite 10 penalties and just 217 yards of total offense. Their defense and special teams accounted for two return TD's to help make up the difference. On Thursday, they will look for revenge against a Lions team that made a 58-yard field goal to force overtime and take a 22-16 win in Minnesota a few weeks ago. Look for the Vikings’ third-ranked defense to disrupt Matthew Stafford here today with the short week.

 Football is a game of adjustments, and playing a team twice in three weeks will yield itself to a very close game. This time however, I think the Vikings, because of their defense, get the win on Thanksgiving afternoon.   5*

This game will be played in Mexico City on a neutral site.  The biggest x-factor is Raiders QB Derek Carr, who has great chemistry with his wideouts and has shown above-average ability in situational football and making great decisions this year.

I think Oakland wins this one by at least a touchdown as they've been great on the road this season going a perfect 5-0. The Raiders' defense has started to round into form and I expect them to beat Houston the way they did Denver with a mauling offensive line that creates running lanes and gives Derek Carr a clean pocket.  5*

Last Sunday we had a top 10* play on the Eagles, but this week we'll go against them. Seattle is a more difficult environment is play in especially for a rookie QB. Since week 5 Eagles QB Carson Wentz has one of the lowest QB ratings in the league. Look for the Seahawks to put a lot of pressure on him. The Eagles have been incredible at home, especially on defense, but on the road is another story where their only win has come at Chicago. Philly is 0-4 ATS on the road. Russell Wilson just played his best game of the season and it came against the best team in the league Sunday night with a win over the Pats. He's apparently healthy again and I expect his upward trend to continue Sunday. Look for Seattle to get the win and cover here on Sunday evening.

10* GOW.

The Bengals are off a tough loss on MNF and also on a short week. Buffalo is now a Top 10 team on the efficiency numbers and coming off of their BYE week. Buffalo has been its own worst enemy, which is why they’re 4-5 and losers of three straight. I think this is a very winnable game for Buffalo as the Bengals are banged up and several players were limited this week in practice.

5*

At home, California should put the Cardinal defense to the test. And it has been highly susceptible to big plays. Back California to cover as they have a ton of speed on offense and they must win out to have a shot at a bowl game. They've also lost 3 in a row all versus ranked opponents. Stanford is known for running the ball. Hopefully to eat up the clock and as a double digit favorite, make it hard to cover that many points on the road. With a home crowd for rivalry week, and the must-win stakes at play, Cal needs to come out aggressively early. Cal just needs to limit Christian McCaffrey's yards and I like CAL to keep this game close and we'll back the home underdog here on Saturday afternoon.

10* Diamond in the Rough

This game has San Diego St moving from sunny California surf weather to the cold cold weather of Wyoming.  San Diego State has already clinched the West, and now it’s just playing for fun and its the temp is going to be in the 40's.
Wyoming is coming off an OT loss in a game where they gave up over 650 yards of offense and over 400 yards on the ground.  They also had 4 turnovers last week and played sloppy.
Their focus all week has been defense and I expect them to come out hungry here and focused on Saturday afternoon.

 Wyoming’s been amazing at home, so far this season and the strength of this Wyoming team is their offense so they will have to hope they can use that and energy of the crowd to pull of the upset. Wyoming still controls its own destiny in the race for the division title, but there is no more room for error and will play accordingly. Take the home underdog with Wyoming. 10* Game of the Month

In the beginning of the season, this looked like a primetime marquee matchup.  Now, it doesn’t have the same luster. The biggest difference in this game will be the Cardinals' secondary. This is a group that helps in run support in addition to being great vs. the pass. Louisville won’t have an issue getting off the field against the Cougars and they are going to want to win and win big to try and move up in the rankings.

Take Louisville as a 5* Play.

The Cincinatti Bengals season is on the line here sitting at 3-4-1 and coming their BYE week.

Here's another case of the wrong team being favored. Cincinnati comes off a bye and my projections show the Bengals winning by a field goal. They will be highly motivated coming off a BYE and also off a rare tie game through OT.
The Bengals are 9-3 ATS in their past 12 road games and I'll back them against a Giants team that's very fortunate to be 5-3.  NY has rushed for 78 or few yards in their last 5 games.  That just isn't going to cut it versus the Bengals defense.
Look for the Bengals to break through offensively. They've already won here over the Jets and I look for the Bengals to win again at Met Life Stadium this season.  5*

The Eagles have lost four of five, but they've been dominant in their three home games this year. Philly won those over Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Minnesota by an average of 20 points. Atlanta comes in after winning two shootouts and I beleive this will be much more of a grind.
This matchup pits the league's best offense against the league's best defense. While the Eagles aren't great offensively, they were able to move the ball last week against the Giants and would have won that game easily if not for two early interceptions and some questionable coaching decisions in scoring range.  The public is all over the Falcons this year and this week in particular and I think the Eagles at home will get the job done behind their tough defense.

10* GAME OF THE WEEK

Despite the Packers' struggles at 4-4, they remain a public team when it comes to casual bettors. With the public piling on the Packers, this line is severely inflated. While Green Bay has lost two straight, including one to the uneven Colts in a game they never felt competitive in, the Titans have been on a roll offensively, scoring at least 26 points in each of their last five games and getting great QB play with a 4-5 record. A strong Packers rush defense has wilted against elite competition, and that label applies to the Titans' running game. Expect a lot of points and a Titans win in the end  here at home and they'll even up their record at 5-5.  5*

If you are 0-5 in conference play and the worst team in the SEC, why are you a 3.5 point favorite against Vanderbilt who is 4-5 ?  Missouri hasn’t had a problem putting up points in the last several games and Vanderbilt doesn’t have a particularly potent offense.
 
Mizzu can move the ball but struggle in the redzone.   They are at home Saturday afternoon and this is Vandys 4th road game in their last 5.
 Missouri may have a better chance in this game because Drew Lock threw for more than 300 yards last weekend and now has three straight good passing games as they build some momentum
 
The Vandy offense has been bad– averaging just 20 points per game putting them 119th in the Nation.  Mizzu put up 32 ppg.
Look for MIZZU to get the job done here at home.

10* GAME OF THE WEEK

If the Mountaineers can play great team defense like they have all season long, they’ll make Texas one-dimensional. This is only the 3rd road game of the season for W Virginia this season and they'll be fired up for this game.
 Charlie Strong is done at Texas and it seems like the Longhorns have given up. The boosters and the players are not happy.
 West Virginia still has a shot to make the college football playoff if they win out and they continue to fly under the radar despite being one of the two best teams in the conference. They are one of the few teams in the league that play defense and they also have the much better quarterback in Skyler Howard. Texas can score but their defense is terrible. This one should be close for three quarters before WVU wears the Longhorns down and pulls away.

10* Oddsmaker Mistake Play

After a 6-0 start, Baylor has lost 2 straight and last week were crushed at home by TCU 62-22. With an interim coach, a depth-shy roster that will see them playing without RB Linwood here (suspension) and a lot of off-field turmoil, this is a team that you need to fade immediately. It’s not like they’ve been good anyways this year at 2-6 ATS while playing a very soft schedule. On the other side, Oklahoma has a couple of extra days to prepare following a 34-24 win at Iowa St last Thursday. They are 6-0 in Big 12 play and welcome back RB’s Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon this week. No doubt the Sooners want revenge from an embarrassing 48-14 (+5.5) home loss to the Bears 2 years ago and they’ll get it in easy fashion over a dumpster fire Baylor team. The recipe for the Oklahoma Sooners is to try and win with Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma is getting ready for a very tough 3 game stretch and needs to win every game convincingly. BLOWOUT CITY HERE!

5*

UL Laff is only averaging 13 PPG in their last 3 games and Geo Souther is capible of putting up points quickly.

 Georgia Southern gets to go against some more gashable defensive units here over the next two weeks 2 which are at home, which should help their cause. This is a must win game for the Eagles if they're going to get to 6 wins and hopes for a Bowl game. I like Geo Southern to win this one by double digits on Thursday night.

5*

We've got great weather for tonight's game being played at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, with temperatures at 49 degrees and very little wind. Toledo has lost six straight to NIU and the road team has covered the last five meetings. That means that none of the Toledo players have ever beat perennial MAC power NIU, and this is surely Toledo's best chance. Everyone in the MAC has been picking on the Huskies, as they've won only three games to six losses. Toledo's offenses averages 553 ypg and averages a 40-22 margin score. It’s payback time for Toledo and I like them to get the job done tonight!

5*

Except for the Patriots' revenge game last week, the Bills' losses have all come by less than a touchdown. Buffalo is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven against winning teams.  This Seahawks' offense does not resemble the Patriots as Seattle has only scored 1 offensive TD in its last 2 games. Buffalo's defense and LeSean McCoy, who practiced all week, should do enough to stay within this number.
Russell Wilson and the running game haven?t looked near where we expected them to be, and this year an awful offensive line may be too much to overcome. Lastly,  Buffalo has actually scored 25 points or more in all but one game since Week 1.  Take the underdog BILLS on MNF.  5*

We are going with the Denver Broncos here on Sunday night. Derek Carr has been sacked nine times in eight games, but I think the Broncos -- with DeMarcus Ware now at 100 percent -- will put enough pressure on him to limit Oakland's offense. The Oakland offense is good but their defense is bad.  The Raiders have yet to cover a home game and are giving up a league-worst 6.5 yards per play. Back the Broncos to improve to 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings in this series.  5*

Making a case for the 49ers against the offensively dangerous Saints is comparable. San Fran’s has had 2 weeks to prep for this game and I think their offense will be on track here at home.
Very few are backing the home team +5 while an overwhelming majority are flocking to the windows to back the Saints. The public loves New Orleans and has given up on the 49ers.  Not me though.  The Saints come off a big win over Seahawks and host champion Broncos next week. Flat spot? New Orleans also best when taking points (5-0 ATS) but losing straight up both times favoured this season. Five of San Francisco’s previous wins have come at home and they’ve had a week off to repair some issues. I'm on the home team with the points and Chip Kelly to pull off some magic.

10* NFL Game of the Week

10* GAME OF THE WEEK:

There’s big value on an Iowa squad that likely would have likely been favored in this matchup just a few weeks ago. This line is way out of wack just because Penn St is now ranked #12 in the Nation and they have a target on their back and this line is extremely inflated for unjust reasons. Iowa is tough on both sides of the ball and II believe Iowa can stop Barkley. Iowa coming in off a BYE after losing to Wisconsin with 2 weeks to prepare for this game. Iowa still has a ton to play for including a shot at the Big Ten Championship game if they win out. Iowa’s head coach Kirk Ferentz is 5-1 straight up and 4-2 ATS the last 6 times he is off a bye in the regular season. First of all Penn State has allowed 6 of 8 opponents to run for 150 or more yards. Iowa is 26-2 since the 2013 season when they are able to run for over 150+ yards which includes a 5-0 record this season. The three-loss Hawkeyes have underachieved but their rugged style is hard to separate from, and they should perform well as a nice juicy underdog here.

Northwestern is playing some great football during its 4-game ATS cover run and their QB Clayton Thorson has been a big reason why, throwing for 10 TDs and only 2 INT's. The Wildcats gave Ohio State a scare last week with an underrated defense and have road wins at Michigan State and Iowa during their 4-0 ATS run. I dont expect to see too many TD's in this game with a lot of FG kicks. I’m taking the Wildcats and the points as I think they continue the good play that they have shown over the last month. Also, the home team is 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.   5*

Last week’s win provided Notre Dame with a much needed boost in trying to turn their season around from utter failure to at least some redemption by attempting to get to a bowl game, something they can only do by winning three of their last four games to close out the year. Navy finds themselves in this week having to travel to Florida for the second straight week as this game is at a neutral site. The biggest question for the Midshipmen will be their pass defense. I think that’s a matchup Notre Dame can exploit in a big way. We know Navy’s offense will give the Irish problems, but can its defense get stops? Not enough, as the Fighting Irish win and cover by double digits I beleive.  5*

The Bears are getting back Jay Cutler at QB, which on the surface looks like it’ll help the offense and the team. But do you trust Cutler and this Bears' offense going up against an angry Vikings team coming off its first loss? NO. Sam Bradford played terrible last week and I except him and the offense to come out hungry and fired up against a divisional opponent. The Vikings won the last three matchups and I like the Vikings to make it four in a row come Monday night minus the small number. I expect the Vikings defense to be tough in a low-scoring affair. 5*

A BYE week plus the great play of QB Dak Prescott plus the return of WR Dez Bryant plus NFL rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott pounding away at a defense allowing 4.5 yards per carry behind the best offensive line in football.
Dallas had also been getting great play from Beasley and Witten.

The Cowboys defense has also been solid this year with Dallas yet to give up 100 yards to any rusher or receiver all year.

The like Dallas at home with a run game with the fact that Dak Prescott plays efficient, mistake-free football, and that will be the difference with the boys playing at home. Look for Dallas to force some turnovers and get another big win and push their record to 6-1. 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK.

Seattle just played a tough 5 quarter game ending in a tie after OT against a tough Arizona team.
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson isn't fully healthy and doesn't even look to run. This is the Seahawks' second straight road game following the Sunday night OT affair in Arizona. New Orleans has played well in three straight games, including last week's 6-point loss in Kansas City. New Orleans is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 as an underdog, including 3-0 ATS this season.

 Drew Bres is very smart with his decision making and we'll take him at home here on Sunday.   5*

Auburn is coming off an SEC record for most rushing yards last week against Ark. Ole Miss opened -1 and now Auburn in -4.5 because of the 56-3 blowout of Arkansas last week.

 This Ole Miss team has a ton of talent despite their record. . Remember that Ole Miss was ahead by three TD's against Florida St and Alabama but ended up losing both late.
 With Chad Kelly, Evan Ingram and a defense featuring several legitimate NFL prospects, this team has the talent to be fighting to get into a bowl game and should come into this game hungry on Saturday night.

I'm all over the small dog with OLE MISS plus the points at home.

10* College Game of the Week

The Oline of Utah has not been playing right. They allowed 5 sacks when matched up against UCLA - and Washington. 

Utah is also banged up on both sides of the ball.

Washington can really push the ball down field, and Sophomore QB Jake Browning has been great this season -  the Heisman hopeful is never afraid to make the play when he needs to. He has big targets who he can throw to at any time.

The Wash Huskies are great in every facet of the game and they know how to take away your greatest strength, so I see them limiting the Utes' ground game. Look for Utah to hang for a half but Washington pulls away for a big win.
Cal beat Utah then went to overtime against bad Oregon team and then got their ass kicked on Thursday night by USC.  From what I saw and what some of the Wash U Insiders have been telling me, the Huskies are the real deal.
Washington wins by 20 or more.  5*

Kentucky has a running game that can make plays, bottom line. The Wildcats have made plays with their strong ground game and their very good front push. Battling the Dline of the Tigers shouldn't be a tough to handle situation.

Missouri haven't defended very well, and their Tackles have been able to get rubbed off the line. Their DBs will struggle bumping vs the Kentucky WRs all game long - which will be very physical.

The Tigers are just not good and the Wildcats are playing pretty solid football with more to play for than Mizzou. One more win in SEC play should guarantee a bowl bid for Kentucky with Austin Peay left on the schedule..

Mizzu Tigers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 conference games

Kentucky gets my call here on Saturday afternoon.  5*

I expect the powerful Aztecs to have their way against a Utah State club that has been erratic this season.
Last year, San Diego State blew out the Aggies as a near-touchdown underdog and I expect the Aztecs to have the upper hand again. They have held their last three opponents to 13 points combined while rolling to blowout wins. Utah State broke a three-game losing streak with a win over Fresno State last week, but Utah St is not a good team and having a tough season.
I like SD ST to win by 10 or more tonight.

5*

Toledo is an offensive high octane machine, their OL has a major advantage and so does their SPecial Teams. While Ohio U has played every game close they really haven't played anyone good outside of Tenn.

Toledo is also a cover machine going 17-5 ATS their last 22 games overall, and I Toledo gets an impressive win tonight behind QB Logan Woodside.  5*

Brock Osweiler returns to Denver after somehow getting the win over Indy last Sunday night. He has played terrible for most of the season so far.

The Texans are 4-2 but they rank 30th in defense and looked absolutely terrible last Sunday before Indy melted down in the 2nd half. They're banged up in the secondary, which should help Trevor Siemian get back on track after struggling against the Chargers.
Also with playing last Thursday Denver and Trevor SIemian had a few extra days to get healthy. Look for the Broncos to be back to themselves this week.

 Denver has posted a 3-1-1 ATS record in their last five games where they faced a team from the AFC
Throw in the fact that the Broncos have gone 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight up loss and we'll lay the TD or so with them here to get the home win and cover as long as Trevor Siemian and the offense dont committ a bunch of turnovers.
Take the Broncos!

5*

I've said the past two weeks the Eagles' rating was increased way too high after beating the Steelers in Week 3, but after tough losses at Detroit and Washington, their rating has fallen through the roof and is closer to what it was when the season started. 
They're getting +3 at home this week? That is crazy. I love what the Vikings are doing, but they don't have the offensive metrics to merit that spread. 
Even if we knew nothing about Carson Wentz, this would be a great spot for Philly at home.

The Eagles know Sam Bradford well and know his weaknesses.
Philly defense let up big-time last week after they got smacked around by Washington...Don't be shocked if the Eagles come into this one with some frustration to burn off...Eagles got flagged 13 times last game and that won't sit well with this defense....Eagles at home won't get crushed with flags and they know Bradford well...Look for Philly to increase the pressure here on Bradford...He will need to make his throws much faster in this game. 
The Philly offense is averaging 338.8 total YPG and 27 PPG. Their rushing game is 8th averaging 113.6 YPG. Defensively, the Eagles are ranked 6th holding opponents to an average of 312 YPG (207.4 passing YPG; 104.6 rushing YPG) and 15.6 PPG. 
The Eagles are coming off a 20-27 loss to NFC East rival Washington Redskins, a game in which they finished with just 239 yards (they’re points came from two field goals, a kickoff return for a touchdown, and a pick-six). In that game, which put the Eagles on a two-game losing streak, Wentz was sacked five times. Look for the Eagles to bounce back in a big way at home and get the OUTRIGHT WIN!



10* PHIALDELPHIA EAGLES

Ohio State is coming off a tough 30-23 overtime win at Wisconsin last week in which the Buckeyes were outgained 450-411 in total yards and the players got beat up pretty good. Ohio State must now travel again and face a rested Penn State squad that is coming off their BYE week and well rested. Its raining there and going to be a sloppy cold game on Saturday night. Penn State has a solid 4-2 SU record this season with only one loss coming by more than three points. Look for a tight game and I'll take the pts with PENN ST at home.   5*

Auburn is still alive for the SEC title while Arkansas is officially out of the race. Ever since Gus Malzahn was put on the hot seat the team has stepped up on both sides of the ball. The Auburn Tigers come into the game on a three-game winning streak putting a a focus on the run game and trusting their better-than-average defense. Auburn’s defense is allowing just 16 points per game, and playing tougher than anyone in the country. Starting running back Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway have been a deadly duo with Johnson rushing for 538 yards on 105 carries with six scores and Pettway rushing 91 times for 505 yards with four touchdowns. I give major edges with Auburn here playing at home, getting 2 weeks to prepare for this game and their QB can beat you with his legs and arm. I think this game turns into a major blowout in the 2nd half.

10* BLOWOUT OF THE MONTH

Wisconsin should be drained after playing close games and losing by a total of 14 points to Michigan and Ohio St. Now Iowa has to travel again to Iowa City and play a very good Iowa team. Both defenses are exceptional but Wisconsin's QB Alex Hornibrook's inexperience will be the difference. Four of Wisconsin's six games this season have had totals that have come in at 40 points or below. Look for a defensive battle and this game decided by a FG. I'll take the home underdog with IOWA plus the points.   10*

BYU has a habit of being involved in wild, close games, as all of it contests except one this season have been decided by seven points or fewer. This isn't your usual Boise St team. The Broncos might be a bit overrated in the market as they struggled to get past mediocre Colorado State last week. The Cougars have the physicality to match the Broncos, and the touchdown spot is a strong position on this solid team who plays solid defense. Take BYU on THursday night.   5*

This is an intriguing game because you have two very good defenses facing two solid QBs and running games. But the Hokies' ground attack can be inconsistent. I like the Hurricanes to keep this one close with their tough defense and big play offense which is coming off a terrible game last week.  5*

The Cardinals have struggled in the role of a home favorite since 2015, putting together a 4-8 ATS mark in the last 12 games at University of Phoenix Stadium. Arizona has already lost outright to New England and Los Angeles in the favorite role, while blowing out Tampa Bay for its only home cover in Week 2.

The Jets have played the toughest schedule in the league, facing teams that are a combined 14-9 while taking on four squads that made the playoffs last season. A league worst -9 turnover margin has also been a big factor in the results with three of the five games this season also being on the road.
I still think the Jets are a way better team then their 1-4 record indicates. Jets head coach Todd Bowles made a name for himself as the D-coordinator in Arizona, he’ll have the Jets fired up and ready to play on Monday.
Look for Brandon Marshall and Quincy Enunwa to have big games tonight. 5*

On paper, the Raiders look to be the right side here today. Oakland is ranked No. 4 in yards per game, 8th in passing yards, 9th in rushing yards, and 5th in points per game. On the flip side, Kansas City checks in at No. 21 in yards per game, 15th in passing yards, 21st in rushing yards, and 20th in points per game. All week all I've been hearing is how Andy Reid is 15-2 coming off a bye and the public is all over the Chiefs.
Most of those wins with Reid were with the Eagles when we was coaching there. The underdog in this series has gone 13-5 ATS in the last 18 meetings. But the Raiders haven't had an offense or an offensive line like this in decades. Derek Carr has been sacked only five times and the Chiefs have virtually no pass rush. Oakland's defense allows a ton of yards but they've also played some of the top offensive teams.  The love the way the Raiders are playing and HC Jack Del Rio is pulling all of the right strings this year so I look for the Raiders to get another win here at home.

10* NFL Game of the Week

Nebraska has yet to record a quality victory on the season. Their win against Oregon looks less and less impressive as the Ducks are in a total colapse.

Indiana has covered the spread in five straight Big 10 games.

The Hoosiers have a solid QB Richard Lagow has put up a 93-of-155 line for 1460 yards and 11 TD's. They have grown into a competitive football team and a tough out for most opponents.
The Hoosiers bring an improved defense to the table and take on a Cornhuskers team who has several injuries to their starters with their WR and TE ruled OUT for this game..
Devine Redding is Indiana's workhorse back, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Nebraska's rush defense is among the worst in the country and allowing Indiana to could chew up the clock and I like the Hoosiers to pull the UPSET here on Saturday afternoon.

10*

Texas Tech doesn't play much defense and W Virgina should be able to score at will in this game.

To win Texas Tech, which does not recognize defense as part of the game, has to get into a shoot-out and hope to score enough points to win. That is not going to happen against a very good WVU team that plays everybody tough and has the ability to control the pace of the game with solid defense and Special Teams edges here today.
I thought WVU would be a 6 or 7 pt favorite and its virtually a pickem.
Love the Mountaineers in this spot today.

10* Oddsmaker Mistake Play

Philip Rivers has kept this offense dangerous despite losing the bulk of their anticipated production. Melvin Gordon has yet to become the consistent producer in the backfield, but he is better this season and had a score on Sunday. Role receivers like Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin have both been forced to do more and both had 117 yards receiving on Sunday. The tight end duo of Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry is shaping up nicely.
 
The Chargers defense didn’t shine against the Raiders in a tough road spot but they did enough to put them in position to win but fell short.

I'm not a believer in Denver's offense despite the 4-1 start and certainly not with a banged-up quarterback and their Head Coach is OUT.  The Special Teams coach is going to fill in.  I'm taking the points with a San Diego team that plays everyone close and with a good change to get the outright win.  5*

New York is an underdog here but they are loaded on offense, ranked #6 in yards, including #4 in passing yards, led by veteran QB Eli Manning, WR Odell Beckham and rookie WR Sterling Shephard along with WR Victor Cruz. These are 3 huge threats. You cant look at last weeks performance because NYG always struggles with the Vikings for some reason. I expect a big effort here on Sunday night. While New York has that solid front seven that limits opponents to 84 rushing yards per game, the defense overall has underwhelmed. The Giants have yet to force a turnover and have recorded just four sacks. On the flip side, the Green Bay offensive line has not performed well in protecting Rodgers so there is a chance that Giants can have some success in hurrying Rodgers. Pressuring the quarterback is all but necessary if New York wants to do anything in this game as you can’t beat Green Bay without disrupting the efficiency of the passing game. The Giants are 31-16-2 ATS in October, and I like them here getting a Touchdown to get us the ATS cash.

10* NFL Game of the Week.

Coming into this matchup, San Diego QB Philip Rivers has been hot, hitting 68% of his passes and 7 TDs over the first 4 games. Rivers is going to demolish the CBs of the Raiders - Oakland has been giving up 8 TDs in the air to opponents this season and their defense has been awful - it doesn't stop here.
 
 
This defensive squad of Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack are good, but not enough to stop the potent scoring offense of San Diego good enough. Oakland has given up 280+ in the air 3/4 games this season.
 
 
Chargers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record and I expect Rivers to have a HUGE game hitting his WR's and TE.
 
 
San Diego is our 5* BEST BET on Sunday.

After getting an extra week to prepare for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Virginia Tech comes in rested and looking for revenge.

This Virginia Tech team has a lot of talent and that has considerable defensive talent, North Carolina will need to achieve some offensive balance. Rushing against North Carolina is the Hokies game plan. North Carolina gave up more than 200 rushing yards last week and currently sit at No. 116 nationally in rush defense. So far this season the Hokies have rushed for nearly 200 yards per game, so look for a big dose of Virginia Tech RB Travon McMillian. Quarterback Jerod Evans, who’s gotten off to a great start throwing the football, is a major rushing threat as well. If Virginia Tech has success on the ground, its offense will be difficult to stop this afternoon and I like the Hokies to get the WIN.
10* Game of the Week

Weather could come into play here. There’s likely to be some big wind for this game due to the hurricane, and if that’s the case I want to be on the team that runs the football and also stops the run. Actually, both these teams have been reasonably effective in that area defensively. But Army and its option attack definitely would have the clear offensive advantage. Army struggled in their last game and with extra time to prepare here. I'm on ARMY plus the points here on Saturday afternoon. 5*

I like Memphis here on Thursday night. THis is a big revenge game for Memphis who was hammered 31-12 by Temple last season. Memphis opened the season with some lopsided wins over outmanned opponents, including a 35-17 win over SE Missouri, a 43-7 win over Kansas, and a rollicking 77-3 win over Bowling Green. Memphis’ Riley Ferguson threw for 343 yards against Ole Miss, but tossed three INT's and they hung with them for a while but the turnovers did them in. Memphis put up 474 yards on offense on Ole Miss and they should have their way with this Temple team. The Tigers’ defense had given up just 27 points in three games prior to allowing 48 to Ole Miss, including 624 total yards on offense. Memphis is by far the better team here.  5*

The Giants blew it late last week against the Redskins, but you saw what their offense could be. Eli had 2 costly INT's late in that game.
Their offense is very explosive and you have to wonder when the inconsistent Sam Bradford shows up for the Vikes.

The Vikings have played well,  but the team has gotten nothing out of its running game, and the offense has managed just 3 touchdowns while ranking 28th in points per drive.
Minnesota's O-line is a major weakness, and that could be trouble against the Giants front four. The Giants' defense is pretty good in its own right. and I think they'll blitz and pressure Bradford a lot as the Giants secondary is solid.  The Giants' offense has a  collection of weapons should help Eli Manning move the ball and score enough points to get the WIN and ATS COVER here on MNF.
Take the NY Giants.

5*

The Steelers looked terrible in a loss to the Eagles last week getting thumped 34-3 and it wasn't even that close. Steelers RB Bell missed the first three games this year on suspension so he will be fresh and ready to take on a below average Kansas City defense that feels fat and happy after last weeks performance where they got 8 turnovers from the Jets. The Chiefs offense is ranked 23rd overall and their defense allows an average of 348 total YPG. Pittsburgh played awful last week and they were embarrassed. This team was not even in the game after the half way point it seemed as they were out coached and out-classed. Pittsburgh needs a nice bounce back win and this is the perfect spot for them to get it as KC is mostly been inconsistent under Andy Reid. Look for Ben to get Bell moving early and use him often as the Steelers bounce back with a big win here as they'll be motivated on Sunday night.   10* NFL GOW

New England doesn’t have a healthy quarterback right now. Jimmy Garappolo has been upgraded to probable, but he’s dealing with consistent pain from his shoulder injury. Jacoby Brissett has a bad thumb, and if the rookie third stringer gets playing time here, it’s probably good news for Buffalo backers as I dont trust him at all vs the Bills defense. Five of the last seven meetings between these two teams have been one score games. The Bills gave the Pats fits in both meetings last year. The Bills offense has gotten on-track, hanging 64 points on two solid defensive foes over the past two weeks, including their ’save our season’ win against Arizona last Sunday. And the Bills powerful defensive line is poised to put pressure on the Pats QB's forcing them into mistakes. Take the BILLS with the +7 here on Sunday.  5*

Willie Taggart is a fantastic ball coach. This team started to show improvements last year when they were really coming together as a squad and that has translated into great progress this year as they are 3-1 out of the gates. This team is much improved and plays with a lot of heart and spunk. This team struggled last week vs Florida State and we like them here consequently to bounce-back because of that. This is a team that beat Cincinnati last year by a score of 65-27 as Taggart is well aware of what Cincinnati runs and has his team well prepared well and S Florida should dominate this game from start to finish on the road after a hard and focused week of practice. With this team coming off a bad loss, with the fact that this team and this coaching staff frankly is making a statement this year and I say South Florida win in a blowout Saturday Night. This is the same team that routed Syracuse on the road and who has scored at least 35 points in each game as well. Take S FLA here on Saturday evening.  10*

The Bulldogs gave up 330 yards through the air and over 500 yards in total to Ole Miss last week in an embarrassing 45-14 loss. The loss was one of the worst in recent memory for Georgia fans and did not shed anything positive on Coach Kirby Smart in his first big game. Nows its time to bounce back against a Vols team who was slow to start the game last week with the Gators. Now Georgia team is at home with something to prove is a team few would want to face. Sony Michel is back and rumbling with 66 yards against Ole Miss, and Nick Chubb should be fine even though he hurt his ankle last week. Considering this is the true comeback game for Chubb – who suffered his knee injury against the Vols last year – it’ll be an emotional moment for team and the crowd. I think they take it to Tennessee from the opening kickoff and it’s close throughout, coming down to a last second field-goal by the Bulldogs. This has been a series that has been decided by one possession each of the past five seasons and getting the Bulldogs +4 looks very tasty to me. PLay on GEORGIA.  10* GOW.

Stanford is a more-visible team based on their recent success and the talk of Christian McCaffrey for Heisman are getting backed by the public.  Washington is perhaps the lowest-profile top-ten team in college football.

This Pac-12 showdown will likely determine the North division’s representative in the conference title game, and the winner will be favored to take the crown. I thought  Stanford got outplayed and got beat up pretty good against UCLA last weekend.

They were very conservative with their play-calling.

 I think Washington, which had 512 yards of offense against Arizona, has the more varied offense and a big edge at quarterback in Jake Browning. The Huskies have the home-field edge and the better overall club.  5*

Most times Denver has guys in all the right places, and their defense just keeps playing better. Yes I know it's Trevor Siemian's first road start, and no DeMarcus Ware, but Shane Ray can bring the heat opposite Von Miller, too. I'm looking for a big day out of C.J. Anderson against the NFL's 32nd-ranked rush defense (138 yards per game), which is still without suspended LB Vontaze Burfict. The Bengals are coming off a physical game against the Steelers while the Broncos had a relatively easy win against the Colts. Including last year's playoffs, the Broncos have won seven straight games. Pittsburgh is very physical and most teams have a hard time preparing for its next opponent. NFL home favorites (Bengals) are 19-23 SU and just 12-30 ATS in games after facing Mike Tomlin's Pittsburgh Steelers. Andy Dalton also got banged up in that game and he will see a stronger defense here on Sunday. Play the Denver Broncos +4 here as our Game of the Week.  10*

Buffalo is a strong team with their defense vs the passing game, giving up only 2 TD passes in the air so far this year. Teams are never quite sure which direction Buffalo will be going. Terrible for the passing game of Arizona. As good as he has been for Arizona, Carson Palmer sometimes can try too hard when looking for his big play guys, which can actually backfire for Arizona. Arizona also has had some issues defending the run as well - and Buffalo can exploit that in a manner of Tyrod Taylor, that along with the accruing injuries on the Arizona team are not boding well. Cardinals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win of more than 14 points, With 10 days to prepare for this game and Buffalo needing a win at home I am taking the Bills plus the points in a tight game.   5*

Florida has faced UMass, Kentucky, and North Texas and is in for a rude awakening against a much more talented VOLS team. Last year, Florida won coming back from a 13-point deficit with 14 points in the final four minutes. Don't think the Volunteers have forgotten. College revenge games are huge. Florida is starting a new quarterback Austin Appleby that struggled during his stint as a starter at Purdue. It’s never a positive when you have to go into a big game with a backup quarterback, and it’s doubly bad when you have to go into a big game with a guy who couldn’t cut it at Purdue. This is the Volunteers chance to rocket into the next dimension and remain undefeated and move into the talk of winning the SEC East. The loss of Gators starting QB Luke Del Rio last Saturday is a setback that will be hard to overcome and TENN will be out for a HUGE National TV WIN by double digits behind Josh Dobbs.  10* Oddsmaker Mistake Play

Look for VT QB Jerod Evans to have a HUGE game on Saturday afternoon. We love Virginia Tech and their young coach who looks for blowouts. See how this team responded last week by blowing out Boston College and they want to win and win big against letter opponents. Combine that with the fact they played much better against Tennessee than the score shows and you have a very motivated and talented Virginia Tech team who is playing with revenge! VT is highly talented on the offensive end and with East Carolina still reeling from the near defeat of South Carolina, and VT just has so many weapons and too much speed. I see a major BLOWOUT here!  10*

Cooper Rush is a very good QB for C Mich who can do it all and they are the better team, no doubt about it, which is why they are favored on the road. They are 3-0 and face an 0-3 UVA team that is just a bad team this year. They lack the athleticism of most ACC teams. Central Michigan's coach also battled cancer recently and now after that treatment, this team has rallied behind him. This team returns a ton of talent especially on the offensive side of the ball and this team has been playing fantastic this season. With some revenge to dish out to Virginia and the fact this team is going to be looking forward to playing this game, I think C Mich gets the win and stays undefeated.  5*

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst made a bold move by making a QB change the week of playing at one of the Big 10's most hostile environments at Michigan St here. The really big deal here is that the replacement is redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook, making his first start on the road at Michigan State, which just won at South Bend. I expected this spread to be 7 or more. On offense, Michigan State has gotten good production from Tyler O’Connor. The senior QB has completed 73% of his passes in the early going, throwing for 431 yards and five touchdowns. He spreads the ball around well with five different MSU receivers splitting those touchdown receptions and O’Connor is a tough runner that is not afraid to use his legs to pick up a key first down. LJ Scott is grinder at running back, getting stronger as the game goes on and he has found the endzone twice already. Play the Spartans.  5*

5*

Rookie QB Carson Wentz on the road, primetime, MNF so now let’s see how you handle the lime light.

 Of equal significance is the absence of TE Zach Ertz (rib), the recipient of six Wentz passes last Sunday.
I'm not a big QB Jay Cutler fan but he will be throwing at a secondary with only three fully fit cornerbacks.

This game is extremely important to John Fox. You don't get to coach too long in the NFL these days as teams expect quick turnarounds and such is the case here for Chicago.

This is a must win for Chicago frankly as they are in a very tough division and we'll back the Bears here at home on MNF.

If you didn’t see the Dolphins play in Week 1, then all you see is another loss however if you saw the game, then you know they deserve more respect than they’re getting. The Dolphins, who are shaping up to be a more aggressive team under Adam Gase, will learn from their mistakes and their offense will get better. Their defense looks strong and I expect they’ll put a ton of pressure on Garoppolo. The Dolphins forced two turnovers and held Seattle in check all day but allowed a last-minute TD and lost 12-10. The public will likely continue to back New England based on Week 1 outcomes and all I heard all week is Jimmy Garoppolo and replacing Brady. Cant judge a guy off of one game performance. Not only do I think the Dolphins will cover the spread, I think they’ll win this game outright.  10*

The Titans took a 10-0 lead into halftime, and towards the end of the 3rd quarter were driving deep in Vikings’ territory up 10-6 at the time. A terrible decision by Mariota led to a 77-yard INT for a TD by the Vikings and another defensive TD on a fumble two drives later pretty much sealed the game for the visitors. Tenn should be able to move the ball against the Lions defense. But let’s not forget that the Titans looked pretty good for most of the game. Detroit is coming off a road win where they were involved in a shoot-out with the Colts. Indy D is horrible, and I don’t think it’ll be as easy against the Titans. One major issue for the Lions is that Levy is doubtful, and he’s their best linebacker. Against a Titans team that wants to run the ball, Detroit is going to be at a huge disadvantage in the middle level of their D. I actually expect a close game here and taking the underdog Titans here on Sunday.  5*

The UCLA Bruins come to Provo to take on the BYU Cougars in big week three late-game action. UCLA got on the right track last week with a routine 42-21 win over UNLV and are still looking to make up for their heartbreaking overtime loss to Texas A&M in week one. It’s a really big game for both teams. UCLA should really be 2-0. That week one loss was a bad one, as they came all the way back to tie A&M to get the game to overtime, only to see a few errors cost them the win. The UCLA defense was seen as the strength of this team, with a slew of returning starters and guys back from injuries, along with some compelling youngsters in the mix. We had BYU last week in a big revenge spot but their short screens and dip and dunking wont be enough to keep up with high powered UCLA. Just stop Tayson Hill and the Bruins will be fine. Look for UCLA to win big and QB Josh Rosen to have a monster game passing.  10* College Game of the Week

If you'd asked me to give you this number after Week 1 it would've been close to two TDs, now it's under one after Georgia sleepwalked to a 2-point win over Nicholls State and Mizzou hung 61 on Eastern Michigan. Both of those performances were outliers and Georgia is the significantly better team that will be feeling embarrassed after that showing. Mizzou's offense, despite what last week may suggest, is still not good and I like GEORGIA by double digits on the road here.   5*

Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly made headlines when he declared himself the best quarterback in the country. In Week 1 against Florida State, he threw for three first-half scores while leading the Rebels to a 22-point lead. But a series of second-half turnovers spelled doom against the Seminoles. Kelly has a chance at redemption here at home against an Alabama team the Rebels have beaten in two straight. Nick Saban was unhappy with his team's effort in a win against Western Kentucky, and I think the Tide are in for a day-long fight against a home dog that has a history of giving them one. Mississippi has the firepower to hang within 11 points here as Ole Miss should be able to stop the Bama rushing attack. I like MISSISSIPPI at home as the double digit dog.   10* Underdog Diamond in the Rough

The Cardinals have the nation's top-rated offense and they're facing a Seminoles defense that will be without preseason All-American defensive back Derwin James, who tore knee cartilage during last week's blowout of Charleston Southern. Last week Louisville just completely destroyed Syracuse inside the Carrier Dome in a 62-28 final. Quarterback Lamar Jackson accounted for 5 touchdowns as the Cardinals offense posted over 600 yards of total offense. Surprisingly 4 of Jackson’s touchdowns came on the ground as he rushed for 199 yards on 21 carries. After two straight weeks of huge performances, Jackson has started catching some national attention. The Cardinals quarterback has posted Heisman Trophy type numbers in his first two games of the season with 697 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 1 pick through the air along with another 318 yards with 6 touchdowns on the ground. I think the X-factor will be explosive QB Lamar Jackson. I like the Cardinals here at home to get a big win.  5*

Last season in Houston, Cincinnati lost only 33-30. Houston, however, looks to be in a different class this year. Houston looks to be taking some people by surprise, but they didn’t just up and beat Oklahoma out of nowhere. This is one of four teams to face 4 ranked teams last season and beat them all. They defeated three of those opponents by double-digits, adding another double-digit win over a ranked opponent with their victory over Oklahoma in week 1. Cougars HC Herman seems to it going with this talented Houston bunch. The Houston offense has a lot of firepower, led by a versatile threat in Greg Ward, Jr. Houston is the much better team. The Cougars' starting QB and RB missed last week's 42-0 win over Lamar, but both are practicing and are fine for Thursday. Motivated Houston should win by 15 or more.  5*

I think the Redskins will be tough this season with their defense but I think it will take time for them to gel.
The Steelers are tough and could easily win this game and by a hefty margin. Warm weather and the Steelers offense ready to explode this season.
The Steelers have been great on MNF and  they have something better than confidence - they have players. The Steelers truly are one of the best teams in football and Josh Norman isn't going to be able to stay with Antonio Brown. Pittsburgh will move the ball with Big Ben leading the way.
I say the Steelers win by 11 or more.  5*

The Cowboys will start the year with rookie quarterback Dak Prescott who had stellar numbers during the preseason, completing 78% of his passes and scoring 7 total touchdowns with no interceptions thrown. The NY Giants dealt with some struggles offensively during the preseason, scoring 12 points per game. The X-factors are the Dallas weapons surrounding Prescott as he is playing behind one of the league’s best offensive lines in the NFL plus Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Witten, and Cole Beasley at his disposal. It puts Prescott in a good position to manage the offense effectively, particularly against a Giants defense that still grades out as league average and one of the worst last season. I’ll support the home team here with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday evening.   10*

I think that this is a great value on the Raiders. This is a very good young team that could be ready to compete in the AFC West. Derek Carr is one of the top young quarterbacks in the league. He leads a strong passing game and the Raiders boosted their offensive line to help them out. Look for Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and potentially rookie DeAndre Washington to light up the Superdome. An improved Raiders defense will do its job too. Carr has excellent arm strength, and his rhythm with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree is always there. New Orleans is not the team it once was. They went 0-4 and looked terrible this preseason. They have questions all along the offensive line. The defense was still adding players that other teams cut. Raiders are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games and get my call on Sunday here.   5*

Tennessee entered the season with high expectations under head coach, Butch Jones. Tennessee has a ton of talent and the SEC East is for the taking with a down South Carolina team, a Georgia team with a new coach and eventually a new QB, and a Florida team with the same question marks as Georgia for the most part. Look for the Vols offensive and defensive lines to play much better. They overlooked App St last Thursday for sure. Now you're getting QB Josh Dobbs and the Vols at a discounted rate in this game. Tennessee is the far superior team, and while I like new Hokies coach Justin Fuente, he doesn't have the horses to hang with the Vols. Jalen Hurd will have a monster game on the ground and Tennessee will get back on track in front of over 100,000 fans at home. VOLS by 21.    5*

Utah beat the Cougars in the Las Vegas Bowl last December 35-28. We had BYU in that Bowl game and it was one of our rare losers. BYU fell behind 35-0 early with 5 sloppy turnovers and then woke up and fell short by 7 pts. QB Taysom Hill leads the BYU Cougar offense. The 6’2 230-pound Hill is a senior who would like nothing more than to win the Holy War before he graduates. BYU just sneaked by the Arizona Wildcats in week one to open their season. A late field goal gave the Cougars a road win which they hope they can do again at Utah this weekend. BYU’s offense can be effective as they racked up plenty of yards throughout the game and did not turn the ball over. If the Cougars can remain consistent with their offensive schemes they will be in this game all the way to the finish. BYU looked to be clearly the better of these two teams at the line of scrimmage in that game last season and I like them to win this one outright on Saturday night!

10* COLLEGE GAME OF THE WEEK

Cincinnati made a surprising move last week by starting QB Hayden Moore over the highly productive Gunner Kiel. Cincinnati was much better than its record suggested last year and they can score points in a hurry. They are the better team and after last week's lackluster showing I expect a much better effort against Big Ten team here on Saturday afternoon.  5*

Penn St did not impress me last week. They had a pick-6 and the defense did not look that good overall. Pitt is a very good team and primed for a very strong season. This team returns 8 on offense and 8 on defense and is very strong up front on both sides of the ball and that will make the difference against a Penn State team that lost a lot of key defensive lineman to the NFL last year. Pitt has its way more or less running the ball and should pull away in the 2nd half and win this one by 10 or more.   10* Oddsmaker Mistake Play

 Stepping into Peyton Manning's worn shoes is Trevor Siemian here on Thursday night. He takes his first legitimate NFL snap against last year's sixth-stingiest defense, which also ranked first in interceptions, tied for first in fumbles recovered and sixth in sacks. Good luck kid!  Carolina also gets their best WR Kelvin Benjamin back from injury to go along with Ted Ginn Jr and TE Olsen.

Look for the Panthers to make a statement here on Thursday night and win big by double digits. 5*

For a team whose quarterback has yet to take a snap in a live game, expectations are sky-high for the Seminoles. FSU will start QB redshirt freshman Deondre Francois.  This cast is highlighted by all-purpose back Dalvin Cook, who rushed for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns despite missing some time because of injuries. However the Miss defense is very good and will stop the run and pressure the freshman QB.

 The Rebels are coming off a 10-win season that saw them upset Alabama for the second straight year. They have a stud at quarterback, with Chad Kelly who led the SEC in passing last season, and he threw a conference best 31 TD passes and passed for over 4000 yards.

MISS Head Coach Hugh Freeze’s teams tend to thrive in an underdog role, and I expect them to perform well in a game where their opponent is receiving the majority of the headlines here on Monday night. 5*

Notre Dame has beaten Texas five straight times, including 38-3 in South Bend last season. This is a major revenge play for TEXAS here at home on Sunday night.

Texas should be a better team than the one that got blasted by the Irish in last year's season opener in South Bend, Ind. But the Longhorns are throwing a freshman quarterback into the fire against a very aggressive defense that will give him lots of different looks and ltry to capitalize on his inexperience. With plenty of time to prepare for this game I like Texas and their speed to get the win and cover. 5*

NC's defensive coordinator made a huge difference last year for the Tarheels. Their defense improved by 14.5 PPG. Heels QB Mitch Trubisky was a 4* recruit and he is more than capable of running a spread attack and he had 2 years of experience backing up Marquise Williams. NC still has RB Elijah Wood who is very good. Larry Fedora is a very good coach and NC has 13 returning starters back from last years team. North Carolina is an underrated program and this shapes up as a nice value pick. I like UNC to win outright here on Saturday evening and I love getting 3.5 points as the underdog. PLAY NORTH CAROLINA as our 10* GAME OF THE WEEK.

Trace McSorley is proficient enough to throw the deep ball with touch and more than tolerable precision. McSorley doesn't have a lot of experience behind him, but once he gets over the opening jitters - he will end up with good enough poise from pocket, and looking down the barrel of the D-line of Kent State isn’t going to shake him. If Kent State doesn't connect on the long passes they will not be in this game - bottom line. And with Malik Golden surveying the field from the safety position it is going to be a challenge. Missing tackles can be another big problem for Kent State - Nittany Lions are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. MAC. Penn State wins this one big by 30 or more.  5*

Morgantown is a brutal road trip first of all, and Mizzou has some issues at QB for sure this season. West Virgina is always tough at home. Mizzou has a new head coach, a scheme and all new coaches without Gary Pinkel around. Add in the fact they were a bottom feeder with little offense in the SEC last year, and this is West Virginia’s year to make or break Dana Holgorsen and they have a ton of weapons to do so. Junior college transfer, Natereace Strong, has various speeds as a runner and can call on second gear when he sees daylight. Other than their hopes for him - their running game is going to struggle. Problem is, the defense of West Virginia doesn't work well with allowing big chunk plays like he likes to put together. Skyler Howard has a great vibe offensively for West Virginia, after last year's high scoring season. He has the ability to move the ball - and will. J'Mon Moore is not going to get a ton of targets for MIzzou - Moore is normally a pretty dangerous guy, but this matchup is a nightmarish one for the lengthy WR. West Virginia will not let off the throttle in this one, they never do. Tigers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games West Virginia wins by double digits here early action Saturday.  5*

I like Temple at home here on Friday night. We are going against a team who was 2-10 last year and might even be worse this season. Temple is a very good team and Army failed to cover its final six games playing well below their rating and then playing Navy tough in their big rivalry game to end their season. Temple comes off a fantastic 10-4 season and the key members of the offense all return -- 18 starters overall. Look for Temple to win by 24 points or more. 5*

 I like the home underdog in this matchup on Thursday night. Last year in Bloomington the Hoosiers beat FIU 36 -22 , but what a difference a year makes as it always does. The Hoosiers lost two huge pieces of their offense with Nate Sudfeld and Jordan Howard going to the NFL. The Hoosiers return only 6 starters to their offense and they will have competition at the QB position which will cause difficulty for the team early in the year. Indiana will rely heavily on their running game with Devine Redding who ran for just over 1,000 yds last yr being their main RB. The defensive returns 7 starters to what was a very porous unit last year ranking 120th. Florida INT returns 9 starters to their offense, led by 3rd year QB Alex McGough. McGough threw for 283 yards in Indiana last year and we see more success at home for McGough against the Hoosiers in this years game. They also have a new defensive coordinator so it will be tough for Indiana to prepare for as they dont know what to expect. I think this line is too high and I like Flor-INT with the double digits points here at home.

5*

?
Five times Denver has been an underdog this season. Five times the Broncos have covered winning four of those games straight-up.
 
The Denver defense will keep Cam in pocket with a fast Broncos defense and when he goes to step up the interior linemen will get him. Also I think Cam will try to do too much where Peyton will play smart and limit turnovers as he hasn't turned the ball over yet in the playoffs.
 

 
I don't think the Broncos defense is getting enough respect!
Denver holding New England to just 18 points the AFC title game is just as impressive, though. The Broncos held the Steelers and Patriots to an average of 17 points in playoff competition while dealing Tom Brady his lowest quarterback rating of the season when he had all of his offensive weapons.
 
 The Broncos ranked No. 1 in total defense, pass defense and sacks.
 
Carolina was very lucky this season and got a lot of good breaks with a + 20 turnover ratio.
 

Denver will spy Cam and could even have two spies on him frankly just to keep an eye on him and let the Panthers receivers beat them.
 

 
 
 
 
 
Wade Phillips is a very good defensive coordinator. He has two weeks to prepare and will use his two dominant edge pass rushers in Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.
I am backing the Denver Broncos +6 in SUPER BOWL 50.  Below are 5 prop plays I also like that I would play small as 1* just to have fun with.

Total passing yards for Peyton Manning?   OVER 235.5   -125
 

Total Receptions - Emmanuel Sanders (DEN)?  OVER 5.5 -115
 

Total Sacks - DeMarcus Ware (DEN)?  OVER 1/2 -225
 

Arizona can and will exhaust the clock, tiring out the secondary of the Panthers. The Cards can play slower paced or fast paced, and I fully expect them to make the Panthers D tired. Arizona will be finding more appropriate running plays for David Johnson, which will spark the ground game for the weakended rushing of the Cards. The fact is David Johnson will be too quick hitting the holes they open up to the right side. Carolina will not move the ball with efficiency. Their defense is great, but Trai Turner can get beat up in the trenches, and Arizona has those kind of guys in there. OT Jared Veldheer from Arizona won't get beat by Carolina and the well below average pass rush of Charles Johnson. Jonathan Stewart is not giving them strong enough running between the tackles, and with him having tweaked his ankle recently it's going to make it that much more difficult. And that is where Carolina is going to have to work hardest, in this game. Cardinals are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games and Cam is going to have to have the game of his life to beat this well coached and very good Cards team.  5*

I'm taking the points with the Seahawks on Sunday here on the road. This is a much different Seattle team that the one Carolina beat back in October. And we should note that in that game, Seattle actually led by nine points (23-14) with less than five minutes to go in the game. Doug Baldwin has become Russell Wilson's favorite target since the Graham injury and the Seattle offense began calling plays that suit them best. Seattle enters on a 6-1-1 ATS run on the road against teams with a winning home record, and under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks are 19-6 ATS when playing with revenge, outscoring opponents by an average of 8 pts per game. Lets back Seattle as the small dog here on Sunday as our 10* NFL Playoffs Game of the Week.

On Saturday, the AFC divisional playoffs begin, with the Kansas City Chiefs meeting the New England Patriots. I like the RED HOT Chiefs behind Alex Smith, a quarterback who controls the game and doesn't turn the ball over. Smith has been aided a great deal by the play of Chancandrick West and bruising Spencer Ware, a pair of backs who really helped fill the void left by Jamal Charles. Tight end Travis Kelce was a key part of the offense again on Saturday. A knee injury that looked really bad took out Kansas City’s leading receiver in Jeremy Maclin, but an MRI revealed no tears and if he can play through a sprain, that would really be a big help to the KC effort this Saturday.

The Kansas City defense is a big reason they are in this spot. As soon as this part of the team started coming around, the team took off. To score a shutout win over another team that had a big second half to make the playoffs was jaw-dropping. Sure, Houston did a lot to undermine their own efforts, but a lot of that had to do with the Chiefs’ defense. They were third this season in fewest points allowed, even with a 1-5 start. As we saw last Saturday in the wild card round, the Chiefs’ “D” can make plays, with all phases of this group patrolled by difference-makers. They apply a consistent pass rush and the NE offensive line has its holes and issues. I see KC keeping this game tight throughout.  5*

I look for the Alabama SEC offense to have success in this one against an ACC defense that will get bowled over as Alabamas power with their running game early and, in turn, that forces the Tigers defense to crowd the line which will lead to some big opportunities for the Alabama aerial attack. The Crimson Tide scored 38 points against a good Spartans team and Alabama has averaged 38 points in their last four games overall. Bama's offense has produced over 400 yards in each of those four games.

The Clemson Tigers gave up at least 27 points in 4 of their last 6 regular season games. Alabama continues to get better each game and I feel they are out to prove a point in the NCAA Championship Game on Monday night! Look for another one Monday night. ROLL TIDE! Thanks for all your College Football business this season as we are coming off our best College Football Season in our 22 years in business winning 67% of our picks and a remarkable 82% on our top 10*'s. The bowls were even better and overall I hope you collected plenty of cash.
10*

Redskins Cousins has been playing great lately and Washington has been very good at home. Green Bay has been playing some sorry football and the Packers head to Washington losers of back-to-back games. In those two losses the Packers scored a total of 21 points and their last road game the Packers defense gave up 38 points to the Arizona Cardinals. DT Chris Baker is at times almost impossible to stop on the Dline when he gets moving. Ryan Kerrigan is a great young LB as well, too much to handle. Going to be a long game for Mr. Rodgers. Green Bay gets themselves into bad field position at times with penalties, with David Bakhtiari having plenty of issues, and he look to be ready to go. Packers are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. Washington has won 4-straight games and three of those wins the Skins averaged 35.6ppg. Playing the better team with Washington at home here on Sunday evening.  5*

I like this Bengals team a lot. I like them much better when Dalton is the quarterback, but even without him, Cincinnati will go with McCarron who has been solid and has weapons. AJ Green, Jeremy Hill, and Giovani Bernard help the Bengals stay dangerous on the offensive side of the ball, but not only has the offense been good in 2015, the defense is very good and they are at home while the Steelers play their 3rd straight road game.
We have the better defensive team getting points.

In the regular season, the Bengals ended up with the 2nd best scoring defense in the NFL to go along with the 7th best offense. I'll take the better defensive team at home and playing in the cold weather with a 70% chance of rain and snow. BENGALS +3 as our 10* NFL Playoffs Game of the Year

The Oakland Raiders are a much improved team this year. Quarterback, Derek Carr and rookie wide receive Amari Cooper have the offense clicking in the passing game while Latavious Murray has gone over 1,000 yards on the ground and has six scores of his own. This offense is becoming very balanced and very feared around the league. If the Raiders have any hopes of getting this win on the road and finishing the season at 8-8, they are going to need to do a few things. First off, get the passing offense going. The only way to score points on this Chiefs defense is to keep them off balance. This is also Woodson's last game, this is a squad that symbolically getting to .500 would mean a lot for this franchise after years of dysfunction. And, seeing that this team is not going to the playoffs, this is their playoff game and even their Super Bowl. We like Oakland to step up here with a good game plan from HC Jack Del Rio on the road and give KC all they can handle.   10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Jets need a win to get into the playoffs and they have to get it against the Bills now led by coach Ryan. The Public is all over the Jets but the oddsmakers knew that and I like the Bills here at home. You know Bills HC Rex will be very motivated to keep the Jets out of the post-season and he is in a good spot here since as a head coach he is 11-6 ATS when playing a team off of a SU dog win. The Jets traditionally choke in these spots as well as they are just 1-7 ATS after winning SU as a dog. That was a very big emotional win for the Jets last weekover the Pats in OT and they were celebrating all week. Lets play the +3 with Buffalo to get this win at home Sunday afternoon.   5*

AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL

It was a solid season for Arkansas under 3rd year HC Bielema.  He did break from his mold of power football by hiring former Central Michigan HC Dan Enos as his OC.  With the talents of QB Allen, Arkansas balanced their offense with an attack that averaged 264/9.1 through the airways.   Kansas St is not that good.  They rallied at home behind their veteran HC to get a 6th WIN in their final game to become Bowl eligible.

Arkansas has a ton of speed and have won 5 of their last 6 games, with a high powered offense. Different opponent, same results, matched up vs a team with zero defense.

Kansas State has not put up 300YDs of passing offense all season. Kansas State QBs have really had a problem finding the spots they need to get the ball to.

Wildcats are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 bowl games.

Arkansas wins as we get yet another BLOWOUT here in the Bowl games.  10*

Stanford’s offense is led by Kevin Hogan, the senior quarterback who has shown immeasurable grit and passion this season. His willpower and motivation have been keys to the team’s success this season. He had 24 TD throws and 7 picks on the season, while completing nearly 70% of his throws. Christian McCaffrey is one of the top players in the nation, after setting the single-season record for all-purpose yardage. He is the team’s leading rusher and receiver, with 1847 yards on the ground and 540 in the air and will be the biggest weapon on the field on January 1. Right now, nobody is playing more confident football than this QB. He is doing anything it takes to put points on the board. He has to feel there's no secondary that can stop him, when he decides to get the job done, and I don't blame him. There is just nothing that C.J. Beathard can do consistently enough right now. Any kind of throw, whether for the big 1st down, or the deep 3rd downs. He has been too up and down, and in this very big game, for Iowa, being in their 1st Rose Bowl game in 25 years. The Stanford offense has more options that Iowa. Look for Stanford to really wear this Hawkeyes team down. Should the Cardinal get out to an early lead, they can really take the Hawkeyes focus out of this game.  5*

With the long layoff I expect Florida to spend a lot of time working on their offense. Their defense is tough as nails and I like Florida in this underdog spot on Friday. The Gators defense could win this game by themselves and I see the Gators defense causing major problems for Michigan. If Michigan can't move the ball then I see turnovers being the factor on who wins this game and with the Gators defense I see them forcing some turnovers in the game. Treon Harris the Florida QB is a duel threat and his shiftiness will need to be accounted for by Michigan both on the planned keep and the scramble to throw. Kelvin Taylor has been a bit of a plodder while averaging just 4.0 yards per carry but he does have 13 rushing scores to lead Florida so look for him to get his chances if the Gators get the ball in close. Florida is 5-1 ATS when playing on two weeks or more to prep and I'll back them here as a dog.  5*

OUTBACK BOWL This Tenn team is very young and these extra practices and time will really help them. NW had a fairly easy schedule and their offense is terrible. Tennessee is still being considered the team on the rise in the SEC. Both of these teams play a very physical style of football. Northwestern is still seeing most of the action getting 68% of the publics money for some reason I do not see maybe because NW is ranked higher. Tennessee may be 8-4 on the season, but if you are not an SEC fan and do not follow the conference, little do you know how close this team was to winning the SEC East. Tennessee not only lost a handful of close SEC games, but they blew a two touchdown lead over Oklahoma only to lose in double overtime 31-24. Along with the Oklahoma loss, they also blew a 13 point lead to the Florida Gators with under five minutes left in regulation. The Tennessee Vols offense is built around dual threat QB, Josh Dobbs and running back, Jalen Hurd. Dobbs passed for over 2,100 yards and 15 scores in 2015 while Jalen Hurd rushed for over 1,100 yards and eleven touchdowns. The Tennessee defense has also played well ever since Butch Jones took over as head coach. This is a very tough team that is much better than their record indicates and I like them to WIN BIG on Friday afternoon.  10* College Bowl Game of the Year

College football’s opening semi-final playoff match will take place this afternoon inside Sun Life Stadium with the # 1 ranked Clemson Tigers square off with the # 4 Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl. The top ranked Tigers were the only team in college football that posted a perfect 13-0 record this year marking their only undefeated campaign since their 1981 National Championship run. Clemson is now just one victory away from competing for another National Championship.

The Tigers have been a dynamic force on the offensive side of the football as well averaging 512 total yards per game and just a tad shy of 40 points per game. Both marks rank inside the top 15 teams in the country. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is a very good dual threat quarterbacks who finished with a 69% completion percentage that resulted in 3,512 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 picks. Watson also added 887 rushing yards with another 11 touchdowns on the ground as well.  I expect to see a lot of points and I'll take CLEMSON plus the 4 pts here on Thursday afternoon.  5*

I don't think this is a good matchup for the Seminoles. One team is super motivated for this game and its Houston’s chance to knock off one of the most prestigious teams in the country.

Additionally, this matchup favor the Cougars in several ways I believe. Houston’s defense is really good against the run ranking 11th in the FBS yielding just 116 yards per game. If the Cougars can remain strong against the run, things could get really interesting if Florida State is forced into passing situations to move the football.

FSU will have QB Sean Maguire behind center as QB Everett Golson didn't make the trip and I give Houston QB Ward Jr the edge Thursday afternoon. Florida St struggled on the road in their last 3 road games dropping 2 of them and I see the Cougars putting pressure on the FSU defense all game long.
More importantly Houston has a ton of offensive weapons that will make things tough on Florida State’s defense. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr is one of the more exciting players in college football. Ward threw for 2,590 yards with 16 scores and 5 picks on the season. He was even more dangerous on the ground rushing for 1,041 yards with 19 touchdowns. Running back Kenneth Farrow is closing in on the 1,000 yard plateau as well and has already posted 12 touchdowns. Meanwhile wide receiver Demarcus Ayers has caught 89 passes for 1,140 yards with 6 touchdowns on the season. I'll gladly take HOUSTON plus the generous pts here. 10*

I'm taking the points with Wisconsin on Wednesday night. The Badgers finished 9-3 SU, with three losses coming against Alabama, Iowa, and Northwestern. The Tide are in the running for a possible national title, the Hawkeyes missed a spot in the CFB playoffs by one game, and the Wildcats are a sturdy 10-2 and playing in a New Year's Day bowl game. The three teams own a combined record of 34-4 SU. The Badger defense is nasty, stingy, and fierce, and I expect the unit to cause problems for the USC offense. They have the best statistical overall defenses in the land. UW is a top-10 unit in almost any metric you want to name but they are most importantly 3rd in total yards allowed and lead the NCAA by surrendering just 13.1 points per game. On the flip side the USC defense has been a mess most of the season, ranked 96th against the pass, while also allowing over 400 total yards per game. They were scorched for 41 points or more on four occasions this season. USC allowed nearly 5 yards per carry over their last three games and saw their last six opponents complete 123 of 175, a whopping 70.3% of their passes, with 14 TDs and only 4 INTs. I like WISKY plus the points.  10* Diamond in the Rough

Texas A&M is becoming a dumpster fire. Quarterbacks are leaving, players are not happy, the program is putting restrictions on the kids who want to transfer…it just isn’t pretty right now in College Station.

Louisville, like Texas A&M, had much bigger dreams heading into 2015. They dropped their opener in the Georgia Dome to Auburn by a score of 31-24. At that time many people thought that was actually a good performance seeing as how Auburn was the preseason #6 team in the nation. Louisville played a very tough schedule.
 The key to this game for Louisville is to get the offense rolling quickly. With all the mess surrounding A&M right now, if Louisville can get out to an early 14-0 or 17-0 lead, the Aggies may just pack it in

 I think Louisville has more talent and should have no problem covering the 3.5 pts here tonight.  5*

The Nevada Wolf Pack offense owns a top-30 running game and is one of two teams with two 1,000-yard rushers. Meanwhile, the Colorado St Rams have been horrible against the run, allowing an average of 208 yards rushing per game, which ranks 108th in the nation. Nevada is on a 6-1 SU run when they rush for at least 200 yards in a game. I see Nevada controlling stretches of the game with their run-game and playing the better defense and getting the outright win. Colorado State's offense has shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with a high turnover rate which is one of the worst in the nation, and Nevada has a hungry secondary, ready to take full advantage. 10*